Billionaire's One-Night Stand

chapter 2

Serena's Point Of View

"Holy s**t, I thought you were joking!" Jane’s surprised face greeted me as she opened the door. Her wide blue eyes blinked at me like she was seeing a ghost.

I pushed past her into the apartment, letting the door click shut behind us. "Not joking. Now, are you going to stand there gawking, or can I borrow some of your clothes?"

Jane scurried after me, throwing her arms up dramatically. "Tell me—did something happen? Are you the same Serena I know?" She grabbed my shoulders, spinning me around to face her. "Oh my God, are your parents dead?"

I snorted, shaking her off. "Do you wish them dead?"

"I mean!" She huffed, trailing behind me as I made a beeline for her bedroom. "There is no way you're coming with me if your parents are still alive. Do you want me to remind you what happened last time you..." She trailed off, her gaze narrowing.

I paused at her closet door, rolling my eyes. "Last time, I got caught. Big deal."

"Big deal?" Jane’s voice rose an octave. "He grounded you for six months! He almost dragged you to therapy because you ‘dared to have a personality.’ And now you’re here, acting like none of that happened?"

Her dramatics made me laugh, but inside, my heart pounded. She wasn’t wrong. My father had gone overboard last time, and it had taken months to claw back even the tiniest shred of freedom.

""That’s why we need to move fast so we don’t get caught like last time. And right now, your chitchat isn’t helping us get ready any faster, so get me something to wear already," I groaned.

Jane kept staring at me, wide-eyed, as I rummaged through her closet.

"Slow down, darling, no need to ransack my wardrobe." She winked, stepping over the mountain of clothes on the floor to pull out a black sequin dress. It hung on a lone hanger, shimmering under the light. "This will look so good on you."

She wasn’t lying.

I blinked at the dress, then back at her, raising an eyebrow. "It’s... short."

"Understatement of the year," she said with a giggle. And I wore it.

It was more than short—it was barely a dress. The hemline stopped mid-thigh, and the plunging neckline exposed everything from my collarbone to just above my belly button. One wrong move, and I’d be flashing half the city.

And I loved it.

Jane worked quickly, dragging me to her vanity and sitting me down. "Don’t move. I’m about to do my best work."

She applied the makeup with precision, her tongue poking out slightly as she concentrated. Layer after layer, I watched as she transformed me. Dark eyeshadow, a perfect wing, blood-red lips, blonde wig—I was unrecognizable.

"There." She stepped back, a satisfied grin on her face. "You’re hot as hell. Ready to break some hearts tonight?"

I turned to the mirror, and my breath caught. The dress clung to my body in all the right places, and the smokey makeup made my green eyes pop. For the first time in forever, I didn’t feel like the obedient, sheltered girl my parents had molded.

I felt powerful.

She made me look like I could make a man fall to his knees with just a stare.

"f*****g, yes!"

Jane drove us to the club while I sang along to Doja Cat's "Best Friend" on the way. The bass of the club music thumped in the distance long before we arrived. We pulled into the garage, and I stepped out, flipping my blonde wig as the valet escorted us in. Jane was definitely a popular regular, judging by how many people yelled her name as we walked in.

The energy inside was electric... a kaleidoscope of light, glitter, and bodies moving to the beat. The smell of sweat, perfume, and spilled liquor hit me all at once, but instead of feeling overwhelmed, my heart raced with excitement.

"Jane! You’re back!" A tall guy with green hair and piercings called out, throwing an arm around her.

Jane squealed, kissing his cheek. "Row, baby, I’ve missed you, darling." She gestured toward me as his eyes widened.

"You didn’t tell me you were bringing a goddess tonight," he said, smirking.

"She’s hot, isn’t she?" Jane looped an arm around me. "This is Ronda," she said quickly, skipping my real name. "And trust me, she’s more dangerous than she looks."

I raised an eyebrow, smirking as I leaned closer to her. "Dangerous? I think you’re overselling it."

"Nope," Jane said, popping the "p." "She’s my partner in crime tonight, and we’re about to make some bad decisions."

"Well, I hope you hotties have fun."

"We will," I winked at Row, who blew me a kiss. He was hot... someone I’d consider if I were in the mood, but he wasn’t what I was looking for tonight.

As Jane pulled me further into the club, the music seemed to pulse through my veins.

"Drinks first!"

Father’s scrutiny hadn’t stopped me from tasting alcohol in college. Jane had smuggled tequila into her dorm, and she was the only one I felt free with. Her... and him.

No, Serena. Not tonight. Don’t think about him.

"Cheers to freedom!" We clinked our shots before gulping them down.

When the alcohol warmed my system, Jane dragged me onto the dance floor. The beat synced with my movements as I let go of every inhibition. The dress shimmered under the lights, and I could feel eyes on me, but I didn’t care.

Tonight, I wasn’t Serena. Tonight, I was someone else entirely.

As I spun around, my gaze locked with someone on the upper floor—a man leaning against the railing, his dark eyes boring into me like a predator sizing up his prey.

A shiver ran down my spine. I should’ve looked away, but I didn’t. Instead, I tilted my head, silently daring him to come closer.

