Chapter 2
I stood outside the door, my heart pounding like a drum. The images from Dom’s room kept flashing through my mind–him and Vanessa tangled together, the torn lace lingerie on the floor, and that smug look in her eyes when she stared directly at me. My stomach churned, but I couldn’t let myself fall apart. Not now. Deep breath. You can do this, Olivia.
I raised my hand to knock, each tap like cheering myself on for courage. The door opened to reveal a tall, dark–haired man with piercing blue eyes and a jaw that could cut glass. He wore only loose gray sweatpants. My heart skipped several beats.
Jackpot. Tonight’s distraction might just be exactly what I need.
He didn’t seem surprised by the strange woman who’d suddenly appeared at his door. Instead, he looked me over with a captivating, lazy expression–from my clenched fists to my slightly disheveled hair, to what must have been the lingering
anger and pain in my eyes.
I stood on my tiptoes and looked him straight in the eye, trying to summon every ounce of boldness I’d never had before.
“Hey handsome, you alone tonight? Wanna have some fun?” I said with more confidence than I’d ever possessed.
He stepped closer, closing the space between us until he was almost pressed against my body. I could smell his subtle cologne mixed with something I couldn’t quite identify–something dangerous.
“Are you sure you’re ready for this?” he asked in a low voice, his thumb gently
caressing my chin. “You look like you just went through something unpleasant.”
Damn. He could tell?
“That’s exactly the point,” I replied, struggling to keep my voice steady. “I need to forget some things.”
Something imperceptible flickered in his eyes. Sympathy? Or something else?
“Well then,” he said, pulling me closer, “let me help you forget.”
The next morning, I ignored my aching body and sneaked a peek at the man from
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last night.
He was definitely gorgeous, with features that seemed strangely familiar.
But he was so intense in bed that just looking at him now made my legs wobble.
Following the principle of a one–night stand—meet nicely, part ways nicely—I
placed the only wad of cash I had in my purse next to his pillow.
Before leaving, I felt I hadn’t given him enough and didn’t want to seem cheap. I decisively removed the engagement diamond ring Dom had given me and added it to the pile of money. Despite his good looks and great body, this payment was definitely above market rate.
“Perfect. Saves me the trouble of throwing it in the trash,” I thought, congratulating myself on my cleverness as I prepared to sneak out. Suddenly, an arm wrapped around my waist, pulling me back to bed.
“Using me and running? That’s not how this works,” the man said in a low voice as he nibbled on my collarbone, quickly leaving another red mark.
I cried out in pain and pushed his head away with all my strength. “Enough! Are you part dog or something?”
“How did you know?” he asked, narrowing his eyes with a meaningful smile. At that moment, my phone rang. Predictably, it was Dom. I was about to hang up. But the man’s arm was longer than mine—he grabbed the phone and swiped to answer, giving me a mischievous grin as he turned away.
Immediately, Dom’s familiar yet fake voice came through the speaker: “Liv, where were you last night? I checked the townhouse and you never came home. I was
worried…”
“How thoughtful of you to remember. I’m fine,” I interrupted sarcastically, immediately lunging toward my one–night stand to retrieve my phone.
The man laughed.
Dom heard it clearly through the phone and immediately went on high alert, demanding to know who I was with.
“Olivia Johnson, who are you with? Why is there a man laughing in the
