Chapter 2 – Erin
The Dragon Fly was not at all what I had expected, and neither was the drive over to the club. Silly of me to have done what he asked, getting dressed and leaving my hair down just like he requested, but I had thought I would meet him at seven. When the limo pulled up, I could feel my heart racing. The fact that he hadn’t been in the vehicle was a little disheartening. I was supposed to meet him over there, but I felt a little strange riding there by myself.
Now I was standing on the large, sweeping staircase that led up to the hottest club in the city and I felt like I was out of place. There was a line forming around the side of the building that almost stretched to the other street, and I was nervous about doing what Drake had told me to do. He wanted me to just walk right up to the bouncer and give him my name.
I could feel the dirty looks on me for skipping ahead. I saw myself through their eyes and understood perfectly how they’d wonder why a girl like me would expect special privilege. I was too plain for that. However, Drake had made it clear that it would take too long if I waited in line. So I did as he had said to do, even though I was shaking a little inside the whole time.
“Hi, I’m here to see the owner, Drake?”
The tall man in the suit looked at me. I could tell that I was lacking in his eyes. I tried to straighten myself up, but it was hard to when the guy was looking at me in such a way. I gave him my name a little defiantly and waited for him to tell me to beat it. I was already done with the whole date and I hadn’t even made it in the door yet. I turned around, not sure if I was going to the end of the line or what I was going to do. I had a thought to just leave, right then and there.
If the man hadn’t said my name again like he did, I would have not looked back. He had a smile on his face, and whatever was written down next to my name had him treating me a whole lot differently. Now he was introducing himself as Dante and walking me to the VIP room where Drake was supposed to be waiting.
“I’m really sorry about that. You don’t know how many women I have that come in and say that they are here to see Drake. He has never left a name at the front before, though, so you must be the special one.”
I smiled back at him, not knowing what to say. It was hard for me to talk to him when I was thinking about what he had just said. What did he mean that I must be special? I knew that Drake was pulling out all of the stops, most likely to get into my pants, but I wasn’t sure why. He was handsome and rich and could have anyone that he wanted, so I still wasn’t sure what he wanted with me.
The club was loud and Dante came back and got me once when I lost my way through the throng of dancing people. His hand was soft on my arm. I think that he felt sorry for me. It was clear to anyone who could see me that I was not supposed to be there. I was out of my element, and I’m sure it showed to anyone who noticed me. It was hard not to feel out of sorts, and I was practically shaking when I was led up the stairs to the curtained-off area at the top of the club. The curtains were drawn and I couldn’t look in, but I knew who I would find in there.
Dante told me to have a good time and smiled at me in a way that made me breathe a little faster. What was going on? It was like I was in the middle of a game, but I didn’t know which one it was, so I had no idea of the rules that I was supposed to be following. Going in and meeting Drake’s eyes did nothing to qualm my nerves. He eventually had to motion me in because I was frozen where I stood.
“Come in, Erin. You look even lovelier than you did the last time I saw you in that dress. It really does become you, and I’m glad you were charitable enough to wear it for me.”
I looked down at the black dress and kind of shrugged. I still felt amazing in it, but the way that he was looking at me then let me see me through his eyes, and I couldn’t deny that I liked it. He really liked it and the gleam in his dark depths made my face get hot. I was all out of sorts, but when he motioned me down to the seat next to him I finally started to move. I sure hoped that I didn’t look like an idiot.
“Thank you for inviting me.”
He kind of smiled in that way that he had. “Well, it was not like I didn’t have to force you to come.”
I didn’t feel forced, but coerced was definitely a part of it, and we both knew it. I had forgotten how handsome he was. His smile was one of the things that I couldn’t keep my eyes off. His lips were so soft looking, and I couldn’t look at them without thinking of how they would feel on my own. His large hands made me wonder what they would feel like on my body. Everything about him came back to one thing. I was convinced that he was oozing sexuality and that was why I was so simpleminded when he was around.
His suit was much like the one that I had seen him in before. The only difference was that this time there was no tie around his neck and the top was open a few buttons. He had dark chest hair that was coming up through the opening, and so help me, my fingers itched to touch him. I wanted to so badly that it was hard to stop myself. When I felt my hand start to move, I pulled myself together, trying not to give in to the crazy feeling that was coming over me and embarrass myself.
“I’m here now, so I’m holding up my end of the bargain.”
I looked at him to let him know that I expected him to do the same. It wasn’t like I didn’t want to be there. I did, more than I was comfortable admitting, but that was as far as it was going to go. It was a fact that I had to keep reminding myself of.
“Yes, you are. I didn’t think you would wear that dress for me, Erin, but I have to admit that you are quite beautiful. With the lights in here it makes you look like an angel that just came down from heaven.”
He was laying it on thick, but even though it sounded like a line, I somehow knew that it wasn’t. There was just something in the way he was making me feel that told me all that I needed to know. Drake saw me as something else that he wanted to possess, but I liked that I had caught his eye, even if it was for that reason. I wondered what it would be like to be with a man like him. I wasn’t supposed to think that way. It had just been too long. I had to remind myself that was what it was.
“I wish I could see what you’re thinking.”
I looked up and smiled at him. I knew that my face was going to blush from what I was thinking about. I was feeling the air thin again, mostly, I was sure, because he was sucking it all out.
“I assure you that you would not.” I bit my lip so as not to say anything else.
Drake sat back and put his arm around me. I couldn’t talk when he was so close, and all of my newfound bravery was fading away quickly. Did he know that he drove me crazy? This date was not at all what I’d thought it would be. He had something in mind, I could tell, but I still wasn’t sure what he wanted. I thought I had known, but he hadn’t made a move.