Chapter 204 - 0204: You Want Him Again, Don’t You?

Chapter 204: Chapter 0204: You Want Him Again, Don’t You?

Elena’s point Of View

The club pulsed with life when we arrived... heavy bass, blue and violet neon washing over the crowd, raw collective energy that made my blood hum the moment we stepped through the heavy double doors. The line at the front stretched around the block, but Lexy bypassed the crowd entirely, flashing a bright smile at the bouncer, who immediately unhooked the velvet rope for us.

I felt a small thrill at that, a reminder that for tonight, at least, the ordinary rules didn’t seem to apply to us. Maybe, I thought, nothing had to apply to me tonight except the music and whatever I wanted to feel.

Lexy dragged me onto the dance floor before I could even glance toward the coat check, her hands instantly sliding to my hips as she moved to the beat, her laughter infectious.

"See?" she shouted over the thunderous bass. "This is what you needed! Not a spreadsheet!"

I laughed, the sound bubbling up from deep in my throat as the tension in my shoulders finally melted away for the first time in weeks. The bass thrummed through the soles of my heels, the strobe lights flashed in rhythm, and for one perfect moment, I forgot.

Forget Graham. Forget the divorce. Forget the signed affidavits, the threatening voicemail from three hours ago, and the endless mountain of stress waiting on my desk. Forget everything.

There was only the music, the laughter, the freedom.

Lexy grabbed my hand, her fingers warm and insistent, pulling me deeper into the center of the crowd where the air hung thick and heavy with heat. The energy was intoxicating, the bodies moving around us like waves in a sea of rhythm and abandon. I could feel the music vibrating in my veins, the beat syncing seamlessly with my heartbeat, every lingering worry melting away with every single step I took. It occurred to me, somewhere in the haze of lights and sound, that I hadn’t felt this unburdened in years.

"Come on, El!" Lexy shouted over the music, her voice thick with excitement as she threw her arms in the air. "Let loose!"

I didn’t need to be told twice.

I kicked off the lingering stiffness of the corporate boardroom and let go. We found a spot directly in the center of the dance floor, where the overhead lights burned brightest and the energy ran wildest. Lexy turned to face me, her hips already swaying effortlessly to the heavy rhythm, her eyes sparkling with mischief under the pink neon glare. "Show me what you’ve got!"

I laughed, the sound lost in the roar of the music, but my body answered for me. My hands found her waist, my hips rolling in time with hers, the short dress she’d forced me into clinging to my skin as I moved. The fabric was soft, almost alive, shifting with every twist, every turn, every grind against the floor. Lexy’s hands slid up my arms, her touch sending a shiver down my spine as she pulled me closer, our bodies moving in perfect, intoxicated sync.

"Damn, girl!" she yelled, her grin wide and wild. "You’ve still got it!"

I threw my head back and laughed, my hair whipping around my neck and face as I spun, my arms lifted above my head, my body arching naturally to the heavy rhythm. The music wasn’t just surrounding me... it was inside me, controlling me, freeing me. For the first time in forever, I wasn’t Elena the CEO, Elena the ex-wife, Elena the woman with a million responsibilities resting on her shoulders. I was just Elena... young, alive, unbroken.

Lexy matched me move for move, her body a blur of motion, her laughter infectious. She spun away from me, her dress flaring around her thighs, then pulled me right back in, our hips colliding as the bass dropped with an earth-shattering thump. The crowd around us blurred into a swirl of shadows and flashing color, the rest of the world narrowing to just this... just us, just the music, just the pure, raw freedom.

"Yes!" Lexy screamed, her hands in the air, her face lit up with pure joy. "This is what I’m talking about!"

I grinned, my fingers tangling briefly in her hair as we moved, our bodies pressed together, our energy electric. "I haven’t danced like this since college!" I yelled back, breathlessly spinning around as the crowd cheered around us.

"Then we’ve been wasting time!" she shouted.

The DJ switched tracks, the fast tempo slowing down just enough to let us catch our breath, the new song smooth, sensual, and hypnotic. Lexy’s hands slid down my back, her touch bold, her eyes locked onto mine as she pulled me into a slow, sinuous grind. "Work it, babe," she purred, her voice low and teasing.

And I did. I stopped thinking entirely.

My hands found her hips, my body rolling against hers, the movement fluid, sexy, unapologetic. The dress rode up my thighs as I moved, the cool air of the club floor a sharp contrast to the heat radiating off my skin. Lexy’s eyes darkened with approval, her grin turning wicked as she matched my rhythm, her hands sliding up my sides, her fingers tracing the curve of my waist through the thin fabric. "Oh my God," she breathed, her voice husky over the beat. "Look at you! You’re on fire tonight!"

