Chapter 3

Ava

My belly is in knots. I can't believe I'm standing in Roman Knight's hotel room, in a trench coat with only lingerie on beneath it.

I bite my lower lip as Roman walks over toward the couch in the sitting area. But I stay where I am, arms hugging my lower half, eyes cast to the ground as I contemplate what to do. Do I stay? Would he even want me to stay?

Of course, he doesn't; I'm his daughter's best friend. There's no way.

"Ava." His deep voice makes me jump out of my own head.

My eyes snap up, and I swallow hard when they land on him. He leans back against the couch, placing his arms across the top of the cushions.

He's so damn handsome. I lick my lips as my eyes trail down his body, taking in every inch of his physique. I wonder what he looks like without anything on. I can already tell by the way his thighs and arms press against the fabric of his clothes that he works out.

"Ava," he says my name again, but this time it's laced with something. Lust? Surely, I'm wrong.

"Sorry," I whisper, blood pounding in my ears and my heart racing so fast I feel light-headed. Or maybe that's just the effect he has on me.

"Don't apologize. You've done nothing wrong. I'd just like your attention so I can ask you a few questions."

"Okay." I nod, shifting from one foot to the other. I'm not exactly uncomfortable to find myself in this situation. If anything, there's some kind of odd thrill running through me that he ended up being my very first client.

It's like some twist of fate.

But I'm also dreading the embarrassment that's sure to follow when he lectures me and sends me on my way. I'm not embarrassed that someone other than my best friend knows about this job. I'm not ashamed, but did it have to be him of all people? This is going to hurt my pride and my heart.

"Why don't you sit?" he suggests, nodding toward the chair across from him.

I give him a little nod and carefully take my seat, making sure to keep the coat closed so as not to reveal what I have on underneath. Although seeing as he called for an escort, I'm sure he has some kind of idea.

"I'm going to get right to it. Why are you here, Ava?"

I take a deep breath before I speak. "Well, you called for one of Madam Millie's girls, and she sent me."

He narrows his eyes. "You know very well that's not what I meant. Why are you doing this as a job?"

I chew on my lower lip, wondering what I should tell him. The motion causes his eyes to drop to my lips. Is that heat I see in his eyes? My core warms at the idea.

"As you know, I went to nursing school." I try to keep the tremble out of my voice.

"Yes." He nods.

"Well, the scholarship I got only covered my tuition, books, and meal plan. I had to take out a student loan for everything else."

"Tasha mentioned you got a nursing job at one of the hospitals when you graduated. Why would you need another job?"

"Because, Sir."

There's a rumbling sound that leaves Roman's chest. It's so low that I almost miss it. My breath catches as I resist the urge to clench my thighs. This man knows how to get me going without even trying. All I need to do is look at him, and I'm wet. Here I am in the same room with him, alone, and he looks like that. Like he's not mad at all that it was me who was standing on the other side of the door when he opened it.

"As badly as I wanted a job as a nurse, no one local was hiring. Plus, after doing some research, I found out that if I depended on that job alone to pay for my everyday life, as well as paying off my loans, I'd end up making payments for the rest of my life. The diner I was working at hardly put a dent in my accruing bills. "I met Madam Millie, and she offered me this job. I saw it as a sign, so I took it. This way, I'll be able to pay off my loans in no time, maybe even have a little extra to put into the bank."

His jaw ticks as he glares at me. He looks pissed. Dread sinks in my belly, but I'm not going to let him make me feel ashamed of my job.

"That's the plan? Sleep with strange, rich men for money?" Yeah, he's pissed.

"With all due respect, Sir, this is my life, my body. What I choose to do with it is no one's business but my own. Sex work is valid work. I'm not ashamed of it." I lift my chin, praying he doesn't see how hard I'm trying not to cower under his intense gaze.

"I am not shaming it, Ava. I called for a girl to come to me tonight, did I not? I'm not against it. I'm against you doing it."

My brows furrow. "But why?"

"Because..." He clears his throat. "You're my daughter's best friend. I don't want you to be taken advantage of."

"Madam Millie cares very well for her girls, Mr. Knight. She wouldn't put me in an unsavory situation with a client, putting me at risk." At least, I hope not.

"Call me Roman," His husky voice makes me shiver. "I have a proposition. How about you tell me how much you need and I'll write you a check? That way, you will no longer need this job, and you can end it before you even start it."

I shake my head before he's even done talking. "With all due respect, Roman, I can't do that." I stand, my hands laced together in front of me. "I will pay off my loans myself. I don't need handouts. Thank you for your offer; it's very kind of you, but I'm going to have to respectfully decline. I'm sorry to have wasted your time tonight. Have a good night." I turn and start heading towards the door.

"Wait!" He sounds almost frantic. "Wait. Don't go." I turn around, willing my heart to slow down as I wait. He runs a hand through his dark brown hair, messing it up. He looks hesitant. "I have... another proposition for you."

"Okay," I whisper, wanting to know what else he could possibly have to say.

"This is crazy," he mutters to himself with a heavy sigh. "If you won't let me pay you upfront, then I'd like to book you for the remainder of my stay."

My eyes widen, and I blink at him like a deer caught in headlights. He can't mean what I think he means? Excitement and nerves flutter around in my belly. "By book me, do you mean..." I wait for him to fill in the blanks. He's probably going to ask me to sit and talk, to have dinner with him, and pay me for my time, like the clients I was hoping I'd end up getting.

