2. Chris

“How does it feel knowing you have another successful club without much ado?” Luke says while swirling his shot of whiskey.

I sip my vodka before answering, “Let’s just say it feels damn good.”

We are currently seated at the bar stand of my newly opened club. I’m wearing my sunglasses just to hide my identity. Nobody knows that I own the club yet.

Being the richest and most influential club owner in the world and having several branches all over the world has some consequences. I have many rivals, and the media usually ascribes my success to my late father’s name.

Bored and tired of the comparison, I decided to establish one in Malibu with a new name different from my last name. It was a test, and looking at my club, which was filled up with more people than I expected, it surely was a success. It eases the doubts in my heart.

“Cheers to another success.” He clinks his glass with mine.

“Cheers,” I say.

Luke lets out a low whistle, catching me off guard. “There’s a hot girl on the dance floor. I gotta hit that.”

I roll my eyes. “Good luck with that.”

He places his glass on the bar table and taps my shoulder. “See you tomorrow, bro.”

It’s typical of Luke to wander off when it comes to the opposite sex. I don’t have to lift my fingers before the girls come flocking to me. But that’s not why I’m here. I’m here to monitor my clubs progress, and luckily, there’s no disturbance because I have my sunglasses on—though I keep getting weird looks.

I lean against the bar table and sip my drink. I let my eyes wander from the dance floor to the booth. I light my cigarette and scan the small sea of people to see any hint of dissatisfaction.

A lady in red catches my eye. I can only see her side view from where Im standing and yet Im entranced. Her blonde hair is pulled up in a smooth ponytail revealing her smooth skin. Im beginning to doubt my plan of not taking someone home tonight.

Her nose scrunches in distaste as the lady who I assume is her friend deserts her. She turns and I almost choke on smoke.

Its her.

I take another drag of my cigarette, blowing smoke out of my nose.

It had been hard to get her out of my mind after seeing her a few hours ago. I had sensed someone watching me and was glad it was a gorgeous woman. Then Luke introduced her, and she turned out to be the Gianna who avoided me like a plague even though I was Nala’s big brother. What was more shocking was how she left me and Luke like we meant nothing.

I guess she still hates me. I deserve it, though. I really do.

She currently looks distressed. Then, when our eyes meet, time slows down.

Butterflies flutter in my stomach as I hold her stare. I don’t think that in my entire thirty-two years of existence Ive ever felt so entranced by someone as Gianna.

Two things happen that completely knock the air out of my lungs. The first is when a flash of yellow from one of the club lights is cast upon her, making it look like a halo is surrounding her where she sits, and the second is when her distressed gaze turns into a glare. A glare that is enough to make anyone back away, but it does the opposite to me. It makes my blood rush to my groin.

I raise my glass in a toast to her, but she gives me a distasteful look. My pathetic self finds it sexy. I laugh at the ridiculousness of my reaction. I know Im not drunk yet, so why am I acting like a sex-crazed jerk?

I place my cigarette on the ashtray. Theres a strange urge in me to walk up to her and strike up a conversation. Apologize or anything. I just need to talk to her. So I find myself making my way towards her, brushing off anyone who comes my way.

“Gianna.” Her name slips off my lips, and she goes still. “Fancy seeing you here,” I say.

Her eyebrows shoot up. “Are you stalking me?”

I smile. “You watch too much Netflix.”

She looks unimpressed. “Thats what a stalker would say.”

“Well, Im not.”

She crosses her arms. If looks could kill, I would be dead right now.

“Then why are you here? Cant you just stay in your lane and pretend that Im not here?”

I sit on the armrest of the sofa shes seated on. “I cant ignore my sisters best friend.”

She rolls her eyes and stands. She looks down at me. “Isnt that what you did years ago? Why is it so hard for you to do now?”

Before I can speak, she raises her hand, indicating that shes not finished. “If you have some dignity left in you, you will leave me alone. Now excuse me.” She walks away, leaving me stunned.

No woman has ever had the guts to shut me up and render me speechless. She has done so successfully that I cant shake away the shock.

Whatever happened to the na?ve, shy Gianna who could never meet my eyes? Did I break her to this point?

A part of me yells that I deserve it, while another part questions why I let her go so easily.

Shes on the dance floor, swaying her body in tune with the beat. She indeed has the face of an angel but a body that drives men to sin. Im entranced by her moves. My eyes are unable to move away from her. There are many women dressed in scandalous outfits that leave little to the imagination. Yet this woman manages to retain my attention. I usually have more control than this.

On feeling the discomfort in my pants, I force myself to look away from her. C’mon Chris, seriously? Shes your little sister’s best friend. Control yourself.

