His Dangerous Desire

The first thing Elanoi noticed when she opened her eyes was the sunlight. It slipped through the curtains in thin golden lines, warming the room and falling across the light-pink journal resting on her lap. She was sitting cross-legged on her bed, still in her pajamas, pen moving slowly across the page. Last night was supposed to be about celebrating. She paused. A small smile tugged at her lips. It was. Mostly. Her eyes drifted down the page. She had written about the college results. About screaming with Amelia. About everyone getting dressed at the house. About the pictures they took before leaving. Then she reached the part she had been trying not to think about. Donte. Elanoi stared at his name for a few seconds. She could still remember the way he’d looked at her. The way he’d walked away from the women surrounding him just to come over to her. And, unfortunately for her, she could still remember the smile he’d given her when she’d made fun of him. Her cheeks warmed. She quickly looked away from the page. This was ridiculous. She barely knew the man. Across the room, Amelia was still completely asleep, buried underneath the blankets like she’d been fighting for her life. Elanoi smiled. Then her mind drifted back to the night before. ⸻ The Henderson house had been chaos. Good chaos. College results had finally come out, and Elanoi and Amelia had spent half the afternoon celebrating before deciding that staying home was absolutely not an option. Music played through the house while everyone got ready. Elanoi stood in front of her mirror, adjusting the tiny black dress she’d chosen for the night. The dress hugged her figure perfectly without looking like she had tried too hard. She slipped on her strappy heels, picked up her small shoulder bag and added the finishing touches to her look—gold jewelry, glossy lips, dramatic lashes and her straight, middle-parted hair falling neatly around her shoulders. She looked at herself once more. Perfect. “Girl!” Amelia’s voice came from behind her. Elanoi turned. Amelia was standing in the doorway, already dressed and staring at her. “Don’t start.” “I’m not starting anything.” “You have that look.” “What look?” “That ‘you’re about to tell me I look good for the next twenty minutes’ look.” Amelia laughed. “Because you do.” Elanoi rolled her eyes, but she was smiling. Within minutes, the girls were taking pictures, fixing each other’s hair and arguing over which photos were actually worth posting. Then Lincoln appeared. He stood in the doorway with his arms folded, looking from one girl to the next. “Everybody ready?” The room went quiet. Elanoi laughed. “Dad, we’re going out, not disappearing.” “I know.” He looked at her. “That’s why I’m reminding you.” Amelia covered her mouth to hide her laugh. Lincoln continued. “Stay together. Watch your drinks. Nobody drives after drinking.” “Yes, sir,” Elanoi said dramatically. He gave her a look. She smiled innocently. “Have fun,” he finally said. And somehow, that made the whole night feel even more real. ⸻ By the time they arrived at The Black Label, everyone was already in a good mood. The girls took pictures outside before heading inside through the VIP entrance. Inside, everything was dark, glossy and expensive. Music shook the walls. Lights moved across the crowd. The VIP section was already waiting for them. Drinks arrived. Phones came out. Someone started recording. And within minutes, the girls were laughing so hard that Elanoi nearly spilled her drink. It was exactly what she’d wanted. A night where she didn’t have to think about school, expectations, or what came next. Just fun. She eventually made her way onto the dance floor with Amelia, Camila and Zariah. They danced together, laughing and taking videos between songs. Elanoi didn’t notice the man watching her from upstairs. ⸻ Donte had been working. That was what he’d told himself, anyway. From his private office overlooking the club, he could see almost everything below. His phone was in his hand. His attention was supposed to be on business. Instead, his eyes kept returning to the same person. The girl in black. She was dancing with her friends, completely unaware of him. Donte leaned back in his chair. “Who is that?” Nate glanced toward the floor. “Which one?” “The girl in black.” Nate looked. “Oh.” A pause. “She’s pretty.” Donte gave him a look. “I can see that.” Nate laughed. “You want me to find out who she is?” Donte looked back toward the dance floor. “No.” He stood. “I’ll find out myself.” ⸻ By the time Donte made his way downstairs, Elanoi had stepped away from the dance floor. She was standing at the bar, waiting for another drink when she noticed a shadow beside her. “You’re alone?” She turned. The man standing beside her was familiar. Very familiar. Elanoi stared at him for a second. Then it clicked. She’d seen his face online. The blogs loved him. Donte Lewinsky. She slowly looked him up and down. Then back at his face. “I guess I am.” He smiled. “I haven’t seen you here before. What’s your name?” “Elanoi.” “Elanoi.” He repeated it like he was testing how it sounded. “I’m Donte.” “I know.” His eyebrows lifted. “You know me?” “Unfortunately.” He