Chapter 2 One Night Stand Comes With A Price

His attention shifted to her. “So, what did you major in?” he asked.

Emma took a deep breath and set both hands on the table. She met his eyes. “I majored in fashion.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Fashion?” he repeated, and she nodded.

“I’m really good at it. My dad always said I have magic hands. When I finally started working with clothes, I understood what he meant.”

Ezra rubbed his chin, a small smirk tugging at his lips. “You also model?”

She was stunned, her eyes widened. “And why would you think that?”

“You look like you do. The aura. You have it.”

She smiled, then her expression turned serious. “That’s the goal… but it’s not easy to make it here when you don’t come from money.”

Ezra nodded slowly. He understood the struggle—even from his wealthy background. “Believe me, I know how hard it is to find a job. Sometimes it feels like they only hire people just to use them.”

Emma felt the same. It was hard to shake the feeling that everyone just wanted something from her before giving her an opportunity. “Are you looking for a job too?”

He bit his bottom lip down. The question surprised him. He wasn’t ready to talk about his story with someone he had just met. “Let’s just say I’m exploring my options,” he said.

The bartender appeared at the perfect moment, saving him from more questions. Ezra felt relieved. He wasn’t sure he could come up with a lie she’d actually believe. He took the bottles and handed one to her. They lifted their drinks.

“Cheers to graduation night… and the job search,” he said.

They clinked the bottles and took big sips, the alcohol warming them almost instantly.

They talked more. It was light at first, then deeper, then softer. The next conversation wasn’t forced. It wasn’t planned. It was like they were falling into a private world where only the two of them existed.

At one point, Ezra reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. “You know…” he said, his voice dropping just a little, “after all of this chaos, maybe we should actually get drinks again. When we’re both… sober enough to remember.”

Emma laughed lightly, leaning closer. “Are you asking for my number?” She playfully jabbed him with her shoulder.

He shrugged, pretending to be casual, but his eyes told a different story. “Maybe I’m hoping you’ll give it to me.”

She took his phone from his hand, her fingers brushing his, sending a small shock through both of them. She typed in her number and handed it back. “Text me so I know it’s really you.”

He smirked and sent a quick message. Her phone buzzed in her hand.

Unsaved number: Don’t forget me when you're famous.

She looked up at him, her smile was warm. “I won’t.”

As the night went on, their talk and laughter grew lighter. It grew deeper, and more intimate. The tension between them shifted into something magnetic, something dangerous.

Ezra reached for her hand and gently pulled her from her chair. She followed without hesitating.

Their lips met in the dim hallway, the kiss deepening quickly, turning into something neither of them planned.

They stumbled into a room he unlocked, and he playfully pushed her onto the bed. Emma froze—not out of fear but because she understood exactly what this moment meant. He would be the first man she ever shared something so private with.

The pull she felt toward him was overwhelming. His blue eyes, his messy hair, the recklessness of the night. It all made her feel wild and free.

It was hard to resist him. It was harder not to want him.

Ezra suddenly fell beside her, making her let out a shocked scream. His weight pinned her down a little. She tried to push him off, but he was too strong, and he held her in place with his leg. He leaned in and pressed her to the bed, holding her still. He ignored her hands and held her face, kissing her. The spark between them made her smile.

The kiss was not soft. It was bold and full of need. His lips were rough and hungry, and it woke something deep inside her. Soon, she kissed him back with the same fire, wrapping her arms around his neck. The chemistry between them was clear, and she felt excited knowing he wanted her.

Tonight felt like a short escape from reality, a moment she had always dreamed of sharing with someone special, even if it was only for one night.

As he kissed her deeper, his hand moved gently across her face and brushed her lips. He paid attention to how she felt under him, the softness of her body and the way she responded to his touch.

She let out a small sound, the one of longing, and it only pulled him closer. Her breath came out unsteady, full of both nerves and want. Her lips were warm and swollen from the kissing. He slowly pulled at her gown, revealing more of her, and she let him, drawn into the moment.