I grab the nearest drink on the table and gulp it down to rein in my confusing emotions. My eyes drift back to her. I can see the men moving to get close to her, to touch her while shes lost in the music. A surge of possessiveness rushes through me, and I rush to the dance floor.

One man was being too a little enthusiastic and even had the guts to wrap an arm around her waist. Reflexively, she elbows him, and he stumbles back into me. I grab him by the collar and punch his face, drawing the attention of the dancing bodies around us.

“You dont just touch a lady without her permission,” I grit out. I release his collar, and he falls on his knees to the floor, gripping his bruised jaw. Two of my guards run up and drag him away. I look up to see Gianna glaring daggers at me.

“Why are you here?” she asks through gritted teeth, seemingly uncomfortable with the prying eyes around us.

I cant believe my ears. “I just saved you, and this is the reaction I get in return?”

She scoffs. “I never asked for your help. I handled it perfectly on my own.”

By now, everyone has gone back to dancing, leaving Gianna and I standing awkwardly around dancing people who bump into us almost every second.

“I was just trying to help.”

“I dont need your help. What I need is for you to leave me alone. Or better still, get the hell out of here.” She’s seething.

Shes starting to piss me off, but Im really trying to control my anger. After all, I was the one who hurt her, and I deserve any punishment she metes out.

“I cant leave,” I inform her.

“Then I have no choice but to report you to the manager,” she shoots back, thinking she’s got me.

I snort. “Good luck reporting the owner to an employee.” I can’t help the smirk on my face.

Her eyes widen with realization, and her cheeks redden with embarrassment.

“Look, Im not here to cause any trouble,” I state before she says something else she’ll kick herself for later. “Im just here to look out for you as your best friends brother.”

She shakes her head. “You are the last person I would want to do that. Just stay away from me.” She brushes past me to the bar, and I shake my head at her stubbornness.

“Hey, handsome,” a pretty lady says as she dances up to me, swaying her hips. “Want to join me?”

“Maybe next time,” I reply, my eyes fixed on Gianna as she downs her second shot of tequila.

The girl follows my gaze. “I understand.”

I turn to look at the lady, who now has a knowing smile on her face. I dont know what shes thinking. Im just looking out for my sisters friend.

Gianna sways to the dance floor, holding a shot. Theres no doubt that shes tipsy. Ive never seen her like this.

I excuse myself from the lady and stay behind Gianna, making sure to keep some distance.

She suddenly turns, blessing me with one of her beautiful crescent moon smiles. Her smile had hijacked my brain, and as I stood there watching her, I felt myself contemplating ways to keep that smile on her face longer. Im doomed.

Her smile drops, “You again?”

The music changes and pounds through my body. Lights flash and strobe around us, a haze of smoke and fog from unseen machines making the air dizzying. The busybodies on the dance floor press in, pushing Gianna towards me.

I quickly catch her by the arms, preventing her from falling. The feel of her body and the smell of her perfume were doing something to my heart that I dont understand.

Im hyper-aware and hyper-focused—Because Gianna is with me.

She shrugs out of my hold as if she has been burnt. I lean down and whisper in her ear, loving the way she shudders in response. “Dance with me.”

The beat drops, and I pull her close by the waist. Slotting our bodies together, we begin to move together. Shes staring up at me, eyes wide and sparkling in the glow of the lights.

It feels dangerous, the two of us pressed together like this. The pulsing music in the club is loud, but not as loud as my heart beating against my chest right now.

I wonder if she can hear it.

She looks so pretty like this, with half-lidded eyes and soft red pouty lips. It would be so easy to taste those lips. I want to see if theyre as soft as they look. I want to mark her neck while I run my fingers through her slick hair. There’s probably a hundred reasons why I shouldn’t, and yet, I want to fucking kiss her right fucking now.

Im not sure who leans in first, but the moment our lips touch, it’s like thousands of fireworks go off at the same time. Her lips are so soft against mine that I find myself craving more.

I lick into her mouth, seeking her tongue. She tilts her head and kisses me back. The kiss feels so natural, and I find it hard to believe that we havent been kissing for an eternity.

I cant remember when I last kissed someone. Actually kissed, open-mouthed and eager, clumsy with impatience, wet and deep. Must be months. It didn’t matter then, just like it doesn’t matter now.

Never in a million years did I think that kissing would feel this good, this addicting. All of my senses are invaded by her. Her scent, her body, her warmth. I pull away and lean my forehead against hers. Gasping for air and hoping to understand the overwhelming feelings in me.

After trying to catch our breaths for a while, she pulled back slightly and looked up at me.

Whatever she sees in my eyes makes her face fall. She covers her mouth with her hands, shaking her head. Her eyes were full of regret and an incomprehensible amount of fear that breaks me.

“No,” she says more to herself and runs, leaving me stunned.

What just happened?