THE PUBLICIST

PENELOPE

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I was going to kill Sean if he didn’t get to this club soon. After taking me out to buy a thin, backless blue dress this afternoon and watching his sister perfect my make-up for over three hours, he’d promised that he wouldn’t leave me hanging for my first attempt at a one night stand.

Where the hell is he?

I sat through two more songs before finally pulling out my phone and calling him.

“Hey, there!” he answered. “Where the hell are you?”

“Me? Where the hell are you? I’ve been here for two hours.”

“Two hours?” He was yelling over the music. “Where are you sitting?”

“On the couch in the reserved section.” I stood up so he could see me. “One of the waitresses let me sit in VIP when I told her my heels were killing my feet. How lucky am I?”

“Very lucky, since Club Water doesn’t have a VIP section ... Seriously, Pen. Where are you?”

“Club Water?” I shook my head. “Sean, you said Club H2O. It’s in every single text message you sent me, and all day today you kept saying Club H2O.”

“Ohhh, damn ...” He laughed hysterically. “Sorry about that.”

“You don’t sound too sorry.”

“I’m really not.” He laughed again. “You want me to come there or do you want to come here? Sundays at H2O are pretty hit and miss.”

“I’m just going to go home after the next few songs,” I said. “I promise I’ll try this again next weekend, but it’s already one o’clock and my feet are practically dead anyway. Please don’t hate me.”

“I would never.” He sighed. “I’m going to hold you to that promise next weekend, though. Text me when you make it home.”

“Will do.” I ended the call and requested another glass of wine. If Sean was right about this place being “hit or miss,” tonight was definitely the latter. Even though quite a few men approached me on the dance floor earlier, every single one of them reeked of desperation. That, or they gave off the questionable vibes of a potential serial killer.

“Nice section you have here in VIP, Miss.” A grey-haired man who looked old enough to be my dad sat down next to me. “Mind if I take a breather with you?”

“Not at all.” I smiled at him.

“Are you here alone?” he asked.

“I am,” I said, figuring he was simply waiting for his partner. “Where’s your date?”

“I don’t have a date.” He licked his lips. “Until now, that is. Tonight must be fate for the two of us. How lucky are we, huh?”

“I’m sorry, what?”

“Fate.” He smiled. “I don’t want to be alone tonight, and you don’t look like you want to be alone either.”

My brain couldn’t process my thoughts fast enough for me to respond. He scooted even closer to me and lowered his voice.

“I saw you on the dance floor earlier,” he said. “I was keeping my eyes on you because you’re a really good dancer. And the way you moved those hips, I think I would like to watch you forever.”

Get the hell up and run, Penelope. Get the hell up and run right now ...

I ignored my brain, selfishly thinking of how badly my feet were still hurting. I looked away from the man and stared at the people who were still on the dance floor, hoping he would get the hint.

He didn’t. He touched my bare shoulder, forcing me to look at him again.

“So, why is someone like you alone?” he asked. “You’re way too beautiful for that.”

“Oh, wait. Did I say I was alone?” I shook my head. “I must have thought you asked me something else. I’m not alone at all. I’m here with someone.”

“No, no, no.” He moved even closer, looking as if he could see right through my lie. “You definitely said you were alone. I’m harmless, I swear. I’m here for the exact same reason you are.”

“What reason is that?”

“Sex with someone who can handle me, of course.” He licked his lips in the most disturbing way I’d ever seen, letting a string of saliva drip onto his chin in the process. Then he picked up my heels and set them in the small space between us. “I can play your little game if you want, though. If you’re not here alone, who are you here with?”

I glanced around the room, looking for someone—anyone, that would help get this man the hell away from me. I spotted a man staring at me from the bar, but before I could motion for him to walk over, a man sat down on the other side of me. He was scrolling through his phone—looking completely oblivious to the club scene, so I turned around to face him.

“Oh, there you are!” I said loudly. “I didn’t even see you sit down!” I pulled his head close to mine and kissed him, damn near gasping when he began kissing me back. Then he forcefully commanded my tongue with his and bit my bottom lip before slowly pulling away.

Catching my breath, I felt my eyes widening when his striking blue eyes settled on mine; when I realized that he was sexier than any man I’d ever met in my life.

I could literally stare at you all day ...

“Ugh. Okay, you’ve made your point.” The older man groaned and stood up to leave, but I couldn’t tear my eyes away from the stranger I’d just kissed.

“Is this normally how you greet men you don’t know?” he asked, a slight smirk on his lips. “Just so you’re aware, the word ‘hello’ is more than enough.”

