Chapter One Eliott #2
In practice? Not so much.
Turns out, the girl with the long braids is in a relationship and they’re looking for a third. Her partner is as just as attractive as she is, but the one threesome I had a year or two ago didn’t do anything for me and it’s not an experience I’m particularly eager to revisit anytime soon.
Green Eyes is inexplicably already far too drunk by the time we reach him, despite the event only starting an hour or so ago.
The other guy Sasha spotted checking me out seems promising at first, but he keeps calling me Ellie – a nickname I’ve always loathed – even after I ask him to stop, and any thoughts of heading home with him dry up relatively fast.
We can’t find the guy with locs she spotted when we first came in, but we do see a few mutual friends about two hours in and agree to momentarily drop the plan for a while to just enjoy the night and dance with them.
It’s fun for a while, but then Wes takes the music into an upbeat dancehall segment and the dance floor is suddenly filled with sweaty bodies gyrating against each other.
I don’t mind dancehall, but I’m more of a reggae girl myself.
Sasha, however, loves dancehall. She’s standing directly in front of the decks, putting on a show for Wes like they’re all alone and not in a packed warehouse somewhere in East London.
I consider asking her to come with me, but she looks like she’s having a good time (and Wes is definitely enjoying the show), so I leave her to it and step outside to get some air.
The small outdoor space is mostly empty aside from a few smokers in the corner and a tall guy leaning against the nearest wall. He’s standing directly below a light, and the warm amber glow illuminates him against the night sky.
And fuck me . He’s hot.
Warm brown skin, a defined jaw covered in just a little more than stubble, thick brows, full lips, and chin-length locs pulled into a messy bun with a few strands falling in front of his face.
I wonder if he’s the guy Sasha caught checking me out earlier. I hope so.
He pays me no attention, his undivided gaze on the phone in his hands, as I inch further into the space. He’s wearing a shirt with the first few buttons popped open and I get a glorious glimpse of a well-defined chest.
Sasha’s not here, but Mission: Big O is officially back in action.
I casually lean against the wall, leaving enough space between us that it’s not awkward, but also not so much that he can’t ignore my presence. His thumbs stall against his phone, and I feel a little thrill shoot through me as his gaze slides in my direction.
I pretend to look through my purse, giving him a moment to unabashedly look me up and down. He must like what he sees, because he stuffs his phone into his pocket and clears his throat.
I glance up at him and raise a brow, like I’m not sure why he’s bothering me.
He grins and, wow . It’s a very nice smile. Slightly lopsided, but warm and friendly. The kind of smile that makes you want to smile right back. I don’t, though. I keep my expression a careful balance between wary and intrigued, not wanting to play my cards too early.
His grin only widens as he shifts slightly to face me. ‘You know… I was hoping to bump into you.’
I bite the inside of my cheek to stop a pleased smirk from spreading across my face. He was the guy Sasha saw. ‘Do we know each other?’ I ask, cocking my head to the side.
‘Not yet.’ He takes a bold step towards me, closing the tactical gap I’d left between us. ‘But we can fix that pretty quickly.’
He’s hot, and he’s smooth. I give him two ticks on my mental checklist.
‘I’m Dane.’ He sticks out a hand.
I pretend to hesitate for a second and then reach out and grab it. ‘Eliott.’ I linger for a beat too long, letting my fingers trail slowly along his palm as I pull back. ‘It’s nice to meet you.’
‘Likewise.’ His grin widens even more, showing off a dimple on his left cheek.
‘You’re not into dancing?’ He nods over his shoulder, back to the still heaving dance floor.
Sasha’s nowhere in sight and, since she hasn’t messaged me, I can only assume that means she’s gone behind the DJ deck with Wes.
I shrug. ‘Just waiting for the right song.’
He shoots me a curious look. ‘And what song would that be?’
‘Something a little slower than this. What about you?’ I ask. ‘How come you’re out here all alone?’
