Chapter 1 [Kathy]

I had just hung up the phone after a long call with my client when I heard the familiar crack of my manager’s door behind me. There was a brief pause to the sound of my colleagues busily typing away as her footsteps approached my desk.

“Kathy, I need you in my office for a quick meeting,” her commanding presence loomed over me.

The wondering looks on my colleagues’ faces didn’t help my nerves as I slowly got up from my desk. I couldn’t think of a single reason why I’d be ‘called into the principal’s office’ since I’d done nothing but hit all my targets for the past year. But still, that nagging voice in the back of my head wouldn’t quiet down.

“Am I in some kind of trouble?” I peeked my head through the door to my manager’s office before walking in.

“Not at all,” she said, laughing softly. Probably because I looked like a nervous wreck. “Quite the opposite, really. Take a seat.”

A wave of relief washed over me and I went to sit down. She offered me a glass of water and I took a small sip, hoping it would have a calming effect. Then I waited, my fingers drumming the side of my chair.

“How do you feel about relocating to New York?” Straight to the point. Just like that. A small half-smile played on the corner of her lips.

“New York?” I nearly spat out my water. “You’re asking if I’d move to New York?”

My manager nodded. “Your performance metrics for this quarter have been excellent, Kathy. There’s a position that just opened up in our New York office, and I told upper management you’d be perfect for it.”

I swallowed the shocked lump in my throat, my mind reeling from the news. “Starting immediately?”

“Yes,” she noticed the unsure expression on my face. “Listen, I know it’s a big decision, but you’ll be working directly with the CEO, which is great for your career. Throw in an attractive joining bonus and a 15k raise…”

“Fifteen thousand dollars?” I gripped the edge of her desk, suddenly dizzy.

My annual income was already the highest it had ever been, right now, and my small-town brain could barely figure out the instant raise she was talking about. Then there was the question about the city itself. I chewed on my lip as I considered her words. New York sounded so exciting, but also daunting and big. I’d never traveled outside of New Jersey before. It would be a whole new start for me. A whole new life.

Then it dawned on me. I would start a new life. These last few months had really taken a toll on me. I’d be leaving behind the scars of a messy break-up with my cheating ex and the wound from a heartbreak that kept me holed up in my apartment…except when I was burying myself in work.

Maybe a change of setting was exactly what I needed.

“I’ll take it,” I said, a surge of unexplainable confidence calming my nerves.

“You will?” My supervisor seemed pleasantly surprised by how fast I had made the decision.

Frankly, I never thought I’d do something like this, either. When I was dating my ex-boyfriend, he would always discourage me from taking trips outside of town.

‘What’s the point? You can stay at home. I’m here and that’s all that should matter to you.’

And since I was totally in love with him, I listened. Now that he was gone, I knew I had to make changes and step out of my comfort zone.

“I’m sure,” I said, and the corners of my lips curved upwards into a smile. “I’ll move to New York.”

Accepting this new position felt like a whirlwind, but it was a step in the right direction. It had to be. Before I knew it, I was packing my bags and getting on the next flight out.

“We’re going to miss you so much,” my mother hugged me tightly as I was about to board.

“I’m going to miss you, too,” I replied, feeling emotional.

My mother and I were very close, especially after a drunk driver took my father from us when I was a kid. I was too young to understand the grief of losing a parent back then, but even so, my mother made sure that I never felt his absence. She tried her best to be there for me in every important moment of my life. So, saying goodbye to her at the airport was a bittersweet experience.

“I’ll call you every day,” I promised, before giving her a final kiss on her cheek.

This was the start of a new chapter in my life. One I was going into completely alone.

New York was electric. There was something about the air in this city that made you feel like there was so much more that you could accomplish in life. So much freedom. I felt excited to be here and on my first night, I knew I had to celebrate.

I put on my best dress—a black silk body-con that hugged me in all the right places. Usually, I never put too much makeup on, but I felt like a brand-new person in a new city. I wanted to make a good impression and so, I did my makeup and styled my hair. Feeling like a million bucks, I was ready to take on a first night out in this fun city.

I made my way into one of the hottest bars in New York City. The place was clearly popular, but it was just exclusive enough that not everybody could get in easily. They apparently had a strict dress code. I walked in feeling confident and excited about where the night was going to take me.

“I'll have a martini, please,” I told the bartender and then, considering my new identity and new life, I added, “Make it dirty.”

“Strong preference for a girl who looks as delicate as you,” a deep voice suddenly came up from behind me, sending goosebumps down my arm. “It’s on me,” he slid his black credit card down the bar.

