Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven

I f you can't beat ?em, join ?em. That's the motto I've decided to adopt when it comes to Little Miss Zoe Petrov. I can't shake the girl, and believe me I've fucking tried. I've spent the last week telling myself I'd stay away from her while failing to do so at every fucking turn.

Which is why I decided to take a different approach. I can't stay away from her, and as much as I love fucking her, she's more than a late-night booty call. I need to step up my game and show her that whatever is happening between the two of us is changing direction.

When the door to her building opens, my eyes land on her. It takes her a few seconds before she stops and looks across the road, her gaze landing on where I'm leaning against my car. Pushing off the door, I close the distance, stopping right in front of her. My hand cups the back of her neck as my lips slam down onto hers. My tongue pushes past her lips. She tastes like champagne.

"Drinking on the clock?" I ask, pulling away.

"I just landed a huge client. Lucy and I were celebrating." Zoe smiles up at me.

"Congrats."

"What are you doing here?" she asks.

"We're going on a date," I tell her, gripping her hand in mine. "We can come back for your car later. Let's go."

"Wait… What do you mean a date?"

"A date. You have been on a date before, right?" I ask, then correct myself. "Actually, don't answer that. I really don't want to know about your exes."

"I've been on a date, just not with you." Zoe laughs.

"Well, we're fixing that right now."

"A date. Seriously? Why?" she asks as I open the passenger side door to my car.

"Because I like you and you like me, so we're dating. It's the natural progression of things, babe." As I round the hood, I can feel Zoe's eyes on me. I jump in and glance over at her. "What?"

"What makes you so sure that I like you?" she asks with a huge grin spread out on her face.

"Well, it was only just last night that you were screaming my name and clinging to me like a lifeline." I smirk.

"That was sex. I like sex with you, sure. But that has nothing to do with me liking you as a person."

My hand slaps on my own chest. "Are you telling me you're using me for my body and not my personality?"

"Well, I've gotten to know your body pretty well. Your personality? That's still a stranger to me." Zoe shrugs.

I start the ignition and pull out onto the street. "That's the whole point of dating, Zoe. You get to know each other."

"I guess," she says.

Reaching over the console, I pick up her hand, tangling my fingers with hers before resting our joined palms on my thigh. "What's wrong, babe?"

"Nothing," she says while biting the corner of her lower lip. I can feel her hand begin to tremble in mine.

"Don't bullshit me, Zoe. You don't have to. What's wrong?"

"I just don't think I'm dating material. Maybe we should just keep doing what we've been doing," she suggests.

"What makes you think you're not dating material?" I pivot in my seat to look at her when I pull up at a red light.

"I've tried it before. I wasn't… It's just not a good idea."

"You didn't try it with the right person," I tell her. The thought of her dating anyone else drives an irrational surge of jealousy through me.

Zoe doesn't say anything. Instead, she looks out the window. Away from me. The light turns green and I continue driving. I know she has a lot of insecurities. I'm not an idiot. I also know she's been hurt and is suffering from post-traumatic stress after whatever the fuck happened to her. I haven't asked her what that thing was. Truth is, I'm hoping that with time, she'll feel comfortable opening up to me. I can be patient. I can wait. It's not like I'm walking away from her. It seems I'm incapable of doing that.

I park the car, and Zoe finally turns her face back to me. "Where are we?"

"We're taking dancing classes." I smile at her before jumping out of the car. Her jaw is still hanging open when I reach her door and open it.

"What do you mean dancing classes?" She takes my offered hand.

"We're going to learn ballroom dancing."

"Why?"

"A couple of reasons. One, it's one of the few date ideas I could think of that lets me keep your body pressed up against mine for as long as possible. Two, it'll save us time when we eventually get hitched. My brother and his fiancée are getting married in a few days, and El has Gio practicing their first dance all over the damn house."

"That's… insane. We're not getting married. We're barely even dating, Marcel."

" Yet. We're not getting married yet, Zoe. Besides, you never know what the future holds. A lot of marriages started with a couple just like you and me dating."

"Okay, let's learn how to dance. But if I break your toes—because that's a real possibility—don't say I didn't warn you." She smiles.

I guide Zoe into the studio I booked out before we enter a room full of mirrors. Every wall reflecting an image of us at a different angle. I can't help but imagine just how good it'd be to fuck Zoe in the middle of this room. No matter where I looked, I'd be greeted by the sight of her.

