by Anthology
Swiping my card through the keypad, I pushed into the gym and froze. Was someone here? No one ever used the gym this early besides me. Great. I hated working out around other people and I didn’t bring anything to cover up. Hopefully, it was a woman, because my sports bra and bootie shorts weren’t exactly concealing and I wasn’t going back upstairs.
Heavy footfalls pounded as the motor of a treadmill hummed. I turned the corner and came up short.
Him.
“Morning, neighbor,” he shouted, face all chipper like he’d already gotten in his Wheaties and knocked out a decent warm up.
“What are you doing here?”
“Girl, last night I killed half a bottle of wine and, after my company left, I annihilated an entire pizza. From lips to hips, I swear.”
He was making fun of me and I sort of liked it. Hiding a smile, I climbed onto the other treadmill.
The gym was nothing fancy, but it was private, for residents only, and had all the basic necessities. Two treadmills, a step machine, free weights, mats, yoga balls, and a few press machines. Except now, there was a wolf in my den.
I adjusted the incline and set my track for eight miles. My gaze skittered to his settings and saw he’d already been at it for thirty minutes. It didn’t matter. This wasn’t Noah time. It was me time. I plugged my headphones into my ears and hit play.
Florence + the Machine’s Shake It Out came on and my body fell into a steady rhythm as I shut out everything else. The drums kicked in and she sang about burying regrets and pushing through challenges and my heart rate picked up the pace. By the time her voice careened into the first climax, my speed was up and I was going full throttle.
I loved to run, the freedom of it, the results, the endorphins. It was exhilarating and it was mine. Faster, I raced to a goal I couldn’t see but felt deep in my bones. There was a better me out there and if I ran hard enough I’d eventually find her.
All of my issues peeled away as sweat broke over my skin and my mind cleared. The chorus kicked in and I was lost, going hard and fast toward everything I wanted and—
My steps faltered as my earbud was yanked out and Florence cut off.
Noah ran at a rapid pace, his head angled in my direction. “Hey.”
I quickly dropped my speed and scowled at him. “Do you mind?”
“No, not at all. What are you listening to?”
He was like a child that needed constant attention. Adorable, but draining. “Music.” I plugged my ear bud back in only to have it yanked out again. “Hey!”
“Talk to me.”
It was too early for conversation. “I don’t talk when I work out. I think and listen to music.”
He pursed his lips. A second later he was off his machine and fiddling with his phone and the sound system by the door. I wasn’t sure if we were allowed to touch that. I always brought my own music.
“I think that belongs to someone.”
“Yeah, me.” He plugged his phone into the AUX outlet. “Now, we can both listen.”
I had a rapid two-second guessing game of what song he might choose. I wasn’t even close.
The quick bass came on and Robin Thicke’s sexy voice filled the gym, talking about good girls getting nasty and wanting dirty sex with blurred lines. Noah bounced back to his machine, cranked up the pace, and tossed me a defiant smile.
Oh, was this some sort of challenge? Okay. I increased my stride and ran full speed ahead. Impressively, he kept pace. His longer legs meant he wasn’t working as hard as me, but whatever. I’d outrun him any day.
I was in a full body sweat when Rhianna yelled Na, na, na, na, come on and started singing about whips and chains in S&M. His music wasn’t my type, but I was picking up on a theme in his playlist. When the chorus belted about the scent of sex in the air, my body started to stir.
At seven miles my heart was thundering and my legs were throbbing. The music dropped to a thrumming pulse as Nine Inch Nails’ Closer echoed through the gym and I laughed. The guy truly had a one-track mind.
I dropped my speed and he dropped his, but we didn’t talk. We dialed back and glanced at each other every two and a half seconds as we cooled down for the last mile.
But I didn’t feel cool. I felt tight and burning hot and ready to launch myself at him. This was absolutely not how my morning was supposed to go.
I clicked off my machine, more concerned about getting a head start to safety than conquering that last tenth of a mile.
“You quitting?” He punched his speed down to a slow crawl.
“I’m done. See you later.”
He frowned, but I pretended not to notice as I wiped off my machine and made a quick escape.
The elevator was busy during this time of the morning, so I impatiently poked the button like a Morse code, as if that might get it here sooner. My gaze shot to the stairs and I debated.
A fight or flight sense of urgency was suffocating me from all angles, yet I was alone in the hall. I heard the door open behind me just as the elevator arrived.
I stepped in and turned. Noah paused at the door to the gym, breathing heavily, gaze fastened to mine. Sweat marked every muscle under his fitted T, delineating his six-pack and pecs. His arms were swollen and his fists were clenched.
Close the door… Close! No matter how much I willed the elevator to shut, time seemed to stand still. The door finally started to move, but Noah crossed the distance in two strides, pivoting and sliding in at the last second.
I didn’t hit the floor button and we didn’t move. We stared at each other in the cramped space, smelling like sweat and lust and sucking all the oxygen out of the air as we panted.
The damp hair at the back of my neck prickled. He wasn’t blinking and he wasn’t giving me room to press the button. I was cornered.
