Page 5 of Anton
“Have you checked in with the guys yet?” I asked.
“Not yet, I’ll catch them later,” he said. “How is Suzie handling things?”
Suzie was the woman he was currently training up as the manager of Glitz. This evening was to be a test of her readiness.
“Great. There have been no issues. Are you still planning on opening your own business?” I queried. Luca had told me he was hoping to open an entertainment management business with a friend of his and had come to me for some advice.
“Yeah. I’ve been discussing things with Trent and hopefully we’ll be able to launch in a few months.” He grinned.
“How is Miki taking the fact you won’t be around as much to be his errand boy?” I teased.
“Ha, fucking, ha! He’s fine about it. I’ll still be acting as Head of Entertainments, I’ll just be delegating more and promoting some new managers to take over where needed. Got to keep everything in the family. But now things with our enemies have died down, and we’ve started offloading some of the problem areas of our business, he is more than happy for me to branch out. Besides, if things go dark again, he knows I’ll always have his back. Just like you,” he replied, and I nodded.
“Where’s the birthday girl?” he asked.
I nodded toward the table where Marcie and Claire were sipping cocktails. I bit back a smirk, resisting the urge to point out how it was like watching a cartoon character whose eyes nearly popped out of his head and whose heart almost pounded out of his chest the moment Luca laid eyes on Claire.
Luca had a massive thing for Claire, but she refused to get involved with him because of his Bratva ties. It never really made sense to me, especially considering Claire was a criminal defence lawyer who worked with criminals all the time. Plus, her cousin Gracie was living with Ash now, so the Rominovs were practically family to her.
Still, when it came to Luca, his criminal connections were something she couldn’t overlook. Claire had friend-zoned him, just like I had with Marcie. The thought of it stirred something uneasy inside me.
“Those two have been knocking them back tonight. Tequila shots and now cocktails. It’s a wonder they’re still standing,” I said, trying to shake off my disturbing thoughts.
“Headaches all around in the morning then,” he stated with a smirk.
“Yeah, they are both going to have one hell of a hangover. Especially Marcie. You missed her thank you speech and thebuffet, but there are still some leftovers at the back of the room, if you want any. And you can leave your gift over there too,” I told him, taking a swig of my beer.
“If you are lucky, maybe Claire will be inebriated enough to let you kiss her,” I teased.
“Fuck you. Maybe that’s what Marcie needs to do with you, then. Get you drunk and you’ll finally admit how much you want her,” he taunted in return.
Despite insisting Marcie was just a friend, it was obvious I’d done a bloody awful job at hiding my true feelings from everyone. “Arsehole,” I muttered, and he laughed.
“I’m heading to the bar. I’ll grab you a beer while I’m there,” he called over his shoulder as he strode off.
I watched him go, his words lingering in the air. If only it was that easy, I would gladly down a few tequila shots with my Little Miss Sassy and let her have her wicked way with me. But then I’d have to open myself up to the possibility of loving her, losing her, and I couldn’t do that. I wished that wasn’t the case, but after suffering heartbreak in the past, I refused to put myself through that again.
As Luca placed his gift next to the others, I saw him chuckle at Marcie’s birthday cake, and I couldn’t help but smile. It was shaped like a chiselled male torso, with a tight shirt clearly designed to resemble part of a military uniform, partially opened to reveal a very defined chest. It looked like something a male stripper might wear. When I saw it earlier, I’d noticed the edge of a tattoo peeking out from under one side of the shirt—just enough for me to recognise it as matching my own. The cake was meant to be me.
If Luca noticed, I’d never hear the end of it. Thankfully, I didn’t think he had. It was flattering, but it also reminded me of how deeply my Little Miss Sassy felt about me—and the fact that I couldn’t return those feelings saddened me.
Commotion at Marcie’s table drew my attention back in her direction, and I watched as she walked off toward the toilets, arm in arm with Claire. The minutes dragged by as I waited for the girls to return. I took a swig from my beer, and when they finally reappeared, they headed downstairs. From the balcony, I observed them making their way to the dance floor, laughing as they twirled into the crowd. They were having fun.
I took a moment to admire Marcie from a distance, something I didn’t often have the chance to do. The short blue dress she wore was stunning, complementing her blue eyes and hugging her lush body in a way that made my mouth water.
Her warm, golden-brown skin glowed softly under the subtle club lights, the faint shimmer highlighting its smooth, flawless appearance. I longed to run my hands over her exposed legs, to feel the silkiness I could only imagine. As she swayed to the music, her long black hair flowed like a dark river over her shoulders, and I ached to bury my face in its softness.
My cock jerked, and I groaned. God, why did she have to look so bloody beautiful? How the hell was I supposed to resist a woman who looked like a goddess? And it wasn’t just her appearance; it was everything about her that made keeping my hands off her so damn hard. At that thought, my dick decided to remind me that it was hard, too. I shifted uncomfortably and groaned again, forcing my eyes away from the woman who was my kryptonite.
Finishing my beer, I tried to think of anything but Marcie. It didn’t work. Whenever she was anywhere in the vicinity, my head, heart, and cock seemed to become alert to her every breath, movement, and sultry sway of her hips. Bloody hell, I gulped and ran shaky fingers through my hair. God, the effect that woman had on me should be illegal.
“Here you go,” Luca said, passing me another beer.
“Thanks.” I took a quick swig, hoping he hadn’t noticed my discomfort.
“Where are the ladies?” Luca asked, scanning the floor below.
I gestured with the bottle towards the dancefloor.