The Valentino's Contract(48-Hours of Sin)

"You look like you're in a funeral, man. It's Valentine's Day, for God's sake. Smile." Damian remarked, leaning against the velvet curtain. He held two glass of wine, his own eyes scanning through the crowd.

Julian adjusted his cufflinks, his expression cold.

"What's there to smile about?"

"Because you're the man of the hour and the reason why we are here today."

"That's irrelevant."

"Always grumpy." Damian chuckled. "everyone knows you're the man of the company. So cheers to that."

"Whatever."

it's Valentine's Day and The Grand Ballroom of The Valentino Grand Hotel was decorated with red and white ribbons and balloons floating in the air. The room looked like a sea of crimson and gold, a cathedral of wealth built to honor the day. Of course! It's Valentine's Day... the very day Julian Valentino loathed with every fiber of his being.

But to the elites of Manhattan and the hotel's stake holders,it was a night of pure romance, while to Julian, it was a reminder of a betrayal that had turned his heart into ice.

Julian was sat in a corner with his best friend, Damian.

"Here, drink up. It's a 1945 Romanée-Conti. Even a saint still needs a vice when the world is this loud."

Julian took the glass, eyes scanning the crowd for his P.A "Maya isn't here yet?"

"Forget about her for now and cheers to five years of the Valentino International." Damian said clicking their glasses, "And also, five years of being the most unreachable man in New York City," Damian added, clinking his glass against Julian's. "Proud of you man."

Julian drained the wine down his throat in a single gulp. He was about to reply when the announcer's voice boomed through the loud speakers.

"Ladies and gentlemen, let's welcome the number one business tycoon in the United Kingdom, the CEO of Valentino International... Mr. Julian Valentino!"

The applause that followed next was loud and cheering.

"It's showtime," Damian said dropping his glass of wine as they both stood heading for the stage.

Julian stepped into the stage light, his black tuxedo absorbing the flash of numerous cameras.

He reached the podium, and his deep voice, he began;

"Five years ago, I stood on a patch of dirt and promised y'all a vision. Most of you called it an impossible dream, you said a man couldn't build an empire this fast without cutting through the corners. Forgetting that in this city, determination is all that matters."

He paused, a smirk playing across his lips.

"But look around you today, The Valentino's empire isn't just a proof of hardwork, it's a testament to what happens when you treat your emotions as a liability. In this city, Love is a distraction, and at the Valentino international, we don't believe in luck, we prioritize discipline, integrity over..."

The words died in his throat.

A sharp electric pulse shot up his spine. The podium suddenly felt hot... no, his whole body was turning hot. A dead of sweat broke at his hairline, stinging his eyes.

"Julian?" Damian whispered urgently from the side of the stage.

Julian gripped the microphone hard until his knuckles turned white. "We... we prioritize integrity over..."

The faces in the crowd began to blur into red and white. His heart wasn't beating at the normal anymore... it was thundering, a frantic rhythm that made his lungs suddenly feel too small. At first, he thought it was the Valentine's Day trauma... the ghost of his ex- fiancée betrayal coming to humiliate him one more time.

Beneath his shirt, his skin felt like it was being electrocuted by a live wire.

"Is he okay?" a voice whispered from the front row.

Then the voices began to spread.

"What's going on?"

"What's wrong with him?"

"Somebody help him."

"This is strange."

Not here, he prayed, his jaw locking so tight that it began to ache. Not in front of them.

Damian rushed to his side to hold him by his shoulder. "Julian what's wrong you?"

"Out," Julian gasped, the word barely a whisper. "I need to get out of here."

He looked at the audience one more time, and didn't wait after that. He turned and strode off the stage with heavy steps. The Holy Billionaire was practically running while Damian ran after him.

The doors of his private elevator hadn't even fully closed before Julian collapsed against the mirrored wall. He tore off his tie, his fingers trembling so violently that he could even contain.

Damian stepped in just as the doors clicked shut."Julian, you're shaking! Talk to me."