I turned to see who this mysterious figure was who had just decided to pay for my drinks, and if the rest of him was just as attractive as his voice. He didn’t disappoint. Standing next to me was a man who looked to be a little older than I was, with a sharp jawline and handsome features.

I blinked twice, gathering myself before I could respond.

“I’m not as delicate as you think,” I replied, then held out my hand. “But thanks for the drink. I’m Kathy.”

He seemed impressed by my gesture.

“Dylan,” he held my gaze under the dim bar lights.

He had this intensity about him, and all he had done up to this point was to simply look at me.

I felt myself growing increasingly flustered but just then, the bartender brought the drink I had ordered. Feeling grateful for a distraction, I quickly grabbed my glass and began to take small sips out of it.

“May I ask what’s a girl like you doing sitting all alone at the bar?” he asked, before ordering himself a glass of whiskey without ice.

“Let’s just say that I’m celebrating my newfound freedom,” I told him with a grin spreading out on my face.

“Freedom?” he repeated, and then his eyes dropped to my hand and the noticeably bare ring finger. “Oh, that kind of freedom.”

I laughed. Even though I had just met this man, there was something about him that made me feel automatically at ease. Or it could just be the martini I was sipping on. I’d always been a lightweight.

“Yeah, I’m not looking to get tied down again any time soon,” I admitted to him with a chuckle.

“I’m not sure if someone as pretty as you can stay single for too long,” he complimented.

I felt the heat rise to my cheeks, and I quickly took another sip of my drink to hide the fact that I was feeling flushed.

“If my track record says anything, then all the boys I date end up being bad news for me,” I said with a small sigh. From the corner of my eye, I could see him observing me intently.

I hadn’t meant to get that serious or personal right out the gate, but the gorgeous stranger had broken through all my defenses. I didn’t stand a chance with him.

“Maybe that’s your problem,” he said to me in a deep, sensuous voice that elevated all my senses.

I snapped my head up to look at him. “What is?”

He held my gaze without wavering. “You date boys. When you start dating men, you’ll see the difference for yourself.”

He said the words in such a self-assured way, as if he knew exactly what he was talking about and wasn’t afraid to prove it either. He really had a magnetic presence and I felt myself being drawn toward him despite the fact that we had just met.

I downed the remainder of my drink quickly. Being around Dylan was making me nervous, I needed all the reinforcements I could get.

“Maybe you’re right,” I finally conceded. “But where do I even find these men that you speak of?”

He smirked at me. “Sometimes the answers you’re looking for are right in front of you.”

I didn’t have time to hide the blush on my cheeks this time, and Dylan’s lips curled into a knowing smile. I dipped my head shyly, thankful that at least he couldn’t hear the way my heart was hammering.

“Another round of drinks?” I suggested.

He agreed with a slight nod and put his card down again.

“Let me take care of that for you,” he said to me in a low murmur, and I felt a rush of heat pool between my legs.

The bartender brought us another round and I found myself completely fascinated by the man in front of me. He seemed to be very intelligent, talking about various topics with ease. As we kept downing drinks between the two of us, he went from being an attractive stranger to someone I felt like I knew. Time seemed to fly by and when I looked at the clock again, it was well past midnight.

“It’s getting late,” I said, leaning into him. The alcohol in my system had emboldened me.

“I’ll take you home,” he spoke in such an authoritative way that I felt like I had no choice but to say yes. “It’s too late for you to be out there on your own.”

As we walked over to his car, he snaked an arm around my waist. I leaned into him more, putting my weight on him. I was surprised to see that he had a driver waiting for him outside. Usually, I was used to being stuffed in the back of an Uber and then asked to split the fare. I guess there really was a difference between boys and men. If I’d known men like Dylan were hiding out in the city, I would’ve moved out here years ago.

He opened the door for me, and I slid onto the cool leather of the backseat. Once he got inside, I moved closer to him and, without hesitation, he put his arm around my shoulders.

“I’m not ready for the night to end yet,” I whispered in his ear.

If he was shocked by how forward I was being, he didn’t let it show. Instead, he slid his hand down to my waist and firmly grabbed onto my side.

“It doesn’t have to,” he answered in a deep voice. His face was so close to mine that I could feel his hot breath on my face.

He moved closer and closer until he closed the gap between our mouths and finally kissed me. His lips felt so soft as they moved against mine, slowly and patiently as if we had all the time in the world and he wanted to savor every endless second of it.

“My place?” he suggested, breaking the kiss.

His words made my lips tingle. I wanted more.

I gave him an impatient nod and pulled him back into me. By the time the car pulled over to his apartment building, I could hardly wait to be alone with him.

