That rich boy charm got me deep.
I hated how spoiled he was, but I loved how it looked on him. When his eyes met mine again, I cleared my throat and faced forward. The elevator doors opened, and I stepped out abruptly, not looking back. He ran to my side, his warm, slender fingers wrapping over my wrist to still me.
“Hey. You do. Don’t you know that?”
“Well, thank you.” I let out a soft breath, then took a step forward and walked right into Dax.
“You look very beautiful tonight, Parvati.” His sweet mannerisms were a stark contrast to Damien’s flashy demeanor. His voice was softer, too. Cool, but not smooth like his twin’s. “I insist you sit next to me at dinner.” He laced his fingers with mine, holding my hand high like I was a princess. “We’ll have the spicy shrimp to share as an appetizer.”
Damien tucked my arm around his as we walked toward the restaurant. “Well, brother, Parvati and I have already decided to sit together and share a dessert. I’m thinking cherry cheesecake.” He leaned into me just a little to nudge my shoulder and as he did I caught the scent of his cologne. Damien was definitely the perfect playboy. He looked the part, he smelled heavenly, and he always had the right things to say. Sultry, rich, smooth things to say. Standing in between them, I was torn.
“Listen, boys,” I stepped up and turned around to face them both, “I appreciate what you’re doing here, but I’ve already picked out my dinner, and I do not care where I sit. I simply want to eat, drink, and be merry.”
Dax and Damian looked at each other, and then they both faced me at the same time. Dax had a soft smile on his face, and it felt welcoming and endearing. Damien had a grin plastered on his lips, alluring and seductive.
“Hey, you guys,” my mom said as she came over to us. “Daniel and your dad just got our table. Come on this way.”
Your dad? I stayed behind as the guys went ahead. A part of me wanted to just go get drunk after hearing my mom call Danforth my dad. Maybe she meant it lightheartedly, maybe because she was looking at Dax when she started to talk, but still.
“Hey.” Damien’s voice lulled in my ears. He curled a finger to call me close, and I obliged with a sigh. “Eat, drink, and be merry, right?”
“Right.” I shrugged. It wasn’t cool how he got me to smile though.
Walking through the restaurant made me hungrier than ever. There were so many smells, and the chef in me was delighted to take it all in. I was half tempted to order everything that the guys had said, just so I could taste every little bit of the island for myself. When we got to the table, everybody sat down, and I ended up taking a seat across from Daniel. There was a darkness to his gaze, and it struck something deep in me. The mysteriousness that hid behind his persona dug at me like it was eating away at every thought and feeling I had. In that moment I realized I was starting to crave him, to feel his hands on me again, to have him stare deep into my eyes as he challenged me.
“Parvati?” My mom reached across the table and tapped my hand. Apparently, I was lost in a daze then, and it seemed like she had been trying to get my attention.
“What? No, I’m sorry.” I realized that our waiter was watching me with his pen held tight over his pad. “Right, champagne, please.” As the waiter asked what kind, I felt a hand glide up my thigh. Damien had taken the seat next to me, and it was his hand that I was feeling.
He looked up to the waiter and said, “I think we should have a bottle for the table.”
Sitting down to my other side was Dax. He agreed with Damien, telling the waiter that we might need a second one before the night was up. Everyone at the table laughed, including the waiter.
“I’ll be right back with those drinks,” he chimed.
My mom curled into Danforth and giggled at something he’d said. Dax was busy checking his phone, and Daniel was unfolding his napkin as his eyes held mine from beyond the little vase of orange flowers.
Damien wasn’t wasting any time. “What do you think we could do here?” he whispered in my ear. His hand slid up my skirt, that firm yet gentle touch of his inching closer to my center.
I let out a laugh as I pushed his hand away, and in the process, I drew everyone’s attention. Dax was at my side, laughing with his whole body, so much so that his dad looked over to him slowly with a stern look in his eye. “I’m so sorry. It felt like there was a bug crawling on my leg.” I faced Damien slowly. “Better be careful.”