I heard a loud slam of the door and turned to look. It was Vince. His jaw tightened and his eyes focused on mine as he made his way around the car and toward me.
I opened my mouth to speak, but before I could, his hands slipped to the back of my neck and he pulled me toward him, connecting his lips to mine. With his other hand, he gripped my waist to keep our bodies pressed tightly together.
I stood still for a fraction of seconds, my mind processing what was happening, but soon after, I complied, allowing our lips to dance in a perfect rhythm. His towering height was making me bend back a little.
The kiss was demanding and sensual, enough to ignite a searing feeling down the pit of my stomach. I’d never been kissed this way before—a kiss filled with so much need. So much desire.
My entire body hummed with pleasure and my nipples peaked, painfully straining against the fabric of my strapless bra, underneath the dress. My legs were wobbling and if it weren’t for him holding me, I would’ve collapsed right here on the floor.
It was too soon to have assumed anything out of this—whatever it was between us—but it was a strong feeling that I couldn't shake. My hands looped around his shoulders and I moaned against his lips, my core tightening with lust.
But the valet's chuckle brought me back to reality, and I immediately stepped back, my heart hammering in my chest. We panted for breath, unable to move our eyes from each other. The surrounding atmosphere was too hot to bear.
"Do you want me to continue?" Vince asked in a low voice, his tone filled with desperation and hope.
"Here?" I asked, blinking at him with my wide eyes. Here? I scowled. What the fuck?
A smug smile appeared on his face—a smile that I would’ve loved to kiss off—and he nodded. "We can continue here if you want. I don't mind. Though, I believe, that would attract a hoard of audience."
I looked at the valet standing outside the large entrance of the hotel and gave him an awkward smile, trying to hide my eeriness. I glanced back at Vince and bit my lips.
"Follow me," I said with newfound confidence surging in me.
I guided him through the entrance to the elevator. Vince was purposefully walking close to me, his hands circling around my waist the entire ride to my room. By the look on his face, I could tell he was enjoying it immensely. Taking out the swipe key from the purse, I hovered at the lock. But the door wasn't opening as fast as it should have. When it finally opened with the beeping sound, I sighed with relief.
I pushed the door wide open and stood quietly. A part of me was scared, but the other wanted this. Wanted him.
“Are you looking forward to being carried inside, Joy?" Vince breathed, drawing his mouth close to my ears.
I couldn't speak. A shiver ran down my spine and what I wanted to do was dissolve into his arms. I walked straight inside the room and he followed suit and closed the door behind him. Dropping the purse on the floor, I turned to face him.
He was leaning against the door with his eyes scanning me from top to bottom, observing each of my moves as if I was the most fascinating sight for him. I took a deep breath and unzipped the dress from the back. His Adam’s apple bobbed as he gulped and paced toward her.
He paused just inches away from me and said, “You really want to have me kneeling before you, don’t you?”
His voice made my breath hitch. But yes, what a sight it would’ve been. Him kneeling before me . . . between my legs. I shivered.
He pulled me to him and planted soft kisses on my cheeks. His lips were smooth against my skin. So fucking enticing. He moved his wet kisses down my jaw to the crook of my neck and continued the slow tortures. He knew exactly what he was doing and the effect that it was having on me. I gasped, and he lifted his face up to meet my gaze.
“So fucking delicious.”
His fingers curled around my thighs and he lifted me up. I wrapped my legs around him as he carried me to the bed and landed on the top of it with my back on the soft mattress and his body pressed on mine.
"Do you want me to stop?" His grey eyes met mine as he slid the sleeves of my dress down my arm.
"No, I just want to make something clear." I knew why he was here and that he'd leave and they would never meet again. "I don't know you and you don't know me. Let's just keep it that way."
His eyes widened, as if he wasn't even expecting it. He stared blankly at me for a moment before nodding. "Sounds good to me. Does that mean we’ll never see each other again?"
Do you want to?—was at the tip of my tongue. "No." I cleared my throat. “I sound like a slut, don't I?" A frown took over his face, and I whined, "Yes, I do. You're afraid that if you tell the truth, you might not get any action."
I covered my face with my shaking hands, cursing myself at the back of my mind.
I'm drunk, I'm drunk. I chanted at the back of my mind. I would've never said things like this if I were sober.
"No, I do not think that. You’re a very interesting person, Joy." He laughed, moving my hands from over my face and kissing me, gently.
But I spoke again, pulling away from the kiss. "You’re a complete stranger. It’s all so exciting and, at the same time, it's frightening that you'll turn into a dangerous dream. But . . ." I tried to speak between his demanding kisses. "You're so . . . and I'm so . . . I think this is the only way to get you out of my system."
He put a finger on my lips before grazing over them with his thumb. With the same smirk glued on his lips, he muttered, "Stop talking and listen. This night is going to be very long."
