Chapter 3 Chapter 3

*AURORA*

I stepped into a bar bathed in dim, sultry lighting and filled with the pulse of raucous music, my heart brimming with anticipation and inner conflict.

Settling slowly onto a high stool at the bar, my hands unconsciously twisted together as my eyes cautiously scanned the room, weighing the potential "choices" around me.

The dance floor was alive with a myriad of handsome men, their movements fluid and confident under the shifting lights.

Yet, I couldn't help but feel out of place in this setting.

How was I supposed to take the first step?

Was I really expected to walk right up and bluntly ask someone if they'd like to sleep with me? My cheeks grew warm at the mere thought. How would the people around me react? Would they whisper behind my back, labeling me a shameless woman?

I swallowed hard, my gaze dropping nervously to the untouched drink in front of me as if it could somehow offer me solace.

"You can do this, Aurora," I whispered to myself, trying to summon a shred of courage.

Lost in my thoughts, I barely noticed when a man entered and took a seat two stools away at the bar. He ordered a drink with a casual flick of his hand, his presence calm yet commanding.

From the corner of my eye, I stole a glance at him and couldn't deny he was undeniably attractive. Could he be my "choices" for the night? The thought tightened something in my chest.

But I knew nothing about him! What if he had a dark, hidden side? Could he be a dangerous criminal-or worse, a deranged serial killer? A shiver ran down my spine at the possibility.

"Looking for prey tonight? Why not take a look at me-do I meet your standards?"

The rich timbre of his voice jolted me out of my spiraling thoughts.

I looked up, startled, to find him turned toward me, standing tall with a faint smile that danced at the corners of his lips. His gaze was sharp, as if it could pierce straight through to the secrets buried deep within me.

Heat flushed my face, spreading like wildfire. I blinked rapidly, fumbling for a response, my voice trembling and uneven. "I... I didn't mean it that way..."

"Oh? No need to hide it-your eyes have already betrayed you." His eyebrow arched slightly, his smile widening with a confident certainty that left no room for denial. "I'm Damon Rivera. And you?"

"Aurora," I murmured softly. He didn't need to know my last name.

"Well then..." His gaze lingered briefly before shifting nonchalantly, as if discussing something entirely ordinary. "There's a hotel nearby. Care to join me?"

His words were straightforward and bold, entirely devoid of subtlety, catching me completely off guard.

A small voice whispered in my mind: Aurora, you've always been so cautious. But isn't this what a one-night stand is about?

Sharing a fleeting moment of pleasure with a stranger before parting ways, your lives never intersecting again.

***

When I finally came to my senses, I realized I was in a hotel room, utterly unfamiliar.

The dim lighting cast a seductive glow over the room, but the silence pressed down heavily, carrying a strange tension.

I stood before the cold mirror, staring at my own weary reflection. My heart was in turmoil, a tide of anxiety threatening to drown me.

Gripping the edge of the sink tightly, my knuckles turning white, I tried to calm the chaos in my mind. But another voice shouted within me: I have to do this!

Taking a deep breath, I steadied myself and stepped out of the bathroom. Damon stood with his back to me, his broad shoulders rising and falling slightly as he leisurely shrugged off his jacket.

Every movement carried a deliberate, unspoken promise, making my pulse race wildly in my chest. The rustling sound of a drawer opening cut through the silence, and when he turned back, a condom was in his hand.

My breath hitched. My mind blanked, and fear twisted with uncertainty in my chest, screaming: No! I'm not ready for this!

My eyes darted frantically around the room, searching for any excuse to escape, no matter how flimsy. Anything to stop this, to pull myself out of this precarious situation.

Oblivious to my panic, he turned to face me, his steps deliberate as he approached. Each footfall seemed to echo in my ears, ratcheting up my tension.

"You can't wait a second, can you?" His deep, magnetic voice carried a teasing edge, like a lit match thrown into an already charged atmosphere.

Before I could react, his strong arms pulled me against him, his unfamiliar scent enveloping me.

I looked up at him in shock, confusion swirling in my mind. How could he speak so casually about something so intimate?

Desperately, I searched his face for any sign of hesitation, some indication that this wasn't as inevitable as it felt.

But before I could process it, he closed the gap between us, pressing his lips firmly against mine.

In that moment, time seemed to freeze. The world faded away, leaving only the searing intensity of his kiss.

His lips were softer than I'd imagined, warm and tantalizing, with an allure impossible to resist.

At first, he brushed my lips lightly, his gentle touch coaxing me with a strange, magical pull. And as I parted my lips slightly, offering the barest of responses, he took it as an invitation, deepening the kiss with an unrelenting hunger.

His tongue, like a skilled explorer, slipped past my lips, tangling with mine in a dance that was both commanding and intoxicating.

A strange heat coursed through me, like an electric current sparking to life, igniting a fire that spread through my body. I felt lightheaded, suspended in a dreamlike haze where thought ceased to exist.

But then, piercing through the sultry haze came the sharp, abrupt ring of a phone, shattering the fragile intimacy like a blade slicing through fabric.

Startled, I jerked away from him, my body trembling like a startled fawn. Scrambling for my bag, I felt an overwhelming sense of relief-a lifeline thrown to someone drowning.

When I glanced at the phone screen and saw the name "Lucien" flashing, an icy chill crept through me, freezing me to my core.