Chapter 1
Celeste’s POV
The club was alive, lights flashing like they were trying to blind us, bass heavy enough to rattle my bones. I was with my “friends.” Not really friends, more like leeches who clung to me because I spent Daddy’s money lavishly. Pathetic, but they made my nights interesting sometimes, so I let them stay.
Sienna was the only real one. She stuck around for me, not for the money. Everyone else? Just noise.
“Chug, chug, chug, chug!” they screamed, faces blurry under the strobe lights.
Six shots lined up in front of me. My head already swam from the last round, but there was no way I was backing out. I wasn’t a pussy. One by one, I threw them back, throat burning, stomach rolling, but I finished.
The crowd erupted, arms clapping my back. Sienna looped her arm around my neck, planting a sloppy kiss on my forehead while she giggled. “That’s my girl,” she cheered, while I just smirked through the dizziness.
The night was the same as always. Loud, sweaty, thick with the smell of alcohol, weed, and other shit I didn’t even care to name. I let it all sink into my lungs.
“Yo, Carter, you want some?” Taylor’s voice cut through the music.
He stumbled toward me, grinning wide, a pill resting in his palm. Molly. Fuck.
My throat tightened, palms sweaty. My gaze locked on that tiny pill like it was the only thing in the world that mattered. That one little thing that could take all of this away. The empty, the noise, the disappointment.
My hand twitched to take it.
Then Sienna leaned into me, her breath warm against my ear. “Don’t even think about it. You’ve been clean for three years, Celeste. Don’t throw that shit away now.”
Her voice snapped me out of it like cold water to the face. I blinked hard, looked away from the pill, and plastered on a fake smile. “Thanks, but I’m good. I’ve got my drink and my weed.” I held up the half-burnt joint in my fingers.
Taylor groaned. “Ughh bummer, you used to love this shit.”
I shrugged, knocked back another shot, and stood up, heels wobbling but steady enough.
“Where you going?” Sienna’s head snapped toward me.
“Gonna find a hot boy to fuck,” I answered, smoothing my dress. “I’m done drinking.”
Sienna slapped my ass with a grin. “Have fun, baby girl. Though I doubt anyone here knows what to do with all that ass.”
I rolled my eyes and hit the dance floor, body already moving to the beat. Hands reached out for me, grabbing my waist, my hips, my ass. I didn’t care. Too drunk to care. I pushed back against them, grinding with whoever was closest.
That’s when I saw him.
Some boy at the bar. He was cute. Not my kind of hot, but he’d do.
I smirked, rolling my hips harder, fingers grazing my own thighs. I didn’t have to move first. I never did. Show a little skin, touch myself, let them see what they could have. That was always enough.
And it worked. He came over, hands sliding to my waist. His mouth brushed my ear. “Wanna get out of here?”
I grinned, nodding once. He linked his arm with mine, and just like that, we were gone.
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The sex was disappointing.
Aside from his mouth on my nipples, he didn’t have a clue. His hands were everywhere but never in the right place, fumbling like a virgin.
I lay there, legs spread, tits out, my thong somewhere on the floor, staring at the ceiling while he struggled between my thighs.
Good thing my joint wasn’t finished yet. The high was the only thing making this bearable. I prayed it would carry me through this whole disaster.
I stroked his head like I cared, voice flat. “You’re doing wonderful, babe. Keep going.” The words sounded dead even to me.
As if he noticed as well, he paused, then lifted his head with a frown. “Are you not enjoying this?”
I faked a smile so fast it hurt. Cupped his chin like I meant it. “Baby, you have no idea how good you make me feel. Keep going.”
His smirk returned, and he dove back down. I sighed, took another drag of weed, and stared at the wall. Fuck this.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Back home, showered, panties on, I curled up in bed with my phone. My phone buzzed due to a phone call. Sienna. I picked after three rings. “Hey bitch, how’d it go with the hottie?”
I rolled my eyes, dropping against my pillow. “He was more cutie than hottie. And he was… great,” I said dryly.
She snorted. “Let me guess, couldn’t find your prostrate or clit?”
I laughed. “Girl, I didn’t even let him hit. My weed burnt out, and I told him I was out of time. Couldn’t deal.”
We cracked up. Then she cleared her throat. “Anyway, did you see that article about Damien?”
My whole body stilled. Damien.
Damien fucking Blackwood. My father’s business partner. My obsession for the last two years.
At first, it was a crush. Something stupid. But now? Now it was all I thought about when I touched myself at night. He wasn’t just older, he was a man. Thirty-seven. Grown. Dangerous. Untouchable. And I wanted him to ruin me.
“Celeste!!”
I jumped. “What?”
“I’ve been calling your ass. What were you thinking about?”
I cleared my throat. “Nothing. What were you saying?”
“I sent you the picture. Go look.”
I clicked into her messages. And holy fuck.
There he was. Damien. 6’4, broad shoulders filling a tailored suit, jaw sharp enough to cut glass. Those cold eyes that made it impossible to read through him.
My thighs clenched.
“Sienna, having sex with him would be a dream come true.”
She laughed. “He’s thirty-seven. You’re twenty-two. He probably thinks of you as a kid. And have you seen him? That man looks like he’ll break you.”
I bit my nails. “That’s what I want though.”
She sighed. “You’re drunk. Go to bed. And don’t go stalking that man.”
I smirked, scrolling back to his picture. “No promises.”
We hung up, and I curled under my blanket, staring at his face on my phone. My heart beat faster. My body was already buzzing.
