Chapter 3. The Only One

Olivia Barnett

It took me a few moments before the shock wore off and I reacted belatedly.

I cried out Todd’s name in alarm before pressing my foot hard against the floor, to use my weight to force him to stop. To no avail.

I was powerless against a massive giant as he effortlessly pulled me away.

He effortlessly

“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 recognition fully dawned.  

“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 would 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, and in the next breath, supplied an answer to my unuttered question.

“Daisy broke up with me.”

The anguish in his voice stunned 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 in my preoccupation, 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 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 was 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. He can do crazy things, but not on my watch. I can’t let him ruin himself.

“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.

“Don’t tell me you don’t want it, Via.” My body stiffened when he uttered my childhood nickname. He never called me Via since I was fifteen. Always Olivia.

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

“Josh,” I called him in a voice that sounded breathless and helpless, especially when he pulled me by the waist to draw my body close, allowing me to feel the warmth of his skin.

A whimper escaped my lips.

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, 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 bodies aligned, and I felt his hardness poking at my pelvis.

“So soft.” He muttered before 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 of our clothing. I was naked under him.

Josh looked like a well-sculpted demigod 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.

I don’t have any intention of tormenting him, but maybe I can get something out of this, too?

“Give me my job back, Josh. Reinstate me.” I told him with a calmness that belied the tension in my body.

I don’t know what came over me. Why the sudden brashness?

Maybe because I was holding on to ropes, wishing it wouldn't slip quickly away from my grasp.

Josh’s face showed his annoyance. I held my breath, expecting him to reject the bargain. But to my surprise, he took a deep, labored breath and nodded.

“Okay. I will have you back on board and pay you. Agreed?” He resumed kissing me, but I pushed his head away. Again.

This time, he does not look like he appreciated my interruption. He looked downright irritated.  

“What now?” Josh rasped angrily.

“No payment. Just my job.” I told him without pause, declining his offer in one shaky breath while turning my head from side to side to emphasize my point.

He flicked his head sharply. His gaze became cold and dangerous.

“No. I will pay you. I do not want you to expect anything, Via. This is a one-night thing. Nothing more.” The way he stressed it made my stomach clench painfully.

Without waiting for my reply, Josh kissed me again, coaxing me, showing me this simple truth. I can’t deny Josh anything. Even my body.

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.