The music around us blared as we moved together, neither of us speaking, only letting this spark between us guide the dance. The press of her body to mine left no doubt of the need coursing through me.
If I wasn’t careful, this woman would lead me around by the dick.
She fucking smelled incredible, a hint of something floral and spiced. I resisted the urge to fist her hair and tilt her neck up so I could get a better sniff.
Was she as affected by me as I was by her?
“Why are you looking at me like that?” she asked, breaking the silence between us.
“I’m trying to figure you out.”
“What is there to figure out? I’m a woman in a nightclub enjoying a night out.”
She slid against me in the rhythm the DJ mixed, and I almost groaned.
“I find that hard to believe, Boss.” I gave her a knowing smile, and she returned it.
“So, you’re the VIP Justine wanted me to meet?”
“I’m glad we met like this and not as part of your business.”
“Like what?” She was playing with me.
“In the way a man who finds a woman attractive and experiences instantaneous chemistry.”
Her breath hitched but she tried to mask it.
“Tell me you don’t feel it.” I pressed her toward me, bringing her face close to mine.
She licked her lips as her gaze held mine. “I can’t.”
“Why not?”
“Because nothing can come of it.”
“I disagree.” Before I could say more, a group of women moved around us, one bumping my shoulder.
Almost immediately, a giant of a man moved in our direction. Eloisa shook her head and he moved back to his perch against a pillar.
She had security watching her every move. I should have expected this. Benz was not going to leave his princess unguarded. However, I had a hard time believing he knew about or would allow his daughter to be in the cutthroat nightclub business.
“This is a nice place. Different. Something I’d expect from the Lykaios brothers in Las Vegas.”
Anyone in the entertainment industry knew who the Lykaios brothers were. They’d created an empire that catered to the indulgence of Las Vegas, from casinos and resorts to sporting events, shows, and nightclubs. Each brother had his specific focus, with nightlife being Hagen Lykaios’s particular vein of interest.
She gave me a brilliant smile that made her beauty more dazzling. “I’ll take that as a compliment. I can only hope to garner the success Hagen Lykaios has created. Like his properties, none of my places are the same. Each has a different vibe, but with a more European flair.”
Her enthusiasm for her business told me this wasn’t some hobby but an actual endeavor she wanted to make a success.
“How many do you have?”
“I don’t know you well enough to divulge that information.”
“Then get to know me.”
“You don’t give up.”
“No success ever came by giving up.”
The music changed and she stepped out of my hold.
“Thank you for the dance.”
“I want to see you again,” I said as she turned to walk away.
She paused and faced me again. “I can’t.”
“Why not?”
She closed her eyes for a second, releasing a sigh of resignation. “Because I’m promised to someone else.”
Well, I wasn’t expecting her to say that. She went with the truth, not a fabrication.
“Promised? As in engaged?”
“Yes, exactly.” She clenched her jaw, telling me she was as thrilled to marry me as I’d been to marry her.
“You don’t seem happy about it. I thought women were excited when they’re about to get married.”
She swallowed, and I waited to hear her response.
“It was arranged. I’ve never met him. I won’t meet him until our wedding day.”
“Isn’t that a bit archaic? No one does arranged marriages nowadays. And if they did, the couple would at least meet before the big day.”
“The world I come from isn’t modern. It doesn’t follow the rules of society. I’m the one who didn’t want to meet. What difference would it make anyway? Any objections to our marriage are irrelevant. Our families will suffer the consequences otherwise.”
“You make it sound like your family is the mob and it’s about territory.” She’d thrown truth my way, I’d do the same.
“I’ve accepted my fate. I’m sorry we didn’t meet sooner. We could have seen where this…” she paused, “…this thing between us could have led. Thank you for the dance.”
As she moved to walk away, I grabbed her arm. “What about friendship?”
“Friendship?” A crease of confusion formed between her brows. “I don’t follow.”
“What if we were friends? Nothing more. I’d like to get to know you.”
“I don’t have many men who are friends.” She looked down to where I held her, the heat of her skin penetrating into mine. “Plus…”
“Plus, what?”
She lifted her gaze to mine. “It wouldn’t work. I don’t know how to be friends with someone I’m attracted to.”
“You’re very direct.”
“It’s the way of things for me. If I’m not, then all anyone would see is the outside and the image my family has created of me.”
“So, you know you’re beautiful?”
“I look like my mother, so yes. That doesn’t mean I want someone to value me for it.” There was a slight tone of anger there that told me it was a sore subject.
“Give me your name, at least.”
“Isa.” She glanced at her watch. “I have to go.”
There was a hint of panic in her voice. I wanted to push, but I couldn’t. I had no rights over her. Well, as far as she knew.
“I’m Baz.”
“That’s unusual.”
“My mother gave me that nickname.”
“What does it stand for?”
“That would require you to meet me for coffee tomorrow.”
She shook her head. “I can’t.”
“Sure, you can. Meet me at Emma’s around two o’clock tomorrow afternoon. I’m sure you know where it is, since you can see it on the corner of this street.”
“I won’t be there.”
“I can always hope.” I held her gaze as
