002

NOELLE

He's my boss! I've only ever seen him from afar since I'm only a cleaner, but still—

Wait. How does he know who I am?

"F-forget w-what I s-said. I don't—" I stammer, already turning away from him.

But then he grabs my hand to stop me, a hiccup tearing out of me.

"Stop," he says, and I squeeze my eyes shut, my face burning from embarrassment.

What have I done?

"Noelle," his deep voice rumbles. "Look at me."

Slowly, I turn around, and there he is. He's so stunning, it almost hurts to look at him.

“You need water,” he points out.

“I’m not drunk!” I snap and he blinks. He doesn’t believe I’m telling the truth. Ugh!

He rises to his feet, dwarfing me instantly. I watch as he takes out some large bills from his wallet, adds it to my cash, and hands it to me.

“This is me buying you time for you to think—”

“I have made up my mind.”

"Are you in trouble?" He asks, a slight frown creasing his brows.

Quickly, I shake my head, my throat suddenly feeling too tight.

"Then why..." He nudges his chin towards the cash. "...are you so desperate to lose your virginity?"

Heat rushes through my entire body. Still, I force myself to meet his gaze while trying not to melt.

"Why? Is there a rule that says I can't fuck whoever I want, whenever I want?"

His eyes sparkle with mischief. And he leans in closer so fast, I choke on my saliva.

"It is a problem if my woman tries to sell her body while I'm more than capable of handling her business for her."

My brain instantly short-circuits.

H-his w-woman?!

"W-what are you talking about?" I choke out. He doesn't respond. Instead, his eyes narrow at somewhere above my shoulders.

"You're being followed. Do you know them?"

I whirl around, and sure enough, there they are. Scary-looking men in black suits. And their eyes are fixed on me. Shit.

"Come on, follow me," he says, pulling me with him. They don't bother approaching us even until we're out of the building. As soon as we settle in his car, they storm out. My boss doesn't wait. He hits the gas.

...

I don't even remember how we got to his penthouse.

One second I'm telling myself I'm going to bolt any second now because this is insane.

The next second his mouth crashes onto mine like he's been starving for years and I'm the only thing that can satisfy him. My back hits the wall with a thud that rattles my bones, and I gasp into his kiss, my hands fisting in his shirt just to stay upright.

He ends the kiss suddenly, apologizing under his breath. "I'm so—"

And the desperate part of me leans up to kiss him again, intoxicated by his delicious scent.

He groans like I've just handed him the keys to something dangerous. His tongue pushes in, claiming, and I'm so out of my depth I can only clutch at his shirt and try to keep up.

Big hands slide down my sides, under my cheap coat, finding skin under the thin dress I wore, thinking no one important would see me tonight. He makes a rough noise in his throat when his palms meet bare thigh.

"You're shaking," he mutters against my mouth.

"I'm—n-not—" I manage. My voice sounds wrecked already.

"Sure." His teeth graze my bottom lip. "Because I'm about to make you shake a hell of a lot more."

Blood instantly rushes through my cheeks, my core throbbing.

Then he's lifting me effortlessly, and my legs wrap around his waist on instinct. I feel how hard he is between us, and my stomach flips so hard I almost whimper.

I should be embarrassed about my body. I'm too skinny, my ribs too prominent, nothing like the curvy women I've seen him with in tabloid photos. But he doesn't seem to notice. Or care.

He carries me through the apartment without breaking the kiss. I don't see where we're going. I just feel the shift from a cool wall to a softer surface—bed? —and then he's laying me down, never letting our mouths separate for more than a second.

"Strip for me, Noelle," he commands, his voice as rough as gravel.

My hands tremble as I pull off the dress, exposing my plain bra and panties. Nothing sexy.

Heat floods my face. "I... I'm really 21," I blurt out stupidly, crossing my arms over my chest. "I know I look younger and smaller, but I swear—"

He freezes, his blue eyes locking onto mine. A slow, knowing smile curves his lips. "I know."

My brain stutters. "H-how?"

He shrugs it off, but there's something evasive in his gaze, like he's holding back. "Doesn't matter."

He sheds his clothes quickly now, revealing a powerful masculine body that makes me even more aroused.

A faint scar runs down his side, resembling claw marks. Weird. But I'm too distracted by the rest of him.

He's fucking huge, piercings glinting on his massive rod of destruction. I know I'm about to get destroyed.

And I welcome it.

He latches onto a nipple, alternating between hard tugs and soft strokes, stroking my clit. Stars burst behind my eyes, my body shaking in his arms.

When he curls his fingers into my throbbing core, my body arches, a shameless moan slipping out.

My lips part, my juices running down the inside of my thighs as obscene squelching sounds fill the air.

His wet tongue replaces his fingers, my eyes rolling into the back of my head as I climax hard. My body quivers as he tortures me with his tongue.

Then he crawls over me, the bed dipping under his weight. His mouth finds mine again, softer this time. I taste myself on his tongue.

His fingers delve into my slit, finding me slick and ready. He groans against my neck. "So wet for me already. Fuck, you smell incredible."

I can't think straight anymore because his fingers are circling and teasing, and I've never felt anything like this. I arch into him, gasping, my inexperience showing in every awkward twitch.

He pulls back, grabbing a condom from the nightstand. He rolls it on swiftly, his eyes never leaving mine. "Is this really your first time, Angel?"

I nod, biting my lip, suddenly mortified. "Y-yeah. Is that... okay?"

His gaze darkens, something feral flashing in his. "More than okay. It means you're mine. Only mine."

He positions himself, the tip pressing against me, and I tense up.

"Relax," he murmurs, kissing my forehead and my eyelids. "I've got you. Breathe."

He pushes in slowly, inch by inch, and oh God, it burns. I whimper and dig my nails into his shoulders.

"Mr. Lake—"

"It's Azren, Angel. To you, it's Azren," he whispers, his lips curled. I blush even harder.

He stops halfway, his forehead pressed to mine as his body trembles with restraint.

I can feel his pulse racing, his breath hot and ragged, like it's taking everything in him not to thrust hard.

"You're so tight," he growls, his voice strained. "Taking me so well, mate—fuck."

Mate? What does that mean? But the pain is easing into something else. Pressure that builds into pleasure as he rocks gently, giving me time.

Finally, he's fully inside, and we both go still, panting. He starts moving with deep strokes that make me cry out. His hands grip my hips, careful not to bruise, but possessive.

I wrap my legs around him, pulling him closer, and he loses a bit of that control. He thrusts harder and faster, his face buried in my neck again.

The pleasure builds, coiling tight. And when his thumb finds my clit, rubbing in circles, I lose control. I barely recognize the sound of my own voice as I scream, my body clenching around him.

He follows right after, slamming deep one last time with a guttural snarl that sounds almost inhuman, his whole body shuddering as he comes.

We collapse together, sweaty and spent. He pulls out carefully, disposing of the condom, and then he leans in to kiss me again.

"You okay?" he asks, his fingers tracing my spine.

I nod, still dazed. "Yeah. That was... intense."

I can already feel him hardening again.

"I'm sorry," he mumbles suddenly, and my heart sinks. Does he regret it already? "I thought I had it under control, but you're too fucking sexy."

My eyes go wide, and I bite my lower lip, feeling wild.

"Then fuck me again."

His eyes darken, a dirty smirk tugging at his lips.

"Aren't you the slightest bit worried, pretty Noelle?" He asks, grabbing my wrists and pinning them above my head with one hand.

"Worried about what?" I moan as he lifts my leg with the other hand and slides right in.

"You might have just given your virginity to your stalker."