The private room on the rooftop bar pulsed with a different energy tonight, the city lights casting long shadows across the velvet couch where Ava and Julian had collapsed after their last round. The air was thick with the scent of sweat and desire, the hum of the city below a distant heartbeat. Ava's red dress lay in a heap by the window, her skin still flushed from their earlier encounter, but the tension between them had shifted, crackling with an unspoken challenge. Julian's eyes, dark and unreadable, followed her as she stood to pour herself a glass of whiskey from the bar, the keycard from earlier still tucked in her clutch.
He rose silently, his suit jacket discarded, his shirt unbuttoned to reveal the scars that traced his chest like a map of secrets. Before she could turn, he was behind her, his presence a wall of heat. His hand shot out, grabbing her breast tightly, the pressure sending a jolt through her body. She gasped, the glass slipping from her fingers to clatter on the bar, whiskey splashing across the counter. Then he was inside her, his penis sliding into her vagina with a sudden, forceful thrust, and Ava screamed, the sound tearing from her throat as pain and pleasure collided in a dizzying wave.
"Julian!" she cried, her voice a mix of protest and need, her hands bracing against the bar as her legs trembled. The pain was sharp, a reminder of how raw their connection had become, but the pleasure followed fast, a deep, pulsing heat that made her arch into him despite herself. He didn't relent, his grip on her breast tightening, his other hand anchoring her hip as he moved with a rhythm that was both punishing and intoxicating.
"You wanted to lead," he growled into her ear, his breath hot against her neck, "but I'm not done playing." His Alpha nature surged, dominating the space, and Ava's Dominant streak flared in response. She pushed back against him, turning her head to meet his gaze, her eyes blazing with defiance even as her body surrendered to the sensation.
"Careful," she panted, her voice ragged, "or I'll make you regret it." The threat was hollow, lost in the moan that escaped her as he angled deeper, hitting a spot that made her vision blur. The pain ebbed, replaced by a crescendo of pleasure, and she gripped the bar's edge, her nails digging into the wood as they moved together, a dance of power and submission that left them both breathless.
When it ended, they slumped against the bar, the city lights a blur beyond the glass. Ava's legs shook as she steadied herself, pulling away to grab her dress, her mind racing. The intensity had been different this time more desperate, more revealing. She glanced at Julian, who stood with his back to her, buttoning his shirt, the scars on his skin catching the light. The text from the unknown number echoed in her mind: He's not what he seems. Watch out.It was time to dig deeper.
"Who are you, Julian?" she asked, her voice steady despite the aftershocks still rippling through her. She slipped into her dress, watching his reflection in the window. He froze, his hands pausing on the last button, and for a moment, the Alpha mask slipped, revealing a flicker of something guilt, maybe, or fear.
"Just a guy who likes a good time," he said, turning to face her, his smirk returning like a shield. But his eyes betrayed him, dark with shadows she hadn't noticed before.
Ava crossed her arms, her badgirl edge sharpening. "Bullshit. Those scars, the late-night calls, the way you tense when I ask about your past it's more than that. Spill it."
He sighed, running a hand through his hair, and gestured to the couch. "Sit. If you want the story, you're getting the unedited version." She hesitated, then joined him, the velvet cool against her overheated skin. He leaned back, staring at the ceiling as if the words were written there.
"I wasn't always this," he began, his voice low, rough with memory. "Five years ago, I was a fixer for a private security firm high-end clients, dirty jobs. Ex-military, trained to handle anything. But one job went south. A client a corporate CEO hired us to eliminate a rival. I didn't know the target was my brother, Mark. We'd been estranged, but still…" He trailed off, his jaw tightening. "I took the shot. Didn't realize until it was too late."
Ava's breath caught, the weight of his confession settling between them. "Jesus, Julian."
"I quit after that," he continued, his eyes fixed on a point beyond her. "Disappeared, changed my name. The firm didn't like loose ends those scars are from their cleanup crew. I've been running ever since, building a new life. This penthouse, the suits it's all a front. The calls are from them, checking if I'm still loyal or planning to bury me."
The room felt smaller, the air heavier. Ava processed the revelation Julian wasn't just an Alpha playboy; he was a man haunted by a dark past, a forbidden love for the life he'd lost. The affair they shared was a distraction, but now it felt like a thread pulling at his secrets. "Why tell me?" she asked, her voice soft but firm.
"Because you're in it now," he said, meeting her gaze. "That text? Probably them. They know about you, and they'll use it. This game we're playing it's not just ours anymore."
Ava's stomach twisted. The contract marriage of their deal had morphed into something dangerous, a forbidden love tangled with threats. She stood, pacing to the window, the city a stark contrast to the chaos inside. "So what do we do? Walk away?"
Julian joined her, his reflection beside hers in the glass. "Not yet. But we play smarter. No more public spots. My place, your rules until we figure this out."
She nodded, her mind racing with possibilities. The Dominant in her wanted to take charge, protect herself, but the badgirl in her craved the thrill. "Fine. But if they come for me, I'm not going down easy."
He smirked, the Alpha returning. "Wouldn't expect you to." His hand brushed her arm, a gesture that felt too intimate, and she pulled back, reinforcing the boundary.
"Next time," she said, grabbing her clutch, "you're proving you can keep up with me." She left the room, the keycard still in her hand, a symbol of their shifting game. Outside, the unknown number texted again: He's a killer. Run.Ava stared at the screen, her resolve hardening. Julian's past was a shadow she'd have to navigate and maybe conquer.