ALAYNAAfter finishing my chores, I go to my room to get ready for tonight. I don’t know how long I’ve been standing in front of my limited wardrobe, but I still can’t think of anything to wear. I see the dress I wore last time I went clubbing with Oliver, but of course, I can’t wear that again.
I pick up the fancy, shimmering, black and silver off-shoulder dress Casey gave to me on my birthday two months ago. It’s lovely, but I haven’t worn it yet because I have never tried to wear anything this short on normal occasions. I guess this is the right time to wear it.
Honestly, I’m expecting tonight to be fun because Brandon won’t be there. Besides, we’re celebrating Casey’s birthday, so it will be extra entertaining. I just love being with her. She’s a breath of fresh air and has always looked at things positively—which I need more of in my life.
I slide the dress on and grab my silver stilettos. I only wear them on formal occasions, so I hope I can still walk in them. Shortly after, I tie my hair in pigtails. Casey told me she’d do my makeup, so I only apply a base.
I go to Casey’s room, proudly showing her my outfit. “This dress is gorgeous, Case.” I spin around.
“Damn, Alayna. You’re fucking hot!”
I blink, stunned at her reaction. But I can’t ignore how sexy she looks in her mini, red sequined, backless dress. She matched it with black gladiator high heels. She let her dark, wavy hair down.
“Thanks, but wow, Casey. You’re a goddess!”
She turns around, flaunting her curves. “I have to show off. I might get lucky and find a hot guy tonight.”
“Are you serious? Your brothers probably won’t let any man come near you. Especially Ollie.” I stand next to her and face the mirror again.
“Come sit here,” she says first, and I sit in front of her mirror. “It’s my birthday. Ollie better back off his big brother overprotective shit tonight.”
I laugh at her remark. “Maybe I’ll try to separate you from them when we get there.”
“This is why you are the best, Alayna.”
Casey starts doing my makeup. To match my black and silver outfit, she applies dark eyeshadow and creates a smoky-eye look. Then she finishes it with two layers of mascara. For the final touch, she contours my face and swipes nude lipstick on my lips.
“You’re already hot, but damn, Alayna. Men will pile up around you tonight,” she compliments, looking at my reflection in the mirror.
“Should I be worried?”
“My brothers should be worried,” she corrects. “They have two gorgeous women with them after all.”
I blush and smile.
“And we’re done!” she declares and puts her makeup back in her makeup pouch. “Shall we go now?”
I pick up my purse. “Sure.”
At exactly eleven, the Katrakis brothers are already waiting for us in the driveway.
Cassius and Oliver, as usual, are two of the hottest men in New York City. They don’t even have to try. Cassius is leaning against a brand-new black sports car in a casual white shirt, denim jeans, and a pair of designer tactical boots. Oliver is in his usual rugged black leather jacket, standing beside his red Lykan Hypersport car.
Cassius first notices us and tenses up. Our gazes lock, and his eyes study me from head to toe, his mouth slightly parted. Oliver’s eyebrows rise, and he unfolds his arms.
I can feel my cheeks heat as his gaze roams all over my body.
“This new baby is nice!” Casey interjects, running her finger on the sleek exterior of Cassius’s car.
“Of course, it’s nice. It’s worth three million dollars.” Oliver rolls his eyes, then scratches his head. “A doctor driving such a car is ludicrous.”
Cassius smirks. “You don’t get to give me that tone when you’re driving one yourself.”
“I’m a CEO,” Ollie fires back.
“Gee, you guys are immature,” Casey says. “Can we just leave now before I try to scrape them?”
My jaw drops. Is this how they normally communicate?
“Fine, fine.” Cassius opens the passenger side. “Laynie?”
I move toward him. “Hey, before I get in. I just need to say something for Casey.”
“Sure, what is it?” He takes my hands and brings them to his mouth, kissing them alternately. “I’m sorry, you just look... you look very stunning tonight.”
