Two familiar pairs of eyes locked onto mine from across the room, and even in the dim lighting, there was no mistaking them. My breath caught. Aiden.
He leaned back in his seat, his expression unreadable. Beside him, a woman leaned in, her lips close to his ear as she whispered something. He didn't seem to care. His eyes remained fixed on me, dark and unwavering.
I tried to break the stare, but my gaze flicked down against my will—to the woman's hand resting on his thigh, her fingers moving in slow, possessive circles. My chest tightened, but I masked it with a scoff. Typical. I guess someone else was about to sign an NDA.
I forced myself to look away, willing the heat in my face to cool. Danielle slipped back into the seat beside me, her smile wide and oblivious. I turned to her, grateful for the distraction, even as I felt Aiden's gaze lingering.
"You're not dating any of these people, are you?" I asked, trying to sound casual.
"Why?" Danielle's eyebrows arched, her tone instantly suspicious.
"Just wondering how you know them,"
"Saw them at Exclusive last month. Got invited. You know how it is—in the club, we're all fam," she replied with a smug grin.
I stared at her, debating whether to be impressed or judgmental. "Well, I guess that's your talent."
"Damn right it is. But why the sudden interrogation?"
I exhaled, my gaze darting toward the far side of the room. "Because I can't enjoy myself with my boss staring holes through me right now."
"What?" Danielle's voice sharpened as her head whipped around, her eyes scanning the room. "Your boss? Aiden? Which one?" She leaned closer, squinting before pointing directly at him. "That one?"
I yanked her hand down in mortification. "Put your finger away! Yes, that's him—with the earthworm lady."
"That cheating bastard," Danielle hissed under her breath.
"What are you talking about? We're not—"
Danielle cut me off. "—dating, but you're giving him a lot of sugar."
"Would you shut your damn mouth?" I hissed, the words coming out harsher than I intended. "That man is... nothing to me."
Danielle raised an eyebrow, her smirk sharp. "You sure about that? You're just screwing him for fun, or is he taking advantage of how attracted you are to him?"
I glared at her, horrified. "You haven't even had a drink yet, and you're already out of line. I'm leaving."
"Why?" Danielle asked, feigning innocence. "If he's nothing to you, why let him ruin your night? Might as well own it. Neither of you have any right to judge the other."
I turned to snap back, Aiden's companion—the earthworm lady—was no longer at his side.
Before I could fully process that, Danielle grabbed my wrist and, with a devilish grin, hauled me toward Aiden's table. I shot her a death glare, but she just smiled knowingly as she let go and walked off. I exhaled sharply, swallowing my frustration, and reached for a clean glass. Ignoring Aiden entirely, I grabbed a bottle of liquor to pour myself a drink.
But the bottle was snatched from my hand before I could tilt it, replaced with a pouring stream of red wine. My gaze snapped to Aiden, who was now filling my glass with an unruffled expression.
I took the wine without thanking him, defiantly pouring it into my liquor glass. His lips curved slightly, but he said nothing. I lifted the glass, ready to leave and find another seat, but before I could, his hand slid onto my thigh.
"Your friend?" he asked, his voice low as he gestured toward Danielle.
"Yeah," I replied tersely, keeping my gaze ahead, though his hand crept higher on my bare skin. The dress wasn't helping—there was little left to shield me.
"Why are you here?" he asked, his tone casual but probing.
I scoffed softly. "Same reason you are."
A deep chuckle rumbled from him, low and amused. His fingers traced light circles on my thigh, making my breath hitch.
"I should leave," I said, standing halfway before his grip tightened slightly, holding me in place—not forceful, but enough to pause me.
"No," he said smoothly. "I doubt you came all this way just to leave after a few minutes. Your friend doesn't seem like she's leaving anytime soon."
"She'll be fine," I replied, meeting his eyes briefly. "Nothing's going to go wrong with her, right?"
"Do you think the worst of me?" he asked, his voice calm, even over the steady pulse of music in the room.
The calmness unnerved me. I didn't respond immediately, my thoughts racing as his question hung between us. His eyes never left mine, dark and unreadable, as the music thumped around us, making the tension between us feel almost tangible.
"I don't," I said evenly, tapping his hand on my thigh in what I hoped was a dismissive gesture. "I'm just speaking objectively."
Aiden chuckled, low and quiet, his hand pressing deeper into my thigh. I shifted slightly, attempting to slip away, but his voice stopped me cold as his mouth brushed near my ear.
"Do you want my hands off?"
"Yes," I replied, my tone defiant, though the temptation clawed deep within me. "You can go ahead with that girl. She seemed very interested in you."
"And you," he murmured, "seemed very interested in her."
My eyes snapped to his, finding his unwavering gaze. His fingers still traced lazy circles on my thigh, sending a warmth curling through my stomach and lower. I hated how he affected me—how every second near him felt like fighting a battle I wasn't prepared for.
"I'm not interested in whatever this is," I said firmly. "Boss."
He smiled at that, the corners of his mouth tilting in a mocking curve. "Well, I'm very much interested in you," he said, his voice low and deliberate. "And we're not at Cooperoak."
He pulled me closer in one smooth motion, his strength catching me off guard. The dim light of the room seemed to fade even darker, leaving me barely able to see him—but I could feel him. His lips brushed against my neck, trailing short, deliberate kisses.
"What are you doing?" I managed, my voice breathless.
"Showing you my interest," he murmured against my skin.
"I'm not interested," I said quickly, though my body betrayed me, leaning into the warmth of his presence.
"But your body says otherwise," he replied with confidence, cutting through my weak protests.
I steeled myself, pulling back just enough to face him. "I'll be the judge of that. And right now, I'm telling you what my body says, Aiden." His name came out sharper than I intended. "I wanted to understand what was going on between us. But I don't anymore. Let's start keeping our hands to ourselves, boss."
For a moment, his hand lingered, as if testing my decision. Then, with clear reluctance, he withdrew, leaving my thigh cold and unsteady. I took a breath and leaned back, putting space between us.
"Are you jealous of the girl?" he asked, his tone unreadable.
"Jealous of your earthworm?" I shot back, my voice dripping with sarcasm.
"Earthworm?" His brows lifted slightly, a flicker of amusement breaking through his face.
"I don't know what this is," I said, more measured now, "but I want it to stop before I end up like the rest of the girls you've... kicked out."
Something shifted in his demeanor. I couldn't fully see his face in the dim light, but the air around him changed.
"You think I was unfair to Eva," he said at last, his tone colder now.
"I don't care," I replied, my voice soft but firm. "I just don't want to end up in the same position as all the others. Nothing about me would make it any different, would it?"
Silence stretched between us, punctuated only by the bass of the music below. I could hear his measured breaths, sense the tension tightening the space between us. Then, slowly, he pulled back even more, the distance between us growing..
The room's lights brightened slightly, cutting through the darkness just enough for me to see his face. It was blank—stone cold, his gaze fixed somewhere past me. Without a word, he stood,. He gestured toward one of his friends, and before I could process it, the earthworm reappeared, coiling her arm around his as they made their way toward the exit.
I sat frozen, watching as they disappeared through the door. My chest felt tight, but I forced myself to remain calm as Danielle's eyes found mine across the room. She raised a brow, but I shook my head slightly, trying to feign indifference.
She didn't look convinced.