I’d been looking forward to tonight forever. After barely leaving my desk in my final year of college, I needed this. Graduating with honors and securing a great job at a prestigious law firm were great and all, but not tons of fun. Between moving and starting work, I really needed to let loose and celebrate.
So I pulled out all the stops. I squeezed into one of my favorite dresses, a slinky number in red silk that hugged my curves like a glove, and carefully applied my makeup. In addition to my customary deep nude lip color, I swiped a smoky gray shadow over inky black eyeliner. After fluffing up my voluminous twist-out, I added a squirt of the perfume I’d gotten as a graduation gift and called the look complete.
“Damn, Olivia, you look smoking hot!” Elle exclaimed as she eyed me up and down, her mischievous smile widening. “You’re going to have to beat the guys off with a stick tonight.” I could always count on my best friend and now roommate to hype me up.
“Thanks, Elle,” I said, laughing. She was always extra and I loved her for it. “Let’s just have some fun tonight, okay?”
We splurged on getting a ride instead of battling subway steps in our stiletto heels. The flier we’d found posted in the laundry room of our new building hadn’t done the place justice. Climbing out of the car, I was glad I’d dressed up. The line of people rounded the large parking lot and everyone looked amazing.
Elle strode confidently to the front of the line. She was already deep in negotiation with the bouncer before I finished shutting the car door and rating our driver.
“Classic Elle,” I muttered to myself as I smoothed down the bottom of my dress and went to meet her. By the time I reached her, the bouncer was smiling and gestured us to head inside. Sometimes I’d kill for a fraction of Elle’s ability to finesse anyone, anywhere. It was a good thing for the world that she only used her powers for good – mostly.
I took a deep breath before entering the fancy nightclub, feeling a mix of excitement and nervousness as I stepped inside. The pulsating beat of the music engulfed us. Lights flashed, and the bass thumped, making my heart race with anticipation. Elle grabbed my hand and pulled me deeper into the crowd.
“Come on, girl! Let’s dance!” Elle shouted over the music.
“Alright, alright,” I shouted back, allowing myself to be carried away by the rhythm of the music and the energy of the crowd. We danced and swayed, joining the throng of writhing bodies on the dance floor. The beat of the drums thundered through our bones and pulses, amplified by the throbbing bass. Our hands gripped each other tightly as we moved in time with the others around us. Free and wild, like all these strangers had coalesced into a single rhythmic body.
After what could have been two minutes or two hours, Elle leaned in close so I could hear her and said, breathlessly, “I need a drink.”
I smiled and nodded. As we made our way through the sea of people, my gaze landed on a man who stood out from the rest of the crowd. He was massive, standing on the edge of the dance floor, seemingly lit with his own spotlight. His dark hair was smoothed back, revealing a strong jawline and piercing green eyes that seemed to see straight into my soul. He wore a tailored suit that hugged his broad shoulders and emphasized his muscular physique, exuding an air of raw power and confidence. Older white guys were not usually my type, but damn. I’d have to be blind to not notice this one.
Our eyes locked, and I felt a jolt of electricity run through me. The intensity of his gaze was overwhelming, and I couldn’t help but bite my bottom lip as my cheeks flushed with heat.
“Who’s that?” Elle asked, following my line of sight. “Damn, he’s hot.”
“I have no idea,” I replied, unable to tear my eyes away from him.
“Well, he certainly seems interested,” Elle teased, nudging me playfully. “Go on, talk to him.”
“Are you crazy? I wouldn’t even know what to say,” I admitted. My voice filled with trepidation at the thought of approaching someone so undeniably magnetic.
“Relax, Olivia. You look so hot tonight. Let your cleavage do the talking,” she encouraged, giving me a gentle push in his direction.
As I hesitantly took a step towards him, the man began to make his way through the crowd, his gaze never leaving mine. My heart pounded in my chest, and I could feel beads of perspiration forming on my forehead. It was as if he were a predator stalking his prey, and I was powerless to resist.
“Hey,” he said when he finally reached me, his voice deep and commanding. “Having a good time?”
“Hi. Um, yeah,” I stammered, acutely aware of how close he was standing. The scent of his cologne wafted over me, intoxicating and alluring. “I’m Olivia.”
“Nice to meet you, Olivia,” he replied, smirking slightly as if he knew the effect he had on me. “Marcus. You look beautiful.”
“Thank you,” I managed to say, feeling flustered by his compliment. “You look… amazing, too.”
“Let’s dance,” he said, extending his hand towards me.
“Sure,” I breathed out, not that he’d actually asked. The moment our skin touched, another jolt of electricity pulsed between us. We slipped back into the crush of bodies on the dance floor, but now it felt empty, like Marcus was the only other person in the room.
“Olivia, you’re trembling,” Marcus whispered, his hot breath on my neck making me shiver. The intensity of his gaze was intoxicating.
“Am I?” I managed to choke out, biting my bottom lip as I tried to regain some semblance of control. Our bodies pressed together, and I struggled not to melt into him completely.
