Chapter 2 The Power Play

• Noah couldn’t stop thinking about Elias. The kiss from the alley lingered in his mind, the heat of it, the undeniable way Elias had taken control. His body still hummed with the feeling of Elias's lips on his, and though he hated it, a part of him wanted more.
• But he couldn’t let himself get caught up in that. No, he wouldn’t. Elias was a man who played with fire, and Noah was no one's toy.
• The next few days were a blur. He went about his life as usual, working at the bar, serving drinks, watching the same patrons come and go, pretending the world was as simple as it had always been. Yet, no matter how hard he tried to ignore it, Elias’s presence loomed over him like a shadow.
• It was Thursday night when their worlds collided again.
• Noah was behind the bar, wiping down glasses, his thoughts still a mess from the encounter with Elias. The club was packed, the low hum of music vibrating through the walls. He should’ve been used to the noise by now, but tonight, it grated on his nerves. Every sound seemed to be amplified, as if the universe was trying to drown out the thoughts of that man.
• Then, like a force of nature, Elias appeared.
• He was always the center of attention, even when he didn’t try. In his tailored suit, dark hair perfectly styled, his presence commanded the room. His eyes scanned the space until they landed on Noah, and the air seemed to shift. Noah’s heart skipped, and he felt the familiar tightening in his chest, a strange mix of fear and something he refused to acknowledge.
• “Still working here?” Elias’s voice was smooth, mocking, with just a touch of something darker lurking beneath the surface.
• Noah swallowed, forcing his voice to stay steady. “What do you want, Elias?”
• “I’m here for a drink,” Elias replied, his tone almost too casual. He stepped closer to the bar, leaning in slightly as if no one else existed in the room. “You’re good at your job, aren’t you?”
• Noah could feel the weight of his words, the subtle challenge in them. He didn’t want to play into Elias’s games, didn’t want to give him the satisfaction of knowing how much he affected him. But something about the way Elias looked at him—like he was a puzzle to be solved—kept pulling him in.
• “I’m here to serve drinks,” Noah said, trying to keep his voice even.
• Elias smiled, the curve of his lips sending a jolt of electricity through Noah’s veins. “How about something stronger? Something that’ll take the edge off?”
• “Why don’t you ask the bartender?” Noah replied coolly, turning away to pour a drink for another customer. He wasn’t going to let Elias push him, not this time.
• But Elias wasn’t going to let him off that easily. He moved around the bar, stepping closer, his hand brushing against Noah’s in the most casual of gestures. “You’re avoiding me,” he said, his voice low and dangerous. “And you know it’s only a matter of time before you come back to me.”
• Noah’s breath hitched at the intimacy of the words, the certainty in Elias’s voice. The part of him that wanted to fight back was still there, but the deeper, darker part of him—one he hadn’t fully acknowledged—wanted to hear more. It was dangerous, a pull he couldn’t explain. Elias had always been like this, a magnet, drawing him in despite everything.
• “I’m not your plaything, Elias,” Noah snapped, his eyes flashing with defiance.
• Elias chuckled softly, his fingers brushing Noah’s arm this time, sending a shock of heat through his skin. “No one said you were,” he said, his voice a little too soft, a little too intimate. “But it’s cute that you think you can resist me.”
• Before Noah could respond, Elias was already slipping a generous tip onto the bar and turning toward the door. “Think about it,” he said over his shoulder. “You’ll be back.”
• Noah watched him leave, his pulse still racing. Every part of him wanted to chase after him, to demand answers, to understand the pull Elias had on him. But he couldn’t. He wouldn’t.
• He had to keep his distance. It was the only way to protect himself.
• But deep down, Noah knew the
• truth: Elias was never going to let him go.