“Um ...” I was absolutely speechless. His eyes were gleaming beneath the bright lights and he had dimples in both of his cheeks. The custom fit of the navy-blue suit he was wearing made it perfectly clear that there were perfectly toned muscles beneath it, and the cut of the diamonds in his designer watch let me know that he had to be from Wall Street.

“I was just trying to get another guy to leave me alone,” I said, finally finding my voice. “He didn’t seem like the type I wanted.”

“How unfortunate.” He gazed at my lips. “What type do you want?”

I hesitated before answering, watching him set a shiny placard on the VIP table. “My usual type,” I said finally.

“Your usual?” He raised his eyebrow and that sexy smirk returned to his lips. “What does that mean?”

I tried to remember what Sean and his sister said about striking up conversations with sexy strangers. Something about not coming off shy, something else about seeming confident and experienced.

Think of something an experienced person would say ...

“I’m saying that I do this often enough to know exactly what I like in a guy that I’d want to um ... A guy I’d want to—”

“Fuck?”

“Yes ...” I could already tell that this man was beyond cocky. That he knew just how damn attractive he was and he knew how to use his sexiness to get exactly what he wanted.

“I see.” He let out a low laugh and brought his glass to his lips. He took a sip and signaled for the waitress.

“How may I help you?” A woman in a black dress walked over immediately.

“Since my new friend here took over my usual, private VIP couch for longer than she was supposed to, can you bring over a bottle of whatever she’s having?”

I wasn’t supposed to sit here that long? My cheeks flushed pink.

“I can do that,” the waitress said, eyeing me with disdain. “What were you drinking, Miss?”

“It was just Moscato,” I said softly. “I’m a lightweight.” I heard the stranger letting out another low laugh as she walked away and I turned to face him. “I’m so glad I could be your entertainment tonight.”

“As am I,” he said, his eyes locking on mine. “I’m Ryan.”

“Rachel.” I quickly gave him my “one night” name, per Sean’s instructions.

“Okay, Rachel,” he said my name as if he knew I was lying. “You never answered my question.”

“Which one?”

“The one about what type of guy you want.”

“You don’t need to know. I’ll know him when I see him.”

“Tell me.” He insisted, moving a bit closer to me, as the waitress set down a fresh bottle.

I froze, completely unsure of what to say.

“Is your ideal type a guy who’ll take you home and fuck you until you can’t take every inch of his cock anymore?” he whispered into my ear. “The type who will devour your pussy until you come against his mouth?”

I felt my cheeks heating. “You did not just ask me that ...”

“I did,” he said. “You started our meeting by skipping the ‘Hello,’ so I think we can skip right past the bullshit question and answer phase.” His eyes were still on mine. “Tell me what you want.”

Everything you just said ...

“A gentleman,” I said, lying to both him and myself. “Someone who will make love to me and slowly take off my usual lingerie while he kisses every inch of my skin. Someone who will say sweet things before and while he’s having sex with me.”

“If you were after that,” he said, trailing his fingers against my lips. “You would’ve actually worn lingerie—or something, under your dress.” He glanced down at the top of my dress, at my nipples as they hardened through the fabric. “So, clearly that’s not what you’re after tonight. And even if it was, you would’ve gotten up the second I started talking to you.”

“You’re saying you’re not a gentleman?”

“I’m saying I’m not going to bullshit you.” He poured me a glass of wine. “And I’d appreciate it if you did the same.”

I stared at him as he stared back at me, as everything in my body begged me to end my long drought of sexless nights and sleep with him.

He handed me the wine and he watched me as I took my time sipping it, as I let four songs play before I finally made up my mind.

“I have some conditions before I can ask you to leave with me,” I said.

“I’m listening.”

“One, you can’t stay the night.”

“I never do.”

“Two, you can’t have my phone number.”

“I don’t recall asking for it.”

“Three, you’ll have to let me lean against you when we leave.”

He looked confused and I picked up my shoes.

“I’m not going to be able to get all the way home in these heels without leaning against someone.”

“Understandable,” he said, smiling. “This is when you’re supposed to tell me that you want me to leave with you.”

“It was implied.” I blushed.

He smiled and pulled out his phone. “How close is your place?”

“Close enough for us to walk. It’s in SoHo.”

“I think you need to re-learn the definition of pretty close.” He looked at me like I was insane. “SoHo is a half-hour walk away, at best.”

“No, it’s only twenty minutes.” I wasn’t sure why his brand of arrogance was such a turn-on. “Are you saying you won’t walk home with me?”

