5. A Wild Arrangement

Marina responded—a single nod of approval. When he folded his tall, lean frame into the chair across from her, her gaze stayed on him for seconds longer than necessary, admiring his striking features.

He was casually dressed. Open-collar black shirt with matching black slacks. His sleek, jet-black hair was neatly styled to enhance his sharp jawline and handsome face.

His athletic build was not unusual, but strange because she had only seen men like him from afar, men whose presence alone exuded wealth and authority. Her ex-husband didn’t even come close.

The music thundering through the club dulled to a distant hum before it reached them. The corner they occupied was the most reserved part of the club. Perfect for her, as she immersed herself in the recent realities of her life.

A server, donning the same uniform as the one Roselyn wore, came forward to take his order. A bottle of red wine, the strongest as he had requested. 

An hour later, his glass was still untouched, and Marina was still stealing glances. He set the bottle between them, his calculating eyes regarding her, catching her unusual stare.

“Is there a reason your eyes won’t leave me?” He asked, a hint of irritation roughening his deep voice.

Heat rose to her face. She quickly dragged her eyes away from him.

“I wasn’t staring.” She lied, but it was of no use because he had caught her plenty of times. She held his gaze, a sudden surge of courage hitting her. What if she admitted to staring at him? What would he do? “And what if I was staring? Is there a crime in admiring a good-looking man?”

After everything that had happened to her today, complimenting a stranger’s look should be the last thing that should cross her mind, but she just wanted to explore. 

Now that she no longer had the life she used to have, she wanted to exercise her free will for once. It wasn’t as if she would see him again after tonight anyway, so why did it matter?

He said nothing. Instead, he poured himself a drink for the first time. He took a gentle sip, his eyes drifting back to her.

“What brings you here? To admire good-looking men?”

A light chuckle left her. His pretty face came with a great sense of humor. She surveyed the room quietly. “To have fun, just the way everyone else is having fun.”

“I see.” He lifted his glass for another sip, his movements carefully restrained.

“I am Marina,” she extended a hand forward.

An inner voice whispered to her that she was going too far, but who cared? This was the first personal contact she’d had with the opposite sex since she got married to Collin. She needed to utilize it.

Her hand lingered for a while. She expected him not to take it, but just as she was about to withdraw her hand, he slid in his. The connection of his skin against hers oddly warmed her chest, sparking a fire within her, the kind of fire she believed had been dead for months.

He bumped her hand, up and down. “Cassian.” He muttered, letting go of her hand.

She nodded, her lips curling. She could feel an attraction that leaned more towards steam, and it left her unsettled.

“I noticed you’ve been deep in thought before you picked up your bottle. Want to share?” She had her problems too.

In fact, hers could be more heart-wrenching, but she had always been the good girl who listened to others, sometimes chose them before she chose herself, and that was the reason her life was a mess today.

“You might be interested in doing other things for me than listening to my boring talks.” Cassian’s gaze locked onto hers. The intensity in them had shifted from sharpness into something like need.

Marina straightened in her chair. This seemed to be more fun than expected. For a moment, she forgot about her life’s predicament.

“I don’t want to be alone tonight.” He added, his words quietly stirring an interest within her.

“You won’t have to be.” She returned, too desperately, as if it were an opportunity she had been dying to have.

She tried not to blame herself for acting too desperately. All her life, she had been trapped in a cage, only doing what others wanted. Never what she truly wanted to do. She had never flirted with a man, and this was the first time she was exploring. 

“I can keep you company.” That was too cheap, too easy, but she didn’t mind.

She wasn’t going to see him again after tonight. She didn’t think there was a crime in having fun to relieve herself of the stress she had been subjected to over the last few months. 

He fixed his eyes on her, long, as though he was wondering how she could easily come up with such an idea without careful thought.

He lowered his glass, announcing that he was done with the drink. “If you’re willing, I’ll take you to my place.”

She nodded without hesitation. “Let’s see how it goes.”

He rose to his feet, and she mirrored his movements.

“Come with me,” he said, his voice thick with command.

Like a puppet, she followed him out of the club, her eyes straining around in search of Roselyn, but she didn’t catch a glimpse of her until she was out of the room. She hated to do this, but she would text her.

Knowing this was a bad idea, Marina slid his Rolls-Royce Phantom when he opened the door for her, gently closing it back after she settled in. That simple gesture left her chest warm. She had never received anything like that in her life.

As she sat in, she was tempted to change her mind about the whole thing. Following a stranger home was a reckless decision she shouldn’t even consider, but she didn’t want to go back home tonight.

There was nothing to lose. In fact, she stood to benefit from this arrangement. A good sex with a handsome man, a night of insane pleasure that would numb her mind to thoughts of Collin and his family.

And, she was barren. There was nothing to be scared of, even if they lost themselves in the moment without protection. She was willing to do this.

When he sat in the driver’s seat, he looked towards her, his eyes softening as they rested on her. “Are you sure about this?” He asked again.

Marina knew there was no going back from here. “Never been surer.” She answered, her tone firm and unwavering.