I could see him sitting at the bar. His back was toward me, and it didn’t look like he was with anyone. I wasn’t sure where the girl I’d seen him with earlier had gone, but I knew that now was my chance.

Pushing through the last group of people, I was finally free to get to him. Some guests were already out on the dance floor with their partners, swinging and moving to the beat of the music, but my eyes were on Kyle, and Kyle alone.

When I reached him, I wasn’t sure what to say. So many things came to my mind at once, and I desperately wanted to blurt them all out. I wanted to ask him questions, I wanted to tell him how I felt, and I wanted to convince him that I was the right person for him—that I wanted to be with him.

I wanted to tell him that I was willing to do anything it took to have a chance at making him happy, but before I said anything, doubts began to creep back into my mind.

I had told him that I was a model. I had told him that I lived an exciting life full of friends and adventures, and that I had all the experiences one could ever wish for under my belt. I had told him so many things just because I had so desperately wanted him to be impressed.

But, now, standing only a few feet away from him and knowing that I had to tell him the truth, I felt horrified. I wanted to take it all back, to go back to the beginning and show him the real me.

A little voice inside me urged me to talk to him, knowing that it was only a matter of time before he either turned around or someone else came into the picture and made it harder for me to make my move. I cleared my throat, counted to three in my mind, then walked over to him.

“Mr. Cunningham?” I asked with as much confidence as I could muster.

He whirled around in his chair, clearly surprised to see me, but almost looking relieved, in a way. I was caught off-guard, not knowing how to respond, so I simply smiled and extended my hand.

“It’s been a while, but I saw you sitting over here and I wanted to say hello.”

I hoped I didn’t sound as nervous as I felt, and to my relief, he gave my hand a light shake. He was about to let go of me, when I suddenly had an impulse. I had never been one to act on impulses, but since that night, I had taken the liberty of being my sister, I was feeling a lot bolder.

Instead of allowing him to let go of my hand, I gave him a light tug. He looked at me in surprise, but I insisted.

“Come on, let’s dance. It was such fun the last time we did it.”

At first, he hesitated, but I was insistent, pulling at his arm and smiling, doing everything I could to get him to dance with me. This wasn’t part of the plan—the last thing I’d thought of doing was dancing with him—but right now, it seemed so natural.

After a few seconds, he finally got up and followed me.

“You know I never have two-night stands,” he murmured.

Though he sounded serious, there was a look in his eyes that made me think he’d missed me more than he was letting on.

“I would like to challenge that,” I replied with a wink.

As soon as we hit the dance floor, everything changed. It was as though we had known each other for years. Our bodies moved in perfect unison with each other, following the beat of the music like we’d practiced for days at a time. We didn’t need any guidance; our hands and bodies were guiding themselves, moving with the beat and making the most of each other all the while.

The music was beating fast at some points, slowing at others, and we were right there with each other throughout it all. It was at that moment that the questions I had been so nervous to ask started coming to my mind, and I began to speak so freely, I didn’t know why I had worried at all.

“I’m not an escort, you know,” I told him.

Kyle was right behind me, moving with the same self-assurance that I was used to seeing in him.

“I know,” he murmured in my ear.

I looked at him, surprised, and he continued.

“I watched you all that night, and I have to admit that I was captivated by your presence. There was something about you that was so genuine, so sensitive…there was no way you could have been faking that. I saw a raw side of you that I have never seen in anyone before, and I found it simply irresistible.”

I danced for a few moments in silence, allowing the loud chorus of the song to cover my trying to formulate my thoughts into words. Finally, I knew what to say.

“Then why did you leave me money the next morning? I mean, I didn’t expect you to be there to make me breakfast or anything, but when I walked out of the bedroom and you were gone but the money was there…I didn’t know what to think.”

The more I spoke, the more passion grew in my voice, and the more powerfully I moved to the music. I could feel Kyle behind me, and it was evident he was feeling the same things I was.

“It was me doing what I always do,” he admitted, and his brow became heavy. “I was pushing you away.”

I was silent for a minute as that revelation filled me. Then I realized I’d neglected to tell the truth, as well.

