Page 16 of One Last Wish (The Elder World)

“Y ou went for the black dress, an interesting choice.” Evelyn eyed me as I came out of my bedroom. It was Saturday night and we were meeting all my workmates at Clover Bar in thirty minutes. “It’s not very festive, though. I mean, it sparkles, but that’s it.”

“I’m not going for festive. I want to be sexy, seductive, and fuckable.”

“Oh, in that case...the look works.” I’d gone all out tonight with my makeup, trying to make my face have a little colour. It had worked; I almost looked healthy with my silver eyeshadow and soft red lipstick. My hair was curled into long ringlets that fell down my back. My dress was the showstopper, though. The wrap over neckline of the black, shimmering mini dress exposed a lot of my chest. If that wasn’t enough, it had a split that uncovered my left leg. The dress had long sleeves, which meant I wasn’t planning on wearing a coat. I’d completed the look with nude hold ups and high silver heels. Tonight, I was making an impact. I might not be as stunning as Nyx, but before I gave up completely, I needed Darce to see that a night with me could be an astounding thing. “How have you kept your tits in that dress?”

“Tit tape,” I snorted. “They are completely secure.” Jiggling around a little, I proved my point.

“I can’t wait to see what happens tonight with you looking like that .” Evelyn had a glint in her eye. “Charlie and Danny are meeting us at Studio74 later.”

Evelyn looked good in her festive red dress. It was almost as revealing as mine. She’d straightened her hair and finished the look off with heels similar to mine.

“Let’s go then.”

The wolf whistles Evelyn and I got as we walked towards Clover Bar were to be expected.

“Aren’t you cold?” Evelyn asked just as I noticed Darce standing outside the bar. He was looking in the opposite direction of us.

“I’m keeping warm on pure adrenaline right now.” I swallowed, watching him slowly turn in my direction.

Evelyn and I were pretty close now. I watched Darce take a step back, blink a few times, and try to compose himself. His eyes raked over my body slowly, from my feet to my chest. When his eyes met with mine, they were a blistering furnace of desire.

“He’s eye fucking you,” Evelyn whispered in my ear.

“Hush,” I warned her as we finally greeted him.

“Are you the first one here?” I asked, trying to act normal. Like there wasn’t a strange current around us.

“No, the others are inside. I thought I’d wait outside for you.” Darce smiled warmly at me. Annoyingly, he’d collected himself well. “I must say, you ladies look stunning.”

“Well, it’s not for your benefit! Alora and I are on the prowl tonight!” It was moments like this that made me wish I could feel something. Evelyn had never been more of a friend than right now. Grabbing my hand, she pulled me into the bar. Darce was close behind; I could feel the heat of his body.

“Wow!” Daisy beamed. “You look beautiful, Alora.” Ned and Theo were at the bar getting drinks. Alice gave me a disapproving look, but she was in a dress almost as revealing. Daisy was the only one mostly covered up, in black jeans and a silver, sparkly top.

When Theo finally turned around and noticed me, he spilt some of his drink. “Shit! Alora, you...you...you’re...” His eyes were wide as he drank me in.

“Theo, we've had this conversation. The word is incredibly sexy or hot!” Evelyn called towards him. “What are you drinking, Alora?”

“No, I’ll get these,” Darce interjected. “Alora, you can come to the bar with me.” Oh, I felt like that might have been an order. I followed him wordlessly as he made room at the bar so I could stand in front of him. “I know the game you’re playing,” he whispered against my ear while I was trying to get the regular barman’s attention.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” I murmured as the barman noticed me and gave me a cheeky wink. Darce chuckled against my ear, making me realise how close his lips were to my neck. I knew what those soft lips felt like. Moving backwards, I pressed my ass against him.

“Behave!” Darce’s voice was rough as he gripped my hips. His fingertips were digging into the fabric of my dress. “You’re not going to wear me down this time.” Was that a challenge?

“Hey, dream girl!” the barman called, his eyes falling onto my chest. “Damn! Please tell me you’re letting me have your number tonight.” Darce’s grip on my hips tightened. Mmm...someone was clearly affected by the barman flirting with me. That was interesting. Maybe meeting Charlie later was going to be a good plan, after all.

