Far (Distance #1)

1. Mary

Chapter 1

Mary

My knees nearly buckle. Chris. I freeze as his warm breath tickles my ear.

“Found you,” he says.

The club pulses with a manic energy, the bass thumping through my bones. Slowly, I turn to face the navy blue mask I had searched for all night.

I stare into his eyes, the party crowd surrounding us blurring and the music fading to a distant hum.

In this moment, it’s just him and me.

“Chris?”

His answering smile is dazzling. “In the flesh.”

I face my best friend, Gemma, forming two words with my lips, ‘It’s him’.

It’s really him.

She leans toward me. “I’ll go. If he tries anything weird, kick him in the balls. ”

I entangle myself from Chris for a second, hugging her tight. “No need for that. Thanks for coming with me. Wish me luck!”

“You don’t need it.” She squeezes me tighter. “Now go get him.”

Gemma leaves for the bar, and I swirl around.

“Come with me.” Chris takes my hand, steers me to a more secluded area of the club, and stops in a corner.

I let my gaze drift over him. Dark hair, chiseled jawline, and intense blue eyes that seem to see right through me. My hands find his chest, fingers splaying across the hard muscles beneath his shirt.

His fingers trace the outline of my mask, his touch electrifying. “I’ve imagined this moment so many times. Finally, meeting you.”

I lean into his touch, craving more. “Me too. I can’t believe it’s really happening.”

“Believe it.” His thumb grazes my lower lip, parting them slightly.

After a year of pouring my heart out through texts, the man who knows me better than anyone is standing right in front of me.

“You’re stunning, like an angel. My angel,” he says.

I giggle. “And what are you, then?”

“The devil in disguise.” His other hand settles on my waist, bringing me closer.

I gasp at the sudden contact, my body molding perfectly to his .

“Tell me.” His lips hover above mine. “What do you want?”

You. The word echoes in my mind, but I’m too breathless to speak. Instead, I close the remaining distance between us, capturing his mouth with mine.

He backs me against the wall, his lips moving against mine with a hunger that matches my own. His hands drop down to cup my ass, squeezing as he kisses me, shoving his tongue into my mouth. My hands fly up to his hair, playing with the soft strands. His lips taste like danger and desire, and I want more.

I arch into him with a moan, my body on fire.

He kisses down my neck, nipping at the sensitive skin. “Do you feel what you do to me?” Kiss. “You have no idea how long I’ve wanted this.” Kiss.

His hand moves under my dress, fingers grazing the edge of my panties. I let out a soft moan, my hips rocking against his touch.

I’m ready to let him take me right here against this wall. But then the noise of the club crowds back in, people passing by our darkened corner.

“Everything alright?” His eyes burn with lust beneath that mask.

“I can’t believe you’re really here.”

“Did you doubt me?”

“Never.” My fingers trail along his jaw and up to the mask, obscuring half of his face. “I want to see you.”

Chris catches my hand, pressing a kiss to each of my fingertips. “Not yet. ”

“Why?”

I want to rip that mask off, to see the face I’ve dreamed about for so long.

A sly grin spreads across his face. “Patience.” His fingers trail down my neck. “I’m going to make this a night you’ll never forget.”

Does he mean what I think he means?

Though I’ve never been with anyone before, I want nothing more than to give myself to him. I thought long and hard if I wanted to have my first time with him. But now that he’s in front of me, it’s a definitive yes. All I desire is to be alone with him, to let him do whatever he wants to me.

“We should get a room.” My pulse races.

He kisses me again, rough and deep, the hard bulge of his erection pressing into my stomach. “Let’s go.” He takes my hand, and we get out of the club into the chic hotel right next door.

Is this really happening? Am I really about to leave with a man I met in person for the first time?

Warning bells go off in my head, but I ignore them.

It’s not just any man. It’s Chris. The man who’s been my rock this past year, who’s listened to my every worry and fear without judgment. Who confided in me about his sick grandmother, the reason we didn’t meet up earlier, and showed me that it’s okay to be vulnerable.

In the light, I can make out more of him. He has short dark-brown hair with an undercut that’s different from the photos, and even though he’s wearing a fitted dark blue suit, you can tell he’s going to the gym. Broad shoulders and a… nice ass. My panties are already soaked just looking at him.

