3| LENORA

“What’s a beautiful woman like you doing alone in a place like this?” The man’s voice was smooth, low and confident.

I rolled my eyes and turned, ready to shoot down another hopeful suitor when my words got thoroughly stuck in my throat.

He was younger than me—barely in his mid-twenties, I guessed—wavy black hair that fell over his forehead and just nearly brushing over his eyelids, his face was beautifully sculpted, high cheekbones, sharp jaw, slender nose all joined together to create a masculine and yet somewhat feminine look. Beneath his oversized hoodie, I could tell he was well built and even with the multicoloured lights bouncing about the walls of the bar, his gold eyes managed to shine even though it was faintly.

But it wasn’t his good looks that got to me, it was him, as a person. Something within me stirred at his presence, I wanted to get closer to him, I wanted to know everything about him, my body seemed to burn from him and there was this movement under my skin, this sensation that I could almost grasp if it didn’t keep slipping away before I could do so.

It was like the music went quieter and everyone else faded away till it was just us at the bar. My lips parted, before slamming shut again.

Something about the way he was looking at me confused me. Maybe I should have pushed him away and ignored him, but I just couldn’t, the mere thought of him being far away caused this odd pain in my chest.

“What makes you think I’m here alone?” I asked, my tone cold and my expression unfriendly.

I wouldn’t ignore him, but I wouldn’t encourage him either. I came here tonight to find a way to get rid of the tension that was plaguing me, ahead of my resumption at Lupine Moon University as a professor. It’s been years since I was involved in anything regarding academia and I was nervous.

I thought a bar would be a good option, with people around me and a good drink, I wouldn’t have time to think, but that hadn’t been working. If anything it made me more nervous.

At least, that was until this guy showed up, I couldn’t find those nervous emotions anymore.

He smirked, refusing to be deterred. “Because no one here looks like they’re good enough to sit beside you.”

My eyebrows lifted, and I felt something akin to amusement. “Is that so?”

He sat on the stool next to me, the same stool I just chased a burly man off a few minutes ago. “You don’t seem very social.”

“I’m not,” I replied stiffly, I barely had time to learn to be social, in my previous life. I was raised to be the Luna, nothing more, nothing less. No time for interactions, no time for friends, nothing.

“Why’d you come to a bar then? It’s not exactly a secluded place,” he said, his gaze intently fixed on me.

I shouldn’t be getting so flustered under his gaze, but I, in fact, was.

“Sometimes, you try something new,” I shrugged. “I needed the distraction.”

“Well that do you know? We’re here for the same reason,” his grin was wide and lopsided, an attempt at seeming carefree, but I could see the tension and darkness practically hovering over him.

I softened a little. “And what do you need distraction from?”

He shook his head. “You first.”

I watched him wave over the bartender and order drinks for both of us. I couldn’t help but notice the way the bartender hurried to tend to him.

I took the drink with a small smile and emptied half the glass before responding. “I’m just a little nervous. I just moved to this pack. I got a new job recently and it’s been a while since I’ve really worked, so I’m antsy. I could sit still at home, my thoughts were a mess, so I came here. I thought a drink and some noise would help but…”

I shrugged.

He nodded slowly, I could tell he wanted to ask more, but he didn’t. His gaze flickered from my face, down to my body. I didn’t have anything suitable for a club, so I just came dressed in whatever. But from the way he was looking at me, I might as well as be dressed in a low cut dress.

Heat raced over my skin and his gaze flickered back up, slowly he took a sip of whiskey.

“You seem competent,” he smiled again, crooked and disarming. “I think you’ll do great at your job.”

“Thanks,” why were his words so reassuring? I had no fucking clue. “Now, what about you?”

He smiled and took another sip of alcohol. “I messed up and let everyone down. My teammates, my bestfriend, my dad…”

He stopped there, jaw clenching and unclenching.

But, he didn’t need to say more, I understood.

“I just needed to stop thinking, at least for a while,” he smiled again, but there was nothing sincere about it.

“Well, here’s to distractions,” I lifted the glass and clinked it against his with a small smile, we downed our glasses and I smiled pleasantly at the buzz that started in my head. “What’s your name?”

He paused, then met my gaze as though expecting something. “Elijah.”

I nodded. “Lenora.”

Something crossed his expression before he leaned forward and smirked. The space between us felt too much, I wanted to get closer, I didn’t even realise I was also leaning forward until our faces were inches apart. My heart was racing and from the way his eyes dropped to my chest, it was clear he could hear it.

“Wanna dance?” He asked, his voice low, sultry and suggestive.

Alarm bells went off in my head, but the alcohol and the need to continuously interact with him spurred me on and I was nodding before I could stop myself. He stood and extended a hand, I took it and he led me to the dance floor.

The beat of the music was slow, almost haunting, the dim lighting casting a sultry glow over the dance floor. The air was thick with tension, as we stepped onto the dance floor, around us, people swayed to the music, glued together as they followed the sultry beat.

Elijah’s hands drifted to my waist, then lower to my hips, pulling me closer until every inch of my soft flesh was pressed against the hardness of his. My hands gripped his arms, our eyes locked as we moved, our bodies flushed together, his grip was firm, guiding me as we moved almost fluidly, in sync with each other the way two strangers probably shouldn’t.

But I didn’t care, the alcohol, the tension, the heat that scalded my skin in his presence, at his touch, it was intoxicating and I wanted more. I needed more.

Elijah’s gaze darkened and his pupils dilated, he turned me around this time so my back was flush against his front, our hips grinding against each other as we moved. I swayed my hips and he let out a strangled breath.

I felt his breath on my neck, hot and uneven, his lips brushing softly against my skin. A tremor ran through me, subtle but unmistakable, and I pressed my hips a little closer to his, the friction building with every pulse of the music. I could feel the evidence of his arousal, thick and hot, pressing against my back and I ground against him even more, causing his breathing to go raged.

I clenched my thighs, trying to ease the ache that was building there, I’d never felt like this before, heady, needy for touch… usually I tried to avoid physical contact, but I didn’t even flinch when one of his hands trailed up from my hip to just beneath my breasts, brushing against the underside.

“Lenora,” he whispered into my ear, his voice thick, hoarse with need. “Do you want to go somewhere else?”

“I-” I breathed, I shut my eyes. I should say no, but he was everywhere. His scent was overwhelming, his touch was sending sparks ricocheting off me. Just one night, I needed this. “Okay… yeah, let’s go.”

He let out a short breath, then pulled away, dragging me along with him through the crowd of swaying bodies and up the stairs to what seemed like a private section of the club.

The moment we were alone, our lips slammed against each other, a groan ripped from his chest, he tugged off my clothes. His hands were everywhere, exploring, teasing… those damn sparks swept over my skin over and over again.

I wasn’t sure when we got into a room, but soon, I was on the bed, my shirt unbuttoned, my slacks unzipped, my hair was loose and my breathing was shallow. My panties were soaked and my nipples were ridiculously hard, brushing against the lacy material of my bra.

Elijah was on top, staring down at me with an almost crazed sort of need in his eyes. His gaze slipped from my face down to my exposed chest, his hand followed the movement. “Lenora…”

I loved the way he said my name, the pronunciation, the tinge of desperation…

I reached up to capture his lips with mine.