~Joan~
Everything happened too fast. One moment, my gown brushed against my thighs, modest and safe. The next, it was bunched around my waist, leaving me exposed.
A sharp tearing sound cut through the air, final and inevitable. My panties, torn and useless. A shiver ran down my spine as the cool air hit my bare skin, and despite myself, a twisted smile crept onto my lips.
I can’t believe we’re doing this. His hardness pressed insistently against me, and I arched into him, a small gasp escaping despite my efforts to stay silent.
“This is what you want, right?” he whispered, his voice rough and breath hot against my ear. A knot twisted tight in my stomach as I shook my head, fighting the storm rising inside.
“Don’t bring your mouth near me,” I managed, keeping my voice steady, almost detached. I couldn’t let him see the heat coursing through me.
I felt the hint of a smirk against my neck as he pulled back.
“Oh, Joan.” His voice was gravelly, mocking. “I have no intention of touching you with my lips.” His fingers found their way inside me, and a moan slipped out before I could bite down hard enough to hold it back.
“Yeah. Moan for me, like the little slut you are,” he growled, and something inside me tightened, the fire burning hotter.
“So wet for me,” he muttered through gritted teeth, his fingers moving rhythmically. “How long have you wanted this? Wanted to get me out of your system just like I do?” His voice was relentless, taunting, and I ground my teeth.
“Just shut up and fuck me,” I spat, desperately trying to erase the smug satisfaction in his tone. I heard the faint sound of a zipper, the crinkle of foil, and then—before I could fully process it—he was inside me, filling me in a way that left me breathless.
His hands stayed planted on the wall beside me, caging me in without a single touch, his body an electric presence. His chest didn’t even graze my back, but he was inside me, dragging me into something dark and dangerous.
His thrusts were hard and fast, pulling nearly all the way out before slamming back in, relentless. I shuddered when he found that sweet, perfect spot that sent pleasure rocketing through me. I was on the edge, so close, when suddenly—he pulled out.
He fucking pulled out. I glared over my shoulder, furious, as he rubbed my clit in lazy circles, not enough to push me over.
“Already coming apart, huh?” he sneered, and I threw it back at him with as much venom as I could muster.
“Pretty pathetic for a guy who doesn't lasts,” I snapped, trying to hit a nerve.
His laugh was low, unbothered. “I know exactly what you’re trying to do, Joan. It’s not going to work.” He slid back inside, keeping just enough distance to deny me the release I craved, hitting every part of me except the one that would send me over the edge.
My nails scraped the window, frustration building, pressure coiling tight inside me.
“Say it,” he rasped, his voice a growl, and the sound of our skin meeting filled the room, the scent of us thick in the air. I knew Rhoda could walk in at any moment, and somehow, the thought only fed the heat.
“Say it,” he repeated, his hand wrapping around my throat. It was the first time he’d truly touched me, and my pulse jumped beneath his fingers.
He hit that spot again, teasing me, once, twice, enough to drive me to the brink, then pulling back. My mouth stayed stubbornly closed, defiant.
“Pl… please,” I stammered, tears prickling as my legs threatened to give way. My control was slipping, and I hated it—hated him for pushing me here.
Then he drove into that spot again, and I shattered, my walls clenching tight around him as I let go, letting the orgasm tear through me.
I closed my eyes as light burst behind them, every nerve alight. It had been so long—too long.
He didn’t slow, his movements becoming frantic as he chased his own release. I felt him swell inside me, his groan rough in my ear, and then he let go, his grip on my throat loosening as he came.
Reality crept back in slowly. I watched him as he removed the condom, tying it off with a kind of mechanical precision, his expression unreadable in the reflection of the window. I tugged my dress down, feeling his absence between my legs like an ache, a hollow reminder of what had just happened.
What have I done?
We didn’t look at each other as I picked up the torn scrap of my panties from the floor unredeemable.
I walked to the room, opening the door with trembling fingers and slipping inside. The door clicked shut behind me and I leaned against it, closing my eyes.
I'd just fucked my best friend's brother.