He stands up from the couch, and my pulse thunders as he slowly prowls toward me. I lick my lips, blinking, trying to steady my breathing as my pussy aches for this man.

He stops in front of me, and when he carefully grips my chin with his index finger and thumb, I have to swallow the whimper that threatens to slip free. "The idea of another man putting his hands on you angers me deeply. The thought of him putting his mouth on you, his unworthy cock inside you... well, baby girl, that makes me downright murderous."

My lips part in surprise. I'm dreaming, right? I have to be .

"But why?" I whisper. Why would something like that bother him? I'm just his daughter's friend.

He closes his eyes and takes a controlling breath. "Because, Ava, I'm a mess when it comes to you, baby girl."

"What do you mean?" My brows furrow.

"That's not important right now. I'll tell you everything you need to know in due time. But right now, what I want to know is... will you accept my offer?"

I'm about to say yes without any hesitation, but he places his finger on my lips to silence me.

"Before you answer, I need you to know a few things. I like control. Full control. I want my partners to willingly let everything go and hand it over to me. To trust me to make them feel good. To help them make me feel good. Is that something you can handle?"

Is this really happening? Because by the sound of it, Roman doesn't want me staying to just sit and talk. No, he wants me. My body, my pleasure. Do I trust him? Yes, I do. Can I handle giving him control of my body? Yes, I can. And only a fool would say no to Roman Knight. So, I don't.

"Yes." I nod.

He growls softly, like a pleasant hum, at my acceptance of his offer. His eyes are half-lidded, locked on my lips. "I'm going to have so much fun with you, little one," he mumbles, brushing his thumb against my lips, pulling the bottom one down. "I've dreamt about this for so long."

He has? "You have?"

"Mhhmm." He nods, his eyes slowly rising back to mine. "You're mine, Ava. For this next week, I want you here at ten p.m. sharp. Every night, I will spend hours worshiping your gorgeous body and living out all the things I've imagined doing to you."

He's thought about being with me before? I want to ask him more questions, but I don't want to ruin the moment. I don't want to scare him away or have him change his mind. So I keep my mouth shut. I'll ask questions later.

Right now, I want whatever Roman asks of me. Literally, anything. The man of my dreams, the man I've been lusting after for years, is offering himself to me, and I plan on getting what I can while savoring every bit of it.

"So, what do you say, baby girl? Will you be mine for the week?"

"Yes." It was only meant to be for tonight, and I never expected that he would want that, let alone more.

He makes a rumbling sound of approval, his eyes flashing with heat that matches mine, I'm sure.

My chest rises and falls quickly as my core throbs with need. Roman is the man of my dreams, but he's also my best friend's father. This is wrong on so many levels. But why does it feel so right in this moment? I'll worry about it tomorrow. I'll text him and tell him that I can't see him again, that one night was enough, despite what I just agreed to. I'm not thinking straight. The only thing on my mind is that this is my one and only chance to live out my deepest desires.

And from the sounds of it, his too.

He's thought of me before, and not in an innocent way, either. That thought only deepens my need for him more.

"Baby girl," he groans. "You have no idea of all the dirty things I want to do to you."

I want him to kiss me, to press his lips to mine and consume me. But he doesn't. He brushes his thumb against my cheek and takes a step back.

I sway, my body chasing after his touch. I watch as he walks back over to the couch, stopping to move the coffee table out of the way.

"Are you really willing to do as I say, Ava?" His husky voice is thick with desire. My eyes watch his fingers as they slowly start to unbutton his dress shirt. One after the other, inch by inch, he reveals his chest until his shirt is hanging open loosely.

I lick my lips, clenching my thighs. He's ripped. His chest is toned, muscles defined. I want to trace every inch with my tongue.

His chest has a bit of hair, but the rest of it is smooth. He's watching me, his feverish gaze on me, mine on him. My eyes fall to the thick bulge in his pants, and I bite my lip, mouth-watering. I want to wrap my lips around his cock, to take him deep and listen to him come apart at my touch.

Movement brings my eyes back up, and I see him taking his shirt off completely. Holy gods, his arms are so fucking perfect. It's like he works out at the gym every day. His arms flex as he grips his shirt and tosses it to the side, the veins in his arms doing something to me. God, everything about this man has me hot and wanting.

"Take it off, Ava." His voice breaks the silent show. My eyes snap up to him, and he takes a seat back on the couch. He sits back, arms stretched across the top of the cushions. He looks like a king. And in my eyes, Roman Knight is a king.

I'm about to ask what he wants me to take off, when I remember I'm still in the trench coat.

Swallowing thickly and with shaky hands, I start to undo the buttons of the coat. I love how he watches every movement my fingers make, like I did with him. With each passing second, I can feel the sexual tension thicken, so much so it's hard to breathe. I'm already so worked up, arousal and the thrill fueling me.

When the coat falls open, I roll my shoulders back and let it slide off my arms and onto the floor.

Between the tortured groan that leaves Roman's lips and the way his eyes eat my body up, I've never felt more sexy in my whole life than I do right now.

When he speaks, his voice is a thick rasp, "Now get on your hands and knees, baby girl. I want to see you crawl to me."