The neon lights of Eclipse, the city's most exclusive nightclub, flickered against the black glass of the towering skyscrapers. Inside, bass-heavy music spilled out into the cool night air, calling to those in search of a good time or an escape. For Lila Collins, tonight was supposed to be the night she finally let go.
"Lila, hurry up! We're already late!" shouted her best friend, Mia, leaning impatiently against Lila's car.
"I'm coming out right now!" Lila called back, rushing down the front steps of her apartment. She had spent more time than usual curling her long auburn hair until it cascaded down her shoulders, carefully applying just enough makeup to make her bright green eyes pop. She even dared to wear the deep red dress Mia had convinced her to buy months ago, the one she'd deemed "too much" for someone like her. But tonight was different.
Graduation day had come and gone, and what the future Lila had worked so hard for was finally within reach. She deserved to celebrate. Even if Caleb Wolfe, the man she'd loved quietly and patiently for years, couldn't be there.
"Caleb's loss," Mia said when Lila had mentioned he was stuck at work. "Tonight is about you, not him."
Lila tried to hold on to that thought as they pulled up to the club, where a line of people stretched down the block. She wasn't sure she belonged in a place like Eclipse, with its high-energy crowd and its reputation for luxury and decadence, but Mia had insisted.
"We're not waiting in that line, are we?" Lila asked, glancing nervously at the queue.
Mia smirked. "Of course not. I have connections."
Connections turned out to be Mia flirting shamelessly with the bouncer, who waved them inside with a wink. The interior of the club was a sensory overload—flashing lights, pounding music, and a sea of bodies moving as one to the rhythm. Lila's nerves prickled. She wasn't used to this kind of chaos.
"Relax," Mia said, dragging her toward the bar. "Let's get a drink and loosen up a little."
Lila hesitated, but the temptation to let go, just for one night, was too strong. The bartender handed her a cocktail that matched the red of her dress, and she took a cautious sip. Sweet, fruity, and deceptively strong.
"This isn't so bad," she admitted, starting to feel the tension in her shoulders ease.
Mia grinned. "See? I told you. Now, let's dance!"
As Mia disappeared onto the dance floor, Lila stayed back, content to watch. She wasn't ready to lose herself in the music just yet. Instead, she let her eyes wander over the crowd—until they landed on him.
At first, she thought she was imagining it, that no one could possibly look like that. The six foot plus tall, honey fountain leaning casually against the far wall, away from the crowd, with drink in hand.
Was it the sharp jawline? The dark hair he had pinned at the back of his ear or the piercing gray eyes that gave him an otherworldly kind of beauty, the kind that made people stop and stare. And they did!
Women seemed to orbit around him, vying for his attention, but he looked bored, almost dismissive.
Then, to her shock, his eyes met hers.
Lila felt a jolt, like an electric current running through her. She quickly looked away, but it was too late. He was moving toward her, cutting through the crowd with effortless grace.She felt really embarrassed that he had caught her staring at him and she was panicking that he was coming to speak to her not trusting herself to be able to say the right words to him or respond to his questions.
"First time here?" His voice was smooth, deep, and laced with amusement. Lila blinked up at him, struggling to form words. Up close, he was even more stunning. His tailored black shirt clung to his lean frame, and his presence seemed to fill the space around him.
"I, uh, yes," she stammered. He smiled, a slow, knowing curve of his lips that made her heart skip.
"I'm Adrian," he said, extending a hand.
"Lila," she managed, shaking his hand. His skin was cool