“Happy Birthday, little sister,” Viktor says before planting a kiss on my cheek. “You’re getting old.”
Pulling away from him, I give him a playful scowl. “Not as old as you.”
“True,” he sighs as if he’s not two but twenty years older than me.
A server with a tray of food draws his attention, he grabs a salmon appetizer and pops it into his mouth.
Uncle Demitri and Aunt Ariana wish me a happy birthday as well, then they scatter between the guests to socialize.
I watch as Dad places his hand on Mom’s lower back, always keeping hold of her as they greet Mr. and Mrs. Cotroni. Seeing Luca’s parents, my gaze searches for the man who left me stunned out of my mind yesterday after I bumped into his bare chest in the hallway.
God, those abs. Rock hard and perfect.
The man looked hot as hell, which had me turning around and walking away because I didn’t know how to handle the situation.
My attention is drawn to Viktor as he asks, “What time do you want to leave?”
I’ve planned a weekend getaway with my friends. Usually, we’d go somewhere exotic, but Viktor is too busy, so to accommodate him, we’re going to Vegas.
“In two hours,” I murmur, my eyes scanning the guests again for any sign of Luca.
It’s hard being attracted to the man you despise more than anything. He always makes me feel like I’m less and not worthy of his time.
Okay, maybe despise is the wrong word. I’m more annoyed than anything because I always get what I want, except for Luca Cotroni.
Sigh. It sucks.
I’m glancing to my right when an intense presence makes the tiny hairs rise on the back of my neck. My heart sets off at a wild pace, my breath catching in my throat.
He’s here.
“Business taken care of?” I hear Viktor ask.
“Yes.” The single word is clipped, carrying the danger of a flying bullet aimed directly at my heart.
Sweet Jesus. Calm down, Mariya.
For the sake of my pride, I feign indifference as I turn my attention to Luca, whose eyes are resting cooly on me.
My stomach dips and spins with nerves. The effect this man has on me is downright scary at times.
“Mariya,” he murmurs, and taking hold of my arm, he leans into me. Tingles explode over my skin from his touch, and I’m unable to stop my eyes from drifting shut as the distance between our faces shrinks.
Breathe.
Every inch of my body is overly aware of Luca, my insides practically vibrating from the attraction I feel whenever I’m near him.
His lips brush my left cheek, then my right as his woodsy aftershave wraps around me, along with the intensity of a thousand suns.
This man is the only one with the power to make me feel small and worthless. This has to stop.
With our faces only an inch apart, I feel the warmth of his breath, the confidence rolling off him in waves, and the magnetism of his entire being. It’s all overwhelmingly intoxicating.
“Luca,” I whisper politely as he pulls away from me.
Our eyes lock for a moment, and I feel the punch to my stomach.
“Happy Birthday,” he murmurs, his tone low and deep before the air around me cools as the heat of his attention leaves me.
He starts to turn away from me, and in a desperate attempt to keep his attention on me for a moment longer, I say, “I’m surprised you came.”
He glances back at me. “Why wouldn’t I?”
I shrug as I hook my arm through Violet’s. “The great Luca Cotroni is always so busy. I didn’t think you’d make it.”
“It’s your birthday. I thought I’d spare ten minutes,” he mutters before turning away and shutting me down completely.
Gorgeous bastard.
I steer Violet away from Viktor and Luca while they start to talk about business.
“Why do you always get worked up around Luca?” Violet asks.
“You know why.”
“Still, you’d think after years of doing this dance with him, you’d give up and find someone else to lust after. It would exhaust the hell out of me.”
“I know,” I mutter. “If only it were as easy as flipping a switch.” Changing the subject, I ask, “Where is Oliver?”
Oliver and Violet recently got engaged, but they’re already acting like an old married couple. It’s endearing.
She gives me an apologetic look. “He called ten minutes ago to say he’s sick as a dog. It sounds like he came down with one of those twenty-four-hour bugs.”
“Oh no.” I squeeze her arm, then ask, “Are you still coming to Vegas? I’ll understand if you can’t.” The selfish side of me hopes she’s still coming. I was looking forward to dancing the night away with her.
A bunch of the guests wish me a happy birthday, and when we step outside into the balmy summer air, I inhale a deep breath.
“You know how it is,” Violet says. “Men are always dying when they get sick. I’ll make it up to you. Once Oliver is better, we can have a spa day.”