The club was dark, loud, and dripping with expensive perfume.
Mia was at the bar, waiting for her friend, when she saw him.
Tall, confident, and impossible to ignore.
His presence was like a shadow that moved through the crowd — quiet but powerful.
He approached the bar, eyes fixed on her.
When he spoke, his voice was smooth like velvet.
"Who are you?" he asked.
Mia raised an eyebrow. "That's a strange way to start a conversation."
He smiled. "I don't like small talk."
Mia's lips curved. "Neither do I."
He leaned closer, his breath warm against her skin.
"You're Mia," he said.
Her heart skipped.
"How do you know my name?" she asked.
His smile widened. "Because I know everything about the people who enter my club."
Mia's eyes narrowed. "You're the owner?"
He nodded. "Adrian Black."
Mia's voice turned cold. "I've heard of you."
Adrian's eyes darkened. "You don't forget me once you meet me."
Mia felt a shiver run down her spine.
This man was trouble.
And she was already drawn to him.
"Why are you staring at me?" she asked.
Adrian leaned closer. "Because you look like the kind of woman who doesn't belong to anyone."
Mia swallowed.
"I belong to myself," she said.
Adrian smiled, his eyes shining with desire.
"Good," he said. "Because I want you to stay that way."
Mia's heart raced.
Something inside her whispered:
This is the start of something dangerous.
And she wanted it.
The club was dark, loud, and dripping with expensive perfume.
The bass vibrated through the floor, through the air, through everything. People moved like they were trying to forget something—faces lit by neon lights, smiles too bright, laughter too loud.
Mia Hart wasn't here to have fun.
She was here to work.
To survive.
To make sure rent got paid and food stayed on the table.
Her friend, Lana, had begged her to come out. "You need to live a little," she'd said. "You're always locked up in that studio."
But Mia didn't have time for living.
She had deadlines.
And bills.
She sat at the bar, nursing a drink she didn't really want, while watching the crowd move like a river.
That's when she saw him.
Tall, confident, and impossible to ignore.
He moved through the crowd with a calm certainty—like he belonged to the night.
Not like a man who was just visiting.
Like a man who owned it.
Mia's breath hitched.
It wasn't just his looks.
It was the way he carried himself.
Like he was used to getting what he wanted.
He approached the bar.
His eyes locked on hers.
And for the first time in months, Mia felt something she hadn't felt in a long time:
Desire.
Not the shallow kind.
The deep, dangerous kind.
He stopped a few feet away, scanning the room for a moment, then leaned on the bar with his elbows. His gaze never left her face.
When he spoke, his voice was smooth like velvet.
"Who are you?" he asked.
Mia raised an eyebrow. "That's a strange way to start a conversation."
He smiled, and the smile wasn't friendly.
It was confident.
"I don't like small talk," he said.
Mia's lips curved. "Neither do I."
He leaned closer, his breath warm against her skin.
"You're Mia," he said.
Her heart skipped.
"How do you know my name?" she asked, trying to sound calm.
His smile widened. "Because I know everything about the people who enter my club."
Mia's eyes narrowed. "You're the owner?"
He nodded. "Adrian Black."
Mia's voice turned cold. "I've heard of you."
Adrian's eyes darkened. "You don't forget me once you meet me."
Mia felt a shiver run down her spine.
This man was trouble.
And she was already drawn to him.
"Why are you staring at me?" she asked.
Adrian leaned closer. "Because you look like the kind of woman who doesn't belong to anyone."
Mia swallowed.
"I belong to myself," she said.
Adrian smiled, his eyes shining with desire.
"Good," he said. "Because I want you to stay that way."
Mia felt her heart race.
Something inside her whispered:
This is the start of something dangerous.
Just then, Lana appeared beside her, dragging a bottle of champagne.
"Babe! You won't believe who just walked in!" Lana said, giggling.
Mia glanced at her friend, then back at Adrian.
Lana's eyes widened as she looked at him. "Oh my God. That's Adrian Black."
Mia turned back to him. "You know my friend?"
Adrian's smile turned slightly amused. "I know her type."
Lana's cheeks flushed. "Excuse me?"
Adrian's eyes remained on Mia. "I don't do games."
Lana crossed her arms. "I'm not a game."
Adrian's gaze didn't leave Mia. "No. You're just... not worth my time."
Lana looked hurt.
Mia felt a strange satisfaction.
She hated the way he spoke to Lana, but she couldn't deny that it made her feel like she mattered.
Adrian leaned closer to Mia again. "You're different."
Mia's heart beat faster. "Different how?"
He paused, as if choosing his words carefully.
"Like you've been hurt," he said softly. "But you still walk like you're not afraid."
Mia felt the heat rise in her cheeks.
She wanted to walk away.
She wanted to ignore him.
But something about his voice made her stay.
"What do you want?" she asked.
Adrian's eyes locked on hers.
"I want you," he said simply.
Mia's breath caught.
She wanted to laugh. She wanted to tell him he was insane.
But she didn't.
Because she felt the truth in his voice.
She felt the danger.
And she felt... wanted.
She looked away, trying to hide the flutter in her chest.
"Listen," she said, keeping her voice steady. "I don't do this."
Adrian's expression softened for the first time. "Do what?"
Mia's eyes met his again. "This. This flirting. This... pretending."
He smiled. "I'm not pretending."
Mia felt a chill run through her.
"What are you then?" she asked.
Adrian leaned closer, his voice dropping to a whisper.
"I'm the man who wants you," he said.
Mia's heart hammered.
She knew she should walk away.
But she couldn't.
Not yet.
Not when the night had just begun.