Chapter 1

Allison

I step out of the Uber and come face to face with the tall building. It’s so tall for a residential building. And everything about it screams luxury.

I lift my head up to the top of the building where the penthouse is. My destination.

My smart watch beeps and I look down to see it’s already 11 am.

“Oh no!” I gasp and hurry inside.

At the entrance, there is a door man that sends me a curt nod as I breeze past. Beyond that is the lobby that holds a reception.

As I approach, the receptionist looks up and gives me polite smile.

“Hello.”

“Hi.”

She expertly studies me. “You’re a new face so I’m guessing you’re here to see someone?”

I nod, “Yes. Neil Holden.”

She gestures for me to hold on and picks up a telephone receiver. She speaks into it, “Hello?...Yes, a lady is here to see Mr Holden…Okay, I’ll send her up.”

She drops the phone and hands me a key card.

“That’s for the elevator,” she says.

I’m confused. “What elevator uses a key card?”

She points behind me, “The private elevator to the penthouse.”

Oh.

My watch beeps again.

I thank the receptionist and head in the direction she just pointed. There are two elevators but one is smaller than the other. It also doesn’t have any buttons so I’m guessing that’s my ride.

I use the key card to open the elevator and get in. As I ascend, I begin to feel nervous.

Mr Holden was referred to me by one of his employees who is a former client of mine. She assured me her boss is wealthy and would pay well. But then she warned me of his thorough and extremely professional nature.

I really hope today’s interview goes well.

Not just for me but for my son as well. As a single mom, my part-time job as a physical therapist at a nursing home hardly pays enough to take care of us. If it weren’t for my parents…

Focus Allison.

The elevator stops and I step out to the entrance of the apartment. Taking in a deep breath, I move to the door and press the doorbell.

In no time, the door opens to reveal a mousy woman dressed in a maid’s uniform. She gives me a once over and opens the door wider to let me in.

I smile shakily at her, “Hi.”

She steps to the side as I enter the house.

It’s a penthouse alright.

The foyer alone is bigger than most apartments. I follow the woman further inside till I come to the living room. It’s huge and tastefully decorated. Expensive abstract paintings hanging on the walls, decorative ornate objects sitting on shelves, plush-looking modern furniture all give the place a simple look of luxury.

Then there’s the massive floor to ceiling windows that gives me an amazing view of the city.

I can’t even begin to imagine waking up to a place like this every single day.

The maid is speaking, “…can just wait down here, Mr Holden will be with you shortly.”

I nod and sit in one of the couches. As I wait for the master of the house to show up, I twiddle my thumbs and give myself a mental pep talk.

Keep a friendly but professional smile. Maintain eye contact. Speak clearly. And whatever you do, don’t fuck this up.

I’m so lost in my thoughts, I don’t hear anyone arrive until a deep voice sounds from above me.

“Ms Walters?”

That voice…

I snap my head up to meet with my interviewer.

Holy hell.

I freeze.

“Neil?”

Tall with jet black hair and grey eyes. A handsome face with chiseled features and a jaw that can cut stone. The well-formed body of a god covered in casual jeans and a button down shirt.

Standing in front of me is the man I met in a bar five years ago. The man that changed the course of my life forever.

**Five years ago…**

“Come on Allison. We’re here to party and have fun!” Beverly yells at me over the loud music.

My best friend pushes a glass of Martini to me and raises a disapproving eyebrow, “You haven’t even had a drop of alcohol since we got here.”

“Leave her alone Bev,” my other friend scolds. I feel bad; it’s her birthday and here I am moping around instead of partying all over the place.

I begin to consider gulping the drink but then I get the urge to pee.

“I’ll be back, guys.” I say as I hop off the stool and make my way to the bathroom.

When I finish, I wash my hands and tell myself to go back out there and have some fun.

I step back out to the bar and start to walk over to my friends. Suddenly, my heels slide on something wet–probably a spilled drink–and I lose my balance.

Before I can crash to the floor, a pair of strong arms wrap around my shoulders. I’m pulled against a broad, warm chest as I regain my footing.

“Hey, are you alright?”

At the sound of the deep, husky voice, I snap my head up to see…

Oh my…

He has to be the most attractive man I’ve ever seen.

Tall with broad shoulders, strong chiseled features, eyes that pierce through me… he’s handsome. And he’s holding me protectively.

I leap back with my burning face and squeak, “Y-yes. Thank you.”

His eyes seem to twinkle as they watch me.

“What’s your name?”

He’s a stranger, my brain warns me, a stranger at a bar.

“Allison,” my mouth acts on its own.

The guy smiles and I swear his face glows. “I’m Neil. Nice to finally meet you.”

Finally?

He grins at my questioning look, “I’ve been watching you with your friends. For some reason, I just thought this would be the perfect time to come over.”

So, this beautiful man has been staring at me? Incredible.

“Yeah well…I have to get back to them,” I stutter and begin moving out of his way.

“I’ve been watching you Allison,” he stresses my name, “I know I won’t be wrong if I said you don’t exactly want to be here..”

Oh?

I stare up at him with interest.

“How about we escape…” He waves his arms, “…from all of this?”

I look at my friends at the bar only to find them watching us. Beverly grins excitedly and gives me a double thumbs up. The birthday girl beams and makes a gesture of dismissal.

