Chapter One
Tess
There had been such a build-up to tonight. So much hype, so much excitement, so much planning - but none of it on my part. I was here because I was a good friend - I was here because I had to be. I hated crowds; I wasn’t overly a fan of people in general…well ones that I didn’t know anyway - so to be here now, surrounded by a mass of sweaty, writhing bodies - none of which I knew or had anything in common with - was, quite frankly, my idea of a nightmare.
“Where’s Lacy?”
The blonde woman with the pink diamonds stuck to the side of her face turned to look at me as I tapped her on the shoulder. We were in the centre of the dance floor, our bodies being knocked about as the mass of drunk, screaming women jumped and gyrated around us. The blonde shrugged whilst still managing to keep up with the beat of the music. I couldn’t remember her name - she’d introduced herself to me hours ago when we’d still been at the concert. Jill? Jenny? Jessie?
“No idea!” she yelled, her voice barely audible over the music, “Maybe she went off with that guy!”
I looked around, rising on my tiptoes in an attempt to get a better gauge of my surroundings. I couldn’t see my best friend anywhere, but it was hard to make out anything between the bodies, the poor lighting and the funky-smelling pink fog that flowed from the randomly placed smoke machines.
“What guy?”
The blonde narrowed her eyes and lifted her hand to her ear.
“What?!”
“What guy?!”
“Sorry, Jess. I can’t hear you”
“It’s Tess!”
“What?!”
I groaned and lifted my hand, giving the woman my best ‘never mind’ face, and slowly attempted to make my way to the edge of the dance floor. This was typical Lacy behaviour; she’d begged me to go to the stupid concert with her. As soon as the tickets were advertised eighteen months ago, she entered a competition on our local radio station and won two tickets to both the concert and the after-party. I was the first person Lacy called after winning and, after an obscene amount of grovelling on her end, I’d agreed to make the trip interstate and go with her. We’d booked a hotel room in the middle of the city and decided to make it a much-needed girl’s trip - even though I would have rathered spend two nights in the country surrounded by day spas and wineries than be in the city, surrounded by loud music and people who lacked the concept of personal space. And now here I was, standing on my own in some fancy nightclub with a bunch of noisy, obnoxious people - and my best friend was nowhere to be seen.
I finally pushed my way out of the sweaty mass and even though it was still busy, I found myself with a little more room to breathe now that I was free from the dance floor. I opened my clutch and pulled out my phone, sending Lacy another text message.
Tess: Where are you?
I swore under my breath as some guy pushed past me to get to the bar, giving absolutely zero shits that he’d just hip and shouldered me on the way through. I’d sent Lacy three messages in the last half hour, all of which were sitting unanswered. Sure, there was a large part of me that was annoyed at her and was two seconds away from leaving this place and heading to the hotel on my own - but then there was that small portion that was full of the ‘what if’s’ and I knew I’d never forgive myself if I left here and something happened to her.
I scanned the space and wondered where I would sneak off to if I were Lacy and needed somewhere a little more private to ‘get to know’ my new male friend. This wasn’t an unusual occurrence for Lacy - and good on her for living her best life - but I just wished she’d reply to my messages and let me know she was ok, then I could leave this shit-hole and wait for her back at the hotel, where I knew she’d come flouncing in at some ungodly hour full of wild and wonderful stories from her latest conquest.
My eyes darted around all corners of the club venue. I could just make out the VIP area above the dance floor and noted that Lacy wasn’t amongst the scantily clad girls that danced within the booths or cuddled up with the variety of men who obviously had something to do with the band and their tour. I looked down at my own outfit and pursed my lips at the sight of the red, sticky liquid covering my favourite pair of white Cons - I should have listened to Lacy and borrowed a some of her heels, maybe then I could have used the excuse of sore feet as a reason not to attend the after party. I’d taken her up on the offer of borrowing one of her dresses though and felt like I closely resembled a shiny, silver disco ball - more suited being strapped to the ceiling of this venue rather than lurking in the corner next to the bar below.
My phone buzzed in my hand and I looked down at the screen.
Lacy: With Dylan. I’m ok. You good?
Tess: Pretty sure his name was Declan - not Dylan. I’m heading back to the Hotel. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.
Lacy: Oh shit! Haha, Declan. Oops. Ok, I’ll see you back there. Don’t wait up ;)
I replaced my phone in my clutch and sighed. Lacy was safe - that was a good thing. I could go back to the peace and quiet of my hotel - that was a good thing too; but as my gaze moved from where I was standing and locked on the ‘EXIT’ sign on the opposite end of the club, I groaned at the idea of having to push my way through the dense mass of sweaty limbs on the dance floor again just to get there. I stepped back as another drunk male staggered off the dance floor, narrowly missing me before he headed down a long hall where the bathrooms were located.
