Hana Noelle Adams had never considered herself particularly wild. Studious? Yes. Ambitious? Absolutely. But standing in Club Ethereal, the most exclusive nightclub in the city, with her third shot of tequila burning down her throat, she was determined to be someone else tonight. Just for one night.
"To freedom!" she shouted over the music, clinking glasses with her best friend Maya.
"And to Trevor the Cheater getting exactly what he deserves!" Maya added, her eyes gleaming with mischief.
Hana winced at the mention of her ex. Finding him in bed with her roommate last month had shattered more than her heart—it had destroyed her carefully planned future. Everything had felt off-kilter since then, including her once-perfect GPA.
"I don't want to think about him," Hana insisted, scanning the crowd. "I want to forget everything before tomorrow."
Tomorrow. Her first day as an intern at Sterling Industries, the tech conglomerate that could make or break her career. Three months that would determine her entire future. But tonight wasn't about tomorrow. Tonight was about being reckless.
"Dare time!" Maya announced, pulling Hana toward the VIP section. "See that woman at the bar? The one in the suit? I dare you to spill your drink on her, apologize adorably, and let her buy you a new one."
Hana squinted through the club's dim lighting. The woman stood out—tall, imposing, dressed not in the usual clubwear but in an impeccably tailored charcoal suit with an undercut that somehow managed to look both professional and edgy.
"She looks important," Hana hesitated.
"That's the point! Important people have money. Money buys drinks. Maybe more." Maya wiggled her eyebrows suggestively.
"You're insane."
"And you're boring! Live a little, Hana-Banana. What's the worst that can happen?"
The answer to that question would haunt Hana for months to come.
Taking liquid courage in the form of one more shot, Hana made her way through the crowd. The plan was simple: fake stumble, apologetic smile, flirtatious banter, free drink. What could go wrong?
Everything, as it turned out.
The "stumble" was more authentic than planned—Hana's heel caught on something, sending her truly off-balance. Her nearly-empty glass sloshed its contents directly onto the woman's pristine white shirt, leaving a crimson stain blooming across the expensive fabric.
Steel-gray eyes locked onto Hana with laser-like intensity.
"I'm so sorry!" Hana gasped, genuinely mortified. "Let me help—"
"Don't." The woman's voice was low, commanding. She grasped Hana's wrist before she could start dabbing at the stain. "This shirt costs more than your tuition."
Hana bristled at the assumption. "Well, aren't you charming? Accidents happen, you know."
"That wasn't an accident." The woman's lips curved into something between a smirk and a snarl. "That was a poorly executed ploy to get my attention."
"Excuse me?"
"Please." The woman released Hana's wrist, signaling the bartender without breaking eye contact. "I've seen this exact routine at least a dozen times. Though usually executed with more... finesse."
Hana's face burned with embarrassment and indignation. "You think I—"
"I know you did." The woman leaned closer, her perfume an intoxicating blend of sandalwood and something darker. "The question is why? Money? A chance to get photographed with someone important? Or just the thrill of the game?"
"You're not that important," Hana shot back, then instantly regretted it when the woman's eyebrow arched dangerously.
"Interesting." The woman studied her with renewed curiosity. "You genuinely don't know who I am, do you?"
Before Hana could respond, the bartender appeared with two drinks. The woman passed one to Hana.
"Since you were so determined to have me buy you a drink," she said, "the least you can do is tell me your name."
"Hana." She took the drink cautiously. "Hana Adams."
"Well, Hana Adams." The woman raised her glass in a mock toast. "To your unusual approach to networking."
Something about the woman's intensity made Hana's skin tingle. "And you are?"
"Ellis." The woman's smile revealed nothing. "Ellis Sterling."
The name tickled something in Hana's memory, but the alcohol made her thoughts sluggish. She took a sip of the expertly crafted cocktail, finding it dangerously smooth.
"So, Ellis," she said, emboldened by tequila and the anonymity of the club, "what brings someone in a power suit to a place like this?"
"I own it."
Hana choked slightly on her drink. "The club?"
"Among other things." Ellis gestured vaguely, the movement drawing Hana's attention to her long, elegant fingers. "You still haven't told me why you targeted me."
"It was a dare," Hana admitted, seeing no point in lying. "My friend thought it would be funny."
"A dare." Ellis's laugh was surprisingly genuine. "How refreshingly honest."
"I'm usually much more..." Hana struggled for the word.
"Proper?" Ellis suggested. "I can tell. You have that look."
"What look?"
"Like someone who follows all the rules. Makes plans. Checks boxes." Ellis's eyes traced Hana's face with unnerving accuracy. "Until tonight. What changed?"
The question hit uncomfortably close. "Just needed to blow off steam before my internship starts tomorrow."
"An internship." Ellis moved closer, and Hana found herself backing against the bar. "Where?"
"Sterling Industries, actually." Hana laughed at the coincidence. "Wait, are you—"
"Let's not talk about work." Ellis's hand found Hana's waist, the touch electric even through her dress. "Tell me about this dare. Was spilling a drink the extent of it, or were there... additional objectives?"
The way Ellis said it made Hana's pulse quicken. "Why? Are you offering to help me complete them?"
The boldness of her response surprised them both. Ellis's eyes darkened appreciatively.