I turn back to Neil, “Do you have anywhere in mind?”

He shrugs and thrusts his hands in his pockets. I can’t help admiring every movement he makes.

“We could go to my place…or yours?”

*

An hour later, we’re at my apartment talking like old friends. Neil is so fun and easy to laugh with. His energy is contagious, and I find myself giggling more than usual.

His beautiful face makes it even easier. I’ve been staring at him, studying him.

“So, a physical therapist huh?”

I dip my head shyly, “Not yet. I have to be done with grad school to get that title.”

“I think you’ll do great.”

“That makes one of us.”

We laugh at my joke before falling quiet and staring at each other. In my small living room, the lights are bright, and I can finally tell the color of his eyes. They are grey–the color of pure steel.

As he watches me, the sad look from earlier flashes on face. I can’t help it, I ask,

“Is something bothering you?”

He blinks and the look disappears. He shakes his head forcefully, “What…no.” A seductive smirk curves his lips, “I just want to kiss you so bad.”

Oh…

At his words, my stomach clenches and I’m forced to grab the edge of my seat to keep calm.

His words are inviting, and I find myself leaning closer to him.

Our eyes hold each other’s for a brief moment as he claims my lips. A rush of desire spikes my nerves at the contact. His warm breath falls on my face and his smell covers, me like a blanket.

A mixture of aftershave and spicy musk.

Suddenly I want more.

My hands cup both sides of his face and pull him closer. He grabs my waist, lifting me from the couch and positioning me on top of him. His tongue Invades my mouth, drawing a sigh of pleasure from me.

It's insane. I just met him. How on earth am I comfortable with letting him kiss me like this?

His hands explore the length of my body. He teases and caresses me until I’m panting hard. I run my hands though his silky locks, smirking when he lets out a groan.

The lower halves of bodies press against each other, and I feel his arousal.

His thick, hard arousal.

“Wait,” he gasps between breaths. His hands hurriedly scramble to undress me.

My position above him gives me another angle of his gorgeous face. Without thinking, I reach out to stroke his high cheekbones.

“You’re hot,” I whisper.

He grins against my lips as he strips off my panties. When I’m fully naked, he gently pushes me to stand in front of him.

“If I’m hot, then you’re the fucking sun,” he purrs as his steely eyes skim over my body.

Wetness pools between my thighs at the pure lust in his stare. My breath quickens as I watch him stand and slowly begin to take off his clothes. His shirt goes off first and I get the most amazing view of his well-built chest.

I pull my lower lip between my teeth as my eyes trace down his abdominals and even further down. To the hunk of meat hanging between his legs.

He's big!

Neil takes his member in his hand and strokes it a couple of times. He watches me intently as he does.

“I typically don’t have sex with people within the first day of meeting them. But you’re special, Allison.”

I love the way he calls my name.

“I’m going to fuck you so hard, you’re going to forget your own name.”

The air becomes filled with urgency and need.

“Is that a threat?” I tease, my heart racing uncontrollably.

Neil’s eyes darken to the point where his irises become invisible.

“It’s a promise.”

I don’t know who jumps who first–me or him. Before I realize what’s happening, I’m clinging to him with my legs wrapped around his waist. His big hands are holding me up and his fingers dig into my ass cheeks.

We kiss with a vengeance, determined to consume each other. His taste is so intoxicating and it takes over my senses.

We stumble to my tiny bedroom and Neil lowers us to the bed. His lips lift away from mine and latch onto my neck, my collarbone and my breasts.

I shudder and moan as he pulls a nipple his mouth. At the same time, one of his hands go to stroke in between my legs.

I feel like I’m burning up but in a good way. His fingers work my sensitive parts until I’m panting and ready to explode.

“Neil!”

I cry out as he positions himself by my entrance and enters me in one clean thrust.

His hips jam into mine and I feel a thousand sensations at once.

My eyes flutter shut but he grabs my cheeks and commands, “Don’t. I want to see those eyes roll.”

On cue, my eyes start to roll back into my head. Pleasure like none I’ve experienced before rushes through my body and I know I’m going to climax any moment.

“Neil, I’m coming!”

The beautiful man above me pumps into me faster. My toes curl as my vision bursts into bright colors.

I seize as I climax.

By the time I come down from my high, Neil is panting above me.

He’s about to come too.

But then he switches up and slows his pace down. He leans on his elbows to wipe my sweaty hair away from my face.

“It’s okay,” he chokes out. His eyes are simmering with a look of dark promise. “We’re just getting started.”

*

I wake up peacefully and stretch out on the bed like a lazy cat. My body is deliciously sore from the activities of the night before. I turn to the side of the bed, expecting to see the finest male specimen of all time. Instead, I find myself alone in the rumpled sheets.

Huh.

I drag myself up and pad around the apartment in search of my companion. It doesn’t take me five minutes to realize he’s gone. Like he was never here to begin with.

What?

I mean, after five rounds of hardcore sex, it’s expected that he stays by my side until I wake up, right? It’s basic hook-up courtesy.

So that’s all it was…a hook-up?

A throbbing pain erupts in my chest at the thought. I try checking to see if he left anything behind–a phone number maybe.

Nothing.

A while later, I’m bursting into my bathroom irritated. As I wipe myself up, I curse him and I curse myself.

I’m so stupid. I shouldn’t have ditched the girls for him.