After I Fall (Immortal Billionaires #1) - Melissa Sercia Page 0,13

at least one shot of blood in me before I unraveled.

He looked me over, his gaze settling on the throbbing vein in my neck and nodded in understanding. “Get your shit right, Ozi. I’ll find you later.”

I pushed past him and practically sprinted into the kitchen. I kept an emergency stash in the walk-in pantry and quickened my pace to get to it. My body was trembling and I couldn’t get in there fast enough. I quickly shut the door behind me and punched the code into the safe where I had hid the blood bags. I ripped into one and sucked every bit out as fast as I could. Slumping back against the wall, relief spread into my veins. My heart rate surged and then slowed back down to a normal pace. It was the blood that kept it beating. My liquid pacemaker.

Fuck me, that was close.

I wiped the sweat off my brow with a kitchen rag, straightened my collar, and went back out into the party.

“Ozi,” Enzo called for me. He squeezed my elbow and guided me toward the bar. “Remember, play nice.”

I was still out of sorts but my head was starting to clear. The crisp night air cooled the sweat on the back of my neck and it felt amazing. Everything was always heightened. The slightest breeze could feel like tiny fingertips stroking my face. It was as if the wind were seducing me.

As we approached the brunette, her scent nearly stopped me in my tracks. It was jarring. I could hear her heart race as Enzo spoke to her. She hesitated, then turned toward me, and it took everything in my power not to pounce.

“Raven Monroe, I’d like you to meet your new boss, the esteemed owner of Dolce Sale. I present to you, Ozi Fabiano.”

I whipped around with my hand out ready to shake and lost my breath. It was him. The man I’d been ogling all night. Our eyes met and it was as if the whole room blurred around me. We stared at each other without speaking. My heart raced like a speeding train, threatening to crash and burn into a million pieces. It wasn’t until Enzo dramatically cleared his throat that I was able to snap back into reality.

Ozi took my hand, but instead of shaking it, he brought it to his lips and placed the softest kiss on my skin that I had ever felt. Every nerve in my body tingled. A slight, almost unnoticeable quiver of warm breath brushed over my knuckles. “It’s a pleasure, signorina. Welcome to the family.” His voice, heavily soaked in his Italian accent, was deep and rich and melodic. And it vibrated through me like the violins.

“Thank you for this opportunity,” was all I could muster. I sounded like a robot but I was on the verge of passing out. His presence was dizzying. Intoxicating. A sense of guilt washed over me. I had been lusting after him all night, but he was my boss. Off limits and a very bad idea for multiple reasons. I needed this job and I couldn’t risk anything screwing it up. I also had no intention of letting my guard down around a man anytime soon. Even one that looked like him.

“I was just telling Ozi how you interned at his vineyard years ago. No one else at Dolce Sale has even visited. Raven, tell us what you learned there.” Enzo was trying to steer the conversation into a more professional direction and I was grateful.

My mouth was so dry, I wished I could have grabbed one of the flutes of sparkling wine that whizzed by me. “It…It was one of the best times of my life. I stayed in the guest house and got to wake up in the middle of a vineyard in Tuscany every day. I picked olives and learned how to make cheese. Sometimes I wish I were still back there.” I felt like I had said too much but it was true. My time on Ozi’s vineyard was the last time I remembered being truly happy.

“I’m surprised we never crossed paths. I must have just missed you. I tend to spend my winters there. I find the New York winters a bit depressing. I’d love to hear more about it sometime.” Ozi didn’t blink or take his eyes off of me. He was one of the most present people I’d ever spoken to. Most people were often distracted or thinking about what they