Damian shouted, his voice laced with concern, hovering over him.

"The wine..." Julian rasped, slamming his hand against the elevator wall."Damian... My blood is on fire. What the hell was in that wine?" He yelled.

Finally, they got to the hotel's private suite and Julian stumbled out, cashing against the edge of his glass desk. The cool surface felt like ice against his palms and the relief only lasted for a second.

"I'm calling a doctor right now." Damian said, pulling his phone out.

"No!" Julian roared, forcing himself to get back on his feet. "No doctors and No press. If this gets out, the stock, the image, everything burns. I already have enough to deal with tonight."

"Then what do you have me do?"

He staggered toward the suite bathroom, plunging his head into a basin of ice-cold water. He stayed under it until his lungs screamed, but when he pulled back, the heat was even worse. It wasn't just a fever anymore, it was a possessive, agonizing hunger clawing at his groin, shredding away his common sense.

"Julian, you need help," Damian paced the room, watching his friend claw at his own chest.

"You've got a fever of a hundred and four. Talk to me!"

"I... I can't... explain it... in my skin," Julian groaned, falling to his knees. He gripped the edge of the marble tub, his muscles straining.

He began reciting the company's quarterly earnings, a desperate attempt to use logic to kill the over rising lust.

"Revenue... up... twelve percent... net... profit..."

His five years of celibacy, his saint status can't just be crumbled by something he couldn't even name.

"Damian," Julian gasped, reaching out to grab Damian's collar, pulling him down until they were eye to eye. Julian's skin was radiating heat like a furnace. "I'm losing. I'm going to break. Please help me."

"What do you need? Tell me!"

Julian's head hit the floor, his breath coming in heavy. He fought it. He fought it for three more minutes of agonizing silence, his body twitching as he tried to resist the primal urge to tear the room apart.

Finally, the saint broke.

"Get me a girl," he whispered, the words sounding like a confession of a crime.

Damian froze. "A girl? Julian, what did you just say?"

He waited for two more minutes before saying the word again.

"Get me a girl to stop this."

"Julian are you sure? Your reputation..."

"To hell with the goddamn reputation!" Julian screamed, his voice cracking with desperation. He grabbed a handful of Damian's shirt for the second time.

"I'm dying, Damian. I'm burning alive. Get someone here. Anyone. I don't care about the price. Pay it. Triple it. Just get a woman in this room before I tear off my own skin!"

Damian looked at the ruin of his friend, he didn't recognize this man. He pulled out his phone, his thumb hovering over a contact he only used for his own unholy nights.

"I know of a girl, she's the best in the city, Julian.

But she doesn't work on Valentine's. She's off the grid."

"Call her," Julian rasped, his face pressed against the cold floor. "Please."

Damian stepped toward the window, the city lights of New York shimmering behind him. He hit the call button. It rang four times before a tired voice picked up.

"Damian, I told you yesterday. My phone is off and I'm off the radar for today. Unless the city is burning down, you shouldn't call me."

"The city is fine, Tee," Damian said, glancing back at the shivering billionaire friend on the floor. "But a very high-profile friend of mine is currently in need of your service... he's in a bad condition right now."

"Not my problem," Thalia snapped. "I don't do charity work for junkies, no matter who they are."

Damian chuckled. "And who said you're working for free? Come on Tee, he's going to pay you way better than I do."

"I don't care Damian... I'm having a busy day."

"Ten thousand," Damian said firmly.

"Ten thousand for?" Thalia asked sharply.

"Ten thousand dollar for your service. Just 30 minutes to get it. You walk in, put out his fire and walk out with some cool cash. How about that?" Damian asked with a smirk.

A long silence stepped stretched over the line.

"Ten thousand? Who is this guy, Damian? Is he a king or a criminal?"

"He's a man who has more money than time. You in?"

"For ten thousand? I'm already putting on my shoes. Just make sure to tell him l'm not staying a second more than that."

"I promise you. Just hurry up."

The line went dead.