“Fucking arsehole”
“Everything OK, miss?”
I gasped at the voice next to me and turned to see one of the club’s bouncers approaching. His gaze followed the drunk male down the hall then focused back on me after he’d disappeared into the men’s bathroom.
“I’m fine, sorry. Just not used to all this—” I waved my hand around my head and laughed, —chaos”
The bouncer smiled and nodded his head as he grabbed a few empty glasses from a nearby table then stepped past me to place them over the bar. He had a nice smile but not even the pleasant expression on his face could distract from the fact he looked like he could kill absolutely anyone with one hand strapped behind his back - the dude was huge.
“I totally understand. You’re here alone?” he asked looking around, “you must be a die-hard fan to come here by yourself”
The laugh that tore from my mouth - or my nose - was more of a snort than anything. The bouncer raised his brow and I shook my head at his observation.
“I was here with a friend - she was the die-hard fan, not me. But now she has found better company and I’m left having to navigate through that–” I indicated to the dance floor which looked more full now than it did before, “Just so I can ditch this place and go to bed”
The bouncer nodded, a sympathetic look on his face as if he completely understood the plight of a neglected friend. He edged closer to me and his overbearing size left me wanting to take a step back just out of instinct as he leaned in to speak.
“Over there,” he said, pointing to an unmarked doorway next to the DJ booth, “If you take that door and head down the hall, the second door on your left will take you straight out the back of the club and you won’t be left having to fight off all the drunk arseholes”
“You are amazing,” I groaned.
“I know”
I thanked the bouncer and made a bee-line for the door he’d pointed out. Another of the club’s security guards stood in front of it and after touching his earpiece for a second, he nodded and opened the door, allowing me to slip effortlessly from the din of the club. The relief when the door closed behind me was instantaneous. The loud music was now a dull rumble and although I knew it would take several hours for the ringing in my ears to completely subside, it was just a relief just to be out of the body of the nightclub.
I chewed my lip and stared down the hall – shit – what door did the giant bouncer tell me to take? There were several unmarked doors on both sides of the hall. I knew he said the right side but did he say the first door? Second door?
After several seconds of silent contemplation I finally decided on the third door, worst case scenario - it was the wrong one and I’d choose another until I found myself in the alley behind the club. Easy.
I pushed the heavy door open and was relieved to find myself outside. The crisp night air greeted me and I breathed in deeply, closing my eyes and filling my lungs with the welcome freshness as opposed to the staleness of the club. It wasn’t until the door clicked shut behind me and I opened my eyes again that I realised I wasn’t in an alleyway at the back of the venue, but instead a courtyard that still appeared to be a part of the nightclub.
“Shit”
I turned around and pulled on the door handle to find the damn thing had locked behind me.
“Shit. Shit. Shit!”
“You need an access card to get that open”
I jumped at the voice and slowly rotated my body as I combed the courtyard with my eyes. I hadn’t noticed anyone else there before and as I surveyed the tranquil, Japanese garden-style space, I still couldn’t locate the owner of the smooth, masculine voice.
“Over here”
From behind a white, vine-covered pillar stepped quite possibly one of the most offensively handsome men I’d ever seen. He was tall - maybe six-five or six-six - he had spectacularly broad shoulders and skin the perfect shade of sun-kissed gold. His hair was thick and blonde and topped his head in lush, messy waves. I found myself staring for maybe a little longer than I should have before shaking my head and blinking - giving my brain a moment to snap out of the desperate lust-struck fog I’d been dragged into.
“Oh, sorry. I was looking for the exit” I muttered and pivoted awkwardly on my feet.
The man pursed his lips and nodded. He kicked a white pebble that strayed from one of the garden beds and took a seat at the long table that ran the length of the courtyard.
“That makes two of us”
“You were looking for the exit too?”
The handsome man nodded again then pointed to the door behind me.
“Yep. Then that thing closed behind me and…well, here we are”
“Oh” I chewed on my lip and glanced at the door again before turning my attention back to the blonde stranger, “It’s pretty crazy in there”
He laughed - the sound almost musical. My breath caught slightly as I took in the gorgeous lines that formed at the corner of the man’s eyes. The creases suited him - something it seemed too many people were so quick to inject away these days. I’d always been a sucker for an older guy but at a guess, I wouldn’t have thought this particular specimen would have been much older than myself - and quite frankly, I wasn’t sure I knew how to take that.
“Crazy is a good way to describe it”
Accepting that I was going to be stuck in here until some other poor soul found the courtyard instead of the exit, I sighed and wandered over to the table and took a seat opposite the man. I extended my hand across the table and the stranger’s eyes rose to meet mine.
