18

AUDREY
At exactly twenty minutes, I heard my doorbell, anticipating that it was Gabriel. I felt the churning sensation in my stomach again, and I was nervous as hell. I splashed my cologne one more time before I answered the door.
I took a deep breath and then pulled the door open. A casual yet beautiful man stood before me. Gabriel was only in a white shirt, faded blue jeans, and a slip-on. His hair was wet, and he smelled fresh from the shower.
“Can I come in?” he asked.
I gulped hard. “Yeah… sure.” Not sure. It’s a bad idea to have him alone in a room. He walked past me, slightly brushing my shoulders. I shivered.
He paced straight to the couch as if he were in his own home and slumped on the cushion. He cocked his head to the side and gestured toward me. “Come.”
Slowly, I walked towards him and sat on the other side of the couch.
“What are you doing?”
“Huh?”
“You are too far. How can we hear each other?”
“Oh.” I moved a little closer but still at a distance. I heard Stark exhale and move close.
I swallowed hard, still unable to breathe. His scent was making me dizzy… in a good way. He smelled so male, mild soap, and earthy perfume. It made me want to drink him in. I ached to touch his hair and sit on his lap. Damn me.
I bit my lip hard.
“I know it’s not the right time to talk about this, given your situation, but I’ll be crazy otherwise.”
I looked up at him, dumbfounded. “If this is about the painting—”
“I want to fuck you, Miss Hopkins.”
My eyes widened. Air abandoned my lungs. His voice was soft but intense, and the atmosphere suddenly felt heavy. My cheeks were redder than ever, and every hair on my body stood.
I stood up immediately in panic, but he grasped my wrist and brought me back. “Don’t,” he whispered. “Don’t ignore me.”
My mind was still having a hard time absorbing what he said. “My answer is no, Mr. Stark. You can leave now, and I will forget what you said.”
His grip on my wrist tightened. “I’m not asking nor seeking your permission.”
My chest tightened, and I hated that it turned me on. I was mad at myself. I had successfully gotten away from his grip. I stood up.
“What made you think I want to sleep with you?” I raged. “Oh, please don’t say anything about paying me again because I’m not that kind of woman to—”
He interrupted me with his delicious laugh.
“When I said I want a painting of you, I’m going to pay you for a talent fee, but when I said I want to fuck you…” He stood up, dwarfing me with his height. “It’ll be for free.”
I caught my mouth to prevent myself from any more violent reaction. I almost screamed in his face. Stark gently held my wrist again and brought my palms to his ample chest. He felt hard. I quivered against him. I held my breath.
One hand slid on my neck, and his thumb brushed my cheek. Suddenly, he frowned as if mad, but his eyes were confused.
“Why, Miss Hopkins—” the confusion in his face grew—“I still sense your innocence.”
My mouth parted. He asked as if it was something he knew but was still shocked to know the truth. How could he know I was still a virgin?
“What?” I gulped hard. “I’m not as innocent as you think I am,” I said bitterly. I looked away, but he cupped my face and made me look into his eyes again.
“You are to me…”
Stark’s eyes peered at me, waiting for an answer.
“Whatever plot you are trying to pull right now, I will let it slide, but please, Mr. Stark, just leave.”
I tried to shove his hands off, but he held my face.
“I’m not expecting you’d be hard to please, but at least let me at least show you the reason why you have to say yes.”
I raised my gaze to his handsome face, his eyes blazing. With his hands still grasped around mine, he freed my other hand to brush my lips with his thumb, causing me to gape my mouth open. His hand continued downward, brushing over my shoulders and traveling down the hem of my blouse. Slowly, he slid his hands into my shirt.
“Hmm, look at you. Just look at you, Audrey,” he said breathlessly as his palm reached my breast. I blushed.
My voice drew out a moan as he palmed my breasts that only one man had ever seen, and the situation almost seemed familiar, yet I felt so exposed.
With a low growl, Gabriel lifted me effortlessly, as if I was a sheet of paper that had no weight. My legs curled around his waist, and I clung to his neck to maintain my balance.
“I even come here for you,” he murmured breathlessly against my neck. “I, at least, have to meet half my expectations.”
“You… you came here…”
“For you, that’s right. After I’ve known how wet your pussy could get for me once, I ought not to let this go.”
