City of Sin Read online

  “Thank you.” I smile at him. “That’s awesome, Foster.”

  “I guess I’ll see you later on then.”

  Just as he leaves I see two very familiar faces entering the building. Kayleigh and Mia, here for a work out. I really didn’t expect her to come in today, I thought that she would be too embarrassed, but here she is! This is awesome news, it means she really does like me and something might happen.

  Just remember, don’t let her too close, I remind myself. Don’t forget Alex.

  I don’t know how Mia would react to the news that I have a child but since I’m not diving into anything too serious, I won’t ever need to find out. After Ally, I don’t ever want to let anyone in that close again.

  I watch her from a distance, waiting to see how she’ll react when she sees me but she pointedly doesn’t see me. She must be aware of me, there’s no way she can ignore the chemistry between us, but she doesn’t want to see me. Either she can’t because the feelings are overwhelming, or she doesn’t want to because she needs me to get the hint. I really do hope that it’s the first one.

  Don’t push her. Don’t force her, just hang around and see what happens.

  It’s hard, it isn’t me at all, but I force myself to keep away, to give her the space she needs. I hope all of the patience, which I don’t normally have, is rewarded and in the end, she comes back to me.

  I check my watch, wondering if she will stay late again so we can have some time alone. To prepare for that eventuality just in case, I fire off a text to Foster.

  Noah: Actually, forget what I said, don’t worry about coming in early. I’ll get the equipment out early tomorrow morning. It makes more sense because we have been extra busy today.

  Foster: Are you sure? I don’t mind…

  Noah: No, it’s fine. Don’t worry. Thank you though.

  Foster: I shall see you at the normal time then.

  I blow out a breath of relief, glad to have time alone if I need it. Now, I just need to survive the rest of the day.

  * * *

  It’s a relief when Mia says goodbye to her friend and sends her on her way. Even more so when the rest of the patrons go too. The longer the afternoon has rolled on, the more desperate I have become to speak to her and it seems like the time is coming. I can barely sit still as I wait for the changing rooms to empty out.

  Every so often, I dart my eyes towards Mia but she isn’t looking back. Still, she’s here. She’s remained, so that’s what I’ll have to take for now.

  “Hi,” I say quietly as I walk towards the treadmill where she runs. “How are you?”

  A deep shade of red covers her whole face. “Erm, yeah hi…”

  I don’t think it’s a good idea to jump right into the difficult topics just yet, so I try something else. “You know, I have a load of new equipment out the back including a state of the art treadmill. Do you want to see it?”

  “This isn’t state of the art?” She brings the machine to a halt. “Sure, I’d like to see something better.”

  “Okay, great. Come with me.”

  She follows behind me, walking tentatively as she does. My heart keeps skipping like crazy as I take her into the storage room which is filled with brand new equipment, all wrapped up.

  “Oh, I can’t really see it…”

  “Hold on.” I give her a winning smile. “Let me just peel it open.”

  I rip the cellophane off the treadmill and grin as her eyes open wide in shock. “Oh wow, that’s nice.” She steps up onto it and runs her hands along the handle bars. An impressed noise flies out of her mouth. “I like it a lot.”

  “Well, I should be getting it out soon so I’m glad that you’re impressed.”

  “You know.” She darts her eyes downwards and bites down on her bottom lip. I can tell that she’s about to say something serious even before she does. “That kiss was…”

  “Wonderful?” I offer hopefully. “The best kiss that you’ve ever had?”

  “Well, yes, but…”

  “You want to do it again? All the time?”

  “I just think…” She runs her eyes all over my face, searching for answers. “It was a mistake…”

  “You think so?” I know she doesn’t mean any of it. I can tell. “You really think that?”

  “I… I… I don’t know,” she admits. “It was a mistake, wasn’t it?”

