“Why are we here again?” Ella asked as she pushed through the heaving crowd in the club.

“I told Spider that I would drop by to see the band,” Ruby replied over her shoulder.

“What kind of name is Spider anyway?” Ella asked as she searched for somewhere for them to sit.

“It’s his stage name,” Ruby sighed then added. “His real name is Greg.”

“Why in God’s name would he change it to Spider?” Ella asked with a laugh, but Ruby didn’t respond. Instead, she squealed excitedly and jumped on some guy before he jammed his tongue straight down her throat.

Ella sighed and rolled her eyes, as she stood there feeling decidedly uncomfortable. She looked around and smiled at everyone who was now looking in their direction.

“Ella,” Ruby finally said as she peeled herself from the guy who had just tried to perform a tonsillectomy on her. “This is Spider. Spider, this is my best friend in the whole world, Ella.”

“Sup!” He grunted at Ella before he turned his attention back to Ruby. “So, babe, we have a table over there. The band is playing in like twenty minutes. It’s going to be epic.”

Ella did her best not to laugh at this walking cliché standing in front of her. He was the latest in a long line of men that Ruby proclaimed was ‘the one.' She had been dating him about two weeks, so Ella gave them two more weeks before he will have broken her heart, and she will have moved on to the next one.

Ella loved Ruby. They had been best friends for as long as Ella could remember. She was more like the sister she never had. However, Ella knew Ruby better than Ruby knew herself. She knew that this would be another burning romance that would fizzle out as quickly as it started, then Ella would have to pick up the pieces for her friend once again.

The two friends were so different. Ruby had flaming red hair with a fiery personality to match. She was taller than Ella, which Ella hated. Being only five feet two inches, she wished all her life that she could have been just a couple of inches taller. Ella had blonde hair, with warm amber eyes. She was the sensible one of the two. She was always the one who made sure Ruby was okay. While Ruby was wild and carefree. Still, they were closer than sisters.

“I’m going to get us drinks,” Ella shouted over the noisy crowd, but her words were lost. Ruby was too busy playing tonsil tennis with Spider once again.

She pushed her way to the bar and waited for the barman to come down to where she was waiting. As she did, she turned back to the crowd and sighed deeply.

“This is beyond madness,” she muttered to herself as she turned back to the bar.

“Don’t you like the loud banging noise that is supposed to be music?” A voice said from beside her. Ella turned and saw a pair of grey eyes staring at her.

She just smiled and turned back towards the bar and caught the barman’s attention.

“Two white wines please,” she called out to the barman before she turned back to the guy next to her. “This isn’t really my thing.”

“Then why are you here?” He asked with a hint of amusement in his voice. Ella didn’t reply for a moment. She just looked at him.

She had to admit he was gorgeous. He was tall, seemed like he had a good body from what she could tell through his shirt. He had a stock of messy, dark hair and a beard that framed his handsome face. His smile was warm, and his eyes were kind.

“Because I’m an idiot,” she finally replied with a smile.

“I doubt that,” he laughed as he ran his fingers through his wavy hair. “You have good taste in music, so you can’t be all bad.”

“How do you know what music I like?” She asked with a giggle.

“Well you hate this noise,” he leaned in and whispered. “So, it can only be better.”

“True,” she agreed with a smile. “But what does that say about you. You’re here too.”

“Damn,” he said and pretended to pout. “I was hoping you wouldn’t notice that.”

“I’m afraid I did,” Ella replied and couldn’t help but laugh. Just then the barman set her drinks down on the counter.

“Here,” the guy said as he quickly handed the barman a twenty. “Allow me.”

“Thanks….” Ella said, then realised she didn’t know his name.

“Nate,” he added and offered her his hand.

“Ella,” she replied as she shook his hand. “It was lovely to meet you, Nate, but I should be going back to my friend. Thank you for the drinks.”

“The pleasure was all mine, Ella,” Nate said as he locked eyes with her. When he did, Ella felt like something clicked inside her. She was drawn to him like she had never been drawn to another man before.

She blushed a little and smiled before she turned and pushed her way through the crowd.

“There you are!” Ruby exclaimed when Ella reached the table with their drinks. “I thought you had left.”

“No,” Ella replied. “Though the thought is tempting.”

“Oh, don’t be so grumpy,” Ruby pouted, as she reached for her drink. “You are turning into an old woman.”

“Well one of us had to grow up,” Ella said as she glanced over her shoulder towards the bar. She felt disappointed when she couldn’t see Nate anymore.

