"I don't like your best friend." I pouted at my twin sister. "He is a piece of work. And a player."
"He is neither of that to me." Sienna laughed.
"But, Sia," I insisted, "You know what I mean. Every time you introduce him to a new girl, he ends up dating her for a week and then he's onto the next. It's like he's playing a game."
Sienna rolled her eyes, her blonde hair bouncing slightly with the movement. "It's just his way of being friendly. You're reading too much into it."
But the way he looked at me made me feel like I was the one he wanted to win.
His eyes, a piercing blue that mirrored the ocean on a cloudless day, searched mine as if he could see my deepest secrets.
I felt a strange mix of excitement and fear each time our gazes locked. It was like watching a storm roll in - both mesmerizing and intimidating.
"What if he pulled that stunt on me?" I asked.
Sienna's face grew serious. "One, Ela, he wouldn't do that because we have a pact. No dating each other's siblings. And two, you wouldn't let him."
I nodded, but the doubt lingered. The pact had been made years ago, almost as a joke, but it had held firm. Yet, the way he looked at me lately was anything but brotherly.
The tension grew with every encounter. His smiles were brighter, his touches lingering. The air between us was charged with an unspoken understanding that seemed to thicken with each passing moment.
I shuddered. Maybe I was reading too much into it. He was a player. There was no way he was attracted to me.
I turned around to watch the couples on the dance floor of the club, enjoying the weekend.
"Come on, let's dance," Sienna said, taking my hand.
I nodded, allowing her to pull me onto the dance floor. The strobe lights painted the room in flashes of color, and the thumping bass made my heart race.
We danced together, laughing and letting the music sweep us away. I lost track of time, and my worries about Drew's intentions faded into the background.
But then, as the DJ transitioned into a slower song, Sienna's hand slipped from mine. She leaned in, whispering into my ear, "I see someone I want to dance with."
Before I could react, she was swept away by a tall, dark-haired man. I watched them meld into the crowd, his hand resting comfortably on the small of her back as they swayed to the rhythm.
After a few minutes of being alone on the dance floor, I felt a tap on my shoulder.
I spun around to find Drew standing there, a mischievous smile playing on his lips. "May I?" He held out his hand, the question hanging in the air like a dare.
My heart skipped a beat as I took it, allowing him to lead me into the rhythm of the music. His grip was firm but gentle, sending a shiver down my spine.
We danced in a way that was both familiar and foreign, our bodies moving in sync despite the years of unspoken tension between us.
The strobe lights continued to pulse around us, casting shadows that danced across his face, making those piercing blue eyes seem even more intense.
"Where's Sia?" He asked.
"Dancing with a guy." As if on cue, my phone buzzed.
I checked to see a message from my sister saying she was going home with the guy.
Drew raised an eyebrow. "Looks like it's just us, then."
"Looks like it," I murmured, my voice barely audible over the music.
The atmosphere grew heavier as the song changed to something slower, more intimate.
Our movements matched the beat, bodies pressed closer together, leaving no room for doubt about what was happening.
Drew's hands began to roam, his hips moving in a way that made my cheeks burn. The heat from his body radiated against mine, and his scent, a blend of musk and cologne, filled my nostrils.
I tried to ignore the way my pulse quickened and my breath grew shallow. I didn't want to give him the satisfaction of knowing he affected me, but my body had a mind of its own.
Drew leaned in, his breath hot against my neck as he whispered, "I've wanted to do this for so long." His words sent a tremor through me, and I closed my eyes, trying to steady myself.
His hands slid down to my hips, guiding them in a sensual rhythm with his own. I felt his firmness pressing against me, and a sudden jolt of panic shot through me.
This was my sister's best friend, the boy we had grown up with. This was not supposed to happen.
Drew's hands slid even lower, his hips moving in an unmistakable way.
He was grinding himself against me, his erection clear even through the layers of fabric separating us.
My eyes shot open, and I gasped, trying to pull away, but his grip tightened. "Drew, we can't," I protested, my voice a mix of desire and fear.
He leaned closer, his breath hot in my ear. "Why not, Elara?" His voice was a low rumble, a seductive challenge. "You know you want this."
I tried to resist, my mind racing with the consequences of giving in to this forbidden desire.
But my body had other ideas, arching into his touch, craving the contact. The beat of the music seemed to slow, each throb of the bass echoing the pounding in my chest.
Drew's hands slid even lower, his thumbs tracing the edge of my jeans, dangerously close to the heat building between my legs.
His hips rolled into me, and my breath hitched in response.
"Someone might see," I said weakly.
"So what? Everyone's doing it." He responded.
And sure enough, everyone was.
The dance floor was a sea of bodies, each couple lost in their own world of passion and temptation. The air was thick with lust and the scent of sweat.
Drew's hands continued to explore, his touch sending electric currents through my body.
I could feel the wetness seeping through my panties, betraying my arousal.
His eyes never left mine, a silent dare that I was finding harder and harder to resist.
"Why don't we go somewhere and work out this tension between us? Sienna doesn't have to ever know." Drew's voice was a tempting whisper, his eyes holding mine captive.
The idea was wrong on so many levels, but the desire was too intense to ignore.
"Where?" I managed to ask, my voice shaky.
Drew's smile grew more wolfish. "There's a back room." He nodded his head towards the dimly lit hallway. "It's private."