Chapter 2 TWO

Chapter Two

Lena’s POV

The bass at the club thrums through my bones, heavy and alive. The lights swirl, the crowd pulses, and for the first time tonight, I feel less like a broken toy and more like a woman on the edge of something dangerous.

“Confidence booster?” I shout over the music, tugging Avery’s sleeve.

She smirks. “You got it.”

A shot glass lands in my hand, filled to the brim with liquid fire. I down it in one go, coughing, then demand another. Soon, the alcohol is humming in my blood, buzzing in my veins.

That’s when I see him.

He’s leaning against the VIP railing like he owns the world—broad shoulders under a dark suit, hair silver at the temples, and sharp jawline set in a way that screams danger. He looks older, perhaps in his early forties, but he’s so fucking hot. His presence is magnetic, drawing every gaze in the room. Mine lingers the longest.

I elbow Avery. “Who is that?”

Her eyes widen. “Lena, no. He’s off-limits. That’s Sebastian, popularly known as Seb Embers. He’s… powerful, dangerous. The kind of man you don’t toy with. I think the Embers already spells it all. I assure you, you don’t want to get entangled.”

A flare of desire shoots through me, and Avery’s words only spur me on.

“I think that’s about just what I need,” I say, taking a last gulp of my wine and dropping the glass.

Avery groans, but before she can stop me, I’m already moving, a wave of confidence I have no idea I had coursing through me and propelling me forward.

The night is mine to have, and I don’t care how dangerous this man is; I’m having sex with him. Tonight.

He notices me. Of course he does. His gaze catches mine, sharp as a blade, lingering. A spark ignites in my chest. Someone tries to stop me as I get closer, his friend perhaps, but he tells the person to let me go.

“I couldn’t help but notice you from a distance. I think you’re really hot. Have a name?” I ask, surprised myself at how brazen I am, considering the fact that I’ve never done this.

His brow creases as he watches me with interest, and I wonder what is going on in his head.

“If you’re not going to tell me, I think I might just find you a moniker. Hot body? Gojo?” I ask, leaning in.

“Sebastian. How old are you?”

His question almost throws me off guard, but I school my features with a smile. “Old enough to know that I want to play with fire, as long as it’s yours. Mr. Embers?” I say, twirling a loose strand of my hair.

“You don’t know what you’re talking about.” His voice is deep and smooth, and it makes my insides flutter.

I offer a smile, and leaning even closer, I tug at his shirt. “I know exactly what I’m talking about. And more importantly, I know a man who wants me when I see one.” I bite down on my lower lip, my gaze sultry as I trace a finger down his hairy chest, which has some of the buttons out.

But he catches my hand before it can linger even a second longer. “I’ll warn you again, young lady, run while you still can. I’m sure your friend is eagerly waiting to receive you.” His fingers twirl around his glass, and he just toys with it, the content dancing in the glass, and he tears his gaze away from me, his eyes darting around as if looking for someone more interesting.

I quickly grab his attention again by taking his glass from him, and as I gulp down the rest of its contents, his gaze darkens.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

“Drinking. Your drink tastes better than what I had. I think I want another glass,” I say, checking the now empty glass and beckoning the bartender to give me a glass, but he doesn’t answer. He looks at the man instead.

“No. You’re not getting any other one. You’re drunk, and I think you should go home,” he says.

“And what if I don’t? What are you going to do about it? Take me home with you?” I say with a broken laugh, and in one swift move, he wraps a hand around my waist, pulling me closer.

His gaze darkens, and I see raw desire in his eyes. Good! I’m getting somewhere. “You’re playing a very dangerous game, woman, and if you don’t want to get burned, you’ll leave now,” he says, his breath soft against my skin.

“I’m not scared of danger, especially when it comes in the form of a man as fucking hot as the one in front of me.”

As if I just removed his last string of restraint, he clamps his mouth around mine, and I straddle him, my hands wrapping around his neck. He kisses me like he means it, and I kiss him back, tasting the wine on his lips. I press closer against his body, and our tongues intertwine and dance. He groans on my lips, and in the next minute, he’s holding me up against the wall in the VIP section. His hand rests on my ass, and I wrap my legs around his waist. I splay my fingers on his chest and arch my neck as he kisses me there, earning a moan from me. I can feel his bulge pressing against my belly, hard and ready.

He kisses my earlobes, and when his hands squeeze my breasts, a moan rips from my throat. I hug him closer to me, but he pins my hands above my head with one hand, while the other explores my body.

I feel dizzy, and my eyes roll to the back of my head. He trails kisses down my body, and in the next minute, he grabs my jaw to give me another searing kiss. My head is spinning, the effect of the wine threatening to overpower the desire in me, but I don’t want him to stop. I moan into his mouth, and he squeezes my ass.

This man is like sin itself. I can’t breathe. Then, my hands are free, and I reach for the buckle of his belt, my hand slightly brushing against his erection as I do so.

“No. I’m not going to fuck you here,” he says.

Huh?

My eyes are cloudy, and he leads me out of the club, and the rest of the events pass in a blur.