I was in way over my head.

The night had begun innocently enough—just another shift finally behind me, exhaustion tugging at my bones—when a few of my coworkers invited me out for karaoke. Normally, I would've bowed out politely. I wasn't the type to stay out late, especially not with a rowdy group. But tonight was different.

Because tonight, he was among them. The new hire everyone in the office whispered about. Handsome in a way that seemed unfair, with a smile that could undo even the most guarded heart. He had an easy warmth, a charm so natural it felt dangerous. I had tried to ignore the pull, but the truth was inescapable: I was hooked, hopelessly so.

The group of eight ended up in a private karaoke lounge, the kind with flashing neon lights and—unexpectedly—a gleaming stripper pole planted in the center of the room. At first, it was nothing but a joke, something to laugh about between rounds of drinks and off-key singing.

But as the hours blurred together—music slurring, laughter spilling, alcohol loosening every restraint—the pole remained untouched. Until his turn came. By then, he was flushed and glowing, words tumbling out in drunken sweetness. But when the music started, he didn't stay by the machine. He sauntered to the pole, a mischievous glint in his eyes I had never seen before.

He leaned against it, his lips curving into a grin that promised trouble, and then he began to move. What started as a playful sway melted into something far more deliberate. His hips rolled with sinful confidence, his body slipping into the rhythm as though he had been waiting for this moment all along.

Then, with teasing slowness, he began peeling away layers of clothing—one button, one shrug, one drop at a time. Gasps filled the room. The sweet, approachable coworker everyone thought they knew was gone. In his place stood someone magnetic, shameless, intoxicating—a flame that drew every pair of eyes and thrived under their heat.

I couldn't breathe. Couldn't think. My heart pounded as I tried—and failed—to look away. I was utterly, helplessly captivated.

Then his gaze found mine. A slow, dangerous lock. Step by step, he moved closer, the music guiding his every motion until he was right in front of me. And before I could react, he was in my lap, straddling me, body moving with deliberate, teasing grace.

Heat rushed through me, my entire face burning. The man I had been secretly yearning for was now pressed against me, close enough to catch the sweetness of his cologne tangled with the sharp bite of alcohol. Every fantasy I had ever buried deep was suddenly alive, real, unfolding against me.

"Mind if I touch you a little?" My voice came out rough, needy, betraying just how far gone I was.