CHAPTER THREE

Viktor

The beautiful brunette begs me with her eyes, biting her bottom lip unconsciously. I look from her to the woman rushing to us in glee, then back to her, processing the situation and wondering if I should walk away.

I almost did.

But her eyes...her lips.

Such a beautiful woman.

I scoop her delicate face in my hands and kiss her slow, but deep. She gasps in surprise, wide-eyed but quickly recovers and parts her lips open, granting my tongue access. I suppress a groan, turned on by the soft way her shoulders sag as she melts into me. She tastes like chocolate and something strong.

Absinthe.

We pull apart, and everyone around us is dazed. Even more so is Collins Black, who glares at me from the podium with a jealousy and possession that totally didn't make sense. He'd just gotten engaged to Diana Lynch. Surely, he had no relation with this lady...

He makes his way over to us now, and Diana plants herself firmly beside him, interlocking her arms with his. “Didn't know those taste buds of yours were still active and effective, Anna.”

The actor eyes me up and down, his frown deepening as he offers a hand for me to shake. I stare it down, and he retrieves it quickly, hiding it into his pockets. “I guess congratulations are in order.”

"Of course, they are. Pat here — ”

“The name's Salvatore,” I whisper non-subtly into her left ear. Her face burns red. Diana and Collins watch us, and I could feel the wheels of their brain turning, trying to process things better.

“Oh, yes... Salvatore..." She corrects herself, smoothing her dress. “Salvatore and I have been seeing each other for a month now.”

“Hmm,” Collins doesn't look convinced. “How did you two meet?”

“Yes, Anny love. Tell us,” Diana chirps.

I hate her already.

“Why are you two so interested?” Anna asks, folding her arms across her chest, and eyeing them. “It's none of your business.”

“Come on, Anna. Let's not do this here. It's so low rent of you."

Diana flicks her gaze to me and offers a coy smile. “Such a dashing young man.”

"I hear congratulations are in order," I drawl. "To the happy couple as well as the talented actor."

Anna's shoulders slump, and it's evident that all the energy has gone away from her. “At least I had the decency to move on after the divorce. Not while we were still married.”

She looks at Collins with so much pain, so much hurt, I find myself pulling her into my embrace, one hand looped around her waist. She exhales and looks up at me in gratitude. “Thank you.”

Well, who would've suspected? Anna and Collins had been married!

My gaze flits over to Diana now, taking in her blonde hair, with blue highlights. Her eyes were the pale blue, and her lips were thin. She had good curves, but Anna was curvier, prettier with her brunette hair, honey-colored eyes and soft-spoken demeanor.

I can't believe Collins left her for...Diana.

It's like throwing away the Mona Lisa and picking a waterlogged Playboy instead.

"I got to admit, Black. Your bride to be is really... something. Charming, I must say. Though some might argue she ain't all that.”

Diana's jaw drops, and she looks delightfully gobsmacked. Collins fists curl, and his face flushes red. He looks like he wants to tackle me to the floor and gives me the beating of my life.

Not wanting to make a scene, I whisk Anna away from the disgusting duo and move her somewhere quieter. Someplace where we can actually breathe.

"You don't know what you've done for me," she whispers quietly. "Really, thank you. You came to my rescue just in time. I was out of options back there.”

I shrug. “A little of it was for me, too." I shove my hands in my pockets so I don't do something stupid, like pull her to me and rip that dress to shreds. "I'm surprised you not only dated that fraud, but married him as well. He's a fucking loser.”

She gives me a painful smile. "Yeah, well. He wasn't always like this. Might be hard to believe, and I don't want you to think I'm making excuses for him, but Collins was once a good man. Way back before Diana re-entered out lives and ruined everything." She tries to brush it off with a casual laugh. "I just feel sad I was so deceived by her good deeds to see what was truly going on behind the scenes."

“They were cheating while he was still married to you?”

Anna nods. "Diana came back and won me over as a friend. I genuinely thought she was looking out for me, not knowing she was seducing Collins behind my back. They were high school sweethearts and had separated at one point. I thought they were done for good."

“You miscalculated.”

“Yeah.”

Something inside me twists. I can tell by the way she talks about Collins, that she really loved him. Even now. Even after everything he's done to her.

I don't like it.

Which is funny, because I have no business with this woman. I only helped her get back at her ex-husband.

Anna smiles up at me. It's the first and only genuine smile I've seen on her face all evening. "You know what, though? I'm glad. I'm glad he cheated on me and dumped me and threw me out of our apartment months back. I'm glad. Because now, I'm free. It just sucks to know how long he kept me in the dark."

My teeth clench. I don't even know this woman, and I want to march back over there to beat him into a bloody smear for her.

I don't get my chance, however. One of the leading sponsors, and a distant family friend Hermes decides that now is the best time to interrupt us.

"Anna! Darling, come with me. There are a few people with questions on the script for El Diablo Me Quiere. Come, come now. Salvatore!” he grins, pulling me in for a bear hug. “Glad to have you join us this evening. I didn't think you'd make it. Met my girl Anna, huh?”

I laugh. “Nice to see you, old Hermes.”

“The pleasure is all mine.”

Anna touches my arm. "Sorry. I'll be back later, okay?"

I nod. I don't know why; it's not like she needs to know I'll be here waiting for her.

And yet, as she leaves, I can't stop myself from watching her walk away. Her head is high, her stride strong and unbothered, and anyone who doesn't know her would never guess how she must be crumbling to pieces on the inside. She's strong. Defiant, even.

I wonder how strong she'd be without anyone to perform for. Without her employers or her ex-husband or anyone else watching her every move, waiting for her to slip up so they can belittle her some more.

What would she be like with me? Without anything between us?

Not expectations.

Not trauma.

Not a stitch of clothing.

I watch. I brood. Anna turns to one side to answer a guest's questions, giving me the perfect view of her figure.

Collins Black is one blind moderfucker. Who wouldn't trip over themselves for the chance to consume this beautiful woman? To taste her and make that delicious body move and twist and writhe beneath them?

And yet he let her go. Just like that.

A fucking idiot.

I'm not going to trip.

No.

I'm going to wait. And when the time is right, I'll go for what I want.

Her.