CHAPTER 7

I walked down the stairs and approached the VIP bouncer, asking for an exit. The burly man nodded to a black door on our right. I expressed gratitude through a smile and headed towards the door, conscious of his gaze fixed on me.

Upon reaching the door, I pushed it open and stepped out into the refreshing evening air. Taking a moment to close the door behind me, I surveyed my surroundings and realized I was alone. I leaned against the wall; and let out a deep sigh, closing my eyes as I focused on my breath.

"Fuck," I muttered.

Today had turned out to be one of the worst days of the year, and we weren't even halfway through. It wasn't uncommon for people to make snide remarks about my financial struggles and being a single mother. Their disdain was all too familiar, even when I tried calmly to explain the circumstances. They often placed the blame solely on me.

I wasn't stupid to say that Aidan alone was at fault.

Even I recognized my own faults in the situation. The desire to rebel and shatter the perfect-daughter image my mother had crafted cost me dearly. However, no matter how much I regretted the naïve decisions of the past, I would never regret keeping my daughter Estelle. She was the reason I existed; she pulled me out of depression and granted me strength and purpose.

Estelle was my precious source of joy, and no one would shame me for choosing to keep her. While people may look down on me and judge my young age as a single parent, they were absent when I needed supportive words. They were absent when I worked three jobs to provide for both Estelle and myself. They weren't there during the nights I cried myself to sleep because my mother refused to visit me or meet her granddaughter.

Lost in my thoughts, it startled me when a gust of wind from opening and closing the exit door caressed my skin, and I snapped my eyes open.

Feeling the cool breeze against my cheek, I touched it and realized I had been crying. Quickly wiping away the tears with the back of my hands, I ran my fingers through my blonde locks and cleared my throat. Collecting myself, I prepared to face the person who had just walked out from the door.

As I turned, I found myself locking gaze with a pair of icy blue eyes that were deeply ingrained in my memory—the eyes of my captivating stranger. Instantly, the energy between us shifted, and my mouth went dry. He stood against the wall, hands tucked into his suit pocket, unabashedly staring at me, and the only barrier between us was the door separating us.

Just like before, his presence commanded my attention. He straightened himself and, with his gaze still fixed on mine, started walking towards me. I struggled to catch my breath as he approached and stood in front of me, his proximity making my breath hitch. The scent of sandalwood and musk wafted over me, and I felt as though I could melt into a puddle.

A small, amused smile played on his lips, as if he found the entire situation entertaining. I couldn't help but wonder if he found me in such a vulnerable state amusing or if he was amused by our unexpected reunion. Or perhaps it was because he caught me surreptitiously sniffing him.

With determination, I straightened my shoulders and looked up at him, and he took that opportunity to assess me. Tilting his head, he swept his eyes from my head to my toes. I felt a tingling sensation on my skin under his scrutinizing gaze, causing me to shift nervously on my feet.

The source of my nervousness eluded me, whether it was the desperate desire to conform to his preferences or the longing to please him. I couldn't pinpoint it, and that frustration annoyed me.

He huffed out a laugh, and I snapped at him. "Is there something you find amusing?"

Was he finding my internal dilemma funny?

"No," he replied, amusement still dancing in his eyes. "But it's a rare occasion for me to find a lady crying in the back exit of my club. What happened? Was it a breakup?" He asked, shuffling closer.

I backed into the wall, wishing we meeting under different circumstances. But then his words washed over me and I glared at him.

"Wow. The audacity of men to think everything has to be about them." I looked into his eyes and asked, "what if I was crying because I couldn't decide on what type of pizza I wanted to eat tonight? Or the death of a relative? Hmm? What if I was hurt? Did you ever think about that?"

His amusement vanished, and he moved closer, the smell of whiskey on his breath becoming evident.

Seriously? I thought, exasperated by the situation. If he got any closer, we would both be pressed against the wall.

His face turned serious as he responded, "I apologize for not considering that," gripping my arm gently and drawing me nearer to assess me. It looked like he was searching for any signs of injury. "Did something happen? Are you hurt?"

His boldness stunned me, leaving me speechless, and I shook my head. How could he grab me like that? Raising his other hand, he brushed my cheek with his thumb. I shivered at the sensation of his rough skin against mine.

"Pretty girls like you shouldn't cry." his thumb moved back and forth and his hand holding my arm moved to cup my nape and my breath hitched. "Who hurt you?"

"Hmm?" He whispered, pressing me closer to him and I grabbed onto his suit sleeve to steady myself.

