Page 33 of Tempt Me

13.

CHLOE

I wake up feeling like I got hit by a truck. My mouth is dry and my head is pounding. I sleepily reach for the water I keep on the nightstand, trying to remember what happened. Sylvia and the wedding planner... Max... drinks with Sienna... ?

My hand hits sharp edges. I open my eyes, confused. Instead of staring at my old shell lamp and a vintage alarm clock, I’m looking at a digital display reading 11.30 a.m. There’s a glass of water and a bottle of Advil, and a post-it reading, Drink it all.

I squint, my head still foggy. Did I stay over at Max’s last night? But no, he’s out of town on that business trip, and anyway, he doesn’t like me staying over. He says it makes it harder for him to sleep. So if I’m not at home, and I’m not with him...

Where the hell am I?

I sit up with a jolt. “Owww!” That just makes my head pound harder. I grab the water and take two painkillers as I look around the room, my mind racing. I’ve never seen it before, done up in cool shades of navy and grey. The drapes are drawn, so I stumble out of bed and slowly go pull them back.

Daylight floods the room, too bright. I yank them shut again, but not before I catch a glimpse of city skyline.

Think, Chloe. What happened after you left the bar?

I wrack my brains, but no matter how hard I try, all I get are flashes. Sienna and me looking for a cab... my heel twisting on a grate... a guy in a baseball cap sneering at me... and Jase.

Jase!

I gulp, looking around again. Did I go home with him last night? Oh my God!

“No. Nononono...” I look around for my clothes, but I can’t find them anywhere. Crap! I’m practically naked in some stranger’s bed. And not just any stranger, but the man who’s been driving me wild with desire since the moment I first laid eyes on him.

I can’t believe it. I swore I would never be a cheater, but here I am. I’m scum. I’m worse than scum. I’m—

“Morning, love.” Jase appears in the doorway.

I yelp and grab the first thing I can to cover my body. “What... what are you doing here?” I demand, wrapping the curtains around myself. He’s shirtless, in sweatpants, with his hair still wet from the shower.

Damn, does he look hot.

Jase smirks. “Here.” He pulls a thick, fluffy robe down from the back of the door and tosses it to me. “Nothing I haven’t already seen before.”

My cheeks are burning up as I scramble to pull the robe on. “I don’t... I mean, whatever happened, it was a mistake. I don’t do this. I mean, clearly I did, but it can never happen again!”

“Sure about that?” Jase teases, with a smoldering look that goes straight between my thighs. “You seemed like you had a good time.”

Oh my God, what did I do?

And is it terrible that I wish I could remember every last minute of amazing pleasure?

“I can’t believe I cheated.” The guilt hits me hard. “I’m a terrible person!”

“Relax.” Jase grins. “I’m just messing with you. Nothing happened, you were too far gone.”

“But... I’m naked.”

He smirks. “Not naked enough. I put you to bed and slept in the guest room. Believe me,” he adds, cocky, “if I’d had my way with you, you wouldn’t be walking straight right now. You’d be feeling me for days.”

Heat floods through me. I quickly look away. “Oh. OK.”

Relief comes fast. Relief and... regret? I take a deep breath, and smell... “Is that bacon?”

Jase winks. “Why don’t you come and see for yourself?”

He turns and strolls out of the bedroom, disappearing into the apartment. I pause, torn. I know I should get out of here and put as much distance as possible between me and this shirtless, sexy man, but my stomach lets out a rumble.

---