The next night I stood against a cold stone wall in the slutty red dress and red pumps. I had once again gone for my fuck me red lipstick and I was hoping that it would work for a second time. I checked my phone for the third time. Still no text or call from Levi. It was seven fifteen and I was starting to get worried. I didn't think he was going to show up. I told myself I would wait another five minutes, but as I saw a couple walking by hand-in-hand, discussing the opening of the gallery, I couldn't take it anymore. I walked over to the street to hail a taxi when I heard a voice behind me. “That’s some dress you got there.”

I turned around and felt my confidence waver as I saw Levi smiling at me. He looked me up and down and licked his lips. The slutty dress had totally done its job.

“You know some guys like to leave a little to the imagination.”

I couldn't tell if it was an insult or not.

He moved closer to me and whispered into my ear. “You're just lucky I'm not one of those guys.” I felt him slip a hand underneath my dress, where he just touched the backs of my thighs, right under my ass. I tried to contain the heat spreading immediately from my pussy into my core. Suddenly, I wanted to skip the art gallery and just go straight back to his apartment, but there was a part of me that also wanted to make him wait. He had been the tease on Saturday night, but now it was my turn.

“Shall we go in?”

He pulled his hand out from underneath my legs and turned, extending an arm to me. I looped mine through his and we walked down the block into the gallery. It was one of those huge white spaces with benches in the middle and artwork around the edges. There was a sculpture between two white benches. I let go of Levi's arm as I examined it closely. It was copper, and it was ripped into shreds and made to look like a three-dimensional symbol of a heart.

“See something you like already?”

“Yeah. It's like the heart is hard, protective somehow.”

Levi moved close to me so that our bodies just barely touched. “And how do you protect your heart, Lila?”

“I run away.”

“How does that protect you?” He slid a finger along the outside of my arm. It was a subtle touch that sent shivers down my spine.

“I don't know. Running away from my problems is just something I'm good at. You know, like you're a great football player. I'm a great runner.”

He just looked at me.

“It's a skill, Levi. Protecting your heart is a skill everyone should learn.”

Suddenly he stepped back. “Why? Why do you think that way? Is that because of me? Because of us?”

“I thought we weren’t going to do feelings, or talk about the past. And no, it’s not you. It’s just that in the end, everyone gets hurt. In the end, we all feel pain.”

“That’s a sad realization.”

I shrugged. “Maybe, but to me it’s true.” Thinking about it, I realized this stemmed from my parents’ relationship. I had thought their love life was perfect, but it ended in heartache. Somewhere, I had decided almost all good relationships did. That was sad.

We both looked at the statue for a while longer. People passed us by, assuming we were admiring the art. But really, we were thinking about each other. Our tryst was hot and sensual, but were we protecting our hearts? I knew the answer for myself. I was falling for Levi again, and I was going to let that happen regardless of the potential pain I would be in later.

He touched me on the small of my back and led me away from the sculpture toward a group of paintings. They were beautiful drawings of flowers, painted neon colors to set them apart from the typical landscape. I had seen kids do it when I was in college, where for a while I had hung out with the artsy crowd while I was playing piano. But I hadn't really looked at art since then. It was incredible to just take a moment and look at the brushstrokes, gentle touches on a hard canvas that made it into something completely unique. I imagined it blank, the vast whiteness just waiting to be fulfilled by the artist’s touch.

“Let's get a drink. A little liquid courage.” I gave him a confused look—it was clear that I didn't need any more courage. Slutty red dress, party of one. He took my hand and led me over to the bar. He ordered us two shots of tequila and I was shocked to see that they had it. Apparently that was becoming our drink of choice. It also meant I knew where this was going. He raised a small glass in the air. “To us.”

I smiled at him. “To us.”

He sucked his down in a second, whereas it took me a little bit longer to get the fire down my throat and into my belly. As soon as I set the glass down, he grabbed my hand and walked briskly through the art gallery to a sign that said EXIT. I was liking where this was going. He looked both ways before pulling me through the door and into a dark hallway. The only light that was available was a red blinking lights for emergencies. “I can't believe you just did that! You could've set off the alarm!”

