Always you

Chapter 3

Sasha adjusted the strap of her dress as she moved through the crowded garden. The place was exactly as she remembered—soft, golden lighting, champagne-colored drapes hanging from the ceiling, and the faint hum of live jazz weaving through the laughter and clinking glasses. She hadn't been back in this city for years, and yet the party looked as though it had been frozen in time. The same glittering chandeliers, the same elegance, the same scent of expensive perfumes mingling in the air.

"Looking for someone?" a deep voice murmured behind her.

Sasha turned around to find Rafe standing there, holding a champagne flute. His blue polo clung to his body, tailored for him perfectly, and a small smile played at the corner of his lips. His eyes, intense and dark, seemed to study her like he was trying to solve a puzzle. Here he was again, as though he'd been waiting for the right moment to reappear.

"Actually, I might be," Sasha replied, matching his smile with one of her own. "But you keep appearing and disappearing so quickly, I can't keep up."

Rafe let out a low laugh. "I have a habit of slipping away just before things get interesting."

"Is that what happened earlier?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. "I was starting to think you were just avoiding me."

"Not at all. I simply didn't want to interrupt your walk down memory lane with Alex. You seemed busy." He took a sip of his champagne, watching her over the rim of the glass.

"Ah, so considerate of you." Sasha tilted her head, her eyes sparkling. "Although, for a moment, I thought maybe you'd seen enough and decided to escape."

"Oh, I wouldn't dream of it," Rafe said, his voice softening. "Besides, Alex has told me a lot about you over the years. He's mentioned his dear friend Sasha more times than I could count. Naturally, I was intrigued."

Sasha felt a strange flutter in her chest. "Intrigued, hmm?" she teased. "That's a dangerous word."

He leaned in slightly, a mischievous glint in his eye. "Is it?"

She shrugged. "I suppose it depends on the intention behind it."

Rafe held her gaze for a moment, a hint of a smile on his lips. "I'd say my intentions are relatively harmless," he said, though his tone suggested otherwise. "For now."

Sasha laughed, feeling a warmth spreading through her. "Well, it's good to know I don't need to keep an eye out for you disappearing again. I might get whiplash trying to find you in this crowd."

"Consider me here to stay, at least for the rest of the evening," Rafe replied, stepping a little closer. He was close enough now that she could smell his cologne, something rich and subtly intoxicating.

She took a sip from her champagne flute, studying him. "So, Rafe. How did you end up as friends with Alex? I can't imagine he's an easy person to get close to."

Rafe chuckled, glancing briefly at the crowd before returning his gaze to her. "You're not wrong there. He's selective, to say the least. But we met a few years back, by chance. We started talking, and I think he realized I wasn't all that bad."

"He must trust you if he talks about me to you," Sasha mused. "I don't think he usually shares personal stories."

"Not unless he thinks they're worth sharing." Rafe's smile grew, his eyes never leaving hers. "And you, Sasha, are apparently worth quite a lot of stories."

"Oh, really?" She lifted her chin, amused. "I wonder what he's told you. Something embarrassing, I hope?"

"Not in the slightest," Rafe said, his gaze softening. "Actually, the way he talks about you, it's... well, let's say he admires you a great deal. If I didn't know better, I'd think he was half in love with you."