pte

e felt colde

silver-gray. I sat in the middle of the massive bed, knees drawn to my chest, star

did

the nightstand. No text lighting up my dead phone screen (battery long gone, charger nowhere in si

a stranger

h

rou

'd vanished

Men like that didn't do mornings. They did

tender skin, the faint bruises blooming on my hips where his fingers had gripp

le. Neck marked with faint red blooms from his teeth. Breasts still flushed, nipples dark and sensi

ked w

ked a

in years, I didn'

ng. No bra to begin with. I slipped the silk back on anyway clammy now, wrin

iving room

pt

Like no one had ever

tle of water, chugged half, then splashe

ed to life when I plugged it into the suite's c

missed

ts (I didn't

voice

mails mar

med back lik

to explain. An apartment that wasn't mine anym

s, wiped away the worst of the mascara with a tissue. Slip

morning. The concierge gave me a p

shame every weekend, or he was very

an, wet asphalt and coffee from somewhere. I hailed

re, I chang

me to Reed Enterpr

iew. "You sure, miss? That's do

m s

ng. Maybe because showing up at work looking like I'd been thoroughly f

that the man who'd disappeared this morning owned half the

s, news, the new tech merger that swallowed three smaller compa

ly li

paid with the last of the cash in my clutch, stepped out barefoot (he

topped me

D and app

y chin. "L

epartment.

rance wet dress, bare feet, w

ad

. Can you call up? Tell them I'm coming

d, then buz

A woman in a crisp blazer stepped outm

a Ha

es

mment on the state of me. "Follow

ropped throu

Ka

xecutive elevator. She swiped a c

straight into a corner office

ass. City sprawled

d

kets of a charcoal suit that probably cost more than my car.

hout a word. Doors

t turn a

te," he sa

. "Late for what? You didn't

rned

scar on his jaw. Same mouth th

r like a second skin. Cold

" he said mildly. "Y

roared in

whispered. "Last night.

d

ion hit li

ke I was nothing. And then you left m

Stopped just close enough that I could

'd stayed, I would've fucked you awake. Again. And again. Until you couldn'

him. "You'

gaze dropped to my mouth. "And right now, you loo

ed my face

can't

rd you forget your own name? Mark you so everyone downstairs will smell

enched. Trai

quit," I

ottom lip. "Because you're already

m. He w

ring over mine. Not kiss

e a.m. My office. Wear some

steppe

isse

like

ing, heart hammering

window. "You're dis

d to the elevat

, I caught his refl

s smi

. Pre

isf

e-deep, terrif

wasn'

only be