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“You know him?” I ask.
“Yeah. He comes here a lot. I never caught his name, but I heard he just got back from Dubai a few weeks ago. I heard his dad sent him there for being too much of a player.”
All the good feelings I had are quickly disintegrating. “So he just jumps from woman to woman?”
“Pretty much. I’ve seen it for myself. Flirting isn’t even legal in Dubai, so his dad thought he’d straighten up if he went there.”
I laugh. Serves him right. “So, did he learn his lesson?”
“I think we’re about to find out.” She sips her drink.
I turn and see him coming our way. The closer he gets, the better looking he is. His face is clean shaven, and he’s built like an athlete. He’s looking right at me like I’m his next conquest, which is not something I’m used to.
But I don’t want any part of it. I’m too busy to date, and I’m sure not going to be some girl on a long list of women.
“Farah, you’ll have to introduce me to your friend.” He has a light Southern drawl that washes over me deliciously. Forget him and his stupid accent.
“This is my cousin, Ariana.”
He reaches out his hand. “I’m Kaison.”
I shake it, and he pulls my fingers up and kisses them in a smooth, sweeping gesture. On another guy, it might be cute, but I’m sitting here wondering how many women he’s pulled the same stunt on tonight. I pull my hand away. I will not fall for this guy.
“I’ve never seen you here before.”
“It’s her first time,” Farah explains.
“Well, I noticed you staring at me from across the room, and I thought I’d come say hi.”
My mouth drops open, and my cheeks burn. “I—I wasn’t staring.”
“You were, and I’d go so far as to say you were checking me out. I can always tell when a woman is attracted to me.” He leans closer to me, his icy blue eyes on me, and I can smell his cologne, a woodsy, crisp scent. I fight to keep my eyes from fluttering shut while I just sit and breathe him in. I can see why women fall at his feet. He’s gorgeous. “Don’t feel embarrassed,” he says. “The feeling is mutual.” His voice is husky, like our conversation is intimate and private, like we’re alone and not in a packed room.
I refuse to get sucked in by him. I don’t play these games. I sit up straight and throw my shoulders back. “You’re right. I was attracted to you, but now I’m not.” I smirk at him. “I’m not into guys who are full of themselves.” I turn to Farah. “Should we go dance?”
“You got it, girl.”
We set our drinks down, and I climb off the barstool, grabbing the hem of my dress and yanking it down to keep me decent. The motion throws me off balance, and my foot wobbles on the blasted stiletto. It’s all happening in slow motion, and I feel myself falling. I’m going to faceplant on the sticky floor and probably end up flashing the room while I’m at it.
“Look out, Ariana,” Farah calls, but she’s still on her barstool and isn’t close enough to come to the rescue. That means I’m going down.
But then a sturdy set of arms reaches out and catches me. The aroma of the woodsy cologne is back, and I sense who has me. Let me say, being in his arms is not a bad thing. He’s warm and feels like he’s cut from stone, the muscles in his arms pronounced. I could stay here for a while. But I’d never let him know that. No need to inflate his ego any more than it already is, right?
My head smashes against his chest, and his voice rumbles against my cheek when he talks. “See? You’re falling for me already.”
I snap upright and back away. I want to pick up my drink and “accidentally” spill it on him. But I can’t be too mad. He did just save me from flashing the entire room, after all.
I clear my throat and say in a cordial voice, “Thank you for catching me.”
“Well, you do seem like quite the catch. It would have been a shame to let you fall.”
I can’t help but snort at the cheesy joke, and a tiny smile fights to appear.
His face splits into a wide grin, and his eyes crinkle at the corners in a way that has my tummy jumping through hula hoops. “Look at that. She can smile. You know, you’re even prettier when you’re not angry. You sure I can’t buy you a drink?”
I may be pretty, especially after Farah working her magic, but I’m also smart, talented, and successful. More than just a beautiful face. My smirk is back. “Nice try. I’m still not interested.”
He throws his hands up in the air. “Oh, come on!”