Chapter Eight
1245 Words
For a moment, I forgot how ridiculous I felt in this fishing net.
Karl stood a few meters away from us with his back half-turned to the crowd, holding a glass of something dark in one hand, with the other shoved casually into his pocket. His thick dark hair was slicked back, streaked with a few silver strands, and his sharp, chiselled features gave him the unmistakable aura of a mafia boss. Very different.
The sparkling soft gold lights from above caught on his tailored dark shirt, highlighting the lean, hard lines of his body. His clothes were dark, sharp, and looked ridiculously expensive…. but it wasn’t the clothes that got me. It was him. The way he stood there…like the noise, the people, the whole chaos of body movements around him didn’t even exist.
Like the air around us moved aside to make room for him.
He wasn’t speaking to anyone, just watching quietly and steadily, like he owned the place. Which, by judging where I was tonight, maybe he did.
My stomach tightened into knots, with sudden heat seeping up my neck.
It didn’t matter that the music was loud, that people (I mean celebrities) bumped past me, laughing, shouting, dancing and spilling drinks. He was the only thing I could oddly focus on.
His head tilted slightly, as though he felt my gaze on him. And then his eyes….that deep shade of piercing blue ... .found mine.
It felt like I just saw him clearly for the first time. He had a truly beautiful face. Not the kind of magazine-cover perfection that Mitch had, but much more beautiful, perhaps, because of the intimidating aura he wore. His cheekbones were high and sharp, his chin square, with a light stubble beneath his jaw. His mouth was all set in firm lines, but I could still see the promise of softness in them.
My breath was involuntarily caught in my throat, being sucked in by his smouldering gaze….which made my whole body tense, then melt all at once.
He didn’t smile. But there was a flicker of something in his expression, recognition— perhaps amusement, or maybe even approval as his hot gaze swept slowly over me from head to toe and lingered. Too long. which made me painfully aware of how bare my dress was.
I felt suddenly breathless. The rising waves of heat within my body were already at the tip of my ears. And with each passing second sank lower, pooling between my thighs.
I was flushed and already aching just from the way he looked at me.
Yvonne’s voice brought me back to my senses.
“Bree, you okay?” Her voice laced with concern, and she slipped an arm across my waist, leaning in close to be heard above the music. “You look like you saw a ghost or something,”
“Worse,” I mumbled, shaking my head to rid myself of the thoughts of Karl. Then I forced a small laugh. “I think the ghost just saw me back.”
“Heh,” Ivy chipped in, placing a comforting arm over my shoulders. “You haven't taken a sip of alcohol yet. It's a tad too early for ghosts, don't you think?”
“I think I should've worn my former outfit. I feel so open,”
“And look like someone's Puerto Rican grandmother?” Ivy raised a mocking eyebrow. “Hell no. Now, men would f**k anything but you in those,”
Yvonne chuckled at that. “Now we've got friends we want to introduce you to,” She spoke lightly, smiling up at me, and placing her hands on my waist. "And then we'll drink as much as we want,”
“Great,” I rolled my eyes. “And hopefully someone would ask to take me to bed,”
“That’s the deal,” Ivy said with a knowing wink.
As they pulled me along with them, I felt someone burning holes into my back. I swallowed hard, forcing my eyes not to glance in his direction. Ivy and Yvonne would pick on that, and knowing them, they would set us both up. I wasn't ready for that yet. Or so I thought.
We said ‘hello’ to almost everyone in the lounge, with my mind spinning—I was speaking to people who never existed in my world…and after tonight, I would cease to exist in theirs. A legendary selfie with Taylor Swift, my first compliment from Kim Kardashian (Which I nearly passed out). My friends laughed and charmed and pulled me along, but my mind kept circling back to him.
Ivy made a mental note to sing the fact that I was an artist to everyone, in case anyone needed a masterpiece. I was embarrassed, but I could not show it.
Sensing my growing discomfort, Yvonne finally dragged us to the bar counter.
I quickly gulped down three shots which burned down my throat to calm my nerves, and just like that, I was tipsy. I have low to zero tolerance for alcohol.
When I finally glanced over in Karl's direction, he was still watching me. Except now, he slowly, deliberately, raised his glass to me.
My heart did a triple backflip.
“Alright!” Ivy yelled to no one in particular, gulping down two shots in one go. “Let's get this party kickin’!”.Yvonne beamed at the bartender, and he continued to mix more drinks with enthusiasm. More people joined us, and soon, it was an entire goofy discussion at the bar. I chugged more shots into my belly to prevent myself from feeling insecure all the while pretending to laugh along.
The familiar scent of clean soap and smoky wood beneath the expensive perfume, hit my nostrils. The hairs at the back of my head sprang upright immediately. I didn’t need to turn to know it was him.
And then he was there.
Ivy and Yvonne gave him approving smiles, along with everyone around us.
“Mr. Grey,” Yvonne spoke with a teasing smile. “I thought you were one never to have fun,”
“Tonight is different,” He said, while lifting his glass. Then his eyes found mine.
“Bree,” he said simply, his voice low and smooth, somehow clear despite the music and laughter.
It wasn’t a question.
I swallowed hard, forcing my lips to part. “Karl.”
The smile he gave me wasn’t wide, but it hit me like a shock. My cheeks were beet red.
“You clean up well,” he murmured, his eyes flicking down to the dress and back up again, deliberately slow. “I almost couldn't recognise you.”
I think maybe the alcohol in my veins made me bold or it was just him...or a mixture of both. I leaned in closer, our bodies nearly touching, my voice a soft moan. “You don’t look bad yourself.”
My hand lifted on its own, my fingertips grazing the hard line of his jaw.
He let out a low chuckle under his breath, but his eyes never left mine.
The performing band shifted into a blues rhythm, which always made me horny. My body answered before I could think, inching closer to Karl, with heat pulsing through me. Karl bent and breathed into my ear, sending ripples of heat down to my core.
“Would you dance with me?”
- Writer