‘I was actually just about to head out. I only came as a favour to a friend – he’s the promoter for tonight – but I’m not a big dancer, so this isn’t really my scene.’ He looks me up and down again, and then his grin morphs into a small smirk. ‘Glad I stayed, though.’
‘Oh, really?’ I ask, feigning confusion. ‘Why’s that?’
He chuckles, like he can absolutely see right through me, but is more than happy to play along. Another tick . ‘Just met a gorgeous girl, and I’d like to see where things go.’
I pretend to giggle and duck my head to disguise my eye-roll.
Dane speaks with the well-practised charm of someone who has said that exact same line about a hundred times before.
There’s no hesitation in anything he says.
No fear of backlash or rejection. It’s like he’s got it down to a science and he knows exactly what he needs to say and when to have me fawning over him.
He’s got player written all over him. Not exactly my usual type personality-wise, but his confident gaze sends a shiver down my spine.
The music blaring inside morphs into something slower. I don’t recognise the song, but I catch Dane’s eye and give him my own well-practised, sultry smile. Dane isn’t the only one who knows what he’s doing. ‘Come on. I love this song.’
He doesn’t protest, just threads his fingers through mine and lets me drag him back onto the dance floor. I quite like that. How he’s happy to defer to me and let me lead, although it’s clear that he’s usually the one in charge.
Another tick for Dane.
I pull him to a stop in the middle of the dance floor and press my back up against his chest. He’s tall enough that he has to crouch slightly so I can wine my waist against his, but he doesn’t complain. Instead, he brings his hands down to my waist and pulls me flush against him.
He wasn’t lying when he said he wasn’t much of a dancer. His movements are slightly awkward, like he can’t quite catch the beat no matter how hard he tries, but he seems content with letting me guide us.
He drops his head onto my shoulder. ‘Where’d you learn to move like this?’
I laugh as I roll my hips to the beat. ‘It’s not hard.’
He hums, his grip on my waist tightening slightly. ‘Maybe you’ll have to teach me. Do you do private lessons?’
I have to hand it to him; he moves very fast, and I’m not mad at it.
‘Is this your game?’ I ask, tilting my head slightly so we can make eye contact. ‘Pretending that you can’t dance and asking for private lessons back at some girl’s place?’
‘I’m not pretending.’ He grins, and there’s that dimple again. ‘But let’s just say it is my game. Is it working?’
The song switches and I pull away for a brief moment, only to spin around so I’m facing him. I loop my arms around his neck and he resettles his around my waist.
‘Maybe,’ I lie. Because it definitely is working. All I need is the Sasha Seal of Approval, and then Dane is coming home with me. ‘Tell me more about you.’
‘Dane. Twenty-nine. Business owner. Allergic to bananas. Terrible dancer. Great at…’ He wiggles his brows. ‘… Other things .’
I snort and roll my eyes. ‘Ugh. And you were doing so well. I’ve never met a guy who said something like that who could actually live up to the hype.’
He drops his eyes to my lips. ‘You’ve never met me until tonight.’
Fair point.
‘Your turn. Tell me more about you, Eliott .’ He says my name slowly, like it’s something to savour.
I pretend to think my answer over as I look around the room, desperate to spot Sasha and get her thoughts on him. ‘I’m twenty-seven. I’m a photographer – weddings specifically. No allergies that I know of. But I really hate tomatoes.’
‘Tomatoes are like, ninety per cent water,’ he scoffs. ‘Impossible to hate.’
‘They’re disgusting. Especially when they’re in sandwiches.’
He laughs. ‘Noted. Keep tomatoes away from you. Anything else I should know?’
I bite my lip. What about ‘ I’ve never had an orgasm and I’m hoping you’re going to be the one to change that ’?
No. Can’t say that. It’ll scare him off before we’ve even really got things started.
Instead, I settle for looking up at him through my eyelashes and strategically biting my bottom lip.
‘I live about a fifteen-minute Uber ride from here.’
Something flashes in Dane’s eyes. ‘Good to know.’
