We pulled into an underground garage. Took an elevator to the fifteenth floor. Elio unlocked a door and gestured me inside.
The apartment was exactly what I'd expected. Minimalist. Organized. Everything in its place.
Floor-to-ceiling windows overlooked the city. Hardwood floors. Sleek furniture in blacks and grays. No clutter. No personal photos. Nothing that revealed much about the person who lived here.
Except it did. Because the lack of personality was itself revealing. This was a space designed for function, not comfort. A place to sleep and work, not live.
"It's nice," I said.
"It's functional." Elio closed the door behind us. Locked it. "I don't spend much time here. Mostly just sleep."
I walked to the windows. Looked out at the city lights. "The view is incredible."
"It's the only thing I cared about when I bought it. Everything else is just—" he gestured vaguely "—space."
I turned to look at him. He was watching me with an intensity that made my pulse quicken.
"Why did you really bring me here?" I asked. "It's not just about the view."
"No." He crossed to me. Stopped close enough to touch but didn't. "I brought you here because this is the only place that's completely private. No cameras. No security monitoring. No risk of interruption. Just us."
"And what do you want to do with 'just us'?"
"Everything I've been thinking about since last night. Everything I had to hold back during meetings today. Everything I want to teach you." His voice was rough. Want barely contained. "If you still want that."
"I want it. I want you." I reached for him. Pulled him closer by his sweater. "I know what I want, Elio."
"Knowing and experiencing are different things."
"Then teach me. Show me the difference."
His control visibly cracked. I saw it happen. Saw the moment discipline gave way to desire.
Elio pulled me close and kissed me hard. Desperate. Like he'd been holding back all day and couldn't anymore.
I kissed back with equal desperation. Let him walk me backward until my back hit the window. Cool glass against my shoulders. Elio's heat against my front.
His hands slid under my shirt. Found skin. I gasped into his mouth.
"If we do this," he said against my lips, "we do it right. No rushing. We take our time. I want to show you everything. Teach you everything. Make you feel everything. Understand?"
"Yes. Anything. Just don't stop touching me."
He smiled against my mouth. "Oh, I'm not stopping. Not for a long time."
He pulled my shirt over my head. Dropped it on the floor. Then just looked at me.
"Beautiful," he said. Like it was a fact. Like there was no question.
"You said that last night."
"I'll say it every time. Until you believe it."
He kissed my throat. My collarbone. Worked his way down my chest with lips and teeth and tongue. Found my nipple and sucked hard enough to make me cry out.
"Too much?" he asked.
"No. Perfect. Don't stop."