“Absolutely.” He held his phone up to his ear. “Miller, would you come to Club H2O and pick up me and—” he paused, smiling, “my new friend, Rachel. I need you to take us to her place in SoHo.”

He spoke a few more words into his phone before ending the call and looking at me. “He’ll be here in two minutes.” He leaned over me and grabbed my heels.

I held out my hand so he could give them to me, but he didn’t. Instead, he kept them and slid his hands underneath my thighs and lifted me up, tossing me over his shoulder.

“What are you doing?” I asked, beyond wet and turned on for some reason.

“Exactly what you asked.” He carried me out of the VIP section, past the dance floor, and out of the club. 

Outside, he carried me to a waiting black town car and placed me onto the backseat. He sat next to me and shut the door behind him.

“What’s your exact address, Miss Rachel?” The driver glanced at me through the rearview mirror, and it took me a few seconds to realize that by saying “Rachel” he was referring to me.

“2000 Lafayette,” I said.

“Got it.” He rolled up the partition and pulled into the traffic.

I felt Ryan staring at me and looked over at him. “I take it that you do this type of thing often?”

“Not as often as you,” he said. “At least, not recently.”

“Well, maybe when you reach my level of expertise, you’ll realize why it’s rude to just pick up someone and carry them out of the club without warning.”

“I personally think you enjoyed that.”

“No.” I smiled. “I definitely didn’t.”

Before I could say anything else, his dominating mouth was on mine and he was pushing me down against the leather seat.

I shut my eyes as he kissed me harder than I’d ever been kissed before, as he slid his hands against my bare thighs.

It had been so long since I’d been touched, that I was reveling in every brush of his skin against mine. And with each commanding roll of his tongue against my lips, I wondered why a kiss never felt this intense with any of the boyfriends I’d had in the past. Why nothing they did even halfway compared to what this man was doing to me right now.

Palming my breasts through my dress, he groaned as I gently bit his bottom lip and playfully tugged at his belt.

The car continued to cruise against the bumpy streets of Manhattan and every now and then I felt his hardened cock through his pants, rubbing against my thighs. My eyes fluttered open each time because I just knew his cock couldn’t be that huge.

This has to be my imagination messing with me....

When I noticed that the car had finally come to a stop, his lips were still attached to mine, and my hands were in his hair. I was murmuring as he continued to tease my thighs with his touches, and I was on the verge of insisting that we finish this on the backseat.

It wasn’t until a series of car honks that he eventually tore away from me and helped me to sit up. Adjusting my dress, he stepped out and held the door for me, once again carrying my shoes.

I walked the few steps to the front door of my brownstone, fumbling for the keys. I managed to open the door in record time, and the second I stepped inside the apartment, he pushed me against the wall and we picked up right where we left off seconds ago.

He lifted my leg around his waist and continued controlling my mouth with his, not missing a single beat.

“Where do you want me to fuck you?” he whispered against my mouth.

“My bedroom.”

He unzipped the side of my dress and it fell to the floor in a pool of blue silk. He kissed his way down to my neck, to my chest—sucking one of my nipples between his lips.

Moaning, I attempted to tell him where my bedroom was, but he returned to my mouth, rendering me completely useless with his kisses all over again.

He slid his hand between my thighs and pressed his thumb against my swollen clit, rubbing it in slow torturous circles.

“Ah ...” I cried out. “Ah ... Wait.”

“For what?”

I bit my shoulder to prevent myself from crying out even louder, and he kept his rhythm, using his hips to pin me against the wall. To prevent me from moving away. 

My breathing slowed and my pussy began to throb against his hand as he slid two thick fingers deep inside of me.

Just as I was getting close to the edge, he moved his hand and whispered into my ear, “Are you sure you’ve done this before?”

I nodded, incapable of doing much else.

“Hmmm.” He pulled me over to the couch. “I think I need to do something before we go to your bedroom.”

“Something?” I asked as he pushed me back onto the cushions. “Something like what?”

“Like fuck your pussy with my tongue until you come in my mouth.” He spread my legs and got down on his knees. “That is what you said you wanted, correct?”

I didn’t get a chance to answer him. He buried his head between my legs and sucked my clit between his lips, making me scream out in pleasure. I grabbed his hair, to try to get him to slow down, but it was no use. He put one of my legs over his shoulder and took his time devouring my pussy with his mouth.

I shut my eyes as I surrendered complete control, as I realized that I was going to let this man do whatever he wanted to do to me for the rest of the night ...