Chapter 7
COLE
“Holy shit…” The words tear out of me before I can stop them, and my hands clamp around her hips, guiding her as she moves on top of me, slow and deliberate, as if she knows exactly what she’s doing to me, clenching her pussy around my cock.
I can’t look away from her.
I’m captivated by everything about her.
From her dark hair that’s cascading over her shoulders, accentuating her sharp cheekbones, to the way she carries a cool, almost dangerous expression with effortless ease, always seeming a step ahead. She exudes black-cat energy: completely untouchable.
And yet she’s here. In a hotel room. With me, and I can’t keep my hands off her curves which I’ve already memorized and will dream about until the day I die.
It hits me hard that she’s the first woman I’ve had sex with since my ex, since I found out about the cheating, and since I swore I wouldn’t let myself get pulled in again. I told myself I’d keep things easy. I think that’s why I suddenly had the realization today that I am addicted to dating apps.
It’s detached.
And most of the time, my matches are looking for nothing more than physical. But that’s not what I am after, and that’s why the matches move on from me quicker than the crack of a whip. When I go out on dates, sometimes I think I want a relationship, while other dates have me doubting what I want.
There was never any doubt in my mind about this wanting to spend the night with Mina. I thought it was just supposed to be physical. Because I wanted her so fucking bad it hurt.
But I don’t think it can be just one night with no expectations and no feelings.
Because the way she’s riding me, fucking me like a stallion, makes it impossible to pretend this is casual.
I grip her tighter, not for control, but to check that she’s real and that this isn’t some twisted dream my lonely brain cooked up.
“You’re unbelievable,” I tell her, meaning it, my voice gruff and tinged with emotion.
“I still can’t believe you’re here.” Trusting me to look after her for just one night feels crazy, since I don’t do casual sex or one-night stands.
My brother Max says it’s because I overthink these situations, but I believe it’s because sex, for me, has to mean something.
It’s not simply a physical act; I crave intimacy and trust. I find it hard to separate sex from feelings.
Max thinks I’m too emotional. Maybe I am, but I don’t see anything wrong with that.
Mina arches her back slightly, dark eyes locking with mine. There’s heat there, but also something softer, something she probably doesn’t let many people see. I can tell she’s not the type to hand herself over easily.
Does that make this worse, or better?
Dangerous, more like, because I’m already addicted.
She sets the pace, undulating her hips in waves, unhurried and confident, chasing her release.
It’s not frantic or messy. It’s intentional, and she’s present with me, enjoying every second as our bodies move together in harmony.
I realize I’m not just reacting to her body physically, although my dick is so hard it’s fucking pounding, all the blood rushing to the end of it, making it longer and harder, just for her, but I’m also reacting to her emotionally, feeling things in my chest that I shouldn’t.
But the way she studies my face like she’s trying to figure me out feels good, too good.
I haven’t felt wanted like this in a long time.
Not since before everything blew up with my ex. Before I found out I wasn’t enough for her.
But right now? With Mina, I feel more than enough.
I sit up, pulling her closer, capturing her mouth in a kiss that’s deeper than it needs to be for a one-night stand, but I can’t help myself. My hands slide up her back, holding her steady, anchoring myself to her like I’m afraid she’ll disappear.
“I’m close,” she whispers, breath warm against my lips.
Something tightens in my chest. Not just desire, something heavier. The thought that this is temporary.
That when the sun comes up, my time with her will end.
The thought is like a punch to the gut, making me feel nauseous.
“Come for me, baby,” I murmur, my forehead pressed to hers. “I’ve got you.”
And when she does, it’s not just carnal. It feels like we’re crashing into something together. For a few suspended seconds, the rest of the world falls away, and it’s just us.
Her long nails dig into my shoulders, and I welcome the sting. I need to feel it. I need proof that this is happening.
I join her, coming harder than I ever have, holding on to her tighter than I probably should. I’m holding her like she’s already mine. Which I should definitely not be doing.
