Chapter 5 A taste of him

Chapter Five

Elena did not notice the change immediately.

At first, it felt like nothing more than a slight discomfort - the sense of being observed a second longer than necessary, of conversation pausing when she passed. It was easy to dismiss. Houses like Lorenzo's always carried echoes. People always watched.

But this was different.

This attention followed her.

She became aware of it in fragments: the way a maid's eyes lingered before quickly lowering, the way a man in a tailored suit looked twice before remembering himself. It unsettled her, not because she disliked it, but because she did not understand it yet.

She was still learning how to exist in this world without shrinking.

That was when she heard the heels.

Measured. Confident. Unapologetic.

They crossed the marble floor behind her, slow enough to announce themselves without asking permission. Elena did not turn at once. She waited, fingers resting lightly against the back of a chair, grounding herself.

"You're quieter than I imagined," a woman's voice said.

Low. Controlled. Curious rather than kind.

Elena turned.

The woman stood a few steps away, tall and elegant in a way that suggested familiarity with rooms like this. Her black dress was cut sharply, her posture effortless. Dark hair swept back from a striking face, lips curved in a faint smile that didn't reach her eyes.

Her gaze moved over Elena without haste.

"I'm Mireya," the woman said. "You must be... the girl."

Elena felt the word land, deliberate and dismissive. She held her expression neutral.

"I have a name," she replied.

Mireya's eyebrow lifted slightly. "Do you."

It wasn't a question.

Before Elena could respond, footsteps approached from behind her - slower, heavier. She didn't need to turn to know who it was. She felt him before she saw him.

Lorenzo stopped at her side.

"Mireya," he said coolly.

The woman smiled at him fully this time. "You didn't mention she was still here."

"She isn't temporary," Lorenzo replied.

The correction was subtle, but it shifted something in the room.

Mireya glanced at Elena again, sharper now. "That's... new."

Elena noticed then how close Lorenzo stood - not touching her, not claiming her openly, but close enough that his presence pressed into her awareness. It steadied her, even as it unsettled her.

"I was just telling her," Mireya continued smoothly, "that I expected someone more... decorative."

Elena felt heat rise to her face. She opened her mouth, then stopped.

This wasn't a battle she needed to win with words.

"I don't decorate rooms," Elena said quietly. "I occupy them."

Mireya laughed, surprised despite herself. "Careful. Confidence like that attracts problems."

Lorenzo's gaze flicked to Elena - brief, assessing.

"Enough," he said. "We're late."

Mireya held his eyes a moment longer, something unspoken passing between them. Then she stepped back.

"Enjoy your evening," she said to Elena. "While it's yours."

As she walked away, Elena realized her hands were trembling slightly.

Not fear.

Adrenaline.

The gala was louder than she expected - light and movement and perfume layered thick in the air. Crystal chandeliers reflected off polished floors, conversations weaving together in a language she was still learning.

Lorenzo stayed close, but not possessively. He introduced her by name - only her first name - and watched carefully as she navigated each exchange.

She made mistakes. Paused too long before speaking. Chose the wrong moment to smile.

But she didn't retreat.

Mireya appeared again across the room, her gaze catching on Elena's and holding it. She was surrounded by admirers, laughter spilling easily from her lips - but her attention kept drifting back.

Measuring.

Elena felt it like a hand at her spine.

"I should get some air," Elena murmured to Lorenzo.

He nodded once. "Don't wander."

It wasn't a command. But it wasn't a suggestion either.

She found the hallway near the restrooms quieter, the noise of the gala muffled behind thick doors. She leaned against the wall, exhaling slowly.

"You're adapting faster than I thought."

Mireya's voice again.

Elena turned to see her approaching, heels silent on carpet now, expression sharpened by something close to irritation.

"I didn't plan to," Elena said honestly.

"That's always how it starts," Mireya replied. "You don't plan to be seen. Then suddenly you are."

Her eyes flicked briefly to the direction of the ballroom. "He notices changes."

Elena met her gaze. "So do women."

Mireya's smile faded.

"You think this ends well?" she asked quietly.

"I think," Elena said slowly, choosing her words, "that I'm done being invisible."

Something dark flashed in Mireya's eyes - jealousy, sharp and undeniable.

"You don't belong in his world," she said.

Elena didn't argue. She simply said, "Neither do you. You just learned how to survive it."

The silence stretched.

Then Mireya laughed softly, shaking her head. "Be careful, Elena. Men like him don't give things. They take."

Elena stepped past her. "So do women."

Inside the restroom, the air was cooler, the lighting softer. Elena gripped the edge of the sink, steadying herself. Her reflection looked different - cheeks flushed, eyes brighter than she recognized.

The door opened and he walked in

The restroom felt suddenly too small.

Not because of the space - but because of him.