“Tess,” I said, twitching my fingers and hoping he’d take my hand instead of just leaving me hanging like a weirdo.
The man’s eyes narrowed a fraction as if perhaps he thought there was something more to my now slightly uncomfortable introduction, before finally lifting his arm and taking my hand in his, shaking it gently.
“Chris”
I smiled warmly and Chris smiled back.
“So, Chris,” I said, returning my hand to the table where I picked up a coaster and started folding it as a way to distract my fingers, “What brings you here tonight?”
Once again I was met with a narrowing of eyes - which I noted were the most amazing shade of blue-green.
“You first,” he answered.
“Ok, well, my best friend won tickets to the Disproportionate Force concert and me - being the wonderful, kind friend that I am - agreed to make the trip interstate to go with her” I shrugged my shoulders, “Oh, and come to the after party too, of course”
“Of course. Why does it sound like you were a reluctant attendee?”
I laughed and sighed at Chris’s question and rested my chin in my palm, “Because I am”
“Well, once again, that makes two of us”
This didn’t surprise me. Chris didn’t seem like the type to attend a concert such as the one I’d been to - not that I knew the guy from a bar of soap, but nothing about him - including the way he was dressed in a simple white t-shirt, faded denim jacket and nice jeans - screamed alternative pop-punk boy band fan.
“Girlfriend?” I asked.
Chris glanced up at me from the table with his brow slightly raised in question.
“Did you get dragged here by your girlfriend? Sorry. I mean, I know why I’m here—”
“Because you’re a good friend”
“Exactly. So, I thought perhaps you’re just being a good boyfriend”
Chris shook his head and watched as I meticulously folded the cardboard coaster into a swan.
He smiled, impressed at my little nervous quirk, “Nothing that exciting, unfortunately. I’m here for work”
Now, that made sense.
“I see. Well, for your sake I hope you’re getting paid good penalty rates. I know I’d rather be in bed right now than stuck at work - especially in a place like this”
My comment earnt another smile from Chris and my heart nearly skipped a beat. Being that good-looking should be illegal.
“You said you travelled here for the concert? Where are you from?”
“Maidstown”
Chris grimaced and I knew he had absolutely no idea where that was. Nobody did.
“It’s a small town up north. It’s actually quite beautiful if you like country towns and peace and quiet. I grew up there and recently moved back after spending some time away. They have this amazing night market on the first Friday of every month, people travel quite a distance to go. They have live music, local foods, rides for the kids…” I trailed off as I took in Chris’s expression, his eyes virtually glazing over, “Sorry, I’m boring you”
His eyes widened and he looked up at me, shaking his head quickly, “No, not at all. You have a way of painting a picture…I was just imagining the market and how nice it actually sounded - compared to this”
I looked around the courtyard and shrugged - even though I knew he was referring to the racket inside.
“I don’t know. It could do with a heater and some acoustic music, but I think it’s kind of nice”
Without even a hesitation, and before the last word had parted my lips, Chris stood from his chair and shrugged his jacket off his perfectly sculpted shoulders. He rounded the end of the table and draped the expensive-looking garment over me, its size compared to my slight frame making me look like I was curled up in a denim blanket. The smell of his masculine cologne enveloped my senses and for a moment I had to check myself before I closed my eyes and let the aroma drown me.
“Oh, thanks. You didn’t need to—”
“I should have done it earlier, it’s pretty crisp out here and I’m not the one dressed in a…”
“In a disco ball disguised as a party dress?”
Chris chuckled, relieved that I was the one poking fun at my attire instead of him and sat back down in his seat.
“This dress was a condition of entry…according to Lacy” I muttered, “My compromise was the shoes”
The handsome blonde tilted his head to look under the table and I kicked a leg up, twisting my ankle to show off my raspberry-vodka-stained Cons. We both cringed at the same time, taking in the state of my precious shoes and I swiftly tucked my foot back under the seat.
“You really are a concert and nightclub rookie, aren’t you? Never wear your good shoes, especially if they’re white and especially if you don’t want them ruined”
I tapped my temple and nodded, “Noted”
“So, where is this best friend of yours now?”
Now it was my turn to laugh. Where would Lacy be? In Declan’s hotel room? In the alley behind the club? Back on the dancefloor after some dirty toilet-cubicle sex?
“Let’s just say she’s otherwise occupied”
“Aha” Chris nodded, “Hence why you were out the back of the club trying to find the exit”
“Yep. Not doing a very good job of it, mind you”
“No. To think you could be curled up warm in your bed right now, but instead, you’re stuck in some cold little courtyard, forced to make small talk with some random guy you just met. Sucks to be you”
“I couldn’t have said it better myself”
The cheeky glimmer in Chris’s eyes at my little dig was hazardously disarming. Holy hell, this guy was gorgeous. Little did he know that from the second I’d seen him standing there in the courtyard, there was suddenly no other place I wanted to be more than locked in a private space with him.
