CHAPTER THREE

Arielle's POV

"Can I spend the night, please?"

His brows raised.

"I mean…my rent expired, my stuff is outside and I have nowhere to go. If you could just let me stay for a few days…or I'll be gone by tomorrow."

He squinted and stared at me with a hard expression. Silence followed. The rain was still hammering outside and I was dripping water onto his doorstep.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have bothered you." I turned to leave.

"Just for tonight."

His voice came from behind me. My eyes brightened. I turned back around.

"You're letting me stay? Thank you so much." I smiled and dragged my suitcase in. He locked the door behind us.

His living room was like a football field. They were expensive dark furniture, portraits lined on the walls, everything arranged with the kind of quiet precision that said this man lived alone and liked it that way.

Everywhere smelled just like him. Cool and icy. I stood there for a second just breathing it in before I caught myself.

There was one problem though. This was clearly a bachelor's apartment. And a bachelor's apartment meant one bedroom.

This was going to be very difficult. I'd have to be very careful from now on. He was dangerously handsome but I had a boyfriend and I wouldn't get entangled with my neighbour on top of everything else already going wrong in my life.

"The bathroom is on the left in case you need to take a shower." He looked at me briefly then sat on the edge of the bed.

"Thanks. I'll need that."

I picked out my towel and went in. The shower was hot and good and I stayed under it longer than I should have. When I came out he was on his side of the bed. His back to me, already done with whatever conversation he'd decided we weren't having. That was fine by me. I changed into my pyjamas, climbed onto my side of the bed and stared at the ceiling until I fell asleep.

Victor's POV

For the next few days we barely spoke to each other. Only when it was necessary. During meals, directions around the apartment, brief exchanges that died before they became anything. She stayed on her side of the space and I stayed on mine and it worked well enough.

It was best that way. I didn't want to get entangled with her. She was a complete stranger. Someone I barely knew.

Then one evening I was watching a horror movie when she stepped out of the room.

"Woah, you watch horror movies too?"

"My favourite genre," I said.

"Same here. I prefer it to sloppy love stories." She smiled and dropped onto the couch next to me.

Something about the room felt different with her in it. It felt ess quiet. The movie played for about thirty minutes with both of us watching without talking, but it wasn't uncomfortable the way our silences usually were. It was the first time since she moved in that the apartment didn't feel like two strangers tolerating each other.

"Do you take alcohol?" I heard myself say. I never watched movies without a drink.

"Of course. I'm in." She raised a thumb up.

I poured her a glass of champagne and one for myself. The bottle was nearly empty not long after and I felt  that looseness in the chest, the edges of everything was going soft. I felt lighter and more present than I'd been in a while.

She was smiling more too. Laughing at things in the movie, tucking her legs under her on the couch, her red hair falling over one shoulder. She looked completely at ease and it was doing something to my focus that I didn't really want to examine too closely.

"It's hot in here. I'll go take a shower." She stood up and stumbled slightly on her way to the bathroom, catching herself and laughing quietly.

I switched off the TV and sat there for a moment.

Then I stood up and walked toward the door. I was losing my mind. I knew that. But I opened it anyway.

She was sitting on the edge of the bathtub, legs spread, her pussy in full view. Her fingers rubbed slowly back and forth then in circles, her head was thrown back, lips parted, moaning softly. My dick was throbbing just watching her like that. The way she slid two wet fingers inside and pressed slowly, then picked up speed, arching her back, completely lost in her own body.

Then her eyes opened and locked with mine.

I swallowed hard. She didn't move. Her pussy was still wide open and her chest was rising and falling fast and her eyes didn't leave my face.

Her gaze dropped slowly to my crotch.

I stepped back and pulled the door shut and walked straight to the kitchen. Maybe cold water would sort out whatever was happening in my head.

It didn't.

She came out a few minutes later, changed into a flowery pyjama, and walked to the cabinet without looking at me. We said nothing. I could feel the awkwardness sitting between us like a third person in the room. Her head was still a little loose from the alcohol. I could tell from the way she moved, slow and careful. But she'd seen what she'd seen and I'd seen what I'd seen and neither of us was going to be the first to mention it.

I was staring at the counter when I felt her eyes on me.

I turned. She was looking at me with that expression . Not quite bold, not quite unsure. But somewhere in between.

"Feeling bored?" I said.

"Yes. Just bored." She smiled lazily.

I looked at her for a moment. "Then let's play a game to help you fall asleep."

"What do you have in mind?" The enthusiasm in her voice came out before she could stop it.

"Roleplay."