“I don’t want trouble.”
“Yeah, you said that already.”
“I’m serious.”
“I know you are.” I took my drink from the waitress and leaned back, my eyes glued to Layla, who stood next to Matteo at the bar. I caught her glance my way a few times, but her expression remained completely unreadable. It was fucking amazing how she managed to act as if there was absolutely no history between us, no unanswered questions. It pissed me off to see how easy it was for her.
Lorik sat across from us with another round of tequila. “Well, I figured since Armageddon is just around the corner with Layla dating Matteo and all, we might as well get trashed on hard liquor.”
Antonio glared at him. “You’re not helping.”
Lorik picked up a shooter glass. “It’s not my intention to. But I will say,” he leaned back in his seat and gestured my way, “I’m going to love watching Dante kick Matteo’s ass.”
Antonio sighed. “Unbelievable. No one is kicking anyone’s ass.”
“Uh, yeah. Of course Dante will be shoving his foot up Matteo’s butt. The SOB is walking around with the woman who turned Dante into a walking dildo for the last five years. It would be all kinds of wrong if he just let Matteo get away with it.”
“Lorik,” Antonio started, “sometimes I have to wonder what it is my sister sees in you.”
Lorik grinned. “Oh, that’s easy. Apparently, Albanians have bigger cocks than Italians.”
“Jesus Christ.” Antonio pulled his palm down his face, and I snorted. Lorik was one of a kind for sure.
I turned my attention back to the lady in red. She was thinner than I remembered, the open back of her dress showcasing her small frame. Her legs were skinnier too, but still sexy as hell. It made me think of all the times I had those legs wrapped around my neck while I buried myself inside her.
I was her first. The first man to claim what lay hidden between her legs. I remember it like it was yesterday. She was shy at first. Innocent. Reserved. But just like any forbidden fruit, once you had a taste, experienced the thrill of ecstasy, it had the tendency to make you forget all your inhibitions. The temptation was too strong. Seduction too sinfully delicious. Once Layla allowed it to take control of her—allowed me to take control—she turned into an insatiable woman with a lust, a desire for more than just lovemaking.
Fuck. Sitting here, thinking about how rough and hard she liked it, made my cock press painfully against the zipper of my pants. Night after night she would spread those beautiful legs just for me. It had always been me. The thought of her ever being with another man set my insides on goddamn fire.
I could still remember how it felt as if I couldn’t get enough of her. If I could have locked her in my bedroom twenty-four-seven, I would have, because fucking her was my favorite pastime.
They said a person’s body was the temple of God, but not hers. Her body was my temple, my altar, my fucking religion, and I worshiped it every chance I got.
The more I sat there thinking about the past, the angrier I became. Especially since I was a glutton for punishment, choosing to just sit there and watch as Mancuso had his filthy motherfucking hands all over her.
I grabbed another tequila from the table, throwing it back down my throat. I noticed Antonio scowling at me.
“What?”
“Take it easy on the alcohol. You’re reckless enough sober.”
“It’s a fucking bachelor party, Antonio. Lighten up.”
He eased back in his seat. “The bachelor party ended when Layla walked in.”
“Nah. I’d say the party just started.”
I watched as Matteo leaned closer, whispering something in Layla’s ear. She smiled and laughed, making me wonder what the fuck he said to her. My spine tingled with the need to kill the bastard. Did he not know that every smile, every expression on her beautiful face belonged to me?
I tossed back another tequila and saw Matteo walk off, joining a group of men on the other side of the floor. Rookie mistake. He left Layla alone at the bar. Was he that clueless? You never left a woman like Layla alone anywhere. It was reckless, irresponsible, and the perfect opportunity…for me.
I jumped to my feet and ignored Antonio’s plea for me to sit the fuck down. There was only one goal I had in mind, and that was having a very important conversation with the lady in red.
As I stepped in next to her, I placed my fingertips against the small of her back. Even with the music playing, I could hear her suck in a breath.
“What are you doing with him, Layla?” I kept my gaze straight in front of me, and so did she.
“I don’t see how that’s any of your business.”