Page 3 of One Night

Thump, thump. Thump, thump. That's my heart, beating so loud it's thumping in my eardrums. I don't know who this guy is but he's got my heart shifted into overdrive.

I can't look away. There's something about him. Is it his face? His eyes?

Oh no, he just saw me. He saw me staring at him! And now he's staring back! This is so embarrassing and yet I can't look away. His eyes are piercing through me, like they're willing mine to stay connected to his. He takes a step toward me, his lips slightly parted, almost like he's saying something to me.

Do I know this guy? Does he know me? And if not, why do I feel this odd connection to him? And why is my heart beating so freaking fast?

Our eyes remain locked as he makes his way over to me. When he finally reaches me, I'm unable to say anything. I just keep staring at him. Those brooding eyes. Those lips. He has perfect lips. And his jaw. It's strong, angular, with a thin layer of scruff.

"What's your name?" he asks. I love his voice. It's smooth. Deep. Sexy.

I pause, suddenly unable to remember my name. What the hell? What's my damn name?

"Amber," I blurt out. "My name is Amber." I'm so breathless my words come out in almost a whisper. I finally break my gaze from his and look down, embarrassed that I'm acting so strange.

"Amber," he says, not like he's confirming what he heard but more like he's saying my name aloud to himself. And when he said it, I could feel his breath on my face. That's how close we're standing.

I swallow and close my eyes for a moment, trying to make sense of this, trying to get myself together, because what's happening right now? It's surreal.

I feel his hand under my chin as he slowly lifts my face back to his. I open my eyes and see him watching me. Whatever this is I'm feeling, he's feeling it too. I can sense it. There's this incredibly strong attraction between us that makes absolutely no logical sense. This can't be real, can it? Am I drunk? I only had a few sips of punch. I don't feel drunk.

Yet I feel an intense urge to kiss this guy. A complete stranger.

As if he read my mind, his hand gently cups the side of my face and he leans down and kisses me. His soft, warm lips press gently against mine and a shiver of pleasurable sensations ripple through me from head to toe.

The feeling takes me by surprise and I tense up. He notices and lets me go.

He backs away, his dark brown eyes returning to mine. He looks regretful for what he did. Actually, not regretful, but more like he knew he shouldn't have done that, but isn't sorry that he did. He went with his gut. Followed his urges. Did what felt right in the moment.

I wish I could be like that. But who says I can't? Nobody, except me. I'm the only one standing in my way.

Seize the day. Seize the moment. The words from that girl's speech yell at me inside my head. This is my chance. This is my opportunity to do that one bold thing that's outside my comfort zone. To do what I want. To act on my instincts.

The decision is made. I'm doing this.

Chapter Two

Amber

The guy, who still remains nameless, is looking at me, waiting for me to make the next move. A move that would either end this or continue down a path I've never been on before.

I grab the guy's shirt and yank him toward me and kiss him back. And then it's like something unlocked inside both of us and caution didn't just get thrown to the wind. It got blown up, disintegrated, in the fiery hot passion between us.

We're no longer at a party with people everywhere and loud music pumping all around us. We're in our own world, lost in whatever spell we're under that makes us oblivious to anything but each other.

Somehow, some way, we make it up the stairs, our mouths intermingled in a heated frenzy of lips and tongues colliding, hands grasping for each other. We find ourselves alone in the hall and he backs me up against a wall.

"I'm Dylan," he says, breathing hard and fast.

I nod, like I don't care. I DO care, but right now, his name is not what I'm focused on. It's his lips that have my attention as they slide across my cheek. I feel his warm breath over my ear and a shiver of pleasure courses through me.

My hands are all over him. Running through his soft thick hair. Gripping his strong shoulders. Bracing against his hard chest. I grab a fistful of his t-shirt and yank him closer. He presses his body to mine, pinning me to the wall. Through his jeans, I can feel the hard length of him and I instinctively rub against it, my hips circling. He groans in response as his mouth returns to mine, his hand slipping around to grip my ass, keeping me held tightly against him.

As good as this feels, my rational side is rising up, reminding me I barely know this guy. Do I really want to do this? He could have a disease. Or be mentally unstable. A serial killer. An ex-con.

But if I go with my gut, it's telling me Dylan is a good guy. In fact, I feel oddly safe with him. There's no explanation why other than a feeling. I never trust my feelings, but right now? I'm choosing to go with my gut.

I break from his lips and turn my head and look at the open door that's to my left. Then I look back at Dylan.

---