Novels by Irena Dane

Isla’s pov The club downtown was packed, a sea of low ambient purple light, thumping sub-woofers, and heavy bass that vibrated through the floorboards.At the far corner near the VIP section, Shane and Noah stood shoulder-to-shoulder near the railing, drinks in hand, looking like a pair of off-duty security details.“You’re suffocating the girl from thirty feet away, Callahan,” Shane muttered, taking a sip of his bourbon. “Take a breath.”Noah didn't take his eyes off the floor. “Look at what she’s wearing, Shane. I’m exercising extreme self-control.”On the crowded dance floor, the tempo shifted. The heavy trap beat dropped away, replaced by the deep, rhythmic, intoxicating pulse of an Afro-beat track. The red lights dimmed, casting long, sultry shadows across the crowd.Dani and Chloe were already moving to the rhythm, The hypnotic, driving pulse of Maceo Plex’s "Solitary Daze" filled the room, its bassline vibrating right through the floorboards. After a moment of hesitation, I le

Isla’s POVBy the time the elevator doors clicked shut on our floor, my feet were in full revolt.I barely made it past the foyer of the suite before kicking off my heels, letting them hit the rug with a thud, and collapsing face flat onto the sofa.Noah’s laugh trailed in behind me, I heard the soft rustle of his jacket hitting the back of an armchair before his shadow fell over the couch.“Tough day, intern?”“Don't start,” I mumbled into the cushion. “My toes are numb.”“You survived a full day of work and less than an hour of sleep .” He leaned down, his hand coming up to lightly rest on the back of my knee. “I’d say you’re doing fine.”“I would say so too, Callahan.” I rolled over to glare up at him, my hair a wild halo around my face. “Give credit where it’s due.”“You are lucky I love you,” he murmured, a slow, infuriating smirk curving his lips. “I’ll let you keep the ego, though. You earned it.”He tapped my ankle once before turning back toward the bedroom to drop his keys

Isla’s POVThe hotel room felt warmer after the biting wind off the river. I kicked off my boots near the door and collapsed onto the edge of the bed. Noah took off his jacket, hanging it up before pulling a fresh t-shirt over his head. He looked so relaxed, so completely at home in his own skin, but my mind wandered back to what we’d talked about a while ago .“You really want to tell your mom?” I asked, my voice dropping,Noah didn’t hesitate for a single second. “Yeah.”My stomach took a sudden, nervous plunge.For anyone else, telling a parent about a new relationship was just a standard life update. But for me? Telling Elena Callahan wasn’t just saying, I have a boyfriend. It was saying: The boy I grew up with and best friend , the boy whose family took me in when my world fell apart, the boy who has been my anchor since childhood;he’s the person I chose.It carried weight and there was no turning back.Noah must have caught the shift in my mood, he reached down, taking my hands

Isla’s POVBy 6:45 PM, I had completely abandoned my blazer, swapped my heels for dark leather ankle boots, and wore a soft cream knit sweater tucked into my favorite fitted denim.Standing in the lobby of my office building, I kept checking my watch every thirty seconds like an anxious wreck. My supervisor had spent the last two hours blabbering about risk-adjusted return ratios, but my mind had been completely held hostage by a six-foot-two athlete with dark eyes and an infuriating smirk.“Leave the suit at the office.”At exactly seven o’clock sharp, a black car pulled up to the curb. The passenger door swung open, and Noah stepped out.He was wearing a dark fitted jacket over a charcoal turtleneck, his hair slightly windswept, looking so effortlessly, devastatingly handsome that two women walking past the doors literally stopped to look at him.A knowing grin spread across his face, the second his eyes locked onto mine.“No suit, as ordered,” I said, stepping out into the cold, cr

Isla’s POVThe first thing I heard when I woke up was the steady rhythm of Noah’s heartbeat beneath my cheek.I slowly opened my eyes.I was curled against Noah’s chest, one of his arms wrapped securely around my waist, his body was warm beneath the sheets. The early morning light filtered through the curtains, painting soft golden streaks across the bedroom.I shifted carefully, trying to free a few hair strands from Noah’s mouth without waking him. Instead, I accidentally brushed my nose against his cheek.He opened his eyes and a sleepy smile immediately appeared on his face.“Good morning, sleepyhead.”My cheeks warmed a bit ,“Good morning, Noah.”He tightened his arm around my waist, pulling me closer until there was barely any space between us. Then he reached up and gently swept a few strands of hair away from his face.He stared at me for a moment, amusement dancing in his eyes.“What?”“I thought you changed how you sleep.”I frowned. “What are you talking about?”He smiled.

Isla’s POVI stood under the showerhead, letting the hot water cascade over my head and run down my face. I closed my eyes, trying to clear my head, but the images flashed vividly in my head .Noah pulling me flush against his chest, his damp skin, whispering against my ear and the way his lips felt on mine.My eyes snapped open like I was waking up from a nightmare. I leaned against the tile wall, taking a sharp breath.Isla, calm down, I told myself, clutching the wet bathroom counter. You are completely overthinking this.After finishing up, I dried my body and slipped into my nightwear, a pair of silk shorts and a matching spaghetti-strap top, I stepped out into the bedroom, using a smaller towel to pat my damp hair dry.Noah was sitting on the edge of the bed, already changed into his sweatpants. He looked up, tapping the mattress right beside him with a smile. “Come here. I’ll help you dry your hair.”I walked toward him, letting out a nervous laugh to break the heavy atmospher