7. Chapter 5
Zoe
Brown eyes. Pierced with golden flecks.
They seem familiar. But from where?
I search my memory. In vain.
My gaze wanders over his face. Caramel-colored skin and black hair long enough that he has combed it back and tied it into a short ponytail. Black eyebrows and short stubble of the same color give him a sharp expression.
He looks like trouble, the kind you get into and you only figure it out when it's too late.
Then I realize that his warm arms are still wrapped around me.
“Careful,” he says, and his voice is husky. It reminds me of—
Don’t think about him. Not now! Eli doesn’t exist tonight.
I place my hands on the stranger’s shoulders, and when I’m sure I’ll keep my balance, I slip out of his arms. Take a step back.
“Thank you for saving me.”
Perfect lips twist into a mysterious smile, and he laughs.
The white shirt he’s wearing moves up and down as he does this. “That’s something new,” he answers.
Disregarding the crowd, he undoes his cuffs. Tattoos adorn his muscular forearms, but his hands are bare.
Not a single one of his movements escapes my notice. Only after a moment do I return my eyes to his face. Our gazes locks.
He caught me staring. And he lets me.
Don’t just stand there like a total idiot!
“Why is this something new?” I blurt out.
“Rescuing damsels in distress isn’t something I do frequently. And it’s not like anyone ever thanks me.”
“So you usually rescue handsome guys?”
Once more, a deep laugh escapes him. “Absolutely not. And you know perfectly well what I meant.”
Maybe yes, maybe no.
My body lurches forward, and a sharp gasp escapes my lips as a rough shove sends me stumbling.
A Stranger shoots a sharp glance over my shoulder, but his gaze softens as soon as he looks back. “Let’s get off the dance floor before I cause a scene.”
As I nod, he takes my hand and leads me to the edge of the dance floor. We stop there. Still holding my hand, he introduces himself, “Damien. Damien Estrada.”
A wave of heat washes over my face. I blink once, then twice. My throat is as dry as a desert.
Damien Estrada…
Those brown eyes are fixed on me. What I say is the first thing that springs to mind. “Lily. Lily Montgomery.”
I swallow hard. My throat tightens.
What the hell? Montgomery? I can’t believe I used his last name.
“Nice to meet you, Lily Montgomery. Will you share a drink?”
It’s hard to fathom that a man of his type would offer me a drink. Still, I say, “I’d love to.”
“I have a table over there.” He points behind him.
I simply nod, and he leads me to one of the empty tables.
We sit next to each other on the couch. Perhaps a foot separates us, yet I can feel his warmth radiating.
Damien raises hand, and a waitress materializes. I didn’t even know they had them here.
“What can I get you?” she chirps, taking my companion’s order. “And for you?”
“Please tell the bartender the girl in the red dress will have the same.”
“Sure. Right away.” The waitress doesn’t look up. She turns on her heel and disappears.
Rude.
“So, the bartender is familiar with your preferences?”
I shift position on the couch for a clearer view of him.
Damien’s a head taller than me. He’s also well built, as I’ve already noticed, and he smells of sandalwood and something seductive.
Out of the corner of my eye, I glance down and see tailored suit pants hugging his strong thighs, black leather shoes. All of this screams dollar signs to me.
“The bartender has great intuition,” I say. The sound volume here pales compared to the dance floor’s levels. “He knows what he’s doing. He has great instincts.”
“How can I test his instincts then?”
“I doubt you’re his type.”
A smirk plays on his lips. Glancing at me from under half-closed lids, he replies, “No problem. That works out well.”
A waitress appears again, sets our drinks down, and turns to me. “Jax sends his regards. He asked me to tell you that he’s heartbroken.”
Before I can come up with a witty response, she’s gone again.
“I believe him. About that broken heart.” Damien raises his glass in a toast and waits for me to do the same. I take a sip of the mystical drink, which tastes exactly the same as the last one. “I have to confess something to you, Lily.”
My name rolls off his tongue slowly. He savors it.
“Go ahead,” I encourage.
“I’ve seen you before.”
“Before?”
My heart skips a beat for a second before the answer appears on his lips. “I noticed you long before you stepped onto the dance floor. I’ve been watching you from this very spot.”
I let out the breath I’d been holding. “It’s this red dress, isn’t it?”
“No. It’s you…” A broad smile doesn’t leave his handsome face. His eyes twinkle with interest. “A dress is just a dress.”
“Does that line work?”
“Sometimes,” he admits. “Are you here alone?”
“Yes, and you?”
“I was with friends, but they called it a night. And I was about to leave too, when my eyes found you. Without exchanging even a few words with you, I couldn’t leave this place.”
I take the bait. Aware. “Why?”
“Undeniably, you’re the most stunning woman here. Fuck, I’d even say in this city.”
This time I’m the one laughing. He’s smooth, I have to give him that.
It could be his appearance, or perhaps that grin, but I’m prepared to overlook it. I have no intention of planning a wedding or having kids; I came here for one purpose only: to get rid of this fucking virginity. So, it’s a win-win for both of us.
I don’t expect him to court me.
“Our meeting isn’t a coincidence then. What would you have done if I hadn’t lost my balance?”
“Don’t doubt the coincidence of this meeting, but I’m grateful I saw you anyway.
The music swept you away, and I stood there on the side, completely captivated.
Every move you make… you’re beautiful and sexy.
I think you know that. Perhaps it’s precisely because you weren’t aware of my interest that you captured it so uncompromisingly. ”
Damien leans closer to me. His cheek is right next to mine, lips near my sensitive ear. That scent envelops my senses. “There existed other paths for me to reach you. It was inevitable.”
The warmth coming from him disappears as he pulls back.