"Are you using dancing as a euphemism for sex, Marcel?" Zoe asks. The twinkle in her eye tells me she's hoping I am.

"No." I laugh, but before I can say more, the door opens and the instructor walks in.

"Mr De Bellis, welcome. And this must be the beautiful Zoe. Welcome, welcome. I'm Travis, your instructor." He waves his arms theatrically.

"Thank you," I say, pulling Zoe's body next to mine while my arm wraps around her waist.

"Okay, first up, we're going to learn the foxtrot, and then we will go from there. Have either of you danced before?" Travis explains as he performs a few steps with his feet.

"No," I lie. I've taken lessons before. Knowing how to conduct one's self in proper company was a requirement that comes with my last name. We were forced to attend a lot of galas. And do you know what they do at those things? Dance.

"No, I haven't," Zoe says, her voice a lot quieter than usual.

"Never fear. We'll have you both whipping around the room with the best of them before long. Shall we begin?" Travis asks.

"Yes, thank you," I answer for us. Then I guide Zoe to stand in front of me, pick up her hand, and place it on top of my shoulder before gripping her other palm in mine.

"I thought you said you haven't done this before," she whispers.

"I've seen movies." I smirk.

Half an hour into the lesson, my feet are throbbing after being impaled by Zoe's heels multiple times, but the last thing I am is a quitter. I know she'll get the hang of it eventually. Until then, I can handle a little pain in my toes.

Then something shifts. I can instantly tell that something isn't right. Zoe's body goes stiff and cold. Her skin is so cold. I look down at her face and notice that vacant look I've seen before. This isn't Zoe. She's not here. She's trapped in whatever nightmare she's escaped.

I step back, knowing she needs space. I don't ever want to be the reason she's forced to endure one of these attacks from her past. "Zoe? It's okay," I tell her. The instructor pauses the music. I glance in his direction. "Can you give us a minute?"

Travis nods his head and disappears.

I watch as Zoe's body starts slipping to the floor and catch her right before her knees hit the hardwood. Lowering her down, I sit in front of her. "Zoe, it's okay. It's just us, babe. Me and you. No one else."

She doesn't respond. She's staring right through me. "No. Stop. Don't," she cries out, her voice soft and broken.

I have no idea what to fucking do. I need to help her, but this is so far out of my element. Fuck.

"Zoe, please look at me. You're safe here," I tell her. "No one is going to hurt you." Anyone who wants to try to touch her will have to go through me, and I'm not fucking easy to get through.

Zoe's eyes blink rapidly and I can see her coming back. It's slow, but eventually she looks at me with recognition. "Marcel? What happened?" she asks while her eyes bounce around the room. "Oh god. I didn't… I… I'm so sorry." She turns back to me. "I didn't mean to… I don't know…"

"Zoe, stop. It's fine. You're okay. We are okay." I cup her cheeks in my hands and wipe the stray tears away. "It's okay."

"I've embarrassed you. I'm sorry. You did all this. You planned all this and I couldn't do it," she says, keeping her gaze on the floor.

I tilt her face upwards. "No, you didn't embarrass me. And you did do it. We were dancing just fine, Zoe. You haven't done anything wrong."

"You're not mad?"

My brows draw down. "That I just got to dance with the hottest chick in Melbourne for half an hour? What do I have to be mad about?"

"I ruined it," she whispers. "I didn't mean to ruin it."

"You haven't ruined anything, babe. Besides, this is just the start of our date. You didn't think I would take you out and not feed you, did you?" Before she has a chance to answer me, I add, "Come on, what do you say we get out of here? I have a picnic blanket and a basket full of food with our names on it."

"A picnic?" Zoe's lips finally curl into the makings of a smile. Not quite there yet. But I'll take it.

"A picnic, in the park." I nod.

"Are you sure?"

"I don't think I've ever been more sure of anything in my life." I push to my feet and hold out a hand, pulling her up when she accepts it.

It's on the tip of my tongue to ask her what happened, to find out what triggered her. I don't though. I feel like bringing attention to her panic attack is the last thing she needs right now. So I'll do what I'm good at. I'll mask my feelings, hide the fact that I want to fucking kill whatever bastard hurt her, and I'll give her the best damn date she's ever experienced.