CHAPTER 1
Fallon
“I’m staring right back,” I say to Teagan while focusing on the tall man in a designer suit who’s watching me from the other end of the bar.
The purple club lights are flashing around me as the music engulfs the room in a deep bass. I tap my fingers on my lips and trace the line of my lower lip with the pad of my thumb, not moving my gaze away from mystery man. But I can see Teagan shaking her head from the corner of my eye, and she holds up a compact from her purse as she chokes on her laugh.
I interrupt our stare-off and look at Teagan. “What?”
“Fallon, woman, check your mouth,” she answers with an upward curl of her lips.
Snatching the compact out of her hand, I hold it up to my face. Shit. I forgot about the red lipstick I’m wearing, which is currently smeared all over my mouth and giving me a crazed clown appearance. I try to restrain my smile regarding my ridiculous attempt at seduction and tug my best friend toward the ladies room in the back of the club. Thankful that there’s no line, we duck inside as Teagan clutches her stomach in amusement.
“You’re incredibly cute,” she teases.
“Thanks a lot. Because I was so going for cute,” I mutter sarcastically, turning my attention to the full-length mirror. For a twenty-five year old, I have horrible flirting skills.
After removing the remnants of my lipstick and adding just some nude-colored gloss to my lips, I finger the knots out of my mahogany hair that flows down my lower back and tuck my side-swept bangs behind my ear. Then I take my black eye pencil out of my purse to line my amber-colored eyes.
It’s safer for me to draw the focus to my eyes instead of my mouth.
“Oh no! Do you think the guy I was staring at saw that? He had to have seen my clown lips.” I mentally face palm myself when the man pops into my mind as I adjust my bra strap under my champagne cocktail dress.
Teagan breaks out in a laugh again.
“Get a grip, will you?” I say around a grin and toss my eye pencil back into my purse. “I’m glad my nonexistent seduction skills crack you up. Seriously, do you think he noticed?”
Coming closer to me, Teagan sprays some perfume behind her ear. “I don’t think so. It’s dark in the club. Let’s go back out and see if he’s still there, okay?” she offers as I catch her eyes in the mirror and frown. “Fallon Michaels, don’t be a baby. Come on, don’t be shy. It was funny, nothing more.” She nudges my shoulder encouragingly and takes my hand in hers.
Not wanting to be a party pooper, I plaster on my smile and walk back out first. As we move directly toward the illuminated bar, I suggest, “Let’s get some drinks because now I desperately need to get drunk.” But when I turn my head, Teagan’s not with me anymore. I swiftly scan the room in search of her, but she’s vanished in the masses of people.
Still feeling a bit stupid, I continue on to the bar and order two vodka shots. I grab my phone from my purse that’s hanging over my shoulder to text Teagan and find out where she’s disappeared to and see that it’s midnight. We haven’t even been here for an hour, and I’ve already lost her.
All of a sudden, I feel a hand on my ass, and I spin around to be met with Teagan’s bright grey eyes. Relieved that it’s her, I motion to our vodka shots sitting on the bar.
“Are we getting drunk? Oooh, I love drunk Fallon!” She throws her hands in the air, wiggling her fingers in excitement.
Handing her the shot, I toast. “Yes, my friend, start loving me more.” And I grimace as I swallow the alcohol down in one gulp. “More shots?”
“More shots?” she yells mockingly. “Is that a question? Hell, yes! Always, and I do mean always, more shots.”
Apparently, my friend’s already well on her way to Drunkville. She grips my hips with both hands and dances behind me while I order more drinks. I take two more shots, and Teagan downs three as she dances provocatively, eyeing the room for – I’m sure – a hook-up.
I glance around, hoping to catch a glimpse of mystery man; however, there’s no one staring at me anymore.
I’m still searching the bar when I spot Nick coming toward us. Nick works in the same building that I do, different company, and he and I kissed once at a party that the landlord threw for all of the tenants. It was not a memorable kiss, so I tentatively smile at him when he joins us. He’s a nice guy, and we used to joke around a lot, but after that kiss, our relationship changed and I’ve been avoiding him like the plague ever since.
Teagan’s head moves back and forth frantically between the two of us as he approaches. I know she recognizes Nick because I’ve pointed him out to her, and she knows the entire story, so I raise a brow to warn her not to embarrass me just before he stops in front of us.
“Hey, Nick. Good to see you. This is my friend, Teagan.” I have a discouraging feeling that I’ll regret this little introduction. Normally, Teagan tends to have no mouth filter; drunk Teagan blurts out everything that’s on her mind.
Teagan and Nick shake hands, and Teagan makes the monumental mistake of uttering, “Hi, so you’re the infamous Nick. I’ve heard a lot about you.”
