I shake my head laughing, and then something on the opposite catches my attention. Not something, but someone in particular. I look at a pair of grey eyes staring furiously at us. My breath hitches when I recognize the familiar face. It's Christopher. What the fuck is he doing here? I gaze at him in absolute hysteria. He is sitting at the bar counter opposite the dance floor with a vodka glass in his hand. The moment our eyes lock, everything becomes a standstill. All the hustle-bustle around seems to have vanished. It appears as if we two are the only ones present here.

For a moment I even forget that I am dancing with Peter as I stare at him. The intensity that those eyes hold makes me literally burn. He clutches the glass in his hand tightly as he watches us dance. And It suddenly feels like I forget how to swallow the saliva down my throat. My gaze then shifts down from his eyes as I take in his appearance. He is wearing a white tux with a black bow. If I say he is looking handsome, then it would be an understatement because he is looking absolutely stunning. I immediately look down and realize that my dress is totally complementing his tux. Fuck! how the heck is this possible? His dark brown hair has been pulled back, making his striking features stand out more. And for a second I question myself, is it even humanly possible to look this hot? It feels like I am unable to tear my gaze from his face.

Unwillingly with much difficulty, I divert my gaze back to Peter. Concentrate on Peter. For god's sake! You are dancing with him! I try to get my shit together. I look back to Peter as we continue to dance. After a few minutes, a man interrupts us again. He says something to Peter, which I don't hear because of the background music. Peter looks annoyed as he nods at him and then turns towards me and says.

"Sorry, Nicole. I have to go. I'll be back very quickly until then you can have a drink." He states in displeasure. I know he is not happy with getting interrupted, which I can understand. He covers up his annoyance as he holds my hand and guides me to the bar corner. I look back to the place where Christopher was sitting and I am disappointed to find it empty now. We reach there and Peter orders a drink. I look at the bartender as he takes our order and starts preparing the drink. But I still keep thinking about Christopher. Why was he here? Where did he go? As I am in my own world of thoughts, suddenly I see Christopher standing in front of us. I gasp when I see him right in front of us. He looks more hot as I take a close-up look at him.

His persona radiates sheer power as he speaks. "Hello, Peter." He says staring at me.

"Oh hey, Christopher," Peter says when he looks at him.

"Wouldn't you introduce this lovely companion of yours to me?" I am taken aback by his sudden question to Peter.

"Oh, yeah..." He gives him an awkward smile. I guess he wasn't expecting that too. "Nicole, this is Christopher, my new investor. We are working together on a new project." He introduces me to Christopher and I look at him. Peter is unaware that I know Christopher already, and I suddenly feel guilty for not telling him.

"And this is my friend, Nicole." He says to Christopher. Christopher looks at me, his gaze boring into my soul, and then he says.

"May I have the honor to have a dance with the beautiful lady?" He surprises me by extending his hand towards me. I hesitate for a minute and then look at Peter.

"Yeah... sure.." He says calmly trying to sound normal, but I know he is uncomfortable with Christopher being here. "But what about this drink?" Peter tries to give an excuse.

"I'll get her one later," Christopher says.

I look back at Christopher as he clasps my hand tightly. He guides me to the dance floor. When we reach the center, Christopher rests his hand over my waist and I shiver like a stream of electricity just bolted through my spine. I can't help but compare how different it was moments ago when I was with Peter here. I didn't feel anything like this. I hesitantly put one hand around his shoulder and the other holding his hand. And when I lift my gaze to look at him, I see him already staring at me. Those alluring grey orbs that have grown darker now. I don't know why, but somehow Christopher looks sinfully appealing tonight. I hate how calm and composed he looking right now while I am literally turning into muss by the simple graze of his fingertips. I try hard not to show him how affected I am right now. I divert my attention from his face to his chest as we slowly begin to move. Fuck! I need some distraction!

"What are you doing here?" I ask him slowly as we dance.

"Peter invited me. Didn't you hear what he said? We are working together." He shrugs.

"What are you up to, Christopher? Peter is a good guy. Please don't intend to hurt him." I instantly mutter, looking at him. As if I have suddenly sensed Peter being in danger. Of course, Christopher is a gangster and Peter's life could be at risk if he is working with him. What if Christopher is trying to trap him? Fuck! Why am I always surrounded by negative thoughts?

He frowns as he twirls me around and pulls me back, startling me. I take in his masculine scent as I hit his chest. "He isn't as nice as you think, Nicole." He states in a pissed tone.

"What do you mean?" I ask him.

"Can't you figure it out that he isn't that innocent if he is collaborating with me?" And then Christopher's words strike me. Yeah, he has a point. Why is Peter working with Christopher? Shit! Is he in the mafia or something? But I thought he was a good guy.