He’s good. Really good. He knows what weapons to use to win a woman over, and he doesn’t hesitate to use them.
Pull yourself together, Zoe.
To do that, I grab my drink and take another sip. The sweetness mixed with alcohol slides down my throat, spreading warmth through my stomach. Or maybe it’s because of him?
“Would you like to dance?” Damien interrupts my thoughts.
It’s a good idea, so I get up without a word and head over to the dancing crowd. Not feeling him behind me, I stop and glance over my shoulder.
Damien has gotten up, but hasn’t moved an inch. There’s no doubt he has been watching my every step. There’s hunger in his eyes.
Now I’ve got him.
Moving on, I squeeze through the crowd to find a bit of open space for myself. And when I do, I close my eyes again and start dancing.
When he approaches, I know it. I feel his gaze. It’s no surprise when warm hands find my waist and slide down to my stomach.
Damien moves closer, his hard torso pressing against my back. We move as one as I wrap my arms around his neck. My fingers trace the goosebumps on his skin, and a shiver runs down my spine as his breath tickles my ear. A purr escapes his throat, satisfying to both of us.
“You’re incredible,” he whispers and plants a fleeting kiss below my ear.
“Is that so?” I tease him.
“Don’t doubt it.”
The arms wrapped around me pull me closer. We’re as close as the clothes separating us allow. Still, I feel the hardening proof of his interest against my lower back.
My eyes flutter shut, and I circle my hips. My ass brushes against him once, then twice. Damien inhales sharply and lets out a hiss.
It’s hot out here on the floor. Stuffy. Our breathing is getting faster and faster. We dance like this for the next three songs. Regardless of the music’s tempo, it’s almost like we’re living in our own little bubble.
We brush against each other, touch, caress. He brushes my cheek with his knuckles; I brush his strong thighs. I dig my nails into his neck; he growls like a wild animal. With one movement, he turns me to face him, slips one leg between mine, and I grind against it.
We’re like one hot, horny mess.
Damien is like the serpent from Eden. He’s a tempter and knows exactly what he’s doing.
“Let’s go get a drink,” I say at one point.
We’re both so turned on. Hands clasped; we step off the dance floor.
“You’re amazing,” he says, and he kisses the top of my head when I take a sip of my drink. And then a second and a third sip until he laughs. “Slow down, baby. I don’t want you to get drunk tonight.”
Then my purse vibrates. From deep inside, I pull out my phone and see a call…
Well, of course. It would be too good to be true if the universe had granted my wish to forget.
Elijah Montgomery.
The phone keeps vibrating. I have a hunch he won’t quit.
“Sorry. I have to take this,” I tell Damien and step aside.
It’s a little quieter near the club wall, but not much. To hear what he’s saying upon answering, I must place a finger in my other ear.
“Can you repeat that?” I shout.
“I asked where you are, Zoe?” Eli’s anger is as clear as day.
I don’t let it ruin my mood. “What do you want?”
“Fuck. Where are you?”
“I went out,” I reply.
“I know that. I’ve been standing at your door for fifteen minutes. Do you know what time it is?”
“Are you kidding me? I have a curfew now or something?” Good intentions aren’t enough because my mood is dropping. “I’ve been an adult for a long time. Tell me what you want, or I’m hanging up.”
Eli stays silent for a moment. “Which club are you in?”
“Oh, God, Eli, give me a break. I went out dancing. What’s it to you?”
“I’m coming to get you. We need to talk,” he says, calmer now. Over the phone, I hear a door slam and an engine start.
“Can’t this wait until tomorrow? I’ll call you.”
“You won’t,” he snorts. “I’ve been calling you for the last few days, and you’re not calling back.”
My gaze wanders to Damien. He’s sprawled out on the sofa, watching me. A small smile plays on his lips.
“Listen, I’m busy right now,” I say to Eli, and annoyance creeps into my voice. “I’ll call you tomorrow.”
Muffled curses reach my ears. Eli growls his next words. “Listen to me. We need to talk. Either you tell me which club you’re at, or I’ll fire up my laptop and in five minutes, I’ll know your exact location based on your phone. Either way, I’ll be there soon. So what’s it going to be?”
My teeth grind, and I have the urge to punch something. How dare he?!
The one and only night I want to do something for myself, and he ruins everything.
I’ll kill him the moment I see him.
Trying to suppress my anger, I finally say through my teeth, “Better make this really important, or you’re a dead man, Eli. I’m at Maximus.”
“If it weren’t… I’ll be there in ten minutes, Zozo.”
Zozo? Are we going back to this again?
Apparently, the one punch to the face he got from me after he gagged me and held me at gunpoint wasn’t enough. Is it his hidden kink?
Anyway, Eli has hung up. And ruined my plans for tonight.
Before I reach Damien, he can tell from my face that something’s wrong. The fire in his brown eyes dims.
“I’m so sorry, but we’ll have to end our evening together now. Unfortunately, something unexpected came up. I have to go,” I say to him, an apology written all over my face.
He gets up and shrugs. He wants to play it this way. “That happens sometimes. I understand. Can I have your number?”
Unlocking my phone, I hand it to him so he can enter his number. Seconds later, his phone vibrates in his pants pocket.
“I’ll call you and we’ll make plans for dinner. If, of course, you’re up for it.” The note of hope in his voice.
“I’d like that.” I grab my purse. “Thanks for tonight, and thanks for the drink.”
“It’s no big deal. The pleasure was all mine.”
Damien leans in and plants a quick kiss on my cheek. Giving him one last grin, I make my way out.
Even after stepping out into the crisp night air, his lips on my skin linger.
Eli Montgomery…
You’ll pay for this.