“Business or pleasure?”
“A little of both.”
I nod slowly. “Got a girlfriend waiting for you over there?”
“What gave you that impression?”
“Well, you’re not wearing a ring, so I assumed…”
Now he grins for real, the sight so unexpectedly charming I forget my train of thought. “Is this your roundabout way of asking me if I’m single, Marina?”
I clear my throat, heart pounding in my ear. What am I doing? Why is it suddenly so hot in here? You’d think a first-class lounge could afford proper air conditioning.
“Can’t a girl be curious?” I ask, arching a brow.
“I’m not attached,” is his vague answer. “And what about you?”
“Oh, I think it’s pretty obvious that I’mverysingle right now.”
He chuckles again, the sound once again making my knees tremble with burning desire. What is it about this man that makes me want to melt into a puddle? “No, I meant where are you flying off to?”
My cheeks warm, though I can’t tell if it’s because I’m embarrassed or insanely turned on. “Hawaii. I’m going on what’s supposed to be my honeymoon.”
Dominic clicks his tongue in disapproval. “What a shame.”
“What is?”
He tilts his head to the side slightly and regards me, his intense dark eyes sweeping over me slowly. It’s amazing how naked I feel beneath his observant gaze. I feel like he can see right through me, can see every minute breath and small shift of muscle and maybe even read my thoughts. Nervous excitement crackles inside me; the air around us is thick and tense. When I nibble my bottom lip, his eyes dart to watch the motion with an almost hungry darkness.
“A beautiful woman,” he says, “all alone in a romantic place. Your ex is a damn fool for treating you this way.”
I’m the first to glance away, unwilling to let this man see me cry. I’ve known him for less than ten minutes, but there’s no denying how easily he sees me. I’m an exposed nerve, yet I trust him to be nearby. Maybe it’sbecausewe’re basically strangers and that’s why I can afford to be so open with him. Anonymity can be liberating that way. That, and I can’t stop thinking about how it might feel to just let it all go.
I want to forget all about my disastrous wedding, my cheating fiancé, my lack of direction or plans for the future. I thought I was all set for a picture-perfect life, complete with house in the suburbs, a white picket fence, and a couple of kids running around. Now that it’s all gone straight out the window, I’m suddenly aware of how free I am.
Free to make mistakes and learn from them. Free to live for myself. Free to look into the future and do whatever I want. I’m a twenty-one-year-old woman capable of making my own decisions—screw what anybody else has to say about that. And right now, what I want is to listen to my body.
My body aches for more. I crave his hands on me, his lips. My fingers itch to know what his hair feels like, if his body is as hard and muscular as it looks. I want to lean in and press my mouth to his. After almost five years of only knowing Corey’s touch, I want to erase him completely from my mind, even if only for a little while.
“Dominic?”
“Hm?”
I lick my lips, hesitant. I’ve never done anything like this before, but I can tell by the way he leans forward and hangs on my every word that I’m not crazy. He feels it, too, this pull toward one another.
“When’s your flight?” I ask him before my nerves give out.
“Not for a couple of hours. You?”
“Same.”
“Hm.” Dominic nods once, as if reading my mind. “Come with me. I’m going to help you forget all about that cheating fiancé of yours.”
Chapter 2
Arin
The Centurion Lounge at JFK doesn’t let just anybody walk in through their big blue doors. My first-class ticket alone isn’t good enough to grant me access. But when Dominic flashes his Amex Black, the peppy receptionist welcomes us in with a big smile and a sweeping motion of her arm. The place is relatively empty—no doubt thanks to the exclusivity—but that’s not what I’m choosing to focus on right now.