I could feel the eyes on us from the edges of the dance floor, the heat of half a dozen gazes tracking our every move, but I didn’t care. Let them look. Let them watch. Tonight, I wasn’t pleasing anyone else. Tonight, I was untouchable.

Minutes later, completely breathless and flushed with heat, we stumbled away from the floor toward the bar, our arms wrapped around each other’s shoulders for support. Lexy leaned heavily against the sticky wooden counter, flagging down the bartender with a sharp wave of her hand. "Two shots of tequila!" she ordered, her voice cutting clean through the noise. "And keep ’em coming!"

The bartender slid the heavy glasses toward us, the amber liquid sloshing slightly against the glass as Lexy grabbed them, pressing one firmly into my palm. "To freedom," she toasted, her eyes gleaming under the low bar lights.

"To freedom," I repeated, my voice steady as I clinked my glass against hers before downing the shot in one smooth, practiced motion. The burn was sharp, the warmth spreading through my chest like wildfire, my cheeks flushing deep as I set the glass back down on the bar with a sharp clink.

Lexy watched me, her head tilted, her smirk knowing as she leaned her elbow on the counter. "I can’t believe you still have those moves in you," she said, shaking her head in genuine awe. "You were amazing out there, El. Half the guys at the corner booth were staring at you like they forgot their own names."

I laughed, the sound breathless as I wiped a stray drop of liquor from my lip. "Please. I was just following your lead. If you hadn’t pulled me out there, I’d probably be nursing a headache in the corner."

"Liar," she shot back, grinning as she leaned in closer. "You were born for this. You just buried it under five layers of wool suits and corporate protocol. Now the only thing missing is a man."

I nearly choked on my next breath, my head snapping toward her. "Lexy!"

"What?" she said, her grin completely unrepentant. "You look sex-starved. Admit it."

I swatted at her arm, my cheeks burning far hotter than the tequila had made them. "We did not come here for that! We came to have fun, drink too much, and get my mind off my disaster of a personal life. That’s all."

Lexy rolled her eyes, picking up her own shot, downing it instantly, and slamming the glass back onto the bar top. "Fun without a man?" she scoffed, waving her hand dismissively. "Elena, please. Look at your face right now. You’re glowing."

"I’m sweating," I corrected, reaching up to push a strand of dark hair out of my eyes, but my protest was weak, my smile completely giving me away. "It’s about ninety degrees on that dance floor."

"No," she said, leaning in until her face was inches from mine, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper that made my pulse jump. "You’re glowing. And it’s been how long since you and Jaxx..."

My hand flew straight to her mouth, cutting her off mid-sentence. "Lexy!" I hissed, my eyes darting frantically around the crowded bar to see if anyone was listening. "Shut it!"

She laughed right against my palm, her eyes dancing with unfiltered mischief. "What?" she mumbled, her words muffled against my skin. "It’s true."

I groaned, dropping my hand with a frustrated sigh as I grabbed the second shot glass the bartender had just poured, downing it in one quick gulp. "It was one night, Lex. Nothing more. A single, isolated incident."

Lexy’s eyebrows shot up, her smirk turning deeply sarcastic. "Yeah, yeah. I believe you. One night that just happened to involve three hours of you completely forgetting your own name."

I rolled my eyes, but my chest tightened instantly, the mere mention of his name sending a sudden, intoxicating jolt of heat straight through my core. "It was," I insisted, my voice firmer than I actually felt inside. "Just... a mistake. A massive lapse in judgment because I was overwhelmed."

Lexy’s teasing expression softened slightly, her voice dropping into something quieter, more perceptive as she rested her chin on her hand. "A mistake you’d like to repeat, though, hmm?"

I didn’t answer.

I couldn’t.

Because the truth was, I had thought about it. More than I wanted to admit to her, and certainly more than I wanted to admit to myself. The way his broad hands had felt on my skin, rough and confident. The deep command of his voice in the dark when he pulled me against him. The way he’d made me feel... completely alive, wanted, and utterly consumed in a way Graham had never even tried to understand.

Even now, sitting at that sticky bar with tequila warming my blood, the memory of him sent a shiver chasing down my spine, equal parts longing and dread. I hated how easily he still lived under my skin, how one stray thought of him could undo weeks of carefully constructed composure.

Lexy’s eyes narrowed as she watched the shift in my posture, her grin turning entirely knowing. "You want him again, don’t you?"