“Patience,” he let out a low, throaty chuckle when he noticed how eager I was. “Your generation always wants to get things done straight away. Sometimes it’s good to wait.”

I pouted a little and followed him into the elevator. He kept his hand on my waist the entire time and guided me into his penthouse apartment when the elevator doors opened again.

“Wow,” I sighed as I took in his apartment.

It was massive, and he clearly had good taste for decor. As soon as I walked in, I was greeted by large post-modern paintings. I found myself admiring them in awestruck silence.

“Do you like them?” he asked, coming up behind me. “I had them commissioned.”

“They’re beautiful,” I breathed out.

“Just like you,” he winked at me and then took my hand. “Come with me, I’ll show you the bedroom.”

My heart began to beat faster in anticipation of what was about to happen. He led me into his room and closed the door behind him. Before I could say another word, he had me pinned against the wall of his bedroom and his lips were on mine. These kisses felt different from the ones in the car. They were more urgent and demanding.

“I thought you wanted to be patient,” I spoke against his lips.

“I’m done being patient,” he murmured in a low voice before moving his mouth to my neck.

He began to leave a trail of kisses down the side of my neck, and I couldn’t help but knot my fingers in his hair, gasping at the contact. Then he picked me up with ease and walked us both to the edge of his bed before setting me down again. He wasted no time. As soon as my body hit the soft mattress, he was on top of me. In this position, I could feel the hardness between his legs and my desire grew even more. He began to slide the straps of my dress off my shoulders.

“This needs to go,” he said.

I put my hands over my head and slipped out of my dress. His eyes darkened at the sight of my newly exposed skin, his breathing getting shallow. I knew I had him exactly where I wanted him.

“Like what you see?” I smirked as his eyes trailed down my body, admiring every inch.

“I’ve been thinking of what you’ll look like without that dress since the moment I saw you in it,” he whispered against my ear in a hoarse voice.

I began to tug at his shirt, and he discarded it quickly. I felt the hardness of his muscles under my hands and let out an involuntary **** at the sensation.

He pinned me back down on the mattress and began to kiss me again. His kisses were sloppy and urgent as his other hand began to squeeze my breasts. In a swift motion, he undid my bra and replaced it with his mouth. His tongue drew little circles around my ****** and I gasped out loud.

I felt a like breathless, mewling mess under his touch. Not wanting to wait anymore, I began to tug at the waistband of his boxers. But he shook his head, pulling my hand away from him. Dylan then gripped my wrists tightly and pinned my hands down.

“Not yet,” he said, before dipping his head between my legs.

I let out a low groan as I felt him kiss the inside of my thighs before swiftly moving my underwear to the side and diving straight in. I couldn’t control my moans. His pace and technique were perfect, and very soon, he was pushing me over the edge.

“Fuck,” I cursed loudly. “That feels so good.”

Right before I could reach climax, he stopped abruptly and began to roll off me.

“What?” I said with droopy eyelids, intoxicated by my desire. My need for release.

“Come.” To my surprise, he pulled me up by my hand and brought me over to his window. I looked at him with a confused expression.

“Don’t you like the view?” he asked.

From his window, we could see the New York skyline. In the darkness of the night, the city was illuminated, even at this late hour.

“I do,” I finally let out, trying to ignore the needy ache between my legs.

Before I could say another word, he bent me over the windowsill and gripped the sides of my waist tightly. I responded by grinding back into him, feeling his hardness against me.

“I want to **** you with a view,” he said before thrusting into me finally.

I let out a loud **** as I adjusted to his girth. He had filled me up completely, stretching me to accommodate his size. God, it felt so ******* good I immediately began to tremble.

Slowly, he began to ****** in and out of me. This angle felt amazing, and I felt like I was about to come already.

“I want you to tell me you want this,” he demanded in an urgent voice, as he began to increase his pace.

“I want it,” I panted, barely able to string together a fully coherent sentence.

“No, try again,” he urged, gripping my sides even harder.

He was speaking to me in such a domineering way, I felt he could make me come just by his voice alone. It was what piqued my interest, after all, when he’d spoken to me in his low voice back at the bar.

“I want it, Dylan,” I moaned his name.

It seemed to do the trick. He began to ****** harder and I felt my legs shake from the intensity of what he was doing to me. Our ruin didn’t take long after that. Soon, he pulled out of me and spilled his entire load on my back. We came at the same exact time.

“God, that was amazing,” I panted, still trying to catch my breath.

He smirked at me before sitting me down on the edge of his bed again. “Let’s get you cleaned up.”

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