His touch made her gasp, and she held him tighter. Lying naked on the satin bedcover, her hair spread around her on the bed as she lay back, letting him explore her body.

She opened her legs and let him stroke her, probed her, and teased her, until her whole body ached with longing.

“I know you want me. Say the word,” he whispered in her ear, then went down and licked her stomach with his tongue, moving down to her clitoris. She whimpered.

“I want you… Please.” Her voice shook as she begged to be fucked.

He only briefly left her, and when he came back, she had recovered enough strength to notice that he was naked.

His hips were positioned between her parted thighs as he lowered his body directly onto hers. He was filled with an initial energy that made him feel as hot as the sun.

His hands moved down the long planes of her back and over her hips, pressing beneath her with a firm, powerful grip as his fingers dug into the softness of her bottom.

But just when the moment seemed to sweep her away entirely, she whispered against his lips, her voice trembling slightly—

“I haven’t… I haven’t done this before.”

He froze—not pulling away, just still. His eyes searched hers, surprised, but it was not doubtful.

“You haven’t?” he asked softly, his voice suddenly low, and careful.

She shook her head. She was embarrassed. “No. I’ve never… done this. With anyone.”

For a moment, something fierce flickered in his eyes and it was not arrogance, it was not triumph. It was something deeper. Protective. Reverent. Hungry—but in a way that made her feel seen rather than exposed.

“Emma…” His thumb brushed her cheek, slowly. He leaned his forehead against hers, as if steadying himself. “I didn’t expect that… but it makes me want you even more.”

Her breath hitched.

Her lips parted, and he pulled her into another kiss. It was slower now. It was more meaningful. His hands moved up her back in a warm sweep, anchoring her, drawing her closer as if she were something precious, he didn't want to rush or break.

“Tell me if you want to stop,” he murmured against her mouth.

“I don’t want to stop,” she whispered.

Ezra’s hands wrapped around her waist as he lifted her gently, guiding her backward. His lips brushed her jaw, her neck, her shoulder, every movement careful but undeniably hungry. Emma clung to him, feeling emotions and sensations she had only imagined.

He kissed her again, deeper this time, and the rest of the world faded.

When he rocked her slowly, he pressed against her. Their bodies were fully aligned, chest to chest, hips to hips.

She tried to gasp but was unable to. She was imprisoned by his kisses, tied up by his hands, and relentlessly claimed by him. Inch by continuous inch.

He took his time with her, because it was her first time, then closer, deeper, until she opened herself to him fully. For that night, she was his, and he was hers.

Later, after a bath and another round in the bathroom, they fell asleep in each other’s arms.

When Emma woke up, the first thing she felt was warmth all over her body. She blinked, confused, until she realized her head was resting on… a chest.

A man’s chest.

She slowly lifted her head and saw him asleep beside her. Her eyes widened as memories from last night hit her all at once. She covered her mouth, shocked. She was supposed to meet Scott, yet here she was—naked, sore, and beside a stranger.

Her clothes were all over the floor. She hurried to grab them, her hands shaking as she dressed. Last night had changed her, whether she wanted to admit it or not.

What have you done?

She dragged her fingers through her messy hair, trying to tame the wild curls as she searched for her missing shoe. Her mind raced, replaying flashes of the night she barely understood. When she finally spotted the shoe, something else caught her eye. It was a wallet lying open on the table.

She checked her phone.

6:30 a.m.

She needed to leave. Now.

But the wallet pulled her in again. Curiosity, or something darker nudged her closer. When she looked inside, her eyes widened. A thick bundle of money sat neatly arranged.

Who carries this much money around?

Her gaze drifted to him, and he was still asleep, his breathing was deep and unbothered.

Fear and temptation twisted together inside her. Before she could talk herself out of it, she snatched the money with shaking hands. Her pulse pounded in her ears as she grabbed his car key too, then dropped the near-empty wallet back onto the table.

With guilt biting at her heels, Emma slipped out of the room without looking back.