Page 3 of Something Borrowed

I may as well go all in with the craziness.

I spin away from them - marching straight towards Rufino Vece.

My friends are shouting at me to come back, not to be stupid. It’s too late, I have made up my mind.

Rufino’s eyes are on me, dark and curious, as I step right into his personal space and, with no warning whatsoever, I grab the collar of his shirt, pull him down to my level and press my mouth against his.

As soon as our lips touch, my anger dissolves and I melt into him. His build is like that of a freaking Viking. Solid and broad and even taller than I thought. His muscles ripple beneath his shirt when he moves.

His hand travels up my spine, sending shivers through my entire body as he pulls me even closer against him.

Everything around me disappears and all I feel, and all I know, is him.

It’s like a volcano has erupted and we are the energy that gets released from it. Time stops. His kiss is everything.

My heart is beating a million miles an hour when I finally step back.

He is staring at me with the calmest expression on his face.

I expected him to be furious, or at least takenaback, but he remains composed. Not saying a word.

I don’t say a word either.

I got what I came for.

I did the dare.

I kissed the scary dangerous man, and nothing exploded.

Except me. I exploded a little.

Spinning away from him, I march all the way back to my friends and pick up the tequila they ordered for me and down it.

“What’s the next dare?” I ask, grinning and throwing thema don’t mess with melook.

I am empowered. Bold. crazy and like a total badass.

It’sfreaking amazing.

Everyone is staring at me in utter disbelief until Dante laughs.

“Youarea psycho.” He says, and everyone joins him in laughter.

“I need to dance.” I tug Bella towards the dance floor and everyone else follows. My body is high. It’s as though his lips were a drug, and it won’t stop flooding me with adrenaline.

My heart won’t stop beating like a wild horse’s hooves running through an open plain, either.

My mind is still very much on the kiss and how he pushed up against me.

My eyes keep tracing back to where he’s standing. I don’t know what it is about him, but that calm aura seems to hide an undercurrent of extreme darkness. There is a secret in his eyes that I want to know more about.

My body is inexplicably tied to him now and I can’t shake the feeling that the kiss was only the beginning of something bigger.

It can’t be, though.

I’m just drunk, that’s all.

I’m drunk and hyped up on tequila and I should just forget about the Vece. I did the dare. Move on.