Page 1 of Consequence of One Reckless Night

Chapter One

Raquel DaCosta grimacedas she downed her drink before sliding off the stool.

It was Friday night and Club M was packed to the rafters with people, all swaying to the loud music bursting from the speakers. Dim lighting made visibility poor, but no one seemed to care. In fact, it was the perfect setting for letting down one’s hair and dancing their problems away.

And that was exactly what Raquel wanted to do. She wanted to dance like the people around her—mindless and carefree. She wanted to throw her hands up in the air, and let the music take over her body.

She’d only imbibed one glass of whatever the bartender had poured her, but it was already taking effect—filling her with courage that she didn’t have, but desperately needed. Delicious heat sizzled through her entire being, easing the tension that had plagued her for days. Her blood began to thump in sync with the loud music, and her feet moved on their own accord, carrying her toward a group of women who were dancing like there was no tomorrow.

She began to move her hips, raising her hands over her head, not caring that the action lifted the hem of her brown dress up to her thighs, the material stretching across her well-rounded buttocks. The seductive music wove a spell over her, and she willingly surrendered to its call as she began to dance in earnest.

Raquel didn’t know how long she danced but when someone grabbed her hips and pulled her against a hard body, her eyes flew open.

“No.” Immediately her hands flew out, slapping the meaty paws off her hips.

The beady-eyed man grinned wolfishly before reaching for her again. Raquel jumped back, only to be grabbed again.

“Hey!” Slapping his chest, she tried to push him away, but he didn’t budge. Instead, he jerked her toward him, grabbing her arm.

With a gasp, she fell against his chest, crying out when he squeezed her bottom. Fear shot through her. “Let go of me!” Raquel punched his chest, eliciting a curse from the man but his hold on her didn’t loosen. She struggled in his embrace, panic bubbling in her veins as his arms tightened around her.

Suddenly, she was torn out of the man’s arms and pushed behind a tall body.

While she squinted at the back of her rescuer whose broad shoulders blocked her view, she heard a man’s cry, followed by the sound of punches before a couple of bouncers gathered around her savior. When the bouncers dragged her unwanted admirer away, she sighed with relief.

Anita was right, Raquel thought. It wasn’t wise to stay alone in a place like Club M where, it was whispered, after midnight the party became an orgy. She should have gone home with Anita, who as soon as they arrived at the club, had to return home because her mother had suddenly become ill.

“Are you alright?” The deep bass of the man’s voice sent a hot shard of heat scything through her as Raquel stared up at her gorgeous rescuer.

****

Alexandre Monteirosurveyed the woman in front of him.

He’d noticed her the moment she had stepped inside the club, arriving with a woman who left as soon as they arrived.

Something about the way she stood at the bar, slouched and unsure of herself, had piqued his interest. From the vantage point of the VIP lounge, he’d watched her take stock of her surroundings before climbing onto a stool.

Her dress was dull brown and loose-fitting, the hem climbing up her thighs when she hoisted herself onto the stool. She was awfully short, he observed, wearing vertiginous heels to add some height to her short stature.

From the distance, he hadn’t been able to discern her features but her long, wavy hair fascinated him. It fell to her waist like a rippling waterfall, and he itched to feel its texture against the roughness of his palms.

Alexandre had had his share of women—so many in fact, that he no longer indulged freely in what was enthusiastically offered to him wherever he went. Thanks to his good looks and money, women were always willing to grace his arm—and bed, and he’d indulged in the pleasures of the flesh to his heart’s content.

Some of the most beautiful women in the country had graced his bed—models, actresses, socialites—but none had captured his attention like this little woman who downed a drink in one gulp.

He grimaced when she downed the liquor without any finesse before joining the gyrating crowd around her. Emulating the actions of those around her, she swayed her hips provocatively.

Sweat broke out on his brow as he watched her dance, for there was a certain seductive quality to the way she moved. With her hands up in the air, and her head thrown back, his mind conjured up a vision of her moving sinuously above him as she rode him with mindless abandon.

He’d become instantly hard—his reaction both swift and surprising, shattering his self-imposed abstinence.

The thrill of a chase, the pleasure he found in a woman’s body had begun to lose its appeal over the past few months, and Alexandre had feared he was becoming jaded. But his libido had made a stunning recovery watching the mystery woman dance.

He’d stood watching her, his eyes sliding down her body, taking in her small breasts, the narrow waist, flared out hips, and a well-rounded derriere which made his mouth water.

Without pausing to think, Alexandre left the VIP lounge, and ran down the stairs, wanting to get to her—this mystery woman who had jolted his waning libido awake.

But when he drew close to where he’d seen her last, the hair on his nape stood up. Something was wrong, he knew immediately, his heart pounding rapidly as adrenaline pumped through his blood. Pushing people out of his way, he caught the eye of one of the bouncers who nodded at him and together, they moved toward his woman.

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