Page 13 of The Billionaire's Claim: Possession
Liza looks away for a moment, biting into her lip. There’s a fleeting sadness in her that comes and goes, and I don’t like it. I raise a hand, trace the curve of her cheekbone with my thumb and then, very carefully, cradle her face. She places a hand over mine, her eyes fluttering closed. She looks so vulnerable, so lovely.
Before I can pull her in for a kiss, she takes a deep breath and gives me a smile brilliant enough to make the gears my head stutter. “I’ll hold you to that.”
Her phone rings, and she glances at it. A frown creases her brow. “I have to go. My ride’s here.”
Slight panic and denial mix together. I don’t want her to go.
If she leaves now, this is the end.
She bites her lower lip again, then hesitates for maybe a fifth of a second—the amount of time it takes to fall for someone.
She takes a napkin and jots down ten digits in neat handwriting. “Call me.”
After placing a kiss on my cheek, she walks out, leaving only the scent of my soap behind.
Chapter Seven
Elizabeth
After the taxi takes me back to the bar, I drive my Maserati to Uncle Salazar’s mansion. I prefer to stay with Marcella in the three-bedroom condo her parents leased for her, but that wasn’t an option when I returned to the States.
“Marcella?” Grandma Shirley snorted. “That girl and her family are beneath you, Elizabeth. You’ll come stay with me. There are plenty of empty bedrooms.” She’s been living in a small mansion since her husband’s death.
I didn’t bother to look to Mom for help since I know where her loyalty lies.
“You should do as your grandmother says. She knows best, and Marcella just isn’t the right kind of friend.” Of course, Mom knows this despite never having met Marcella. “You can do better.” She placed a sycophantic hand on Grandma’s shoulder.
At the end, it was Uncle Salazar who said I ought to stay with him since his place is bigger—by ten bedrooms. “A teenager doesn’t want to be under somebody’s eye all the time, Mother,” he told Grandma. “Even if it is her doting grandmother.”
Grandma protested…a little. She adores her only son—even though he always does whatever he wants, consequences be damned.
All things considered, Uncle Salazar’s place isn’t terrible. It’s huge, so I never run into him or Aunt Ceinlys. The household staff takes care of everything, and nobody cares what I do.
But on a day like this…
I cringe at the sight of a red Lamborghini as I pull up to the mansion. The last person I want to run into is my oldest—and coldest—cousin, Dane, who can make me feel like I’m encased in a block of ice with a single glance. He probably doesn’t like me much, either… I’ve disappointed Grandma. He doesn’t fawn over her the way Mom does, but he adores her.
He doesn’t live at the ridiculously large mansion, but he might be inside. He probably came by to say hello to his parents. Actually, he probably has some business to discuss with his father. He isn’t the type to call or visit otherwise.
After parking my car next to his Lamborghini, I run out. My high heels click against the stone steps, sounding like mini firecrackers. Still no Dane.
Yes!
I yank the door open and run smack into a hard chest.
“Ack!”
I rebound like a ball, tipping backward. A strong—but not particularly gentle—hand grips my arm and sets me right.
“Watch where you’re going,” comes the unmistakable voice.
I force a smile, as I look up at Dane’s ever-unfriendly face. He’s in a bespoke suit as usual, his dark hair perfectly styled, not a strand out of place. Outwardly, he’s a perfect gentleman—if you don’t look too closely at his icy blue eyes, which make you want to shiver. Others in the family claim he has ice in his veins, but I’ve always thought there’s more than cold water to him.
He has to be a reptile.
His gaze sweeps me up and down. “Wild night out?”
A nervous giggle bubbles up, but I manage to clear my throat instead. “Pretty good. I was out with Marcella.” I don’t mention Vanessa since she doesn’t need crap from her oldest brother.