~ Joan~“It was fun, Jo. You should have seen,” Rhoda gushed over her mug of coffee. I gave an absent-minded nod as I lifted mine to my lips, the warmth doing little to ease my tangled thoughts.She'd returned last night. I'd pretended to be asleep to avoid facing her. Truthfully, I couldn't sleep at all.“He's really cute,” she muttered, her eyes lighting up with that glint they always had when she found someone or something particularly fascinating.“Saunter off again without letting me know, and he won't have a cute face anymore,” a deep baritone came from behind me, making every nerve in my body grow taut.The color drained from Rhoda's face as her gaze darted behind me. I was certain my face mirrored hers—though not for the same reason.“Aaron,” she said, her voice sharpening. I forced myself to remain composed, bracing for whatever he was about to say next.A small part of me dreaded that he might actually tell his sister we’d had sex. And that too, in the living room.The mere
Too Busy To Care ~Aaron~“We’re wrapping up the final project,” Lauren said, pointing at the screen as the slides transitioned. Her voice was crisp, professional. I tapped my fingers against my chin, considering the information.“I assume you’ve kept Mr. Hampton in the loop?” I asked, watching her expression. Lauren nodded and moved away from the screen, her focus shifting to gathering her files.The office was quiet, the others having left after the board meeting. My recent trip to Spain had paid off—I’d managed to secure a deal with a man whose investment I’d been pursuing for months.“Yes, I have. He seemed quite impressed,” Lauren replied. I nodded again and stood. She busied herself with packing her files, not sparing me a glance.This was precisely why I enjoyed working with Lauren. She wasn’t one of those women who threw coy smiles in my direction or pretended to be mesmerized by me. She didn’t care about my looks, let alone my personality—which, admittedly, was nothing to writ
~ Joan ~I glared at Aaron, who sat with his usual regal arrogance, an amused expression playing on his face. Plucking my earbuds out, I narrowed my eyes at him.“You scared me,” I snapped, pushing myself off the ground and brushing off imaginary dust.“Not my fault you decided to block out the world,” he said, his gaze flicking to the earbuds in my hand with thinly veiled disapproval. I cocked my head, annoyed.“Why were you sitting there watching me like some creep?” I asked, crossing my arms. He shrugged, his dark eyes dragging over me leisurely, setting my nerves alight.“I liked what I was seeing, so…” He let the words trail off.I huffed, turned away, and headed to the counter, pouring a glass of water. I could feel his eyes boring into my back, the weight of his attention impossible to ignore.My phone buzzed in my pocket. Pulling it out, I glanced at the screen: a text from my editor.“Please tell me you’ve come up with something.”I sighed, dropping the phone fall on the coun
~ Joan ~Rhoda let out a choked laugh once we’d reached a safe distance, far enough to be sure those men weren’t on our heels anymore.Throwing her head back, she laughed again, the sound disappearing into the night air. It was 10 p.m., and the sparse crowd around us stared like we’d lost our minds.“Glad you find this funny,” I said dryly, though a faint smile tugged at my lips as I dangled my heels in the air.I’d slipped them off earlier when we’d outrun the men. How we managed to sprint so fast remained a mystery.At least I was lucky. My purse was still intact, though I was certain my fists and legs would be sore by morning.“Jo—oh, goodness,” Rhoda stammered, wiping tears of laughter from her cheeks. I just stared at her.Rhoda wasn’t one to stand up for herself. She’d have been forced to tonight if I hadn’t been there.A shudder ran through me at the thought of Rhoda being dragged into something so vile. Worse still, Aaron would likely kill me if he found out anything had happe
~ Joan ~The days flew by quickly as Rhoda and I enjoyed ourselves. Well, it was safe to say our version of fun was... unconventional. After the incident at the club, things only got worse.Rhoda had always been drawn to danger, which led us to our latest escapade.“We're not supposed to be here, Jo,” Rhoda whispered, clamping her hand over her mouth to stifle a chuckle. I nudged her as we crept deeper into the now-silent tower.It was past midnight, and we’d been explicitly warned that guests were not allowed in the tower after that hour.We’d stuck around—sneaking, to be precise—out of sheer curiosity. What could be so special about this place that it had to be closed at midnight?Climbing the staircase, we treaded lightly, using our phones as flashlights.A flicker of movement in the corner caught my eye. I lowered my flashlight and squinted, trying to make out what it was.Rhoda turned, shining her light in the same direction. A rat squeaked and scurried toward us.And that’s when
~Aaron~“Dress up,” I said, tossing her dress over to her. She sat up on the bed, staring at me with wide eyes as she clutched the dress to her chest, shielding her breasts from view.Not that I was looking anyway.She regarded me quietly as I moved around the room, picking up my phone and wristwatch.“Where are you going?” Angelina asked. I gritted my teeth, irritated.“My study. I have work to catch up on,” I replied coolly. I was already dressed in simple black pants and a T-shirt.Ever since I returned to Brooklyn, work had been my escape—my way of keeping my mind off things I had no business dwelling on.Like a certain green-eyed woman with red hair who’d been invading my thoughts all week with the most inappropriate images.Angelina narrowed her eyes at me. She leaned forward, her breasts mirroring the movement. My eyes darted to them for a split second before I quickly looked away.Angelina had a stunning body, as expected of a model and fashionista. She had the kind of figure
~Aaron~“Where are they?” I asked, following the officer, who happened to be one of my acquaintances. He shook his head at my impatience as he led the way.I had arrived in Spain a few hours ago, and it was still quite early in the morning. After signing the bail papers—for both girls, of course. Not like I’d leave Joan here, knowing full well she had no one else to rescue her.I had once been tempted when she and Rhoda were arrested back in New York. I’d left with Rhoda, who cried all the way home, and eventually bailed Joan out, instructing the cops to keep my identity hidden.To her, I had abandoned her to rot, and it might just be one of a thousand reasons why she hated me. The good news was, I didn’t care.Rhoda immediately stood up when she saw me. She had been curled at the far end of the prison room with a few brutal-looking women. Joan, however, remained seated. Her knees were drawn to her chest as she watched us quietly.I paused for a second, taking in the expression on her
