Little Flame

CHAPTER TEN: ZANE

As soon as I uttered her full name.
Brianna tilted her head, her lips curving into a sly smile as she regarded me. "You know, I don't remember introducing myself. How exactly did you know my name, Mr. Moretti?"

My grin widened, a playful spark dancing in my eyes. I leaned in just slightly, enough to make her pulse quicken, but not so much as to feel overbearing. "Brianna Castellano," I said slowly, as though savoring her name on my tongue. "A name like that isn't easy to forget. Besides," I added, my tone lowering conspiratorially, "a man doesn't walk into a place like this without knowing the most intriguing people in the room."

She raised an eyebrow, her amusement clear. "Intriguing? That's a bold word for someone who hasn't even had a proper conversation with me yet."

I chuckled, the sound rich and disarming. "I'm good at reading people. Call it a talent."

"Or an ego," she quipped, her smile teasing.

I feigned a look of mock offense, my hand resting lightly on my chest. "Wounded, truly. But if it helps, I only use my ego for good."

Brianna laughed, shaking her head at my antics. "I'll believe that when I see it."

"Fair enough," I replied, my voice dropping slightly, my gaze holding hers like a tether. "But I've got to admit, I might have done a little homework before coming here."

Her eyes widened, the playful glint in them sharpening. "Homework? On me?"

"Of course," I said, unabashed. "When someone tells you that Brianna Castellano is going to be at the wedding, you don't show up unprepared."

"And what exactly did you learn about me in this... 'homework' of yours?" she asked, crossing her arms as if to challenge me, though her smile betrayed her interest.

"That you're intelligent, ambitious, and not the type to fall for charm," I said smoothly, my expression softening as my voice turned quieter, more sincere. "Which is why I figured I'd just try being myself instead."

For a moment, Brianna didn't know how to respond. She felt her defenses waver slightly, the walls she had so carefully constructed shifting under the weight of my gaze and words.

"Being yourself, huh?" she said finally, tilting her head. "And is this the real Zane Moretti I'm talking to right now?"

My grin returned, boyish and teasing. "Why don't you stick around and find out?"

Her laugh came easily this time, light and genuine, though the flutter in her chest refused to settle. "You're impossible, you know that?"

"I've been called worse," I replied with a wink, raising my glass to hers. "But I like to think I'm worth the trouble."

Brianna clinked her glass against mine, shaking her head but unable to keep the smile off her face. "We'll see about that, Mr. Moretti."

Author's note:

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