I should push him away, but my hands betray me, clutching his collar as a low moan escapes.
The hallway vanishes, the world shrinks to the rhythm of his breath against mine. His arms slide around me, and before I realize it, mine are wrapped around his neck. When I open my eyes, I'm caught, entranced by the intensity of his smoldering gaze. My fingers cling to him as if drawn by some magnetic pull. He takes my hand and guides me down the hallway. Why is he here? The taste of whiskey stays on my lips, heady and intoxicating, like him.
I can't think straight. What's going–He abruptly stops and draws me in. I'm flushed against his heated, solid body. My pulse quickens, and a feverish warmth seizes me. His arm wraps around my waist while holding my hand over his chest, and I swallow looking up at him. I turn my head to see what captures his attention.
I'm trapped between the Chinese man and Mr. Silence. "Eric..." I utter.
Eric's lips press together, and the creases between his eyebrows deepen as his gaze lands on Mr. Silence's arm around me. Mr. Silence's unyielding stare never leaves Eric's face. My eyes dart between them as Mr. Silence's arm constricts around me, the tension between them escalating. My heart pounds at the overpowering aura Mr. Silence exudes as I place my other hand over his racing heart.
Eric freezes under Mr. Silence's unrelenting stare. The tension between them crackles, thick and electric. I know I should step away—but I don't. His presence anchors me, and Eric wilts under it, retreating without another word.
Mr. Silence takes my hand again, wordless, and leads me down the hall. I eagerly trail behind him into his room, and as soon as the door shuts, he presses me against the wall again, his lips descending upon mine with ravenous hunger. Caught in the moment, I surrender to him, allowing myself to be swept away by his intensity. As my mind goes blank, my body seems no longer my own, feeling and responding to his demanding presence with its own uncontrollable desire. My pulse races wildly. Flush against his muscular frame, I feel drunk by the whiskey-laced fervor of his kiss.
A man's voice breaks the spell, and my eyes shoot open, realizing for the first time that the room is filled with music and laughter.
"Sir?" the man asks.
My cheeks flush as I make eye contact with the English man who has been waiting patiently by our side. Embarrassment burns hotter when Mr. Silence sinks his teeth into my neck. I gently tug on his hair, hoping to snap him back to reality, but his left hand slides down to lift my leg higher, angling me against his protruding erection. I gasp, biting my lip, then tug harder on his hair—almost yanking it this time. He locks eyes with me, a flicker of something unreadable passing between us, before finally turning to face the man.
"The bill's taken care of and they're ready to leave," the man reports with a serious face. As the three Japanese businessmen approach us, Mr. Silence spins around and steps back, blocking me from their view and trapping me between him and the wall. I inhale in his scent while rubbing my cheek against his back. His powerful, towering form hides my petite body perfectly from their view. A mix of excitement and anticipation rushes through me for what would happen next. They politely bid their farewells to him.
"Jason will see you out," Mr. Silence says in his business tone. Jason catches my eye briefly before he opens the door, blocking me from the men's view who exit along with the hostesses. Jason nods at Mr. Silence and leaves, closing the door behind him. Jason Mason? The Jason Mason! Wait, this is room twenty-one!
Mr. Silence swiftly captures my lips once again. I stand on my tiptoes, lingering on our kiss as he pulls away just as quickly, but his hand holds me firmly in place.
"Hungry?" His voice is deep and raspy.
"What?" I'm dazed as I try to catch my breath and my thoughts.
"Have you eaten tonight?" He scoops me off the floor and settles me on his lap as he sits on New Year day. Unable to think clearly, I swallow and gaze longingly at his full lips before catching his penetrating gaze. I loop my arms around his neck and inch closer to his face.
"You have such a seductive voice," I confess, feeling dazed by his presence. Gently, I brush my mouth against his, savoring the fullness of his soft, moist lips while feeling his mighty arms draw me closer. I loosen his tie as we deepen our kiss, beginning to unbutton his shirt when a knock invades our moment and Jason enters the room. Mr. Silence's warm palm under my dress sinks into my thigh, creeping higher, each inch burns my skin with desire. His gentle suckling on my neck forces me to suppress a moan while attempting to announce to him that we have company.
"What?" he snaps irritably up then notices Jason.
"We have to go," Jason insists.
Mr. Silence lifts me to my feet with his controlled hug. Our eyes meet, and I feel the brush of his lips. I silently plead for him to stay or take me with him. His hand is on my neck, his thumb caressing my cheek, and then he tilts my head to one side as he gently places a kiss on my other cheek. The tender gesture leaves me dazed and bewildered as he and the man exit the room.
What just happened? I sit back onto the warm spot where his body had been waiting for my mind to calm down from the confusion. My body already misses him. Jimmy comes in smiling.
Crap, I'm supposed to be in John's room! With Eric. "Jimmy, Eric hmm... is–there's–"
"Don't worry about it, Ace. Jason explained what happened. His friend won't be here tomorrow, so you don't need to come in." He starts to clean the room.
"Friend? Why not? What do you mean?"
"Jason said his friend booked you for the next month. In full. So you'll get paid on the nights that you are scheduled to work, but you don't have to come in if his friend isn't here."
"I don't understand. He's–"
"He paid to prebook you for the next month."
"But... what?"You can get prebooked? Crap!
"I also gave him your Venmo and PayPal. You can go home early tonight since they left."
My phone vibrates. $3,000 received — Jason Mason.
My mind blanks. My body moves before my brain catches up—I grab my purse, my heels clicking in autopilot toward the lockers.
What just happened? I was supposed to be in John's room. Then Jason's. But it was his friend… his boss?
Anat's message flashes.
Anat: Good. The faster you bang him, the faster you'll be over this crush.
Me: Over?
Anat: Best way to move on from a crush is to fuck them.
Me: True.
Except... I don't have a crush on him. I... don't know what these feelings are but they're not like having a crush.