By the time the bouncer lifts the rope and allows me in, I’m desperate for a fucking drink. I make a beeline for the bar and order a scotch. I swallow it down in one, enjoying the burn and waiting for the warmth to hit me.
“Another?” the bartender shouts when I slam the glass down.
Shaking my head, I spin around and go in search of who I really came here for.
I locate the stairs and head down. As I descend, the chaos from above begins to quiet, and when I push through the doors to this section, I find the music is completely different. Gone are the fast-paced club tracks that were filling my ears, and instead a low, sexy R&B vibe sounds out.
It’s quieter down here, but it still takes me longer than I would like to find her. She’s dancing with her friend, who’s in another minuscule dress. I smile as I watch them letting go to the beat of the music.
I walk to the bar and order myself another while I watch them. Harlow has a wide smile on her face as she moves her hips and lifts her arms above her head.
As her friend dances, I get my first proper look at Harlow. Her floral dress might be almost as short as her friend’s, especially with her arms up, but that’s where the similarities end. She wasn’t wrong last night when she said they couldn’t be more different.
I down my drink and wait a few seconds, but I can only hold off for so long. She pulls me in, in a way I’ve never experienced before. My need to run my hands over her, to sweep my tongue against hers and taste her once again is all-consuming.
I take two steps forward before her friend finds me approaching over Harlow’s shoulder. Her eyes run the length of me. Her interest is obvious, but my body doesn’t react to her attention one bit. It might have been a while, but she’s really not my type. Her friend, on the other hand… My cock swells from just watching her dance.
I’m only a few feet away when Harlow stills. She stares at her friend, who’s still smiling at me, before turning to look over her shoulder.
Her eyes land on me immediately as I continue my approach, but it takes a few seconds for Harlow to register that it’s me. When she does, her eyes go wide in shock, but to my delight, a smile curls at her full, red lips.
“What are you doing here?” she shouts over the music when I’m close enough.
“You invited me.” My brows pull together in confusion. That message definitely said it was her. I’m pretty certain I didn’t meet any other Harlows last night. I guess it explains the different number.
“No, I—” A thought hits her and her lips purse, but sadly, it’s not in preparation for a kiss. “Bailey,” she seethes, turning towards where her friend was just standing, only she’s gone. “What the…” We both find her at the same time, dancing with a guy only a few feet away. She notices our attention and smiles and waves, a cheeky glint sparkling in her eyes.
Blowing out a breath, Harlow turns to me. “I’m so sorry. As you can tell, it wasn’t me that invited you.”
“Well, I’m here now. Fancy a drink?” Harlow looks from me to her now very distracted friend.
“Sure, why not?” She takes a step around me and I place my hand on the small of her back as we make our way towards the bar. Her movement stills for a beat when my warmth hits her, but she doesn’t push me away like I first feared she might.
“Rum and Coke, right?” She smiles and nods beside me as I repeat our order to the bartender.
I don’t allow her to take the glass; instead I pick both up and turn. “Let’s go and find somewhere to sit.”
“There’s a quieter section around the corner.”
My eyes drop to her cleavage for a second, and my mouth waters. “Sounds perfect,” I mutter, my eyes finding hers once more. Her head tilts to the side, her brows rising in amusement but she doesn’t say anything. Instead, she spins and leads the way. I could swear there’s more of a spring in her step than there was earlier.
She comes to a stop beside a sofa that a few people are vacating.
“Here?”
“I’m easy.”
“Is that right?” The music is quieter back here, so I hear her as I fall down onto the sofa beside her.
“I guess that’s something you’re going to have to find out.” Her cheeks heat, but I don’t miss the darkening of her chestnut eyes.
I slide over so we’re close enough that her bare thigh has to press up against mine, and I rest my arm over the back out the sofa, temptingly close to pulling her into me.
“So what’s the occasion?” I ask, changing the topic for fear of coming on too strong and ruining my chances.
“Uh…” She stalls. “No occasion, just a night out to…”
“To?”
She sighs. “Forget.”
“Oh?” I ask, wondering if she’s about to open up. I’m usually not one for all the talk, I’m more of an action guy. But as a conflicted look passes across her face, I can’t help but want to listen to all her worries. It freaks me the fuck out, but still, I stay put, my need to get to know her bigger than my need to run.
“It’s n-nothing. Just family stuff.”
“Ah, now that is something I know all about.” Reaching forward, I grab both of our drinks from the small table in front of us. “To forgetting.” I lift my glass, and after a second she taps hers to it.
I watch as she brings her drink to her lips and sips. Her eyes shutter slightly as the taste hits her and I find myself captivated.
“Not thirsty?” she asks when she lowers it once again and notices that I’ve not had any.
“Not so much.” Her eyes run over my face and focus on my lips when I run my tongue over my bottom one. “Last night wasn’t the same after you left.”
“No? Bailey didn’t keep you company?”
I laugh, because I’m sure she happily would have given the chance, but everyone kept her busy chatting and drinking before she had to be escorted into a car to get home.
“No. I was pretty lonely, to tell the truth.” I down my drink before placing the glass on the table and turning my attention to her.
“My heart bleeds,” she says with a smile.
“Maybe we could make up for it tonight.” Not able to keep my hands to myself any longer, I reach out and take her drink from her before I tuck a lock of her hair behind her ear. The connection I remember all too well from last night crackles between us the second our skin touches.
“I’m… um… not sure…”
“I thought you wanted to forget.” My hand wraps around the side of her neck, my fingers twisting in her hair and my thumb brushing her cheek.
“I do. But—”
“Let me help you,” I interrupt. “I know the perfect way to distract you from whatever it is putting that frown on your pretty face.”
“Corey, I—”
I lean forward and cut her words off with a brush of my lips. She stills, her breath coming out in a rush and tickling over my face. “Shush. Don’t think. Just feel.”
She nods ever so slightly and I make my move. My fingers tighten in her hair as I tilt her head to the side and seal my lips over hers. She shudders beneath me, and it’s all the encouragement I need.