He shook his head. “There is no sign on the door that said there was an alarm. I knew we would be safe.” I was about to start protesting again when he took both of my wrists in one hand and pinned me up against the exposed brick wall. He was kissing the inside of my neck and down my exposed chest. The dress was strapless and my breasts were just barely contained within it. I closed my eyes in ecstasy as his lips trailed down to my breasts, where he used his other hand to pull down the dress and expose a strapless black bra. When he saw what I was wearing, he knew that the dress wasn't just for show. He suckled his way back up to my lips and chewed on my lower lip for a moment, causing painful pleasure to travel through my mouth. “Why do you do these things to me, Lila?”

“Do what?” I breathed.

“Make me want to end it but then make me want to fuck you until you’re sore.”

He loosened the tie that he had been wearing. He took a step back to assess me, but he kept my hands above my head. He pulled off the tie and wrapped it around my wrists. “You keep those there, you hear me?”

I could only nod. As my hands remained above my body, he lifted up my dress and started drawing circles on my mound outside of the black silk panties I was wearing. “You've been a bad girl, Lila, breaking the rules. I guess I need to remind you why you shouldn't be thinking of anyone else but me.”

My breath caught in my chest. All that I wanted was for Levi to fuck me, and I knew it was coming—which made my need even worse. He continued to draw circles along the outside of my underwear and occasionally, he would put his hand on the inside of my thigh and rub between my legs. I felt exposed. If anyone should come through that door, they would see my hands above my head and Levi pulling down my underwear to my knees. I had to admit being exposed turned me on. At any moment we could be caught. It was titillating.

As he bent to pull them down to the floor, he put his head up between my legs and gave me a quick lick. It was just enough to send heat through all of my veins. Levi made me feel like I was on fire. And he was the only one who could put it out. I stepped out of my underwear and he threw them to the side. He dragged his fingertips along the outside of my leg slowly and dutifully, all the way up to my hip. He got close to my ear and whispered to me, “Do you want me to fuck you?”

I nodded. “Yes. Please fuck me.”

He undid his belt buckle and dropped his pants and his boxers. I heard the belt hit the ground with a clink. It echoed in the empty hallway. He pulled me just slightly away from the wall and lifted my legs up around him, putting his hands underneath my ass. I crossed my legs behind him and slid myself onto his cock. There was a pipe just above my reach, and when he pushed me up onto him, I grabbed onto it. He banged me against the wall, and using his pelvis, he pushed deep into me. He rammed me again and again while I begged for more. “Harder, Levi, fuck me harder.”

Just as I was on the edge of coming, he put my legs back down and slid out of me. I looked at him with wide eyes—was he not going to fulfill my need? He hadn’t come either. Why would he make either of us wait?

He rubbed his finger against my lips. He slipped his pointer finger in my mouth and I sucked on it, allowing my tongue to envelop it. Then he slipped his middle finger and pointer finger in my mouth, and again I sucked as hard as I could. When he pulled them back out, he dragged them down my body and over my dress until he reached my pussy. He shoved the two fingers in and I cried out. “Yes! Fuck me.”

But immediately, he pulled his fingers back out and licked them himself. “You taste just as sweet as you did the other night.”

I could hardly breathe. I was so turned on I felt like I would explode at any second. He took my raised hands and pulled me away from the wall. The hallway was narrow and he pushed me so that my chest was against the opposite wall. He stood behind me and whispered, “Bend over. I want to see that ass shake.”

I did as I was told, but I kept my arms above my head. He leaned against me and pushed his cock between my wet pussy lips. I arched my back and closed my eyes. He pulled all the way out and teased me more. When he pushed in again, I knew I didn't have much time. “Please Levi, let me come.”

He pushed his dick back into me, this time more forcefully. He pulled out again, but this time, he didn't pull out all the way. He quickened his pace and I sat on the edge of my orgasm as I let the ripples flow through me. There was a fierceness to Levi when it came to sex that I had never experienced with anyone else. I was all his and he wouldn't have it any other way. He pushed into my ass again and again, and I could feel the slap of his skin against mine. Quickly, I felt him come inside me, filling me with the hot sticky substance. I pushed my ass back against him one final time and my knees gave out as an orgasm shook through me. He put his arm underneath my stomach to hold me up against him and my legs shook. He pulled me back up against him and held most of my weight on his own. “That's for Saturday night.”

I could hardly breathe as I leaned back against him.

“Next time, don't choose someone else over me,” he whispered hotly in my ear.

I didn't speak. Mostly because I couldn't, but also because I didn't know what to say. Levi had claimed me so quickly, but did my heart have any other choice in the matter? I wasn't going to think about it now. All that I was going to think about was Levi in this hallway and the blinking red light and the coma that followed our moment of pleasure.