See, no mouth filter. And on top of that, she has the audacity to wink at me.
“Hi, Fallon. Great to see you too. And it’s nice to meet you, Teagan. But I didn’t know I was infamous,” Nick retorts conceitedly to me.
This is even worse than what I anticipated for her to blurt out. I need to have a chat with this woman about girl code. I may have mentioned Nick a few times, but that was prior to the kiss, and Teagan knows quite well how much I’ve regretted it.
She saunters away, beaming at me, leaving me alone with him, and Nick takes Teagan’s comment as his cue to start a conversation.
Wanting to get out of this situation immediately, I turn around and rudely start to move away, only to collide directly into another guy. And I do mean collide into, face and hand. My face is pressed against a well-toned chest, and my left hand is lodged between us, inadvertently touching his groin.
For the love of god! I’ve reached the highest level of mortification because I’m definitely copping a feel here, and this guy, dressed in an impeccable suit, is either well-endowed or maximally packing. A fresh, intoxicating citrus scent washes over me, and neither of us moves. He’s still as a statue except for the brushing of his chest against mine, which I’m all too aware of. I have to look up since he towers over me, and I feel his minty breath sweep over my face. Eyes in a deep shade of green rimmed with the blackest lashes stare back at me. People walking past us force us closer. His light stubble caresses my cheek, and we both take a deep breath from the contact.
I take a step back and rest a hand on his taut bicep as his face tilts downward so that he can continue to gaze into my amber irises. A grin tugs at the corner of his lips, but it doesn’t reach his eyes. His controlled stare doesn’t release me from its hold. Strands of his wavy, dark brown hair fall attractively over his forehead. I can still hear the music pumping, but no voices are audible. His hand shoots out to hold my hip and his warm grip heats my body slowly from the point of contact. A hint of recognition, or possibly bewilderment, flickers across his face. He doesn’t push me away nor do I push him away – I’m too distracted by his touch.
In my inebriated state, I belatedly realize that he is mystery man. Only, just as suddenly as we met, he releases me as if I burned him and leaves with a few determined strides.
Meanwhile, my head is spinning from the shots Teagan and I consumed, so I look around for my friend as I head back toward the bar where I come eye to eye with Nick again. He incoherently whispers something into my ear, and I’m immediately irritated because Nick’s smell of liquor and a nauseating cologne is overriding the lingering appealing citrus scent.
When he grabs my waist, I shove his hands away. “Yes,” I say, distracted, while continuing to search the room for Teagan. I see her bouncing around on the dance floor and turn back to Nick to say goodbye, but he looks amazed by my answer. I need to stop saying yes and no out of habit just to shut people up and start asking what did you say? like a normal person.
“Okay!” he screams into my ear.
Confused, I ask, “What, okay?”
He grins broadly. “You can’t back out now. You’ve already agreed to a date.”
Why can’t this guy read body language? I’m definitely not acting interested, am I? He has me questioning myself now. Although one too many shots might have diminished my assertiveness, because ordinarily, I’d just tell him I’m not interested.
The second Teagan notices me, I wave her back over. She obediently comes my way – probably knowing she has some making up to do after leaving me hanging with Nick – and jumps into my arms.
“I accidentally agreed to a date. You better help me get out of it or you’re going on that date with me,” I quickly whisper into her ear.
“I…I’ll handle it,” she slurs but covers her mouth with her hand as her eyes become huge. She holds up her forefinger, signaling for me to wait a second.
Is she going to be sick? “Do we need to go to the bathroom?”
Teagan swallows dramatically.
“Ew! That’s disgusting, Teagan.”
“I wasn’t really sick. I just wanted to mess with you.” She throws her arm around me. “I have to use the bathroom now.”
As she goes, I grab her upper arm to stop her. “You were going to help me with Nick!”
Teagan chews her bottom lip. “Yeah…I got nothing now. When I come back, I’ll have a devious plan to get rid of Dicky.” She giggles ridiculously hard at her own joke.
I glance back at Nick over my shoulder, checking to see if he overheard. Since he’s still flashing me his teeth, odds are he’s oblivious. Teagan leaves for the bathroom, and I’m still stuck with Nick. We stand awkwardly together at the bar, and he constantly touches my arm and hip as he talks to me, but I gently ease his hands off me every time.
“Look, Nick, I’m sorry, but I’d rather not go on a date.”
He doesn’t reply, and I start to fidget with the hem of my dress. When I peer over his shoulder, I’m met with a set of familiar alluring green eyes at the end of the bar which are fixated on my every move with Nick, observing it all. He tilts his head and arches one brow in silent question: need any help?
