Dancing with Temptation

Rune

About A Month Later

Rubbing my hands over my temples, I tried to block out the din surrounding me, the strobing lights hurting my eyes, but I’d promised my friend I would come out tonight while the kids were at their sleepovers for the weekend.

The nightclub, Verve, had different colored strobe lights to complement the loud music, and thrashing bodies filled the dancefloor to the brim, all moving to the hypnotic beat that was pumping through the numerous speakers that I’d seen spaced strategically around the large open area.

Sliding down from the bar stool as I kept a hand at the hem of my dress, worried about the too-short skirt riding up any further, I was regretting my moment of weakness de novo.

I was feeling self-conscious with the clothes I’d let my friend pick out for me, trusting her to dress me appropriately for the unfamiliar venue, and the makeup wasn’t helping anything either, the bold colors making me stand out when I would much rather blend in with my surroundings.

I’d never seen the point in bothering to learn how to put the shit on, much preferring to use that extra time in the morning to sleep in. Plus, who had money for stuff like that anyway?

She’d gone overboard with applying it, and the bright red lipstick she’d selected was difficult to forget about as traces of it was left stuck to the glass that I was sipping my Coke out of, though it was rum and Coke for all Kira knew.

Not to mention, the little black number I presently had on was courtesy of Kira too, or Kiki as she insisted on being called. Still, I wasn’t naïve enough to believe she’d simply had this dress laying around collecting dust.

We’d been best friends since kindergarten, but our body shapes were vastly different. I was a skinny, white girl without much in the way of curves, but Kiki was African American and was considerably more blessed in certain departments than I was.

I hated the idea of her spending her money on me to buy this dress and the makeup that matched my own lighter skin tone, and I tried to tell her I would pay her back again as she led me towards the dance floor.

Cutting me off as she spun in place, she leaned in to yell in my ear so I could hear over the sound of the thumping bass from the stereo, “I already told you to forget about it. If you need to do something to make yourself feel better, then dance with me! You never come out, and you need to loosen up, maybe get laid tonight.”

She’d said the last part as she pulled back, shooting me a conspiratorial look as a saucy smile lit up her features.

“Kiki!” I shrieked, glancing around to see if anyone had heard her, but the music drowned out the relative murmur of our voices.

I registered the comical look in her emerald orbs, but she only rolled her eyes at my protest as she went on, “It’s been over a month since you kicked Damien’s sorry ass to the curb, and I know you weren’t sleeping with him for months prior to that. You can’t forget about yourself while trying to rescue everyone else, Rune.”

Her unusually profound words took a minute to sink in, even if she was wrong about how long it’d been since I’d been intimate with anyone, the length of time extending much further than she’d assumed.

Jostling bodies bumped into us as the dancefloor swelled to envelop us, the tension dispersing as the beat did its thing, working its way through our bodies.

Kiki was a party animal as far as I was concerned, and too irresponsible for my tastes most times, but she’d been by my side through all the pain and suffering I’d endured throughout my childhood, always there to haul me out of my own world when I got too lost in the future I was building for my kids and me brick by brick.

My homelife had been total shit growing up, and school had been my escape, taking every opportunity presented to be outside the four walls I was forced to call home.

As a result, I never took risks, and rarely took time for myself. Roman and Isla had been my sole focus aside from school and work for the past month, and the emotional toll was beginning to get to me.

Maybe Kiki was right, and I did need to cut loose, at least for one night. The kids were safe, and I knew everything else could wait for a short time while I decompressed and enjoyed myself for once.

Without giving myself a chance to find a flaw in my reasoning, I closed my eyes, just letting myself move to the music. It wasn’t long before I felt two strong hands grab onto my waist, but I didn’t open my eyes, continuing to sway to the beat as electricity sparked through me.

The smell of mint invaded my senses as I swayed, spurring me to open my eyes, and I caught a glimpse of Kiki’s shit-eating grin as I spun to wrap my arms around my partner’s neck, getting my first look at the stunning, dark-skinned male who’d moved in on me from behind.

His hair was short, and I instantly wanted to run my hands through the tight, black curls on top of his head. Deep, soulful brown eyes scorched me with their intensity as a slower song came on, and I loved feeling the man’s body moving against mine as we danced together.

