Damien had seen her the moment she walked in.
That shouldn't have been possible—the club was packed, the lighting was terrible, and he'd been nursing the same untouched whiskey for the past hour while Marcus tried to convince him this was a good idea.
But somehow, impossibly, his eyes found her immediately.
And he couldn't look away.
She stood at the entrance, clearly uncomfortable, her hands clutching a small purse like a lifeline. The black dress she wore was simple but elegant, hugging curves that made his mouth go dry.
But it was her face that stopped his heart.
Beautiful. Delicate features, large dark eyes that reflected the club's lights, full lips she kept biting nervously.
She looked lost. Determined. Desperate.
And something in his chest cracked at the sight of her.
"Dude." Marcus's voice broke through his trance. "Stop staring. You're being creepy."
He ignored Marcus, watching as she scanned the crowd with growing anxiety. She was looking for someone.
"That's probably her," Marcus continued, oblivious to the fact that every cell in Damien's body had suddenly come alive for the first time in his twenty-eight years. "The woman I arranged for you. Though I thought she'd be more... I don't know. Confident?"
She didn't look confident. She looked like she was about to bolt.
And then her eyes found his.
The world tilted.
Heat flooded his veins. His vampire nature surged to the surface, his fangs threatening to descend, his eyes probably glowing brighter than they should.
He gripped the armrest of his chair hard enough to crack the wood.
Control, he ordered himself desperately. Control.
But control seemed impossible when she started walking toward him.
I was moving before I could talk myself out of it.
My feet carried me through the crowd, up the stairs to the VIP section, directly toward those glowing blue eyes that seemed to see straight through every defense I'd ever built.
The security guard at the velvet rope gave me a skeptical look, but before he could speak, the man—the stranger—made a subtle gesture with his hand.
The guard stepped aside immediately.
Who is he?
But I didn't care. Couldn't care. All that mattered was getting closer to him, to that magnetic pull I didn't understand but couldn't resist.
I stopped in front of him, my courage wavering now that I was close enough to see him properly.
He was... devastating.
Tall—so tall I had to tilt my head back even in my heels. Broad shoulders, elegant hands, a face that belonged on magazine covers. The sapphire earring in his left ear caught the light.
And those eyes. Those impossible, glowing blue eyes that watched me with an intensity that should have terrified me.
Instead, it made me feel alive for the first time in a year.
"I..." My voice came out breathless. "I don't usually do this."
Truth. I'd never done anything like this in my life.
His eyes never left mine. When he spoke, his voice was deep and rough and sent shivers down my spine.
"Neither do I."
Three words that felt like a promise.
Or a warning.
I held out my hand, barely breathing. "Do you want to get out of here?"
For a moment, he just stared at my outstretched hand. Then, slowly, he reached out and took it.
The moment our skin touched, electricity shot through me so intensely I gasped.
His eyes darkened. "Yes."