~Joan~I hate my boyfriend. He sucks.Those were the only words I’d written since an hour ago when I turned on my laptop. The cursor blinked at me like it was mocking me, daring me to write something meaningful. But no, all I had was resentment and an empty brain.Rhoda was in the middle of a bad mood swing, thanks to her brother freezing her accounts and blacklisting her. Honestly, I’d be pissed too.So I had wandered through the house and discovered that the infamous Aaron actually owned a library. It was massive, artistic, and packed with books—so many books that, for a moment, I mistook it for a bookstore.It was quiet, dim, and cool—the kind of space where inspiration should’ve flowed. Yet my mind was blank. Was writing horror always this hard, or was my brain just betraying me today?And then I felt it.The hair on the back of my neck prickled, and I knew someone was there. I didn’t need to turn around to confirm it—I felt the presence. I knew who it was.My body told me before
~Joan~By the time we pulled away, we were both breathless, and I was sure the hunger in Aaron's eyes mirrored mine. It had been too long. His gaze flickered to my chest, and his jaw tightened slightly. "You wanna come with me to the rooftop?" he asked, his voice low. I swallowed, suddenly aware of the people around us. A few were staring, including the woman from earlier. I had completely forgotten about her—that was how much power Aaron had over me. "The movie isn’t over yet," I pointed out, my voice coming out breathy. He raised a brow, and after a brief pause, I nodded. "Fine, let's go." He stood up and offered me his hand. I took it without hesitation, letting him help me up as we made our way out of the theater. "What are we going to do on the rooftop?" I asked as we climbed the stairs, taking two at a time. Aaron kept a firm grip on me, making sure I didn't trip. "You’ll see," he said, a hint of amusement in his voice. My stomach flipped. My first thought was sex, and I
JoanI was surprised when Aaron asked me to dress up because we were going out. I tried getting some information, but he was unusually tight-lipped about our destination. He wasn’t one to reveal his plans easily, but still, I had expected at least a hint.I stared out the window as he drove through the city, having absolutely no idea where we were headed. With no direction on what to wear, I’d settled on a casual green dress. He said I looked gorgeous, though, so I figured I’d made a decent choice.After a while, we pulled up in front of a building I immediately recognized—I’d been here before with Rhoda. My brows furrowed as I turned to him. A cinema? Aaron didn’t strike me as the type to sit through a movie, let alone in a crowded theater. He switched off the ignition and unbuckled his seat belt, then reached over to undo mine as well."Did I miss something?" I asked, my voice laced with curiosity as he flicked the seat belt open. His fingers brushed against my thigh, light and deli
AaronI moved slowly to the rhythm of the soft music playing as I stirred the sauce, swaying just a little. I had left Joan in bed so I could make breakfast before she woke up. Since I hadn't been able to get much sleep anyway, I figured I might as well make myself useful.Joan had made it a habit to glue herself to my side, draping her legs over me and tucking her hands into my shorts. I’d just stared at the ceiling in resignation, willing myself to stay still. I had a feeling she knew exactly what she was doing while pretending to be asleep. And even though my mind knew she wasn’t ready for anything yet, my body had an entirely different opinion."What are you doing?" Her voice came from behind me, and I froze for a moment before glancing over my shoulder. She leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed, green eyes sparkling with amusement.I shrugged, masking the flicker of embarrassment creeping up my spine. "Cooking," I said, keeping my tone neutral.She hummed, stepping closer un
~Joan~"No, I'm good. Do I really have to stay here? I could always rent another apartment, you know," I muttered as Aaron helped me into his penthouse, carrying my bags. He didn’t respond, and I knew that was a definite no.I had just been discharged from the hospital after the doctor confirmed I was okay to go home.He insisted I avoid anything too exhausting, and then Aaron decided—without asking—that I’d stay with him. In his words, "for the time being."But I knew Aaron. He wouldn’t let me leave, even if I fully recovered. Not that I minded. I liked his apartment. It held memories, just like the other house.I glanced around, searching for something to distract myself."Nothing's really changed around here," I murmured. Aaron hummed in response, dragging my bags along. I stood in the middle of the living room, watching his back."Are we sharing a room?" I asked, because I really wanted to know. My relationship with Aaron was undefined, and I had no idea what we were—friends? A co
~Joan~Alessia chuckled awkwardly. “What?” She stared at me like I'd lost my mind. My jaw tightened as my eyes drifted to Luna, who stood next to her daughter.Bitterness bubbled inside me, thick and impossible to ignore.Why didn’t she love me enough to take me with her to Spain? She got a new family, a fresh start, and I was left behind, struggling to fit in, struggling to push past my abandonment issues. Even now, after all these years, it still wasn’t easy.And now she walked in here smiling, like everything was perfect, like nothing had ever been broken.Fucking Aaron.I glanced at him as he made his way beside me, looking like he wanted to say something.“Can you ask her to leave, please?” I muttered, keeping my voice low. “I’d like to talk to Alessia alone without her in the picture.”Luna’s brows drew together, her expression matching Rhoda’s confusion.“There must be a misunderstanding. We’ve met before, haven’t we?” Luna asked, and I gritted my teeth.“Jo, what’s going on?”