“Noah—”
“Shut up.” He ducked down and caught my bare hips, lifting my back against the wall as he slammed his mouth over mine, his tongue plunging deep and demanding I kiss him back.
Chapter Ten
“Mmph!” I shoved at his shoulders, but he anchored his hard body against mine forcefully, holding me prisoner and taking what he wanted.
His mouth was hot. His tongue was beyond talented. But I didn’t tell him he could kiss me so I wasn’t making it easy. I awkwardly rammed my elbow into his ribs, but in the confined space it hardly drew a grunt out of him.
“Kiss me back, Avery. Give in.”
“No.” I bit at his lips, but that only seemed to encourage him.
He growled and groped my breast through my damp sports bra, squeezing and tugging the unyielding fabric. “I want this off.”
“Tough.”
His hard cock gouged through his gym shorts into my hip, seeking my center as his fingers curled around my ponytail and tugged, exposing my throat to his mouth. It had been so long since a man kissed me with such desire. For a moment, I was lost, falling into a dark abyss of need as my limbs curled around his strength, my muscles humming and my blood purring.
My eyes went wide as the sheer size of him became evident. This was all wrong. This wasn’t what I wanted. He completely dominated me in bulk and strength, but there was no way he’d dominate me in other ways. And how dare he knock me off balance like this!
Reaching down, I grabbed hold of his bulging erection and curled my fingers like a talon around his cock and balls, demanding his attention. He sucked in a breath and jerked back.
“That’s a little tight—”
My grip intensified, my fingernails pressing through the loose fabric and soft skin, as I leveled him with a look that told him my hold was intentional. “Put. Me. Down.”
Uncertainty flashed in his eyes and he lowered me to the floor. I didn’t release my grip as I stared up at him.
He clutched my wrist. “Avery, you’re crushing my—”
“Is this what you want? To fuck me in an elevator? Against a wall? Maybe on our way down the hall and on your granite countertops?”
H
e groaned, the sound half pained, half excited. “If you could just loosen—”
“Quiet.” I was done getting passively blindsided by this guy. “I warned you. I told you one day you’d try your luck with me and not like the result.” My grip tightened, his shorts, hard cock, and full balls fisted firmly in my hold. “I don’t do gentle, Noah. And I’m never a bottom. Understand?”
“If you want to be on top—”
“No. It’s not about the physical position. It’s about the mental one. I’m in charge. Always. And I don’t think you’d like that very much.”
“Maybe I would.”
I arched a brow, wishing that was true, but certain it wasn’t. “Have you ever had a woman fuck you, Noah? Ever experienced true helplessness and surrendered your will, your choice, and your body for her pleasure?”
“Holy shit.”
I loosened my hold but held his full attention. He could have stepped back, but he didn’t move an inch.
My mouth curled into a slow smile. I fucking loved achieving control. Especially when the man didn’t realize he was already under my spell, already submitting to my authority. But eventually, Noah would snap out of it and run.
“You don’t want what I want, Mr. Wolfe, so maybe it’s best we just remain … friends.” A friend was what I needed more than anything else.
He didn’t move, didn’t answer.
“Push the button, Noah.”
He blinked and turned and we were suddenly moving. The short ride seemed a year long as his gaze kept shooting to me. My expression was a mask over secrets he’d never know.
The doors parted and I stepped out, leaving him staring. I didn’t have to look back to know he watched me until the moment I disappeared inside my apartment. Let him figure it out, jerk off a few loads, and find a passive plaything. I wasn’t that girl and he wasn’t my guy. The sooner that sank in for the both of us, the sooner our lives would get back to normal.
I toed off my tennis shoes and a fist pounded on my door. “Open the door, Avery.”
What. The. Fuck?
Couldn’t he take a hint?
He pounded again. “Avery.”
My heart jerked. This never happened before. I never had a guy literally refuse to accept no for an answer. I slowly crept to the entrance, standing where my feet wouldn’t cast shadows.
He banged his fist again and I flinched. “I know you’re in there. You’re hiding.”
I wasn’t hiding. Was I? “Go home, Noah.”
Silence.
I lifted to my toes and peeked through the peephole, only to find him hunched around my doorframe, shoulders taut, as he bore down on my only escape. My heart did a cartwheel in my chest as I sagged back against the wall. Why wouldn’t he give up? “Go rub one out and you’ll be fine.”
His chuckle was gravel scraping along my every nerve. “Why don’t you give me a hand?”
I rolled my eyes but took another step back. He was wearing me down and I was running out of excuses.
“That’s never going to happen. Go home. I have things to do and I’m not letting you in.”
“Pussy.”
He was using my word, yet the way he let it roll off his tongue… It curled around me and tangled up my insides. Knots of confusion throbbed with need and curiosity. “That’s not going to work this time. Go home.”
“Fine. But you can’t hide forever, Avery. Eventually, I’ll find you and you’ll regret every minute you made me wait.”
He didn’t deliver the promise as a threat. It hit my chest like an absolute guarantee, a punishment issued in a vow before delivery, and I shivered, wondering if he had the balls to dare to kiss me again. Next time, I wouldn’t be so gentle.