“Oh, I’m not giving my number out to anyone tonight.”

“Shame! What are you having? The usual?”

“Please, and Evelyn’s usual.” Nodding, he looked over my shoulder at Darce. I’m not sure what he saw, but he took a step back and looked a little alarmed.

“I’ll have a whiskey. A smoky bourbon, if you have it, please,” Darce called out to him. “I’m paying.”

“Okay, man.” The barman held his arms up before moving to get our drinks.

“What did you just do ?” I frowned, turning to look at him. I regretted it the moment I noticed how close our lips were. Just another inch and I’d be kissing him.

“Nothing, I only looked at him.” There was a playful smirk on his face. “How many admirers do you have, anyway?”

“Oh, hundreds . I’m very desirable, apparently.”

“That I can’t argue with,” he chuckled, as the barman handed us our drinks. Darce paid quickly and followed me back to our group.

“Why couldn’t Malcolm make it?” Theo was asking Ned and Daisy when we arrived back. Evelyn gave me a smile as I passed her drink over.

“His kid got sick,” Ned replied.

“How convenient. Didn’t he say he would buy us a few rounds of drinks?” Alice tittered in the corner.

“It’s probably better that he’s not here.” Daisy made a fair point. “At least Bookends is closed tomorrow so we can all get drunk!”

“You look really pretty, Alora,” Theo muttered next to me. He was on the other side of the table a second ago! Where did he come from? “I can’t wait for our date next week.”

“Oh, yes,” Darce butted in, leaning over me to talk to Theo. “I heard about this date . Do you know where you’re taking her?”

“I’m still working it out.” Theo laughed nervously.

“Guys! I’m right here !” I glared at Darce because he was invading my personal space.

“Yes, we had noticed that, Alora.” Oh, I was going to wipe that smug look off his face if he carried on. Why did he infuriate me so much? “Did you need another drink?”

“I’ll get this round.” Theo jumped up and headed to the bar once we’d all told him what we wanted. Alice went to give him a hand.

“I’m proud of you,” Darce muttered while the others were talking around the table.

“For what?”

“Agreeing to go on a date with Theo. He’s a good, solid choice. You’ll be happy with him.”

“It’s one date! I’m not marrying the guy!” His enthusiasm for Theo and me made no sense.

“You’ll be safe. That is all that matters.” Darce looked distant as he spoke. His eyes searched into the crowd, but seemed to look right through them.

“When you talk in riddles like that, I have no clue what you’re talking about.”

“That’s a good thing.” He still wasn’t looking at me. Ugh! Fuck this! I gave Evelyn a look, motioning to the bar. “Where are you going?” Darce asked, gripping my wrist as I stood up. Electricity surged through my body at the simple contact.

“To get some shots. This is a party, right?”

––––––––

E VELYN AND I PROCEEDED to get to our usual level of tipsiness by the time we all headed to Studio74.

Darce was keeping his distance, hanging back with the others from Bookends. There was a bit of a queue to get inside the club.

“Baby,” a random guy approached me in the queue, “will you be my Christmas present this year? I’d love to unwrap you under my tree.”

“In your dreams, jackass!” I laughed, rubbing my shoulders. A coat might have been a good idea at this point.

“Darce is still watching you,” Evelyn muttered in my ear. The rest of our group were about eight people down the queue. “I don’t care what bullshit you think. That dude is falling for you.”

“Can we not talk about it? Right now, all I want to do is dance and make out with someone.” Alcohol always heightened my senses. I wasn’t drunk—I knew exactly what I was doing—but it had been so long since someone had made me cum. My body craved that contact: someone bringing me to the brink rather than my own hand or a toy. It was the only connection I wasn’t afraid of. The only time I was able to let go and allow the pleasure to take over my body. It was all I needed right now. Thanks to Darce.

Evelyn and I were on the dance floor the moment we got into the club. The music filled my veins, and I was lost, swaying to the beat. I had to push away a lot of greedy hands that reached for me in the first hour. In the distance, I noticed Darce was circling the outskirts of the dance floor, watching me. Running my hands over my body, I tried to coax him towards me. Here. I’m here. This body could be yours. I trailed my hands down the middle of my chest as I swayed, closing my eyes. Once! Lose yourself in me, just once. Dipping my hands, I ran them across my hips, loving the beat of the music pumping in my chest.

