Welcome dear readers, this is the rewritten version of Attraction, vastly different from the original draft toward the end. You might want to give this novel a shot again.

Illusions. Faces hidden beneath layers of paint. Bodies shrouded by a thick mist that failed to hide their intentions. They were all actors, skilled from performing the same scene over and over as they prowled the night to find entertainment. I'd seen the play enough times to know that the guy standing in the corner, nodding his head to the music, had every intention of taking me home. It could have been glorious. Sadly for him, I already had a ride.

Colored lights flickered past his sharp features before he disappeared into the dancing crowd. He would find someone else, seeking connection for one night alone.

With one headphone pressed to my ear, I began to merge the next song into the beat and made a seamless transition. Everything to perfection. Feeling a rush of satisfaction as the heavy pulse continued, I checked the time on my phone. Nope, I was definitely not in need of a hook-up, since Chris would come down any second from the VIP area and demand that we leave. One song remained before the in-house light bulbs would blast down on the unsuspecting crowd. They lost their masks as soon as darkness fled, and if you looked close enough, you saw their wide pupils and drooping eyelids. Fabulousness is fickle and fades too fast when you're drunk.

The beat vibrated in my chest, alive and constant—a reminder that all hearts out there on the dance floor were pounding to the music. The thought made me smile. Most of them had a bed to fall into as they got home, drunk and delirious after a late night. Most of them would wake up with a headache—some might wake up with a lovely stranger in their arms.

"Joachim, when are you wrapping this up?"

I started as Chris suddenly stood beside me on the stage, close enough for me to hear him despite the music. A drop of sweat trickled down his temple. Apparently they were dancing in the VIP lounge for a change. His dark blond hair was in complete disarray, but his eyes sparkled with energy. Beneath the blue light, they almost looked like pools of molten silver captured inside a dark, circular frame.

I flashed him a wide smile and held two fingers in the air.

"Two minutes?" Chris said, half shouting into my ear.

Nodding, I made sure to pump up the volume on the speakers. The crowd deserved a crescendo before the bitter end. They responded with wild intensity, giving back whatever energy I sent their way. Swishing my hips to the beat, I chased the light across the dance floor to see if the guy had gone back to watching me.

Chris leaned into my ear again. "Tom's waiting for us." He'd mentioned Tom before, but I had never met the guy. All I knew was that he was some kind of chauffeur for Chris' boyfriend's manager. Chris lived in a strange world where people had drivers and ate at fancy restaurants all the time, but he was a cool friend.

I shrugged and waved two fingers in the air for a second time. Time didn't go faster just because the chauffeur was waiting. A soft chuckle left me at the thought. We were going home in style. It would have been a superior night to bring someone along, preferably someone in a suit. I could even pretend that I was rich. Grinning, I checked across the floor one last time. The guy from before was gone, but another piece of deliciousness had just walked through the doors.

Oh yes.

A beam of red light caught his dark skin and got swallowed by his impossibly black suit. Tall and proud with his hair cropped short, he moved with precision. I couldn't wait for him to get on the floor and show me how he captured the music with his body. A rush of anticipation tickled my skin until he leaned back against the wall and crossed his arms, resembling a security guard rather than a guest as his assessing stare swept across the room.

Yup, would have snatched that man in a heartbeat if only to nibble on those lush lips. I was still in the process of undressing him in my mind when the man turned his head, gazing straight at me. For a few long seconds, we shared a delicious connection. It was one of those perfect moments of absolute certainty. My pulse thundered until he casually broke off, pretending that nothing had happened. As if! I almost laughed. Some guys liked to play it cold.

Too bad, hot stuff, we're both missing out tonight.

The head of security waved his arm from the entrance—my cue to tone down the music. It was time to head back to my bedbug-infested mattress and annoying roommates. Sex on legs would have to wait for a better day.

As soon as the volume dropped, the crowd began to grumble. They could have danced for a few more hours, but then, they were never truly sated. At least this city was far more generous than Stockholm, where few clubs ran later than 3 AM. Maybe, I should have missed Stockholm with more determination, but the city and I were finished.

"Dude, come on! Let's get out of here." Chris yawned for effect.

Such a lightweight. "Calm your tits, sweet cheeks."

He gave me a shake of his head in response. "It always sounds so odd when you use expressions like that. And what did I tell you about calling me sweet cheeks?"

Not feeling sorry at all, I packed up my gear and checked that I hadn't missed anything. Most of it belonged to the night club, but the mixer was mine—bought with the last cash in my hollow pockets before I'd actually landed some gigs.

People crowded the entrance, most of them loud and uncoordinated among the impatient guards. It was funny how they first complained when the music stopped, then everybody rushed to get home.

"Let's take the back exit," I said, nudging Chris toward the bar. The bartenders had a door to the storage room, which in turn opened to the alley at the back. Hopefully it wouldn't smell of sewer tonight.

Chris resisted, half turning toward the dancefloor. "We have to get Tom."

"He's in here?"

"Yeah, he arrived a while ago. Messaged that he was tired of the car."

I scoffed. Chauffeurs spent most of their lives in cars—bad luck if they got tired of them. Maybe he needed an awesome playlist to bring more joy into his life. That could be my thank-you gift for picking us up.

"What kind of music does he like?" I asked.

Chris frowned but eventually started walking in the right direction. "I have no idea. Why?"

