Page 13

I HAVE TO SWITCH A few buses to get to the right place, but as I walk down the dark alley that leads to the club, I wonder if I should go back home and forget about the whole thing. The alley stinks of mud and piss, and if it weren’t for the huge neon sign with the club’s name, I wouldn’t even know where I was going.

It’s cold too, but only because I dressed up for the occasion. Maybe Victor won’t even recognize me because I’m wearing makeup—just some eyeliner and red lipstick—a black leather miniskirt, matching jacket, and red top. I also put a choker around my neck.

People who see the regular me all the time would probably be shocked, but I like wearing sexy stuff. Sebastian would flip that I’m not looking sweet and good enough in his book and call me all kinds of derogatory terms. I’m so, so glad I’m no longer the girl who would cry, apologize, and go change.

There’s a huge line in front of the entrance, and I inwardly groan. Who knows how much it costs to get inside? And I don’t even know if Victor will be here. It could all be for nothing.

The line moves so slowly that I end up doom scrolling through the news on my phone. Just as I reach the entrance, I find a photo of Victor and me in the classroom. Someone actually took a photo of me when I confronted him after his presentation.

Luckily, it’s just a photo and not a video, but I thought we were alone. Ugh. The caption says: look how desperate she is! And I want to scream because everyone in the comment section seems to think I’m chasing Victor. If someone sees me here, they’ll definitely think they’re right. But it doesn’t matter. Victor needs to leave me alone.

“Hey, are you Victor’s friend?” someone asks, and I realize the guy has been staring at the screen of my phone and the photo.

“Oh yeah, I’m his friend.” I flash him a smile, my tone of voice completely sarcastic.

“Then why are you waiting here with everyone else?” The guy grabs a pink VIP bracelet and ties it around my wrist. “He’s upstairs.”

The guy moves away from the door to let me in. I stare at him in shock for a moment, wondering if it’s some kind of prank. But then I walk past him and go inside.

What the hell just happened? Does Victor somehow know I’m here? There are probably cameras, but how could anyone recognize me and tell Victor? Because I don’t think he’s spending his time staring at the cameras when he’s here.

I don’t know what’s going on, but I’m in, and I didn’t have to spend a fortune for it, so I don’t care. As I push through the dancing crowd, I spot the stairway that leads upstairs to the VIP area.

The guard just nods at me as he sees my bracelet, and I climb up. The VIP area is nicer than the rest of the club. Some people are dancing, but most are sitting and drinking. And kissing. There’s a lot of making out. Hot people everywhere.

And then I see him.

Victor is sandwiched between two beautiful women on a sofa. One of them is tracing her hand down his shoulder, and I grit my teeth. He’s having the time of his life here, isn’t he?

His gaze lifts to mine, and surprise flickers through his eyes. Then his lips spread into a wide smile. He mouths something to me as he moves his hand up the woman’s bare leg.

It could be you.

Is that what he’s saying?

His gaze never leaves me as his hand travels under the woman’s miniskirt. She throws her head back, a look of pure bliss on her face, but Victor doesn’t seem to care about her at all.

It could be you.

The sentence hangs in my brain. With Sebastian, I was too young and naive to know what he really was. With Victor, I know exactly what he is, and yet, here I am, letting my mind imagine what it would feel like if he was touching me like that.

Heat spreads through me. Damn him and his pretty face.

I can’t do this. Tearing my gaze away from him, I look around. I stride to the first guy who’s dancing alone and join him. The guy smiles at me as I get closer to him. We sway in rhythm with the music and I close my eyes.

But it’s Victor’s face that I see in my mind as the guy’s hand brushes my waist. Unbelievable. Maybe I should hook up with someone to forget about him. Guys like him promise a lot but don’t deliver much.

Since he doesn’t seem to care about the women he’s hooking up with, why would he care about me? I can’t imagine he’d satisfy my needs.

Someone whooshes past me, and my eyes fly open. I gasp. The guy who was dancing with me is gone. Victor holds him by the shirt, his fist lifted up.

What the fuck is he doing? I don’t think the guy did anything, except got close to me. I sigh. Sebastian 2.0.

Well, I’m done. I stride toward a hallway I can see behind the bar. Maybe there’s a restroom somewhere. If Victor thinks I left, then maybe he’ll relax and I can catch him doing something he shouldn’t, but I have to make sure he doesn’t see me. Why would he attack that guy like that, though? Maybe I should’ve recorded it.

The hallway leads to another hallway, and I’m not sure which way to go because there aren’t any restroom signs.

Someone grabs my arm, yanking me back. My breath leaves me as Victor presses me against the wall.

