The hotel bar was buzzing with late-night laughter, glasses clinking, music humming low under the chatter. Harper leaned against the counter, a cocktail in hand, pretending to listen to her friend's story but unable to stop watching him.
Elias. The man at the far end of the bar. Dark suit, loosened tie, sleeves rolled just enough to expose tan forearms and veins that made her thighs tighten. He looked out of place among the drunken tourists, calm, sharp, like he was waiting for something. Or someone.
When his eyes finally met hers, the world shrank. He raised his glass in a subtle toast, lips curving into a smirk that promised trouble.
Her friend disappeared into the dance crowd, leaving Harper alone with her racing pulse. She should leave. She should. Instead, she let her heels carry her closer, sliding into the empty seat beside him.
"You've been staring," Elias said, his voice low, rich.
"And you've been waiting for me to come over," she shot back, surprising herself with her boldness.
His laugh was smooth, dangerous. "Maybe I was." He sipped his drink, studying her with lazy hunger. "But here's the question. How badly do you want to know what happens if you follow me upstairs?"
Her heart stumbled, heat flooding her cheeks. "Depends. What's the catch?"
"A bet," he murmured, leaning closer until she felt his breath on her ear. "If you last longer than I do, I'll give you anything you want. But if I win..." His fingers brushed her knee, tracing fire along her skin. "...you're mine for the night. No rules."
The word mine unraveled her. Her thighs pressed together beneath her dress, pulse skittering. She nodded before she could talk herself out of it.
Minutes later, the hotel suite door clicked shut behind them. The city lights sprawled below, but all Harper saw was him, shedding his jacket, tugging her close until her back hit the wall. His kiss was devastating, stealing her breath, his hands greedy as they roamed beneath her dress.
"You're shaking," Elias whispered, his lips trailing down her jaw.
"You're making me," she panted.
"Good."
He took his time undressing her, dragging fabric down inch by inch, forcing her to squirm, to beg. His mouth explored every curve like he owned her, leaving marks that would bloom purple by morning. The slow burn had her arching, moaning, whispering his name like a secret.
When he finally pressed her into the mattress, she was already wrecked with need. He slid into her slowly, deliberately, groaning against her neck as her nails raked his back. The bet was forgotten the moment their hips collided, because there was no winning, no losing, only the fire consuming them both.
She tried to hold back, to last, but Elias knew her body too well, his hands and tongue pushing her higher until she shattered, crying out, trembling beneath him. He followed soon after, thrusts rough and desperate until he collapsed against her, both of them slick with sweat and breathless laughter.
"You lost," she teased weakly, though her voice shook.
He smirked, brushing hair from her damp forehead. "Sweetheart, we both did. And that means I get to keep you all night."
And as his mouth claimed hers again, Harper realized she wanted exactly that.
Elias didn't give her a chance to catch her breath. He rolled her onto her back, pinning her wrists above her head with one hand as the other slid down her thigh, slow and purposeful. The dominance in his touch made her shiver, but the way his lips softened against hers reminded her he wasn't just taking, he was savoring.
"You're mine tonight," he whispered against her lips, a promise more than a threat.
She gasped when his hand trailed higher, fingers teasing her in ways that left her arching off the bed. He took his time, pulling broken moans from her, keeping her on the edge until she was begging shamelessly. Only then did he let her go, his hand leaving her empty just long enough to make her whimper.
"Say it," Elias demanded, eyes dark and hungry.
Her voice trembled. "I'm yours."
That was all he needed. He slid back into her with one powerful thrust that had her crying out, nails digging into his shoulders. The force of him knocked the breath out of her, but the heat, the fullness, it was everything she craved. He moved harder this time, faster, like he had something to prove. Each stroke sent sparks scattering across her vision, her body winding tighter with every ragged thrust.
Elias bent to kiss her again, swallowing her moans as though he couldn't stand to let them escape. His teeth grazed her bottom lip, sharp and claiming, and she melted beneath him. Sweat slicked their bodies, the sound of skin meeting skin filling the room as the city lights flickered through the curtains.
When she came again, it was violent, her body clenching around him as she screamed his name into the dark. Elias cursed against her throat, holding himself back just long enough to watch her fall apart, then drove into her with a desperate rhythm until he broke too, groaning her name like a prayer.
But he wasn't done.
As her body trembled beneath him, he flipped her easily, pulling her onto her hands and knees. "I said all night," he murmured, dragging his teeth along her shoulder. "You don't get to sleep yet."
The new angle made her cry out, pleasure mixed with raw intensity, and she clutched the sheets as he pushed deeper, harder. His hand pressed against the small of her back, keeping her pinned while his other hand slid between her thighs to toy with her until she was undone again, sobbing into the mattress.
Time blurred. Every time she thought she was spent, Elias found a way to start her fire again, with his mouth, his hands, the rough scrape of his stubble against her sensitive skin. He took her against the wall, in the armchair by the window, back on the bed until the sheets were a mess. Their bodies tangled, desperate and insatiable, until there was nothing left but sweat, gasps, and the sound of their hearts pounding in sync.
When dawn finally spilled pale light across the room, Harper lay tangled in his arms, her body sore, her throat raw from moaning his name too many times to count. Elias kissed her temple softly, almost tenderly, as though the wild, filthy night had been just as much about claiming her heart as her body.
"You lasted longer than I thought," he teased, voice hoarse with exhaustion.
Her laugh was weak, but real. "So… do I get anything I want?"
His smile was wicked, slow. "Sweetheart, you already have it."
And as he pulled her back beneath the sheets, Harper realized that whatever game they'd started at the bar, neither of them had won. But neither of them cared.