Lust at first sight

LAST NIGHT ***

Red lights, loud music, cheers, laughter; they were things Aurelia saw and heard frequently, even in her sleep, she could still hear and see them.

She was a party freak, but at the same time, she still managed to live a decent and healthy life.

Blaze club was known for its special Friday night, and today happened to be Friday.

It was the biggest and hottest club in San Francisco, tagged the club for the rich. And every Friday, Aurelia never failed to visit the club with her friends.

This particular night, she didn’t come to the club because it was her tradition to visit the club every Friday, but because she came to party her sorrow away.

She would be getting married to a stranger the next day, and the thought of it was eating her up. At first, she wanted to just lay in bed and sulk all night but her friends had dragged her out.

There was nothing she could do about the marriage, so it was better they had one last fun together before she turned into a married woman.

Her friend, Brielle ordered shots and when it arrived, Aurelia picked one, instantly downing it.

Her eyes shut tightly when she felt the burn on her throat, but that didn’t stop her. She needed more. She needed to get her mind away from tomorrow and enjoy tonight as her last night of freedom.

When she opened her eyes, she exhaled and picked another one.

In just a minute, they finished the shots.

“One more round!” Brielle shouted over the music, waving to the waiter.

Aurelia nodded absentmindedly, but her focus drifted. The crowd seemed louder, the lights redder, and for the first time that night, she felt… alone.

The music started sounding like noise and she began getting uncomfortable by the amount of people present in the club.

She needed air.

Without thinking twice, she stood up immediately.

“Where are you going to?” Her other friend, Daisy, asked.

“The restroom.”

“Are you sure?” Daisy was concerned.

“Yes.” She flashed her a faint smile and walked towards the upper lounge area which was quieter, dimly lit, and filled with VIPs sipping drinks instead of dancing.

The restroom wasn’t far from there, but she stopped right on her track when she spotted a couple making out.

It was a normal thing at the club.

She stood there, staring at the couple as they kissed passionately. She couldn’t remember the last time someone kissed her. Ever since her last relationship ended, her romance life died with it.

She had been trying to pleasure herself by using sex toys, but nothing could be compared to being touched by a man.

Her gaze shifted when she felt some presence beside her.

Some group of men had just walked in, tall, confident, the kind who didn’t need to shout to be noticed. But one of them stood out immediately.

He wasn’t the loudest, or the most dressed up, but something about him commanded the room. The sharp lines of his jaw, the quiet arrogance on his facial expression,the kind of aura that made you look twice.

Their eyes met, just for a second , and then every other thing stopped existing.

Her stomach twisted. His look wasn’t ordinary, there was something about the way he looked at her.

He didn’t smile, didn’t look away. He just looked at her.

“Need a drink?” The voice of the bartender jolted her back to reality.

She looked away from the guy and as he walked past her with his friends, her legs stiffened.

“Miss?”

She looked at the bartender. “No, thank you.”

He flashed her a smile and walked away.

“Damn.” She muttered under her breath and hurried to the restroom.

When she got there, she leaned against the door, staring at her reflection in the mirror.

“What the hell was that?” she whispered to herself, dragging her fingers through her hair.

It was just a look, but she couldn’t get it off her head.

She could swear she hadn’t seen him before, she didn’t know him from anywhere. But the way he looked at her was special, as if she had what he wanted.

She splashed cold water on her face, trying to shake it off.

She had better things to worry about. Tomorrow, she would be getting married to a complete stranger, and that should be her priority at the moment, not a ‘mere’ stare.

She arranged her hair with her hands and took a deep breath. When she was sure she was okay, she walked out of the restroom.

As soon as she got outside the restroom, she heard a masculine voice from the other end and when she turned, she found the guy from earlier standing few steps away from her.

He had his side turned towards her, he couldn’t see her.

She noticed he was on the phone. She was supposed to walk away, but her legs stay rooted to the ground. Viewing him from the side.

“No, don’t negotiate.” Even though he tried to be as quiet as possible, she could still hear him from where she stood.

“Handle it internally. Transfers leave trails.” He continued, his voice dropping lower.

Aurelia wanted to walk away, but the conversation sounded interesting. And because she didn’t want to go back to the club room, she remained there, leaning on the wall.

“Move the cars to the second warehouse… I don’t give a fuck about the issue at hand. Deal with it and make sure everything is clear before tomorrow.”

His tone wasn’t loud but it was filled with authority.

She lingered in the shadow of the hallway, unable to move , unable to look away.

The young man slipped the phone into his pocket and in an effortless motion, he turned.

Aurelia froze upon realizing she had just been caught eavesdropping.

The young man on the other hand, didn’t look startled, not even curious. He just looked at her, like he had all the time in the world to stare at her.

She stood straight immediately. She wanted to speak, to ease herself from the awkward situation, but her throat suddenly went dry.

Still, she didn’t look away from him, neither did he.

Then slowly, he started walking towards her. Each step confident.

Aurelia let out a shaky breath. She didn’t want him close to her. His presence was intimidating.

He stopped in front of her and his scent filled the air around her. He smelled of dark woods and whiskey, a scent that whispered danger and desire, the kind that made you want to step closer even when you shouldn’t.

She grabbed the hem of her gown tightly, trying so hard to hide how nervous she was.

“You were listening.” He didn’t ask her, he knew already.

He didn’t sound angry as she expected, but she couldn’t figure out what was on his mind.

“I… I didn’t mean to.” She stuttered, her voice embarrassingly breathless.

He tilted his head slightly, his brown eyes piercing deep at her like a predator watching his prey.

With just a finger, he raised her chin up to look at him.

Her heartbeat thundered in her ears as soon as his hand touched her skin. Her skin prickled with heat. She hated how easily her body leaned into the touch, how natural it felt.

He was a stranger, and she should be at home getting ready for her wedding tomorrow. Not having a stranger hovering over her at the hallway of a restroom.

“You could pass as a spy, but you are not one.” He said, after assessing her with his gaze.

She didn’t understand why a spy was the first thing he thought of, but then she was enjoying every bit of the stranger’s presence and how unpredictable he was.

A sudden boldness crowded her and she smiled at him. “You could be mistaken.”

“No, darling.” His lips twitched, almost turning into a smirk. “A spy wouldn’t tremble under my gaze.”

‘Fuck’ she cussed inwardly.

She hated that it was obvious she was intimidated and affected by his gaze. She hated how her body was betraying her.

“I am not trembling.” She managed to say.

The stranger chuckled. And before she could fathom the reason for that, he grabbed her shoulders and straightened her posture.

“I like girls who are fierce.”

“I don’t need you to like me.” She breathed.

“Yet you’ve been doing all you can to get my attention.”

Aurelia’s brows furrowed. “I…”

“Unfortunately, you did catch my attention.” He cuts her off.

“Unfortunately?” She was perplexed.

“Yes, unfortunately. Because now….” With his hands still on her shoulders, he pushed her to the wall. “I want you.”