Page 16 of A Secret Escape

Marcus

I hand my coat in at the coat check, pocketing the number tag in my jeans and look around. The pulse emanating from the sound system thrums through my chest, the vibration reminding me why I typically avoid places like this.

But tonight is different. Tonight is her night.

The campaign has clearly been a massive success. The queue outside wraps around the corner and halfway down the street, with over a hundred people waiting in the freezing cold for a chance to get in.

A server passes by with a tray of something electric blue. I decline with a small shake of my head, straightening my shoulders as I undo the top button of my shirt.

I turn to head to the bar and take one step in that direction when my breath stills.

Lila is standing there, alone, drink in hand, watching the crowd. As if drawn by an invisible thread, she turns her head and her eyes meet mine.

God, she looks beautiful .

She runs a hand through her long caramel brown hair, letting it fall in soft waves around her shoulders like she doesn’t even realise the effect she has.

There’s a quiet confidence to the way she carries herself – graceful without trying to be. Her makeup is subtle, delicately highlighting her natural beauty without being over the top, and her full lips are curved up into a smile that goes from innocent to mischievous in a heartbeat.

She finishes the last sip of her drink, sets her empty glass on the bar and walks straight towards me.

“Hi!” I call out over the music, giving her a quick hug. Her skin is soft, and the scent of her perfume – sweet and floral, infiltrates my senses, swirling around my head. I find myself leaning in closer, unable to resist her magnetic pull.

“Hi!” she exclaims, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

“You look… amazing,” I say, my eyes trailing down her body before I can stop them, unapologetically drawn to the way her skin-tight dress clings to every inch of her.

It hugs her like a second skin, showing off the elegant line of her collarbone and the smooth skin on her shoulders that shimmers subtly in the light.

Her frame is slender, delicate, but her dress traces the gentle curve of her hips in a way that makes it impossible to look anywhere else.

“Thank you!” she says, that playful smile dancing across her lips. “You don’t look so bad yourself!”

The flirtatious spark in her voice throws me. She’s usually fairly shy around me. I don’t know if she’s already had a few drinks or if it’s the overall atmosphere in here that’s finally got her to loosen up, but I’ve never seen her like this. Not with me .

I’ve caught glimpses of it from across the office – laughing easily with her friends, teasing, playful – but whenever we’ve been face to face, she’s always more reserved. Until now.

And damn if I don’t like this version of her even more.

“Drink?” I ask, forcing my eyes back up to meet hers.

She nods, her face lit up with a smile. I gesture toward the bar, my hand brushing along the small of her back as she turns. She draws in a quick breath at the contact, and something in me flares at the sound of it, my pulse kicking up a notch.

"What are you drinking?” I ask as we reach the bar, signalling the bartender.

She looks at me – that mischievous glint in her eye making my chest stutter.

“You choose,” she says.

The suggestion in her voice hits me like a current – quick, electric, and far too easy to get addicted to.

The bartender approaches, forcing my attention off her for a moment. “Two Jack and Cokes, please.”

Her eyes grow wide as the bartender reaches for the bottle behind him.

“Hope you’re a Jack Daniels fan,” I say.

“It’ll make an interesting mix with the gin and rum I’ve already had tonight!” she laughs, brushing a strand of her soft brown hair behind her ear in a move that always makes me catch my breath.

“This place is amazing, isn’t it?” I say, trying to make sure my voice is loud enough so that she can hear me over the pounding bass.

“It’s incredible!” she calls back.

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, I love this 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.

There’s no way I’m going to let this moment end that easily.