After Chris gets us a room, we take the elevator and get inside.

“It’s nice.” I tap on the cupboard. “And dark. Are you here often? I’ve never been here. My father owns a few hotels, but our rooms are way more beautiful. I mean, just—”

He wraps his arms around my waist from behind. “Mary. Are you nervous?”

Nervous? I’m a trembling mess.

“Be honest, please.”

How does he know? Am I such an open book? “Maybe…”

“Do you trust me?”

“I’m not sure. Are you someone I can trust?”

He searches my eyes and then releases me. “We don’t have to do anything you’re not ready for.”

“No.”

“No?”

Against my better judgment, I nod. What is wrong with me? I don’t know him. I shouldn’t give him my first time. But on the other hand…

“I want this. Don’t you?” I ask.

Gripping my hips, he presses my back to his front, his hard length digging into my lower back. His words are a low rumble against my ear. “What do you think? ”

I turn in his arms, my hands fisting in his shirt. “I think you’re wearing too many clothes.”

His fingers tangle in my hair, tilting my head back. “Are you sure? We can take this slow.”

Slow? Screw that. I’ve waited long enough. My body is on fire, every nerve ending screaming for his touch.

I crush my lips to his, pouring all my pent-up desire into the kiss. He groans into my mouth, his hands roaming my body, setting me ablaze.

I fumble with the buttons of his shirt, desperate to feel his skin against mine. He shrugs out of it, revealing a sculpted chest that makes my mouth water. Holy hell, he’s even hotter than I imagined. I trail my fingers up to his jaw, tracing its sharp line.

What would he look like without the mask?

Chris turns his head to kiss my palm. His lips are soft and warm, and the intimacy of the gesture makes me squirm.

“Can I?” I reach for his mask with both hands, but he catches my wrists and guides me backward until the back of my knees hit the mattress.

“There will be time for that later.”

“When?”

“Tomorrow.” He spins me around and removes my mask. “Tonight, I want you to just feel.”

“Feel?”

The world around me fades to black as he places a soft, silky fabric over my eyes.

My hands shoot up. “Chris? ”

“Shh, it’s alright.” He strokes my arms in a soothing caress.

“I’m not…”

“You can trust me.”

My rapid pulse drones in my ears.

“Another thing. No names tonight.”

No names? What kind of game is he playing? I flinch as Chris’s hands disappear.

“Chris?” I ask.

“No names.”

“Why?”

His hands trail over my shoulders. “Does it bother you?”

“I mean… yeah.”

He presses a soft kiss on my shoulder. “You’re overthinking this.”

I shift from foot to foot. Something about this feels off.

He sighs. “Forget I mentioned it. We can use names if it makes you more comfortable.”

I’m being ridiculous. Am I scared? Absolutely. But this is Chris. I can trust him. Can’t I?

“Okay. No names,” I say.

He makes a low, approving sound in the back of his throat, and his hands glide over my hips. “Now, where were we?”

I lean back against his chest, my uneasiness fading as he peppers kisses along my neck and shoulders, nipping gently with his teeth. “I believe you were about to give me an unforgettable night.”

“And that, I will. ”

He slips off my dress and bra, and I can feel his breath hot on my neck. His touch follows, fingers trailing over my collarbone, down between my breasts, and across my stomach. One hand splays on my lower belly while the other cups my breast. I arch into his touch, hungry for it. His thumb brushes over my nipple, and I gasp, the sensitive bud hardening.

More. “Please.” I need more of him.

Slowly, he rolls my nipples between his fingers, sending jolts of pleasure straight to my core. I’m slick and aching for him, ready to beg if that’s what it takes to end this torture.

His hand drifts lower, fingertips dipping just under the lace of my panties. “Tell me what you need.”

My mind goes blank. I don’t know what to say… so I rub my ass against the hard bulge in his pants.

“I just… I need…”

His touch retreats, and I whimper at the loss. But then his hands grip my hips, turning me to face him.

“Sit down.”

The mattress dips beneath me, and I grasp for him. “Chris?” My arms flail in the air.

“Ah ah ah.” He grasps my chin between his fingers. “What did I say about names?”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to—”

He cuts me off, pressing his lips to mine. “No apologies. Just feel.” He strokes his thumb over my bottom lip.

