Chapter 4 Midnight Whisper

With my heart racing, he leaned forward, making me stare into his mesmerizing green eyes, getting lost in them.**

"I said, are you hungry?" he asked, looking deeper into my eyes.

"Uh... umm... maybe," I stuttered. Watching him meticulously mix the drinks, I couldn't help but question what I saw. "I think it's because of what Amelia told me," I said, waving it off and trying to focus on a moment that I might not get to enjoy again.

He smiled and slid a vibrant, glowing drink toward me. "Here, try this. It's something special I came up with. I call it 'Midnight Whisper.'"

I raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Hmmmm, that's suspicious. What's in it?"

"Do you want to try making it?" he asked, looking at my bemused expression.

"No, I just want to know if it's capable of harming my legs," I said, winking at him and making him chuckle.

"Don't worry, you're in good hands," he said, smiling.

"Okay, if you insist I'll tell you," he said, and my face lit up with excitement.

His eyes twinkled as he began to explain. "It's a blend of blackberry vodka, a splash of elderflower liqueur, a hint of lime juice, and topped with a dash of blue curaçao. The final touch is a sprig of mint and a few edible glitter stars to give it that magical look."

"I think this is what you asked for when you said you wanted something that looked like me," he said, making me blush.

I took a tentative sip, the flavors swinging and dancing on my tongue. "Wow, that's incredible. How did you come up with it?"

He chuckled softly, leaning closer. "I was inspired by the night sky and you. The deep color reminded me of a starry midnight, and I wanted to create something that felt both mysterious and enchanting. Something that would leave an impression, just like this moment."

I smiled, feeling a warm flutter in my chest. "Well, you succeeded."

"Then how did I inspire you?" I asked, pretending to focus on the drink while slowly stealing glances at him, hoping that he would say something that would make me blush.

"Well.... Let's see. You look like a star in the night sky, so I thought that adding the edible glitter stars would suit your personality and mine," he said, still smiling.

A lump formed in my throat. Did he just include both of us in a sentence? Has he done this with other girls? Am I different? Am I overreacting? I asked myself, trying to find answers.

"So, are you here with your boyfriend?" he asked innocently.

"No, I have none yet," I replied, hoping he would take the opportunity to ask me out.

"Like I mentioned earlier, I was about to head home. If you're not feeling the vibe here at the club, you're welcome to join me," he said, his eyes searching mine for a reaction. I felt a flutter of excitement and curiosity.

Raising my head from my drink, I met his gaze, warm and inviting. I could hear the sound in my ears. It felt like time had stopped, and it was just the two of us in the bar.

"Nah, I must refuse. I can't be cheap on the first day," I thought to myself, still trying to form words.

"It's okay if you don't want to go," he said, making my heart skip as he grabbed his coat from the hanger and made his way out of the club, winking at me.

Still trying to find words, I watched how he gracefully used the staff door to step outside the bar. "I am hungry," I heard something say inside me.

My breath caught in my throat. I tried to be as fast as possible. Going over to where Amelia was, I saw her kissing a random guy, but it was fine. Who cares anyway, I have someone more precious, I thought, smiling to myself.

"Sorry," I said, breaking them off from the kiss. "I will be back, make sure you don't leave without me," I said, giving her a peck on the cheek. Turning to where the guy had gone, I felt weird. It felt like I was his superior and had the right to control him. He looked at me, raising an eyebrow.

"Looks like you forgot you interrupted something," he said, pushing me away and leaning back to Amelia.

"Oh, sorry I forgot," I muttered. I was sure they didn't hear me, but that was barely my concern for now.

Heading to the same staff door, I felt a hand on my shoulder. "Where are you off to?" Bailey's voice asked from behind.

"Mmmm... I just want to check out something. I'll be back in a second," I said, trying to sound confident so she wouldn't notice anything.

"Okay, can I come with you then?" she asked, leaving me dumbfounded and heading to the staff door.

"Why does this always happen to me?" I said, with my head in my hands as I leaned on the counter, inconveniencing a girl who wanted a drink.

"He must have gone by now," I said to myself, withdrawing my gaze from the staff door.

Just then, I felt warm all over my body. I was certain the bar couldn't just make me warm all of a sudden. Raising my head, my eyes met his hazel eyes, pointed nose, and chiseled jawline. It looked like I had seen him before.

"Yeah, you are Amelia's guy," I almost shouted, pointing at him and smiling like I had just cracked a heavy code that no one else could.

"Hey, take it slow, princess. I belong to no one," he said, with a smirk.

"Shall we?" he asked, staring deep into my eyes.

"No, we shan't," I said, removing his hands from my waist, my mood becoming fierce.

He burst into laughter, holding his stomach as he laughed. "Hey, princess. Don't tell me you think I was talking about you and me. Nahhhh, like you already said, I belong to your friend, although I like silver-haired girls better," he said, leaning to my neck and wandering his hands through my hair.

"That's fine," I managed to say in what sounded like a whisper.

"Looks like we shall or shan't we," he said, laughing at his joke.

Enveloping my palm in his hands, he guided me out through the staff door. Finally, out of the bar, the night breeze was warm against my bare skin.

"Look who's here," I heard from behind. Hoping it was who I wanted it to be, it turned out to be him.

"Heyyyyyy... Hi....." I said, smiling like I had just won the lottery.

"Wow, I never guessed you'd be this happy to see me," Max said, turning my broad smile into a frown.

"It's not what you think. I just realized I'm hungry, so I hoped my food hadn't left, and here you are," I said, broadening my smile again.

Walking towards me, he kept taking steps back as we bore our eyes into each other. It felt like nothing else existed.

Finally, my back came to a stop, but he kept walking forward. Stopping, he leaned in, his breath electrifying everything inside me.

"What part of me would you like to eat first?" he said, with a smirk on his face.

"Let's see," I said, trailing my hands down his chest. Fear gnawed at the edge of my resolve as I struggled to retain my confidence.

"For some reason, I think I would go with your neck first," I said... in my mind. Realizing what I had just thought, I thanked my stars I didn't say it out loud, but one thing was sure. I was hungry, and his neck looked very appetizing.

"Jenna," I heard from a distance, but no matter how distant the voice sounded, I knew who it belonged to.

"Mom?" My eyes widened in realization.