“No.”
“Yes.”
“Fuck no.”
“Enzo, you’re really starting to annoy me. It’s Friday, I know you know what that means, you followed me around for long enough to know that Friday nights are girls’ nights. I’ve missed the last few weeks and Lia wants to go out dancing, so I’m going out dancing,” I say with a huff.
We’ve been going back and forth on the matter for the last hour, and he can’t quite seem to understand that I’m going out with my friend for a few hours whether he likes it or not.
I’ve dealt with a lot of stuff lately, I’ve been attacked and harassed, I’ve found out that my brother’s in debt with God knows who and that they want me as payment. I’ve had a stalker, which then turned into me living with my stalker, which has now turned into me dating my stalker.
How the hell I’m going to explain to Lia what’s been going on, I really don’t know.
“What if something happens? Wouldn’t you rather bring Lia here and you can have a girls’ night in? I’ll stay in our room and give you both some space, I promise.” He gives me a wide-eyed innocent look and I swear he’s moments away from pouting.
He must sense that I’m on the verge of losing it because he picks me up from where I’m sitting on the sofa and sits down with me on his lap, pressing kisses against the column of my neck.
“I’m just worried about you, uccellina,” he murmurs before tilting my head and pressing a kiss to my lips.
It’s been nearly a week since the first time we slept together, and each time seems to get better and better. Enzo’s the most affectionate man I’ve ever met, I swear the man can’t keep his hands off me for more than two minutes when we’re in the same room. He’s always got to be touching me somehow, whether that’s sitting me on his lap, kissing me, or just resting his hand on some part of my body.
His bedroom has also now been declared our bedroom. Since I was sleeping there, he decided to move all my things from the spare bedroom into his while I was at work last week.
If I’m being perfectly honest, I’d much rather stay home tonight inside of our little bubble we have here at the apartment than go out and have to be around other people, but I’m pretty sure my best friend will somehow figure out where I’m staying, break in and drag me out by my hair if I cancel on her one more time.
“What if you come?” I ask.
“Really?” He seems shocked that I’d invite him, though I’m not sure why.
“Uh huh,” I say and rest my head against his shoulder, letting out a sigh as he starts playing with my hair.
“Are you sure? I’d understand if you didn’t want me to meet your friend,” he says casually, but the comment throws me off. Does he really think I wouldn’t want him to meet her?
“Is that what you’re worried about? You don’t think I want you to meet her? We both know that if I went and didn’t invite you, you’d be there anyways following me around.” I smirk and he rolls his eyes.
“You knew who I was as soon as you recognized my name, chances are your friend will too. I didn’t think you’d want her to know.”
My heart aches in my chest at his admission and I shift so I can straddle him and look him in the eye, wanting him to see the truth in my eyes.
“You’re not my dirty little secret, Enzo. I’d have told her about you whether you came tonight or not. She’ll be getting a watered-down version of events that led us to this point because I don’t want her worrying about me, but she’ll know about you. She’ll love you, please come?”
He’s looking down at me with a look of awe on his face and something else that I’m not quite brave enough to name. “Yeah angel, I’ll come,” he whispers, and slams his mouth down on mine.
The club is packed when we walk in. After Lia attempted to grill me on our message thread once I told her I was bringing someone, she decided that she would just meet us both here.
Enzo leads the way with my hand grasped in his as he navigates the busy club, him essentially acting as my bodyguard as he glares at those around us. It’s a menacing look, making people shy away and back up so we have space to move, creating a walkway.
Once we reach the bar where I told Lia to meet us, Enzo orders the two of us a shot of tequila and I raise a brow in question. The shots aren’t the usual that you’d get with a lime wedge, instead they have a slice of lime resting on the rim of the glass.
He pops his shoulder in a half shrug before crowding my back and lowering his mouth to my ear. “This is what you were drinking the night I first saw you. I couldn’t take my eyes off you. You were so fucking gorgeous I had to ask Jax if you were real or if I was seeing things. After I couldn’t find you, I went back to the bar and ordered a shot, since it was the only way that I could think of to make me feel close to you again.”
