5. Ava
5
Ava
I wake to unfamiliar silk sheets. Sunlight streams through floor-to-ceiling windows, illuminating a bedroom roughly the size of my entire apartment. For a split second, I can’t remember where I am or how I got here, until fragments of last night come rushing back.
Oh god. I slept with Gideon King.
I close my eyes and consider the possibility of suffocating myself with one of his ridiculously fluffy pillows.
I hear a toilet flush somewhere. Maybe I can grab my clothes and make a dignified escape before he returns.
I swing my legs over the side of the bed and remember I’m butt naked.
“Shit,” I mutter.
“Good morning to you, too.”
I snap my head up to find Gideon leaning against the door frame of what must be the en-suite bathroom. He’s already dressed in a crisp button-down shirt and tailored pants, looking annoyingly put- together. His dark hair is still damp from a shower, and he’s watching me with an intensity that makes me acutely aware I’m completely naked.
“Water?” He offers. His voice is cool, detached. Different from the warm, engaging tone of last night.
I clutch the sheet to my chest, suddenly self-conscious. I take the glass, swallowing the water quickly. “Thanks. I should get going.” I glance around the room, looking for my underwear and black dress. “Um, have you seen—”
“In the dryer.”
I cross my arms. “You washed my clothes without my permission?”
He shrugs. “Your dress had some champagne on it. Figured while I was at it I’d throw in your bra and panties, too. Seemed like the gentlemanly thing to do. A shirt you can borrow in the meantime.” He nods toward the foot of the bed where I notice one of his dress shirts neatly folded.
“How thoughtful,” I mumble, reaching for it. I manage to awkwardly slip it on under the sheets.
Once I’ve buttoned it up, I stand, grateful the shirt falls to mid-thighs. Gideon’s eyes track the movement, lingering on my bare legs. Last night, that look would have melted me. Now, in the harsh morning light, it just makes me feel exposed.
“Coffee?” he asks, already turning toward the door.
“Sure.” I follow, trying not to gawk at the rest of his apartment as we pass through a sleek living area with the same floor-to-ceiling windows. The view of the city is breathtaking: tall buildings, tiny people, the whole “king looking down on his peasants” vibe. It’s intimidating and beautiful at the same time, much like the man leading me .
The kitchen is all marble and stainless steel, very minimalist. Gideon moves to an expensive-looking coffee machine and presses a few buttons.
The coffee is ready faster than I expect, and I take a sip, surprised to find it’s exactly how I like it. You know, strong with just a touch of cream, no sugar. I can’t remember if I told him that last night.
“Your dress and underwear should be done by now,” he says. “I’ll get them.”
As he walks away, I let out a breath I didn’t realize I was holding. This whole morning feels surreal. Me in a billionaire’s penthouse, wearing nothing but his shirt, drinking coffee after a night of the kind of mind-blowing sex most women only dream about.
Too bad he’s acting so cold.
Gideon returns with my clothes, neatly folded. “Here.”
“Thanks.” I take them, our fingers brushing. The contact sends a jolt through me that I desperately try to ignore. “Is there somewhere I can...?”
“Guest bathroom’s through there.” He nods toward a door off the kitchen.
I get up, but Gideon suddenly steps closer, his eyes darkening as they roam over me. “You know, I was thinking about you all night.”
The sudden shift catches me off guard. “But... I thought...”
Ten seconds ago he was practically carving ice sculptures with his eyes, and now he’s looking at me like I’m a feast and he’s starving?
His voice drops lower. “I can’t stop thinking about the way you taste.”
Heat rushes to my cheeks. This is definitely not what I expected. “I thought you were in a hurry to get me out of here.”
“Did I say that?” He moves closer still. “I merely said your clothes were ready. The interpretation was all yours.”
I swallow hard. “You’ve been cold to me all morning.”
“Have I?” His fingers brush my arm, leaving goosebumps in their wake. “Perhaps I’m just processing.”
“Processing what exactly?”
Instead of answering, he cups my face, his thumb tracing my bottom lip. “How good you felt. How responsive you were to my touch.” His eyes hold mine. “How much I want you again.”
My brain short-circuits. This man is infuriating. First cold, now hot again? But my body doesn’t seem to care about the mixed signals. It remembers last night all too well.
“Don’t you have to go to work?” I manage, my voice embarrassingly breathy. “You’re all dressed up...”
