Ava saw that her glass was empty again, and she sighed in frustration. She pressed her lips together in mock defeat as she turned to Damian, her cheeks flushed from the alcohol and the heat of the crowd.
"You know," she said, touching the rim of her glass with one finger, "if you're going to judge me for drinking, the least you can do is buy me one."
Damian frowned. "You've had enough already."
"Exactly," she said, leaning a little closer, her eyes twinkling mischievously. "That means I know what I'm talking about. Another drink will fix everything."
He shook his head; his lips twitched with the urge to smile. "That's not how it works, or do you want to pass out here?"
Ava pretended to pout. "Wow. Caring and bossy. What a combination."
Damian studied her quietly for a moment. The flashing lights of the club painted her face in shades of red and blue, but nothing could dim the spark in her eyes. She looked innocent at the same time reckless.
"Why are you even here?" he asked finally, his tone more curious than judgmental.
Ava swayed slightly on her barstool, then shrugged, running a hand through her tousled hair. "Why is anyone here? To drink. To forget. To dance like an idiot without anyone caring." Her smile softened briefly, almost wistfully, before she covered it up with a playful wink. "And maybe… to meet tall, sexy strangers who might like to screw me tonight
Damian blinked. "What?"
She leaned in closer, lowering her voice quietly. "Don't look at me like that. You know you want this, admit it. I don't mind, either. You're so fine, look at that jaw, ridiculous cheekbones, eyes that look like they've seen a lot of shady things, and still don't care. It's unfair, really. How is a girl supposed to concentrate?"
Damian was caught off guard. No one, absolutely no one, had ever spoken to him like that. Not to his face. Not so boldly. He cleared his throat, his usual composure slipping for just a second.
"You're drunk," he said finally.
"And you're avoiding the compliment," Ava teased, her smile widening. "Typical handsome-man behavior. Too cool to admit you like being told you're pretty."
That word pretty coming from her lips made him uneasy. He found himself studying her in return, from the mischievousness of her smile to the way her dress clung to her petite frame. She was chaos wrapped in a dress.
Ava kept her glass on the counter again. "Tell you what. Buy me one last drink, and I'll stop bothering you. Maybe."
Damian sighed but raised a finger at the bartender anyway. "One more. Then you're done."
Her eyes lit up like fireworks. "See? You do care. Knew it."
"I don't care," he said firmly, though his voice betrayed the faintest edge of amusement. "I just don't want to drag you out of here unconscious."
"Mmmm," I don't mind being dragged out as long as I end up somewhere cozy with you ." She leaned her chin into her palm, gazing up at him shamelessly. "You have this whole cold, untouchable thing going on, but I bet you're actually sweet underneath. Damian almost laughed. Almost. "You're ridiculous."
"Ridiculously charming," she corrected, raising her fresh glass in a mock toast.
As she sipped, Grace and Sophie's laughter drifted from somewhere deeper in the crowd. Ava glanced over just in time to see her slutty friends tangled in the arms of two strangers on the dance floor.
"Traitors," Ava muttered, though she didn't sound upset. She twirled back toward Damian with a playful grin. "Guess it's just you and me now, Thor."
He exhaled slowly, rubbing his temple. "Thor?"
"Yes," she said matter-of-factly. "Except slimmer. I decided that already, the striking resemblance between you and Thor is ….Don't argue."
Damian gave her a long look, then shook his head. This woman was trouble. Trouble with a dangerous smile. He should've walked away the moment she told him that her friends were busy grinding their asses off. But something about her kept him rooted in place, or maybe he is just honry.
Ava tilted her head, studying him openly, her flirty energy softening for just a heartbeat. "You know, you don't smile much. Why is that?"
"Because there's nothing to smile about," he answered without thinking, or should I be smiling like a fool all around the club?"
She hummed, her gaze never leaving his. "That's a shame. You'd look even better smiling."
For reasons he didn't want to admit, Damian's chest tightened. Her words shouldn't matter. She was drunk. She was teasing. But for the first time in a long time, someone had slipped past his defenses — and it was the last person he expected.
The music is too loud, maybe deafening inside the club, but Ava no longer cares. Her friends are busy with their catch for tonight, and Ava was left leaning against the bar, pretending she wasn't bothered. She twirled the straw in her empty glass and forced a little smile when the bartender asked if she needed another.
"No, I'm good," she lied.
She wasn't. She was drunk, a little dizzy, and the idea of finding her way home alone in the middle of the night made her stomach twist. But she wasn't about to be the clingy friend who ruined her friend's chance of being laid.
"I can handle myself," she muttered under her breath as she slipped off the stool.
Outside, the midnight air hit her face cool but restless, carrying the sound of honking taxis and chatter from people spilling onto the sidewalk. Ava stood by the curb, her heels clicking awkwardly on the concrete as she tried to wave down a cab.
Every taxi that passed was already taken.
"Perfect," she sighed, frustrated. After several more minutes of failure, she gave up, removing her heels and carrying them in her hands. The pavement was cold against her bare feet, but at least she could walk without wobbling.
She didn't notice the tall figure coming down the steps behind her until he spoke.
"You're still here?"
Ava turned sharply, her hair falling into her face before she brushed it back. Damian. He looked freshly composed, as if he hadn't just been in the same chaos she escaped from.
"I thought you left," he said, surprise flickering across his features.
"I thought so too," she replied with a mischievous smile, though her voice was laced with fatigue. "But apparently the heavens have other plans. Can't even get a stupid cab."
Damian studied her silently for a moment before sliding his car keys from his pocket. "I can drop you off, or you can sleep at my place. It's late already, you can leave in the morning.
Ava blinked. "What?"
"I'll take you home," he repeated, his tone even, like it wasn't a big deal.
She smiled mysteriously. The alcohol swirling in her system loosened her tongue before she could think better of it. "Oh, I see. So this is the part where you get me in your fancy car, drive me home, and try to have sex with me?
Damian froze. For the first time that night, his carefully controlled expression cracked. "Excuse me?"
Ava laughed, leaning closer as if sharing a secret. "Come on, don't look so offended. You're too good-looking to be this noble. That's usually how it goes, isn't it?"
His face hardened. "That's not why I offered."
She turned her head a little, playful and daring, her heels dangling from her fingers. "Really? Because I wouldn't exactly say no."
Damian stared at her, shocked. she? She just bulldozed straight through every line with no hesitation.
He exhaled sharply and looked away, more to compose himself than anything. "Get in the car before I change my mind."
Ava giggled, delighted by his irritation. "See? Bossy again. I like that."
She slipped into the passenger seat barefoot, humming to herself as if she hadn't just caused trouble.
Damian closed his door a little harder than necessary, gripping the steering wheel for a second before starting the engine.
This woman is insane, he thought. Absolutely mad.
And yet… for some reason, he couldn't bring himself to drive away without her.