I nod, trembling. His hands smooth down my sides before hooking into my panties. He tugs them down my legs and then removes my heels. I’m naked. I suppress covering myself, forcing my arms to remain at my sides. Completely naked and vulnerable. Yet I’ve never felt more safe.

“You’re so beautiful.” His touch ghosts up my inner thighs, parting them wider.

My muscles tense, and my core aches. I want him to touch me there to ease the building pressure. But he avoids the spot I crave his fingers most, instead massaging up and down my thighs.

I whine in frustration, squirming on the bed.

“Tell me what you want.”

My cheeks burn, but I force out the words. “Touch me.”

“I am touching you.” He traces circles on my thigh, moving higher with each pass but always stopping short. “You need to be more specific.”

My heart pounds faster. “Higher.”

His fingers trail up my inner thigh, so close yet still not where I need him most. “Here?”

I shift, trying to guide him, but he avoids that sensitive spot. “Higher.”

His fingers ghost over my clit. “Is this where you want me to touch you?”

“Yes.”

Finally, blessedly, he drags his fingers up through my slick folds. I cry out as he circles my aching core with the lightest touch. My hips jerk, seeking more friction, but he keeps his movements feather-light while keeping me in place .

“Please.”

One hand cups my breast, thumb teasing my nipple while two fingers gather my slick arousal before pushing inside me. I throw my head back with a sharp gasp that melts into a long moan. He works his fingers in and out, curling them in the right spot, his thumb rubbing my clit in tight circles.

The pressure’s building up fast. But then he withdraws his hand.

“Lie back.”

I scoot back on the bed and lie down. The mattress slumps, and I feel him move over me. His chest brushes mine, skin on skin. Feeling but not seeing him is both thrilling and terrifying, and I crave more.

He catches my wrists, pinning them to the bed above my head. I test his hold but can’t break free.

“Keep them here, or I’ll stop.”

A spike of adrenaline shoots through me. He kisses a hot trail down my throat, and I tilt my head back, lost in the sensation. This isn’t how I imagined my first time would be. Blindfolded, somehow restrained, and my body on fire.

“Will you let me taste you?” His mouth closes over my nipple, sucking hard.

I lick my lips, nodding.

This is the man I’ve dreamt about for so long. And now he’s here, touching me, making me moan with delight… I’ve never felt this way before .

I feel his breath on my inner thigh, then the brush of his lips. He kisses a path higher and higher until he reaches the apex of my thighs, and then his tongue finds my center, hot and wet. He licks slowly at first, then builds a rhythm, flicking and swirling.

I fist my hands in the sheets, trying to keep them there while writhing under the onslaught of sensation. It’s almost too much, but I don’t want it to stop.

Chris sinks a finger inside me, crooking it, searching. A moan escapes me as he discovers a spot that fires up my insides like a volcano.

“Fuck, you’re responsive.” His voice is rough. “You like that, don’t you?” He puts pressure on it while sucking on my clit.

The dual sensation rocks through me, intensifying. My whole body starts to tense. I’m so close, but at the same time, it feels like my orgasm is a million miles away. I must be doing something wrong.

He knows how to touch and which buttons to press. Will it be enough? I’ve never been able to relieve myself before, and the thought—

“Don’t overthink it. Just feel. Let yourself fall as I touch you, taste you. Focus on how good it makes you feel.”

His tongue swirls over my clit in slow, languid strokes, and I take a deep breath concentrating on him. His touch, the wet sounds...

“That’s it, just like that,” he says. “You’re so fucking wet for me. I could do this all night.”

A desperate noise falls from my lips at his words, my thighs tensing around his head. He chuckles darkly, and the vibrations send delicious tingles through my core.

“Please.” More, faster, harder. I just need something before I completely lose my mind.

He seems to understand, sliding two long fingers inside me as his lips seal around my clit and suck. I cry out, my back arching off the bed.

“Chris, oh god, I can’t. It’s too much. Please, stop.”

“Yes, you can.” He doesn’t stop. “You’re going to come for me. Understood?”

I shake my head. What if I can’t?

“Let go.” On the last word he crooks his fingers, finding that sweet spot inside me again.