Chapter 1 #2
He stopped the car and turned to face me.
His gray eyes looked even deeper in the dim interior, like they could swallow you whole.
Then he reached up, pulled a notepad from behind the sun visor, took out a pen, wrote a few lines, and handed it to me.
I took it. A phone number. Below it, a name.
Sharp handwriting, heavy strokes. Ronan Valerius.
"Thank... thank you." I clutched the paper in my palm, suddenly tongue-tied. Logic told me to get out of the car and leave. But my body felt pinned to the seat.
"Be safe."
I finally snapped out of it, pushed the door open, and stepped out. "Thank you so much, Mr. Valerius."
He started the engine. The black car rolled past me. The window lowered slightly. He turned his head, nodded once, barely. Then the car merged into traffic, turned the corner, and disappeared.
"Hey, Ryan! Boyfriend?" Tony from the bodega next door was wrestling a box of bananas outside. He called over enthusiastically.
"No, Tony." I didn't look back. I pushed open the apartment building door.
Up three flights. I opened my door, carefully took off the jacket, folded it neatly, and laid it on the bed. I looked at my palm. The dark red mark from the leash was still clear. I brought my wrist to my nose. The patchouli scent had soaked into my skin. It wouldn't fade.
A strange emptiness crept up on me. Like I'd been allowed to step to the edge of another world for a moment.
Then the door slammed shut. Not even a glimpse of what was behind it.
His car, his clothes, the way he spoke, that calm confidence when he treated my wounds—all of it silently told me there was a gap between us that dozens of Line 7 trains couldn't cross.
Forget it. Just a stranger who helped me out. No point getting carried away.
A train roared past. The whole brick building shook lightly.
I finally pulled myself out of my thoughts, wadded up my ruined shirt, and threw it in the trash.
Then I bent down, dragged the old metal box out from under the bed, and gathered all the money—Mrs. Smith's advance for dog walking, plus my spare change from the convenience store night shift. I counted it.
Two hundred forty dollars total. Minus six hundred fifty for rent, two hundred twenty for my student loan payment, plus the subway pass.
.. I stopped counting. I shoved the money back in the box and glanced at my phone.
Six fifteen. The convenience store night shift started at seven.
Time to go. I grabbed my bag. But my feet didn't move.
I turned back, took the jacket from the bed, hung it on a hanger, hooked it on the outside of the closet door, and straightened the collar and sleeves, smoothing every visible wrinkle.
Only then did I take a deep breath, grip my bag, and head out.
Midnight. I locked the convenience store door and pocketed the key.
The night wind hit my face. April in New York—still freezing at night.
I pulled my collar up, hunched my shoulders, and walked quickly toward the apartment.
The stairwell was pitch black. The motion sensor light had been broken for weeks.
I felt my way up the cold wall, step by step.
Inside, I kicked off my shoes and collapsed on the bed. My phone rang. Lucille—my only real friend in New York.
"Babe, you home? How was your first day at the new job?"
I sighed, exhausted. "Made it back alive. Almost got killed by that dog today."
"What happened?" Instantly worried. I told her everything. She launched into a string of angry curses.
"And then? You just took it and kept working? You should've tied that crazy dog to a tree and taught it a lesson!"
"No, a man saved me." I laughed softly without meaning to. Then I told her about Ronan—everything. "And he gave me his contact info."
"A man?" Lulu's alarm bells went off. Rapid-fire questions. "What kind of car? How old? Was he wearing a wedding ring?"
I paused. My voice went small. "No ring."
"Ryan, don't forget all those guys you've met before. Men mostly can't be trusted—oh! Customer! Gotta go, busy here."
"Be safe." I quickly added, "I saved you strawberry cake."
"Aww! Love you, babe!"
I hung up, tossed my phone on the pillow, and rolled over to stare at the ceiling.
The room was dark. Only the occasional train passing on the elevated tracks outside sent a strip of light sliding across the wall through the curtain gap.
My eyes drifted involuntarily to the jacket hanging on the closet door.
Moonlight fell on the charcoal fabric, outlining soft contours.
I flipped over suddenly and buried my face in the pillow.
Stop thinking about it. Stop. But those gray eyes were burned into my retinas.
Every time I closed my eyes, they appeared.
His fingers sliding up my ribs, the calluses scraping my skin.
I could still feel it burning there. If his hand hadn't stopped at that spot, if his fingertips had kept going up, if his whole palm had pressed against me.
.. I bit my lower lip. My thighs squeezed together involuntarily.
My fingers slipped under my nightgown without permission. My underwear was soaked. I bit my lip hard, pulled up my nightgown with one hand, fingertips pinching my already hard nipple, rolling it gently.
"Mmm..."
I pushed my underwear aside. Pleasure shot through me like electricity. My thighs trembled. I imagined it was Ronan's fingers—hot, strong, rubbing my most sensitive spot over and over. My fingers moved faster. The sheets were damp.
I squeezed my breast hard. All I could see was Ronan pinning me to the bed.
"Ah... ah..." I couldn't hold back anymore. My fingers moved faster. I added another one.
The pleasure built. I arched my back, toes digging into the sheets. In my mind, Ronan's gray eyes stared at me like he wanted to devour me. My fingers pumped frantically, thumb pressing my clit. My body seized suddenly.
A hot wave rushed out. I bit down hard on my own arm to keep from screaming.
I lay there panting, fingers still inside, aftershocks pulsing through me. Those gray eyes still wouldn't leave my head.
I pressed the pillow over my face, tossing and turning for several minutes. The heat wouldn't fade. I kicked off the blanket, rolled over a few more times. Finally, I gave up fighting myself, grabbed my phone, and sent Lulu a long message.
"I'm screwed. A stranger I met for less than two hours. All I can think about is his face, his hands, that damn smell on him."
"You think a guy that big would be good in bed? His muscles were so tight. I saw his chest and abs! God, babe, you have no idea how hot he was!"
"He carried me. When he was checking my ribs, if his hand had gone up just a little more, I would've melted in his arms!"
"And his hands. Wow! Most perfect hands I've ever seen. I can't stop thinking about him holding me down, eyes all on me, fucking me with those red-rimmed eyes!"
I threw my phone aside. Lulu didn't respond. The bar got rowdy drunks at the counter past midnight. When it got busy, she couldn't check her phone. I hugged my pillow, rolled over, and buried my face in the blanket. Consciousness slowly blurred.