Burning For A Stranger

Chapter two: A Nameless Deal

(Dominic's POV)

Control.

That’s what Vale Noir was built on. Control of the room, control of the atmosphere, control of every man and woman who walked through its doors.

And tonight, I’d had it until her.

From the second she stepped inside, I felt it shift. The balance. The calm I lived in. The leash I kept on myself.

She was small. Out of place. Dressed like she didn’t belong and yet walking like she refused to admit it. Every detail about her screamed amateur. But there was fire, too flickering in her brown eyes when she tried not to gawk at the chandeliers, the art, the people who thought they owned the city.

I’d seen thousands of women in this club. Models, heiresses, actresses, women who came here to chase the thrill of sin and excess. But not her.

No, she was different.

I knew it the moment her gaze met mine. She didn’t drop it. Didn’t flinch. Didn’t look away like everyone else did. She stared back, steady, like she was challenging me.

And that was when I decided.

I wanted her.

I didn’t even bother excusing myself from the balcony where I’d been surveying the floor. My security detail knew better than to stop me. They saw the shift in my body, the focus in my steps, and they cleared the way as I descended.

Every second that passed between the balcony and where she stood tightened something inside me. Her pulse was visible in her throat, beating fast, but her chin didn’t waver. She wasn’t drunk, wasn’t desperate, wasn’t here for someone like me.

Which made me want her even more.

By the time I reached her, the crowd might as well not have existed.

She smelled faintly of vanilla and nerves. Her lips were parted, like she wanted to speak but couldn’t find the words.

I let my eyes sweep over her slowly, deliberately. Petite frame, curves hidden but not enough, curls pinned up like she didn’t know they were her crown. My fingers itched to ruin her composure, to tug her into my world where she wouldn’t walk away so steady.

When my eyes met hers again, I leaned in just enough so only she could hear me over the music.

“You don’t belong here.”

Her lips curved, the faintest smirk tugging at the corner. “Funny. I was just about to say the same about you.”

For the first time in longer than I could remember, a laugh almost broke free from me. Sharp tongue. Untamed. I hadn’t expected that.

I tilted my head, studying her. “Name.”

She hesitated. And then, bold as fire, she shook her head. “No names. No deals. I’m just here for a drink.”

Lie. I could taste it.

And yet, it intrigued me more than anything.

My voice dropped lower, darker. “Then drink with me.”

The way her breath caught told me she understood exactly what I meant. This wasn’t an invitation. It was a command.

And to my satisfaction she didn’t say no.