The Champagne Trouble

Sienna should have left ten minutes ago, when she turned away from Luca Moretti. Actually, she should have left the second she realized she'd wandered onto a billionaire's private yacht instead of a fashion afterparty. But he kept looking at her like she was the most interesting thing on board. Unfortunately, that made leaving difficult.

"I still think it's insane nobody stopped me getting on this boat," she said.

Luca leaned against the bar beside her. "Confidence is everything here in Monaco."

"That explains a lot." Sienna scoffed, not really knowing where her confidence was coming from. She was normally quiet around new people until she had them figured out.

His mouth curved. "You disapprove of rich people because of your job or just recreationally?"

She thought for a moment before answering: "Both."

"Harsh."

"I'm sure you'll survive."

"Maybe." His gaze dragged slowly over her face. "I suddenly feel the need to impress you."

She blushed heavily. "That sounds exhausting for both of us."

A waiter passed with champagne, and Luca handed her a glass.

"You're persistent." she half smiled.

"I'm charming."

"You're a billionaire. There's a difference."

"That hurt my feelings."

"You seem resilient."

Luca laughed, low enough to send an irritating flutter through her stomach. Sienna accepted the champagne before she could overthink it.

"There," Luca said. "Progress."

Sienna rolled her eyes. "It's just champagne. "

"Good. Anything more serious tends to end badly for me."

And Sienna couldn't stop the smile that broke across her face. Why was he funny? Monaco glittered around them, and it was beautiful. Sienna hated how easy it would be to get swept into this world.

"I know that look," Luca said.

"What look?"

"The one where you're pretending not to be impressed."

"I'm not impressed. And when has anyone around you pretended not to be impressed. I'm sure everyone falls at your feet."

"You sighed while looking at the view." Luca started, "and you'd be surprised what people do around me."

"That was exhaustion and I'm sure I wouldn't be."

"Liar."

She rolled her eyes and took another sip of champagne. Luca watched her completely unbothered by her demeanour. He was fascinated.

"So," Sienna said, "what exactly do you do besides crash luxury cars and throw yacht parties?"

"Investor."

"That sounds vague."

"It's supposed to."

"You're one of those rich men who answer emails for twenty minutes then call it work, aren't you?"

"I'm deeply offended." Luca pressed a hand against his chest dramatically. "You wound me, Sienna."

The way he said her name should have been illegal. It sent a thrill through her that she hadn't felt in a long time.

"You don't act like everyone else here," Luca said after a moment.

"That's because I can't afford to. I'm in a rented shoe box apartment while I'm covering a few things in Monaco."

"No." His gaze sharpened slightly. "It's more than that."

"I grew up around normal people," she shrugged, suddenly shy.

"And what qualifies as normal?"

"People who don't own floating cities."

A breeze swept across the deck, lifting strands of hair across her face. Luca reached toward her automatically before stopping himself halfway.

"You almost did something reckless there," she murmured.

Luca's eyes darkened. "You assume I stopped because I'm disciplined."

"Aren't you?"

"Not at all."

Heat curled unexpectedly low in her stomach. She was apparently flirting with Monaco's most infamous billionaire.

"So how many women have you used that line on?" she asked.

Luca grinned. "You think about me a lot for someone unimpressed."

"You're impossible."

"I've been called worse."

"That I believe."

Somewhere nearby, cameras flashed from the marina below.

Sienna frowned. "Do paparazzi really wait outside your parties?"

"Usually."

"That sounds tiring."

"It gets boring eventually."

Sienna watched him more carefully then.

"Now who's looking too hard?" He said without looking at her.

Damn it.

Sienna took another sip of champagne. "I'm profiling you."

"That sounds made up."

"I'm a photographer. Observing people is my job."

"And what's your professional opinion of me?"

She considered him.

"Honestly? You seem exhausting and exhausted."

Luca burst out laughing and it was so joyful that she started laughing too.

"You're unbelievable," he said finally.

"You invited me to stay and drink on your yacht."

"You invaded my yacht."

"Accidentally."

"Still trespassing."

"Are you going to arrest me, fountain scandal guy?"

His grin returned immediately.

"There it is."

"What?"

"My favorite thing."

Sienna narrowed her eyes. "You can't have a favorite thing already?"

"When you are all fiesty and not so shy. You become a little flirt."

"I'm not flirting with you."

"Sienna." Luca leaned slightly closer. "You accepted the champagne."

She opened her mouth and closed it again.

"I hate that confidence looks good on you," she muttered.

"Oh, you definitely flirt with me."

Before she could answer, a voice interrupted behind them.

"Luca, there you are."

A gorgeous blonde woman appeared beside them, sliding a hand along Luca's arm. Her gaze landed on Sienna immediately but only for a second. Sienna wasn't worth her time.

"Are you coming upstairs?" the woman asked him smoothly.

Sienna took a step backward. Men like Luca belonged to women like this who understood his world. Not photographers who accidentally crashed parties. Luca glanced toward the blonde before looking back at Sienna. To her surprise, he looked annoyed.

"I'm busy, Vivienne."

The blonde blinked.

"Right," she said tightly before stalking away.

Sienna stared after her. "Wow. She's not happy with you."

Luca sighed. "You say that like I caused a natural disaster."

"You kind of did."

"She'll survive."

"You sound confident about that."

"I have experience."

Sienna laughed despite herself. And unfortunately, Luca smiled like that was exactly what he'd wanted. Which, annoyingly enough, made her want to stay on the yacht longer tonight.