  Then, we’re kissing hard and fast, pawing at each other like there’s no tomorrow. All the frustration from last night comes flying out and we can’t seem to hold back anymore. I peel the sticky clothes from her body and she helps me along, needing them gone too. Her flushed skin is delicious in my fingers, it’s better than I thought it would be, my fantasies didn’t do her justice at all.

  “Oh God, Noah.” I move my mouth from hers and kiss all over her exposed throat and collar bone while she strips me down too. My cock is fully to attention for her and soon springs free.

  “Fuck.” I hold her tightly, our naked bodies intertwining, heat swilling around both of us. “Mia.”

  Her knees give way and she collapses onto the treadmill, dragging me down with her. I fall willingly, spreading out over the machine, christening it in the complete wrong way.

  “This isn’t exactly what I meant when I said the kiss was a mistake,” she teases.

  “I know, but this is so much better, don’t you think?”

  Her belly grazes over my cock as she climbs on top of me, causing a guttural groan to fly out my mouth. For days now, I’ve wanted to touch her, to hold her for ages now, so I sink my fingers into her hair and pull her face to mine to kiss her hard.

  The longing that we tried our hardest to ignore last night explodes between us. The shy girl has somehow vanished and she’s turned into a sexy goddess while she straddles me. I fucking love that I’ve brought that out of her. Either that or she’s the shy girl on the street and the power house between the sheets. I like that too!

  She grinds into me as her tongue fills my mouth, groans and moans flying from both of us, vibrating between us. There’s a primal urgency as we finally cave to the deep temptation between us. Thank God we’re here. My heart hammers against my rib cage, even harder as her nails dig into my skin. I nibble and lick all over her skin, pulling her up until one of those delicious nipples of hers pops into my mouth.

  “Shit, Noah.” Her head tosses backwards, her red curls spill down her back. “That’s too much…”

  I tug and tease, moving my fingers down her core. I find her, hot and ready for me, soaking wet. It’s as if everything that happened between when we first started dancing and now has been foreplay which means she’s been driven to the edge. I drive my fingers deep into her, allowing her to control the rhythm with her hips.

  I wonder if it’s been a long time, she seems so wild it must have been.

  “Noah,” she whimpers as the strokes get faster and more passionate. “Oh, Noah.”

  I love hearing my name come out of her mouth. It’s pure seduction. She grows louder and more intense as she grows tighter around me, pulsing desperately. Her face tightens, her expression is phenomenal, she looks even more beautiful when she’s like this.

  I can’t take it anymore, she’s too fucking beautiful. I need her. I reach across to my gym shorts and grab a condom out of my pocket. I know it might seem presumptuous to always have one with me but I’ve learned it’s better to be safe than sorry. There’s nothing more frustrating than being in this position and not being able to do anything about it. If I had to stop this right now I would lose my fucking mind.

  She snatches it from me, desperate to get it on, and peels it open with her teeth. She grabs hold of my rock hard cock and rolls it over me. The grazing of her skin against my erection is too much.

  I grab her hips, and pull her above me, settling between her thighs and I watch her intently. She looks like she’s in heaven as she sinks down onto my cock. She’s so tight, so hot, it’s so difficult for me not to spin her around and take control of her.


  Usually, I like to dominate, but I’m happy to let Mia have all the power.

  She rocks back and forth, her pert breasts bouncing as she goes. Seeing Mia this way, like a live porno is too much. I can barely handle it. I push into a sitting position to crash my body against hers. We bang our mouths together and kiss frantically as she clamps around mine, coaxing the orgasm from my cock.

  “Oh fuck,” I grunt. “Oh, fucking hell, Mia.”

  She’s something else, she’s fucking everything, right now she’s my world. She tosses her head backwards, screaming so loud the whole street can probably here. There could even be people in the gym, trying to work out, listening to us fucking and I don’t even give a shit. Actually, that makes it even hotter.

  I come hard and fast in her, exploding like I’ve been on sabbatical from sex for a very long time. Then we hold on to one another and gasp for a while, enjoying the blissful after period of sex.

