[Royal Expat 01] • Seduced

The bar was crowded and dimly lit, and the air was warm and heavy with the scent of booze. Damian scanned the crowd, wondering about the identities and personalities of all the assembled people. What did they do—more importantly, why did they do it? Not one of the people here looked contented or at ease. It was all false smiles and make-up smeared over desperation. Sure, some of them looked like they were enjoying themselves, but in the morning, they’d be back to the drudgery of everyday life. The night before would only be a blur of regret; money wasted and a bad headache.

He thought about his own free and easy lifestyle, traveling the world without worrying about money, family and careers. Why did so many people live life like robots, too afraid to enjoy themselves? Not one of these people, not one… his eyes glided idly over the crowd, registering the tired, bored and anxious expressions plastered to each overdressed person with little interest.

Then Damian’s shrewd, smoky gray eyes swept over the figure of one woman, sitting on the balcony and sipping her drink—and darted back, focusing on her completely.

She was exceptional—petite and elegant, her slender arms bare and white, gleaming like satin in the questionable lighting of the bar. Her face was bright and captivating, and Damian couldn’t help but stare. Her eyes were alight with excitement and laughter, her full lips red and delightful, like some form of forbidden fruit ripe for the plucking. Her hair was like a curtain of liquid ink, sleek and black and beautiful. She was exquisite, any man’s dream. Damian was no exception; he instantly felt pulled towards her, an almost animal desire for her coiling in his stomach. But most of all, he was captivated by her. Her very being gave off energy, innocence, and a hint of uniqueness, with all the power of an intoxicating drug. She was something special.

He knew that no matter what, he had to have her. She was like the one gleaming apple in a barrel full of rotten mush. He knew that she would be juicy, delicious, and devastating, like the apple Eve had bitten into before the dawn of time.