Few minutes later, the taxi stopped at the curb in front of the Valentino's Grand Hotel. Thalia stepped out,the night breeze immediately catching her hair and blowing it across her face as she looked up at the towering glass building in front of her. She smoothed her strands back and began walking towards the hotel's entrance gate, her heels clicking rhythmically as she walked. She successfully walked past the main gates without a stop until she got to the restricted hallway at the end of the hall.

"The suite is restricted," the man growled standing in her way.

"Damian invited me here." Thalia said. Her eyes roaming around the man from his head to his toe with a bored expression. "And unless you want your boss to crawl out his way here suffering, I suggest you step aside." and that was when her eyes landed on his name imprinted on his uniform.

"Kane Vane." She read it out loud. "Such an ugly name for a little cute man."

Kane hesitated, his eyes flickering over her red silk dress. Before he could argue, his radio crackled. "Let her in, Kane. Now!"

Kane immediately stepped aside, and Thalia pushed the doors open with a long dismissive hiss.

Inside, she bypassed the public lobby and headed straight for the private elevator. It wasn't just any elevator, it required a specialized keycard, but the doors slid open automatically for her regardless.

As the doors clicked shut, and the elevator started moving, she caught her reflection in the polished mirrored walls and adjusted her red dress and lipstick one last time before she got to the last floor.

The doors slides open to reveal a private floor with a single entrance. The door has "CEO private suite." imprinted on it.

Ten thousand dollars she reminded herself.

She took in a deep steady breath before pushing the door open and came face to face with Damian who looked like a man waiting for a time bomb.

Damian was standing very close to the door. "You're late, Tee." he whispered.

"I'm on time Dan. You're just anxious," she countered, sliding her trench coat off to reveal the crimson silk beneath. "Where is he?" "In the bedroom," Damian said, his voice dropping low.

"Tee... listen, he's not himself right now. This isn't just a guy looking for good time. He's in pain. Just... stay safe."

"Is he a virgin?" "Come on Tee, remember the deal." She gave a curt nod and pushed through the heavy double doors.

The bedroom smelt heavy with an overwhelming heat. She saw her client sitting against the edge of the king-sized bed. He had his back to her, his shirt discarded on the floor. His broad shoulders heaving as if he'd just run a marathon with sweat running down his back as if he was burning from the inside out despite the AC in the room.

"I'm here," Thalia said, her voice smooth. "And the clock starts now."

Julian's head snapped up.

Thalia's professional mask nearly shattered. Her heart skipped a beat. She had seen him on a thousand and one magazine covers. He looks the same except for his sharp blue eyes now clouded with a dark predatory gaze.

"Julian... Valentino?" she breathed out. "The Holy Billionaire was currently a wreckage of a man and he was seated right in front of her.

"You..." Julian's voice came out cracking, a sound of pure agony. He didn't look at her like a CEO but like a starving man. "Make it stop. Please."

Before she could answer, He lunged forward, his movements were too fast. His hands clamped around her waist with a bruising force, he slammed her back against the bed, burying his face in the crook of her neck, his breath coming in hot, humid gasps that made his whole body tremble against hers.

"Mr. Valentino, wait..." she murmured, her hands coming up to his chest. His skin was radiating a fever so intense it felt like it could burn her palms.

"Don't call me that," he growled into her skin.

"Damian said you were the best. Prove it. Silence this fire, or I'll burn this entire building down with me."

Thalia felt the rush of adrenaline. He was the most powerful man in the city, and right now, he was a slave to her touch. She reached up, her fingers digging into his thick hair, forcing his head back until he had to look at her.

"In this room, you're just a man, Julian," she whispered, her bad-girl throne reclaimed. "And if you want my help, you follow my lead. Do you understand?"

A low, guttural groan escaped him. "Anything. Just... please."

"Right. Your thirty minutes starts now."

He smashed his lips against hers, a desperate, bruising force that tasted of salt and the expensive wine he just had few hours ago.

