Power is the sweetest kind of poison. It slips beneath the skin, curls around the bones, and makes men weak for a taste. Most of them give it freely - too eager, too desperate. But not him. Never him.
I lean against the balcony railing, a crystal glass dangling from my fingers as I watch the crowd below. Darkmoor's most exclusive nightclub hums with life - pulsating bass, dim lights, and bodies moving like they're trying to forget themselves. I don't care about any of them though, I only have my sights on one person.
Lucien Vale.
He's sitting at the bar, his broad shoulders relaxed like he owns the place. Typical. His dark hair falls across his face, shadowing those cold, unreadable yet gorgeous emerald colored eyes. There's always something dangerous about him - like he doesn't quite belong here, like he'd rather burn the world down than live in it. But that isn't what draws me in.
It's the way he doesn't bend for me.
I've broken stronger men. Reduced them to nothing with a glance, a touch, a carefully placed word. But Lucien? He's still standing. Stronger then ever. He watches me like I'm the one who should be careful. And that? That just makes me want to ruin him.
As I descend down the black glossy spiral staircase, heels clicking with every step, a slow smile tugs at my lips. The crowd parts without me asking. They always do. People like me don't need permission to take up space - we own it. I continue my path right to the bar where Lucien sits. I swirl the dark liquor around in my glass before plopping myself down next to him. He slowly turns his gaze to me. The silence and tension between us is unsettling almost, yet part of me is enjoying it. I want to break him.
His eyes meet mine, and god, those green eyes are beautiful. I can't believe I'm saying this, but out of all the men I've toyed with, Lucien is the most beautiful one of them all. The way his hair blends in with the dark atmosphere and his eyes glisten in the dimmed lights, it's almost surreal. His chiseled jaw with hints of stubble across it with his silver hooped nose ring makes me feel almost feral.
Feral for a man I've just met and want to break from the inside.
"You alright?" His voice is deep and smooth, but has a touch of an edge with something rougher underneath. It catches me off guard hearing this beauty of a man speak. I drag my gaze away for a moment, realizing his voice makes me tingle. I draw my eyes back to his and suck in a huge breath. "I'm fine." I narrow my eyes at him, hoping he may drop his guard like the rest do.
Except he doesn't. He holds the stare between us, his eyes still remaining cold and unaffected.
Interesting.
I smirk at him and graze his leg with my palm. After a bit of toying around, I know he'll break. They all do. There's no way he's any different.
The moment my hand slips away from his leg, his eyes wander off. He still seems unaffected, but maybe the little touch did something. Maybe it cracked away at his walls. I put my elbow on the bar, placing my head on my palm facing towards Lucien. God, he's gorgeous.
"You don't belong here" I smirk at him. He turns his head back towards me and I notice a slight grin on his lips. "Neither do you" He retorts. I paused, not expecting that answer to come out. He once again has a slight grin, which shouldn't affect me, but it does. He isn't taking me seriously, and that bothers me. I try harder to get under his skin.
I trace my fingers along the bar, pretending I'm just bored. "Do you always play this hard to get, or am I just special?" Lucien doesn't answer right away, instead he holds a gaze onto me with an unreadable expression, like he's already three steps ahead of me. I shudder, realizing this man has a slight hold on me already. I hate it, but I want more.
"You don't strike me as the type to chase," he says tilting his glass towards me. "So what do you want?"
You. I want you.
I laugh softly, leaning closer into him until my lips are inches away from his ear. "If I wanted you, Lucien, you'd already know it." His body stiffens up and he goes still - just for a second. It's barely enough to notice, but I do. And that tiny flicker of emotion? It's mine now.
I pull back, meeting his gaze head-on. "But maybe..." I trail my eyes down his frame, slow and deliberate, before returning to his face. "...I'm curious."
Curiosity, it's a dangerous thing to offer to a man like Lucien. But I'm not afraid of danger. I am danger.
His jaw tightens- just a little - and I know I've got him.
Let the games begin.
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