Falling for the Don

Chapter 2

Tabitha’s POV

I tried to push him out of my mind, but it was harder than I expected. The way his dark eyes had lingered on mine—just for a moment—felt like an imprint I couldn’t shake. It was ridiculous, really. He was just a stranger who happened to glance at me. It didn’t mean anything.

But it felt like it did.

By the time Cat and I were heading out for the night, her excitement had infected me enough that I was ready to let go for a few hours. I needed to stop overthinking and just enjoy the evening. As much as I liked my routines and control, a part of me craved the distraction.

“You’re finally loosening up, aren’t you?” Cat teased, flashing me a grin as we parked near the club. “A night out is just what you need.”

“I’m not that uptight,” I laughed, nudging her playfully. “But maybe you’re right. I could use the break.”

We made our way toward the club, the air around us buzzing with the energy of the city at night. I tried to focus on the present—the thrum of excitement that usually came before a night out with my best friend—but my thoughts kept drifting back to the man I’d seen at the bank. It was frustrating how easily he slipped into my mind, like a shadow that refused to leave.

“Don’t look now, but the bouncer’s checking you out,” Cat whispered as we approached the door, her voice full of mischief.

I rolled my eyes but couldn’t help the smile that tugged at my lips. “He’s probably just making sure we’re old enough.”

She laughed, waving to him as we passed through the entrance. Inside, the music was loud, pulsing through the floor in time with the flashing lights. People packed the dance floor, and the bar was already swarmed with a crowd of people ordering drinks. It was exactly the kind of scene Cat loved—a place full of life and energy.

But even as I let her drag me toward the dance floor, something tugged at the back of my mind. A strange sense of anticipation, like I was waiting for something to happen, even though I didn’t know what.

We danced for a while, Cat twirling me around with her usual carefree enthusiasm, but I couldn’t fully let myself get lost in the music. There was a strange feeling in the air, like a current running just beneath the surface. It was the same feeling I’d had earlier, at the bank, when I’d caught sight of him.

And then I saw him again.

He was standing at the far end of the bar, casually leaning against it, but his eyes were scanning the room. The suit was gone, replaced by something more casual, but he still stood out—confident, self-assured, like he owned the space around him. I couldn’t tear my eyes away.

Cat noticed almost immediately. She followed my gaze, her eyes widening in recognition. “Oh my God, is that him? The guy from the bank?”

I nodded, my throat suddenly dry. What were the chances? It felt like the universe was pulling some kind of trick, throwing him into my path twice in one day.

“Well, what are you waiting for? Go talk to him!” Cat nudged me toward the bar, but my feet were glued to the floor. I couldn’t just walk up to him. What would I even say?

Before I could decide, he looked over—his gaze locking onto mine with the same intensity as before. My heart stuttered in my chest, my pulse quickening. There it was again, that feeling like the rest of the room had faded away, leaving just the two of us.

He didn’t smile. He didn’t move. But his eyes held mine, and for a second, it felt like a challenge. Like he was daring me to look away.

I didn’t.

He pushed away from the bar, walking toward me with the kind of deliberate, unhurried confidence that made it clear he was in control of the moment. By the time he reached me, I could barely breathe.

“I didn’t expect to see you here,” he said, his voice low and smooth, with the faintest hint of an accent. It wasn’t a question, more like a statement, as if he already knew how this evening would play out.

I swallowed, suddenly hyper-aware of how close he was standing. “I… didn’t expect to see you either.”

His eyes flicked down to my drink before meeting mine again. “Do you want another?”

I blinked, caught off guard by the simplicity of the offer. “Um… sure.”

He gestured toward the bar, and I followed him, trying to steady my racing thoughts. This was ridiculous. I didn’t know him. He didn’t know me. But there was something about the way he looked at me, like he was already a step ahead, that made it impossible to pull away.

When we reached the bar, he ordered for us without asking what I wanted, but somehow, it didn’t feel presumptuous. It felt like he knew what I needed before I did. We stood in silence for a moment, the weight of his presence making the air feel heavy, charged.

“So,” he said, finally breaking the silence. “I don’t even know your name.”

“Tabitha,” I said, my voice softer than I intended.

“Tabitha,” he repeated, his eyes darkening slightly as he said it, like he was tasting the word. “I’m Fabrizio.”

The name sent a shiver down my spine, and I couldn’t explain why. It fit him somehow—dangerous, yet elegant. He was a mystery, and something in me wanted to figure him out.

We talked for a while—about nothing in particular. He asked me a few questions about my day, but his answers to mine were vague, like he was deliberately avoiding telling me too much about himself. Still, there was an ease between us, a strange sense of connection that felt out of place in the loud, chaotic environment of the club.

But beneath the surface, I could sense something else. A darkness, a danger that lurked behind his calm exterior. I didn’t know what it was, but I could feel it there, like a storm waiting to break.

As the night went on, I found myself drawn to him in a way I couldn’t explain. There was something magnetic about him, something that made it impossible to look away. But as much as I was intrigued by him, I couldn’t shake the feeling that getting too close to Fabrizio would change everything.