There is silence for a moment as both of us don't speak anything. We try to match our steps with the rhythm of the song playing in the background. And I forget about the letter. I forget about Peter and the people around us. The only person that I concentrate on is Christopher. It feels so good to be like this in his arms. After a minute Christopher breaks the silence.

"I knew that you would be here.." He says and I focus my vision back on him. Suddenly I feel responsible for not telling him about coming here.

"I wanted to..." Before I can reason it, he cuts me off.

"I know you wanted to tell me..."

"It was okay. I thought I would be able to avoid meeting you. But when I saw you in Peter's arm, I couldn't stop myself." He drawls, his voice barely being audible. And I lean forward so I can hear him properly.

"I don't know, but I can't stand seeing you with other men." He sighs and I see a shadow of sadness over his face. "You don't belong with him, Cole." He whispers. I look at him with a shocked expression, hearing what he said.

Why did he say that? I want to ask him what does that means, but I keep my mouth shut. Just for the sake of not ruining the moment.

"Thank you for the gift," I tell him, trying to dismiss the awkwardness of the situation.

"You liked it?" His eyes gleam with unfathomable joy as he says.

"Of course. It was really impressive." I smile and he chuckles nervously.

"Now you are embarrassing me. I would have got a better one, but I was in such a hurry to meet you that I bought whatever appeared to my eyes first in the store." He admits in an embarrassed tone.

I laugh with my eyes closing automatically and when I open them I see Christopher looking straight at me. His face appears dead serious and his eyes grow extremely intense as he looks at me.

"I love your laugh." He says hoarsely and I look down with the blush creeping up my neck.

"I.. am sorry, Nicole...Please forgive me for what I said." He whispers, leaning down to me. Our faces are just inches apart it's agonizingly difficult to not think about kissing him right now.

"I forgive you..." The words flow out of my mouth without my knowledge.

"What?" He widens his eyes in amazement as if he just imagined what I said.

"I forgive you, Christopher," I say with a smile, clearing his doubt. It feels like I am hypnotized by his presence. The time seems to have stopped leaving the two of us alone in this hall.

"Thank you." He breathes in relief. His eyes waver over my face as if he is searching for something, and then they linger over my lips.

"You look so beautiful." He cups my cheeks as he says. "You have no idea what you are doing to me in this dress. You are killing me, Cole." He rubs his thumb over my lower lip and I close my eyes for a brief moment. His gaze focuses on my lips and this time his eyes remain there for way too long as if he is asking me some kind of permission. I close my eyes and give my silent approval to him. And before I know, I feel his lips moving against mine. I feel goosebumps over my body as he kisses me. It's a slow kiss, nothing like the previous ones that we have shared. I smile as I realize it's the first time that Christopher has initiated the kiss. I know that there are people around us and it's not appropriate, but for now, I don't care. His tongue thrust into my mouth, making me moan. We are in public and this is not a place to make out, but I am too consumed in this kiss that I can't help. For now, I don't give a damn about what people might think. After a moment, we pull away, both panting hard.

"Please Nicole....I can't take this anymore." He begs as he presses his forehead against mine. The frustration is evident in his tone.

"What do you want, Christopher?" I ask him breathlessly, looking into his mesmerizing grey eyes. I know what he is asking for, but I want to hear it from him.

"I want you...Nicole." He mumbles sexily and I lose my mind. Fuck! I can't control myself anymore. It feels like I would explode any moment with how intense this sexual tension is between us. I take a deep breath and close my eyes and then lean forward, kissing him again, announcing my decision. When I pull back, I sense something strange. From the periphery of my eyes, I see a very agitated Peter glaring at us. Shit! What did I do? This is so fucking bad!

"Let's get out of here," Christopher says, sensing my discomfort.

"But..Peter..." I say, looking back at Peter in bewilderment who is making his way towards us through the crowd. But before he could reach us, he is blocked by a group of men.

"You don't have to worry about him. They will handle." He says pulling me to the exit.

"Peter..." I again begin in confusion.

"Peter...Peter....Peter??!!!" Christopher huffs in irritation. "Why the fuck you care about him so much?" He spats furiously.

I am taken aback by the sudden bitterness in his tone. "He invited me here, Christopher. I can't leave without informing him. It would be disrespectful." I protest as he leads me out of the building.

"You have been here for quite a long time, Nicole. It wouldn't be a bother for him if you leave now." He retorts. We are out in the parking now. "My men would inform him that you left with me."

We soon reach his car. "But Peter...I can't leave him..." I try to argue again, but before I could complete the sentence, he crashes his lips against mine. His kiss is possessive and hungry as he pins me against his car. He presses his body over mine dominantly as his tongue explores my mouth. After a second, he pulls back, leaving me in a daze.

"We are going home now. Is that clear to you?" He roars in a controlling manner and I know I have no room to fight with him.