CHAPTER 1 - ONE NIGHT
1028 Words
A one-night transaction. No emotions. No
promises. Just the payment, and the
freedom that would follow.
The door at the end of the hall was slightly
ajar. She knocked twice, her pulse
quickening as she heard the soft click of a
lock being disengaged.
A man stood in the doorway. Tall,
imposing, his features sharp and
confident. Aaron Raymonds. She'd seen
him in magazines and on billboards,
though his presence now felt more
intimidating than the glossy photos.
He was dressed in a tailored suit, his shirt
unbuttoned at the collar, a look of
calculated ease on his face
"Come in," he said smoothly, his voice low
and commanding. "You're just on time."
Ivy's breath hitched, but she stepped
inside. The room was everything she had
imagined luxurious, sleek, modern.
Her eyes shifted to a king sized bed that dominated the center and a large window poured a breathtaking view of a thousand city lights below.
The interior was sophisticated and yet so cold
A world she would never belong to, but one she was now part of, for just tonight.
Aaron closed the door behind her with a
quiet thud. "l hope you're comfortable," he
said, his eyes scanning her with a look that
made her feel both exposed and invisible
at once. "I know we didn't have much time
to talk earlier, but I trust you understand
the arrangement."
"I understand," she replied, her voice
steady, though her palms were clammy.
She had gone over everything in her mind
before she came here. No surprises. No
intimacy beyond what was required.
She was here to do a job. Nothing more.
His gaze lingered on her for a beat too
long, and lvy felt a flush creep up her
neck.
She refused to let herself feel
self-conscious. She was here to make
money. Period.
Aaron smiled, a cool curve of his lips that
barely touched his eyes. "Good. You're a
professional, I can tell."
Ivy nodded, her fingers gripping the strap
of her purse tighter. He was a stranger, a
rich stranger who was paying her for her
time, but that didn't make him any less
dangerous.
This was the way it worked.
The way it had to work. She didn't have
the luxury of hesitations.
He motioned toward the bar. "Drink?" he
asked, though it wasn't really a question.
"No, thanks," lvy answered quickly, her
eyes flicking toward the door as if already
considering how she might leave once it
was over.
He tilted his head, a faint smirk playing at
the corner of his mouth. "Suit yourself."
He walked toward her. He was close now, too close.
The air between them became electrifying more like a wire on the verge of snapping. She held her breath as he reached out and took a handful of her hair and he let it slip slowly through his grasp
Ivy stiffened,her breath held but didn't pull away.
"You're very beautiful," he murmured, his
voice smooth, controlled.
He let his hand drop, brushing lightly against her shoulder before stepping back.
"But I'm not interested in small talk. You're here for one reason. And I'm here to make Sure we both get what we need."
She nodded again.
"Exactly," she said, her voice even, "I'm not here for anything more than what was agreed."
Aaron's smile deepened, though his eyes
remained unreadable.
His hand brushed the side of her cheek,
the touch light, but deliberate. It made her
skin tingle, and she hated how much she
wanted to recoil.
She reminded herself that this was just business. No feelings. No complications.
"Good," he said softly. "Let's not waste any
more time."
Before lvy could react, he took her hand,
guiding her toward the bed with a
practiced ease.
His touch was firm but not
rough, and as he pulled her closer, Ivy
couldn't help but feel the tension in her
chest tightens.
She could feel the weight of
his eyes on her, like he was seeing into
parts of her she'd buried long ago. But she
refused to let him in.
When they finally reached the bed, Aaron
stopped, his gaze locking with hers. There
was something unreadable in his
expression, something that made her
wonder if he was testing her.
"I've paid you," he said, his voice almost
gentle now, though there was no mistaking
the authority behind it. "And I will keep my
word. But remember this is a one-time
thing. Nothing more."
Ivy's throat tightened, but she nodded. The
agreement was simple. She had been over
the terms a thousand times in her head.
No strings. No emotions. Just the money.
"Of course," she replied, her voice barely a
whisper.
Hours later, the silence in the room was
deafening. The city lights outside were
now dimmer, the glow of dawn creeping in
through the heavy curtains. lvy lay beside
Aaron, his breathing deep and steady.
She could hear the soft rise and fall of his
chest, his body still wrapped in the warmth
of sleep.
For a moment, she considered
staying, just for a little longer, to enjoy the
silence, to pretend that the world hadn't
turned upside down.
But she couldn't.
Ivy slid out of bed as quietly as she could,
careful not to disturb him.
Her heart was pounding as she reached for her clothes, pulling them on quickly, efficiently.
She couldn't look at him. She couldn't
afford to look back.
The money was already in her purse-her
price, her payment. That was all that
She was badly in need of it and now that she had it,she could see that she went to college,get her to move to a better apartment and pay up her mother's aging debt.
Ivy moved toward the door, slipping out of
the suite without a word. She didn't leave a
note.
There was no need to say goodbye.
There was nothing between them except a
transaction.
As the door clicked shut behind her, she
took a deep breath, her fingers still
trembling. The night was over. The deal
was done.
But then she felt a slice of guilt cut through her... would she ever be able to move on?
- Writer
