Cole brushed his thumb over her lips, holding onto the softness. Heat sparked in Naya's eyes, but before she could say anything, his gaze drifted to the pulsing crowd.
"Your friend's got rhythm," he murmured into her ear, warm breath grazing her skin.
Naya smirked, eyes on Jenny laughing with Dante. "She's got everything."
For a while, the four moved as one — Dante's easy swagger, Jenny's carefree laughter, Naya caught in Cole's orbit. Sweat mixed with neon lights, the music thumping deep in their bones.
Cole's hand stayed firm on her waist, thumb tracing slow circles. Every time she looked up, his eyes were locked on her — hungry, memorizing.
Then the beat dropped harder. Strobes flashed faster. The dance floor surged like a wave, bodies pressing all around.
Naya blinked, bumped by a shoulder. "Jenny?" she called, turning—but Jenny was gone, swallowed by the crowd.
Another bump spun her around. Cole caught her, palm warm on her waist.
"She's probably just a few steps away," Naya said, scanning through the crowd.
Cole's gaze cut sharp, then softened as he met her eyes. "You won't find her in this chaos."
"She wouldn't just leave me—"
"She didn't," he said, voice low and steady. "I saw Jenny and Dante heading the other way."
His tone shifted—serious, protective. "Let me take you home. No pressure."
Naya hesitated, searching his face. The cocky smile was gone, replaced by something steady, certain.
"…Okay."
Cole smiled gently. "But later, right?" He cupped her cheek.
Naya caught her breath. "Shouldn't keep you late. Got work tomorrow."
"Maybe you mean now then. But have you really paid me back for that sneaky pic?" Cole teased.
Naya looked away, breath shallow, wishing for more tequila to steady her nerves. Cole chuckled softly and led her out.
Outside, the air was cooler, but Cole still felt warm. Their fingers laced tight, heavy with unspoken words.
He chuckled low, shifting gears. "Where to, quiet girl?"
"Just off Ngong Road. Near Adams. You'll see the gate."
"Nice place. Feels like I should behave." Cole grinned.
Naya laughed quietly, cheeks warming.
Inside the car, streetlights sliced through the dark, casting sharp shadows across her face. Sweat and perfume lingered between them.
Cole glanced her way again. She sat stiff, fingers clenched, eyes fixed ahead.
He reached out, brushing a hand lightly over her bare thigh.
"You okay?"
She nodded too fast. "Yeah. Just tired."
Cole didn't move his hand. "Uh-huh. I see."
"Didn't know you had a careful side," she said softly, leaning in a bit.
Cole smirked. "Careful's not really in my vocabulary. But you still get me every time." He paused, voice dropping. "I'm two seconds from pulling over and kissing the breath right out of you, beautiful stranger."
Naya tugged at her dress, suddenly feeling exposed and a little more sober.
"Gotta admit, today was pretty cool. A girl taking a secret snap of me? That's a first."
Naya laughed shyly. "The cute stranger's hot. But that was all tequila."
Cole pulled the car aside, kissed her — breathless.
Cole's lips hovered over hers, fingers tangled in her hair, breath rough and urgent. The heat between them crackled—raw and electric.
Naya's pulse hammered in her throat, eyes wide and shimmering, lips parted like she was about to say something but caught in the moment instead. Her soft sigh pulled him closer.
"Right here," he murmured against her mouth, voice low and dangerous. "No one else but us."
His hand slid under the hem of her dress, skin warm, fingers tracing slow, deliberate paths over the curve of her hip. He felt the tension in her, the way she trembled slightly under his touch, and it only made him want more.
"That snap," Cole whispered against her ear, voice thick with something darker. "You caught me off guard. Like you saw something no one else does." He pulled back just enough to lock eyes with her, fierce and steady. "I don't like being caught, Naya. But with you... I don't want to hide."
Naya's breath hitched. "Cole…"
He silenced her with a hard, possessive kiss, one hand gripping her waist like a claim. "You're mine tonight," he growled against her skin. "And I'm gonna make sure you remember it."
Her body softened into his, warmth meeting heat, desire sparking between them.
Then, sharp and unexpected, Cole's phone buzzed loudly against the silence. He pulled away slowly, jaw tight, eyes flashing with something unreadable as he stared at the screen.
The moment cracked.
Without a word, Cole slipped the phone back into his pocket, tension knotting his shoulders.