Page 20 of Brutal Reign

I groan, but it’s already too late because she’s shimmying behind the bar, hips swaying, mouthing along to the lyrics.

“Oh my God.” I grimace, but I can’t help laughing as well.

She flashes a grin and holds out her hand. “Come on. Give me one song.”

I hesitate, but what the hell. The few customers are crowded around the dartboard at the far end of the pub, paying zero attention to us. I let the rag fall and take her hand, falling into rhythm behind her.

Chloe bumps her hip into mine, and I sway against her, shoulder to shoulder, our bodies moving in unison. We’re laughing and dancing like idiots. Just as we’re really getting into it, the front door swings open.

Chloe freezes. Her breath catches mid-laugh, and she elbows me hard. “I think your night got a whole lot more interesting,” she mutters out of the corner of her mouth.

My stomach does a complete somersault.

Lukas Viklund is standing there, looking like he stepped off a Milan runway and into our dingy little pub. He’s wearing a dark coat, and his blond hair, falling to his ears, is disheveled in a sexy way. His eyes land on me, and the air shifts.

Or maybe that’s the air whooshing out of my lungs.

Chloe, grinning like this is the highlight of her night, calmly reaches for her phone and taps off the music.

My cheeks go up in flames. He definitely caught us, judging by that crooked little smirk on his face.

Christ, I never thought I’d see him again, and definitely not while I was grinding against my friend to a horny R&B song.

He starts toward us, and every nerve ending in my body stands at attention.

“Didn’t realize you held club nights here,” he says in that low Swedish accent. “I would have come back sooner.”

My mouth can’t seem to form words now that he’s standing three feet away, looking even better than I remembered.

“It’s invite-only,” Chloe replies with a wink. “But it looks like you picked the right night to return. Lily here is about to finish her shift.”

She nudges me in order to make her point.

Lukas cocks his head toward me. “Well, Lily, if you’re wrapping up, how about a drink? Our conversation got cut short last time, and I’ve been busy since then. But tonight’s my last night in London before I head home. It’d be nice to spend it with a friendly face.”

My brain shorts out for a second. “Oh— I mean, that’s nice, but I really should… probably… head on home.”

It’s automatic, the same shutdown I’ve used a handful of times. Except… I feel more disappointed than relieved.

Chloe kicks me beneath the bar. “What Lily means is she’d love to.”

When I shoot her a discreet what-the-fuck look, she mouths,You promised.

Shit, I did, and she’s not going to let me weasel out of this.

But I can’t go out with a stranger, a random man I really don’t know. He could be... He could be anyone.

Except, well, he isn’t just anyone. I vetted him online; I know who he is, or at least I know enough of who he is to know he’s not a threat.

Lukas gives me a patient half-smile. “How about a drink,” he says, lifting a shoulder.

I chew my lip, twisting the bar towel between my hands. I’ve been in survival mode for so long I almost forgot what it’s like to want something just for myself. He doesn’t live here, so there’s no chance of him showing up here again or wanting to get close. No risk of him prying into my past or sticking around long enough to get tangled in the mess that is my life.

I toss the towel onto the shelf and tuck my hair behind my ear, a spark of anticipation fluttering in my chest. “Alright. One drink.”

Two drinks later, we’re deep in conversation about everything and nothing. Books, travel, the peculiarities of British versus Swedish culture.

We’ve claimed a corner booth in this cozy little bar, candles flickering between us, the rest of the world fading into background noise. Lukas is telling me about his disastrous first attempt at navigating London traffic, and I’m laughing so hard my sides hurt.