Prologue
CARLIE
Carlie Taylor doesn’t exist—not tonight.
Instead, I’m gonna shed her like a skin—leaving behind the woman fraught with self-doubt, obsessed over every curve, and prone to clumsy missteps. Of which there aremany.
No,tonight, I am Zoey Cummings, a veritablesex goddess,armed with unshakeable confidence and a voracious appetite for adventure.
Zoey takes what she wants—from whoever she wants it.
No burdens to bear. No repercussions.
At least, that’s the plan.
Nestled in the familiar sanctuary of my car—just a whisper away from the venue, in fact—I retrieve the invite from my purse.
A shaky breath escapes my lips, and for a fleeting moment, I’m lost in the tactile dance of my fingers over the sumptuous dark paper—a detail I would have lingered on in one of my novels, painting the scene with words.
The gravity of the impending night makes my heart flutter as if I’m on the precipice of my own story’s pivotal scene.
I can only wish.
No—no thinking like that. Not tonight.
Shaking my head, I refocus on the invite.
The beautifully handwritten letters spell out‘Zoey Cummings’—a pseudonym that promises a night of liberation if I can just get my head in the game—truly.
This invite is more than just paper and ink—it’s a golden ticket to an evening of seduction.
Hell, who am I kidding?
It’s a spell to forget, too.
Am I truly ready to be untethered to the past? To my stupid ex?
The wounds from him are still raw, his memory a lingering shadow in my mind and on my heart.
No, Ineedthis.
I need to obliterate the ghost of him, even if just for oneephemeralnight.
Such a great word, ephemeral. It’s really not used often enough,
Focus, Carlie—er, Zoey.
Fucksake.
With shakier hands than I care to admit, I turn the envelope over and gently pull out the card. Sparkly silver scrolling glistens on the black silky paper, and I read over the words once more, confirming the details that are already etched in my mind.
“Zoey, it is under the veil of night…” I whisper out loud, then fall into silence as I read on.
…that we invite you to an exclusive event, shrouded in mystery and desire within Club Nocté’s Upper Tier. The promise of an unforgettable experience fills the air, beckoning you. Can you feel it?
Elegance is your armor, a mask your shield. Indulge in fine cocktails and decadent treats, lose yourself to the experience, and let the night unveil who you truly are when the world isn’t watching.
The stage is set.