Lorenzo stood close enough now that Elena could feel the heat of his body through the thin fabric of her dress, could sense the controlled tension in the way he held himself, as if every movement were deliberate restraint rather than hesitation.

His gaze dropped to her mouth.

"You're breathing differently," he said quietly.

She hadn't noticed. Now she couldn't stop noticing.

"I didn't come in here to be examined," she replied, though her voice betrayed her - softer than intended, unsteady at the edges.

"No," he murmured. "You came in here to steady yourself."

His hand slid to the counter beside her, caging her in without touching. The mirror reflected the closeness - her back to the sink, his body angled toward her, expression unreadable but intent.

"You provoke," he continued, low. "Then pretend you don't know the effect."

Her pulse thudded in her throat. "You told me not to disappear."

His jaw tightened slightly.

"I didn't tell you to invite chaos."

She lifted her chin. "Then stop standing so close."

For a moment, he didn't move.

Then he smiled - slow, dangerous.

"You don't mean that."

Before she could respond, his hand came to her waist. Firm. Possessive. Not exploratory - claiming space rather than skin. Her breath caught instantly, her body reacting before thought could intervene.

"Lorenzo-"

"That was your warning," he said.

His thumb pressed lightly into her hip, grounding and destabilizing at once. She felt herself lean into him despite everything she told herself not to do.

The mirror betrayed her.

She saw it - the way her lips parted, the way her shoulders softened, the way she tilted toward him as if drawn by gravity rather than choice.

He noticed too.

"Look at yourself," he said softly.

Her eyes flicked to the mirror, heart pounding. She barely recognized the woman staring back - flushed, eyes dark, standing her ground instead of folding.

"This is what happens," he murmured, "when you stop shrinking."

His other hand lifted then, slow enough to give her time to pull away.

She didn't.

His fingers brushed her jaw, tilting her face upward. The contact was light, almost reverent - but the intent behind it was anything but gentle.

"Say stop," he repeated.

She swallowed.

Didn't.

His mouth claimed hers without hesitation.

The kiss was controlled but deep, unyielding in its certainty. Not rushed - deliberate, consuming. She gasped softly against his lips, fingers instinctively gripping the fabric of his jacket as if she needed something solid to hold onto.

He kissed her like he already knew her response.

Like he had expected this.

His hand slid from her waist to her lower back, pulling her closer until there was no space left to misinterpret. The press of his body against hers sent heat spiraling low in her stomach, a sharp ache blooming where fear used to live.

She kissed him back - not timid, not unsure.

Hungry.

The realization startled them both.

He broke the kiss just long enough to breathe, forehead resting briefly against hers.

"This is reckless," he murmured.

She nodded faintly. "Yes."

His mouth returned to hers anyway.

The second kiss was slower, deeper - his thumb brushing her jaw, his other hand flattening against her back as if memorizing her shape. She felt dizzy, overwhelmed by sensation - the scent of him, the sound of her own breath, the way the world narrowed to heat and contact.

His lips moved to her jaw, then her throat, lingering just long enough to make her pulse jump.

"Elena," he said quietly against her skin, her name sounding dangerous on his tongue.

Her fingers slid beneath his open jacket, resting against his chest. Solid. Warm. Real.

The room felt charged, vibrating with everything unsaid.

His hand drifted lower - not touching where she wanted it most, but close enough to promise the possibility. She arched slightly without meaning to, breath shuddering.

He noticed.

Of course he did.

His grip tightened for half a second - then loosened.

"No," he said firmly, even as his mouth brushed her ear. "Not like this."

Her eyes fluttered open, frustration and relief tangling painfully.

"Why?" she whispered.

"Because if I don't stop now," he replied, voice low and controlled, "I won't."

He pulled back just enough to look at her properly - flushed, breathing hard, eyes bright with something that hadn't been there before.

Desire.

But also certainty.

His thumb brushed once more along her jaw - a final, intimate touch - before he stepped away.

Straightened.

Composed.

The distance between them felt louder than the kiss ever had.

She was still catching her breath when the door handle moved.

It was her..

Mireya stood there, eyes taking in the scene - the proximity, the tension, the way Elena didn't step back.

Understanding dawned, sharp and painful.

"I see," Mireya said softly.

Elena didn't move.

Neither did Lorenzo.

For a moment, the three of them existed in silence - jealousy, desire, control hanging thick in the air.

Then Mireya turned away, heels sharp once more.

Elena exhaled shakily.

Lorenzo leaned closer, his voice a whisper meant only for her.

"This," he said, "is where things become dangerous."

Her lips curved, faint but certain.

"Then don't let go."

His hand tightened briefly at her waist - not claiming, not yet - but promising.

And as they returned to the gala, Elena realized she wasn't just surviving his world anymore.

She was changing its balance.