~Aaron~The next morning, Rhoda arrived, and since Joan was still sound asleep, I left her in Rhoda’s care.At home, I took a quick shower, changed into fresh clothes, and placed a call to one of my employees at DomisAd.“Sir?” Her Spanish accent was rich, unmistakable.Alessia had gotten my number from Noah, wanting to inform me that one of our staff had been in an accident and to ask if I wanted to visit. I told her I was already at the hospital and invited her to stop by.“How many of you are coming?” I asked. A brief silence followed.“We’re three. We share an office, so yeah,” she said. I pursed my lips.“Remember what I told you yesterday?”“Yes, sir, but—”“Just do it,” I cut in, not giving her a chance to argue. This was the time to fix everything. I just wanted to give Joan a chance at happiness—real happiness.I ended the call, grabbed my keys, and headed to one of the nearby restaurants. Safe to say I bought everything remotely edible—except steak. Joan didn’t like steak. S
~Joan~I felt someone walk into the room, and I turned. His dark eyes met mine as he closed the door quietly behind him, his movements careful, almost hesitant.He gave me a small smile, and my heart flipped again. I pressed my lips together, trying to steady the tremble I felt creeping in.He came closer, settling into the seat beside my bed before taking my hand in his. His touch was warm, grounding. He sighed, running his fingers gently through my hair, the motion soothing my scalp.“How are you feeling?” he asked, his voice softer than usual. I nodded.“Great. Since you're here now,” I muttered, watching as he gave another small smile before lowering his gaze to my fingers. He didn’t seem to understand just yet.I lifted my IV-connected hand and ruffled his hair, feeling the soft strands slip through my fingers. His head tilted slightly as he looked up, both amused and mildly curious.“What was that for?” he asked, raising a brow.“Your hair looked inviting. I couldn’t resist,” I
~Aaron~I left the hospital once Joan had fallen asleep. There weren’t enough words to describe how I felt when I walked into that room and those green eyes turned to me. I wanted to fall to my knees, but the mild confusion in them kept me standing. The last thing I wanted was to startle her.I headed down to the basement, Louis and another guy trailing behind me. The air was thick with the damp, metallic scent of the underground space. I barely spared a glance at the figure tied to the chair—blindfolded, gagged, and completely helpless."I want to believe none of you touched her," I said, my voice even but laced with a warning. They both gave a curt nod. I was in for a lot of things, but rape wasn’t one of them. Women were a rarity here, and I had made it clear—no one was to lay a finger on them. I gave the orders, and that was one line I refused to let anyone cross.She jerked against the restraints, wrists rubbing raw against the coarse rope. I watched the skin turn red where it bi
~Joan~It was dark, but I could hear the voices. Familiar ones. I wanted to open my eyes, but they were too heavy. I wanted to cry out for help, but my voice wouldn't come. Still, I could hear them."Hey, Jo. How are you doing today?" It was Aaron. I wanted to tell him I wasn’t okay, that everything hurt, but no words would come. His fingers brushed against my hand, warm and reassuring."Open your eyes for me, kitten. I fucking miss you." His voice was strained, thick with something raw. My lips wouldn’t move. When had speaking become so difficult?"I miss you too." The words echoed in my mind, but the darkness pulled me under before I could force them out.When I surfaced again, I had no idea how much time had passed. The room was silent now, still shrouded in that same suffocating darkness. My body ached in places I couldn’t name. I stayed still, listening, hoping someone would come.The quiet broke with the sound of a door creaking open. Then—soft, muffled sobs. Someone was crying.