I manage to find an unlocked bedroom in the mansion. I pull Loni inside and lock the door behind her. When I turn around, she's standing outside on the balcony that looks over an empty part of the beach.

She shivers as a cold breeze zips by. But I don't make a move to warm her up. I'm keeping my distance for the moment because I don't know what the hell is going on. Setting her off is the last thing I want to do.

Loni shakes her head, rubs her hands down her puffy face, and turns to look at me. "Sorry, I'm such a mess." She tries to laugh.

"What happened to you?" I ask softly, finally making a move, taking her hand. To my surprise, she doesn't pull away. She grips it tighter. I sit down on one of the lounge chairs and she sits next to me without hesitating.

"You--You know that guy from the first time I kissed you?"

Ah yes, Eddie— or Eric— I don't fucking know, but I remember him.

I nod.

"He's my ex and he was here tonight." Her hand reaches up to her neck and her fingers toy with the light bruises on her skin.

Now I'm getting nervous. The thought of Loni hooking up with someone random tonight makes me want to punch a hole through a wall. But the thought of her hooking up with her ex makes me want to do things that will put me in jail.

"Did you—"

"No," she cuts me off sharply and drops her hand. She grips the edge of the lounge chair so tight that her knuckles turn white. "He told me he wanted to get back together." She rolls her eyes and lets out a harsh laugh. "That he loves me." Tears are falling down her cheeks and into her lap. "But he hurt me. Eric hurt me so fucking bad. And you don't hurt the people you love."

"What did he do to you?" I ask. But I wish I didn't. I'm prying now which is what she doesn't want, especially with our circumstances. But I can't help it. It honestly makes my body ache to see her like this.

She shakes her head, wiping her fallen tears from her cheeks. "I don't love him. Fuck... I don't think I ever loved him. I was just more in love with the idea of love and romance. I just don't think deserve it at this point."

"Don't say that." I grab her chin and turn her head towards me so I can see deep into those beautiful eyes of hers. "You need to hold yourself to a higher standard. You deserve every happiness this world has to offer." I take a second to breathe because I can feel heat rising in the back of my throat. "Now I don't know what that guy did to you, but he's a dick, and you are worth so much more than that. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise."

Before I can say anything else, her lips are on mine. Straddling my waist, she kisses me with such hunger. The— what is that? Rum? Tequila?— whatever it is that's on her tongue burns my lips, but I don't care.

She's had some drinks, but she's not drunk. Just loose enough to open up to me. To see blurred lines of this little plan of hers. She opened up to me, and now she's ripping off my shirt. I don't think this is what she had in mind when she proposed her no strings attached plan.

I don't fucking care. I want her. I want her right here, right now. I'm going to give her exactly what she deserves. Pure pleasure. And I'm going to make her forget about every sick fuck that broke her heart.

I sit up while she still sitting over my lap. My erection is dying to get out of my pants and feel her skin. But right now, she's grinding against me over my jeans and I could come from just this.

I rip open her button-down shirt and the buttons break off, scattering all over the balcony. We laugh at that, but not for long. I press my lips to the top of her breast. Sucking a trail to the other one.

She's wearing a sexy white lace bra. I flick my tongue over the lace and she lets out a moan. Through the fabric, I know where her perfect nipples are. I tease her with this motion. Each time, her back arches and she rolls her hips forwards.

I look up at her. Her head is tilted back, her eyes are closed, and the wind is in her brown hair. This could be a fucking dream. She is so perfect.

There's a part of me that's a little bit happy Eddie— sorry, Eric— blew his chance with her, because now she's all mine... In a no strings attached kind of way. But, maybe I want strings. I want to be the guy she comes to for comfort and I want to be the guy that makes her feel better in more ways than one. I want the strings. But I'm not telling her that. Not yet. It could ruin everything.

Reaching down between us, she unbuttons her shorts and slips her hand down them.

Oh my fuck.

My eyes practically roll back in my head as I watch her touch herself while she's sitting on top of me. Hearing her gasp and moan at her own pleasure, there's honestly nothing better than this.

Her eyes flash open and when they connect with mine, she blushes. "Sorry," she says sheepishly. She tries to remove her hand, but I grab it, stopping her.

"Don't you dare," I rasp. "I want to watch you touch yourself."

She cocks a seductive brow at me before she continues. She rubs her clit and grinds on me for added friction. Biting her lip, she holds back a moan.

"Don't do that either." I tug on her lip with my thumb. "I want to hear you. I want to hear those sweet noises, pretty girl." I slip my hand into her shorts, covering the back of her hand with mine. I move us in slow circles, taking back control. "That's it."

Breathy moans fall from her lips as I control the movements of our hands. The tips of my fingers graze over her soaking wet folds. I need to be inside her. I move our hands up and down over her swollen cunt and her chest rises and falls with each stroke.

Before she can reach her climax, someone bangs on the door.

Loni gasps, pulling us both out of her shorts. She chuckles and buries her red face in my bare chest. "Maybe we should take this elsewhere?" Her voice is muffled against my skin.

"Where do you want to go?" I ask, moving the hair away from her face when she picks her head up.

She puckers her lips, twitching them as if she's thinking of where to go. But I already know what she's going to say. It's what I am hoping she'll say. "Take me to your place."