Initiate Me(2)

With the speeches over, it was time to dance that fucking Tarantella.

Mia walked up to where I stood in the middle of the dance floor and pressed her body against mine, whispering in my ear, “Ready, stud?”

I froze.

What the fuck? Did she just call me ‘stud’?

Although she came across as a bit cheeky and playful, I’d never seen or heard her act so brazen and confident. Maybe she was drunk?

When I danced the Tarantella years ago, I couldn’t ever remember it being an erotic dance, but that was exactly how Mia was dancing it. She impertinently waited until the dance floor filled up with more of a crowd of people so we were more inconspicuous. Then she took every opportunity to rub herself against me, touch me and gyrate her sexy-as-hell arse directly on my bulging hard-on. And there I was assuming she was innocent and shy.

“Jesus, Mia, what the fuck do you think you’re doing?” I pushed her away from me, but she wouldn’t budge.

“Just having some fun, Zane,” she teased as she rubbed her hands up and down my arms and then brought them around to rest on my chest. “You are always so serious; it must be the cop in you. You need to learn to relax a bit every now and then. You’re such a nerd sometimes.”

I laughed and moved her hands off my chest, holding her wrists in a tight vice. “Sweet thing, if you think I’m a nerd then you have no idea who I really am. I am far from being a nerd, and you wouldn’t want to get involved with a man like me. I have certain needs you wouldn’t even begin to know how to fulfil, little girl.” I whispered the words in her ear, and felt the tremor run through her body. Not so brazen now, is she?

“Then show me.”

Sweet Jesus, she was making me harder and hornier by the minute. I had to get out of there and find myself a one-night stand. Yeah, that’s it. I need someone I can fuck for just one night, with no attachments and who doesn’t want anything in return.

I hadn’t had a one-night stand in over two years. My motto was not to waste my time on a meaningless relationship ever again. But Mia was different.

I was going to make up for lost time.

With Mia Brunetti.

***

MIA

God, I loved parties!

I was so happy the day had finally arrived. My best friend was marrying my brother and I was so happy for them both.

It was the perfect wedding.

Jada looked so beautiful and gracious in her Vera Wang wedding dress. The dress was exquisite; a floating Chantilly-lace gown with bias organza and a tulle wave flange detail. The sleek waistline, with its frothy, princess-worthy tulle layers, and its fashion-forward flange made every girl in the room envious. A perfect dress for a perfect wedding.

It soon became even more perfect, because there I was standing so close to Zane, I could breathe his masculine scent and familiar cologne. It was a dream come true to finally be close to him, and I moved even closer. Too close. He was backing away from me. Damn, I didn't want him to back away from me. Not when every last cell in my body wanted to erase the distance between us and for me to finally be in his arms.

Perfect. It would feel so perfect.

“Mia,” he said in a voice filled with raw desire at his unsuccessful attempt to push me away. “Don’t—”

I pressed my hand flat onto his chest, right over his heart, and felt it thumping rapidly. He wanted me. Milan was right; I just had to go for it. I couldn't back down. I wanted to seduce him. He just had to let go of his theory that we were completely off-limits to each other. Always had been, and always would be, in his eyes anyway.

My eyelids closed for a moment. With my hands still on his chest, I savoured this moment of intimacy with him. “Let's go outside, I'm hot after all that dancing.”

I needed some air and I also didn't want to look desperate. Oh, shit, maybe I was? It seemed so easy for Milan; she was never short of male companionship. At that moment, she was cozying up to Blake Ross, Max's newest employee. Then there was Jada who never even had to talk to them; they all flocked to her. The only time she was shy was around my brother Max. Damn, why couldn’t I be confident like those two?

It took a lot of courage and wine for me to look Zane straight in the eye and flirt with him. When Milan coached me on what to do and how to initiate a conversation with him, I thought she was mad. For years Zane had kept his distance, never saying so much as two words to me. He avoided me like the plague, which is why I was worried he wouldn't talk to me. I walked outside and he followed me.

I wanted to see if he would finally notice me and see that I was alive. I wanted him to see I wasn’t a little girl anymore with a silly teenage crush. I wanted him to see that I was a woman.

A woman who knows her own mind and knows exactly what she wants. And I want Zane!