We dance like that for a little longer, sharing mundane pieces of information that we’ll both most likely have forgotten by tomorrow morning.
I learn that he has his own construction business that he runs with a friend.
His favourite colour is blue. He likes to cook and he likes watching quiz shows in his spare time.
Doesn’t matter the show or the format, he’ll get into it somehow.
I end up sharing that I’m the eldest of three children, my favourite colour is yellow, my favourite food is the soup my grandmother used to make me when I was sick as a child, and I have to wear socks to bed because my feet are always cold.
By the time I eventually spot Sasha sliding out from behind the DJ deck, her gaze inquisitive as she scans the crowd for me, Dane and I have been wrapped in each other’s arms for at least an hour.
‘I’ve just seen my friend,’ I say, reluctantly unwinding my arms from his neck. ‘I’m gonna go and let her know I’m good.’
I move to step away, but he trails his hands up my side, along my arms, and then skims a hand over my jaw.
‘Dane—’
Then his lips are over mine and he’s swallowing the rest of my question.
As first kisses go, it’s not half bad. It’s great, actually.
His lips are soft and surprisingly gentle and I can’t help but lean into him as he brings his hand up to cup my jaw, like I’m the most precious thing in the world to him and not some girl he just met in the middle of a sweaty and too crowded dance floor.
He pulls away, hand still on my jaw, and gives me a smile that is somehow a strange mix of both shy and smug. ‘Just giving you a reason to come back.’
The probability of me not coming back to find him was probably less than five per cent, but that kiss just sealed the deal. ‘I’ll be five minutes,’ I promise before I drift back into the crowd.
When I get to Sasha, she’s grinning from ear to ear, clearly having seen the two of us on the dance floor. ‘Who’s the hottie?’
I give her the rundown on everything that’s happened since I first left the dance floor and by the time I’m finished, she’s practically vibrating with excitement.
‘I knew it’d be him,’ she says, glancing over my shoulder to get another peek at him. ‘When we walked in, I said there was a guy with locs checking you out, didn’t I? It was him! You think he’s got what it takes?’
‘I hope so.’
Dane chooses that moment to look over in our direction. He meets Sasha’s gaze and to his credit, doesn’t look away. Sasha surveys him for a long moment before giving him a small nod and turning back to me.
‘I like him. He’s got balls.’
Anticipation shoots through me and I bite down on my lip to try to temper the eager smile I can feel on my face. ‘He’s got the Sasha Seal of Approval?’
‘Hell yeah.’ She starts gently shoving me back in Dane’s direction. ‘Let me know when you get back home and when he leaves.’ Her grin widens, and she shoots me an overdramatic wink. ‘ If he leaves. And I’m heading back to Wes’s after this, so we’ll only be ten minutes down the road if you need us.’
Dane quirks a brow as I approach him again. ‘I’m guessing your friend gave me the okay?’
Sasha has all the subtlety of a brick to the face and I don’t need to turn around to know she’s still got eyes on us.
‘She did.’ It’s my turn to raise a brow.
‘Is that a problem?’ Over the years, I’ve learned that some guys can get funny about the measures women have to take to stay safe on a night out and if he’s one of them – ridiculously handsome or not – then I’m calling it quits right now.
‘Nah. You do what you’ve got to do. And besides—’ He reaches for my hand and I let him pull me into his chest. ‘I’m assuming her approval can only mean good things for us .’
He tilts my chin up and steals another kiss, one I’m more than happy to give. It’s been a while since I’ve been with someone like Dane. Someone who doesn’t second-guess themselves and just oozes confidence the way he does. I like it.
‘You said your place is only fifteen minutes away,’ he murmurs against my lips when he eventually pulls back. ‘Is that offer still on the table?’
I nod eagerly, probably too eagerly, but I don’t care at this point. I want him. I want him so badly my entire body has begun to tingle with anticipation.
‘Good.’ His lips are still barely grazing my own and I feel, rather than see, his smile. ‘Lead the way.’