I smiled and whispered back, "Very long."
***
I entered the hotel room. It was almost a quarter to three, and I had no intention of walking in on Cole, who was probably butt-naked and in action. But then I remembered I had nowhere else to go.
But strangely enough, the room was empty, with no signs of Cole, which was a relief.
The moment I walked into my room, I glimpsed a girl, one of those I’d encountered back at the club. She’d just walked out of the washroom in a way I’d least expected. She was wearing a lace bra and panty, both with a perfect combination of red and green stripes. The light coming from the living room formed a shadow on her.
I remembered her—ebony eyes, long chestnut hair straightened over the shoulders, her skin dusky and figure petite and slender.
I moved back, shaking my head. I was not in my right mind at the moment, to have been around her or any other woman. But I was too aroused to elude the offer sparkling in the girl's eyes.
"What are you doing here?" I asked, trying not to move my gaze from her eyes.
"I have been waiting for you," she answered in a broken accent. "We came here to grab a few drinks but then Cole suggested we move back to his studio."
"Why didn't you go with them?"
"I wanted to stay here for you."
I sniggered, "For me?" He walked past her, toward the bathroom door while pulling my t-shirt off and tossing it on the bed. “What if I hadn’t come back?”
"I saw you leave with someone, but you're back too early . . . which means either you didn't get what you wanted or something else happened." I turned around to meet her gaze and frowned. She spoke again, "Am I right?"
I didn't want to recall what had happened back at Joy's hotel. All that mattered was that she didn't want me there, and that was the end of that.
"Who are you again?"
"Sonia."
"Okay, Sonia, you know where the door is. So, I believe you can help yourself out. I'm not in the mood." I knew deep down that if Sonia wanted sex, I wouldn't hesitate to give her what she needed.
Sonia seemed to have known my instincts from the distance. She pressed her hands on my naked chest and pushed me until my back crashed with the bathroom door. She was quick to unbutton my pants and skim her hands down my underwear.
A groan escaped my lips.
That was more than the action I’d got in weeks. Even today.
She drew her face to my neck, her breath warming my skin even more. She whispered, "I don't think you mind me overstaying my welcome, do you?"
I loved a dominant woman in bed, but right now, I needed to be in charge. I took a fistful of her hair between my fingers and pulled her head back.
I wanted to end this as quickly as possible and send her down the road, as I’d always done.
Drawing my face close to hers and with our lips just inches apart, I questioned in a husky voice, "Are we still talking now?"
A smirk appeared on her lips and she began planting sultry kisses on my chest, creeping down to my lower belly. Her tongue grazed on my belly button, sending a shiver down my spine and I leaned my head back on the door, my eyes tightly closed. Within seconds, she’d pulled my pants down and began massaging the growing bulge from over the underwear.
Everything had happened too fast after that for my drunken mind to process—her mouth guzzling my cock, my silent moans reverberating in my ears, my hands over her mouth to stop her from screaming while I fucked her, each thrust faster and harder, her legs locked around my waist.
There was no kissing involved, no attachments, just a quick-fuck session.
I was doing this only to divert my mind away from Joy, forcing my anger out as an overwhelming sex drive. I had not only been pushed away once today, but twice.
But even though I had someone else under me, my mind kept bothering me with one question, all the while: why the hell did she push me away?
VINCE The unexpected for me was to wake up beside Sonia, our legs tangled and bodies naked and sticky. Well, not entirely unexpected. I’d hoped to see Sonia gone by now, but she was sleeping soundly, with her chest pressed on the soft mattress of the bed. I sighed, got up, and made my way to the bathroom. I double-checked the door to make sure it was locked, as I was in no mood for repeating last night's innuendos. My muscles relaxed as the warm water glided down my skin. The decision I’d made last night—leaving Joy alone when she was drunk and clearly scared for reasons I was clueless about—was bugging me. No matter what I did, I couldn't push past that one moment that had ruined it all. Joy pulled the shirt off of my body and tossed it on the floor before pushing her red dress down her legs. She pulled me back to her, her lips demanding. I could've kissed those plump lips and devoured them all day if I could.