“What the fuck are you doing?” he asks, his icy eyes trained on mine.

He’s so close. Way too close.

“I should be asking you the same thing.” Surprisingly, my voice is mostly steady.

His chest rapidly rises and falls as his gaze lowers to my mouth.

“I know you want me. It’s written all over your face,” he says, his fingers hovering over my cheek, but not quite touching me.

The heat between us increases.

“That’s not true,” I say.

“Liar,” he whispers into my ear as he pushes his body against mine. “If I kissed you right now, we wouldn’t even make it to a room.”

He traces his finger over my choker, and I can barely breathe as he presses his thumb against my neck.

“You’d beg me to fuck you.”

“Never.” I glare at him.

He smiles. It’s that slow, wide smile, like the cat that ate the canary. “Then let me prove you wrong.”

It’s a challenge. I can see it in his eyes. And I should push him away and go home. But I also want to prove to him and to myself that he’s wrong. Yes, I find him attractive, but that’s all. He’s ruining it because he is who he is.

“Go ahead.” I smile back.

It’s a bit risky, but there are plenty of people here. The music is loud, but if I scream, there’s no way someone won’t hear me.

“Are you sure?” He tilts his head.

I guess I managed to surprise him. Yay me. Now I just have to resist whatever it is that he’s going to do and pretend I don’t care.

My lack of reaction will hurt him more than anything else. The question is, can I stay calm and cold? I hope so. All I have to do is think about all the things he’s done to me so far. There’s nothing attractive about that.

“Yes, I’m sure. And I’m also sure that no matter what you do, I won’t feel a thing.” I grin at him.

A second later, he grabs me and spins me around. My face is resting against the cold wall, and Victor catches my wrists. He splays my hands against the wall, keeping them covered with his. His strong body pushes against mine, and I can feel his erection rubbing against my ass.

Oh hell. A jolt of desire shoots through me as he runs his hands down my arms. I want to ignore the pressure forming between my legs, but it’s impossible.

“See? If I ripped your panties and buried myself deep inside you right here and now, you wouldn’t care if anyone was watching.”

“Don’t rip my panties,” I breathe.

My body is on fire, but I don’t want to go back home without my panties. Besides, I’m wearing my nice ones. That stuff is expensive, and I bet Victor isn’t going to offer to pay me for a replacement.

Really? That’s your only problem and not the fact that he—

He runs his hands up my thighs, pushing my miniskirt up. I glance down the hallway, but I can’t see anyone. Oh hell.

He rubs his fingers over me through my panties.

“You’re dripping wet,” he says, and I groan, but it’s more a groan of pleasure than a complaint.

He’s right. There’s something about the way he’s touching me. He explores the sensitive skin of my thighs and then he pulls my hips back, spreading my legs. I hold on to the wall.

Victor’s fingers hook into the waistband of my panties, and I tense. But he pulls them down my legs so slowly that I think I’m going to burst.

I’m completely exposed, and I don’t care. I just need something to douse the fire inside me. Victor moves behind me, and I’m worried he’s going to pull out his phone or do something else to prove that I shouldn’t trust him with myself like this.

But then I feel his mouth on me, his tongue spreading my folds. A moan tears its way out of my throat.

It shouldn’t feel this good. Whatever his tongue is doing to me right now shouldn’t bring me so much pleasure.

Victor digs his fingers into my thighs, keeping me in place, as he fucks me with his tongue. I rock my hips, wanting more. Needing him deeper.

But the flicks of his tongue over my clit send me over the edge, and I try to muffle my cry, but I fail.

My insides are throbbing with my release while Victor pulls up my panties and lowers my skirt. I’m still gasping for breath when he spins me around. He places his hand on my cheek, and then his lips are on mine.

“Victor!” someone says.

Victor instantly tenses and jerks away from me.

I glance at the man walking toward us. It’s his father.

“Get the fuck out of here,” Victor hisses, shoving me.

I furrow my brow at the sudden change in his mood, but I don’t want to be here with his father either, so I force my feet to move. My steps are a little weird because I’m wearing heels, and I’m not used to them.

And the orgasm Victor just gave me... Yeah, my head is still spinning.

“You’ll pay me for that,” Jake says, and I glance over my shoulder at him and Victor.

For that ? Does he mean me? What?

Jake pulls out something that looks like a white card, maybe a keycard, and hands it to Victor, whose face is completely serious. He takes the card and heads in the opposite direction.

I quicken my steps to get out of here before Jake can catch up with me and ask me anything. Maybe he wouldn’t even ask, just threaten me to stay away from his son.

And I should.

I should totally stay away from his damn son.