Page 49 of Her Ruin

Lyndsay caught my eye, and she lifted her glass slightly before turning back to her guests.

I exhaled slowly, willing myself to relax. This was a win.

A big one.

I felt a giddy smile spread across my face.I’d done it.

Checking my tablet one more time, I made my way to the door Zayn had taken me through the night I went to his office. A giant stood in front of it, watching me approach.

This had been the only hiccup. I wasn’t allowed near the kitchens. They were at the back of the building, and I was under a strict “stay in the main club” order.

“Still?” I asked him, and he shot me a simple smile. The giant guard was hot, but my flirting had fallen on deaf ears. “Appetizers coming out in eight?” I asked him, and he paused before nodding.

I liked to be in the kitchens. I liked to see the plates of food before they went out. I liked to be hands-on.

He didn’t move, and with a sharp stab of irritation, I turned away. Eight minutes later, the doors at the back opened, and the waitstaff poured out with military precision I couldn’t take credit for. I’d asked why they were allowed access, and Rye had told me Elixir had its own catering staff.

It wasn’t unheard of for venues, but was it weird that this was a nightclub? I pushed the thought from my mind as I watched all three hundred guests being served within minutes of one another. Once more, I saw Lyndsay look at me; her expression told me she was impressed.

I nodded slightly in acknowledgment. This was the kind of night that would be talked about for months. The success that would come from this would develop my reputation as well as potential clients’ trust in me. This would be one of my greatest events, and I was thrilled.

And yet, my pulse thrummed, my nerves stretched too tight.

Straightening my shoulders, I looked to the corners of the club one more time. I hadn’t seen him yet, but I could feel him here no matter how much I told myself otherwise.

I knew when he was near. The air in the room thickened and shifted, like the muscles in my body tensing in preparation. I scanned the crowd one more time.

And then—there.

Zayn was leaning against the far bar, dressed in a black-on-black suit that made him look every bit as dangerous as I knew he was. His dark hair was styled in a way I’d never seen it. He was clean-shaven. An untouched glass of whiskey was in front of him.

He looked amazing.

He looked as if he owned the room.

He wasn’t talking to anyone. He wasn’t mingling. He was just…watching.

Watchingme.

His gaze traveled over me slowly, lingering on the one-shoulder black dress I had chosen for its blend of elegance and daring allure. The design featured an off-the-shoulder silhouette on one side with a transparent panel accentuating the curve of my shoulder. This served as the perfect backdrop for an intricate array of dark crystals arranged in a radiant starburst pattern, creating the illusion they were embedded directly in my skin, catching the light with every movement.

I chose it because it was form-fitting, sleek, and modern but not enough to make me stand out. However, the way he was looking at me, I was no longer sure about that.

Heat pricked at my skin, but I refused to let my expression slip from my cool and calm demeanor. I lifted my chin, pretending I wasn’t affected. Pretending like my stomach didn’t tighten the way it always did when he looked at me like that.

Like he was waiting.

Like he was enjoying that I felt him. That Ireactedto him.

I dropped my head to look at my tablet, forcing my focus elsewhere. Not tonight. Tonight, I was in control.

Tonight, this was my world.

Not his.

But even as I pretended to check off another item, my hand steady and professional, I couldn’t stop the awareness settling deep in my bones.

Nothing ever stayed under control when Zayn was here.

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