Things had heated up quite a bit inside the club. The couples dancing on the floor were very handsy and the wall was lined with more couples – and threesomes and foursomes, in some cases – who were apparently not at all shy about public exposure. I raised my eyebrows at Christian and leaned into his ear. "This is what you like to do every weekend?"

He shook his head. "I don't like it. But…sometimes you have to do things you don't like."

Well that made absolutely no sense. I couldn't think of a single reason to come to a club when you didn't want to. Actually, I take that back, I was there and I didn't necessarily want to be. But every weekend? He must have taken his Sex Trafficking Superman role very seriously.

We all hit the floor and everyone went crazy except me and Christian. We danced with some reservation, giggling at my friends as they whipped their hair around and worked their sexiest moves. Kate was the only who actually looked sexy, however. It occurred to me that being a wallflower at these kinds of events wouldn't be the worst thing in the world.

The music shifted and one of my favorite songs came on. I jumped up and down with a screech. Kate threw me a massive grin. "Work it, girl!" she mouthed. I threw my arms in the air and allowed myself to get lost in the music for a few moments. The alcohol I'd been drinking coupled with the cigarette was settling in nicely and I almost forgot there was a gorgeous man standing next to me watching me clunk around like an idiot.

As the song came to a close, I opened my eyes and saw Kate grinding up on Christian in a drunken stupor. I scowled, but my anger melted into amusement when I realize Christian was scowling too. He gave me a pleading look but I shook my head. He dug is own grave by coming out to dance with us; he was damn well going to lay in it.

I couldn't help but laugh as he tried to inconspicuously remove Kate's hands from his ass and push her backward. She was completely oblivious. He had no idea what he was up against; Kate was uncontrollable when she was drunk. She had no loyalty and gave zero fucks about anyone else's discomfort.

Well, she was a little bit like that sober too, but it was extra, super-duper strong with the alcohol to lull her near-nonexistent inhibitions.

I finally took pity on Christian and used the only technique that ever worked with Kate. I grabbed her arm and wrenched it backward so she cried out. I then wedged myself between her and Christian while simultaneously grabbing the arm of a random guy dancing nearby. I pulled Christian close with one arm, and shoved the random male at Kate with the other.

It was flawlessly executed; they were grinding the living hell out of each other in seconds. Kate even seemed to appreciate it. Christian wrapped his arms around me and leaned down so I could feel his breath on my ear. "Thank you. I would much rather dance with you."

"I suppose we can call it even now, can't we?" I jabbed.

He snorted. "I saved you from a sex trafficker; you saved me from an overly-rambunctious hot girl. I think the scales are still tipped in my favor."

I pulled his head close so my lips brushed his ear. "You don't know Kate."

He laughed and I turned around, smiling to myself as he clung to my hips. Kate and her new boy were now making out, but she stopped for a short moment to wink at me.

Goddamnit. She had planned the whole fucking thing. If I'd been any more sober, I would've been pissed, but as it was, Christian's body behind mine was more than calming to my usual prickly demeanor.

I leaned into him, enjoying his warmth and soft breath on my shoulder. He reached for my hands and pulled them up around his neck, running his fingers down my arms, then my sides, to rest on my hips again. The goosebumps infecting me were heavenly - I suddenly understood the appeal of meeting a dark, handsome stranger at a noisy, overcrowded club and then dragging him to a dark corner to make out. I felt like I could even take this guy back to our hotel and fuck him without a second thought – that was definitely not in my normal bag of tricks.

The music slowed and became more sensual. I rolled my hips into Christian and he ran his fingers down to my thighs and back up to my hips again. God, it felt good. His hands were like magic. I felt his lips briefly brush my neck, then make their way back to my ear where he kissed me again.

"Are you okay with this?"

Was I okay? I was in fucking European heaven. I just nodded, hoping he would keep talking in that low, sexy baritone voice of his.

