Lucian’s POV
I couldn’t keep my eyes off her. The way the dress hugged all her obvious curves and the way the dress dipped low at her back made me all the more amazed at how beautiful she is. And the way the plunge at the front of the dress accentuated her chest… And then I realized something. She looks too good. Men are going to look at her lustfully.
“You have to wear a jacket, love.” I turned back to the vanity mirror to finish buttoning up the cuffs of my sleeves.
“What do you mean?” She asked as she walked over to me where I was at the vanity. Malea plugged in a hair straightener and begun to straighten her dark brown hair. Each section of hair she ran over with the hot metal fell down her back sleekly.
“You can’t go out like that.” I finished the cuffs on my sleeves and glanced over at Malea who paused the straightener mid-air. She turned to me and frowned.
“But I thought you like the dress?”
I didn’t just like it. I love it. My eyes drifted from her face to her cleavage. I swallowed. “I do, but the problem is that other men might like it too.”
Then she burst out laughing. She reached up and wiped a tear away from her eye before it could ruin her makeup. Malea bent over in laughter and then after she regained her composure, she reached over to unplug the straightener.
Then she turned to me, a ghost of a smile playing at the edges of her full, dark red lips. “Lucian. Am I your girlfriend?”
What kind of a question is that? “Well, of course.” I answered, slightly irritated.
She placed her hands on my chest and tingles shot up my spine as the smile on her face morphed into a sultry grin that made me want her closer. “Then why do you think it matters what any other man thinks? I’m your girlfriend.” She leaned into me as she stood on the tips of her toes, her chest pushed firmly against mine. Her lips brushing my ear. “I’m yours. And no one else’s.”
I couldn’t take it anymore. I pressed my lips against hers, melting in her touch and with the feel of her heart pounding as erratically as mine did. I let my hands explore her hips and her exposed back and she let her hands climb into my hair and entangle themselves there.
I nibbled on her lower lip in permission to slip my tongue into her mouth and she allowed me. I already knew that her hair was now disheveled and my hair was now unruly but I don’t care.
“We’re leaving soon.” A knock sounded at the door.
I pulled away from Malea and begun kissing and nipping at the incredibly supple skin along her neck, inhaling her sweet fragrance. She sighed in pleasure and tilted her head a bit to allow me access to her collarbone. I could feel her heartbeat as my lips trailed from her collarbone to the plunge in her dress…
“Lucian.” She whispered breathily and I only tightened my grip on her hips.
“We’re leaving now. I guess you can rent a car to take there if you guys want to take your sweet time. We’re already 40 minutes late.” Someone called again from the other side, and then they walked away. I’ll take my sweet time…
My hands were inching towards the back of her dress where the exposed section of her skin stopped and the dress continued. I allowed my lips to trail back up from her chest back up to the crook of her neck.
“Lucian.” She whispered in a moan. I ached to have my lips on hers, my body on hers and with nothing in between… I reached up to pull down the thin straps on her shoulders, but she placed her hand gently on mine to stop me.
“We have to go.” She said reluctantly. I tried to catch my breath and pulled away from her, my heartbeat still out of control.
Malea pressed her lips to mine once again before turning back to the mirror to fix her dress and hair. I glanced down at my watch. We’re already over an hour late. I didn’t bother to fix my hair as I pulled on my suit jacket and dialed the number to a cab.
***
Malea’s POV
The driver opened the door for us and Lucian and I exited and immediately were bombarded by flashing lights and screaming photographers. I wonder where my family is.
Lucian placed his hand on the exposed bit of my back and ushered me inside the large cathedral like hall. The whole building was jam packed with women in extremely gorgeous dresses and men in expensive suits.
I could feel nervous flutters in my stomach as Lucian ushered me to a group of friends he knows. I could feel eyes on me and it only made me more nervous. I adjusted my bag on my shoulder and glanced uneasily at the women who stood with us, flutes of champagne in their hands and condescending looks in their eyes. One woman whispered into the other woman’s ear while motioning at me and they both laughed.
Except for one of them. Her extremely blonde hair was wrapped into a messy chignon and instead of looking uptight, she looked almost out of place but as if she didn’t care that she was out of place. She threw back the rest of her drink and placed it on the tray of one of the caterers.
Lucian collided into one of the men in hug, then he turned to face me. Lucian placed a hand on my lower back again. “Malea, this is one of my very close friends, Isaac. Isaac, this is Malea, my girlfriend.”
Isaac is incredibly handsome, with dark brown hair and an easy going smile, he seemed like a total opposite of Uriah. I shook his hand and he grinned, his white teeth gleaming.
“Lucian definitely is a really lucky man to have you.” Isaac’s gaze fell to my chest and I blushed.
