Just One Orgasm!

The drive lasted longer than Emilia expected.

She had spent the first fifteen minutes simply watching the city lights race past the window, occasionally stealing glances at Adrian whenever she thought he wasn’t looking.

He caught her every single time, and she looked away almost immediately.

A smile threatened her lips. "You’re very arrogant."

He gave her a soft hum of approval.

She laughed softly, and the sound seemed to settle comfortably inside the car. For the rest of the journey, neither of them spoke very much.

It wasn’t awkward.

It never seemed to be.

Every now and then, Adrian reached across the centre console to squeeze her hand for no reason at all before returning it to the steering wheel.

Eventually, the city streets began changing.

The familiar cafés and apartment buildings disappeared, replaced by wider roads, towering glass buildings, and carefully landscaped entrances.

Emilia frowned. "This doesn’t look like the restaurant district."

"It isn’t."

She turned to him. "You said dinner."

"I wasn’t lying."

"But..."

Before she could finish speaking, the car slowed.

Ahead of them stood an enormous five-star hotel, its glass façade reflecting thousands of warm golden lights into the evening sky.

Luxury cars lined the circular driveway one after another.

Some Rolls-Royce, some Bentley, some Ferrari, and some Bugatti.

Valets moved with practiced efficiency, opening doors before guests even reached for the handles.

Women stepped onto the red carpet in couture gowns that looked as though they belonged on magazine covers.

Men followed beside them in perfectly tailored tuxedos.

Emilia stared.

"This..." She looked back at Adrian. "...doesn’t look like dinner."

"It is."

He guided the car towards the entrance.

Only then did she notice the enormous display standing beside the hotel’s revolving doors.

Belmont Global Holdings Annual Chairman’s Gala Dinner

Her eyes widened.

"Belmont..." She looked at him again. "That’s..."

"My company." He completed.

The words were spoken so casually that it took her several seconds to process them.

She blinked. "Your company?"

He nodded once.

"Our annual board dinner."

She looked back towards the entrance. Everyone stepped out of cars that probably cost more than houses.

Her heartbeat picked up. "You brought me here?"

"I did."

She looked down at herself. Her fingers instinctively smoothed the fabric of the aubergine gown.

"I thought..."

"You thought we’d have dinner somewhere quiet."

"Yes."

"We still will."

She frowned.

"This is simply where the evening begins."

The valet approached before Adrian had fully stopped the car.

"Good evening, Mr Ashford."

Adrian handed him the keys with an easy nod. "Thank you."

He stepped out first before walking around to Emilia’s side. As soon as her door opened, he extended his hand.

She accepted it softly.

The moment she stepped onto the pavement, the cool evening air brushed against her bare shoulders.

For just a second, she forgot where she was.

Adrian was looking at her again.

Heat rose into her cheeks.

He offered his arm, and she slipped hers through it. Together, they began walking towards the entrance.

The closer they drew, the more Emilia noticed the guests. Nearly every woman had arrived beside a husband or partner.

Soft laughter drifted through the evening.

Crystal chandeliers glowed beyond the hotel’s glass doors, and a string quartet played somewhere inside.

Then something occurred to her.

She slowed. "Adrian."

"Hm?"

She glanced around the entrance.

Everyone else’s faces were visible. Only the two of them still wore masks. She touched the edge of her aubergine mask.

"Why are we the only ones wearing these?"

He stopped walking. His hand rose instinctively to straighten the ribbon near her ear.

"They all know who I am."

She waited.

"But they don’t need to know who you are."

Her expression softened.

"I didn’t want your first evening in my world to feel like your privacy had been taken away." His thumb brushed lightly against the side of her mask. "This way, no one will spend the evening trying to remember your face."

For a moment, Emilia simply stared at him.

"So..." He smiled faintly. "You get to choose when the world meets you."

A very warm feeling settled quietly inside her chest. Without thinking, she rose onto her toes. Her lips brushed his gently.

She gave him a soft brief kiss. When she pulled away, she smiled.

"Thank you."

The corner of Adrian’s mouth lifted. "It’s worth every strange look we’re getting."

She laughed. "I was beginning to think we’d misunderstood the dress code."

"You’re beautiful."

He guided her through the grand entrance.

The ballroom stole the breath from her lungs.

Towering crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling like frozen waterfalls, and fresh white orchids decorated every table.

Soft piano music floated through the room.

Waiters moved effortlessly between guests carrying silver trays filled with champagne.

Emilia turned slowly, taking everything in.

She had never seen anything like it. It felt less like a dinner and more like another world.

A waiter approached.

"Champagne, sir?"

Adrian accepted two glasses.

He handed one to Emilia, and she accepted it carefully.

"Thank you."

She took a cautious sip, her eyes still wandering around the ballroom in fascination.

Across the room, conversations paused.

People had noticed Adrian’s arrival.

Within moments, three distinguished men excused themselves from separate conversations and began making their way over.

Each looked to be in his fifties or sixties, and each carried himself with the quiet confidence of someone accustomed to power.