laughed. “Unfortunately?” “You’re Donte Lewinsky.” “And that’s a bad thing?” Elanoi tilted her head. “Depends who you ask.” That made him laugh again. He was used to women reacting differently when they realized who he was. Usually they smiled. Usually they became nervous. Usually they wanted something. Elanoi looked like she was deciding whether she even liked him. He found that interesting. “So what have you heard?” She took her drink from the bartender. “That you’re trouble.” “That’s it?” “That you’re a playboy.” He leaned against the bar. “And you believe everything you read?” “No.” She took a sip. “I just believe some things.” Donte laughed under his breath. “You’ve got me figured out already?” “No. I just know you have a reputation.” “Maybe the blogs don’t know the real me.” Elanoi gave him a skeptical look. “And you expect me to believe that?” “I’d rather you get to know me yourself.” She smiled. “That’s convenient.” “For me?” “For you.” He laughed. She was enjoying this. “So what are you celebrating tonight?” “Our college results.” “Congratulations.” “Thank you.” “What are you studying?” She told him. He asked about her plans after college. She answered. Then she asked him what he did. Donte gave her a brief explanation about his businesses. She listened, but she didn’t seem impressed. That surprised him. Most women would have been. Elanoi simply nodded. “Sounds busy.” “It is.” “Then you should probably get back to it.” He smiled. “You’re trying to get rid of me?” “I’m trying to get back to my friends.” She glanced toward the dance floor. Donte followed her eyes. “Fair enough.” She turned to leave. “Elanoi.” She looked back. “Can I get your number?” She hesitated. “No.” He blinked. “No?” She smiled. “Instagram.” He laughed. “You’re giving me i********: instead of your number?” “Yes.” “Why?” “Because I don’t know you.” “Yet.” She shrugged. “Exactly.” He shook his head, smiling. She gave him her i********: handle. Then she walked away. Donte watched her disappear back into the crowd. For the first time that night, he was the one left standing at the bar wondering what had just happened. ⸻ Elanoi barely made it back to her friends before Amelia grabbed her arm. “Who was that?” “Nobody.” “Nobody?” Camila laughed. “Girl, that was Donte Lewinsky.” “I know.” Zariah looked between them. “Why was he talking to you?” Elanoi shrugged. “We talked.” “That’s it?” “That’s it.” Amelia narrowed her eyes. “You were smiling.” “I smile.” “Not like that.” Elanoi laughed. Before she could respond, a waitress appeared carrying drinks. “For you ladies.” They all looked at the tray. “Who sent those?” Amelia asked. The waitress nodded toward Donte’s section. Elanoi looked over. Donte was already watching her. She raised an eyebrow. He lifted his glass. She rolled her eyes and turned back around. Amelia nearly screamed. “Oh my God.” “Don’t.” “He sent drinks for all of us!” “Yes.” “And you gave him your i********:!” “Yes.” “And he followed you.” Elanoi looked down at her phone. A new notification sat at the top of the screen. Donte Lewinsky started following you. She tried not to smile. Amelia caught it immediately. “You’re smiling again.” “I’m not.” “You absolutely are.” Elanoi locked her phone. “Let’s dance.” They returned to the dance floor. But every now and then, without meaning to, Elanoi looked toward Donte’s section. And every time she did— He was already looking at her. ⸻ The night ended later than expected. Lincoln called when he was outside, and eventually everyone gathered their things. The ride home was quieter than the ride there. Amelia had completely run out of energy. By the time they reached the Henderson house, she was half asleep. They showered, changed and climbed into bed. Amelia fell asleep almost immediately. Elanoi wasn’t so lucky. She lay beneath the covers, staring at her phone. She opened i********:. She looked at Donte’s profile. Then closed it. Opened it again. Closed it. “Girl, go to sleep,” Amelia mumbled sleepily. Elanoi laughed. “I’m trying.” She put her phone facedown. A few seconds later, it vibrated. She picked it up. Donte: You make it home safe? Elanoi smiled. Elanoi: Yeah. A second message appeared. Donte: Still can’t believe you gave me your i********: instead of your number 😂 She bit back a smile. Elanoi: Instagram was enough 😂 His reply came quickly. Donte: For now. She stared at the screen. Elanoi: Good night, Donte. Donte: Good night, Miss Elanoi. She smiled at the nickname. She didn’t reply. She placed her phone on the nightstand and finally closed her eyes. ⸻ The memory faded. Elanoi looked down at her journal. She had stopped writing. Her pen hovered over the page. She could still hear his voice. Good night, Miss Elanoi. A smile slowly appeared on her face. “Girl…” Amelia’s sleepy voice came from across the room. Elanoi looked up. “You’ve been smiling at that journal for ten minutes.” Elanoi immediately closed it. “I have not.” Amelia opened one eye. “You have.” Elanoi laughed. “Go back to sleep.” Amelia smiled before burying herself beneath the blanket again. Elanoi looked down at the journal one last time. Then she wrote one final sentence. Maybe last night wasn’t just a celebration after all. She closed the journal. And smiled.