I swallow hard, unable to breathe for a moment. “Thanks,” I say dryly. “Um, about Casey. She wants to have fun. Could you let her be tonight? I’m not supposed to tell you this, but I know you guys are overly protective. Just pretend that you don’t mind her dancing a little bit. Will you do it?”
Cassius lets out a heavy sigh. “Fine, though I’ll still be watching her. But don’t you think you should be saying that to Oliver?”
“Oliver’s on you.” I chuckle.
“All right, all right.” He sighs again. “Come on now, try a ride with my new babyCassius pulls the door wide, and I get in the car.
We go to the same club we went to before. GEL Club is a DJ-driven nightclub owned by none other than Brandon Katrakis Lucien on Sixth Avenue. The man probably owns half of New York City, and this place is the most popular in the area. It is highly secure since the members are mostly part of the elite.
It’s even more exciting since Casey is here. The last time I came here, Ollie tended to his fiancée and left me with Cassius, so it’s great to have a female friend around this time.
Oliver takes us to the VIP floor, and the waiters already have our refreshments ready. Cassius chooses a scotch, while Casey and I have vodka and lemon. There’s also a plate of strawberries—my favorite.
Casey takes a sip of her drink and hums in delight. “Can I just say? This is amazing! You should be proud.” She elbows Ollie in the side.
I taste mine as well. “Oh wow. I love this.”
Cassius leans on the couch and puts his arm behind me. “The last time I came here, I danced with you,” he whispers in my ear, and I shiver at the softness of his lips.
“Hmm. That was my first time here too.” I bite my bottom lip.
“You.” Casey kicks Cassius’s foot.
He groans. “Hey! What the hell was that for?”
“You two seriously have to tell us what’s going on. Are you really dating?” Casey asks.
What we have is complicated, so I’d rather not talk about it. Cassius and I don’t answer.
“Case, you know the situation. There’s no need to ask,” Oliver says slowly, then he gulps his drink straight.
Casey’s cheeks redden. “Can’t I ask you, Alayna?”
“I’ll answer it for you,” Cassius speaks instead. Oliver’s eyes dart to him. “We’re still figuring this out, but I won’t push Alayna into anything she wouldn’t want.”
I smile a little at how he summarizes things. I like being with him. He’s patient with me—or whatever this is, happening between us.
Casey exhales but eventually smiles. “As long as you’re happy, Alayna.”
Cassius smirks. “Just Alayna?”
She rolls her eyes. “That’s already given. If she’s happy, then you’re happy. Isn’t that what relationships are supposed to be?” She empties her vodka.
For the entire hour, as we wait for midnight, we drink, talk, and mostly listen to Casey sharing her experiences in university. She’s into the third year of her second undergraduate degree, which I find awesome. But our conversation jumps to an annoying cooking partner who pretty much made her do all the work. However, he was also an excellent condiment mixer. Whenever she speaks about him, I’m not sure if she hates or admires him.
“Wait.” I laugh. “Did you say ‘him’?”
She sips her drink. “Yes.”
“Aha!” I snap my finger. “You“What?” she shrieks. “No, no, no, way! He’s lazy, and he’s rude, and he’s—”
“Hot“And hot...” Her mouth drops. “No. Alayna!”
I burst out laughing. “I knew it! What’s his name?”
“E-Eric.” Her face turns so red that she avoids my eyes. “But I don’t like him. I swear!”
“We can hear you,” Oliver interjects. “The last time you had a boyfriend was two months ago, Casey. And you came running to me, crying your eyes out.”
She puffs. “It’s a part of life. How about you? You’re hanging out with Veronica.”
“Veronica—who? Veronica Wales?” Cassius asks, surprised.
“Shut up. We’re not kids; we shouldn’t be talking about stuff like this.” He grimaces and glances at me.
“You didn’t even deny it.” Casey looks at us. “Yes, her. One of the directors at G&E. Veronica Wales.”
Cassius laughs. “Really? I didn’t know it’s serious.”
