Chapter 3

The hairs at the back of my neck rose as a man took the seat beside me despite the other chairs being unoccupied. There was the cologne as well as the nice scent of a hot male. I didn’t dare to look though. 

Wordlessly the bartender kept an empty glass over to the nice smelling stranger and started pouring something right into it. I looked up, the way I was taught to admire a person’s features without them knowing as Lillian Harper taught me. I shouldn’t be caught looking unless in one particular situation; if the person being admired is smokin’ hot there’s no term that describes their attractiveness. 

Well, stranger here has a slightly crooked nose like it got broken in a fight, his perfectly defined jaw could cut glass. Fuck his side view is perfection itself. 

Then he turned and subjected me to a stare. A wordless stare filled with so many words. All I could do was stare back at the adonis who stared at me as though he had the right to look his fill.

I panicked like a deer caught in headlights while trying to maintain my composure which was nowhere to be found. If his sideview was perfection I have no idea what term best describes the whole of his face. 

He caught me unabashedly taking his features in giving him the impression that I was an idiot who’s swept away by his masculinity. A reaction he probably gets from every other female.

Ever the one possessing of the sharp tongued one I parted my lips to berate him only to find myself tongue tied, the thing felt heavy in my mouth. I felt dumb, cursed myself for acting like a simpy fool. So I cleared my throat and said the first thing that came to my mind. 

"Horses or cars?" 

Wait. What? The fuck just left my mouth? 

If I felt embarrassed over getting caught gawking at him I feel downright humiliated by showing him exactly how dumb I could be when my wits are scattered. 

"Horses." 

Usually I roll my eyes when people in movies get tongue-tied over other people's beauty claiming it doesn't ever happen because it's too cringeworthy and cliché to be true. 

Right now my judgmental self is murmuring "In your face bitch" into my left ear. 

The Adonis who fucked with my senses within a few seconds and had no idea he did a thing took a gulp of his drink. His Adam's Apple bobbed twice and I was too entranced to not look. He dropped the now empty glass and held a finger to ward the bartender off like he Goddamned owns the place. 

How controlling these rich men are. 

From the looks of it stranger here is one of the sinfully rich dudes that Bipasha plan corporate parties for. One wonders how she doesn't have a few babies if she actually caters to people who look like this. He's all sin and seduction without making a single move. 

"All alone?" He asked curtly. His voice made me squeeze my thighs. Maybe the girls are right. I need to be laid. 

"I came with my two friends, there's one," I pointed at where Bi was standing earlier with the other guy and found no one there. Did a little scan and found none of my friends. "She must've moved away while I wasn't looking. The other disappeared a few minutes ago." 

He nodded, taking in my rambling. 

"You're the designated driver?" He asked again, turning in his seat to face me fully. 

Instinctively I rose a bit on my seat without having it look too obvious that I was trying to impress hot dude here. 

"No. Why?" I scrunched my brows. 

"You only had water." 

Okay. 

"I was watching you. I've been watching you." He dropped those words casually, carelessly and directly. 

I caught that stare. 

My pulse raced faster. 

"But you just came here." I smiled. 

"I was seating over there when you came and sat, there was a furrow between your brows. You were frowning. Problems?" 

Wow. So I was observed way before I became hyper aware of my sitting posture.

"Not really problems just work and it's no big deal." I shrugged. 

"If you say so. Horses or cars though?" 

I didn't actually dub him for a conversationalist but apparently I got it wrong because neither has he asked for my name nor did he pull a line to imply that he's trying to get into my pants. The attraction between us, on my part, is humming with awareness on my skin. It's been humming since I felt him seat on the high stool next to mine. 

"It's for a project I'm working on. I'm thinking of which men and boys prefer, horses or cars. I shouldn't have blurted that out to you, where are my manners. I'm April." I stretched out my hand for a handshake. 

Kyra April Hopkins no lie there. Like I'm used to using my middle name in bars to strangers. 

He stared at my outstretched hand for a beat before closing his around mine. His hand was warm and God if I didn't feel something drop to the pit of my stomach. He lingered unnecessarily and rubbed his finger in a circular motion as if feeling the texture of my skin before releasing it all the while holding my eyes in his. 

The pull. 

Fuck. 

I've never felt this attracted to someone I feel like combusting from this brief touch. I released the breath I didn't know I was holding as he let go of my hand. 

I could still feel the tingles afterwards and my Aunt Amelia  once told me it's never wise to stay with someone whom you feel the tingles for. They make you vulnerable. I never understood what she meant but now I do. This man has upended my nerves in our brief acquaintance. I can't imagine what sort of woman I'll become living with a man like this. 

Okay wait. What?  

Who said anything about something permanent? Who said anything about anything at all? 

I'm way over in my head and it's all Lillian's fault. She sees her babies and the front porch of her matrimonial home the moment an attractive man comes in sight. 

Before I make a cake of myself and because stranger turned his attention to his wristwatch I rose to leave. A wise decision. The wisest decision I've made tonight. 

His hand stayed me. The humming returned and I was glued to my spot. I felt when he rose and when he lowered his head to my ear whispering softly and hotly. 

"You want me." 

I turned as still as a statue. Was I that transparent? 

"Probably for the night, something casual no strings attached. It's what you're here for, can see it in the way you're holding yourself tight as a bowstring. You need to let go of all that pent up tension lest it suffocates you," he paused and took a deep breath that I felt all the way to my toes. 

"I want that too but for the whole weekend. I want to look into your eyes from the mirror while I sink into you and quench us both of our thirsts. I'm ravenous." Then he shifted a bit and let me feel just how ravenous he was. 

I felt the stirring of something hot as a flutter hit my stomach. 

Fire got lit from beneath the soles of my feet. His hand went round my waist, drew me closer softly until there was no inch of space between us and I felt every part of the ridge he was accommodating while stranger whispered sinful words in my ears. 

Words I can't repeat to none of my friends. 

Once again I'm no prude and neither am I an exhibitionist. It was what made me let go of my restraint and followed him out of the club to a black Audi that had me gawking. The car itself looks sinfully hot, just perfect for the man holding me against him as though he has a claim on me. 

Then it dawned fully on me, I'm about to be ravished.