CHAPTER 2
Natalie
After Eden texted me the address of the club, I took a cab to get there. When the driver pulled into the parking lot, I could already tell the place had a large crowd for the night. I glanced around apprehensively, hoping there were no hidden newscaster trying to catch a couple of politicians’ daughters in compromising positions. But then I reminded myself that this visit to Turkey hadn’t been widely publicized, which was why Eden had agreed to go out in the first place. We should have been in the clear.
“Thanks,” I said, paying the taxi driver.
He pocketed the money. “Have a good night.”
Before I even stepped completely out of the cab, someone whistled at me. I grinned, shutting the cab door and turning around to see none other than Eden Kurt coming my way. She wore a wide smile, a short red dress that complemented her auburn hair, and heels so high that I would have fallen flat on my face if I wore them.
“Hello, gorgeous,” she said, skipping over to me. She stooped down to give me a hug, having to bend more than normal since her heels made her tower over me even more than usual.
I hugged her back. “Hey yourself, beautiful. Looks like you’re ready for some fun.”
“And you know it!”
We looped our arms together and headed into the club, ready to drink and dance the night away.
* * *
By the time we were on our third drink, we had been on the dance floor for at least forty minutes straight with various guys who couldn’t seem to take their eyes off us. They offered drinks and pretty promises that we laughed off, perfectly happy to tease them without getting too serious.
“Damn, sexy. Let me get you a drink—or something better, if you know what I mean.”
I turned around on the dance floor, instantly feeling repulsed by the guy standing behind me. He wasn’t bad-looking, but there was something predatory about his appearance that immediately revolted me. He stared at me hungrily, biting his bottom lip.
“No, thank you,” I said, trying to be polite nonetheless. Even if the guy hadn’t been such a creep, I knew that I was reaching my limit and didn’t need another drink right now, or else I risked ending the night passed out in the bathroom.
“Ah, come on. Don’t be like that,” he said, trying to touch me. I quickly dodged his grasp.
“Back off,” I said, turning away from him. He muttered, calling me some ridiculous name before moving along in search of his next target.
I shuddered and glanced around, in search of Eden. Yet, as my eyes roamed the club, something else entirely caught my attention. I froze on the spot, sensing a penetrating stare coming from the bar area. My breath hitched in my throat for a second, and a quiver went through my body. A handsome stranger lifted his head just slightly, acknowledging me from afar.
My heart pounding, I averted my gaze in search of Eden again. I spotted her a short distance away, her arms wrapped around some guy’s neck as she twirled her hips to the beat of the music playing, keeping the guy completely riveted.
I headed their way. Thanks to my short stature, I dipped under their arms and squeezed myself between them. The guy looked down at me, startled at first, and then amused. A grin spread across his face as if he had just hit the jackpot, likely under the impression he was getting a two-for-one special.
“What’s going on?” Eden asked.
“Do you see that guy over there at the bar? Hey, don’t look! I mean, you can look, just don’t be obvious about it. You know—sneak a look.”
Eden continued dancing, swirling around to disguise the direction of her gaze until she managed to glance toward the bar. She swirled around again, wrapping an arm around me and forgetting about the guy she’d been dancing with.
“Are you referring to that super-hot guy standing at the bar, scoping you out?”
“Yes. Oh…my…god. He is gorgeous.”
“Well, why are you over here with me? Go over there to him!”
I shook my head, my stomach knotting nervously just at the thought. “No, I can’t…”
“So what are you going to do, Natalie? Just stare at him all night?”
“Yes. I think that’s about all I can handle.”
“Well that’s just not acceptable and you know it.” To my horror, before I could protest, Eden grabbed my arm. Under the pretenses of leading me through some sort of line-dance, she began pulling me toward the bar. Towards him.
She gave a fake cough. “I think I need to make a trip to the lady’s room. Be back…eventually.” She winked and wiggled her eyebrows, and then disappeared around the corner, leaving me mere feet away from the handsome stranger, who was even more good-looking up close.
I stood there, not knowing whether I wanted to kill Eden or thank her; I supposed I would have to see how the rest of the night went before I could decide.
My heart pounding, I slowly approached the bar, coming to a stop at the guy’s side, all the while trying to pretend he wasn’t the reason I was there in the first place. Yet, I could feel the flush coming over my face as I felt him watching me.
Lord knows I didn’t need another drink, but now that I was at the bar, I felt I had no choice but to order one. I decided I would order something light to slowly sip.
The bartender was busy with other customers though, so I had a bit of a wait before me.
In my periphery, I saw the handsome stranger gradually sliding closer to me. Unable to resist, I glanced sideways at him. My knees almost buckled.
Tall with broad shoulders, he had the body of a god. His hair was short and black, creating a stunning contrast to his bright blue eyes. A tattoo peeked from under the sleeve of his shirt.
“Hello,” he said, his voice smooth as butter.
“Hi…”
A slow smirk spread across his face and in that instant, I knew he was the finest man I had ever seen. The cockiness lurking under his expression made me suspect he knew precisely the kind of effect he was having on me.
“What’s your name?” he asked.
“Natalie.”
He held out his hand. “Nice to meet you, Natalie. I’m Colt. Can I buy you a drink?”
I stretched out my hand, letting him take it in his. He raised it to his lips and kissed it with incredibly soft lips.
“Sure,” I said, somewhat breathless already.