“So, if DPF isn’t your cup of tea - music wise - then who is?”
I smiled at Chris’s question and thought for a moment. I loved a lot of different music but for me to really be able to immerse myself in it, it had to have substance - something I could relate to and lose myself in. I leaned forward on my chair, my forearms resting on the table.
“I don’t know where to begin”
Chris smiled back, mimicking my body language as he also leaned forward.
“Well, until that door is opened, you have my undivided attention, Tess - so, let me hear it”
With that answer, my heart felt as though it threw itself into my throat. The man, if he wasn’t careful, was about to send me into a tizzy with his charm and good looks. But before I completely embarrassed myself, I took a deep breath and released it slowly - then proceeded to reel off the artists I loved and why I loved them.
Without looking at my phone, there was no way of telling how long Chris and I had been sitting in the courtyard talking. Once we both got going, there was no stopping us. The way Chris stared at me as I spoke and listened to every word I said made me feel all kinds of things that perhaps I shouldn’t have been feeling for someone I had, quite literally, only just met. Then when Chris spoke, I found myself lost in what he had to say. He had this beautiful and sometimes poetic way of telling a story or explaining something and it soon became obvious that he was so much more than just an incredibly handsome man with a panty-dropping smile. He was deep and soulful, he was like no one I’d ever met.
“You have the most incredible brown eyes”
Wait, what?! My cheeks flushed what I knew was an embarrassingly deep shade of red, and I quickly looked down and my clutch. Did he just compliment my eyes? He, the man sitting opposite me that appeared as though he was handcrafted by the gods? He, who had the most striking set of eyes I’d ever seen?
“I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable” he laughed, he reached across the table, his fingertips gently grazing my knuckles before returning securely to his lap, “I just…I’ve never seen eyes that colour before”
“What, brown?”
Chris tilted his head as I looked back up at him now that I felt my face had returned to its normal complexion.
“They’re not just brown” he returned, “They have this warmth to them…a depth…”
For a moment I found myself being dragged into the beautiful man’s gaze as he stared into my eyes and I into his. Even if I’d wanted to look away - which I didn’t - I don’t think it would have been possible. If my boring brown eyes had warmth, then his had a smouldering heat. I was transfixed, locked in a stare-off that should have been uncomfortable but strangely wasn’t.
The sound of the courtyard door opening caused both of us to jump and we turned in the direction of the unwelcome disruption.
“There you are! I’ve been trying to call you”
I knew the gentleman who stood in the doorway wasn’t talking to me and I turned my head to look back across at Chris. I caught the end of an eye-roll and nearly laughed at how childish the expression suddenly made the handsome man look.
“There are still two more meetin—”
“Yeah, I know, Mack. Sorry”
Chris stood from his chair and I also stood, shrugging the jacket off my shoulders in the same movement.
“No, please. Keep it”
I shook my head at Chris’s absurd request but stilled as he stepped toward me and gently pulled the garment back in place. His hands lingered on either side of my neck and something about his closeness made it impossible for me to raise my eyes to meet with his.
“I have others like it. Please, it’s cold outside. Not a temperature suitable for a disco ball such as yourself”
I nose-laughed and finally looked up to gaze at the attractive blonde’s face, my breath once again halting in my chest as his eyes locked with mine. We didn’t have men like this back in Maidstown - Chris had an aura about him, a charisma that drew you in and wrapped itself around you. The man had presence and as intimidating of a presence as it was - it was still warm and inviting and I found myself wishing we’d been left alone in this courtyard for a little while longer just so I could learn more about him.
“It was lovely to meet you, Tess. Perhaps I’ll stop by one of those infamous Maidstown markets one day”
“If you do” I answered almost breathlessly as Chris finally dropped his hands back down at his sides, “make sure to try the local strawberries - they are the sweetest around”
I cringed at how stupid I sounded but Chris beamed back at me, the gorgeous lines reappearing as the smile reached his eyes.
“I’ll be sure to”
With that, the man with the movie-star good looks turned on his heel and joined the other gentleman at the door but not before he grabbed a rock from one of the garden beds and used it to chock the door open.
“Can’t have you getting locked in here with some other random guy, can we?”
The wink Chis threw my way over his shoulder was completely beguiling. I didn’t even have enough time to find my voice after the shock wore off to say something cheeky in response and instead, the other guy shot me a wary look with narrowed eyes and followed Chris from the courtyard, their voices slowly fading into nothing as they disappeared back into the club.
