Two dangerously irresistible brothers

Veronica's POV:

On my usual days, I don't drink. 

It's not that I'm anti-alcohol; I don't judge people who drink to ease their pain.

And today, I just happen to be one of them.

Seated in the exclusive lounge with my friend Penny, I gulp down my fourth shot, feeling a bit of dopamine rushing through my veins. Still, it's not enough to erase the betrayal and humiliation I feel.

"V, maybe you should slow down a little?" Penny's accent is more pronounced when she's worried, her Polish heritage coloring her words with warmth even when she's concerned. "You've been going pretty hard since you got here."

I laugh, but it sounds hollow even to my own ears. "Slow down? Penny, you already know what happened to me. I think I'm entitled to get drunk."

The hurt flashes across her beautiful features... her high cheekbones, full lips, and those expressive brown eyes that have gotten her plenty of attention over the years. Attention that, apparently, Chase noticed too. 

And decided that I was a boring maid compared to her.

"Do you have any idea how many clothes I pressed for him? How much had I cooked for him? I learned restaurant-style recipes so we could have private dinners at the penthouse with candlelight."

Penny looks at me with concern.

"I was completely stupid. How did I not see this before? How did I miss it?"

"V, listen to me," she pats my arm. "Maybe when we're in love with someone, we tend to overlook certain things and focus on the positive more."

I blink, trying to remember if I did ignore some danger signs, the ones social media now popularly calls 'red flags'. 

I still can't get a clue. My mind is all dizzy with the buzz.

"And you know, before leaving him, I challenged him... that I would marry someone better than him. How stupid of me...” I sigh. “But is that even possible? I thought I knew Chase... and all this happened. How can I trust any man after this?"

I sigh, taking my fifth shot, ignoring the look of pity my friend has been giving me since I told her the news.

"Maybe all men are assholes. There's no such thing as Prince Charming. Perhaps they only exist in fairy tales, like Rapunzel or Cinderella."

"V, just calm down."

"You know what?" I interrupt, the alcohol making me bold and reckless. "I'm done. Completely done." I raise my glass in a mock toast. "Here's to swearing off men forever. Every single one of them is a lying, manipulative piece of—"

I stop mid-sentence, my words dying in my throat as the lounge's atmosphere seems to shift.

The conversations around us were becoming quiet slightly, and I feel that electric charge in the air that happens when something, or someone, commands attention.

Two men have just entered, and they're the kind of men who make every head in the room turn. 

They move with the kind of confidence that comes from knowing you own everything you see, their expensive suits tailored to perfection.

They're clearly together... brothers, maybe, based on their similar bone structure and the easy way they move in sync.

Designer suits, watches that gleam with real gold, and an aura of power that makes everyone else in the room seem insignificant by comparison.

Even through my alcohol-induced haze, I can appreciate the way they carry themselves, looking like predators who've never known what it means to be prey.

The first man is tall and broad-shouldered, with bright blue eyes... and dark hair styled like that of a pop star's, along with tattoos covering his neck that seem to continue down his back. His face is all sharp angles and strong lines, the kind of masculine beauty that graces magazine covers. He surveys the room with eyes so blue they're almost electric, and when his gaze sweeps past our section of the bar, I feel my breath catch.

The other one looks like the opposite version of the dark-haired man. He has neat blonde hair and green eyes that give off a sweet and intelligent aura. He has no tattoos or any sign of rebellion on his body like the other one.

"Holy shit," Penny breathes beside me, and I realize she's staring too.

The men pause just inside the entrance, scanning the room with the practiced ease of people who are used to being the most important wherever they go. 

The dark-haired man says something to the sweet blonde one, and they both laugh... a sound that carries over the music and conversation like warm honey.

I go completely still, my glass frozen halfway to my lips. Despite everything I just declared about swearing off men, despite my heart still aching from Chase's betrayal, despite the alcohol clouding my judgment, I can't look away from them.

They're walking towards us.

"V," Penny hisses under her breath, "they're coming over here."

"No," I whisper back, my eyes still locked on the approaching men. "They're probably just heading to their private lounge."

But as they get closer, it becomes clear that their destination is definitely our end of the bar. 

The rebellious dark-haired man's electric blue eyes meet mine for just a moment, and he smirks... a look that promises darkness and depth. I feel something spark in my chest, something I absolutely do not want to feel right now.

I force myself to turn back to my drink, gripping the glass tighter than necessary.

Then my eyes shift to the other one with sweet green eyes, and he locks his gaze on me too, giving me the warmest smile I've ever seen in my life... like sunshine and rainbows.

Those two seem to have very distinctive personalities that contrast against each other, and that's what makes them both even more attractive. 

It's as if they both offer very different and intriguing things... like one is fire and one is Ice.

Like one of them is an angel, and the other is a demon.

No... no... this isn't happening to me!

I just swore off men. Literally two minutes ago.

Even if they're the most attractive men I've ever seen in my life.

Even if my traitorous heart is already beating faster.