A strong body moulded itself behind me. I swayed against it as hands found my waist. Evelyn was beaming at me. Had it worked? Was Darce behind me? The hands tightened in warning as I ground my ass against the body. It had to be Darce!

Spinning, I had to blink twice. The guy was attractive, with short dark hair and tattoos, but he wasn’t Darce. “Hey, I’m Charlie,” the guy smirked, cupping my face with his hand. “And you are sexy as hell.” Leaning down, he pulled me closer and pressed his lips against mine.

It was wrong, I shouldn’t have been kissing this guy, but the moment his lips met mine, I pictured Darce. Gasping into his mouth, I wrapped my arms around his neck as his fingers dug into my asscheeks. I let out a low groan, not realising how much I needed this. To feel Darce hard against me. Wait ... This wasn’t Darce ! It was Evelyn’s friend, Charlie.

Pulling back, I climbed off him. When did I even mount him?

“Sorry,” I stressed, looking around. Darce was nowhere to be seen. Shit!

“No need to apologise,” Charlie replied, licking his lips as he gazed over my body. “We can do more of that if you want.”

“I...I...” Where the fuck was Darce? “I need to pop to the restroom. I’ll be right back.” Evelyn gave me a concerned look as I walked past her and Danny. “Just a restroom break. I’ll be back,” I assured her.

After splashing myself with some water, I looked at my reflection in the mirror. Evelyn was right, I did look sexy as hell tonight. If Darce couldn’t see that, fuck him! Charlie was definitely my type and not afraid to touch me. Why shouldn’t I have some fun?

Walking back into the club, I spotted Charlie dancing with Evelyn and Danny. As I was about to head to them, a voice came from behind me. “That guy? Really, Alora?” Darce’s tone was patronising. “Theo had to leave. He couldn’t cope watching you make out with that asshole.”

“What’s wrong with him?” I seethed, turning around. I instantly got lost in the shimmer in his dark eyes that was being reflected by the lights in the club. Why was he so damn beautiful!

“You mean what’s right with him.”

“At least he’s not afraid to touch me !”

“That’s a low blow, even for you,” Darce winced, looking down at my lips. “Don’t do this, Alora.”

“Are you going to touch me?”

“You know, I can’t.”

“Fine! You can watch another man’s hands all over me instead. This was your choice , Darce,” I spat.

Darce was calling after me but I didn’t turn back. I made my way straight toward Charlie and fell into his open arms, crashing my lips against his. As I wrapped my arms around his neck, Charlie lifted me off the ground and spun me around. “Well, that was what I call a kiss,” he smirked against my mouth, running his hands down my back. “Did you want to get out of here?”

“Can we dance for a little bit?” I was busy scanning the crowd for Darce, desperate for him to chase after me and yank me away from Charlie. Disappointment filled me when I wasn’t worth chasing after. Darce had gone.

I spent the next few hours drinking and dancing with Evelyn, Danny and Charlie. Making the best of a shit situation, I downed a few shots. It wasn’t enough to make me forget what I was doing, but enough to numb the pain of Darce walking out on me. I couldn’t even blame him, though. I’d made out with another guy in front of him. Why would he have stayed?

Charlie hadn’t been able to keep his hands off me the last few hours. It wasn’t unwanted attention—it felt nice to have a man desire me—but his fingers were getting a little close to the inside of my thigh. Did I want this? I was confused. My mind felt more fucked than usual.

“Did you want to take this party elsewhere?” Charlie’s voice dripped with sexual promise as his fingers grazed my cheek. “As sexy as you look in this dress, I was hoping for a glimpse of you out of it.”

“I don’t do normal hookups. I’m more of a fuck outside girl. I don’t like going back to guys' places.”

“There is an alley out the back. I’m down for that if you are?” Maybe I needed to do this to get Darce out of my mind. I’d fucked plenty of guys down the back of an alley. What was so different about that now? Darce was never going to touch me the way I craved. What was I waiting for?

