It was a simple request and a handful of other patrons already heeded the sultry call of the violin and castanets. But fear of making things worse kept me locked in place.
I shook my head. "I don't think that's a good idea."
"Dancing's always a good idea." He rose to his feet, drawing more than a couple of female eyes as he walked to my side of the table and extended his hand. "You're too beautiful to sit over here on pins and needles. Dance with me, Leila."
I glared at him, knowing there was no way I could turn him down with an audience. I slid off the chair begrudgingly and followed him to the floor.
The music changed tempo and Silvio pulled my body tight to his. I didn't have time to be nervous as he slowly began to rock into me.
"Just follow my lead."
And we were off. My dress whipped like flames as we weaved and turned and dipped in time with the music. There was nothing but the infectious rhythm and Silvio's throaty laugh as he whooped and commanded the floor. His long, ebony colored hair flapped and spun around his handsome face as he gyrated. He spread life and glee that rippled through the other dancers. Soon we were all moving with abandon and I spun even faster, laughing, smiling living in the moment.
When the music slowed I took a breath, leaning against him as we gave the band a round of applause.
Silvio gave my hand a squeeze as he leaned in, his breathing labored. "Better?"
"Much better," I giggled. The music started back up, this time a slow, romantic coo. I held out my hands toward him. What the hell. It's not like I had any other takers. I had a feeling if Jacob was still in the restaurant he wanted nothing to do with me. I wasn't ready to address what that meant. All I wanted to do was dance.
But Silvio wasn’t looking at me at all. He was looking just behind me. "I think the next dance is not for me."
"What?" I frowned. "But-"
"The next dance is mine."
Jacob's voice stripped me down to my bones and I went rigid. I told my body to turn, to put my arms around his neck. This was my chance. But I couldn't move.
Silvio stepped away and I snapped my mouth shut as I watched Jacob take Silvio’s place. No, in his charcoal two piece suit, it quickly became, “Silvio who?” Jacob was the all-powerful, muscled, impossibly handsome man that reduced me to a puddle on the floor with just a look. There was no one but him.
"Leila." Even my name sounded like pure sex on his tongue.
I exhaled. "Jacob."
He held out his hands, bright eyes flashing. "Shall we?"
I hesitantly took his hand and took a step closer. I could tell he was still fuming from the tight set of his jaw.
"Should I call back tall, dark, and handsome?" he said bitingly.
I tried to relax and failed, completely and utterly. "I-I don't know what you mean."
His eyes narrowed to navy slits. "C'mon, Leila. You're practically cringing. Just a second ago, while you danced with that man you were on top of the world."
“You were the one I wanted to dance with,” I said softly. “Only you.” I inhaled his warm, familiar scent. It was like sliding under your favorite blanket. Like going home. But right now all he had were the lies and me showing up with some strange guy. This was my chance to set the record straight, if I could just open my mouth.
I moved closer, sliding one hand up his tailored arm and trying to not take it personally when his mouth twitched disapprovingly when I ran my fingers through his hair.
"I didn't think you'd come," I said softly.
“Why did you come, Leila?”
His question caught me off guard, but the answer was simple. “Because I care about you.”
He let out something that sounded like a snort and shook his head.
“Don’t you dare dismiss my feelings, Jacob,” I said heatedly. “Not after all we’ve been through.”
"Well when someone in my employ purposefully ignores my orders-"
"Your orders?" I snapped. "You mean sending me back to the states with my tail between my legs?"
He swept me around, his jaw as rigid and angry as his movements. "Don't try to play innocent. You met with Rachel behind my back-"
"I wouldn't really call being cornered and given an ultimatum a 'meeting'."
"And then you lied to me all day," he blazed on, ignoring my interjection. "You told me some sob story about your father." The hurt in his voice deepened. "You didn't even blink before you went along with her transparent efforts."
"I did blink," I insisted. When he let out a grunt of disbelief and tilted his face from mine, I reached up and gently rotated his chin back toward me. "Don't turn away from me. Not when I came here to-"
"To make me jealous?" he said tersely. "I expected these kinds of games from Rachel. But not from you."
Being compared to her was like being slapped across the face. But I had to deflect the blow and explain myself. "The guy I was with, Silvio-"
"Silvio?" he said with a frown. "Of course his name is Silvio."
"And his last name is De Luca," I smirked. "Allegra's nephew."
"Allegra's nephew?" He shook his head. "So you two aren't-"
"No," I replied. "He was just...moral support."
I felt him relax and when I brushed against him, chest to chest, he didn't pull back. I rocked against him, side to side, hopping that the feel of me could say the things that no words could do justice. My cheek was against his chest, feeling the rhythm of his heart weaving through the soulful music notes. The words were right there and feeling his hand stroking my back, forgetting, forgiving, I never felt those words more.
I gazed up at him. "Jacob, I-"
"I'm sorry," Jacob cut in soft as a kiss. “I overacted.”
I didn't know if his confession was a blessing--stopping me from making a declaration that I couldn't take back--or a curse that had me keeping the whole truth from him yet again.
"I shouldn't have dismissed you,” he continued. “Not in front of Rachel. She was all but rubbing her hands together and cackling with glee." When I made a face at the sound of her name, his eyes lit up with amusement. "But whatever half-baked plan she hatched isn't important right now."
Heat spread all over me, the epicenter his hand careening over the curve of my bottom.
"What's important right now is the fact that watching that man put his hands on you made me want to burn this building to the ground."