  “Wow, that was…” I start, but Mia jumps right in.

  “I wasn’t expecting that,” she pants. “That was… I didn’t know it could be that good.”

  That heats up my chest, completely warming me to her with her kind words. But it just reminds me that she’s guarded, something has happened to her. I want to ask her, to learn more about this beautiful woman, but at the same time I don’t know if it’s a good idea. If I’m going to keep my distance then I suppose that means I can’t learn about her too.

  “Shit, I better go.” She suddenly seems to realize where she is. “This is…”

  I grab her hand and hold her before she races off, I don’t want another encounter to end on uncertain terms.

  “Don’t panic,” I reassure her. “This is what it is, okay? No pressure, nothing to worry about, okay? It won’t get weird.”

  She nods slowly. “Okay, thank you, Noah.”

  I hope she understands and accepts it, she doesn’t look certain, but I have to let her go to grab her clothing so she can dress herself.

  10

  Mia

  My paint brush flickers across the canvas rapidly, my emotions bursting free as I go. The songs on the radio play loudly, filling me with glee. I do feel a bit weird about what happened in the gym, that isn’t me at all, but you know what? It was awesome. I enjoyed it, he enjoyed it, what is there to complain about?

  Thank goodness he said that part at the end about things not being weird. That’s helped me. Now I can look back on the memory with happiness, I can just think about how awesome it felt, I don’t need to worry about how he will see me now. It’s all good, it’s going to be fine.

  “Knock, knock.” Kayleigh wanders into my apartment as if she belongs here. “Hey, are you ready for our run… woah…” Her eyes nearly pop out of her head. “You’re painting again?”

  “Yeah, nothing serious, just for myself.”

  “This is awesome, I love what you’ve done there.” She walks over to the painting. “It’s amazing. You really should start putting yourself out there again. Work as an artist. I know you aren’t happy in that bank.”

  “Oh, no this isn’t something that I’m doing with an aim to work at it again.”

  “Why not? You need to have more confidence in yourself.”

  I shrug and immediately shut the idea down. “No, I don’t want to be criticized…”

  “What got you back into painting again?” She presses her hands to her hips and narrows her eyes at me. “I’ve not known you pick up a paint brush in the last year. Soemthing has changed.”

  “I don’t know… doing this marathon, going on a journey…”

  “Our fundraising page is doing really well by the way, which is great.”

  “I know.” I smile widely. “I’ve been checking it loads. I keep promoting it everywhere as well.”

  “Hmm, I noticed a big donation came from Noah…”

  “What?” I grab my phone and check the page. “Oh wow, he really has given us a lot.”

  “Is there something that you want to tell me because I’m pretty sure there is.”

  I gulp down, trying to prepare myself for what’s to come next. She’s going to have a lot to say.

  “Yeah… me and Noah slept together.”

  “I knew it.” She bangs her hands together in glee. “I knew it was coming. When did it happen?”

  My cheeks flame. “At the gym.”

  “In the gym? Inside the actual gym? You did not!” I nod to let her know that actually I did. “Holy hell, that’s awesome. Did you sneak off or something? How did that even happen?”

  “There wasn’t anyone else in the gym but we snuck out the back.”

  Kayleigh shakes her head, completely in shock. “I don’t even know what to say about that. So, that explains the donation then. That’s crazy. Does that also explain the painting?”

  “You think that’s why he donated?” I shake my head, not wanting the answer. “I actually started painting again when he said that he’d buy one of my works for the gym.”

  “How did that subject even come up? God, you really are a dark horse, aren’t you? So, this is for him.”

  “Oh, no way. This is for me. It just made me want to start painting again.”

  “I definitely think you should show him. At least take a picture to show him.”

  “I’ve taken pictures of all the pieces that I’ve created, but not to show him, just for myself.”

  “Okay.” Kayleigh holds her hands up, defeated. “Now I need to hear about the sex. I can’t believe that I’m so shocked I forgot to even ask. Was he amazing?”

