Chapter 1
Sophia's POV
I never thought I'd be the kind of girl sitting alone at a bar in some random beach town, but here I was.
I wrapped my fingers around my cocktail glass and let my eyes wander. That's when I saw him.
He was sitting in the corner booth, and I swear to God my heart actually stopped. Those eyes were so intense even from across the room. Perfect jawline. Long fingers wrapped around a whiskey glass. Jesus, he's beautiful.
I couldn't stop staring. I tried to look away but my eyes kept drifting back, and then suddenly he looked up and our eyes met and I felt my face go hot.
Oh shit, he's looking at me.
"Miss, would you like another drink?"
The bartender's voice jolted me back to reality and I nodded without even thinking about it.
I downed half the new cocktail in one go, trying to get my heart to calm down. What was I even doing here? A week ago I'd been walking across that graduation stage with my diploma, four years of late nights and scholarship applications and making my parents proud finally over. Four years of saying no to everything that might mess up my GPA or disappoint anyone.
My roommate used to joke that I lived like I'd taken a vow of celibacy. She wasn't exactly wrong about that.
"Sophia, you need to actually live a little," her voice echoed in my head from our goodbye lunch. "Go on this trip. Have an adventure. Maybe you'll meet someone and actually let yourself feel something."
I glanced back at the guy in the corner and he was still watching me with this look that made my stomach flip over.
Just once. Just this once I can do something crazy.
"Slow down, miss," the bartender said when I ordered another drink, but I didn't want to slow down. I needed the liquid courage because my hands wouldn't stop shaking when I picked up the glass.
I stood up before I could think too hard about it. My legs felt unsteady but I made them move, one step and then another until I was standing right next to his table and looking down at him.
He looked up and I forgot how to breathe for a second. Up close he was even more gorgeous, with these dark eyes that seemed to see right through me.
"Can I sit?" I asked.
I sat down before my brain caught up with what I was doing. "I... hi."
Real eloquent, Sophia.
But he smiled at me like I'd said something charming instead of stupid. "Hi. I'm Jake."
"Sophia."
We started talking about the music playing, and then about the town, and then somehow we were talking about everything and nothing at the same time. His voice was low and it did something to me, made every word feel important. Made me lean in closer without realizing I was doing it.
I don't know exactly when we ended up so close that our knees were touching under the table. His hand moved and his fingers brushed against mine, barely any contact at all, but I felt it everywhere.
The alcohol was making everything feel warmer and more intense. The space between us felt charged with something I'd never experienced before, this pull that made it hard to think straight.
"Do you want to go somewhere else?" The words came out rushed and breathless.
His fingers laced through mine and the touch sent heat racing up my arm. "My hotel is just down the street."
Walking to his hotel felt like the longest and shortest walk of my entire life. My heart was racing so fast I thought it might actually burst out of my chest. When he unlocked the door and pushed it open, I hesitated for maybe half a second.
Then he pulled me inside and his mouth was on mine and I stopped thinking completely.
I'd never been kissed, never with this kind of desperate wanting that made my knees go weak. His hands found my waist and pulled me against him and I actually gasped into his mouth.
"Wait," he said, pulling back just enough to look at me. His eyes were searching mine in the dim light from the window. "Are you sure about this?"
My hands were trembling when I reached up to touch his face, feeling the slight stubble under my fingertips. "I'm sure."
When he kissed me again it was slower, deeper, more deliberate. He walked me backward until my shoulders pressed against the wall and I could feel the whole length of him against me. Every single nerve in my body was screaming. He lifted me effortlessly, carrying me the few steps to the bed and laying me down gently on the covers.
"I'll take care of you," he murmured against my neck, his lips trailing heat across my skin. "I promise."
His hands slid down my sides, fingers gripping my hips as he positioned himself above me. The moonlight lit up his face, his eyes locked on mine, checking for any sign I wasn’t ready. “You okay?” he asked, voice soft but rough with restraint.
“Yeah,” I whispered, my heart pounding. I’d never let anyone this close, but with him, I wanted it, wanted him to see all of me. His lips pressed against mine, firm and warm, before trailing kisses down my neck. His hand moved between my thighs, fingers brushing my clit, sending a jolt through me that made my breath catch.
He guided his cock to my entrance, the tip pressing against me, and I tensed, nervous but eager. He pushed in slowly, and a sharp pain shot through me as he stretched me. I gasped, a small cry escaping, my hands gripping his shoulders hard. He stopped, his thumb stroking my cheek. “I’ve got you,” he said, kissing my lips softly, waiting for me to relax.
The pain stung, but his fingers found my clit again, rubbing slow circles that sent warmth spreading through me, easing the tightness. I nodded, and he moved deeper, his cock filling me inch by inch. It hurt less now, the sensation shifting to a strange, full pressure. His mouth lowered to my breast, lips closing around my nipple, sucking gently as his tongue flicked over it, making me shiver.
He started thrusting, slow at first, then a little faster, his hand still working my clit. The mix of his cock moving inside me and his fingers on me built a heat that made my head spin. My body acted on an instinct I didn't know I possessed, my legs wrapping around him as if they knew what they wanted, my nails digging into his back. His breath was hot against my skin, his low groans mixing with my soft moans.
It didn’t take long before the sensations overwhelmed me, his cock hitting just right, his fingers relentless on my clit. I came hard, my body shaking, a loud gasp escaping as I clenched around him. He groaned, thrusting once more before he came too, his body tensing against mine. He collapsed beside me, pulling me close, my head on his chest as his heart raced under my ear.
His arm wrapped around me, fingers brushing my back. My body felt heavy, spent, my eyes fluttering shut as the warmth of his skin against mine lulled me. I was half-asleep when he kissed my forehead, murmuring, “Rest now.” I drifted off, tangled in his arms, too exhausted to move.
His phone ringing woke me up from the edge of sleep and the sound felt violent in the quiet room.
"What time is it? Where are you going?" I mumbled, still mostly asleep.
When he answered the phone his whole voice changed. "I understand. I'll be there immediately. I'm leaving now."
Through the fog of sleep I felt him get out of bed. I heard clothes rustling, the scratch of a pen on paper. Then his lips pressed against my forehead, lingering there for a long moment.
"Emergency. I have to leave right now. I'll call you."
The door clicked shut and he was gone.
When I woke up for real the sun was streaming through the windows way too bright. I reached across the bed but the other side was cold and empty.
There was a note on the nightstand: "Had to leave for an emergency. Call this number. — Jake"
My heart jumped. He left his number.
I grabbed my phone with shaking hands and dialed.
