Page 29

The bartender places our drinks in front of us and I take a large gulp, hoping to catch up with her. The alcohol burns my throat harder than I anticipated and I cough.
Real smooth. Look like you can’t handle a single drink in front of her. What are you doing, man?
“Wow, that’s… strong,” I manage, trying to laugh it off.
Lila, on the other hand, lifts her glass with an easy grace, taking a slow sip. Her lips barely part, but the shimmer on them is hypnotic. There’s a confident sparkle in her eyes, and the soft blue light catches her cheek bones, making her skin glow. She has an almost angelic softness to her expression, but there’s mischief behind it too – just enough to make my chest feel a little too tight.
We stand at the bar, drinks in hand, exchanging glances, but neither of us says anything more as our gaze drifts between watching the crowd and coming back to each other. The energy between us is palpable, and the atmosphere feels almost electric.
The rhythm shifts and a new song starts up, a modern chart topper which I vaguely recognise but couldn’t name. The crowd begins to jump, making the entire floor vibrate.
“Oh my God, Ilovethis song!” Lila exclaims, her face lighting up with excitement.
Before I can think better of it, I hold my hand out to her. “Dance?” I yell over the music, a hopeful grin pulling at my mouth.
A glimmer sparkles in her eyes as she takes her straw out of her drink and downs the rest of the glass in one swift motion before slamming it down on the bar, the sight of it making my heart race. She flashes me a tantalising smile and grabs my hand, pulling me towards the dance floor.
We weave our way through the pulsing crowd until we find a pocket of space near the centre of the floor – just enough room to breathe, but not much more. Bodies shift and press around us, the surge of movement pushing her into me before I can react. Suddenly, she’s right there, her chest pressing against mine, our hips aligned, no space left between us.
Her breath catches, her eyes meet mine, and the rest of the club fades away – the music, the lights, the sea of bodies around us – all of it dissolves into background static. All I can see is her face tilted up toward mine, her lips parted slightly, eyes searching mine for an answer to a question she hasn’t asked. Every nerve ending fires at once, alive with the feel of her against me, the warmth of her skin, the soft brush of her breath on my neck.
We begin to dance, our bodies moving as I run my hands down her arms, coming to rest just above her hips. My pulse quickens at the feel of the soft fabric of her dress, damp from sweat, and I pray my jeans are tight enough to not give away any growing excitement.
She turns, pressing her hips into me, her body swaying in time with the music. Her back is against my chest and she leans her head on my shoulder, running her hand up to the back of my neck. My fingers dig into her waist, my arousal intensifying with every moment as my eyes trace the elegant curve of her bare shoulder.
Dancing together is one thing, but I don’t want to overstep. I can feel the electricity between us, see it in the way she looks at me.
She sweeps her hair to one side, her head tilting in a graceful motion that exposes the smooth line of her neck – a gesture that is both inviting and impossible to ignore.
I trace my fingers along her skin, letting them glide over her shoulder and along her arm before settling again on her waist. I draw her closer,the heat of her body radiating into me. The music pulses around us and with every beat, I want her more.
She’s giving me all the right signals. The way she was looking at me at the bar. The way she’s dancing against me now.
If it was anyone else, any other girl in a club, I wouldn’t even give it a second thought.
But this is Lila. The girl whose smile brightens my day. The girl I hope to see in the coffee shop every morning.
The girl I can’t stop thinking about.
I lean forward, the temptation of her glowing skin pulling me in as her body sways against mine.
I take a deep breath and with one swift move, turn her around to face me.
Yet, looking into her eyes, a stark reminder snaps me back to reality.
The girl I work with. The girl twenty years younger than me!
I’m about to talk myself out of it, but before another thought can cross my mind, Lila’s arms wrap around my neck and she’s pulling me down to her, claiming my mouth with hers, and I’m gone.
The world around us melts away, leaving only the electrifying contact of our lips. My hands grip her waist, pulling her against me with an urgency that mirrors the pounding of my heart. The taste of her raspberry lip gloss mixes with the sweet, intoxicating scent of her perfume. It reminds me of palm trees and eating candy floss on the beach, and I want to stay there with her forever.
When our lips finally part, I am aware of my body still somehow moving, even though I feel I have no control over it. Her eyes are locked on mine, shimmering with a wild, untamed excitement.
“I’m so sorry!” she shouts over the music, taking a small step back, though her eyes still sparkle with a vibrant energy that stirs something within me that I’ve not felt in a long time.
Sorry? What in the world is she sorry about?
I grab her hand and pull her sharply back to me, my lips claiming hers with a possessive intensity that makes it clear there is not a damn thing to be sorry for.