Chapter 3

"Prostitute?" I leaned back to look at him properly, my fingers still tangled in his hair. "Really? I thought you were a male escort. The bar's special entertainment for desperate women. Very exclusive. Very expensive."

His eyebrows rose slightly, the first crack in that controlled expression. Around us, I could sense people watching, but no one approached. This man clearly had power here.

"I'm just here for fun," I continued, emboldened by champagne and heartbreak and the way his hands still gripped my waist like he didn't want to let go. "And if you please me tonight, I'll pay you extra."

I reached between my breasts and pulled out a crumpled twenty dollar bill. The only cash I'd grabbed before Travis canceled my cards. I held it up between two fingers, then let it flutter down onto his chest.

"Consider that a down payment."

Something dangerous flashed in his eyes. Before I could process it, he stood, lifting me with him like I weighed nothing. His arms locked around me, one under my knees, one supporting my back. I gasped and grabbed his shoulders for balance.

The club went silent. Or maybe the music was still playing and I just couldn't hear it over the pounding of my heart.

He turned and started walking toward a back staircase I hadn't noticed before. A velvet rope blocked it, but he didn't slow down. A security guard I hadn't seen materialized and unclipped the rope immediately, bowing his head as we passed.

I twisted to look back. The entire club was watching. But what caught my attention was how everyone near the stairs moved back, creating space. Several people actually bowed. A couple trying to access the stairs was physically stopped by security, the guard shaking his head firmly.

"Who are you?" I whispered.

He glanced down at me, his face unreadable in the dim light. "Does it matter?"

"I suppose not."

He climbed the stairs effortlessly, his breathing steady despite carrying me. At the top, he kicked open a door with one foot.

The room inside was nothing like the club below. Where downstairs was dark and crowded, this was pure luxury. A massive bed dominated the space, covered in black silk sheets. Floor to ceiling windows overlooked the glittering Manhattan skyline. Everything was dark wood and soft lighting and expensive taste.

He set me down gently, and I immediately felt the loss of his warmth. We stood facing each other, the air between us electric with tension.

"Last chance to change your mind," he said, his voice rough with barely contained desire.

I reached behind me and unhooked my bra. The red lace fell to the floor between us. "I'm not changing my mind."

His control snapped.

He crossed the distance between us in two strides and captured my mouth with his. The kiss was nothing like the gentle pecks Travis had given me over the years. This was consuming. Demanding. His tongue swept into my mouth, tasting of bourbon and dark promises and everything I'd been missing.

I moaned and pressed against him, feeling the hard planes of his body through his expensive suit. His hands slid down my back, cupping my ass and lifting me effortlessly. Instinctively, I wrapped my legs around his waist.

He walked us to the bed, never breaking the kiss. When he laid me down on the silk sheets, I felt like a sacrifice on an altar. He stood over me, his chest heaving, his eyes black with desire as he looked at me.

"Beautiful," he murmured, his voice rough. And the way he said it, I believed him. For the first time in years, I actually believed someone found me beautiful.

He shrugged off his jacket, then his tie. Each button of his shirt revealed more smooth, tan skin stretched over defined muscle. When he finally stood before me shirtless, I couldn't help but stare. He was magnificent. Every inch of him sculpted and perfect.

He crawled over me, his body covering mine, and the weight of him felt right. Safe, despite him being a complete stranger.

"Tell me what you want," he said against my neck, his lips trailing fire down to my collarbone.

"Everything," I breathed. "I want to forget. I want to feel alive. I want to remember that I'm more than just someone's disappointing wife."

"You're extraordinary," he murmured, his mouth moving lower. "And I'm going to prove it to you."

His lips closed over my nipple, and I arched off the bed with a cry. His hand slid down my stomach, fingers dancing over my skin, teasing. When he finally touched me where I needed him most, I nearly sobbed with relief.

"So wet already," he said appreciatively, his fingers working magic between my thighs. "Have you been thinking about this? About me touching you?"

"Yes." The word came out as a gasp as pleasure built inside me. "God, yes. Please."

"Please what?" He raised his head to look at me, his fingers stilling. "Use your words. Tell me exactly what you want."

"Please, I need you. Inside me. Now."

He smiled, slow and satisfied, like I'd given him exactly what he wanted. "Since you asked so nicely."

He stood long enough to remove the rest of his clothes. When I saw him fully naked, my breath caught. He was perfect. Every inch of him hard and ready and intimidatingly large.

He settled between my thighs, the tip of him pressing against my entrance, hot and insistent. "Look at me."

I met his eyes, those dark intense eyes that seemed to see straight through to my soul. In that moment, I felt seen in a way I never had with Travis. This stranger understood what I needed.

He pushed inside, slow and steady, giving me time to adjust to his size. The stretch burned pleasantly, filling an emptiness I hadn't known I carried.

"God," I moaned, my head falling back against the pillow.

"Not God," he said, his voice strained with control. "Just me. And I want you to remember this. Remember how I make you feel."

Then he started to move, and thinking became impossible. Each thrust drove deeper, hitting spots inside me I hadn't known existed. I wrapped my legs around him, pulling him closer, wanting more. Always more.

His mouth found mine again, swallowing my moans as he picked up the pace. The bed rocked beneath us. Outside, the city glittered with a million lights, but I only had eyes for him.

"That's it," he groaned against my lips, his control starting to slip. "Take what you need from me. Use me."

I dug my nails into his back, holding on as pleasure built inside me like a wave. It had been so long since I'd felt anything close to this. Travis had treated sex like a chore, something to get through quickly. This man treated it like worship.

"I'm close," I gasped, feeling myself tightening around him.

"Then come for me." His hand slipped between us, fingers finding that sensitive bundle of nerves and circling it perfectly. "Let me feel you fall apart."

The combination of his words and his touch sent me over the edge. I shattered, crying out, my body convulsing around him. Wave after wave of pleasure crashed through me, more intense than anything I'd ever felt.

He followed seconds later, his own release tearing through him. He groaned low and deep, his forehead dropping to mine as he pulsed inside me, filling me.

For a long moment, we stayed like that, tangled together, breathing hard, hearts pounding in sync. Then he rolled to the side, pulling me with him so I draped across his chest.

"That was," I started, not sure how to finish. My body was still trembling with aftershocks.

"Just the beginning," he murmured against my hair, his hand stroking down my spine.

He was right. That night, he took me apart over and over again. Against the windows overlooking the city, my hands pressed against the cold glass while he entered me from behind. In the shower with hot water cascading over us, him on his knees worshiping me with his mouth until I screamed. Back in bed where he explored every inch of my body with his hands and lips and tongue until I begged for mercy, then begged for more. Each time, he wrung pleasure from me that I hadn't known was possible, pushing me higher and higher until I forgot my own name, forgot the pain, forgot everything except the feeling of being completely and utterly wanted.

By the time we finally collapsed in exhaustion, the sky outside was beginning to lighten with the first hints of dawn, and I'd lost count of how many times he'd made me come undone.

At some point, exhaustion finally claimed us both. I fell asleep wrapped in his arms, my body deliciously sore and satisfied in ways I'd never experienced before, feeling safer than I had in years.