“Of course.” Isabella regained her composure with admirable speed. “What can I get for you?”
“Gin and tonic. Strawberry flavored.”
I almost choked on my drink while Isabella’s face turned an alarming shade of red. She stared at Kai, obviously trying to figure out if he was mocking her.
He stared back, his face the picture of polite impassiveness.
“One strawberry gin and tonic, coming right up,” she said. She busied herself with the drink, her embarrassment a tangible weight in the air.
“Should I be worried she’ll spit in my drink?” Kai took the stool next to mine, looking like he’d just stepped off the set of aGreat Gatsbyrevival.
Between him and Dante, I was convinced a twenties-style outfit increased a man’s attractiveness tenfold.
“She’s not that vindictive…most of the time. And if she does, you’ll see her.” I hesitated, then asked, “How much of our conversation did you hear?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said mildly.
Relief settled in my chest. I didn’t think Kai was the gossiping type, but it was nice to have confirmation.
“Kai Young, you deserve all the goodness in the world.”
He laughed. “I’ll keep that in mind for days when I’m feeling low.” He accepted his drink from Isabella, who gave him a tight smile before double-speeding it to the other end of the bar.
His amused gaze lingered on her for a fraction of a beat before he shifted his attention back to me.
“How’s living with Dante? Has he driven you mad with his insistence on spacing all his candles exactly six inches apart yet?”
“Don’t get me started.” Dante’s control freak tendencies extended past his food quirks and into every area of the household. Sometimes, it was oddly charming. Other times, it made me want to drive a steak knife through his thigh. “The other day, our housekeeper Greta moved the candles in the living room…”
Kai and I chatted for a while, our conversation winding from Dante to the gala to our upcoming holiday plans until he received an urgent email and excused himself to answer it.
While he typed on his phone, I scanned the room, breathless from alcohol and the electric buzz in the air.
My distracted survey stopped on a pair of cool dark eyes, and the breath stalled in my lungs.
Dante watched me, his face unreadable, but heat flickered beneath his stony stare. He appeared to be completely ignoring Dominic.
The seconds stretched into a long thrum of tension. Tiny sparks ignited all over my body, and my heart fluttered with a wild rhythm I was sure couldn’t be healthy.
A muscle ticked in Dante’s jaw when he slid his gaze to Kai for a brief second before bringing it back to me.
“Apologies.” Kai’s calm voice shattered the tension and chased away the sparks. “News doesn’t stop even for a Valhalla event.”
He placed his phone on the counter next to his glass.
Dominic said something that turned Dante’s head, and I pulled my eyes away from him with considerable effort.
“No worries.” I mustered a smile over the frantic beats of my heart. I felt like I’d run a marathon while sitting for the past minute. “The world is still spinning, I hope.”
“It depends on who you ask…”
I made it a point not to look at Dante again as I listened to Kai discuss the latest breaking news.
If he wanted to talk to me, he knew where I was.
But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t shake the warmth of Dante’s attention or cage the butterflies it’d set free.
CHAPTER13