I didn’t usually find myself attracted to men outside of my race, but I was mesmerized by the man gliding his capable hands over my body. I returned the favor, pressing up against his muscled chest as a bolt of heat rushed through me, straight to my rapidly heating center.

One-night stands were so far out of my realm, I didn’t even know how to go about making something like that happen, but I realized I would be up for just about anything this man wanted in the moment.

I’d already forgotten about the rest of the noisy nightclub, content in our own little bubble as I let my hands explore his strong shoulders and broad back. This was dangerous territory for me.

Kiki might have been on to something when she’d said I was sex-deprived because all I could think about was what this guy would look like naked, how he would fuck. Damien had been horrible in bed, and I was thinking I deserved a night of fun for once in my life.

Realizing I couldn’t keep calling him “this guy” in my head, I leaned up on my tiptoes, still struggling to reach his ear despite my five-foot seven height, to yell over the music, “I’m Rune.”

As I’d predicted, he responded with his own name, saying, “Shane.”

He had to be at least half a foot taller than me, and I damn near swooned as he nipped at my sensitive earlobe, soothing the hurt with his tongue before he murmured in my ear, “Do you want t…. somewhere quieter…. we can talk, gorgeous?”

It was hard to pick up on all his words over the racket surrounding us, but I registered enough to understand what he was asking.

A flicker of uncertainty washed over me, but it dissipated just as swiftly as it had appeared. I didn’t have much experience in this department, only one male to be precise, but I was forcing myself to be brave tonight, knowing it would be good for me to step out of my comfort zone every now and then.

Eagerly agreeing, Shane chuckled as he snaked an arm around my middle, keeping me securely against his side as we waded through the people still writhing to the beat around us.

I cast a look around for my friend, making eye contact with her green orbs through the flashing lights, and I shot her a thumbs up as Shane continued steering me off the dancefloor. She was surrounded by males vying for her attention, so I didn’t feel too bad about leaving her to her own devices. I was taking her advice after all.

Shane and I were halfway to the door before I knew it, and anticipation was bubbling up with his possessive hold on my hip. Alas, it appeared my night of excitement was not to be.

Shane guided us outside, the cool wind making me shiver as it met my exposed skin, but I heard his phone ringing as soon as we’d escaped the clamor from inside.

Giving me an apologetic look, he stepped away to take the call, and my hope for the evening fully vanished as I took in his agitated demeanor before he’d hung up.

At least I could tell he was as troubled about our failed venture as I was, and I reluctantly gave him my phone number, after some added insistence from him when my nerves threatened to get the better of me that was.

Then, he’d disappeared in the fancy sports car that I’d been eying when Kiki and I’d arrived earlier, leaving me feeling less than stellar after his speedy retreat.

Shane had seemed nice, and there was no questioning whether he enticed me from a purely physical standpoint. Howbeit, I had two kids and a mountain of responsibilities to handle before I even wanted to consider looking for another relationship.

I’d given him my number, but I highly doubted it would go further than that. I rubbed my hands over the goosebumps on my arms, trying to decide what I wanted to do now.

Kiki had driven us here, but I didn’t want to wait around for half the night until she was ready to go or be a third wheel for that matter. The bouncer at the door ignored me as I waffled, but he did open the door for me when I opted to go back inside.

Returning to the bar, I ordered a rideshare as I waited for the same bartender who’d taken my order before. I briefly toyed with the idea of getting a true rum and Coke to make up for the letdown of the night, but I knew myself well enough to know I would regret it later.

With Kiki distracted on the dancefloor, I was able to order my drink without the level of deceit, but I still had the bartender put my soda in the same glass as he would have for a true mixed drink in case she happened to wonder over before I’d left.

I rarely drank due to my upbringing, but Kiki didn’t take no for an answer when we came out on nights like this, which was part of the reason they were so few and far in between.

It was a hassle talking to the bartenders while she was otherwise engaged, but it was easier than arguing with her about it for a few hours or putting up with her childish behavior when she didn’t get her way.

Zoning out as I checked a few emails from work, I sipped on my Coke as I passed the time until my ride showed up. I’d given up on the silly notion of going home with a stranger for the night, so I wasn’t paying attention to the lively atmosphere around me.

Nonetheless, that seemingly didn’t mean that someone else wasn’t watching me, and I felt myself straighten perceptibly as a good-looking man with disheveled honey-blonde hair and a confident gait helped himself to the bar stool next to me.