I trailed my fingers down my hips as I danced, teasing him. My heart raced as I caught the flicker of heat in his gaze.

Someone touched my waist. I turned, finding a man with dirty blonde hair and a sharp jawline. He was big, handsome, and had the kind of smirk that promised trouble.

"Hey, beautiful," he murmured, pulling me closer.

I let him.

But as I leaned in, just close enough for our lips to almost touch, I glanced back at the upper floor. The man was still watching, his eyes darker now, smoldering.

A smirk curled on my lips. Let the games begin.

The guy in front of me said something—maybe his name? Trent? I didn’t care. Not when I felt the air shift behind me. A hand brushed the small of my back, and I didn’t need to look to know who it was.

I felt a hand on the base of my back and Trent, I think? Gritted, "hey, man, she's with me,"

But when he got a good look at the man behind me, he froze, as if seeing his worst nightmare. Without another word, Trent walked away.

I turned around slowly, letting the anticipation stretch. My breath caught as my gaze landed on him. Holy s**t , he was a god. He was tall, towering over me, with jet-black hair that was just long enough to look like he’d run his hands through it one too many times. His sharp jawline was dusted with scruff, and those piercing, dark eyes - dangerous and commanding - bore into me like he could see past the dress, past the wig, straight to the core of who I was.

“Changed your mind already?” I quipped, tilting my head as I placed a hand on my hip. My voice was steady, but my pulse raced under his scrutiny.

He smirked, a dangerous curl of his lips that sent heat straight to my core. “He wasn’t worth your time,” he said, his deep voice cutting through the thumping bass of the club like it was meant for my ears alone.

“And you think you are?” I raised an eyebrow, matching his intensity with a playful defiance.

His smirk widened, revealing a hint of perfect white teeth. “I don’t think, sweetheart. I know.”

The air between us thickened as his gaze dropped to my lips, lingering just long enough to make me wonder if he was imagining what they’d taste like. My breath hitched, but I didn’t back down. Instead, I stepped closer, erasing the space between us, my fingers trailing up his chest.

“You seem awfully confident for someone I haven’t even named yet,” I said, my voice low and teasing.

His hand found the small of my back, pulling me just a fraction closer, enough to feel the heat radiating off him. “I don’t need your name to know you’re trouble.” His eyes locked onto mine, daring me to respond. “The kind I’m more than willing to take on.”

A shiver ran through me at the challenge in his voice, but I refused to let him see how much he affected me. I leaned in, my lips brushing the shell of his ear as I whispered, “Then you’d better be ready for a fight.”

His hand tightened on my waist, grounding me even as the club spun around us. “Oh, I’m counting on it.”

It wasn’t a conversation. It was a game - a dangerous push and pull where neither of us was willing to lose.

And f**k, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to win or lose. I leaned out, my nose brushing his cheek as I did, his eyes traced my every movement. f**k, this man was good-looking.

"What's your name, little dare devil?" His voice was smooth, like a cup of hot cocoa, melting and addictive. "Rhonda," I didn't know when I replied. The things I wanted this man to do to me are unspeakable.

I came here for one thing tonight. To let loose and I am going to do just that.

I traced my finger on the smooth skin of his neck and said, "I want you to f**k me. Right now,"

His expression didn’t falter. If anything, his smirk deepened, a flicker of amusement dancing in his dark eyes. He leaned in, close enough for me to feel his breath against my cheek, his lips brushing dangerously close to my ear.

“You’re playing a dangerous game, little daredevil,” he murmured, his voice laced with amusement, intrigue, and just a hint of a warning.

I tilted my head back, meeting his gaze with a wicked grin. “And you’re stalling. Or is this game too much for you?”

His eyes darkened, and his hand slid up my back, fingers grazing the bare skin just above the neckline of the dress. The touch sent a shiver down my spine. “Oh, I’m not stalling,” he said, his tone low and deliberate. “I’m savoring.”

The air between us buzzed with electricity, a magnetic pull neither of us seemed inclined to resist.

“Then stop savoring,” I whispered, leaning closer, the scent of him - woodsy, expensive, intoxicating—filling my senses. “And start delivering.”

His lips quirked, a mixture of challenge and approval. “Careful what you wish for,” he said, his fingers trailing down my spine, igniting sparks with every touch.

“I don’t need to be careful.” I grabbed the lapel of his suit jacket, tugging him toward me, my lips hovering just a whisper away from his. “I need you to stop talking and show me what you’ve got.”

For a moment, he stayed still, his gaze locked on mine, as if daring me to make the first move. Then, with a smirk, his hand slid lower, gripping my hip firmly as he turned us, backing me against a pillar. The cold surface against my back contrasted with the heat of his body pressing into mine.

“You sure you’re ready for this?” he asked, his voice a seductive growl.

“Are you?” I shot back, my nails grazing the nape of his neck as I pulled him closer.

His lips hovered just above mine, the tension thick enough to drown in. But instead of closing the distance, he chuckled, a deep, rumbling sound that sent another wave of heat through me. “You’re trouble, Rhonda.”

“Damn right I am.”

And then he kissed me.