  I groan loudly. “He was so amazing, I haven’t ever had sex like it. It was… oh wow, there aren’t words.”

  “Well, that’s good. I always tried to tell you that Wesley seemed like he was shit in bed.”

  “I wouldn’t have seen it at the time, but now, after Noah, it’s obvious. He was terrible.”

  “We are going to the gym now, to see him, you do realize that?” I nod, totally accepting it. Noah told me not to worry and I actually haven’t been. I’m not concerned to see him again. “How will you act?”

  “Just like normal. I’m not going to get all up in my head about it.”

  “Wow… that isn’t like you at all. I’m stunned. Now I think is the perfect time to ask him on a date.”

  I stop dead in my tracks. “Really? You don’t think that seems…”

  “What? Desperate, no way, he’s already slept with you, he likes you.”

  This would be a massive step in the right direction, pushing me out of my comfort zone. I like the idea of being brave and taking control of the situation. I did that on the treadmill and it worked out just fine…

  “Okay, maybe. I’ll think about it.”

  Kayleigh screams and laughs at me. “I love this version of you. You’re much more open.”

  “I know. I like this version of me too. It’s weird.”

  “You mom would be proud to see you stepping out of your shell.”

  “I don’t know if Mom would be proud of how I’ve been acting.”

  “Oh come of it.” She pinches me playfully. “Your mom was wild in her younger days.”

  If that statement came from anyone else I wouldn’t like it, mostly because I never knew my father. I’m not saying Mom didn’t know who he is, she just never offered the information and I never asked, not even when she was on her death bed and I knew that time was running out.

  He wasn’t ever in the picture and I don’t need him now.

  But I know that Kayleigh doesn’t mean it as an insult. It is what it is, she’s just trying to encourage me to keep being brave. I smile and giggle along with her.

  “Yeah, maybe you’re right.”

  “Go and get your gym kit on and look sexy. Today is going to be a big day.”

  “Oh, God, don’t put the pressure on. I might fall apart.”

  She laughs and sends me on my way, making me shudder as I go. I might actually do something totally crazy today and ask a guy out… ma
ybe. I don’t know, I haven’t decided yet. Who the hell knows? I’m excited to find out though.

  * * *

  “Well, hello there…” Noah’s eyes light up the moment he sees me. The happiness shines through which warms me up and makes me feel amazing. “How are you today, Mia?”

  I can’t stop myself from going red. I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to talk to Noah without blushing. He just brings the coy side of me out… some of the time. “I’m good thank you. How are you today?”

  “Much better since you’ve walked in.” I shiver really obviously and that makes him grin. “Well, I know you haven’t come here to talk to me so I’ll let you get on with your work out.”

  I feel a wrench as I walk away from him. I did come here more to speak to him than anything else, but I can’t say what I want to quite yet. I need a good distraction for a moment.

  “Wow, he is so into you,” Kayleigh hisses at me. “Ask him out already.”

  “No, not yet. I can’t.”

  “Can I go and speak to him? Maybe I should show him your paintings…”

  “No way, don’t. I might do that at another time.”

  “You won’t. I don’t buy it.”

  “Didn’t you just say that I’ve changed? That I’ve come out of my shell?”

  She cocks one eyebrow at me, barely believing me. But she doesn’t say another word. We hop onto treadmills next to one another, not the new one, thank goodness. It still amazes me even now how much I’ve improved in such a short space of time. I’m running harder, faster, I’m not running out of breath as easily. I still don’t fully know if I can run a marathon, but I’ll get a lot closer.

  “He’s looking at you,” Kayleigh hisses at me. “Go and talk to him now.”

  “What do I say?”

  “Thank him for the donation. That’s a good place to start. See what happens from there.”

  I breathe deep a couple of times. “Yeah, I can do that. Thank you for the donation, I can say that.”

  “Go now, while he isn’t talking to anyone.”