Broken Ex-Bully by Victoria Pinder
7
Renzo
As we finished our dinner, the bride and groom took center stage. We stood to watch, but I kept imagining it was Chloe and me dancing around the ballroom. I kept my lips sealed. We were too complicated for happily ever after, but my brother and his wife made it seem easy. I hadn’t thought any of the Dawes brothers might smile like Damon was.
As the dance ended and others joined the dance floor, I rested my hand on Chloe’s back. Sparks flew. She nodded, and we headed out to dance. The music was fast, and we didn’t have a chance to talk, though the sway of her hips made me hard again. As I glanced in her eyes, though, I knew in an instant it was more than that for me. She was fucking amazing to be beside.
As the music changed, she motioned me toward the bar. We walked, my skin burning as I held her. Away from the drumming, we ordered our drinks, and as we waited, my heart thrashed. It was time to tell the truth.
I rested on the counter. “What happened earlier—”
“I don’t want to talk about it.”
I’d thought she enjoyed herself. She’d practically glowed as she climaxed. The bartender came, so we both waited till we were alone again, but I didn’t touch my drink. I shook my head. “I just want to say one thing, and then we can forget about it.”
She sighed and glanced at me. “Okay, what?”
I inhaled. “I didn’t think I had a heart. I thought I’d never feel anything for anyone.”
Her eyes narrowed, and she leaned closer. “You’re insinuating that you have feelings for me with that statement.”
Fuck.She was right. My heart began to race as I realized I was falling for her. I’d fucking almost told her the truth. “Is that so crazy for you?”
Her lips curved into a smile. “A little. Let’s just enjoy the party.”
If I let her leave my side, I’d be empty. So I took her hand and said, “Fair, but it wasn’t just sex for me. I’d like for us to see more of each other.”
She picked up her drink and tilted her head at me. “Like a date?”
My heart was full of light and brightness that I took from her natural glow. I nodded. “Sure.”
She linked arms with me so we might watch the bride and groom dancing in the company of others, but she seemed so far away. Then she said, “Tonight, the luau. And tomorrow, I was going to go see the volcanos. Want to come?”
I would do anything as long as I got to spend time with her. “Sure. We can do whatever you want.”
She put her drink down and took out her phone from her dress. Then she positioned my arm around her shoulder. “Let’s take a picture and post this on social media right now. No one we knew will believe we’re even talking to each other now.”
She set the camera for the selfie, but at the last minute, I pivoted and kissed her cheek. She snapped the photo and asked, “Why did you do that?”
Because I love you, and the world should know.
The thought hit me like I’d been beaten over the head, but I only said, “Let them see how beautiful you are and how lucky I am we’re together today.”
She laughed, and we snapped a second photo. She shared both and then stared at me. Her brown eyes were warm and inviting. I inched closer to kiss her. Somehow, I needed to show her that she wasn’t just sex for me. She was the only woman I’d ever loved. She lowered her lashes, and I was ready to kiss her, but then her phone beeped.
The moment blinked away, and she showed me the shocked-, happy-, heart-, and angry-face emojis. “We’re already getting reactions.”
I gently motioned for her to put her phone away. “Turn it off. I don’t care. Let’s find a corner to enjoy our drinks.”
She clinked glasses with me, and we walked to the side. “Sounds perfect.”
Just then, my mother stepped in my path, and I let Chloe go. “Give me a second, and I’ll be right back.” Chloe didn’t need to hear any of my mother’s opinions.
She squeezed my arm. “You have sixty seconds, or I bolt. Starting now.”
I winked at her. “Challenge accepted.”
Her face went white as I took a step back. “I didn’t mean—”
“Yes, you did,” I said and rushed to sideline whatever negative thing my mother might say. Then I would get right back to Chloe, the most vibrant, hypnotic woman I’d ever met.