"I'm making him a playlist." I steered Chris behind the bar, fist bumping a few of the bare chested bartenders before they resumed their task of tidying up after the riots. I didn't envy them at all. Cleaning up a club after a night was pure hell. The mess some people made was beyond me.

"Tom wouldn't even thank you, you know," Chris said from behind. "Or he would say thank you and not really mean it."

Opening the door to the back room, I let out a loud gasp. "He totally would. My playlists are magic."

Kegs and crates littered the floor in no particular order. The owners had a talent for making a mess of things, but they treated me right, and if not for them, I would have been in a pretty rough spot. Rent was extortion, even worse than in Stockholm. Sure, my new friends had helped to keep me off the streets even when I'd had no money at all, but I'd crashed on Chris' sofa too many times now. I didn't want to be the friend who always took advantage and gave nothing back. At least my pockets weren't entirely empty anymore.

I dialed the code on the keypad and listened for the jolly tones that announced we were good to go. The door opened with a whine, revealing a murky alley that held too much heat and an assortment of suspicious smells. "You think our designated driver is still in there somewhere?" I nodded back at the club.

"Sent him a message that we're coming. He should be waiting."

"Gosh, that's lush."

Chris paused and stared at me. "Huh?"

"Nothin'."

He didn't look convinced. "There's the car." He pointed at across the street, rising to his tip toes as if that would make the car more visible. People were still filing out the main entrance and the sidewalk was a mess. The smell of vomit wafted from a few scattered bushes along the building, and I sped toward the black monster of a car as fast as I could, holding on tight to my precious mixer.

Chris opened a door to the back seat and waved at me to get inside. Needing no further encouragement, I scooted across to make room. I sniffed the air, eager to forget the stench from outside. Leather was one of my favorite scents—that, and a soap laved chest. I imagined standing in a shower and washing the suds off of hot stuff's perfectly defined muscles. I was sure he had some beneath that tailored suit that made him look like secret service if not a security guard. I would lather him up and rinse until that dark skin glistened. Ah, fantasies are everything.

Content, I breathed out a soft sigh and leaned my head against the cool window as the car left the curb.

"I'm so freaking tired but pumped at the same time." Chris wiped his brow only to dry his shirt sleeve on his pants. "Next time, I'm not going with those guys. They're not even fun to hang out with."

"Then why did you?"

"Because they were going, and they mentioned that you were playing."

"Aww, you came for me?" I patted his cheek.

He slapped away my hand just as I knew he would. "You and your touching."

"You love it."

He chuckled and turned a little pink around the ears. "Yeah, as long as you're not calling me sweet cheeks, we're fine."

"But it fits you."

"Does not." He pushed me away when I leaned in with pouted lips. Chris was hilarious to tease, and he never seemed to expect it or have any defensive strategy in place. He straightened his back in what seemed to be an attempt to rise above it all. "Anyway, how was your night?"

I gazed out the window and imagined that one of those guys on the street was hot stuff making his way home. Of course, a guy like that wouldn't walk. With a little more time to flirt, I would have joined him in a car and swept him off his feet.

"Joachim?"

I grinned. "You ruined my night."

He tipped his head back and stared at the interior. "How? I thought you were fine riding with us?"

"Nah, I'm fine. Just kidding. Saw a hot dude just as we were leaving."

"How did he look?"

"Man, he was tall, dark and handsome. Or change that to sexy."

"You're such a slut."

I punched his shoulder while he grinned, showing off a perfect row of white teeth. He was allowed to tease back, occasionally, but he'd better be prepared for the consequences. And who had perfect teeth anyway?

We struggled for a while until the car stopped at an intersection. I sat back and crossed my arms. "Well, you rescued my virtue tonight."

"Your virtue is beyond saving."

I punched him again, but paused when the dark privacy screen slowly descended. Transfixed by the penetrating stare in the rear-view mirror, I lost whatever it was I had been thinking.

It couldn't be.

"Tell me why I'm not dropping you off right here?" the chauffeur said.

Instead of coming up with a fabulous answer, I shivered at the sound of his rich voice. Lush.

I allowed my back to fall against the seat while I took a calming, deep breath. This would have been a great time for Chris to save my skinny ass.

Chris cleared his throat and leaned forward, one elbow on the shot gun seat. "Because Joachim is making you a playlist."

The chocolate brown eyes flashed in the mirror. "Right." The word punctuated our non-existent conversation, but what really killed it was the slow sliding of the privacy screen. Up and up it went until it met the ceiling with a faint click.

My heart was beating a mile a minute. I was in total shock. Hot stuff. The chauffeur. Same fucking guy.

"Dude, you seen a ghost or something?" Chris asked.

"What was his name again?"

"Tom?"

"Yeah...that." I tasted the name on my tongue. It was a solid one, not quite showing the full range of the man in the front seat.

"You got a problem?" Chris looked confused, one side of his mouth pinched between his teeth.

"No. No problem at all." My frown transformed into a grin. Oh, he would get a playlist, all right. He would get the best, sexiest playlist I had ever compiled.

A/N WELCOME LOVES!!! This is the rewrite of Attraction, the third novel in the Treacherous Chemistry series.  If you haven't read Volatile and Toxic, you might get swamped with unfamiliar characters in some chapters, but don't worry--this is totally fine to read on its own. But, note that this is essentially a third in a series. (or fourth if you count Oblivious). 

Hope you liked it <3 and please don't hesitate to tell me what you think. Votes and comments are precious.

xox