Chapter 3
CHAPTER THREE
KIT
I hated Euphoria from the moment I arrived.
All I’d wanted was to turn around and walk the other way, as far and fast as I could.
What was supposed to have been drinks in a bar had turned into the loud, sweaty chaos of the club, which was as far from my scene as it was possible to get.
But my friend Brendan had insisted, noisily adamant he was going to find a guy to fuck, and maybe more than one.
Instead, he’d got himself thrown out, leaving me alone in a place I didn’t want to be.
Yet now, instead of heading home like any sensible person would, I found myself sitting in the VIP area, the music and flashing lights of the dance floor muted behind glass partitions.
And across from me was Alex Cade.
I shifted uncomfortably in my seat, the smooth leather cool against the backs of my thighs, even through my jeans.
Taking another sip of my imported beer, I tried to settle the jittery tension in my chest. Perhaps the encounter with the guy who wouldn’t take no for an answer had got to me more than I realised.
Alex, by contrast, looked calm and self possessed as he leant back in his chair, on the other side of the small table that separated us.
I hadn’t missed the way the staff treated Alex.
Deferential nods, the quick glances, the way the barman who’d brought the drinks had practically tripped over himself to pour Alex’s.
Even the security guys hanging about in the shadows seemed to move in orbit around him.
The man was magnetic, and it was impossible not to feel the pull of him.
A man with power and authority, a man who was older than me, a man who was cool and in command of himself. A man who was pressing all my buttons.
Yet, now that we were out of the crush of the club, and kind of alone, I had no idea what to say. I didn’t know why, because I always saw myself as confident, yet there was something about Alex that made me feel shy.
My eyes darted from my beer bottle to Alex, then to the table when I caught myself staring.
I was too aware of all the details of the man sitting opposite me and making my mouth dry, which even the pricy beer couldn’t relieve.
The sharp cut of his obviously bespoke suit, the crisp white shirt, the perfectly knotted tie, and the faint and expensive scent of a cologne that was a mix of oranges and lemons.
Alex’s long fingers curled loosely around his glass of mineral water.
He was relaxed and confident, in charge of himself and the situation, everything I wasn’t as I sat across from him yet close enough to see the cool assessment in his green eyes.
“It must be hard work, managing a place like this.” My voice was too loud, too damn chirpy, as it broke the silence. I immediately regretted it. Why had I even said that?
Alex tilted his head slightly, as though in thought. “Yes, I imagine it is.” He took a measured sip of his water, his gaze steady. “Maybe you should ask him.”
“Sorry?” I frowned, caught off guard. Wasn’t he the manager? Sharp, composed, and radiating authority, he more than looked the part.
“I’m not the manager, I’m the owner. Or part-owner, I should say. My business partner and I have a few places.”
“Oh.” My stomach sank. I’d called the club sleazy not so long before. Perfect. My fingers tightened around my bottle, and a nervous laugh escaped me. “The owner. Or part-owner. Seems like I might have put my foot in it.”
Alex chuckled, the sound rich and warm. “Euphoria’s not everybody’s cup of tea, I suppose, if that makes you feel any better,” he said lightly. “But it has its charms. And a loyal clientele.” His gaze, both amused and teasing, rested on mine. “That said, if you think it’s sleazy…”
I winced. Places like Euphoria were nothing more than meat markets and I did my best to avoid them. Yet, Alex had not only come to my rescue just when I needed him, I’d accepted an invite to have a drink with him. I needed to pick my words carefully.
“You’re right, Euphoria isn’t my kind of place.
I find clubs too much, I suppose. Plus, I think I was just…
angry. And embarrassed. That guy earlier…
” I gestured loosely toward the dance floor, my cheeks burning.
“He wasn’t the first one who’d been trying to crawl all over me, but he was the most insistent.
” The guy had been forcing himself on me and I’d gone from pissed off to uneasy to scared, despite my show of defiance.
Alex’s expression shifted, his smile fading.
For a moment, his eyes sharpened, and I felt the weight of his attention like a physical thing.
“He won’t be bothering you again.” The quiet authority in his voice was an arm wrapping around me, strong and protective.
It sent a shiver down my spine, because it was the kind of voice that made you believe every word.
But the words weren’t just reassurance, there was something else there, too.
A threat, or maybe a promise. I wasn’t sure which.
“Right.” I cleared my throat. “I was starting to get the feeling he, uh… wasn’t going to take the hint.”
Alex nodded once, his hard gaze lingering on me for a beat too long before softening again.
The tension in the air eased, but my pulse had picked up, my skin prickling with awareness.
There was something about Alex’s intensity that was hard to shake, like he could flip between charming and dangerous without a moment’s hesitation.
“So, if this place isn’t your thing, what brought you here?”
As though on cue, my mobile bleeped and vibrated in my hip pocket. Mumbling an apology I pulled it out and opened up the text. I read it quickly and huffed.
“My friend Brendan. The one who caused a scene and got himself thrown out. The message is from one of our friends who came with us.” I held up my phone before I stuffed it into my pocket.
“The stupid sod’s on his way home in a cab, lurching from crying to cursing.
It’s been a bit of a week, to be honest.” The back of the cab wasn’t the only place where he’d been balling his eyes out or threatening to cut off his ex’s dick and stuff it up his arse, but maybe Alex didn’t need to know that.
“He got dumped by his boyfriend a few days ago. Brendan was seeing wedding bells, but his boyfriend wasn’t.
Anyway, tonight he decided he wanted to show his ex he was over him. Prove a point, you know?”
Alex’s lips quirked, his expression faintly amused. “So you’re lending him moral support?”
“That was the original idea. Apparently this was the last stop on his revenge tour,” I said, rolling my eyes. “He’s had too much of… well, everything.”
Alex raised an eyebrow. “And you stayed behind?”
“I’d meant to keep an eye on him, but I was busy trying to get away from that guy. Before I knew it, Brendan was out the door and the others were on his tail. You know the rest.”
Alex leant forward slightly, resting his elbows on the table.
The movement was subtle, but it drew my eyes to the strong line of his shoulders, the way his suit moulded itself to his body.
His voice, when he spoke, was softer now, more personal.
“It sounds like your friend is lucky to have you looking out for him.”
“Well, I try.” My eyes met Alex’s and held. The air between us seemed to shift, growing heavier, warmer. I looked away, my cheeks burning.
“I should probably get going.” I pushed up from my seat, but my movements were clumsy and I almost toppled over my chair.
Alex got to his feet, everything about him calm and unhurried. “At least let me make sure you get home safely.”
“Oh, no. You don’t need to call me a cab, or anything. That’s really not necessary. I’ll be fine.”
“I’m not offering to call you a cab.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. “I’ll have someone drive you.”
“Drive me…?” Every instinct told me to say no, but the thought of the night bus, of the drunks, creeps, and god alone knew what else, made me pause. And Alex… Alex was looking at me like he wasn’t going to take no for an answer.
“I—”
A bouncer appeared out of nowhere. “Take my guest home,” Alex said, his voice brisk and authoritative. He turned back to me, his expression softening just enough to make my chest tighten. “Goodnight, Kit. I enjoyed meeting you.”
Before I could respond Alex was gone, lost in the crowd.
The bouncer gestured for me to follow, and I let myself be led through the packed club, glancing back once over my shoulder. Alex was nowhere to be seen, and I didn’t know whether I was regretful or relieved.