"If I do anything that makes you uncomfortable, just let me know. I'll stop without hesitation."

I smiled. I doubted I'd stop him from trying anything at that point. I nodded again and he started kissing down my neck, stopping at the edge of my shoulder where I felt his tongue on my skin. I almost had an orgasm right there. He kissed across my shoulder, nudging my dress strep to the side on his way. I shuddered and pulled his neck to me, willing him to continue. He wrapped his arms around my waist and buried his face in my neck.

"God, you smell good," he said.

I ran my hands through his hair, then finally got the guts to turn around. I pulled him close and he placed his leg between mine, dipping me up and down. I'd never felt so comfortable dancing before – he seemed to know just how to guide me into each move. I placed my forehead against his and let the heat between us rise to the next level. His lips looked so delicious. I could already feel him hardening under me, so I knew he was as spellbound as I was. I finally tipped my head up, just barely, so our lips were aligned…and I waited. He stopped dancing and stroked my hair with his hand, his breath erratic and heavy. But he hesitated just a moment too long and some drunken idiot slammed into him from the side.

"Sorry, man," he mumbled, "I just…" The guy turned away and puked.

I grabbed Christian's hand and signaled to Kate that we were headed towards the lounge. I pulled him around the mess and over to the hallway. I didn't want to leave, though. The pulsing music and flashing lights was tantalizing and I wanted to feel like I was in another world when I finally got this strange man to kiss me. I found a spot just inside the club that was relatively unmanned and backed myself up against the wall. In uncharacteristic fashion, I raised my pointer finger and gestured for him to come to me.

He lowered his head, a menacing look in his eyes. He approached me slowly, and pulled my arms around his neck. I let the moment linger as our faces hovered just inches from each other as if daring each other to make the first move. He ran his hand down my arm, over my shoulder, up my neck, and stopped at the base of my chin. His thumb snaked up to brush my lip.

I lost it. I pulled his mouth to mine and kissed him earnestly, passionately. He tried to keep the kiss relatively chaste, but I wasn't having it. I didn't feel this bold very often, and I was determined to the most of it. I teased his mouth open and sought out his tongue. He reacted in a very pleasant way – he took my head in his hands and pulled me close for a deep, sensual, very explorative experience. I clenched the back of his shirt in my fists and pulled it up and out of his pants so I could snake my hands underneath and feel his warm skin. He ran his fingers down my neck, then pulled the straps of my dress off my shoulders. His hands went everywhere. I paused to take a breath, but a break was not in his agenda. His lips went back across my jawline, down my neck, and across my collar bone.

I couldn't get close enough to him. I wanted him badly – but not in the middle of a club. I didn't have the exhibitionist gene so many of the patrons here seemed to have been born with.

"Do you have a car?" I asked.

"Yes," he said, his voice breaking, "but I'll be damned if I'm going to let you get in a car with a complete stranger. No matter how badly I want you."

That last sentence sent tingles straight to my groin. "Then what do you recommend?"

He paused and leaned against me, then kissed my forehead. "I haven't really thought past this moment, to be honest."

Just then, I caught sight of a red dress heading towards the lounge. "Hey, is that Kate's dress?" I asked.

Christian didn't move, but started sucking on my neck. "I have no fucking idea was Kate is wearing."

My vision was fuzzy, but realization hit my like a ton of bricks. She wasn't walking to the lounge; she was being carried. "Christian! Christian, stop. Look!"

I did everything I could to focus my eyes, but I was too drunk to tell if the guy carrying her was the same one who had offered me a drink earlier. Christian still hadn't pulled his head out of my neck. "Christian, for fuck's sake, if there are really sex traffickers here, then Kate might be in trouble!"

He whipped his head up and scanned the crowd. Kate and her pallbearer were on the outskirts of the lounge, nudging through the crowd. Just before they disappeared down the hallway, the man carrying her turned so we had a perfect view of him, head to toe.

The blood drained from my face. "Fuck."