“Are you afraid?” he asked, a hint of amusement in his voice.
“Should I be?” I countered, trying to sound bold despite the way my heart raced in my chest.
“Only if you let yourself be,” he replied, his fingers tracing light circles on my hip, sending jolts of electricity up my spine.
As we moved together on the dance floor, the music pulsed around us, creating a rhythmic cocoon that made it feel like we were the only two people in the world. The way Marcus held me – firmly, possessively – made my knees weaken, and I knew I was in way over my head.
“Come on, Olivia. Let go,” he coaxed, his lips brushing against my earlobe. “Give in to the desire.”
“Wouldn’t that make things too easy for you?” I teased, though his words stirred something reckless within me.
“Maybe, but I can promise you’d enjoy it.”
With that, he spun me around to face him, our eyes locking as we danced closer than ever before. It was sensual and erotic and raw, overwhelming me with both fear and excitement.
“Marcus,” I gasped, unable to form any coherent thoughts as his hands roamed my body, lighting fires wherever they touched.
“Say my name again,” he urged, his eyes darkening with lust.
“Marcus,” I moaned, losing myself in the heat of the moment.
As the night wore on, I found myself hooked, unable to tear myself away from him. Marcus had become an addiction that I couldn’t shake, and I reveled in the sense of recklessness and thrill that came with it. The consequences seemed distant and unimportant as I danced with fire, unable to stop myself from getting burned.
My hands clung to Marcus’s shoulders as we danced. His thick thigh nestled between my legs, the softness of his pants against my damp heat. Every muscle in his body flexed smoothly, firm against my skin. One of his hands rested just above my ass, gripping and teasing at the hem of my dress.
He pulled me in closer, my breasts pressed tight against his chest. My nipples were achingly hard and I swore I could feel his heart beating in my own body.
“Tell me something, Olivia,” Marcus said, his voice low and seductive. “Are you ready for what comes next?”
“Am I?” I whispered, a mix of fear and desire coursing through my veins. My mind raced with thoughts of what he meant, what he might want. Things I’d never done, probably never even imagined.
“Only one way to find out,” he murmured, pulling me closer still.
As we continued to dance, I couldn’t ignore the nagging feeling that Marcus was trouble, but I also couldn’t shake the desire that he stirred within me. I was drawn to him like a moth to a flame, and though some part of my brain remained logical, I knew that no feeling this powerful could ever be safe.
This was not me. I’d had exactly one partner in my life before – a sweet, nerdy guy who wouldn’t even kiss me with the lights on. This wild, sexy girl basically dry-humping a stranger in a nightclub was someone I didn’t recognize.
As we kept dancing, thoughts occasionally pierced the haze of attraction filling my mind. I was spending way too much time with him. I was ignoring Elle. I was… consumed with Marcus. But nothing could drag me out of the bubble of heat we existed in, and I didn’t want it to.
“Olivia,” Marcus said, his voice vibrating through my entire body, settling in my core, turning me into a pool of liquid desire. “Stay with me tonight.”
“Oh.” My voice trembled with the force of my desire, but the final shred of my natural wariness broke through. “I don’t know if that’s a good idea.”
“Come on, Liv,” he urged, his voice laced with a mix of impatience and hunger. “Can’t you feel how right this is?”
With every fiber of my being, I ached to succumb to the irresistible pull of his dark charisma. But some part of my brain clung stubbornly to logic, reminding me that no feeling this powerful could ever be safe.
“Marcus, I—” I stammered, struggling to articulate my conflicting emotions. I bit my bottom lip nervously, trying to decide what to do next.
“Olivia, just give in,” he insisted, his tone softening. “Trust what you’re feeling right now.”
“Feeling?” I whispered, my thoughts racing. “All I feel is fear and desire and… and confusion. I don’t know what’s right or wrong anymore.”
“Who cares? Right and wrong mean nothing. All that matters is pleasure. And I can promise plenty of that. I’ll make you forget everything except how it feels for us to touch each other. Be mine, if only for tonight.”
I wasn’t sure what exactly, but something in his words snapped me back to reality. The offer, the limit, the tone, I had no idea. But the spell was broken, at least for a moment. “Marcus,” I began, my voice heavy with the weight of my decision. “I can’t.”
“Can’t what?” He asked, his playful expression turning serious. His hand on my hip gripped tighter, almost desperately.
“Can’t do this,” I replied, my voice barely audible above the pounding music as I stepped back. “I’m sorry.”
“Olivia, don’t—” he started to say, but I turned away from him, my heart pounding with fear that I’d change my mind if I looked at him for another second.
I left the club without noticing anything or anyone around me. There was one single thought – that I had to get away. I was dimly aware of Elle next to me as we went outside. She held me up as I almost lost my footing, stepping off the curb into the parking lot.
“Olivia, are you okay? What happened?”
I shook my head. “I don’t know. Nothing… everything.”