I had to admit, I wasn’t entirely sure what had come over me. I’d had many one-night stands in my life. In fact, it was my preferred way of doing things— get the girl in bed, have fun, then get away from her as fast as possible.

Miss Shadows, on the other hand, had piqued my interest.

I hadn’t had any real expectations when I’d taken her up to the party upstairs, but seeing her reaction first to those who were enjoying each other, then seeing her in bed with me, sparked an interest in me that I had never experienced before. I had no intention of committing to her or making any kind of promises that I would ever see her again, but I did wish to get to know her body a little better—and that wouldn’t be possible if we stayed at the Gathering.

There was a little voice inside my head that warned me to be careful taking any woman home, especially one like Emily. Not only did I feel a connection to her, but I could sense that she was feeling a connection to me.

It had become easy for me to juggle relationships—if I really wanted to call them that. A night with this girl, a night with that girl, no more than two nights with anyone. I never appeared in public with the same girl twice, and should a girl be able to get my contact information—in spite of me doing my best to keep it under wraps—I would be swift to tell her exactly how I felt.

However, there was a part of me that told me not to simply tell this young woman that I wished her well, and leave her at the party. No doubt she would end up getting taken home by one of the other men, but that wasn’t the point. I wasn’t worried about her being alone; I was worried about her being anyone else’s but mine.

I held the door open for her, then held my arm out to her as we walked down the pavement toward the car. I’d texted my driver to get the engine running and wait for us out front, and once again, I insisted on personally holding the door open for Emily. She gave me a flattered smile as I closed the door behind her, and within minutes, we were off.

My place was located on Mulholland Drive—not too far from the party, but far enough that we were going to have a few minutes to talk. I put on soft music for background noise, then turned my attention back to Emily, who was looking rather nervous, staring out the window.

“I’m glad you decided to come with me. I get a little tired of those parties after a while,” I said, trying to soothe her nerves.

Emily turned to me and smiled.

“I have to say, I don’t have many evenings like that, and I’m glad for the chance to step back and relax, too,” she replied.

She still fidgeted with the clutch in her hands, but she appeared to be happier. I nodded, trying to think of something to say to her. I knew she was a model, but I wasn’t sure how to talk to her about anything significant. If I were to say too much, she may well feel that I was taking more of an interest in her than I intended to, and I would have a hard time getting rid of her in the morning.

On the other hand, I did feel interested in hearing more about her life. She was so beautiful, and remarkably successful for her age. At 26, with an international modeling career, she appeared to be doing very well for herself indeed.

When we got back to my place, I was quick to get out of the car and open the door for Emily once more, still playing the part of the perfect gentleman. I had taken enough girls home to know how to treat them well, and though I was already confident I would have Emily in my bed shortly, I knew it couldn’t hurt to make these little efforts.

Once we were inside the house, I offered Emily a glass of champagne.

“Thanks, maybe just the one. I don’t want to overdo it after the party,” she said with a shy smile as she sat down.

I brought two flutes and poured the champagne, which we both sipped quickly. Scarcely had we finished with our glasses when I couldn’t take it anymore, and I rose from my seat.

I took the flutes back to the kitchen, but instead of returning to my seat in the living room, I stopped behind Emily’s chair. I leaned down and gently began kissing her neck. Instantly she responded, leaning her head to one side and wrapping her arms around my neck. I continued to caress her with my mouth, feeling the goosebumps on her skin rise against my lips.

It wasn’t long before I stopped and walked around the chair, picking her up when I got there. She threw her arms around my neck, jumping up and wrapping her legs around me as I feverishly kissed her.

Emily dropped her clutch on the floor in the process, but neither one of us cared. I didn’t stop kissing her as I walked up the hall, kicked open the door to my bedroom, and dropped her on my bed.

Though we once again were pulling the clothing off each other, this time, I took my time. She was beautiful, and I wanted to see every inch of her—to caress her breasts, to run my finger down her stomach, to feel how tight her body was against mine. I had taken many women in the heat of the moment, but this was something that I wanted to enjoy for as long as possible.

Emily seemed to want to make it last, too. She was also doing her part in undressing me, but she wasn’t moving with the same fierceness that she had been, back at the party. Though it was clear she was yearning for me, and I for her, we both wanted to truly experience this moment—something that felt incredibly strange in my mind.

Usually, I never wanted to do more than have a good time that ended happily for me; now, I wanted to make it more about her.

When Emily was completely naked on my bed, I took a moment to simply gaze at her beauty. I could see her flush in front of me, and she shyly asked what I was looking at.

“You, gorgeous,” I breathed as I stepped forward and onto the bed.

To my surprise, she didn’t lie back as she had done before. She put both her hands on my shoulders and whipped me around, then hopped on top of me. I was taken aback at the boldness of her actions, and they only served to turn me on even more.

I laid back on the bed, allowing her to guide me inside her. She placed her hands on my chest and began rocking, each movement causing a jolt to run through my body. I used my hands to explore her as she rode me—first running them across her flat stomach and down her thighs, then reaching up to her breasts and massaging them. I sat up as much as I could, and I used my hand to bring her face close to mine.

We shared a deep kiss, exploring every part of each other’s mouths. I could tell with each movement she made that she was getting closer, and I gently put my hand around her back and flipped her onto the bed. She tried to get back on top of me, but I kept her gently pinned against the bed with a sly smile.

Emily relaxed, then, allowing me to take the lead.

Back in control, I felt like I was on top of the world. She was whimpering and writhing in the sheets, and it was nearly more than I could handle.

Leaning forward, I locked mouths with her once more, thrusting into her as deeply as I could. Our movements continued to grow in intensity until I finally felt her body tense beneath mine. She cried out in ecstasy beneath me, and I smiled, continuing to slowly and deliberately thrust into her as I reached my own orgasm.

As she slowly came down to earth, Emily reached up and ran her fingers across my chest. She had a look of contentment on her face, and I couldn’t help but smile down at her.

“Can I stay the night?” she asked, looking up at me with flirtatious eyes.

I nodded. “Yes. Yes you can.”