I nod, and he speaks to his friend who’s leaning with his back against the bar. The other guy swivels around to look at me and shakes his head slowly – he’s obviously not agreeing with mystery man’s intention to intervene.
Mystery man ignores his friend and walks right up to Nick and me to place an arm around my waist, tucking me gently into his side so that I’m encased in his one-arm embrace.
His breath strokes over my temple as he speaks, “I’m taking her for a dance.” His deep, throaty voice exudes sensuality, and it fits him perfectly.
Then he scowls at Nick, daring Nick to defy him, and his intimidating stance has Nick backing off instantly before he leads us both away with his arm secured around my middle as he shows me an enthralling sidelong grin.
Just as I’m about to ask his name, he stops. “You’re welcome,” he whispers against my ear. And again, he strolls away.
Everything in my world is currently happening in slow motion because of the alcohol partying in my system. I didn’t even get his name, but he did cleverly take me to Teagan, who’s exiting the bathroom and drags me back to the bar where, luckily, there’s no Nick in sight.
“I say we need one more shot.” Teagan’s practically hanging over the counter. “Two more vodka shots, bartender.”
“I hope we remember this night tomorrow.” I clink my glass with hers, and we toss them back simultaneously.
Teagan rushes me to the dance floor to show off her moves, but after that one dance, I feel waves of nausea in my stomach. “I don’t think that last shot was our best idea. I’m ready to leave.”
Her nose scrunches up, and she nods her head slowly in agreement. We cling to each other as we trudge to the exit.
“Teagan, we have to get our coats.” I blink profusely to try to correct my blurry vision.
Teagan’s too tired and drunk to speak in her state. Hurriedly, I seat her on a stool near the line so that I can retrieve our coats. Her eyes close and I don’t want to leave her. I glance around, still holding her up in her seat to prevent her from tumbling forward, and I’m taken aback when mystery man appears in front of me.
“Can I help you ladies?” He seems genuinely concerned, looking past me to Teagan.
Teagan, who’s suddenly wide awake, gawks at him. “Shit, you’re hot!” And she’s out again, face falling forward.
I feel the need to apologize, but the corner of his lip quirks up, so I stay silent.
“Help?” he repeats.
“Uhm…yes, please. Could you get our coats while I stay with my roommate?” I request hesitantly.
“Of course.” The rich timbre of his voice mesmerizes me.
I hand him my token for our coats, and his hand brushing against mine causes a powerful tingling to surge through me.
“I’ll be right back.” And off he goes.
I assume it’s going to take forever because a bunch of people are standing in line. But to my surprise, he’s actually back within a minute with both our coats.
“Wow, you’re fast.”
He holds my coat out for me to put on, and when he touches the bare skin on my arms and neck, I feel that surge of excitement again. We then help Teagan into hers.
“I’ll get you a cab,” he comments, giving me no room to argue as he assists Teagan when she staggers to her feet, and I follow as he guides her outside.
He puts Teagan into the back seat of a cab and keeps the door open, motioning for me to get inside.
“Thanks for your help…” I prompt him for his name.
“Luca.”
“Thank you for your help, Luca.”
“You’re welcome…?” Now he wants to know my name.
“Fallon.”
“Fallon,” he murmurs and encloses my cold hand within his two warm ones, rubbing it gently. “Where do you need to go, Fallon?”
“I can take it from here.” I don’t want to give a stranger my address.
He grins and his brows furrow for a second before I slip into the cab next to an already snoring Teagan.
Luca closes the door and hands the driver a fifty. “Take the ladies home and wait until they’re inside their house to leave.”
He gives too much money for the short, ten-minute drive from the bar to our condo on West Jackson Boulevard. While I find it endearing that he doesn’t press for my address and makes sure he gives enough money to the cab driver, I start to object, “No, Luca, that’s too much—”
“Fallon.” He opens my door again, bending down so that we’re face-to-face, and he appealingly brushes back his hair with one hand. “Don’t worry. I only want to make sure you get home safely.” His stare is focused on my mouth.
I want to glide my fingers through his thick hair. His sculpted lips and deep green irises with tiny flecks of gold make me gravitate toward him. The world around me dwindles away as he inches closer. I hear nothing but our intensified breathing while his tantalizing cologne breezes around me. Lowering my gaze, I clutch my purse on my lap to stop myself from pushing my hands into the small V of his dress shirt.
With his hot breath on my ear, Luca whispers, “While I truly enjoyed your seduction skills, I prefer my women more natural. Your luscious lips don’t need red lipstick, Fallon.”
I shut my eyes tightly for a moment, but I can’t refrain from smiling – even though I feel somewhat embarrassed.
When I finally do look at Luca, he’s already stepped back. After closing the door, he throws me a wink as the cab drives away.
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