Audacity is sexy. It was my second time meeting Zayne, and I already knew he was dangerously daring. Maybe I should recoil and backaway, but I couldn’t. I found him…interesting.

Our eyes locked under the blinking light. I didn’t know when it happened, but a more familiar face replaced his. Jeremy’s. I wasn’t even drunk yet and I was seeing Jeremy when he wasn’t here.

It said a lot about who I truly wanted to be with right now. I was standing here with Zayne so that I could take my mind off Jeremy. Since I was already here, I better use Zayne then.

A smile stretched my lips as I said, “You know what? I really wanna get drunk right now.” Zayne smiled. The dark kind of smile that depicted ‘Oh I’ve been waiting for that’

“Are you sure? You are not wearing your glasses tonight, you might trip and fall when you get drunk.”

My eyes fell on the ‘knife’ tattoo at the side of his neck, then moved back to his face. “You initiated getting drunk. And what are you here for if you won’t catch me when I trip?”

Zayne’s jaw clenched. Hard. His deep brown eyes twinkled as he looked at me, as if he was orchestrating a twisted plan in his head.

“Let’s do this, pretty.” He grabbed my small hand and led me through numerous bodies dancing to Justin Timberlake’s music that was currently playing.

We stopped at a table at the bar area, then he snapped his fingers. A server appeared to take his orders. Zayne asked me what I wanted and I told him anything he chose for me. I wasn’t a drunkard and sure wasn’t familiar with alcoholic drinks. Minutes later, the bartender arrived with some bottles, served us, and disappeared just as quickly. Zayne leaned back against the couch, eyes on me like I was a puzzle he was unraveling piece by piece.

“You’re shaking,” he said, finally.

Was I? I didn’t even realize I was. I swallowed the uncomfortable lump in my throat. “It’s…cold.”

His high-arched brows furrowed a bit. “I can tell someone to turn off the aircon . Just say the word.” What? That would be selfish of me, there were many people here, turning the air off because of me would be insensitive.

“No. It’s not that. You know, you sped, the rush of air and…all.” He didn’t say anything.

I blinked. My chest tightened. There were too many things I wanted to say, and most of them were about a very brooding guy with tattooed arms who had my painting in his room. Jeremy. But none of them made it past my lips. Not while Zayne was staring at me like this. Not with the heat rolling off his body, the smell of leather and danger, the wicked gleam in his eyes.

I continued to drink whatever was in my cup that kept burning my throat, and when it finished, I filled it up again.

“You are such a drunkard for a nerd.” Zayne mocked playfully and I rolled my eyes. I didn’t know how many cups I was on but knew I was now swaying a bit and some kind of sharp confidence was replacing the uncertainty in my body.

“I want to dance, Zayne!” I shouted above the speaker. He smirked, rose to his feet, and pulled me onto the dancing floor.

I started to dance without a care, swaying my hips, and laughing as Zayne held me and let me be…wild.

I loved this. I felt like I could be reckless with Zayne and he wouldn’t judge me. I had no feelings for him so it was much easier. I could…use him.

My breath hitched as his fingers brushed my wrist, his touch featherlight, then traveled up to my elbow. I looked up at him, my throat dry, lips parting without thought.

“Zayne…”

“Say my name again,” he whispered darkly into my ear, voice low, dark, coaxing.

I didn’t mean to.

But I did.

“Zayne.”

His hand cupped my jaw, thumb trailing just beneath my lower lip. His intense gaze dipped to my mouth, then slowly back to my eyes. And then he kissed me. God.

It wasn’t soft.

It was heat and hunger and chaos all at once. His hand slid to my waist, gripping me like he had no intention of letting go. My fingers held on to his leather jacket as my body melted against him, drowning in the sensation of his mouth claiming mine.

It was wrong..

And I didn’t stop it.

But then his hand moved too low, too wrong and something inside me jolted.

I pulled back, panting, lips tingling. “No,” I whispered, breath uneven. “I… I cannot.”

His unreadable deadpan eyes searched mine

“I’m sorry,” I added quickly, stepping back. “I shouldn’t have come with you.”

For a second, I thought he might grab me again. He didn’t.

He stepped aside. “You want to leave?” He asked like he was willing to give me the choice I wanted. I couldn’t answer. I felt stupid for letting him cross this boundary with me. Just a couple of nights ago, I lost my virginity to my stepbrother, and tonight, I was already kissing a stranger. I had a boyfriend too!

What has changed about me? What the hell was wrong with me?

I turned around and started to storm out of the club without looking back. I just want to get back to my bed and curl into my sheets. What have I done?

As I got outside, the cold air picked on my skin. I was going to hail a cab. But this part of town was silent. Too silent. I felt scared, drunk. I could barely keep myself together.

“Hey, need some companions tonight?” My head jerked to the direction the stranger’s voice had suddenly come from. There were three guys stalking towards me. They all looked scary in ripped jeans, bottles and cigarettes in hand.

“No…I don’t.” My voice shook.

“Gosh, she’s hot.” One of them said as they continued to walk towards me. I was shaking now.

Then I heard another voice. Zayne’s. “Get the hell away from her except you have a death wish.” The boys backed off immediately, as if they couldn’t dare his wrath. They obviously knew and feared him. I sighed with relief.

My heart was already thudding too fast in my chest.

“You’re not safe like this,” Zayne said when it was only us. “I’ll give you a ride back.”

I wanted to say no. But not after the scary moment I just had.

“Come on,” he added, already offering a hand I didn’t take—but somehow still ended up following. I told him my address.

He climbed on his bike and handed me his helmet. I took it from him, then he kicked on his engine.

I climbed on, arms barely touching him, trying to leave a gap, trying to breathe.

But when he sped off like a devil was chasing him, my arms clamped around him like my life depended on it.

Minutes later, we were pulling up in front of the Carter’s mansion. I climbed off his bike, feeling overly relieved now that I was home. My eyes now felt so heavy and body so slow.

I lazily removed the helmet, shook my head so that my long brown hair could fall into place. He took the helmet from me but he wasn’t looking at me. He was looking at the house with a strange expression on his face.

“Thanks for the ride.” I said. He looked back at me and as if he couldn’t believe his own words, he asked. “You live in Jeremy’s house?” Oh I almost forgot he knew Jeremy.

I nodded.

His jaw clenched as if he was doing some calculations in his head. “Then…you must be his newly infamous stepsister.” When I looked at the house, there was a shadow looking at us through the window.