Isaac placed his hand on the lower back of the woman next to him, the same woman who looked like she didn’t fit in. He opened his mouth to speak but she beat him to it.
She held out her hand for me to shake. “Hi. I’m Marianne, Isaac’s fiancé.”
I shook her hand. “I’m Malea.”
“So do you live in California?” I asked Isaac and Marianne.
She shook her head. “Hell no. Thank God. We in Manhattan. California’s too hot for me.” She glanced at Isaac with a smile and they shared a moment. How cute. “Isaac doesn’t like the weather also.”
Then Isaac motioned towards me. “What about you? Do you live here?”
“No. I live in New York. So does Lucian.”
Marianne grinned. “How cool! Where in New York?”
“Manhattan.”
“Malea?” A deep male voice called behind me. I spun around to find Adam standing there in a dark navy blue suit, his hair cut and trimmed nicely. A dark 5’oclock shadow similar to Lucian’s made its way up his jaw. His dark blue eyes made its way from the top of my head and drifted downwards. He swallowed. He he had his hand on the back of a woman with dirty blonde hair. She had on a floor length red dress that was form fitting but had an incredibly high neck.
I hurried over to where he was standing. “I didn’t know when you would even get here.”
“Yeah. I was running a bit late.” His eyes drifted from my eyes to my chest. “You look amazing.”
I smiled wider. “Thank you. So do you.” I turned to the woman and shook her hand. After I did so, she wiped her hand on her dress. Okay. I already don’t like her. “Hi. I’m Malea.” I said between gritted teeth.
Her upper lip curled in disgust. “I know who you are. Adam couldn’t stop talking about you the whole way here.”
“Oh come on, Isabelle. At least try to be friendly.” Adam looked at Isabelle, irritation clear on his tone.
“Would you guys mind joining me?” I asked.
Adam reverted his eyes back to me and grinned. “Sure.”
I lead them towards the group I was previously with. As soon as Lucian saw Adam, his face hardened. What is it between those two?
“Isaac and Marianne, meet one of my best friends when I was living in California, Adam.” I motioned towards Isabelle. “And that’s Adam’s date, Isabelle.”
Isaac shook Adam’s hand but Lucian refused to, whereas as soon as Isabelle saw Lucian, she literally, jumped onto him.
She stood next to Lucian, her hand wrapped around his bicep and a flirty smile making its way across her lips. “Who are you here with, Lucian?”
Lucian pulled her hand off his arm and took a small step to the side. “My girlfriend. Malea.” As soon as my name was said, her smile dropped and her face hardened.
We resumed conversation and it was kind of nice. Except for when Adam talks to me and his eyes aren’t on my face and are rather focused on my breasts. The fast upbeat music changed to a slower song and Lucian pulled me onto the dance floor where couples were already dancing.
Lucian pressed me into himself and leaned into my ear. “I see how he looks at you.”
My heart begun racing and I was so sure Lucian could feel it too. “Who?”
“Adam.”
I rolled my eyes as Lucian spun me around and then into himself. “It doesn’t matter how he looks at me, Lucian.”
He raised an eyebrow but I knew he still wasn’t satisfied with my answer. “Do you like him, Malea?”
I placed both my hands on either side of his face. “We never had a thing together.”
“That doesn’t mean he doesn’t still have feelings for you.”
“I—”
“May I have this dance?” A voice sounded. I turned to see Adam, his hand outstretched.
Lucian’s face hardened as he stared at Adam. “I’m sorry, Lucian. This will only take a minute.” Adam said as he took my hand.
He then begun to walk me over to the far corner of the dance floor. Obviously this wouldn’t take a minute.
Lucian’s POV
I watched Adam take Malea away while Isabelle settled into my arms to continue the dance where Malea left off. That bastard. Who does he think he is?
“Lucian?” Isabelle called.
I looked down at her, knowing there was still a frown on my face. “What?”
“I asked you when you and Malea stated dating.” She motioned for me to spin her around and I did so half heartedly, my gaze still on Adam who had dipped Malea. I could hear her laugh over the music when he brought her up.
“8 months and 2 weeks.” I felt Isabelle press herself closer to myself.
“That’s not too long.” She wrapped her hands behind my head.
“It’s long to me.”
“Does that mean you’re tired of the relationship?” She jumped into conclusions.
Before I could even answer, she pressed her lips to mine. I didn’t know what she was even doing at first, but I quickly pushed her off me. I used the back of my hand to wipe my mouth.
Instead of looking ashamed, she had a sly smirk of her face. “I always wanted to do that.” And then she walked off.
Immediately, I made my way over to Malea and took her hand, removing her from Adam.
“Lucian, where are we going?” Malea asked as I made my way to the exit. She turned back to glance at Adam who’s face hardened at the fact that I had taken Malea away from him.
“Anywhere but here.”