Thalia met his intensity, her lips swollen within seconds as she felt the saint crumble beneath her. She slid down his body, her silk dress rustling like a warning against his skin until she was completely on her knees.

When she stripped his trousers away, his cock sprang out.

"Wow... you're so huge."

Then she wrapped her hand around the base of his cock, her fingers barely meeting around the thick, pulsing girth. She started slow, her tongue swirling around the crown of it, tasting the salty pre-come that beaded at the tip of him. Then, she leaned in and took him whole deep in her throat.

Julian's head snapped back, the muscles in his neck straining as he let out a sound that was a half-growl, and a half-sob of relief.

His hands flew to her hair, and grabbed handful of them in his palm as his hips started to jerk uncontrollably toward her mouth, his eyes rolled back and his whole body shook in total surrender. But the drug in his system wasn't done. It surged again, flipping a switch in his brain. With a sudden surge of strength, he hauled her up, flipping her onto the silk sheets and tearing the red dress as if it were tissue paper.

"Ahhh!" Thalia gasped as he drove into her without warning, filling her completely.

"Julian..." she breathed, her vision blurring. She tried to move, to take the lead, but he pinned her wrists to the sheets.

"Don't," he rasped against her ear. his gaze dark with a terrifying hunger as he moved between her thighs. "Don't speak. Just take it."

He moved like a man possessed, his hips hitting her core with a frantic, desperate pace. Thalia's legs shook; the sensation was overwhelming, a full, stretching ache that threatened to sweep her professional calculatedness away. Julian let out a deep groan every time he bottomed out, his chest thudding against hers like a hammer.

She fought back when she caught his shoulders, her legs snaking around his waist, forcing him onto his back so she could take control. Standing over him on the bed like a dark goddess in a moonlight, she gripped his cock, guiding it gently to her wet entrance, sinking it down completely. She began to ride him, her pace fast and relentless. Julian gripped her thighs, lifting her slightly to meet every upward stroke, her head rolled back as they moaned in a shattered unison.

"Ahhh,"

"Faster..."

"Mmm," Julian echoed, the sound vibrating against their skin.

The moment was cut short.

BRRRRRR...

Thalia's phone alarm cut through the heat. The thirty minutes was up.

Without hesitation, she pushed against his sweat-slicked chest, sliding off him in one smooth motion. She was flushed, her breathing was unstable, but her eyes were already back on the clock.

"Time's up, darling," she breathed.

Julian stayed on the bed, his chest heaving, his length still standing rigid and as hard as a rock... pulsing with its unspent fire. "Please... wait," he rasped, his hand reaching out blindly.

"I'm not... I can't stop. Stay. I'll pay you whatever"

"The deal was thirty minutes, Sir. And I don't do overtime on short notice." She replied.

She was sliding it on when the room's emergency intercom screamed to life, a broadcast news cutting through the room.

"BREAKING NEWS FROM THE HEART OF THE CITY. A HIGH-PROFILE MURDER HAS JUST OCCURRED AND SUSPECTS ARE AT LARGE AND CONSIDERED TO BE WELL ARMED AND DANGEROUS. ALL ROADS ARE HEREBY BLOCKED, AND A CITY WIDE SECURITY PROTOCOL HAS BEEN TRIGGERED. THE VALENTINO GRAND HOTEL IS NOW UNDER A TOTAL LOCKDOWN AS ALL EXITS HAS BEEN SEALED FOR THE NEXT 48 HOURS. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO LEAVE YOUR SUITES."

What followed next was the sound of the heavy electronic bolts of the suite door clicking shut.

Thalia froze. "What was that?" she breathed. She ran to the door, pulling the handle, but It didn't budge.

"No... no, this can't be happening," she whispered.

She stopped when she felt Julian's hard length poked her from behind, pinning her against the locked door. She turned slowly to see him standing there, his chest heaving, the drug still visible in the darkness of his eyes.

"It looks like my thirty minutes just became two days, Tee," he rasped, his voice dropping to a dark, satisfied growl. "And I still nowhere near my peak."

