The humid air of the underground jazz spot clung to my skin like a lover’s breath, thick with the scent musk, smoke and the undercurrent of raw, unspoken lust. I stood by the bar, one hip cocked against the polished wood, my crimson dress hugging every curve of my body like a second skin. The fabric shimmered under the dim amber lights, the slit up my thigh revealing just enough to draw hungry eyes. My name’s Raven, a woman who’s spent her life running from the shadows of a fractured past—abandonment, betrayal, the kind of wounds that fester beneath flawless skin. But tonight, I wasn’t running. I was hunting.
He was there before I even saw him, a presence that charged the room like a storm gathering on the horizon. Roman Devereaux. I knew him by reputation—ruthless, untouchable, a man who owned half the city’s darker dealings and wore power like a tailored suit. When our eyes locked across the crowded haze, it wasn’t just a glance; it was a collision. His gaze was molten obsidian, sharp enough to cut through my carefully constructed walls, and I felt the first stir of something dangerous low in my belly. He stood at over six feet, broad-shouldered, his black shirt unbuttoned just enough to hint at the hard planes of his chest dusted with dark hair. A scar traced the edge of his jaw, a silent story of violence, and his lips—full, cruel—curved into a smirk that promised trouble.
“You’ve been staring,” he said, his voice a low growl as he approached, each word laced with an arrogance that made my skin prickle. He didn’t stop until he was too close, the heat of his body mingling with the smoky air, the faint musk of his cologne—sandalwood and sin—wrapping around me.
“And you’ve been watching,” I shot back, my tone cool but my pulse racing. I tilted my chin, meeting his challenge head-on, even as my fingers tightened around the stem of my glass. Raven didn’t break under pressure, but fuck, this man was a force.
“Let’s not play games, sweetheart.” His hand brushed my wrist, a deliberate graze that sent a jolt straight to my core. “You’re not here for the music.”
stay tuned..