As we descend together, she stays close. Not scrambling away or putting any distance between us. Instead, she rests her forehead against my shoulder, tucking herself into the crook of my neck, breathing heavy, and I feel strangely… whole.
That’s the only word for it.
Complete.
It scares me how quickly she’s woven her way into my mind and body, and somehow I think she slipped into my heart.
Just one night, and she’s already smashed through every wall I built after my ex destroyed my trust. I told myself I wouldn’t let anyone get close again. That I’d keep things surface-level.
But this doesn’t feel like the surface.
It feels deep.
“You good?” I ask quietly, brushing her hair back from her face.
She lifts her head and gifts me a smile. It might be small, but it’s real. “I feel incredible.”
I laugh softly, because that’s exactly how I feel too. Incredible. Alive. Like something in me that’s been shut off has finally flicked back on.
I tell her, “You’re beautiful.” But it’s more than just her looks that have me spiraling and thinking thoughts I shouldn’t. She’s stunning and impossible to overlook. Yet what truly draws me in is how she carries herself and her lack of need for attention.
She blushes, just a little, which surprises me because I wouldn’t have expected that softness from her.
“Thank you,” she says quietly. “For an incredible night.”
One night.
There it is again, the reminder that this was supposed to be one night only.
I glance toward the window. Daylight creeping in, filling the room in a warm hazy orange glow.
Morning.
I should be thinking about going home.
But all I can focus on is how badly I don’t want us to have to leave this room.
“I don’t want this to end,” I admit, my words falling out of my mouth before I can stop them.
Mina studies me carefully, like she’s trying to decide whether I’m serious.
“I don’t either,” she says after a moment, and there’s honesty in her voice. But also hesitation. Like she’s bracing for reality.
I know she’s dealing with her own big life stuff because of her mom’s illness, which she told me about when we ordered room service at midnight and had a picnic on the bed.
I was mesmerized by everything about her, and watched intently as her wet hair from the shower we had together dripped onto the bedding, and she was wrapped in a big, fluffy bathrobe.
The stark contrast of her dark features against the virgin-white fabric only made her look even more mysterious.
During our midnight feast, she shared how much she does for her mom, including working long hours to cover her medical expenses.
She didn’t go into too much detail about it but since her parents divorced and her mom refused any alimony, she’s been handling it all.
She also admitted it’s been hard to trust anyone again after her ex betrayed her.
Mina didn’t go into specifics about that either, and I get the impression she’s guarded and keeps a lot to herself.
I hate that someone caused her pain, and I hate that we have that in common.
Maybe that’s part of why I’m so attracted to her, because I know exactly what that feels like: as if someone stabbed you through the heart, the hurt insurmountable.
We both understand what it’s like to be blindsided: to discover that someone you thought loved you doesn’t respect you, or that you’re not someone’s everything.
Still connected, my cock still inside of her, I gently tug her toward me and fall back against the mattress, wrapping my arms around her, tucking her into my chest, her ear right over my heart. She fits there perfectly, as if she were made for the space.
“Stay,” I murmur. “I’ll get a late check out. Until then, we can pretend the world doesn’t exist.”
She hesitates only a second before nodding. “Okay. That would be amazing.”
Relief floods me in a way that feels way too big for what’s supposed to be a casual hookup.
As she curls into me, her dark hair fanned over my body, I realize something I don’t want to admit out loud.
This was supposed to be a one-night stand.
But I don’t want just one night.
I want mornings with her. I want to see that sharp, knowing smile across the table from me over breakfast. I want to learn what makes her laugh, what makes her mad, what makes her melt.
She’s the first woman I’ve touched since my ex, and instead of proving I’m fine on my own, she’s proven the opposite.
I don’t just want her body.
I want her. Every inch of her mind, soul, and heart.
And as sleep finally drags us under, one thought loops through my head: I’m not letting this end at one night.