Continued...
His eyes were on me, so was many others' however, it still felt like I was being under scrutiny by a force unknown. It was beginning to be uncomfortable.
Leo strode forward, closing the space between us in seconds, his grin widening as he lowered the mic.
"Hi, pretty woman."
Before I could react, he wrapped his arms around me in an easy, familiar hug.
I froze for half a second, caught off guard, before forcing my limbs to move and returning the gesture.
Because, let's be honest, if I just stood there stiffly like a weirdo, that would have been way more awkward.
His warmth, the scent of his cologne lingered in the air between us. It was brief, over in an instant, but when we pulled back, he was still looking at me with that same amused expression.
I forced out a casual, "Hello there, anchorman."
He threw his head back and laughed, his whole body shaking with it, before shaking the mic in his hand playfully. "Oh, this? One of my many hidden talents."
He smirked, tilting his head. His eyes taking a serious note though, "Stick around, and you just might discover a few more."
I rolled my eyes, but I couldn't help the small smile pulling at my lips.
"You look stunning, by the way, Ms. Gabrielle." His voice dropped just a fraction, laced with something that made my stomach flip.
Okay… maybe this party wasn't going to be completely terrible.
Aaaaand I sound like a horny teenager. God, at this point it seems like I am the one who needs to get laid.
I smiled, "You know how to clean up nicely too, Mr. Cruise."
"Why, thank you! That would be my… uh…" he pretended to be deep in thought, tapping his chin, "…tenth compliment of the night. And from a beautiful lady, no less."
"Oh, please! I like to believe everybody here has better eyesight than I do."
"Ouch! That hit home." He placed a dramatic hand over his heart as if physically wounded.
I shook my head, chuckling slightly.
Leo had a way of making conversation light and easy, but no matter how hard I tried to focus on his words, I couldn't shake off the creeping unease gnawing at me.
It had been lingering in the pit of my stomach ever since I stepped into this house, and now it was only intensifying.
Why did it feel like something was off?
I was still lost in my thoughts when I felt a gentle but firm touch on my hand.
My gaze snapped down to where Leo's fingers wrapped lightly around mine, his grip warm and reassuring.
I looked up to find him smiling at me, his eyes twinkling with something unreadable.
"The music is too loud out here. Want to go up to the balcony? It's quieter there, and the view is way better."
Uh, wait! Is this the part where we talk under the moonlight, with thousands of stars twinkling above us, for hours and hours, holding hands, before ending the night with a sweet, swoon-worthy kiss?
Or… is this the part where he takes me upstairs, tries to kiss and touch me inappropriately, and I have to knee him where it hurts before storming out dramatically?