“There’s something else I need to tell you,” I said as he whirled me around. “I’m not a model.”

He raised his eyebrows at that, waiting for my explanation.

“My twin sister is the model. I’m just a nurse. I kind of stole her identity to come here, wanting some fun for myself,” I admitted sheepishly.

“What do you mean, ‘just a nurse?’ Being a nurse seems pretty amazing to me. Your job has meaning, integrity—no wonder you seemed so shy up on that stage. I knew something about you didn’t add up. I’m just glad you finally told me,” Kyle said as we fell into step in some kind of improvised tango.

We moved together almost like we had done in his bedroom, and I could feel that same throbbing between my legs as our dance became more intense. Suddenly, he threw me out into a spin, rolled me back in, then dipped me…and the music stopped.

The sound of applause filled the air, and we both looked around in surprise. The other dancers had stopped and were now watching us, applauding the beauty of our steamy, lust-filled dance. I felt my cheeks flush and looked up at Kyle, who gently took my hand and led me away from the circle.

I feared he was going to take me back to the bar, where we would then be surrounded by other people, and I wouldn’t get the chance to speak with him as I wanted to. To my surprise, however, he didn’t stop at the bar, but rather walked me out of the room and up the stairs to the room where we had seen the orgy.

He continued on beyond that room, though, and before I knew it, he was walking me through a door and out onto a rooftop terrace. It was a beautiful night; the stars were out, and once again, there was no moon. Kyle walked away from me and over to the rail. I waited.

At last, he formulated his thoughts enough to speak.

“I’m sorry I pushed you away, Emily. I’ve always kept people at arm’s length. I get what I want out of a night, then I get what I want out of the rest of my life. I know it isn’t the most noble way to live, but it’s always worked for me—until I met you. When I was in New York, I decided the best thing to do would be to move on, but that didn’t work. I’ve tried everything, but I can’t quit you, Emily. I just can’t.”

He shook his head, and I thought of the tabloid I’d seen. I wanted to ask him about it—to find out the truth behind the story—but there was something inside me that told me to wait and listen.

“I knew I couldn’t go on living as though that night had never happened, but I had no way to find you—the club has such strict rules about privacy. I searched high and low to find you, but there was just…nothing.”

He sighed, running a hand through his thick hair. I realized this was my chance to tell him how I felt, and without thinking too much, I went for it.

“Ever since that night, I’ve only been able to think of you. So many times I’ve wanted to reach out and try to find you, but I was certain you wouldn’t want to hear from me. I mean, who do you meet in a place like this that turns into true romance? I desperately wanted to show you that I had feelings for you, but time and time again, there was something that prevented me from doing it.”

I knew my voice was shaking, and I hated it. I didn’t know what else to say, but I certainly wasn’t going to stand there and cry.

To my surprise and relief, Kyle walked over and put his finger to my lips. I looked up at him through the tears in my eyes and forced a smile. The look in his eyes made him appear even more enchanting than ever before.

“I’ve been pretty much everywhere on this planet, Emily. There was a time when I found all my joy in travel, when I wanted nothing more than to be in the next city and sleep with the next woman. There was a time when I would have told you that those were my most fulfilling moments.”

He paused, and though confusion and jealousy rose in my chest, I waited for him to continue.

“Then, I met you,” he said. “And I knew that I had found someone special. I had found a person that I had a real connection with, someone that I never thought could exist. You have touched me on a level that I thought no one ever could, and I have to tell you, you have awakened something in me that no one else ever has. I need you, Emily, and I need you now.”

Throughout his speech, I could feel the throbbing between my legs grow all the more persistent. I’d never felt such a burning desire to be with someone, nor had I ever felt the need to have someone with such force at that exact moment.

I wanted to take him into the nearest dark room and show him all the passion I felt, but to my surprise, he took me gently by the hand.

“Let’s go back to my place, and we’ll show each other how we really feel,” he murmured.

Though there was nothing in the world I wanted more than having him at that very moment, I took a deep breath and nodded.

“Let’s go.”