"Perhaps." Ellis's thumb traced small circles on Hana's hip. "Though I should warn you, I don't play games I don't intend to win."
What followed was a blur of expensive drinks, increasingly charged conversation, and the gradual dissolution of personal space between them. Ellis was magnetic – sharp-witted, commanding, and undeniably attractive in ways Hana had never considered before. Each casual touch sent electricity through her body.
"Dance with me," Ellis said eventually, the command softened by the heat in her eyes.
The dance floor was crowded, forcing them close. Ellis moved with surprising grace, her hands possessive on Hana's hips. The music pounded through them, alcohol and attraction creating a heady combination.
"I don't usually do this," Hana admitted as Ellis pulled her closer, their bodies moving in perfect synchrony.
"Do what?" Ellis's breath was warm against her ear.
"Dance with women. Feel this... attracted."
Ellis's hands tightened slightly. "And how attracted are you feeling, exactly?"
Instead of answering, Hana did something that shocked even herself – she kissed Ellis. The woman's lips were soft but demanding, tasting of expensive whiskey and confidence. When they broke apart, Ellis's eyes had darkened to storm clouds.
"My car is waiting outside," she said quietly. "Unless you've changed your mind?"
Every rational part of Hana's brain screamed caution. This woman was practically a stranger. A powerful, intimidating stranger who might even be connected to her new workplace.
But tonight wasn't about being rational.
"Take me home," she whispered.
Ellis's smile was predatory. "With pleasure."
The ride in Ellis's sleek black Bentley passed in a haze of heated kisses and wandering hands. The driver, discreetly separated by a privacy partition, took them to what had to be the most exclusive hotel in the city. Ellis guided Hana through a private entrance, bypassing the lobby entirely.
The presidential suite was larger than Hana's entire apartment, with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the glittering cityscape. But she barely had time to appreciate the view before Ellis pressed her against the wall, kissing her with an intensity that made her knees weak.
"Last chance to back out," Ellis murmured against her neck.
"I don't want to back out," Hana gasped as Ellis's teeth grazed her pulse point. "I want you."
What followed was unlike anything Hana had experienced before. Ellis took control completely, undressing her with deliberate slowness, laying her on sheets that felt like clouds. Where Trevor had been fumbling and selfish, Ellis was skilled and attentive, drawing responses from Hana's body she never knew were possible.
"You're beautiful," Ellis murmured, hovering above her, eyes drinking in Hana's naked form with undisguised appreciation.
"Please," Hana whispered, reaching for her.
Ellis caught her wrists, pinning them gently above her head. "Please what? Tell me what you want, Hana."
"I want you to touch me."
"Where?" Ellis's free hand traced patterns on her skin, deliberately avoiding where Hana needed her most. "Here? Or here? You'll have to be specific."
By the time Ellis finally gave her what she was begging for, Hana was practically delirious with need. The first orgasm hit her like a tidal wave, Ellis's name torn from her throat in a cry that seemed to please the woman immensely.
"That's it," Ellis murmured, working her through the aftershocks. "Let go for me."
They moved together for hours, Ellis showing Hana pleasures she'd only read about. At some point, champagne appeared, and they drank it from each other's bodies, laughing and exploring until exhaustion finally claimed them both.
The last thing Hana remembered before drifting off was Ellis pulling her close, whispering something that sounded almost tender against her hair.
Morning arrived with brutal clarity, sunlight streaming through windows Hana didn't recognize. Her head pounded, her body ached in unfamiliar ways, and she was completely alone.
Panic set in as memories of the night flooded back – the club, the drinks, Ellis. Oh god, Ellis. Had she really spent the night with a complete stranger? A woman, no less?
A knock at the door made her jump. Clutching the sheet to her chest, she called out a wary, "Yes?"
A uniformed hotel employee entered with a garment bag and a small gift box. "Ms. Sterling arranged these for you, ma'am. Your car will be ready whenever you wish to depart."
"My car?" Hana echoed weakly.
"Yes, ma'am. Ms. Sterling instructed the driver to take you wherever you need to go."
The staff member departed, leaving Hana to investigate Ellis's parting gifts. Inside the garment bag was a simple but obviously expensive dress in deep blue, perfect for her coloring. The box contained painkillers, a bottle of water, and a handwritten note:
For the inevitable headache. Last night was unexpectedly memorable. Perhaps we'll meet again someday. — E.S.
No phone number. No further explanation. Just the cryptic note and the lingering scent of Ellis's perfume on the pillows.
As Hana rushed to get ready—her internship started in two hours—a nagging thought kept returning: Ellis Sterling. The name that had seemed vaguely familiar in her alcohol-fogged mind now triggered alarm bells. Sterling Industries. Ellis Sterling.
Surely not. It couldn't be.
But as the hotel's sleek car delivered her home, allowing just enough time to shower and change for her first day, Hana's phone buzzed with a text from Maya:
OMG girl where did you disappear to? Did you hook up with that woman? I heard someone call her ELLIS STERLING. As in THE Ellis Sterling!!! The CEO of your new job!!! CALL ME IMMEDIATELY!!!
Hana stared at the message in horror as the truth crashed down around her.
She had just spent the night with her new boss.