Page 53 of Double Standards

She’s lost in the music, her body swaying with the beat, her laughter floating through the club like smoke. There’s a light in her eyes I haven’t seen before, something free and untouchable. She looks so...fucking happy. Like the weight she carries during the day has finally slipped off her shoulders.

And I hate it.

I hate that she’s here.

I hate that she looks so goddamn happy.

I hate that I’m not the one making her feel that way.

And I really fucking hate how it makes me feel. Jealous. Like I’m on the outside looking in.

We stand there for ten minutes, maybe more, just watching. Hunter’s attention eventually shifts to a brunette in a skin-tight dress near the DJ booth. His smirk returns, and without a word, he’s off—slipping down the stairs, no doubt to claim his prize for the night.

But me? I stay put.

Because no matter how hard I try, my eyes keep finding Cassie. Now she’s leaning in close to her friend, their faces inches apart as they laugh and gesture animatedly. It’s a picture of a life I don’t belong in.

And yet, I can’t look away.

All of a sudden, she turns. Those green eyes lift to meet mine, and for a second, I swear my heart forgets how to beat. If I thought she looked incredible from behind, seeing her from the front knocks the air clean out of my lungs. She’s radiant; flushed with heat, skin glistening with sweat that catches in the strobe lights like dew on silk. Her eyes sparkle, wild and electric, and I’m fucking dumbstruck.

My pants tighten uncomfortably, and I curse under my breath, but I can’t tear my eyes away.

Then she smiles, bright, easy, and devastating, lifting a hand to wave at me. Just like that, I’m yanked out of my stupor.

I raise two fingers in a lazy half-salute, unsure why the hell I did that, but it earns me another smile before she turns back around, slipping her hand into her friend’s.

The music pounds harder. The lights strobe faster. But none of it matters.

All I see is Cassie; her body moving like sin, like temptation, like she was made to ruin me. And there’s not a goddamn thing I can do about it.

Now, more than ever, I want her.

No woman has ever gotten to me like this; crawling beneath my skin, staking claim to thoughts I shouldn’t be having. Cassie isn’t just a passing craving. She’s a need, sharp and hot and impossible to ignore. And right now, I want her under me, her name on my lips, consequences be damned.

But first, I need a drink. A stiff one. Something to cool the fire before I do something reckless.

I push off the railing and make my way to the bar, signaling the bartender with a nod. He doesn’t ask—just pours a neat whiskey and slides it my way. I knock it back in one gulp, feel it burn down my throat, and motion for another.

And another.

By the time I’m four deep, the haze has started to set in—just enough to take the edge off, not enough to silence the storm in my chest. Hands slip around my waist, light but firm, and I freeze. Not because I’m startled, but because I know exactly who it is.

Her scent hits me first—coconut and chocolate, with the faintest trace of that floral perfume she always wears. It’s subtle, but it punches the air from my lungs. No one else smells like that. No one else makes my heart stutter in my chest the way she does.

Fuck.

Slowly, I peel her hands off my waist and turn to face her, but when I meet those sweet, innocent green eyes—glazed over and drinking me in—I still feel the jolt like it’s the first time. She looks at me like she can’t quite believe I’m real, like I’ve just stepped out of a daydream and into her night.

Cassie slides onto the stool beside me, still staring, unblinking, like I might vanish if she looks away.

“You want a picture?” I ask, dryly. It comes out more like a reflex than a tease.

She tilts her head, eyes gleaming under the club lights, andher tongue flicks slowly across her lips. My eyes drop instantly.Fuck. She knows exactly what she’s doing.

“What are you doing here?” I ask, downing the last of my drink just as the bartender sets another down in front of me.

“I’m out with my friend,” she answers, her tone breezy.