Page 29 of The Prices We Pay
It’s the faintest of kisses. I’m not sure you could even call it a kiss, considering I don’t reciprocate in the slightest—too stunned at the fact that his lips are touching mine—and it doesn’t last but a mere moment. Yet, the effect it has on me is cataclysmic. It rocks me to my very core. Shattering me apart and putting me back together in perfect unison. “I’m sorry. Come back to me, Sweetheart,” he whispers against my lips.
I can’t even look at Kassidy. I don’t want to. I want all my attention to be on the man before me. Enzo straightens, holding his hand out to me. My eyes catch on the ring around his pinky, the black metal matching the chain he wears around his neck. Silently, I grab my clutch from the table and take his outstretched hand.
“Josie!” She’s been calling me that all night, and it’s been driving me fucking nuts. Not once did I give her any indication that that was my name or an acceptable variation of it.
But before I have a chance to correct her, Enzo snaps, “Her name is Josephine. Not that it matters to you any longer. Goodnight, Kasey.”
With my hand wrapped in his, Enzo pulls me toward the booth where the rest of the guys are sitting. I don’t spare Kassidy a backward glance. I know that may make me a shitty person, bringing a date here and then ditching her for my not-so-ex boyfriend, pretend or not. But I can’t find it in myself to care.
Because the fact of the matter is that Lorenzo Santoro’s lips were on mine. And I want it to happen over and over again.
12
Dante
She’s everywhere.
The smell of jasmine has seemingly taken over the club. The sound of her laugh filters through my ears as she dances with Mac, Harper, Sebastian, and Enzo when “Up Down” by T-Pain blares over the speakers. The beauty of her smile, her gray-blue eyes, hereverything,is beginning to hurt my eyes from the intensity of my stare. And the way her entire being softened when she looked at me after Enzo saved her from that horrid blonde bimbo has left an ache in my chest that I can’t seem to get rid of.
Just the thought of it has me rubbing my sternum to relieve the pressure.
Ronan notices my discomfort and laughs. “So, how’s it feel?”
I stare at him deadpan.
“That ache in your chest. The one you can’t quite seem to get to go away.” The knowing smirk on his face makes me want to punch it off.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I grumble.
“Mhm. Sure,” states Finn. “Why don’t you ask Luca? Maybe he’ll be able to tell you.”
“The two of you are particularly annoying tonight. You know that?” Luca’s speaking to them, but his eyes don’t leave Joe.
Ronan barks out a rare laugh. “Come on.” He elbows Finn. “Let’s go dance with our wife. Let these two stew in peace.”
They aren’t gone for more than thirty seconds when Luca sighs in frustration. “What are we gonna do?”
I don’t have to ask what he’s talking about. I already know. “I don’t know, boss.” For the first timesince she went out there, his eyes leave the dance floor, only to pin me with a pointed glare. “Sorry. I don’t know,Luca.”
He smiles softly before scrubbing a hand over his face. “I didn’t like seeing her out on a date. Woman or not.”
“Me either.” Quite frankly, it made my entire body burn with a blinding possessiveness that I haven’t felt in years. One I know Luca felt, too.
“Enzo wants her…”
“Yeah. Enzo wants her.” His eyes search mine, silently pleading for me to say more so he won’t have to, but we both know I won’t. Unlike Enzo and Sebastian, Luca and I don’t need to say much to effectively communicate with one another. Even though he’s not quite as withdrawn as I am, both of us operate by the less-is-more motto when it comes to our words. We understand one another. We always have.
“Do you?” he asks.
I don’t confirm or deny it. Instead, I just repeat his question back to him. “Do you?”
His gaze goes back to the dance floor, where Joe now has her hands wrapped around Harper’s neck as they sway to the upbeat music before looking back at me. He doesn’t answer my question either, which is answer enough. “What about Sebastian?”
I shrug, pulling at the paper on my lukewarm beer bottle. “You’d know the answer to that better than me.”
“He just said he wants me to be happy. But you saw how eager he was to bring her over here. And it was like he was an entirely different person after he met with her the other morning.”
I nod. “And do you think she could make you as happy as he does?”