“Sure,” I smirked, giving Evelyn the signal that Charlie and I were leaving. She was almost dry humping Danny in the corner of the dance floor. It wouldn’t be long until they left the club, too. Evelyn had already said she’d go to Danny’s so I’d have the apartment to myself if I wanted to bring Charlie back. It wouldn’t happen, but at least I’d get a peaceful night's rest.

Following Charlie outside, he turned down a side street and led me into a dark alley.

“You are so fucking sexy,” he purred, pushing me against the wall. His lips began to travel down my neck. I tried to enjoy it, but they weren’t the soft lips I craved. Charlie’s lips were rough and moving too quickly down my body. “I’m going to fuck this pussy of yours so hard.” Charlie’s hand moved under my dress and caressed my panties. No, this was wrong! I didn’t want this.

“Wait!” I cried. I tried to push him off but he wasn’t budging. He hooked his fingers inside my panties, and I felt him brush over the top of my entrance. “No!” This time when I pushed him, he stumbled back a little.

“Alora, don’t be a cock tease!” Charlie fumed. “Danny told me you were a sure thing.”

“You disgusting asshole!”

“You’ve been all over me the entire night. You want me, admit it!” Charlie was circling me like I was his prey. This wasn’t the version of him I’d seen in the club.

“Not anymore! Let me fucking pass!” Charlie blocked me, pushing me back as I tried to escape. “Let me go you asshole!”

“I like this feisty side of you.” He reached out, trying to free one of my breasts from my dress. I slapped his hand away. “I enjoy this game.”

“Don’t fucking touch me, you motherfucker!” I seethed, hitting at his chest. He was as solid as a rock. I couldn’t move him. Panic began to set in as he circled my waist, pulling me deeper into the dark alley. What had I done?

“I suggest you let her go.” A voice came from behind Charlie. One that I instantly recognised. As Charlie turned towards the voice, his grip on me loosened. I used that moment to spin around and knee him hard in the balls. Charlie fell like a sack of potatoes.

“Asshole!” I snarled, kicking him hard in the stomach before I rushed toward the safety of Darce.

“And I was thinking I’d have to be the vicious one.” Darce tilted his head, watching Charlie squirm around on the ground in agony. “I was looking forward to punching him. You ruin all my fun.”

“Don’t say a word,” I threatened, storming past him as embarrassment threatened to overwhelm me.

“Alora, wait!” Darce called me, and I couldn’t help but stop at his command. “You’re shaking.” Slipping out of his coat, he wrapped it around me before studying my face. “Did he hurt you?” My eyes began to water. Pure, burning, anger blazed in his eyes. “I’ll kill him!”

“No, it was my fault. I was leading him on. I got cold feet when he started to touch me.”

“Scum like him don’t deserve to breathe the same air as you. None of that was your fault.”

“I feel like such an idiot,” I muttered, starting to walk away. Charlie was still squirming on the ground where he fucking belonged. My apartment was only a few blocks away, but Darce followed me anyway. It seemed he was making sure I got home safe.

“I did try and warn you.”

“How did you know he was an asshole, anyway?” I frowned, turning to look at him. Really look at him. Without his coat, Darce was in black trousers and a fitted, long sleeve, grey shirt. The bottom of his tattoo was poking out of his cuffs. His hair was an unruly mess, and his face...it was heavenly. He took my breath away.

“I’m good at reading people,” he shrugged, not taking his eyes off me. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

“My ego is a little bruised, but I’ll live.”

“Your ego? ”

“I thought you had left. Where were you in the club?” I suddenly wondered, realising I hadn’t seen him for hours.

“I was around. Stop avoiding the question. Why was your ego bruised?”

“Oh, because you never avoid questions?” I was arguing with him again, but I’d take this over another man’s lips and hands on me any day. That much I knew was true. This sexual desire I had...Darce was the only person that could satisfy it. My need , my infatuation , my fantasies: Darce was the inspiration for all of them.

“Holy E...Alora, answer the question!” Oh, I had really gotten to him. We were outside my apartment now. I didn’t have to answer anything. “Don’t you dare think about going inside and not telling me.”

“Goodnight.” I smiled sweetly, handing him back his coat.

Rage burned deep in his eyes, but there was something else—something half crazed and maddening—blistering to the surface.

“Damn it!” In an instant, Darce dropped his coat, pinned me against the wall, and crashed his lips urgently against mine.