Despite the rule she had that she never picked up a guy in a bar, and he was in fact, a guy in a bar, she found herself attracted to him. Yes, he was hot, but more than that, he was sweet and funny.

Get a grip! She scolded herself in her mind. He is just a guy in a bar.

Suddenly, Ruby squealed excitedly next to Ella.

“What’s wrong?” Ella asked, unsure what was wrong with her friend.

“It’s Spider’s band,” Ruby informed her, as she bounced in her seat. “They’re coming on now.”

The music started up, and as Ella had guessed, the band was just as awful as the one before it.

Thankfully they weren’t on that long, and before Ella knew it, Spider and his band were slipping into the booth with the girls and getting a little too close for Ella’s liking.

“So, Emma,” Spider said once he had detached himself from Ruby’s face yet again. “What did you think?”

“It’s Ella,” she sighed impatiently as one of the band members moved up against her and slipped his arm around the back of her seat. “And I guess you were okay if you like that kind of noise.”

“I think maybe you and I could make some noise of our own,” the greasy, Slash wannabe that was sitting next to her, said as he grabbed Ella’s knee with his other hand.

“And I think you are living in dreamland,” Ella growled into his face. “And if you don’t get your hand off me, right now. I will break it for you.”

“Oh!” he exclaimed with a laugh as he grabbed her leg harder. “Playing hard to get, are we? I like a challenge.”

Before Ella could reply, the guy was pulled out of his seat and hit the floor with a thud.

“The lady said hands off, asshole,” Nate said as he stood over the guy. Then he turned to Ella and smiled. “Are you okay?”

“Yes,” Ella said with a grateful smile, but feeling a little stunned by what happened.

“I think it’s time to get out of here,” he said as he reached out his hand.

“I’ll call you tomorrow,” she said looking over at a shocked looking Ruby before she turned back to Nate and took his hand.

They pushed their way through the crowd before Ella had time to register what she was actually doing.

“What the hell just happened?” Ella asked with a laugh as they stepped out into the night. The rain was coming down heavy, and they were both soaked within moments.

“I saw that guy mauling you,” Nate replied, looking down into Ella’s eyes. “I didn’t like it.”

He stepped closer to Ella, then without saying another word, he kissed her.

The moment their lips met, Ella felt the world disappear. The rain, the sound of the New York traffic, none of it seemed to matter anymore. Right at that moment, there was just her and Nate.

Finally, their lips parted, and he looked down at Ella and smiled.

“Hi,” he whispered, his lips still barely inches from hers.

“Hi,” she replied breathlessly.

“We should really get out of the rain,” Nate said as he reached up and softly touched Ella’s face.

“Okay,” was all Ella could say as she stared up into his eyes.

Nate reached down and took hold of her hand, then turned and walked towards the kerb. He waved down a passing cab, and soon they were sitting side by side, both knowing what would happen next.

Twenty minutes later, they were stepping onto an elevator in the hotel Nate was staying in, taking them to the penthouse suite.

As the doors closed, Nate closed the distance between him and Ella, and once again his mouth claimed hers. He pressed her against the glass of the elevator as Ella wrapped her arms around his broad shoulders.

“What are we doing?” He whispered against her lips. “I have never done anything like this before.”

“Neither have I,” Ella replied honestly. This was not like her at all. She was normally so protective of her heart, and sleeping around was not her thing at all.

“Then why does it feel so right?” He breathed against her lips as the door finally opened.

Nate didn’t miss a beat, he reached down, took hold of Ella’s hand and stepped off the elevator. They didn’t say another word as they hurried along the corridor to his room.

They barely made it through the door before Nate took her into his arms once again and kissed her like she had never been kissed before.

Ella knew at that moment that no matter what the night ahead would bring, that kiss would be the one she would measure every other kiss against, for the rest of her life.

He spun her around and pressed her against the wall, as they each clawed at each other passionately.

“We need to get you out of those wet clothes,” Nate said against her mouth as he pushed her jacket off her shoulders and let it hit the floor.

“What wet clothes?” Ella moaned as she reached for the waistband of his trousers. Nate took her face in his hands and kissed her harder, as he pressed her tighter to the wall. Ella could feel his arousal against her stomach, and it made the desire course through her entire body.

Nate reached down and inched her dress up her legs slowly, the whole time his tongue danced with hers. When he reached the rim of her panties, he pushed them down her thighs. Ella pulled open his trousers, releasing his erection and Nate gasped as her fingers stroked the head of his length softly.

Ella kicked her panties away before Nate lifted her up against the wall, then lowered her down slowly, onto his awaiting arousal.

