Girl You Fucked Before (18+)

Intoxicating Kind Of Love

Vanessa

This can't be right, can it?

I glanced down at the scrap of paper that Ryan had scrawled his address on and compared it to the brass numbers on the towering brick building. The apartment had a view of the Hudson River and a cobblestone staircase.

Sure enough, the address was correct.

How can he possibly afford this? He's in college. Hell, most graduates with a steady paying job couldn't afford a place so luxurious in New York City.

Reluctantly, I pressed the buzzer, still not certain that this was where he truly lived.

"Hey, V," he replied through the intercom. "Come right up."

He met me at the door, opening it with a flourish as I marveled at the studio loft. Three of the four walls were covered in brick while exposed piping gave the place an industrial look. A large window provided a panoramic view of the sparkling river and Brooklyn Bridge.

"Ryan, your home is amazing," I remarked, slipping my scarf from my neck. "Tell me your secret. How does a college student such as yourself afford a loft so extravagant?"

"Well, you see, I'm a cookie dealer," he replied with a wink. "I sell Oreos to all the students who are feening for their next sugar rush."

I gave him a playful nudge on the shoulder. "No, seriously. How?"

He shrugged. "Truthfully, it's out of my price range but it's well within the budget for a father that is notorious over on Wall Street."

"This is exquisite," I breathed, taking a seat on the brown leather couch.

He grabbed a bottle of chilled white wine out of the refrigerator and popped off the cork. "Were you expecting a shoe box with three different varieties of locks and an out of order elevator?" Smiling, he handed me the glass of wine before setting out a plate of cheese, crackers, and grapes on the wooden coffee table in front of me.

"I'm not sure what I was picturing, to be honest." It was true. My mind hadn't bothered to conjure up the place where Ryan ate, showered, and slept but since I was there...

My eyes fell upon the Queen size bed stationed by the window. Linens and sheets of black gave an erotic appearance to the room that left me blushing. I quickly darted my gaze away to anywhere but his mattress and noticed an easel in the corner.

On it was a half-finished oil painting of a woman with a brilliant beaming smile and wild, curly raven locks. She had a smattering of freckles across her nose and reminded me of a pixie. I briefly wondered if she was a girlfriend and wandered over to the canvas to get a closer look.

Ryan's eyes followed me as he walked.

"This is amazing," I remarked, glancing over at him. "Did you paint these?"

He joined me in front of the easel, studying the image for a bit before nodding. His expression held a touch of sadness and my curiosity over the female featured only grew. "Art is my passion," he explained. "But my dad has made it clear that it's not my future."

Ryan folded his arms across his chest, commanding his features to be stern. "Son," he began gruffly, imitating his father. "Painting does not pay the bills. Finance does. You already have a career laid out for you, working alongside me so don't waste your time with such nonsense."

I gestured at the loft. "Ah, so this place does come with a hefty price that you have pay."

He pointed at me. "Bingo. My father will foot the bill of whatever I need while I'm completing my schooling, so long as what I'm studying aligns with his goals for me."