Creeping back to the door, I peeked through the peephole again, only to find the hallway empty. I should have been satisfied, but I wasn’t.
Chapter Eleven
Signing up for classes online was always a hassle, but there was a quiet satisfaction in seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. Almost finished and then I could go where I wanted, be what I wanted, and never think of the girl I left behind. Avery Dean Mudd would finally be a forgotten memory.
As I was printing out my spring roster, there was a knock at the door. I frowned because it was the middle of the workday and the building was usually empty at this time.
Peeking through the peephole I smiled at the sight of flowers. They must be from Micah. He usually sent flowers at the end of each semester and on other special occasions. Opening the door, I greeted the deliveryman.
“Ms. Johansson?”
“Yes.”
“These are for you.”
They were gorgeous. Sprays of vibrant lilies mixed with enormous sunflowers and eucalyptus sprigs and full bloom roses. “Thank you.”
I tipped him and shut the door, carrying the heavy arrangement to my dining room table. He’d really outdone himself this time.
Pulling out my phone, I sent Micah an email.
They’re BEAUTIFUL. Thank you!
A minute later my phone rang, Micah’s name flashing on the screen. I answered with a smile. “You’re so sweet.”
“I’m flattered but confused. Mind filling me in, sweetheart?”
I frowned. “The flowers. They’re lovely.”
“Avery, I didn’t send flowers. Do they not have a card?”
My smile fell. I searched the large arrangement for a card and found one stuffed deep in the back—not from Micah. I majorly screwed up. “Oh, no…”
“Did you find one?”
“I’m so sorry, Micah. I made a mistake.”
He was silent for a beat. “Apparently, I have some competition. I’ll have to send something more impressive than flowers next time. I assume you have another call to make.”
“I’m sorry, Micah. I just thought—”
“No need to apologize. It was an honest mistake. Enjoy your day, love.”
“Thanks. Bye.”
How embarrassing. I should have identified the sender before assuming. Now, Micah… Ugh. I lowered my phone and stared at the card.
Dinner tonight. This time open the door.
~Noah
I wasn’t going.
Of course, I wasn’t going.
This was crazy. Noah’s persistence had very little to do with me, and everything to do with not getting what he wanted when he wanted it.
He left a phone number on the card so I texted him because, yes, I was too chicken to call.
Thank you for the flowers.
I hit send, sat my phone on the table, and stared at it, waiting for a response. My heart jerked the second the screen flashed.
You’re welcome. We’re going out tonight. Be ready.
Ready for what? It didn’t matter.
I appreciate the invitation, but I can’t. I have plans.
Cancel them.
I scowled at the phone. This was the problem with arrogant men. They constantly wanted their way and they didn’t bend easily. Every ego had a price and I was tired of paying it.
The men in my life who wanted to tell me where to be and how to dress also understood the expectation of paying me handsomely for every demand I let them get away with. They were jobs, and I didn’t want Noah to be a job. I wasn’t sure what I wanted him to be. Everything was getting messed up.
I couldn’t let him bark out orders and assume I owed him anything. That wasn’t how real relationships worked—not that we were in one—especially the sort of relationship I gravitated toward.
No. I wouldn’t ask you to call out of work, so don’t ask me to miss an appointment. Thank you for the flowers.
That was all I intended to say and while the flowers were lovely, they changed nothing. End of story.
He texted a few more times, but once I stopped responding he gave up. So long as we had to continue living across from each other we had to figure out a way to be civil and respect each other’s boundaries. But there was a part of me that feared the short friendship we found wou
ld get destroyed in the process of building necessary walls.
That night I met with Josh and the next evening was Christopher. Micah had kept his word and sent a beautiful Louis Vuitton bag to my apartment. It was gorgeous and smelled of fine leather, but I hardly enjoyed it.
Carefully keeping the custom wrapping intact, I took a few pictures and uploaded it to the auction site. Regardless, it was an incredible gift and I was very gracious when I called Micah to thank him.
He took me out to dinner on Thursday, to celebrate the end of the semester. It was a lovely evening full of champagne and oysters and chocolate desserts that were rich enough to make any woman’s toes curl.
“Thank you for tonight, Micah.”
“It was my pleasure.” He walked me to my door and smiled, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. “You’ll be graduating soon.”
I couldn’t hide the pride that bloomed in my chest at the thought. “Can you believe it?”
“Yes. I always knew you’d succeed. There’s something special about you, Avery. Something that doesn’t know how to walk away without a fight.”
I thought of the various people I met through Micah, the social circles he introduced me to. Every ounce of class I owned was a result of our association and his gentle guidance. “I never would have made it this far without your help.”
“Nonsense. There’s always a way.” He leaned down and brushed a kiss on my cheek. “Get some sleep. It’s a school night.”
“Goodnight.”
Once I had the door locked behind me I heard his steps drift away. I refused to accept money for tonight and that actually made me happier than getting paid.
Micah was crossing into tricky territory. I didn’t want to let him go. He was my mentor and I liked having him in the background of my life. I think he sensed my fear that we would soon part ways and, for his own reasons, objected to not paying me.