Chapter 3. The Only One

Olivia Barnett

I was speechless.

It took me a few moments before the shock wore off and I reacted belatedly. I cried out Todd’s name, but Todd’s assaulter disregarded my struggles. He disregarded my concerns and, with little effort, pulled me away.

“It’s useless. He’s unconscious.” He rasped in a familiar voice.

My eyes widened in shock. I shook my head to dismiss the notion that I knew this man, but the hard pounding of my heart says otherwise.

The intruder, who does not feel like an intruder anymore, dragged me out of the dimly lit bar to a well-lit hallway, and that’s when I recognized him.

“You!” I snatched my arm to wrap it protectively around my body and stepped back. Fear roiled within me. Now that we are alone, I am afraid of what he will do to me. He was the same man. The same Josh Morgan Sterling that I had known since I was thirteen, but he looked different.

His jaw was set, and his eyes blazed with fire. His face was flushed, too.

“Yes. Me.” The acknowledgment did not ease my fears. In fact, it intensified the feeling of worry. Not only for myself but for Josh, too, when I noticed his drunken state.

His hair was unkempt, and his dress shirt was a mess. Two buttons came undone while the rest of the shirt was wrinkled.

I should have been angry, but my resolve softened when I saw the conflicting emotions that flitted on his face.

At this state, he does not look like the mighty CEO of Sterling Enterprises. He looked as if he was breaking apart inside.  The rage was just a ruse. He was in so much pain and having a hard time dealing with it. 

Tears smarted my eyes at seeing him like this.

The anger I felt earlier dissipated quickly. I stepped closer, my hand lifted. I wanted to cup his cheek, but I hesitated. I sighed, and at the last minute, pulled my hand back to let it sit limply on my side.

“Are you alright?” I asked instead.  Even my voice took a sudden turn. It softened. 

Josh barked and laughed. He threw his head back, but there was no amusement in his laugh. In fact, it sounded guttural to my ears. He was like a wounded animal trying to lick his wounds in silence. But the pain was excruciating to a point that he was so very near to imploding.

“Do I look like I am alright?” He snapped.

My breath hitched.

“My life’s over. Daisy broke up with me.”

The anguish in his voice tormented me. I was rooted to the spot. Half of me wanted to leave because it felt awkward seeing Josh like this. Half of me can't. In my eyes, he was always a capable man. Arrogant, unyielding, but this version of Josh made my gut twist painfully inside. 

An ache pierced my heart. To be loved by a man like him, like this.

I shook my head to dispel the cobwebs, and that was when I realized that all the buttons on Josh’s shirt had come undone, exposing his flat abdomen and muscled glistening chest. It was an awesome sight. My body reacted quickly, and I had to bite my lips to tone it down.

Josh must have sensed my reaction. He smirked and shrugged out of his dress shirt completely, leaving his upper body naked. Then, he balled the cloth and threw it away. He was already starting to unbuckle his belt when I interrupted him.

My cheeks felt heated, and my heart began to race wildly in my chest.

“Josh… Mr. Sterling…” I stammered, startled out of my wits. He’s undressing in a public place!

Even when he was drunk, he is still the heir of the Sterlings.  He still has an image to maintain. If anyone caught him like this, his pristine name would be tarnished. 

“What are you doing?” I bent to hurriedly pick up the shirt he had discarded and held it out in the air so he could put it back on. But he only shook his head.

The flush on his face deepened.

“It’s so hot, Via.” My body stiffened when he uttered my childhood nickname. He never called me Via since I was fifteen. Always Olivia.

A startled gasp escaped my lips when he grabbed my waist and pulled my body toward him. “I think someone spiked my drink. I am in heat. I need you, Via.”

I shut my eyes after hearing my nickname come effortlessly on his lips again.

“Josh,” I called him. It sounded lame even to my ears.

Josh took it as my acquiescence. He hefted me in his arms and carried me like a bride while I wrapped my arms around his neck to keep myself from falling.

We went to his penthouse suite.

Josh carried me to his bedroom and only put me down when we reached the bed. He threw me on the bed and laughed so hard when I bounced on it.

“You look funny.” He said.

An angry retort came off my lips, but it stopped when he dove to join me on the bed. 

I looked at him. Saw the pained expression on his face when our skins made contact with each other.

“So hot.” He muttered.

Then, he began kissing me. It was sloppy at first, but after a few nips, he began to kiss me thoroughly. He nipped my lips before he began to rain kisses on my face, down my neck, and my clavicle while he pushed down the neckline of my blouse.

A moan escaped my lips. His lips felt hot to my already heated skin. 

Josh nibbles and sucks, making me groan in pleasure.  Everywhere his lips touched, he left a fiery trail that made me thrash on the bed. 

 I never thought  a man’s lips could be this electric. It felt intoxicating. 

My body trembled where his hands squeezed, and the pad of his thumb and index finger gently massaged my heated skin. 

A groan escaped him when he bared my breasts and alternately suckled on the tips. I grabbed his head, feeling a tingle coursing through my core.

“Delicious.” He uttered before going south.

In no time, he dispensed us with our clothing. I was naked under him. 

Josh looked like a well-sculpted demi god sent to torment me. 

I took a deep breath. I realized that tonight, I was about to give Josh Morgan Sterling my virginity.

I pushed him away. I need to use my head. 

“Via…” He sounded tortured enough.

I don’t have any intention of tormenting him. I won’t deny him my body, but I had to do this right. I can’t just let him walk away with my virginity without gaining something. I know he does not love me, but maybe we can work out something about co-existing peacefully.

I swallowed, and then I blurted out what I wanted.  “I will let you have your way with my body tonight because I know you need it, but in one condition.”

Josh looked desperate. “What?” He hissed, despair lacing his voice. 

“Give me my job back.” I held my breath. I was wishing with all my might that the sacking incident that afternoon had not reached Grandpa Jonathan’s ears yet. I knew Grandpa would insist that he rehire me. 

If Josh hired me out of his own accord, his relationship with his grandfather will be intact. 

Over the years, the strain in Josh’s relationship with Grandpa Jonathan grew wider. They can’t be at odds all the time because of me. 

“Okay. And I will pay you.” There was no hesitation in his voice, only mad need.

I shook my head, declining the offer. “No payment. Just my job.” I told him. When he said yes. I pressed the end recording and put my phone away.

Josh kissed me again.

I smiled, but not because of happiness. It was the realization that I would give Josh whatever he wanted and needed from me. Because until now, he was still the only one.