11

"Special? To Enzo?" Gabriella asked, skepticism lacing her words. She couldn't help but wonder what made this man so different, so untouchable, in the eyes of a man like Enzo.

Luca's smile didn't waver. "Let's just say, Enzo and I share a past that's as thick as blood. He wouldn't dare cross certain lines with me," he said letting go of Gabriella's hand.

Gabriella found herself leaning into the conversation, "And what lines are those?" she inquired, her curiosity piqued.

Luca leaned against the balcony railing, his gaze turning towards the skyline. "The kind that, once crossed, changes everything. But enough about Enzo and me. Tonight, it's about you, Gabriella."

The mention of Luca's last words brought Gabriella back to the harsh reality of her situation. "Right," she sighed, taking a sip from the glass of champagne in her hand.

She placed her hand on the balcony railing joining Luca, her gaze turning towards the skyline. She seemed lost in her thoughts for a second, she didn't realize that Luca's attention was now on her face.

A mischievous smile plastered on his lips as he took in the beauty of her face, the way her eyes looked under the moonlight, the way her lips curved into a slight frown. "You don't seem like you belong here, Gabriella," he observed, breaking the comfortable silence between them.

Gabriella turned her gaze towards Luca, a hint of surprise in her eyes. "What do you mean?" she asked, puzzled by his statement.

Luca chuckled softly, his eyes twinkling with amusement. "I mean, you don't seem like the type of woman who enjoys the flashy, superficial world like this event tonight. You have a depth to you, a certain vulnerability that sets you apart from the rest," he explained, his voice low and intimate.

Gabriella felt a warmth spread through her at Luca's words, a feeling of being seen and understood in a way that she rarely experienced. "And how did you conclude the type of woman I am?" she murmured, a small smile playing on her lips.

Luca's gaze softened as he reached out to gently tuck a loose strand of hair behind Gabriella's ear. "I just speak the truth, I have been with a lot of women to know the difference. And there is something about you that draws me in, I just can't seem to figure out what it is yet," he confessed, his touch lingering on her skin.

Gabriella felt her heart flutter at Luca's words, a rush of emotions swirling inside her. She couldn't deny the pull she felt towards him, the way he made her feel seen in ways she never thought possible.

But she reminded herself that this could all be a trick by Enzo, it would be wrong of her to let her guard down so easily over a few compliments and kind words.

"And there she goes again," Luca remarked. "Covering that beauty with a frown."

"I am not," Gabriella denied looking back at the skyline and avoiding his intense gaze.

"Just a smile, it's all I ask," Luca pressed on. He reached out to touch Gabriella's chin turning her head slowly to meet his gaze.

Gabriella's heart skipped a beat as Luca's fingers gently guided her face towards his. The warmth of his touch sent a shiver down her spine, a sensation that was both unnerving and exhilarating.

She found herself caught in the intensity of his gaze, a depth there that she couldn't quite understand.

With a deep breath, Gabriella allowed a soft smile to grace her lips, a smile that was more genuine than she had intended. "There, are you happy now?" she asked, trying to inject a playful tone into her voice to mask the turmoil of emotions inside her.

Luca smiled in response, his eyes lighting up, "More than you can imagine," he whispered.

For a moment, they simply stood there, locked in a gaze. "I will give you a compliment, one that I rarely give to any woman," Luca said. "You are beautiful, Gabriella."

Gabriella felt a blush creep up her cheeks at Luca's words. She had gotten complimented a lot of times on her beauty so why was she blushing hard, she thought to herself.

"Thank you," she muttered, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Let's dance," Luca suggested, offering his hand. "I promise I won't step on your toes."

"I don't think that's a good idea," Gabriella replied. She was still trying hard to recover from her current predicament, the last thing she needed was a dance instead she would prefer another glass of champagne, the one in her hand was almost done with one more gulp.

"Why? Scared of Enzo?"

Gabriella hesitated for a moment before taking his hand. Yes, she was scared of Enzo even though she tried to deny it in her head several times. But did she enjoy getting on his nerves? yes, she enjoyed it quite well.

As they stepped out from the balcony onto the dance floor, Luca effortlessly led her in a graceful waltz. He placed his hand on the small of her back guiding her with each step he took.

Gabriella could feel the eyes of people staring at them in particular despite the others on the dance floor, but she couldn't bring herself to care. Instead, she found herself looking for Enzo in the crowd wondering if he was watching them.

She couldn't spot him, but the thought of his reaction made her heart race even faster.

"You're a natural dancer," Luca commented as they twirled across the floor. His words brought Gabriella's thoughts and gaze back at him.

"I used to take lessons when I was younger," Gabriella explained. "But it's been a while."

"Well, you haven't lost your touch," Luca said. "You move like a dream."

Gabriella couldn't help but smile at his compliment. "Thank you," she said. "You're not half bad yourself."

"Half bad," Luca chuckled at her words.

They continued to dance in silence for a while, the music and the movement creating a bubble around them that seemed to shut out the rest of the world.

"I have to admit, I'm surprised," Luca said, breaking the silence. "You're not what I expected."

"Oh?" Gabriella asked, raising an eyebrow. "And what did you expect?"

"I don't know," Luca said. "I guess I just expected you to be... different."

"Different how?"

"More... conventional," Luca said. "More like the other women here."

"And what's wrong with the other women here?" Gabriella asked. Even though she knew what he meant.

"Nothing," Luca said. "It's just... you're different. You don't seem to fit in."

"And is that a bad thing?"

"Not at all," Luca said. "It's what makes you special."

Gabriella smiled. She opened her mouth to respond but before she could say anything, the sound of footsteps echoed behind them, and Gabriella didn't need to turn to know who it was. 

"Having fun, lovebirds?" Enzo's voice was smooth, but there was an underlying edge that sent a shiver down Gabriella's spine. She knew that her moment of peace and enjoyment was about to be shattered.

She turned around slowly to stare at Enzo but Enzo's gaze settled on Luca, a dangerous glint in his eyes.