Chapter 4

A sharp beam of morning sunlight sliced through the gap in the heavy blackout curtains, hitting Alexandrea directly in the eyes.

She groaned. Her head felt like it had been split open with an axe.

She rolled over, seeking the dark. Her fingers brushed against the sheets. They were impossibly smooth. Egyptian cotton. High thread count.

Her brain, sluggish and throbbing, registered the texture. This wasn't her cheap Ikea bed linen.

Alexandrea's eyes snapped open.

She stared at a massive crystal chandelier hanging from a vaulted ceiling. Intricate crown molding lined the walls.

Panic hit her chest like a physical blow. She sat up so fast the room spun. She looked down at herself. Her jacket and boots were gone, but she was still wearing her black t-shirt and tactical pants.

She let out a shaky breath, but her heart was still hammering against her ribs. She couldn't remember anything after the third glass of whiskey. She remembered a man grabbing her. She remembered fighting. Then... nothing.

Alexandrea slid her bare feet onto the cold hardwood floor. She moved silently, her bodyguard training taking over. She crept toward the bedroom door and pressed her ear against the wood.

She heard the low hum of a coffee machine.

She held her breath, her combat training instantly overriding her hangover. She carefully pulled the door open just a fraction of an inch, peering through the narrow gap to assess the situation. When she spotted a strange man standing at the marble island with his back to her, her body coiled with tension. He was shirtless, his broad shoulders and tattooed back fully exposed.

Alexandrea slipped out silently, stepping backward to grab the heaviest object in reach-a heavy blue-and-white porcelain vase from the console table-and raised it above her head, ready to swing.

The man turned around, holding two mugs of steaming coffee.

It was Cassidy.

He looked at Alexandrea. He looked at the vase raised above her head. He didn't flinch. Instead, a slow, amused smirk spread across his face. He let out a loud laugh.

"Good morning, sunshine," Cassidy said, leaning his hip against the marble counter. His eyes dragged down her messy hair and wrinkled clothes.

Alexandrea froze. Her mouth fell open. Her arms slowly lowered, the heavy vase pulling her muscles down.

"Cassidy?" she stammered. "Why... why am I here? What happened last night?"

Cassidy's smirk vanished. He set the coffee mugs down. He looked down at the floor, his expression suddenly serious and full of regret. He let out a heavy sigh.

"Last night?" Cassidy said, his voice dropping to a low, intimate whisper. "You were wild, Alexandrea. I tried to stop you, but you just kept coming at me. I'm exhausted."

The words hit Alexandrea like a freight train. All the blood drained from her face. Her stomach dropped to the floor.

She dropped the vase. It hit the rug with a heavy thud.

She brought both hands up to cover her face. A wave of pure, suffocating shame washed over her. She had slept with her college senior. She had forced herself on him. She was a monster.

Cassidy watched her shoulders shake. He bit the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing. He couldn't keep the act up anymore.

He walked around the island, picked up one of the mugs, and nudged her arm with his elbow.

"I'm kidding, idiot," Cassidy laughed. "We just slept under the same roof. You passed out on the couch."

Alexandrea dropped her hands. Her pale face instantly turned bright red. Her eyes narrowed into furious slits.

Cassidy shoved the warm mug into her hands and held his hands up in surrender.

Alexandrea gripped the mug tightly. The heat seeped into her cold palms. She let out a long, shaky breath, the crushing weight of panic finally lifting off her chest.