Page 14 of King of Omen

Sensing my gaze, he turned his head, locking eyes with mine again.

The flicker in his expression, masked by his inscrutable facade, went through me like lightning.

I dropped my eyes, averting my face, not wanting to interact with him further.

I made a mental note to keep my distance and tread with care around him. The last thing I needed was to tangle with someone like him, not now, not ever.

The day’s events had taken a toll on me, dredging up memories and emotions I had long tried to suppress.

Needing fresh air and overwhelmed by a whirlwind of emotions, I slipped from the gathering, seeking peace in the gardens outside.

LORENZO

She was the most alluring creature I’d ever come close to in years.

From those freakish violet eyes to her thick auburn hair cascading in loose waves down her back in a vision.

Damn, her lips were so soft and pliant.

Her body was so lush that my fingers had tingled to fold her into my arms in the powder room.

I wanted to stroke that dewy skin, draw a thumb around that mouth, kiss her stunning eyelids, and rock away the vulnerability in her gaze that intrigued me.

She’d also made me smile and even laugh with her brazenness in the bathroom. I had never had anyone speak to me with such moxie in years; no one dared to.

It was fuckin’ refreshing.

Sheer need, the freaking jackhammer desire to own and possess all of her, hit me like a freight train, unexpected and unstoppable.

I cursed under my breath, clenching my jaw to tamp down the intoxicating image of her standing in front of me in the bathroom.

Damn her seductive appeal. It had made me want to ravish her right there and then, to undress all of her siren beauty and obvious disdain for me that both unnerved and fascinated me.

Fuck.

She was not on the agenda. This wake, my work and my family were all I had the energy for.

I had no time for a woman who had the potential to unravel the high walls I had built around my dark soul.

Pushing aside her and my tumultuous thoughts, I turned to join the gathering once more, my mask of indifference in place.

I engaged in polite conversation with Vitto and some of the guests while casting a keen eye on the various movements and conversations in the room.

As the minutes wore on, however, my eyes strayed, searching for flashes of lilac flitting through the room, wanting, yearning for her.

I viewed her interactions with the other attendees, noting the way she navigated the social setting, always keeping a close eye on her surroundings as if she cared a damn lot for everyone in the room and especially for Bianca’s farewell.

Now convinced she was more than just hired help, I was intrigued with the way she took such trusteeship of the proceedings, which told me she was more invested than most.

The issue was, what was her play?

Was she a close friend of my aunt’s that I’d never met? Or a gold digger waiting for the spoils from Bianca’s estate?

I needed to find out.

My gaze tagged her the second she slipped out of the house.

Eyeing at the doors she’d slid out of for a minute or two ago, I gravitated to them. Unable to resist the irresistible allure of the enigmatic woman who had caught my eye.

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