Before she could argue, he hooked his hands under her thighs, his fingers digging into the sensitive skin of her inner legs. As he carried her back to the bed. Spreading her legs apart, he rolled her short gown upward, without asking, his fingers drove into her with a rough, possessive claim, before sliding his cock back into her heat with a deep groan.

"Mmmm"

Thalia woke up to the first rays of sunshine filtered through the windows of the Valentino's suite with the possessive weight of Julian's arm draped around her waist. For a moment, she forgot where she was until she felt the heat of the man beside her. He was still very much asleep, his breathing deep and steady for the first time since she'd arrived. He looked innocent in his sleep.

She carefully slid out of his arms, her body aching in places that reminded her exactly how she had spent her night with the drugged deranged man. She made her way to the bathroom and found his robe on the hanging, shrugged into it, and went back to the room.

Sitting on the bed, she grabbed her phone from her purse... ready to call Gigi. No service.

"Damn it." She hissed,walking to the heavy doors. She pulled. Nothing. "Still as good as dead."

"The bio-security jammer is working perfectly, and It won't open until the city clears the Code Red Protocol." a voice spoke from the bed.

Thalia turned to see Julian sitting up, the sheet pooled around his waist. The dark, drugged haze was gone now. His blue eyes were piercing, clear, and currently fixed on her with a frightening level of focus. He looked at the robe she was wearing, his face went blank as the memories of the night clearly flooded back.

Letting out a sigh, "So I'm going to be trapped in here with a supposed client for how long?"

"Mr. Valentino," Thalia said, reclaiming her cool mask. "Glad to see you've returned, and the drug seems to have finally let go of your throat."

Julian rubbed a hand over his face, a long, weary sigh escaping him. "It has. Along with my dignity, I guess."

"Don't be so hard on yourself, atleast you had a good time." she smirked, walking toward the mini-bar to fix a shot of espresso. "You were quite... thorough. But I hope you also remember that my thirty-minute alarm went off five hours ago."

She leaned against the counter, the steam from the coffee rising between them. "The first thirty minutes cost you ten thousand. For the next forty hours? My rate has gone up. Significantly."

Julian let out a dry chuckle. "You're trapped in a lockdown with a billionaire during a city-wide crisis, and your first thought is the cash?"

"In this city, Julian, the only thing that's more dangerous than a murderer on the loose is a woman who works for free." She took a sip of the coffee. "So, do we sign a new contract for the next 48 hours or not? Or do we just sit in silence and wait till they let us out?"

Julian stood up, no longer caring about his nakedness, walking toward her with his usual powerful stride that commanded boardrooms, he stopped inches away from her.

"Silence isn't an option for us, Tee," he rasped. He reached out, his thumb grazing the hollow of her throat where her pulse was jumping despite her calm face.

"I'll have Damian wire a hundred thousand to your account the moment the jammers are down. Consider it a retainer for your... exclusive attention."

Thalia didn't blink, though the number made her blood hum. "A hundred thousand? For a saint, you negotiate like a sinner. But make it a One hundred and fifty thousand." With a blank face. "Fine. Deal." he said. Julian reached past her to click on the massive TV screen. The news banner was still plastered on the screen.

"Update on last night's assassination: One of the victim has been identified as Marcus Thorne, CEO of Thorne Tech."

The room instantly went cold. Julian's hand tightened on the remote without a word. but the air around him seemed to darken.

Thalia looked from the TV to Julian. "Marcus Thorne," Thalia whispered. "Do you know him?" "Why?" he asked.

"Because you look like you just saw a ghost."

"He was a ghost," Julian said, his voice dropping to a dangerous low. "One I've been trying to bury for five years. That bastard should have been long dead."

"But... don't you think this might be traced down to you? What happens when the police find out you were drugged, they'll think it was a cover," Thalia asked. "What if they break in here and find me with you? How do I get away?"

Julian turned to her, a slow, dark smile crossing his face. "The world doesn't need to know why I'm missing, or who I'm with," he said, clicking the TV off and plunging the room back into an intimate silence.