She cried out at the sudden fullness, but Nate claimed her cries with his mouth.

Ella closed her eyes and let him take her higher. Thrust after thrust, he pushed into her as she clung to him like he was the only thing that was keeping her from spinning off the earth.

“Nate!” She cried out as he thrust into her once more before she threw her head back and she came hard. He pulled her closer to him as he too came hard inside her before they both sank to the floor.

“Wow,” Nate gasped when he finally caught his breath enough to speak. “I have never done that before. That was…wow.”

Ella just giggled, suddenly feeling a little shy in front of this relative stranger.

“You know you are beautiful,” he said as he brushed her damp hair back from her face. “You’re possibly the most beautiful girl I have ever met.”

Ella stared up into his eyes. She had no idea where this man had come from, but he had gotten to her like no one had ever done before.

“We really should get you out of those wet clothes,” Nate said with a smile. “You’ll catch a cold.”

“Okay,” Ella nodded and returned his smile. Nate released Ella and climbed from the floor. He reached his hand down to her and waited for her to take it.

Ella took his hand and let Nate pull her up from the floor.

“Shower with me,” Nate asked as he pulled her into his arms.

“Okay,” Ella replied as she stared into his eyes. She didn’t know why, but she felt so at ease with him.

Nate took her hand, then led her to the bathroom. Once there, he reached in and turned on the water, before he returned his attention back to Ella.

“Let’s get you out of those wet clothes,” he said once more as he turned her around and undid the zipper at the back of her dress. Ella then let it slide down her arms and down to the floor.

She turned back to Nate, as he pulled his top over his head and threw it to the floor. Ella reached back and undid the hook of her bra before she let it slide down her arms, and she dropped it to the floor with her dress.

“Wow,” Nate said, and Ella instantly blushed, as she suddenly felt self-conscious standing in front of this stranger, completely naked.

Nate reached for his trousers and dropped them to the floor, and for the first time, Ella saw him completely naked too. He was beyond stunning.

He reached for her hand and led her into the shower. As they stood beneath the hot water, Nate took her face in his hands once again and kissed her.

“What is this strange magic you have cast over me?” He whispered as he softly kissed down her neck.

“Nate,” Ella moaned as his hands dropped to her backside and he drew her to him.

Once again they made love slowly beneath the hot water, both lost in each other’s arms.

Ella woke slowly and stretched out. She stilled when she felt Nate sleeping beside her. She turned over carefully and watched him sleeping. He really was too good to be true.

Last night was a first for her. Sleeping with strangers was something Ella never did, but there was just something about him; something that drew her to him.

Suddenly, she heard her phone beep, and she knew it would be Ruby. She eased herself out of bed and went to answer it before Ruby began ringing the phone and woke up Nate.

She hurried to the hallway to search for her phone. She knew it would be there in her handbag, buried somewhere under the coats that were still on the floor.

Ella spotted the strap of her bag sticking out from beneath Nates jacket on the floor. As she picked up Nate’s jacket, something fell from the pocket and pinged against the leg of the hall table.

When she looked down and saw a wedding ring sitting next to the table leg, Ella could feel her heart ache, and her stomach heaved. She reached down and picked it up.

Ella stared at it for a moment before she set it down on the table.

OH GOD! OH GOD! She cried in her mind. She panicked for a moment, as she tried to decide what her next move would be. She stood for a moment and closed her eyes. She needed to clear her thoughts.

YOU IDIOT! She shouted at herself in her head as hot tears suddenly stung her eyes. HE IS MARRIED! OF COURSE, HE IS FUCKING MARRIED!

 She hurried into the bathroom and found her damp clothes still on the floor where she had left them the night before. She needed to get out of there as quickly as she could because she didn’t want to have to face Nate now that she knew the truth.

She quickly dressed, ignoring the coldness of the clothes. Then she quietly let herself back out into the hallway, where she picked up her panties from the floor, then grabbed her jacket and her bag before she quietly let herself out the door.

She hurried along the corridor to the elevator as she blinked back the tears. She felt like such a fool. She liked him. In fact, she had more than liked him. She had fallen for his lies, believed he was a good guy, that he could be the one worth dropping her guard for.

As the doors opened and she stepped inside, Ella heard Nate call out her name. She looked up and saw him standing outside the door with a sheet wrapped around his waist. She instinctively reached out and pressed the close button for the doors.

“ELLA!” he called again as he began to hurry towards the elevator, but the doors closed before he made it, and just like that he was gone.