Total pages in book: 76
Estimated words: 72847 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 364(@200wpm)___ 291(@250wpm)___ 243(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 72847 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 364(@200wpm)___ 291(@250wpm)___ 243(@300wpm)
When Donald stepped back, she looked up with an innocent smile to look like she hadn’t noticed what he had tried to do.
Donald forced a smile back. “You still look too sober!”
Her smile turned into a helpless grin at his words. “That’s because I am!”
It was rare for Kay’s standoffish friend to grin so naturally at him, and Donald knew then that this night wouldn’t be over until he had a taste of those lips. Vivian was his biggest challenge yet, and the fact that she was married to an Italian billionaire considered as one of the sexiest men in the world only made Donald more determined to get Vivian in bed.
If he made Vivian hers, didn’t that mean Luca Valencia was a lesser man than Donald was?
A new song started then, its hyper-fast tempo pumping everyone up. People started to shout and jump, and he decided to use the same trick Vivian did, pretending to accidentally stumble.
Vivian’s eyes widened when she saw Donald falling forward. “Hey—-”
He fell into her, and Donald’s perfectly positioned hand allowed his fingers to graze one sweet nipple.
But the contact was gone all too soon, with Vivian jumping back like she had been burned.
Vivian’s skin was crawling, but she did her best to keep her smile in place, telling herself that it was an accident. He wasn’t really copping a feel. Right?
Donald’s chest puffed up at the sight of Vivian’s smile. Oh yeah, this chick totally had the hots for him. She was just playing hard to get, was probably dying to know the feel of a younger man in her bed. For all the world knew, Luca Valencia wasn’t as great as he was reputed to be. Maybe the Italian billionaire only paid women to sing him praises.
When Donald started dancing towards her, Vivian tried not to be so obvious as she countered his every move with a step back.
“You should loosen up some more, you know?” Donald licked his lips as he spoke, and Vivian strove not to think about the way his gaze lingered too long on her cleavage. He was just too drunk to realize what he was doing. Right?
That Donald’s actions already showed marks of sexual harassment didn’t occur to her at all. Beside the fact that Vivian had led a fairly sheltered life, the stubbornly optimistic part of her refused to believe that a man supposedly in love with her friend would even think of hitting on her.
But then she heard Donald yell “How about a dance?” and Vivian had to struggle to hide her appall.
She was married, and Donald was Kay’s boyfriend!
Maybe she was being too much of a prude about it, but she didn’t care. It just didn’t feel right.
“Well? How about it?” Donald started to reach for her.
Her phone vibrated at the same time, and Vivian almost expired in relief. “Sorry, my husband’s calling me!” She eagerly showed her iPhone to Donald so he would know she wasn’t lying, and it was really Luca’s name on the screen. “I need to take this!”
Swinging away, Vivian missed the look of annoyance that crossed Donald’s face. Leaving the viewing deck, she hurried back into the villa and got into the first empty room that could afford her a semblance of quiet.
This turned out to be the third-floor powder room, and she winced at the way its black-and-white tiled beauty had been marred by the empty beer cans, cigarette butts, and used condoms littering the floor.
Ugh didn’t even cover it, and Vivian tried not to gag at the mixed smell of sex and sweat. That was a combination she only liked when it involved Luca, but anyone else made her want to pinch her nose and breathe through her mouth.
Locking the door, she struggled to open the window, and when fresh air was finally able to circulate inside, she quickly swiped on her screen to answer Luca’s call, hoping her husband hadn’t yet thought to hang up. “H-hello?” This is it, this is it, Vivian thought as butterflies fluttered in her stomach. Luca would tell her he missed her, and she would tell him she missed him, too, and—-
“Buona sera, Vivi!”
It was Eula, and Vivian experienced a pang of disappointment for one moment before she made herself shrug it off and allowed genuine pleasure at hearing the little girl’s voice.
If Luca didn’t want to talk to her, then...then she didn’t want to talk to him either!
“Ciao, principesa. I miss you so much!” And as she said the words, she realized just how true it was. “Come va?”
“Sto bene,” the little girl answered before adding, “Papa showed me your picture.”
“O-oh?” She wondered what picture that was.
“You looked like a princess,” Eula exclaimed. “I love your dress.”
“What dress?” She listened to the little girl’s description – a gauzy blue top, flowing sleeves, and a black skirt – and realized it was the exact dress she had on. Did that mean Luca knew she went out? And that she was still out?