Our chest were plastered against each other and I stuttered, "N-No one. I promise." My mind went to Emma, and I badly wanted to say her name, but I felt like a child for even thinking about tattling.

"Hmm," he breathed out, and I bit down on my lower lip. His thumb trailed from my cheek to my lips and he withdrew my bottom lip from my teeth before rubbing the damp, plump skin.

"You have such beautiful lips," he grunted out and my breathing turned choppy. "Perfectly made for bringing men to their knees."

His gaze left my lips and returned to my eyes, and he paused. I tensed, waiting for him to speak. "Your eyes are so beautiful," he confessed, and the tightness in my chest eased. His blue eyes were also captivating, clear as the sky and possessing a dominating power. They held me in their grasp.

"Not everyone thinks so." I responded, and when I moved to take a step back, his hold on my nape tightened.

"Not a lot of people will appreciate true beauty, Kayla."

The sound of my name on his lips was like an electric shock jolting through my system and the lustful fog cleared a little. "How do you know my name?" I questioned. "I never introduced myself the last time."

"I have my ways."

What did he mean by that?

"I don't -"

He shut me up by sliding his thumb into lips; I looked into his eyes with surprise, but what I saw flickering in both orbs had me sealing my lips over the digit, and his eyelids lowered at the sight.

"One night." He mumbled, distracted by the sight of my plump lips wrapped around his thumb which was slowly sliding in and out lips.

His hand behind my head tightened further, and I gasped, he used that moment to slip his thumb out and he rubbed the string of saliva that came out over bottom lips before pressing his thumb in again.

Holy-

What was happening right now?

"I need one night with you, Kayla. One night to own you." He pressed on, and his words held some urgency in them.

My heart pounded hard against my ribcage, and my pussy pulsed, clenching around nothing.

The sound of my heart pounding filled my ears, and I struggled to get any sentence out.

Was I really going to do this?

Was I really going to let a stranger own me for one night?

My body wanted me to scream out my agreement, but my brain? It wanted me to walk away.

It seemed like I had forgotten all about the stranger-danger tales my mother always told me. The signs were right in front of me.

I had no idea what his name was, and I was already panting at the thought of spending the night on his bed.

But my mind went back to the conversation I had with Dee about letting go for one night.

There was no better way to end this sour night than this sexy hunk of a man between my thighs and an orgasm or two.

It was easy, right?

I didn't need to know his name.

All I needed was amazing sex, and I was done. We didn't need to exchange our family history for that.

And if, in fact, he was one of the investors staying for a month in our town, then that made it a lot better!

I would never see him again.

So I asked, "Just one night?"

He nodded. "One night to own you, and that's it. You won't hear from me again and I from you." He gripped my chin. "Do you accept my terms?"

I swallowed before answering. "When you say own me, what do you mean?"

"I mean, I get to own you totally. You will do anything that I desire and the word NO would cease to exist in your dictionary immediately you say yes to me."

"And if I want to say NO along the line?" My question came out in a stutter and I looked at anywhere but him, so he wouldn't be able to see how much this was exciting to me.

He smiled, but it was so sinister, shivers wracked my entire body. "Like I said, little Kayla, the minute you say YES to me, the word NO would cease to exist in your word bank until the next morning. And when I say I get to do everything I want to you," he tugged my hair back until I was looking at him again and I gasped at the sharp pain. "I mean it."

My eyes searched his, trying to find out if he was going to hurt me, and he seemed to sense my question.

"I would never do anything to hurt you, Kayla." His glared at me like the very thought of hurting me pissed him off.

"The moment I hurt you, you will let me know immediately," his hold on my chin tightened, "do you understand?"

I nodded sharply.

He raised one eyebrow and leaned down. "Is that a yes to my question or to my proposal?"

His eyes were focused on my lips, and I struggled to concentrate. But I nodded. "Yes." I looked into his eyes that were hazy with lust, and just the sight of this god-like man lusting for me had me nodding again. "It's a yes to the both of them."

He tipped my face up with his hand, making sure I was looking at him, and then pressed a hard kiss against my lips. "Good girl," he whispered, and my body responded to his praise with a surge of excitement. If his words alone had this effect on me, I wondered what the night had in store.

But I was ready for anything that would come my way.

In an instant, he released my face and instead gripped my hand. "Let's go." He ordered, urging me towards the parking lot.

A wide grin formed on my face—I was more than ready for tonight.