“Work can wait.” His lips are inches from mine now. “This can’t.”
And then he’s kissing me, his mouth hungry and demanding. Any thoughts of leaving vanish as his hands slide down my back, pulling me against him. He tastes like expensive coffee and bad decisions, and I’m addicted to both.
He breaks the kiss, his breathing ragged. “Come with me.”
I should be running for the hills, but apparently my body’s currently giving a TED talk titled “Why Smart Women Make Dumb Choices When Hot Billionaires Are Involved.”
Carrying my folded dress and underwear, I obediently follow him through the apartment, not to the bedroom as I expect, but to what appears to be a home office. Floor-to-ceiling bookshelves line one wall. The opposite wall features more windows with that stunning view, and in front of them sits a massive glass desk covered with blueprints.
Gideon turns to me, his eyes dark with intent. “I want you right here.”
“On your... desk?” I glance at the blueprints. “What about your work?”
Is this really happening? Gideon King is going to take me again , on his work desk?
“I’ll reorganize it,” he says simply, sweeping aside some of the papers and then lifting me onto the cool glass surface.
The temperature shock against my thighs makes me gasp. Gideon uses the moment to wrap his mouth against mine.
I should protest, should remind myself that this is just a one-night stand extending into awkward morning after territory, but my body has other ideas.
My fingers fumble with his shirt buttons, desperate to feel his skin against mine. He leans back just enough to help, shrugging the shirt off to reveal the muscled torso I explored last night. The sight of him again, all hard planes and perfect angles, makes my mouth go dry.
He reaches for my shirt hem. I raise my arms, letting him pull it over my head. His eyes darken as they roam my naked body. I should be embarrassed, but the hunger in his gaze makes me feel like I’m a goddess.
“Beautiful,” he says, and the single word sends heat flooding through me. “Now these, these are the real masterpieces.” He cups my breasts, his thumbs brushing my nipples.
I arch into his touch. “What happened to the cold, distant billionaire from twenty minutes ago?”
He gives me a wolfish grin. “He remembered what’s hiding beneath that shirt.”
Before I can respond with something appropriately sarcastic, his mouth replaces his hands, and coherent thought becomes impossible. I thread my fingers through his hair, holding him close as he works his way down my body.
He sinks to his knees. I barely notice, too focused on the way he’s looking at me.
“You have no idea how much I wanted to do this again,” he says, his breath warm against my inner thigh.
I tense involuntarily.
Gideon notices immediately. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing, I just—” I struggle to find words that won’t kill the mood entirely.
He studies my face, understanding dawning in his eyes. “Ah. The ex who made you self-conscious.” He presses a kiss to my inner thigh. “Let me tell you a secret.”
I wait, barely breathing.
“Last night, when I tasted you, it took everything in me not to cum right then and there.” His voice is low, sincere. “You taste divine, Ava. And I’ve been craving another taste since the moment I stopped. I could cum just tasting you.”
His words dissolve my anxiety, and when his mouth finds me, I gasp, my head falling back. His tongue works magic, making me grip the edge of the desk for support. My worries about smells and tastes vanish under his enthusiastic attention.
Oh god, is this man real?
I close my eyes as pleasure builds, my hips moving of their own accord. Gideon’s large hands grip my thighs, holding me in place as he devours me. The contrast of the cool desk beneath me and his hot mouth on me is dizzying.
“Gideon,” I gasp, my fingers tangling in his hair.
He responds by increasing his pace, his tongue circling in just the right spot. I’m close, so close, my thighs trembling. The pressure builds and builds until I can’t think, can’t breathe, can only feel.
And then I’m coming, waves of pleasure coursing through me, my body hot hot hot and yes there, right there, don’t stop, please don’t stop, oh god Gideon.
As I come down, panting and slumped, he kisses his way back up my body, his lips slick with me. The sight should be embarrassing, but it’s primal and raw and makes my spent body stir again.
“You’re so responsive,” he murmurs against my neck. “So beautiful when you cum.”
I can feel him hard against me, his cock straining against his pants. I reach between us to unfasten them, suddenly desperate to feel him inside me.
“Eager?” he asks, a hint of smugness in his voice.
“I want you so bad,” I breathe, pushing his pants and boxers down.
