Falling for the Don

Chapter 5

Tabitha’s POV

The club buzzed with energy, but it felt like I was moving through water, slow and deliberate. My mind was stuck on Fabrizio—the way his presence seemed to wrap around me like a dark, inviting cloud. I couldn’t explain it, but being near him felt different, almost dangerous, and I wasn’t sure if it was a good kind of danger or something I should be running from.

I should’ve been dancing, laughing with Cat, losing myself in the music. But my focus kept slipping. My thoughts, my attention—they were all with him. The way he looked at me with those dark, unreadable eyes. The way his voice seemed to sink into my skin. It was unsettling and intoxicating all at once.

I took another sip of my drink, the cool liquid barely calming the heat that had settled low in my stomach. This wasn’t like me. I didn’t get caught up in men I barely knew. I kept things simple, controlled. But Fabrizio… He wasn’t simple, and I was quickly losing any sense of control I had.

“Are you always this confident?” I found myself asking, the question slipping out before I had a chance to stop it. I had to say something, anything, to break the thick silence between us. I couldn’t handle the weight of it any longer.

Fabrizio’s lips curled into a slow, deliberate smile, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “I’m confident when I know what I want.”

The way he said it, so sure of himself, made my heart race. There was no hesitation in his voice, no doubt. He knew exactly what he wanted, and I had a feeling I was a part of that equation. The realization made my pulse spike, a mixture of fear and anticipation swirling in my chest.

“And what is it that you want?” I asked, my voice quieter now, barely audible over the pulsing music. I wasn’t sure I wanted the answer, but at the same time, I needed to know.

He didn’t answer right away. His eyes darkened, scanning my face like he was memorizing every detail. I felt exposed, like he could see straight through me, past the carefully built walls I had spent years constructing. His gaze was intense, magnetic, pulling me in despite every instinct telling me to back away.

Then, slowly, he reached out and brushed a strand of hair behind my ear. His touch was light, but it sent a jolt of heat through my body, making it impossible to think straight.

“You,” he said softly, his voice low and rough. “But not just for tonight.”

The weight of his words sank into me, heavy and undeniable. He wasn’t looking for something casual. He wasn’t interested in a fleeting moment or a one-night connection. There was something deeper in his eyes, something that both thrilled and terrified me.

I opened my mouth to respond, but the noise of the club seemed to swell around us, jostling me from my thoughts. The crowd pressed in, the music pulsed louder, and suddenly the world felt too chaotic, too suffocating.

Fabrizio’s hand rested lightly on my lower back, steadying me as people pushed past us. His touch was firm but gentle, grounding me amidst the chaos. For a moment, I let myself lean into it, feeling the heat of his body against mine. The world around us blurred, the noise fading into the background as the tension between us thickened.

But then reality snapped back into focus. This was too much. Too fast. I needed space—needed to breathe.

“I should find Cat,” I said, taking a step back. My heart was racing, and my thoughts were a jumbled mess.

Fabrizio’s expression didn’t change, but I saw a flicker of something in his eyes—disappointment, maybe. “Don’t let me keep you from your friend.”

There was a calmness to his voice, but I could still feel the weight of his gaze on me as I turned and walked away. My skin tingled from where he had touched me, and my heart was still pounding as I made my way through the crowd.

What the hell was I doing? This wasn’t me. I didn’t get swept up in moments like that, didn’t let myself get pulled into something I couldn’t control. But Fabrizio… He was different. He made me feel different.

I spotted Cat near the dance floor, her face flushed and glowing as she danced with a group of people. She waved when she saw me, her smile wide and infectious. “Hey, you! Where’ve you been?”

I forced a smile and joined her, trying to shake off the lingering tension. “Just… talking.”

“Uh-huh.” Cat raised an eyebrow, giving me a knowing look. “Talking? Or something more?”

I laughed, though it felt shaky. “Definitely just talking.”

“Right,” she said, her eyes gleaming with mischief. “Talking, flirting, whatever. That guy is into you, Tabby. I could see it from across the room.”

I didn’t know how to respond. She wasn’t wrong. There was something between us—something electric and undeniable. But it was also terrifying, like I was standing at the edge of a cliff, ready to jump but not sure if I’d survive the fall.

As the night wore on, the crowd began to thin, but the buzz in my veins remained. I found myself standing near the bar, the music softening as the club began to wind down. Cat was still lost in conversation, and I was left alone, my mind still spinning from my encounter with Fabrizio.

I should’ve been feeling the relief that came with the end of a night, but all I could think about was him. His eyes, his touch, the way he spoke with such certainty, like he already knew what was going to happen next.

I scanned the room, hoping to see him, but there was no sign of him. A strange disappointment settled in my chest, heavier than I expected. Maybe he had left. Maybe he’d decided I wasn’t worth the trouble.

But then, out of the corner of my eye, I saw him. He was standing just beyond the dance floor, watching me with that same intense gaze. My heart skipped a beat, and I felt the pull again—the magnetic force that seemed to draw me to him despite every logical thought telling me to keep my distance.

Before I could second-guess myself, he was walking toward me, moving through the thinning crowd with an easy, confident stride. His presence filled the space between us, and by the time he reached me, it felt like the entire room had disappeared.

“I thought you might have left,” he said, his voice soft but commanding, as if his words alone were enough to keep me rooted to the spot.

I looked up, meeting his gaze, and once again, the rest of the world seemed to fade away. “I thought about it.”

“And why didn’t you?”

The question lingered between us, and I found myself struggling for an answer. I didn’t know. I didn’t know why I was still standing here, why I hadn’t left when I had the chance. All I knew was that something in me couldn’t walk away.

“I don’t know,” I admitted softly, my voice barely audible.

Fabrizio stepped closer, closing the distance between us again. His eyes searched mine, and I could feel the tension thickening between us, wrapping around me like a cord, pulling me closer to him.

“Maybe that’s because you don’t want to,” he said, his voice low and rough.

His words sent a shiver down my spine, and for a moment, I forgot how to breathe. The way he looked at me, the way his presence seemed to fill every inch of space around me—it was overwhelming. But I didn’t want it to stop.

“I think you’re right,” I whispered, and before I could think better of it, I took a step closer, closing the gap between us.