The admission brings a smile to my lips as I remove the lime slices and place one of the shots in his hand and bring the other to my lips, throwing it back in one go. Enzo does the same before bringing his lips down to mine. He bites down on my bottom lip and I gasp, he uses the opportunity to slide his tongue through my parted lips before I pull away.
“What’s with the slices?” I ask.
He rolls his eyes. “Jax wanted to be different,” he says. “Now enough about that and fucking kiss me, angel.”
He kisses me slowly, his tongue stroking leisurely against mine. I’m just about to take the kiss deeper when I hear Lia’s voice above the sound of the music.
“Ex-fucking-cuse me, what the hell have I missed?”
I pull away from Enzo and turn to see my best friend standing next to us, her eyes wide and mouth gaping.
Before I can say anything, Enzo grabs both of our hands and leads us through the club towards a staircase. Lia and I both share a confused look but let him guide us up the stairs towards the VIP section. The man guarding the stairs nods to my boyfriend before stepping aside, allowing us to continue.
Once we’re seated—me on Enzo’s lap, because of course he wouldn’t allow me to sit anywhere else—I give Lia the short and sweet version of mine and Enzo’s relationship. I tell her that he came into the store with Izzy, and we chatted a little. I tell her he came back, and our relationship started from there. She doesn’t need to know that he stalked me, that I was attacked or that I’m currently kinda living with the guy. She’d lose her shit if she knew the whole story.
“So, Enzo, what’s your surname?”
Enzo tenses under me and I squeeze his hand in mine before I answer her.
“Romano.”
Her eyes widen and her mouth drops open before she quickly schools her features. She doesn’t seem too worried about who he is though, because we spend the next hour chatting and catching up like we would if he was anyone else. Enzo adds to the conversation here and there, but he otherwise spends the time murmuring into my ear, kissing up and down my neck and teasing the hell out of me.
We’re two more drinks in when a shadow falls on the table and I look up to see a man standing above us. He looks around the same age as me with messy brown hair and bright blue eyes. He’s handsome, with a sharp jaw line and trimmed beard, wearing a suit and standing at around the same height as Enzo.
“Well, who do we have here? You come to my club and don’t even bother to say hi. I thought we were best friends.” He mock pouts before lowering himself into the seat next to Lia and leaning back, fixing Enzo with a stare before his gaze goes to me.
The guy’s eyes widen slightly, and he looks between me and Enzo before his expression turns to disbelief.
“It’s you,” he says to me before looking at Enzo. “It’s her.” His tone incredulous.
Lia senses something between the two guys and excuses herself to go to the bathroom. I’m about to stand and follow her but Enzo squeezes my hip, silently telling me to stay put.
Once Lia is out of sight, I turn my attention back to the man sitting across from us.
“Why do you seem to know me?”
He looks to Enzo for permission, and I can feel his nod against the top of my head.
“Well, sweetheart, we were at a club a while ago staking out the competition and this guy,” he nods towards Enzo, “had to ask me if you were real of if he was seeing things,” he says with a laugh.
“I’m Jax, this idiot’s best friend. Though I’m sure he’ll tell you otherwise.” He winks at me and reaches his hand across the table as if wanting me to shake it, but his hand it batted away before I can blink.
“Attempt to touch her again and I’ll slice the fucking skin from your hand,” Enzo growls, sending a shiver down my spine but Jax just tips his head back and belts out a laugh, as though he’s used to Enzo and all that he is.
“Robyn,” I say with a smile, and he nods at me before pulling Enzo into conversation.
I’m in a world of my own, looking out over the sea of people on the dance floor below when Enzo taps my thigh before handing me my phone. I tap the screen and see I have a text from Lia.
Lia
Something came up and I had to leave! Sorry for bailing, but enjoy your night with your new man.
My brows furrow as I read over the text. It’s not like Lia to just bail out of nowhere.
Is everything okay? You should have come back, and we’d have left with you too if you needed me to come with.
Her reply comes in instantly.
Lia
All good, girl. Have a good night xo
I sigh and lean back into Enzo, he must have been reading the message because he circles his thumb on my hip bone before murmuring in my ear, “Does this mean we can leave now?”
I barely nod my head before Enzo shifts me off of him and stands, throwing me over his shoulder and starts to leave the club, leaving Jax behind without a word.
