Eliana's POV
One second, I was listening to Juliette rant about Alex—again—and the next, my stomach flipped with excitement.
Asa.
He had just entered the club with two huge guys by his side. I didn't show it but I screamed with joy inside my mind.
"Eliana?" Sophia's voice sliced through my trance. "You look like you've seen a ghost."
I swallowed hard, setting my drink down, trying to hide the face that I had just seen Asa.
"Not a ghost." I said. My voice was too breathy, too shaky, and it gave me away.
"Oh my God. It's him, isn't it?" Juliette said with wide eyes as she followed my gaze.
"Well, well. The mysterious stranger returns." Sophia smirked, leaning back in her seat.
"I'm going to say hi." I said quickly, before they could tease me further, I pushing to my feet.
"Go," Juliette whispered, almost giddy.
"Don't do anything we wouldn't do," Sophia added, laughing as she raised her glass.
I rolled my eyes, but the blush crawling up my neck gave me away. My legs carried me forward before I could think too hard. Every step closer made the air feel heavier and my stomach tighter. He noticed me halfway across the room, and I swear, the smirk that curved his lips knocked the breath clean out of me.
"Eliana," he said when I reached him, his voice curling around my name like it belonged to him.
"Asa." I said, caught somewhere between nervous and relieved. "Hi."
"Come. Walk with me," he murmured, inclining his head toward a quieter corner of the club.
I nodded, falling into step beside him. When we reached a shadowed alcove away from the main crowd, he turned to face me fully.
"You look…" He paused, his eyes dragging over me in a slow sweep. "Beautiful."
"Thank you." I said, almost turning red with blush. "You… look like you just stepped out of a boardroom." Registering the manner he was dressed in.
"Business doesn't stop." He said, as he laughed richly.
"I tried calling you."
I said, bitting my lip, nerves spilling over into words
"You did?" He asked with a frown.
"Yes." I shifted my weight, embarrassed. "More than once. But you never answered."
He pulled his phone from his pocket, unlocked it, and scrolled through his call history. His frown deepened, confusion flickering across his face.
"There's not a single missed call."
"But I dialed the number on your card." I said with a blink.
He paused momentarily and thought for a bit.
"Damn it. Let me see."
I pulled the card from my purse and handed it over. He took it, glanced at the number, and groaned.
"I can't believe this," he muttered. "That's an old line. I must've had the wrong card in my pocket that night."
"You mean… you weren't ignoring me?" My lips parted, disbelief mingling with relief.
"Ignore you? Eliana, I was waiting for your call."
The sincerity in his tone made my heart jump. For days I'd been convincing myself I was forgettable, just a fling to him. But now, standing here, hearing that he had been waiting…
"So all this time, I thought you didn't want to hear from me." I said as a laugh bubbled out of me.
"And I thought you decided to forget me."
We both laughed then, the tension between us breaking just enough for warmth to slip in. Still, my cheeks burned, and I knew I was blushing like a schoolgirl.
"I can't believe this," I murmured, shaking my head.
"Believe it." He said as he pulled out another card out of his pocket. It was sleeker, with a bold emboss of his name and a number beneath. He placed it in my hand, while holding it for a moment longer.
"This one works."
I curled the card into my palm, holding it like it was more valuable than gold.
"So," he said at last, "tell me what you've been doing this past week. Besides trying to call me on a dead line."
"Work." I exhaled, smiling despite myself. "Friends. The usual. Nothing as interesting as…" I trailed off, realizing I had no idea what he did. Not really. He was a mystery wrapped in tailored suits and quiet power. "What about you?"
"Business," he said simply, "Nothing that matters more than this."
I watched his lips move as he was speaking and that blush came back suddenly in full force the moment I thought about how last experience together. I tried to hide it by tucking a strand of hair behind my ear, but he already caught me.
"You're blushing," he teased.
"I am not."
"Yes, You are."
"This is unfair. You make it too easy to embarrass me." I groaned, covering my face with my hand.
"I like it." He chuckled, gently tugging my hand away.
"You… like it?"
"Yes," he said. "I like seeing how you react to me. You don't hide it. Most people do. But you…" His thumb brushed over my knuckles, almost absentmindedly. "You're honest. With your words. With your face. With your body."
The memory of that night hit me again and it was as if a wave of heat flashed through me. I glanced away, trying to steady myself, but he caught my chin lightly and guided me back to his gaze.
"I've thought about you," he confessed.
"You have?"
"Every day." His mouth twitched into a faint smirk. "You left an impression."
"Good impression or bad?" I said, laughing nervously.
"Very good." He said with a smirk.
The air between us felt so sweet I could almost taste it as I kept thinking about how we had had sex in his car the last time we were together before heading to my place for round two, and I shifted nervously trying to tame myself and blurted the first thing that came to mind.
"So…" I said, clearing my throat, "Business, huh? What kind of business?"
Asa paused for a moment before he spoke. It was like he was considering how much to reveal.
"Family business." He finally said. "Imports. Exports. Complicated things you don't want to hear about in a club."
"That vague, huh?" I said raising an eye brow slightly.
"Would you prefer I bore you with numbers?" He asked teasingly.
"No," I admitted. "I'd rather just… talk. Like this."
"So would I." He said with a soft expression.
We leaned in closer and spoke a little while and it felt like the rest of the world faded around us. I told him about Sophia and Juliette, telling him some funny experiences we three have all had together. He chuckled all through, shaking his head, telling me I had good friends.
And the whole time, I couldn't stop blushing. Every time his hand brushed mine, every time his eyes stayed on mine, every time his smile cracked that cool, composed exterior, I melted a little like cheese on a hot grill.
Then Sophia finally caught my eye from across the room, wiggling her brows in silent question. I smiled and shook my head, knowing she was about to do something mischievous.