2

“We should probably establish some rules,” I suggest to Charlie as we step into the elevator of the Rochester Hotel, the most elite place to stay in Telarah.

“Do you mean rules like no kissing?” Charlie asks me as he scans a room keycard and presses the P button on the panel. The door closes and the elevator begins to move..

I take a moment to think that over. I've only ever kissed two people before and one was just because we were playing spin the bottle so I don't think it even counts.

Kissing to me is pretty intimate but then again, so is sex. Tonight is about trying something different, stepping outside my comfort zone, and I think to do that I have to be completely open to the experience.

“We can kiss,” I tell him and he surprises me when he pushes me back against the mirrored wall, pinning me in place.

Without a word between us, he cups my cheek with his hand and tentatively brings his lips to mine. I close my eyes and lean into him, holding his body against my own.

His movements are slow yet passionate, as he parts my lips with his tongue and swirls it softly with mine.

The classical music, playing in the elevator, melts away as I drift further into him, savouring every second I spend locked to his mouth, knowing it will end soon. This feels like a dream, so vivid yet so surreal and I'm scared that I'm going to be jolted awake and the magic will be ripped away.

He pulls away from our kiss but still holds me, his beautiful brown eyes gazing into mine.

“I couldn't resist,” He admits, smiling to himself like he won a prize.

“We are definitely doing more kissing,” I promise him, my lips still tingling.

“So, rules,” He asks, stepping back from the wall he snakes an arm around my waist and holds me against him.

“I think we should have a strict no details policy,” I tell him and he looks at me confused. “As in, no asking in-depth, personal information about each other's lives. Keep it surface level,”

“No surnames, no exchanging numbers, no asking where the other works? That kind of thing?” He sums up my rule.

“Exactly,” I say. There's something so thrilling about him being a complete mystery.

“Can I ask how old you are? Just so I can be assured that I'm not taking an underage, high school girl back to a hotel room,” he stresses.

“I’m 23” I tell him and he relaxes. “And you?”

“27,” He replies. “Although some days I feel like I'm 52 because I run my own company and there's always someone who wants to take from me”

His age I believe but I suspect he's lying about owning a company yet I'm not going to call him out on his lie. If this guy wants to pretend to be someone he's not, just for a night, then so be it.

“I influence people to buy products on social media,” I tell him, keeping my description of my job as vague as I can. “I've only been with the company for a month but I absolutely love my job.”

He'd probably be far more impressed if I told him that I'm the head of marketing at More, a local division of a national company that sells fresh meal kits. There's no other company like ours, in the area, which would make it obvious where I work and risk him showing up at my workplace if this thing between us turns sour.

“I’m a strong believer in doing something you're passionate about and building your life around that love,” He enthuses with a small smile coming across his face. “When I left school at 15 to take up an apprenticeship in chefing, I never would have dreamed it would lead to running a national corporation.”

“You’re a chef?” I question him, picking up on that tiny detail he accidentally let slip.

“I am, but not in a restaurant” He answers, cryptically. I want to push for more but I know it's against the rules of engagement. This isn't a date, I don't need to get to know him to see if he's a potential boyfriend. The less I know, the easier it will be to just walk away.

“We have to pick up some protection,” I tell Charlie, only now realising that we never stopped to get any. I’m on birth control which will prevent me from getting pregnant but won't do anything to guard against potential STIs that this stranger could be carrying.

“We don’t need to,” He replies and I pull a face, horrified that he would think that I'm just going to allow him to be in me without a barrier. “I have a 12-pack of condoms back in my hotel room”

I don't know why but his admitting that he had condoms already just added to my nerves. For me, this was a spontaneous decision but it felt like, for him, this was all planned.

I decided to keep my mouth shut and just focus more on the positive that he was already prepared. It’s not my business if he had intentionally planned to pick up tonight.

The elevator stops and the doors open up to reveal a grand corridor, with gold trim along marble, white walls. Charlie takes hold of my hand and leads the way to the only door on the entire floor. He pushes the keycard into a slot to unlock the door and holds it open for me to enter.

The Rochester Hotel is known to be the most expensive accommodation in town, with standard rooms costing four times more than the other hotels in the area but Charlie’s room isn’t standard, it’s the penthouse.

Stepping inside I’m gobsmacked at the sheer size of the self-contained apartment. I could fit my house in the living room.

I suddenly feel very much out of place just being here. Whoever this man is, he has the taste for luxury and I'm nervous that I won't measure up.

“Drink?” He asks, making me wonder if he can somehow read my mind.

“Yes please,” I say, following him into the kitchen.

He opens the fridge and I see that it’s fully stocked. He pulls out an unopened bottle of champagne. He pops the cork and pours the bubbly liquid into a glass flute which he hands to me before pouring himself a glass. “Your boyfriend is an idiot by the way,” He announced as I was mid sip and I almost choke.

“Ex boyfriend,” I correct him. “And what makes you say he's an idiot? You don't even know him.”

“He was foolish to allow something so exquisite to slip through his careless fingers,” He says as he runs his fingers lightly over my arm, sending an electric thrill pulsating through me.

“I broke up with him,” I tell him. “And just to make this very clear, I'm not some heartbroken, can't move on from her ex girl. I'm not miserable or seeking revenge, I just need to be reminded of what it feels like to be with a man.”

I don't want him to get the wrong impression or mistake my intentions for wanting to sleep with him tonight.

“I didn't think of you as being anything other than confident,” He replies, holding me in his gaze. “The way you approached me at the bar, being upfront with what you wanted, that was a gutsy move and one I really respected.”

“My ex hated how outward I was,” I comment, remembering how Josh would get embarrassed if I stood out so I learned to make myself quiet when we were around friends.

“Is that why you broke up with him? Because he wanted to stop you from shining?” Charlie asks as he leans back against the kitchen bench.

“I guess that probably attributed to it,” I admit, never really considering it to be a factor until it was pointed out by a stranger. “He was very predictable, nothing he did was ever spontaneous, even sex was a routine. I started realising that this would be my life if we stayed together, that I'd end up married to him but craving more.”

I'd never told anyone my reasons for ending the relationship out of fear that I'd be judged for being selfish but I felt though, with Charlie being a stranger, it was easier to admit the truth.

“As a chef, feeding cravings is my speciality,” He says in a low, seductive tone that makes my core clench.

“I think I’m ready to sample the menu chef,” I tell him as I unzip my dress and let it fall to the ground.