“Because it’s not!” Ollie denies firmly. “She texts me often, but you know I’m occupied most of the time.”
“You got to stop lying to me, man.” Cassius pats his shoulder. “I may not be around all the time, but Casey tells me everything. After you broke up with Betty—”
“Don’t say that name in front of me again,” Ollie cuts him off, and I jerk in surprise. I don’t exactly know what happened between them, but he hates it whenever we speak about his ex-fiancé.
“And why the hell are we having this conversation, Cassius, Casey?”
“Oh, come on!” Casey rolls her eyes. “You were photographed with Veronica at the company party. She’s all over you.”
“That was nothing, Casey,” Oliver says. “Okay, I’m out. I don’t want to talk about this.” He raises his hands in surrender, sets his empty glass down, and springs up. “Come on. It’s DJ Cline in the house. Excuse me.”
“How about you, Alayna?” Casey asks me. “Come on, while it’s the peak of the night.”
“Um, we’ll come down later, Casey. I need to finish my drink, and I have something to tell Cassius.”
“Are you sure? You’re going to miss the fun—”
“Case, come on!” Oliver calls, sounding a bit annoyed. What’s wrong with him now?“Typical Ollie.” She sneers. “Promise me you’ll come down, okay?”
I grin. “I promise. Have fun.”
“Okay, let’s do this! Hey, Ollie—wait, up!” she yells as she strides after her brother. I watch the two catch up until they’re finally out of sight.
“I’m sorry, Cassius. I didn’t know what to say when they asked me that.”
“That’s fine.” His mouth curves into a half-smile. “Though I’m sure it’s not the reason why you look so gloomy right now. It’s Oliver, isn’t it?”
As much as I want to deny it, he’s right. “I feel like he’s been different ever since our last conversation.”
“He’s just sensitive right now. I’m Brandon’s doctor, but Ollie is still his right hand. He has a lot on his shoulders. I think he just needs a break.”
“I hope he’s fine.”
“He isMy heart explodes.
Whatever he’s trying to do, it’s affecting me. I feel so warm. Cassius can be very affectionate, but I always managed to keep myself composed, even if he was damn tempting.
But I’m not sure anymore this time. I shut my eyes and close the gap between us. I open my mouth, then bite the strawberry on his parted lips. My head feels light like I have no control of what’s going on anymore, but this feels erotic.
I take the fruit in my mouth and chew it carefully, but Cassius swiftly shifts my face to his side and kisses me.
I hold my breath.
Cassius’s mouth is confident, skilled, and aggressive enough to turn me on. He lets out a low growl as I respond instinctively, a cue for him to deepen the kiss. I feel the desire all over my body, and butterflies fill my stomach. He shoves his fingers carefully into my hair. I don’t realize my hands are already all over him.
He lowers his head to my neck and begins kissing me there. I bite my lips playfully. He’s never been this aggressive before—not to mention we’re in a club.
Right, we’re in public! “Wait, Cassius...” I whisper breathlessly.
He grunts under his breath and swiftly moves away. He covers his mouth. “Oh, God. I’m so sorry, Alayna.”
“No, it’s not that. It’s just... people can see us.”
“Right.” He clears his throat. “I understand.” He touches my forehead with his. “I never wanted anyone this much,” he confesses.
“Um... Can I go to the restroom?”
“Of course.” He chuckles lightly and releases me, leaving a little yearning between us. Maybe I just can’t admit that I want the feeling he’s giving me too.
I promptly leave our table. Even the VIP floor has a lot of people, so I sandwich myself in the middle of the crowd as I look for the restroom, thinking of ways to lessen the building tension in my chest.
I remember dancing in the middle of the crowd with Cassius last year. The time when I didn’t care about anything but our bodies touching, swaying to the rhythm with strangers around us. Dancing with him again wasn’t such a bad idea.
As I’m about to take another step, a firm hand suddenly covers my mouth and tugs me into a dark room.