Page 51 of Formula Dreams
For a moment, she looks unsure of herself, but it’s fleeting.Uneasiness bottoms out in my stomach as her mouth curves into a wicked smile.She tries to step around me, sounding all light and breathy.“In that case, I think another dance with Carlos would do a woman good.”
Yeah… that’s not going to work for me.
Before I can talk myself out of it, I take a hold of her upper arm and spin her into me.My hands catch her waist, and I kiss her—hard.
She stiffens for a moment, pushing at me.I kiss her deeper, tasting the faint bite of strong liquor under the sweetness of champagne, and for a second, she melts.Her mouth opens to me, her hands clutch into my shirt, and her fight falters.
Yes, I might not be able to reason with her or adequately explain my actions, but if I can keep her compliant like this, maybe none of that matters.I slip my fingers into her hair at the back of her head, grip hard and kiss her deeper.Francesca groans and my entire body tightens.I’m thinking about grabbing her by the hand, leading her out of the bathroom, out the back door of this hotel and right to my flat here in London where I’d give her so many orgasms, she’ll never think of Carlos or any man again.
But then Francesca shoves me backward with such force, the kiss breaks.She glares at me, breathing hard, eyes flashing.“Don’t you dare.Don’t you dare kiss me when you just had your arm around another woman’s waist.”
Little hypocrite.
A sharp laugh escapes me—more a bite than humor.“What’s the problem, Accardi?Didn’t like the view from the dance floor?”
Her chin lifts.“You think I’m jealous?”
“You seem to be awful mad I brought another woman here tonight,” I shoot back, because the alternative is admitting how seeing her with Carlos boiled my blood.
She scoffs, but the color brightening her cheeks tells me I’ve hit a nerve.“Okay, fine… I’m pissed because you left my bed in the middle of the night without saying goodbye and showed up with her like last night meant nothing.”
“It didn’t mean nothing,” I retort.
For a second, we stand there, breathing hard, the air between us charged.She narrows her eyes.“Then what did it mean?”
I rake a hand through my hair, wishing I had a clean answer.“I don’t know.This is new territory for me.”I’m not about to admit to her that I didn’t like watching her wrapped around Carlos.She already called me out on my jealousy once and it’s a feeling I’ve never had before.
Her mouth parts, surprise registering before it hardens again.“So, it’s fine for you to play escort, but I can’t dance with a friend?”
“It’s not the same.”
“Because you don’t want me with anyone else,” she says, voice low, “but you still get to keep your options open?”
The accusation hurts because she’s not wrong—not entirely.I step in closer.“I don’t want you with anyone else.And I’m not keeping my options open.”
There’s a beat where her gaze softens slightly, like she’s hearing me for the first time.
“She’s not my date,” I say, low and certain.
“Oh, really?”Her arms cross tighter, chin lifting.“Because it sure as hell looked like it when you helped her out of the car and into the event like a perfect gentleman.”
I scrub a hand down my face.“She’s a friend.I asked her to come to this weeks ago.And I couldn’t bail last minute.”
“You’ve known her awhile?”
“Amelia and I have seen each other off and on over the years.It’s casual.”
“And you’ve slept with her,” she says softly.Not a question but a suspicion confirmed.
I can’t lie.Really, I don’t want to lie to her.“Yes… it’s been a friends-with-benefits thing.A few times a year.”
Francesca’s regard drifts to the side and she draws her lower lip in between her teeth as she contemplates.Her golden eyes come back to me.“Sort of like what we agreed to, right?”
Fuck… that sounds bloody awful when put into context.“We didn’t discuss boundaries, Francesca.”
“No, because you snuck out in the middle of the night,” she accuses.
“Yes, I did.But let’s have the conversation now.”