JOY I wanted to ask Vince many questions, but yet again, my fear of ruining the moment took the chance away. I gulped, gripped the coffee cup and kept walking through the long pathway that led into the park of Parc des Buttes-Chaumont. The place was enormous and crowded with people, clicking pictures of each other and the trees that were aligned by the sidewalk, their long branches providing a perfect shade for the pathway. The sounds of children laughing, birds chirping and people talking were mixing into a rhythmic symphony. I noticed Vince twisting and turning in hesitation, as if he was battling with his own mind. Stop fidgeting and start talking—I felt the inner Aubrey in me scolding me. She was the only one who could push me to do things, no matter how stupid, and sometimes it was definitely worth it. "You eat a lot of sugar," I blurted out in a breath and looked away, cursing myself. I was meaning to say something el
JOY The next spot on our list was the Eiffel Tower. We were having a great time. I missed being this childish since Mason started working and travelling. And with Vince, I just didn't care what others thought. I was sure Vince wasn’t judging me. What was surprising was the way Vince was behaving. I hadn't expected him to be this fun. As promised, I treated us both with hotdogs. It was quite clear that I was the losing party, so I’d stopped running midway. We made our way to the venue when it was around the afternoon. This city was something. No matter what Vince believed—even though he had his reasons—I was willing to fight.Paris is the city of love. Period. The first thing that we did after nearing our destination was getting pictures of me taken, pretending to hold the tower in my hands. And Vince was kind enough to take them for me. The pictures came out spectacular. He surprised me with his knowledg
VINCE I didn't want to feel this way. I hated to be so weak. I’d been claustrophobic since childhood. Whenever the fear haunted me, I was alone. Without Mum and Dad to comfort me. My pride hadn't allowed me to seek help from my caretakers, either. I used to cower down and rub my hands on my chest until my breathing returned to normal and the fear faded. I had no idea what caused this fear. Whether it was really a closed room, I feared or the thoughts and nightmares about being alone and left in a room with no escape, I couldn’t understand. When Joy had pressed her delicate hands on my chest, fear was the last thing on my mind. No one had ever made me feel this way. I couldn't push past the reverie of emotions I was feeling after that, so much that I ended up acting upon them. I’d kissed her. And before I knew it, I had unintentionally pulled back, reminding myself that I didn't deserve her. I couldn't even accept the fact th
VINCE My phone was constantly buzzing in my pants. And that entire time I was busy scolding myself, persuading my mind and heart to get Joy out of my thoughts, to think straight. Nothing was ever going to happen between the two of us. Joy had made it very clear last night when she’d pushed me away, not once, but twice. I finally glanced at the humming device, striding it out of my pocket. It was Jordan. Taking a deep breath, I met Joy’s stare and said, "I have to get this." "Sure." I quickly headed out of the restaurant and picked up the call. "You fucking asshole, what took you so long? I’ve been calling you all day,"Jordan growled from the other side. He sounded devastated, which only made me believe that whatever the matter, it had to be a huge matter or he wouldn't be so freaked out. "I was busy with business.” Lies! “Why? What happened?" I asked, peaking at Joy through the glass windows o
JOY I recognised his face immediately when he stalked toward me and, shocking as it was, I remembered his voice better—the same raspy tone that had me going weak on my knees and that English accent. I felt pain and anger hammering in my chest as I stared at him. I couldn't believe my eyes. There was a time when I couldn't differentiate between reality and imagination, which I had to take therapy for. But standing here, I hoped the man in front of me was nothing more than a figment of my imagination or some late, late hallucination. I’d known how much Vince had changed over the years. I’d seen him change with my own eyes . . . on sheets of papers, advertisements, social media and news. He was more handsome now with a perfectly trimmed scruffy beard. His aura was stronger and his voice deeper. His physique was broader and his gaze fiercer. But some things about him remained the same—his devilish charm, his wicked smirk, and the ambition
JOY "Are you sure there's no message for me?" I asked the brunet. The receptionist had his brows lined and for the fifth time, he responded, "I'm sorry, Ma'am, but there really isn't any. We have a quick delivery policy here at our hotel where—" “Oh, I know,” I said, instantly regretting the rudeness and frustration oozing from my tone. I took a deep breath, my nostrils flaring. "I’m sorry, and thank you." I turned around on my heels and walked my way out of the hotel, my heart clenching in my chest. The scorching heat made me squint my eyes, and I pulled my sunglasses down. Julia looked concerned, her brows bent into a frown. "Are you okay?" she asked. "Do you want to talk about it?" I shook my head. "There's nothing to talk about. It's the end of the fairy tale. The prince returned home and now it's time for the princess to do the same." Julia patted m
JOY I didn't want to get into his car, make myself look weak, but Aubrey had a point. Rather than going home with a random stranger, I would’ve prefer to go home with a stranger I trusted, no matter how bad his reputation. A part of me knew him—the real him—and that part was sure he would never hurt me. And here I thought I had trust issues. My legs trembled as I inhaled Vincent's earthy aroma lingering inside the car. The smell was too strong. Too addictive. He walked to my side, hauled the door open, and bent in, his face just inches away from mine. His attention was focused on buckling the seatbelt around me, but I completely glued mine on him. My breath hitched, my heart just seconds away from lurching out. Goddamnit!He was beautiful. He looked up at me with the same power he had before, the one that could steal millions of hearts. I had missed those silvery eyes and his long lashes that fanned his cheeks when he bl