What difference did any of this expensive metal and leather make compared to a quality silicone toy?
And what did he mean, "I don't fuck women"?
Was he gay? The thought hit her with surprising force, flooding her cheeks with heat.
Now, the entire puzzle clicked into place. The relentless parade of women, the non-stop sessions, the intense noise, it wasn't about penetration; it was about performance and pleasure delivered in a way that didn't require him to engage sexually.
He was a service provider, alright, one who bypassed the conventional. It's the first time she's heard of something so bizarre. She couldn't wait to tell Jenna and Mari and laugh over it.
Feeling foolish for her blunder but suddenly sympathetic to the hidden struggle of her mysterious neighbor, she inhaled a long breath. She offered him a soft, genuinely apologetic smile.
"Oh, I guess I was mistaken then. I... I sincerely apologize for disturbing you so late in the night. I didn't know gay men offered such services. Nonetheless, it's impressive of you, but that's not what I'm looking for." Ava stated, eyeing the St. Andrew Cross with a distinct grimace.
She thought Noah hadn't heard the word 'gay' over the silence. But his eyes, those terrifying emerald eyes, blazed instantly, morphing into something violent and malicious.
Before she could blink, he was in front of her. He had crossed the wide floor in two massive strides, eating up the distance between them. His large fingers curled hard around her neck, not quite choking her, but certainly delivering a stunning, inescapable pressure.
Her eyes widened with fright, but she didn't try to fight him off. She was mesmerized by the sudden, terrifying shift in his demeanor.
Noah scoffed, the sound rough and low in his throat. "I am not gay. My reasons for not fucking women are none of your business. You walked inside here with a request, and I'm not the kind of person to turn one down."
His grip remained firm, controlling her movement, forcing her to look up at him. "Now, are you in or out?"
Ava may not know who her neighbor was, but one thing was certain after these few minutes she'd spent in his apartment.
He was a man of few words but very straightforward. And there was nothing teenagerly about him.
This was a man who sought control as much as she did. But, where she was willing to lose control for the first time, Noah didn't seem like the person to ever give it up. Ava wondered what storm hid underneath Noah's carefully controlled calm.
She briefly wondered if he's ever let himself go wild in bed. If he wasn't gay then why did he not fuck women? Was he scared of hurting them? Did he really have a defect down there as Mari had guessed? Or was he too big?
The last thought made Ava squeeze her thighs together.
Noah's eyes scanned her face, dropping briefly, possessively, to her lips before settling back on her gaze.
Ava swallowed hard, the movement painful against his fingers. Her brain screamed contradictory thoughts. He just choked me! Leave! But another, deeper part whispered: He didn't refuse your offer. He still gave you a choice.
She had come here to break the rules, to smash her routine, to find that chaos Jenna had joked about. For too long, she had been the go-getter, the rational one, the lawyer who never put a toe out of line.
What harm would it do if I just did something out of character for once?
Noah, her spicy, hot, terrifying neighbor, was the embodiment of the recklessness she craved.
"I want it. I'm in," she said, the words barely a rasp.
At the same instant, Noah released her neck. The pressure vanished, leaving a stinging warmth and the sharp, visceral understanding of his power.
It would be just for tonight. One night of giving in. One night of chaos. And she would go back to her normal life with an experience worth savoring until the New Year.
Noah released Ava's neck and stepped back, restoring the distance between them. The pressure vanished, leaving a stinging warmth and the sharp, visceral understanding of his power. His eyes, now possessing a cold, dangerous gleam, swept over her body.
"Good girl," he murmured, the first hint of satisfaction she'd seen on his face. He pointed toward the center of the room, past the terrifying equipment. "Take off your clothes."
