Chapter 5

The bass from the main stage was a physical weight, a thrumming vibration that traveled up through the soles of my heels and settled deep in my chest, shaking my ribs in time with the roaring crowd. We had escaped the crushing density of the general admission floor, slipping through a heavy velvet curtain and into the VIP lounge, a sanctuary of plush leather and dim, golden lighting that felt worlds away from the sweaty, chaotic energy outside. The air here smelled of expensive cologne, chilled champagne, and the faint, metallic tang of adrenaline. He didn’t say a word as we crossed the threshold. He simply turned, his back against the heavy door, and pinned me there with a single, demanding hand against the small of my back. I was breathless, not just from the climb in elevation or the noise, but from the sheer magnetic pull of him. His tuxedo jacket was still off, draped over a nearby chair, leaving him in a crisp white shirt that clung to the broad expanse of his shoulders. The top two buttons were undone, revealing the hollow of his throat, a place I had been desperate to kiss since I first saw