His cock springs free, thick and hard, the tip glistening with pre-cum. I wrap my hand around him, loving the groan it pulls from his throat.
“Condom,” he manages, reaching into the pocket of the pants draped around his knees.
I watch as he tears the packet open with his teeth, then rolls the condom on. The sight of his big hands on himself sends another rush of heat through me.
He positions himself at my entrance, his eyes locked on mine. Then he stops. A flicker of pain crosses his face. “This is a one-time thing, Ava.”
The statement is like a bucket of cold water. “What?”
“This morning. It’s the last time.” His voice is strained. “I don’t do relationships. I don’t see women twice.”
I should be offended, should push him away and leave. But his words just make me determined to make this memory count.
“Then make it unforgettable,” I challenge. “Fuck me like you’re never fucked before and never will fuck again.”
I see a flash of something, surprise, maybe admiration, cross his face before he thrusts into me, filling me completely. I cry out, my back arching off the desk.
“Fuck,” he groans, his control slipping. “You feel incredible.”
He sets a punishing pace, his hips slamming against mine, the desk cool beneath me. The angle is perfect, hitting spots inside me that make stars explode behind my eyelids.
I wrap my legs around his waist, pulling him deeper. His hands grip my hips hard enough to bruise, but the slight pain only adds to the pleasure.
“Tell me how it feels,” he demands, his voice rough.
“So good,” I gasp.
My words spur him on, his thrusts growing erratic. I can tell he’s close by the tension in his jaw, the way his fingers dig into my skin.
Suddenly, he slides a hand between us, his thumb finding my clit. The additional stimulation is too much, and I’m coming again, clenching around him, my nails digging into his shoulders.
He follows a moment later, his hips stuttering against mine, my name a groan on his lips. For a moment, we stay like that, both breathing hard, his forehead resting against mine.
Then reality crashes back. This was goodbye sex. The last time, as he so eloquently put it.
Gideon pulls away first, disposing of the condom in a small trash can by the desk. I watch as he tucks himself back into his pants, his movements efficient and practiced. The businessman is back, the passionate lover gone.
I slide off the desk on shaky legs, gathering my scattered clothes. The silence between us is heavy as we both dress, backs turned to each other like we didn’t just share the most intimate act possible.
When I’m fully clothed, I turn to find him watching me, his expression unreadable. “My driver is waiting downstairs. He’ll take you home.”
And there it is. The dismissal. The end.
What’s the proper etiquette here? A handshake? A hug? A “thanks for the orgasms, have a nice life?”
I should say something witty or sarcastic, but all I manage is a fake smile, “Thank you.”
He nods, then hesitates. “This was a mistake, Ava. A beautiful one, but still a mistake. Artists and billionaires. We see the world differently.”
I want to argue, to tell him he’s wrong, to remind him of last night, of everything we said, of the connection we had, but what’s the point? This was never going to be more than a night. And a morning, apparently.
“Goodbye, Gideon.” I turn and walk toward the door, desperately hoping my legs will carry me out of here with at least a shred of dignity intact.
As I reach the door, his voice stops me. “Ava.”
I pause, not turning around, afraid of what I might see, or what he might.
“Your art is truly exceptional.”
Such a simple compliment shouldn’t hurt, but it does. Because it reminds me that he saw something in me beyond a body to warm his bed. And now I’ll never know what might have been.
I don’t have it in me to answer, so all I can do is walk out, closing the door firmly behind me.
In the elevator down to the lobby, I lean against the wall, feeling slightly sick.
I think the same thing I thought last night.
How will I ever have any other man after him?
Gideon King has ruined me.
The walk of shame is short. The driver is waiting as promised, opening the car door with a practiced flourish. As I slide into the backseat of the custom-built Cadillac, I catch my reflection in the tinted window. Slightly disheveled hair, lips still swollen from his kisses, eyes too bright.
“Address, miss?” the driver asks.
I hesitate for a moment, then give him my address. A small part of me hopes the driver saves it to his GPS so he can someday give it to Gideon. You know, when the billionaire realizes the grave mistake he’s made.
I smile sadly, knowing that day will never come.
Gideon doesn’t do relationships, I remind myself. Some fairy tales are just meant to be one-chapter stories, even if its the most deliciously written chapter of the entire sad book.
I lean back against the soft leather seat, watching the gleaming tower of Gideon’s building disappear behind us.