Sneak Peek
Whats life without incredible friends to join you in daring escapades? Like evading my parents and stumbling straight into Club Allure.
“This is a bad idea,” Dakota says while holding my arm tightly, probably to avoid getting lost in the crowd.
Alexa and I laugh at her statement.
“Would you stop repeating that?” asks Alexa, rolling her eyes.
Dakota frowns and gives Alexa a dirty look but doesnt say another word about it.
The two of them are very different from each other. Alexa is tall and brunette, with thick, curly hair and a heavy English accent. She is the artist, the daring and fearless one who acts first and then thinks.
Dakota is the opposite. Short with thick, black hair, slanted eyes, and a more restrained and analytical personality. As a promising medical student, her thinking is much more pragmatic.
But the two complement each other, and they complement me. We have been best friends since we were little, and I can’t imagine my life without them.
“Oh my god, Haley, this is why people can’t stop talking about this place.”
Alexa turns us in a little circle. As we step inside, an aura of opulence washes over us.
The club sprawls across three lavish stories, a testament to modern architecture. The elongated structure gleams under the ambient city lights, its exterior a blend of sleek glass and polished metal.
Inside, the deep midnight hues absorb the chaos of the city outside. Its as if weve entered a luxurious cocoon, escaping the urban hustle.
Neon lights, like ethereal dancers, weave an enchanting spectacle above our heads, casting vibrant hues that paint the space in an otherworldly glow.
This isnt just a club. Its a sensory journey through the heart of upscale New York City nightlife. Which is why my friends and I are here. Plus, this is the last place my parents will search for me.
Everyone I know has been dying to come to tonight’s event, but since my father runs NYC Empire, a direct competitor with Club Allure, I have no right to even think about setting foot in this place.
But that doesnt matter to me. Not today.
For the first time in my life, I broke the rules and snuck into Club Allure with my girlfriends so I could enjoy the party of the year.
Together, we walk down the stairs to the first floor of the club. My reflection stares back at me in the wall of mirrors next to the entrance.
Ive never been able to offer an accurate opinion of myself. Men say Im attractive, and I know that girls envy me. My long, light brown hair, the blue eyes against my peach skin, my full lips and accentuated curves.
But to me, I am nothing more than a porcelain doll. Too perfect at times and fragile. So close to breaking that it sometimes scares me.
Appearance is everything in my lifestyle. Or at least, it is everything to my parents who just want this face to get me a worthy husband. A man I dont love but to whom Im promised in an arranged marriage against my wishes.
Everything in my being wishes it could be different. But I guess that can’t be if I want to keep my relationship with my parents intact.
However, today I’m putting that aside. Today I plan to have fun and ignore the consequences, so I sneak into the only club I’m forbidden to frequent all to have a taste of freedom, hang out with my besties, and dance my ass off.
In my silver sequined dress, which leaves my legs bare and emphasizes my physique, and dark red lipstick I feel sexy and invincible.
“I cant believe were here!” I yell over the music.
Alexa bursts out laughing and grabs Dakota and I by the hands, leading us to the center of the dance floor. The best DJ in town plays a duet with the hottest singer in town, and I surrender to the music, dancing and laughing with my friends.
Its a night to remember. A night that makes me feel alive and bold, and for a moment, even in love.
“Haley, I think youve caught someones eye.”
Dakota stops in the middle of a dance to direct my gaze to the man watching me across the room.
Hes tall enough to draw attention to himself, easily standing out in the middle of the crowd, with an intense, clear-eyed gaze and fashionably cut ash-blond hair. He has a striking square jaw and is dressed in all black.
Jacket, pants, shirt, everything.
He is leaning against the wall, watching me like some kind of god, silent and captivating.
“Who is he?” I ask my friends.
“I dont know,” Dakota bursts out laughing, “but he clearly likes you.”
“I dont think hes looking at me,” I reply.
“Oh, honey, trust me, he is,” Alexa interjects, placing her arms around my shoulders. “You should go talk to him.”
She playfully pushes me in the direction of the stranger, and I look at her nervously.
“I cant just go and approach him!”
“Sure you can.” Alexa laughs again. “Honey, for once in your life be fearless and just live!”
My cheeks heat up. Im the opposite of a fearless person and my experience with flirting is nonexistent, so I dont know what Im supposed to do.
Approach him and flirt? Impossible.
So I make my way, not to the stranger but to the bar, looking for an excuse for having wandered away from my friends.
I order a drink, trying to hide my nerves.
“You shouldnt be here.”
The voice sounds very close and strangely calm. I turn and look at him—the stranger with the tattooed arms and gray eyes. How does he know?
He leans against the bar, addressing my unspoken thoughts. “I saw you sneak in.”
Immediately, my lips draw into a grimace. “I paid my cover,” I promise, but he doesnt believe me. Instead, he clicks his tongue.
“Liar,” he declares. He has a slow, slightly husky voice. Deep, capable of seducing anyone.
The bartender returns with my drink. I take a sip and turn around, ready to leave. I dont know how to flirt with a man like this, one who quickens your pulse just by looking at you.
“If youll excuse me...”
But he takes my hand and stops me as soon as I turn to leave, his fingers gentle but firm against my skin.
He twirls me again, and this time his body moves a little closer to mine. The scent of his cologne sneaks into all my senses and completely bewitches me.
“No, I dont excuse you.”
He leans in a little, reaching a long-fingered hand up to my chin. I hesitate but dont pull back.
He runs his thumb across my lower lip, using his fingertip to wipe the remnant liquor from my mouth. Then he brings his thumb to his mouth and licks it, and inside, I feel myself melt.
“Who are you?” I ask him. My voice cracking, gasping.
“Probably your doom.”
He moves a little closer to me, and this time I dont resist. One of his hands settles on the curve of my hip, the other grabs one of mine and places it on his chest.
“Shall we dance?” he asks me.
I nod awkwardly. Never has a man made me feel so confused and excited just by looking at me.
My legs falter, but they follow him to the dance floor. I mindlessly move, guided by the music, by desire, by passion.
He presses his body against mine, holding me with a delicate firmness that leaves me free to escape at any moment. But I dont want to. I dont want to run away from him.
His hands come up slowly, making me feel aroused, lost in his touch. I raise my hands above my head and play with my hair. I bite my lower lip and lift my face, eyes closed.
His forehead brushes mine. I open my eyes, and I know this man has cast a spell on me. In some mysterious way, he has managed to sneak deep, deep into my senses.
His hands are pressed firmly against my hips. Mine go up and around his neck, pulling him even closer.
His lips brush mine, just a little. A whisper against my mouth that makes me want more. My tongue makes the first move. It comes out and finds his, and a giddiness runs through me as his tongue responds to mine.
One kiss... I can settle for just one kiss... I think.
But I know its a lie.
Because when his mouth finally found mine, I understood that I wanted more—more of him. And I wont turn away until I get it, because I may never have this chance again.