“What do you mean—” I stopped. Yes, I remembered. Once. In his office.
His mouth descended towards my neck, and his firm lips caressed a sensuous path underneath my ear. His lips continued to move across my throat, to my chin, and then finally claimed my mouth in a domineering kiss.
It felt like a dream… felt so erotic, yet familiar, like the man knew my body. My first kiss with him in his office—if that’s even a kiss—was mind-blowing enough, but the sensation he was giving me now was drowning me. I was being devoured by this man—by Gabriel Stark.
His mouth was hungry, his tongue playing with mine, possessively thrusting into my mouth. He released my other arm from his grip, then I instantaneously pulled him much closer. All I could hear was the sound of our mouths, ignoring everything else around us. I did not mind if Chelsea was next door. I grew dizzy from the demanding possessiveness of his mouth.
I felt too desperate, too overwhelmed.
Gently, Stark brought me back to the floor and pulled my shirt over my head. He mumbled something in my ear as he did, but I couldn’t understand it. One hand fondled my breasts. I was still wearing a bra, yet his touch penetrated through the fabric, leaving tingling traces over my skin.
“Your reactions are going to be the death of me. I barely even do anything,” he whispered, his voice hoarse.
I blushed, clenching the fabric of his shirt. I felt too ultra-sensitive. I suddenly felt so embarrassed about being so inexperienced.
“I’m sorry…”
“Don’t,” he whispered, and his eyes softened. “You don’t have to say sorry for something like that. I like the way you react.” His hot, hungry mouth covered mine again. I gasped as I felt him press his hard erection against me.
“Oh, God.”
“This is how you make me feel. From the moment you walked into my office. I think you’re going to have a hard time getting rid of me.”
I breathed out. “Why?”
He slid a hand over my tights, and his fingers carelessly searched from deep within. “Because I want you, and if I say I want something, I never stop until I make it mine…” he muttered brusquely, and then he sat up to take off his shirt, exposing his defined and rock-hard body.
I had no time to process all of it. One minute I was staring disbelievingly up at him, but his mouth smashed down on mine again. Gabriel groaned, and the vibration of his throat rushed through me. His kiss grew harder, more demanding. We were panting and pulling at each other’s mouths like we couldn’t get deep enough, my nails slashing into his skin as I tried to pull him closer.
I clung to him, my hands digging into his back as my lips parted. I breathed out, allowing his tongue to access my mouth and tease mine. I was kissing him back now, the way he taught me. I could smell and taste a bit of whiskey on his tongue, the feel of his warm hands traveling all over my body—it all overpowered me. I moaned as I couldn’t control my feelings anymore.
I had never been so turned on in my whole life and had never felt so good. The sounds he made—his groans, his hard breaths, words of desire had only made me want him more. My body was suddenly threatening to overload me with the sensation.
My head was still spinning, gathering my thoughts altogether, Gabriel stopped abruptly as we heard a phone ringing, and it wasn’t my ringtone. My eyes were still tightly shut, too dazed from what had just happened.
Gabriel cursed impatiently as he moved away from me and answered the call. As he eased his body away from me, I felt suddenly cold without the presence of his warmth pressed against me.
I sat up as my glowing haze of orgasm began to slowly fade. I glanced down at my exposed torso, quickly covered myself, and then sat on the couch. My skin was still sensitive to his touch.
Gabriel’s call ended, and I wondered what I must look like. My hair was probably a mess, and my face was awfully flushed. The only thing that helped me retain my composure was the sight of Gabriel’s broad physique towering over me. His hair was unruly, and he appeared to have lost himself, too.
He moved towards me, but only to snatch my shirt from the floor and hand it to me.
“It’s Coulson. I need to call him back,” he muttered harshly, and then he stormed out of the room without a moment of hesitation.
My mouth parted wide open, completely shocked at what just happened. His expression suddenly changed in just a few short minutes. My body had still been on fire, burning up inside for his touch and, at the same time, confused. I began to question myself. What the hell had happened?
“Oh, God,” I uttered. I curled myself into one piece, then wrapped my arms around my legs, resting my chin above my knees to steady myself.
Damn, Coulson Stark. Just why did you have to call at this time of night?