Ethan
My breath almost left me completely as Demyan spun on his heels and thread his way through the crowd to quickly disappear past the doors of the grand hall leaving me standing alone in the middle of the dance floor.
I ran my fingers through my hair as I looked down to the watch on my wrist to find instead of the one song we were meant to dance to, we had been dancing for almost thirty minutes. If I could even call that dancing because it felt like a heated battle more than anything else.
A part of me felt like I should have ran after him to apologise but as I looked around the room and met the slightly curious hazel eyes of Uncle Ed, I felt my stomach turn. The more I looked around the more I noticed more members of our family look at me with what seemed to be a mix of sorrow and worry.
Some guests had even taken notice of me but most preferred to give me shy glances and soft smiles in efforts to not make me feel uncomfortable. I was quick to walk away from the dance floor and leave the ballroom as I went for one of the private garden rooms of the hotel.
It felt like the room was spinning as I unbutton my suit jacket and sat down with a frustrated groan. My hands covered my face as I repeatedly hissed 'stupid'.
Whenever Demyan and I were together it felt like it was just him and I. That for those few seconds to us that were really minutes to everyone else we forgot that anyone else existed. We could get into the most heated arguments or the most lustful embraces without caring if we were in public or not.
I had let my need for him replace my sober mind that I was ready to devour him right then and there if he let me. However my brain knew it was the wrong time and place. Not when we had clients attending, not when both our parents witnessed the low burning argument between us.
Yet it also left me so confused. Demyan's words contradicted how he reacted to me. I expected he would push me away the first hint he got that I wanted more but instead he moulded his body close to mine. I could still feel his gentle hand burning at the back of my neck. His soft luscious hair tickled the side of my face as I had leaned down to kiss the sweet skin of his cheek.
How could someone make me feel so wanted and so unwanted at the exact time?
"Ethan," Luca popped his head in the room. When his eyes caught sight of me, he walked into the room then closed the door behind him. He sat down next to me and stretched his legs out, "So are you two back together because that looked extremely steamy?"
I rolled my eyes and let out a huff, "I wouldn't be that lucky."
He let out a snort, "Trust me you two looked near to kissing, it was wild."
I shook my head as I looked down to my shoes, "Did he leave?"
"No, he just went to cool down and came back."
That gave me some relief knowing I did not upset him so much that he could not bear the sight of me. Plus it made me feel slightly better knowing Uncle Ed would not immediately take my title as CEO away if I ruined this event.
"I have a word of advice to give to you."
"Oh please tell your thirty-four year old brother what they could do better," I laced my words with sarcasm.
He nudged my head back and smiled, "In case you haven't noticed, I'm quite the ladies man therefore I know a thing or two about getting their attention. As I was saying, I think with Demyan you're coming off a bit desperate."
I let out a horrified gasp as I raised my eyebrows, "Desperate!"
"Extremely," he sighed as he leaned back in the seat, "It was so painful to watch I could cry. It was like watching an owner and their dog. You're the dog Ethan. You're just all over Demyan. You're too touchy. You need to calm that down a bit."
"Luca, you're too young to know anything about being touchy."
"But I'm the one who kissed the daughter of a lord tonight," he raised his eyebrows. "Listen to me. You need to learn how to be smooth. Make Demyan yearn for you. Make sure your words are so smooth but without laying a finger on him to get an effect. You'll see he will notice that and the more you know how to toy with your words to get his attention, he will willingly hand himself over to you."
I looked at my little brother for the first time since he had been born and thought 'he actually makes sense'. A shiver ran down my back the exact moment I thought that.
"You're a CEO of a multi billion company but you have had the same haircut since you were seven."
"You weren't born and it's a safe haircut," I laughed as I flicked the bangs over my forehead.
"I saw the pictures," he waved his hand, "You wear from the camper slash farmer shop in the mall."
"They sell very reliable clothing," I defended.
"You drive a Toyota Fortuner," he frowned.
"Great on fuel and easy to get parts for."
"My point exactly. All in all, you are terribly bland for a billionaire to be. You need to make a change, get a nice haircut, change your fashion, get a nice car that screams I'm CEO. Make yourself look more appealing and you'll thank me."
"I don't know a thing about any of these things," I shrugged. "I wouldn't know where to start."
"Good thing Stewart and I are in town for the week then," he grinned, "We are going to turn you into a new man and get your boy back."