The first smiled warmly.

"Mr. Belmont."

The second extended a hand. "It’s been far too long."

The third laughed. "I’ve been trying to corner you all year long."

Adrian shook each of their hands politely. "Gentlemen."

"We only need a few minutes," one of them said. "There’s something regarding the Singapore acquisition."

"And the board resolution," another added. "We’d value your opinion."

Adrian glanced towards Emilia before returning his attention to them. "I’m afraid tonight isn’t for business."

The three men exchanged amused looks. "You came to your own gala and don’t want to discuss business?"

"I came," Adrian replied calmly, "to spend the evening with my date." He looked at Emilia with unmistakable warmth. "I was hoping to show her around."

The eldest of the three men smiled knowingly. He turned to Emilia. "We promise not to steal him for long."

Adrian’s attention remained on Emilia. "We can discuss this later."

She looked between the four men.

Even she could tell these weren’t ordinary executives. Their confidence, the way they addressed Adrian as an equal rather than a superior, and the quiet deference in the room spoke volumes.

This mattered.

Very gently, she reached for the lapel of Adrian’s suit, smoothing it between her fingers.

"You should go."

His brows drew together. "I brought you here."

"And you’ll still be here."

"I’m supposed to be showing you around."

"You will." She smiled reassuringly. "In a few minutes."

He looked unconvinced.

The three businessmen wisely remained silent.

Emilia leaned up on the tips of her heels. Her lips brushed the side of his jaw, barely there.

"I’ll be fine," she whispered against his ear. "Go."

The gesture was so natural that Adrian’s shoulders visibly relaxed.

He searched her eyes. "You’ll stay right here?"

She nodded. "I’ll stay right here," She assured.

A reluctant smile finally appeared. "I won’t be long."

"I know."

He hesitated for another heartbeat before looking at the three men. He turned back to Emilia, kissed the crown of her head, and turned back to the..

"Five minutes."

One of them chuckled politely. "You’ve become surprisingly strict with your time."

He said nothing.

The three men followed Adrian toward a quieter corner of the ballroom.

Emilia watched him disappear into the crowd of executives before releasing a slow breath she hadn’t realised she’d been holding.

"So..."

She looked around properly for the first time.

The ballroom was magnificent.

Crystal chandeliers shimmered overhead, casting warm light across polished marble floors.

A white grand piano stood near the far wall where a pianist played something soft enough to become part of the atmosphere.

Clusters of guests laughed over champagne while waiters floated effortlessly between them carrying silver trays of delicate canapés.

Everything looked impossibly elegant, and also impossibly expensive.

Emilia smiled faintly to herself. She still couldn’t believe she belonged anywhere near a place like this.

A waiter approached with another tray.

"Would you care for an appetiser, miss?"

"Oh..." She glanced down.

The tiny bite-sized creations looked almost too beautiful to eat.

"Thank you."

She selected one politely.

The waiter inclined his head before moving on.

Emilia tasted it. "That’s truffle." She laughed softly to herself. "I don’t even know what truffle tastes like."

"Apparently, now you do."

The unfamiliar female voice came from somewhere behind her.

Emilia turned.

A woman in what looked to be her early forties stood only a few steps away.

She wore an emerald evening gown that hugged her figure effortlessly, with diamonds resting elegantly against her neck.

Her smile was polite. Almost too polite.

"I’ve never seen you before."

Emilia returned the smile. "It’s my first time here."

"I assumed as much."

The woman’s gaze drifted briefly to the aubergine mask covering Emilia’s face.

"A masquerade." Her lips curved. "Interesting choice."

"It wasn’t mine."

"No?"

"My..." Emilia hesitated for only a fraction of a second. "...date suggested it."

Understanding flickered across the woman’s face. "I see."

Her eyes travelled briefly toward the group Adrian stood with.

"He certainly has everyone’s attention tonight."

Emilia followed her gaze.

Adrian was speaking with the three executives, though every so often his eyes wandered back across the ballroom.

Each time, they found her without fail.

The woman noticed.

A thoughtful expression crossed her face.

"Well," she said pleasantly, "I hope you enjoy your evening."

"Thank you."

After the woman disappeared into the crowd, Emilia wandered slowly toward one of the enormous windows overlooking the city skyline.

The lights stretched endlessly beneath the night sky.

She rested one hand lightly against the stem of her champagne glass.

This world felt quieter, and more controlled. Nothing like the life she’d always known.

She wondered if Adrian ever realised how extraordinary his everyday life seemed to someone else.

A soft laugh echoed somewhere nearby.

Someone toasted another successful year, and crystal glasses clinked together. The orchestra shifted into another piece.

It all felt almost dreamlike.

Then, she immediately felt a strange sensation. That unmistakable feeling of being watched.

Emilia frowned.

Slowly, she turned her head.

Across the ballroom, beyond the sea of gowns, tailored suits, and glittering chandeliers, a pair of eyes was fixed on her.

The eyes were hostile. Cold enough to make the smile slowly disappear from Emilia’s face.

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