Dangerously Yours

Attention

The room is quieter than the rest of the club—not silent, just controlled. The music fades into a low pulse, and everything feels more focused, more intense. Jess walks in beside me like she's done this a hundred times. I try to copy her confidence, even if I don't feel it.

There are five of them, and they don't look like the usual crowd. Less careless, more deliberate. Expensive clothing, sharp eyes, the kind of presence that makes the air feel heavier. They're laughing when we walk in, but it's controlled, not sloppy.

Jess nudges me slightly, grounding me. I stay close.

''Gentlemen,'' she says smoothly, stepping forward. ''I hope you're enjoying your night.''

A few of them look up immediately, interest flickering. All of them except one.

He's sitting further back, slightly apart from the rest, like he doesn't need to be apart of it to own the room. He isn't smiling, isn't drinking, barely moving. And then his eyes land on me.

Something in my chest tightens. It's not the kind of look I'm used to. His careless look on his face, his eyes focused on me, as if he was trying to figure me out. I look away first.

Jess takes control of the room easily, drawing their attention, their laughter picking back up around her. I hover slightly behind, unsure where I fit into this. Then I feel it again—that same look. When I glance back, he's still watching me.

''Hey,'' one of the guys says, gesturing toward me. ''You just gonna stand there?''

''She's new,'' Jess cuts in smoothly. ''Give her a second.''

New. The word lingers, pulling a few smirks from the group. But he doesn't react.

Then he moves

It's subtle, but the shift in the room is immediate. He leans forward slightly, resting his arms on his knees, his gaze still fixed on me.

''You,'' he says.

His voice is low, calm, but it cuts through everything.

''Come here.''

Not a request. But an order.

I hesitated for half a second before stepping forward. Jess doesn't stop me, she just watches. As for the others, their expressions are surprised. I heard Jess ask ''What's wrong?'' as she was sitting on one of the men's laps. ''He doesn't ask for dances. Ever.'' the guy exclaimed.

Each step feels louder than it should until I'm standing in front of him.

Up close, he's worse—sharper, colder, unreadable. I wait for him to say something else, but he just studies me like he's already decided something.

''What's your name?''

''Amara.'' My voice comes out quieter than I want it to.

''Dance.'' He said with a cold expression on his face, that sent shivers down my spine.

I move carefully at first, aware of every step, every shift of my body, but his gaze never leaves me. Not once. It's different from the others—no distraction, no wandering attention. Just me.

I step closer without meaning to, just slightly, and the air between us changes. He still doesn't touch me, but somehow that makes it worse. More intense.

''First night,'' he says, like he already knows.

I nod. ''How can you tell?''

''You don't belong here.''

The words hit harder than they should.

The moment doesn't last. By the time the night started to wind down, the energy in the room shifted, conversations fading as the men lost interest. I don't even notice when he leaves, no one does. One second he's there, watching me like something he can't figure out, and the next, he's gone. Jess glances around. ''Where did one of your friends go?'' One of the guys laughs. ''Elijah doesn't stick around. He doesn't like socializing.'' I don't say anything, but I feel the absence he leaves behind.

Not long after, they're gone too. Jess and I head back to the dressing room, the noise fading behind us. ''You heading home?'' she asks. I nod. ''Yeah. I need sleep.'' She smiles. ''You free tomorrow? We should do something.'' I smile and agree. We exchange numbers before leaving.

Outside, the cold air is cold. I slip my heels off as I walk, exhaustion settling in. By the time I reached my apartment, I could barely think. I shut the door behind me, locking it before I walk towards my bathroom. I stepped into a hot shower, letting the night wash away, but I couldn't stop thinking about him. I got straight into bed. This time, I slept.