"The doors are sealed. The press thinks I'm in a medical retreat. For the next forty hours, I simply don't exist to them."

Thaila smiled. He stepped into her space, his fingers catching the tie of his robe she was wearing. "Which means I have plenty of time to get my money's worth."

"Are you sure the drug is out of your system, Julian?" she teased, though her breath was catching. "You're acting very... un-saintly right now."

"The drug is gone," he rasped, lifting her chin so she had to meet his intense gaze. "This? This is just me." he leaned in, his lips brushing against her ear, sending a fresh jolt through her.

"And even though I'll regret this later, I still want it." He didn't rush this time. He picked her up gently. her coffee cup clattering onto the counter as he carried her back to the bed.

But as he went to pin her down, Thalia placed her palms against his chest, feeling the heavy, frantic thud of his heart.

"Slow down, Saint," she said, maneuvering until she was straddling his lap. The robe slipped off her shoulders, pooling at her waist. "You're paying for the premium package now. That means I get to do the work, while you sit back and enjoy."

Julian's muscles tensed, his hands fisting the sheets as he forced himself to let her take the lead. He watched her, his eyes dark with a mix of hunger and something that looked almost like a devotion.

Her fingers traced down the line of his jawline slowly before sliding lower, circling and playing with his nipples until he let out a jagged breath.

"You were a beast last night, Mr. Valentino. But let's see how well you can handle the heat now that you're sober."

Then she gripped his cock,slowly guiding him to her entrance. She teased him, hovering at the tip, and rubbing it off on her already dripping hole, watching his blue eyes darken until they were almost black.

"Ahhh... damn it, Tee," he groaned, his hands finally snapping out to grip her waist, his thumbs digging into her skin.

She smiled, watching his composure shatter piece by piece. "Patience, Julian," she whispered, leaning down to brush her lips against his. "We have all the time in the world."

When she finally sank down fully and began to move, taking all of him, a jagged, broken sound escaped his throat.

"Ahhh.... Fuck." He gasped.

Julian's control, the discipline he had spent five years building, finally snapped for good. He flipped her, pinning her wrists above her head, his eyes burning.

"In this room," he growled, his voice vibrating against her skin as he began to drive into her with a sober, and a calculated hunger.

"There is no CEO."--- STROKE

There is no Saint." --- STROKE

"There is only this."--- STROKE

"Ahhh!" Thalia's eyes rolled back. His hips hitting hers with a raw force that knocked the breath from her lungs. She arched her back, her hair spilling across the silk bedsheet.

Thalia wrapped her legs tight around his waist, pulling him deeper, her nails digging into the muscles of his back. As she to meet with his intensity stroke for stroke.

He suddenly pulled back, he looked down at her, his large hands starts sliding down her body till it stopped at the sensitive nub of her clitoris.

"Fuck!" she gasped, her eyes rolling back as his thumb began a rolling it. "Look at me, Tee," he rasped. "I want to see you when you let it all out. I want you to know that I'm the one doing this to you, not the drug."

He increased his pace, his fingers began moving in and out of her dripping it roughly, like an expert while his other hand went to her boobs.

The heat became unbearable when he replaced his fingers with his mouth, sucking and driving his tongue in and out of her, sending spark that traveled from her core to her brain.

Her vision blurred.

"Now," he commanded, his own voice breaking as he felt her internal muscles begin to clench around him in a violent squeeze.

"Ahhhh!" Thalia's scream was muffled against his shoulder as her body buckled, a wave of release crashing over her so hard it felt like she was coming apart.

He slowly pulled his mouth away, he watched her deep breathing and the rising and falling of her boobs, then smiled.

His eyes went down to her swollen pink hole, now turning red. He stared at the creamy hole and clit. And slowly, he took his mouth there again.

"Ahhh... holy fuck." Thalia cried out, rolling her eyes backward as her fingers drove into his dark thick hair.

"This is fuc... fuckinggggg good."