Chapter 3

AVA'S POV

Max arrived at the office a few minutes after I arrived and I followed behind him to give me his schedule for the day.

As I read the schedule out to him, I watched him bring my resignation letter from his drawer and my voice went lower when he signed them.

"I thought about it over the weekend and I realized there was no point forcing you to stay here if you really want to go."

"I'm sorry for the inconvenience," I said.

I turned to the door and pushed it open. I looked back to see him one last time but he didn't even spare me a glance. I had thought that leaving him and this company would make me feel free but rather, I felt empty.

Packing my stuff inside a box, tears threatened to roll down my cheeks but I held it in. I couldn't afford to break down, not there.

After bidding all my colleagues, who were surprised by my sudden departure, goodbye, I took a cab back home. Throughout the ride, I closed my eyes to stop the tears from gathering in my eyes and wallowing in my self-pity.

My phone rang, thereby interrupting the numbing silence. It was Rae calling.

I answered right away.

Her voice was light and playful, but I could sense the worry behind it. "Is that stupid boss of yours still refusing to accept your resignation?"

"He accepted it today." I sighed. "I'm supposed to feel happy that I'm finally free but I feel so empty. Is that weird?"

"No, it's not..." she replied. "You know what? I think you should let loose today. Go to the bar, get drunk, and flirt with some hot guy. You will be a lot better. "

"I think I should do that. I will only think about him all night if I stay at home."

That night, I put on the sexy outfit I owned. It was a blue shiny dress that stopped just below my ass and exposed a bit of my cleavage and my entire back. I felt a bit uncomfortable wearing it but I didn't care. I needed to let loose and forget about Max.

My eyes scanned the crowd as I made it to the bar. I caught a familiar figure with the corner of my eyes and I took a good look to see that it was him. Max Anderson.

The one person I was seeking distraction from was just a few feet away from me. To make matters worse, his eyes met mine and I quickly looked away. Prying at him from the corner of my eyes, I noticed him making his way toward me.

"Ava?" He called and I turned to get a good look at him.

The top button of his shirt was unfastened, his tie undone and his hair was disheveled like he had been running his hand through it but he still managed to look so handsome.

"You look so fucking beautiful," he said as his lust filled eyes scanned me from head to toe.

His finger came up to my cheeks and caressed him. "Was this why you left so you can play around with other guys looking this sexy? If I knew, I would have made you stay by my side forever, even if it meant tying you down."

I removed his hands from my cheeks. "You're drunk, Max."

"I'll be the judge of that." he held my face in one hand, bringing his face dangerously close to mine. "Answer me. Are you here for other guys?"

I pushed him and stood up from the bar stool to step away from him. "You have no right to tell who I can or cannot be with. I'm free to do anything I want."

As I turned to go to the dance floor, he pulled me back and I came crashing into his chest. His hands wrapped around my waist as he gazed down at me, "I'm also free to do anything I want with you. You're mine, Ava."

His lips came crashing down on mine before I had the chance to react. It was no soft kiss. It was all-consuming, desperate. Like he wanted to assert something he didn't have any entitlement to.

And I didn't stop him.

I was so consumed by his lips on mine that I didn't know when we got to the hotel. Max pushed my back against the door as soon as we walked into the hotel room. His lips attacked mine and I held his shirt tight as I pushed my body closer to his, wanting more. He lifted me up to wrap my legs around his waist as he left my lips to continue his assault on my neck.

He walked away from the door with my body still wrapped around him and he threw me on the bed. I swallowed hard as he climbed on top of me and I ignored my brain that was screaming at me to stop this madness before it was too late because my body was enjoying every minute of his.

Max kept his gaze on me as one hand went under my dress, trailing up in between my legs. I let out a short gasp when his finger touched my soaking clit.

"Fuck, you're soaking wet for me." he tugged on my panties and the thin fabric fell apart. He inserted his finger inside and pumped it in and out of me and I became a moaning mess under his touch. He continued his assault on him and I urged him to go fast. Just as I was about to cum on his finger, he stopped making me groan in his frustration.

He removed the strap of my dress from my shoulder and pulled the material down to reveal my naked body underneath. He climbed down the bed to take off his clothes before climbing on the bed and parting my legs before him.

Without wasting, he pushed his large cocked inside me, filling me to the brim and we groaned at the contact.

"I'm going to make you scream my name so loud that everyone will know that you are mine."

He moved in and out of me, first slowly but he increased his pace, thrusting his member inside me as I screamed his name which only fuelled him more.

"Yes, max. Faster. Please, don't stop."

"Fuck, you feel so good." he moved faster and harder and my eyes rolled to the back of my head.

The first thing that caught my attention when I woke up that morning was Max's chest beside me rising and dropping steadily.

Part of me wished to believe this indicated something.

That last night wasn't simply a drunken mistake.

Max moved next to me and his arm slid away from my waist as he arose.

He sat and I could see the sudden realization on his face as his body stiffened next to me.

"Good morning," I mumbled.

Max said nothing. He grasped for his phone on the nightstand.

I swallowed hard and continued. "About last night…"

He cut in, "It should never have occurred. It was just a drunken mistake. Forget about it."

My chest tightened and it became so difficult to breathe in the room.

The words were like a slap to my face.

I sat up, wrapping the sheet around my naked body. "What?"

He simply turned to me and said, "It's best if we leave that way."

That was the best excuse he could come up with.

He got dressed and walked out of the room. No goodbye, he didn't even pause to give me another glance.

I rested there, my hands shaking and my tears-filled eyes on the shut door.

Had I expected that he would wake up and suddenly realize he wanted me? That last night had mattered to him?

I was a fool to think that. A big fool.