Page 36 of A Dangerous Proposal

I am definitely too old for this.

“Come on.” Denise took her hand and pulled her toward the entrance. “Shana’s new boyfriend, Ivan, is the manager or something,” Denise said in her ear. “Total bad boy, but he’s hot.”

Two men in dark suits gave them a quick once over before checking off something on an iPad and then letting them through. Denise said something else, but the noise from inside the club was too loud, and the strobe lights distorted her vision, making it impossible to read her friend’s lips.

Madison was already regretting coming out as Denise tightened her hold on Madison’s hand. They maneuvered through the packed club like a human chain. Reaching the base of a short staircase, she followed her friends to the upstairs seating area.

The music was less deafening there, but Madison could still feel the bass beating through her body. Shana led them to a curved banquette and table set off with short stanchions.

A man with a shaved head and tattoos that crept up his throat and covered every inch of visible skin joined them and immediately stuck his tongue down Shana’s throat.

“Told ya.” Denise winked at Madison as she joined her on the seat. “Hi, Ivan,” she practically yelled with a wave. The man lifted his head away from Shana and greeted them.

“Let Bianca know if you need anything.” Ivan lifted his chin at the cocktail waitress who appeared in front of them holding atray covered with large bottles of liquor. “On the house tonight.” He turned back to Shana. “It’s a busy night, but I’ll come by in a bit to check on you,krasotka.”

Madison caught the Russian endearment, and a shiver went through her as her thoughts instantly turned to Alex.

Stop thinking about him.

Madison sat back in her seat, watching as Shana and the other women poured a round of shots, handing her one. The music thudded through the walls, a relentless pulse that seemed to vibrate in her bones. She hadn’t been out like this in… She couldn’t even remember how long.

She should enjoy this, right? New Year’s Eve, VIP area, her old coworkers laughing around her. They even had their own small dance floor away from the crowd.

Have fun, damn it!

But her body wouldn’t listen to her brain, and the noise, the lights, and the glittering bodies below felt suffocating.

“Here’s to us, ladies!” someone said, and glasses clinked around her.

Blinking her emotion away, Madison lifted her glass with a half-hearted smile, but the burn of the alcohol did little to chase away the unease creeping under her skin. Shana blew a kiss to her boyfriend, who stood by the top of the stairs speaking with an employee.

“Where did the two of you meet?” Ivan didn’t seem like Shana’s type, but then again, she and the younger woman hadn’t been close. However, Shana had always given off extremely clean-cut vibes, and Ivan was anything but.

“Here, actually.” Shana raised her voice to be heard over the noise as she poured out more shots. “He manages the club and thought I was cute.” She handed around the shots and made a face. “I know he looks a little scary, but Ivan’s a total teddy bear.”

Madison accepted the second shot, but when her stomach rolled, she vowed it would be her last one for a while.

The next hour passed quickly, and soon they were cheering for the ball drop as confetti fell from the ceiling while they danced. A pleasant buzz ran through Madison’s body, and she tried to relax, but the anxiety seemed to always be waiting just under her skin.

“Everything okay?” Denise asked, shimmying back to the banquette where Madison had retreated.

“Yeah, great.” It wasn’t. She wanted to bolt. As much as Madison wanted to get out of the club, she didn’t want to go back to her quiet, empty house and face her thoughts either.

Denise poured another shot, pressing it into her hand. “I know we’re a little old for this, buuut…” she grinned. “If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em, right?”

Right.

This is what she wanted. A break from thinking altogether. The alcohol burned on the way down, but when she quickly downed her friend’s shot as well, it wasn’t as bad.

Numb. She wanted to feel numb.

The club was a swirl of color and noise as Madison danced with her friends. She should have stopped two shots ago. She wasn’t wasted, but she knew she would feel it the next day. Denise was making out with some guy, and Shana was practically humping her Russian boy-toy in the corner. The two other ladies were clearly going to hook up with the finance bros they’d been dancing with.

The realization that she was the last of her friends on the dance floor hit her like a slap in the face.

It was time to go home.

She didn’t have any interest in the men around her, and Madison felt foolish for thinking she’d be able to hook up with a stranger. However, before she could leave, an arm snaked around her waist, forcing her body back against a hard chest. The unmistakable ridge of an erection pressed against her lower back.

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