Chapter 125 The Test
Alex: POV
I smiled at Mia, fighting the hollowness in my chest. This beautiful woman was practically throwing herself at me, and here was my chance to prove once and for all that I was straight. That what happened with Daniel was just a desert-induced anomaly.
"It would be my pleasure to spend the night with a beautiful woman like you," I said, my voice smoother than I felt inside.
Her eyes lit up, pupils dilating with desire. She leaned in close, her perfume enveloping me as she whispered, "My place is twenty minutes away. But there's a hotel just around the corner."
"Lead the way," I replied, throwing cash on the bar for my drinks.
Outside, the night air was cool against my flushed skin. Mia linked her arm through mine, her body pressing against my side as we walked the short distance to the hotel.
Why did it feel like I was walking toward an execution?
The hotel lobby was discreet, with dim lighting and a bored night clerk who barely looked up as I paid for the room in cash.
The elevator ride was silent, Mia's hand tracing patterns on my chest, her eyes promising everything I should want.
The moment the door closed behind us, she was on me like a wildcat. Her lips crashed against mine, hungry and demanding. Her hands pulled at my shirt, tugging it free from my pants as she backed me toward the bed.
I went with it, responding on autopilot. My hands found her waist, sliding up to cup her breasts through the silky material of her dress. She moaned appreciatively, the sound vibrating against my mouth.
"I've been wanting to do this all night," she breathed, breaking the kiss to pull my shirt over my head. "You're even hotter up close."
I managed a smile, focusing on the mechanics. This was just sex. Basic biology. I'd done this countless times before.
Her dress hit the floor next, revealing black lace underwear that left little to the imagination. Objectively, she was stunning—curves in all the right places, skin smooth and flawless in the muted hotel lighting.
"Your turn," she purred, reaching for my belt.
I helped her, kicking off my shoes and shedding my pants until we were both down to our underwear. Mia pushed me onto the bed, crawling over me with feline grace. Her hair fell around us as she kissed me again, her tongue exploring my mouth.
Her hand slid down my chest, nails lightly scratching a path to the waistband of my boxers. I closed my eyes, trying to lose myself in the sensation.
Daniel's face flashed behind my eyelids—his eyes dark with desire as he'd looked up at me in the tent.
No. Not now.
I pushed the image away, focusing instead on Mia's body, the weight of her straddling my hips, the softness of her skin under my palms. I flipped us over, taking control, kissing down her neck to her collarbone.
She arched beneath me, wrapping her legs around my waist. "God, you know exactly what you're doing," she gasped as I unhooked her bra with practiced ease.
Her breasts spilled free, and I lowered my head, taking one nipple into my mouth. She tasted like sweat and expensive lotion, her fingers threading through my hair to hold me in place.
"That feels amazing," she moaned. "Don't stop."
I continued my path downward, kissing across her stomach, hooking my fingers into her panties and sliding them down her legs. She was completely bare, glistening with arousal as I settled between her thighs.
"Fuck, yes," she hissed as my tongue found her center. I worked her with my mouth and fingers, her moans growing louder, her hips bucking against my face.
When she came, her thighs trembling around my head, I felt a flash of satisfaction. At least I could still do this right.
Mia pulled me up for a kiss, tasting herself on my lips. "Your turn," she whispered, reaching down to palm me through my boxers.
And that's when reality crashed in.
Nothing. I wasn't hard. Not even a little.
Mia's expression shifted from desire to confusion as her hand explored further. "Are you... is everything okay?"
"I'm just... give me a minute," I muttered, embarrassment flooding through me. This had never happened before. Never.
She tried to help, sliding my boxers down and taking me in her hand, then her mouth. Physically, it should have been incredible—her technique was flawless, her enthusiasm evident. But my body refused to respond.
'Daniel's hands on my skin, his voice rough with want as he'd guided me inside him...'
"Stop," I said suddenly, pulling away. "I'm sorry. I can't do this."
Mia sat back on her heels, confusion morphing into irritation. "What the fuck? Are you serious right now?"
"I'm really sorry," I repeated, reaching for my boxers. "It's not you, I swear."
Her face hardened. "Let me guess. It's not me, it's you?" She laughed, the sound sharp and humorless. "Fucking classic."
I fumbled for my pants, shame burning through me. "I've just got a lot on my mind. Work stress, you know?"
"Bullshit." She stood, grabbing her underwear. "You should see a doctor, you know that? This isn't normal." Her voice dripped with venom as she gestured at my crotch. "Or maybe you're just into guys. Is that it?"
The words hit like a physical blow. I froze, one leg in my pants, as she continued her tirade.
"Yeah, that's probably it. You're so far in the closet you can't even get it up for a real woman." She snapped her bra back on, movements jerky with anger. "What a fucking waste of my time."
I couldn't speak, couldn't defend myself. Because what if she was right?
Mia dressed in record time, snatching up her purse. "Don't bother calling me. Not that you could perform anyway." She slammed the door behind her, leaving me half-dressed in the silent hotel room.
I sank onto the bed, pants still undone, and buried my face in my hands. What the hell was happening to me? I'd never had performance issues before. Never. And now, with a woman who looked like she'd stepped off a magazine cover, I couldn't even get hard.
I knelt on the bed sheets, staring at my limp cock, the reality hitting me like a sledgehammer. I couldn't get hard for a woman. A beautiful, willing woman who had practically thrown herself at me.
"I'm fucked," I whispered to the empty room. "Completely fucked."
My phone buzzed from the floor where it had fallen from my pocket. I ignored it, too lost in my spiraling thoughts to care who was calling. What would I even say? "Sorry, can't talk right now, I'm having an existential crisis because I just discovered I might be gay at twenty-eight?"
Gay. The word I couldn't bring myself to think earlier hung in the air now, inescapable.
But that couldn't be right. I'd dated women my whole life. Enjoyed sex with women. Been attracted to women.
And yet here I was, unable to perform with a gorgeous woman, while memories of one night with Daniel still haunted my dreams.
I finished dressing mechanically, movements slow and deliberate, as if I were underwater. The hotel room felt suffocating suddenly, the lingering scent of Mia's perfume and the rumpled sheets mocking my failure.
As I walked out of the hotel, I wondered, 'am I really into guys now?'; No way,I couldn't believe it.