Chapter 1

I blinked awake, my body throbbing with exhaustion as every muscle protested. No matter how many times we'd been together like this, Ted Wiley's raw, unrelenting energy still left me reeling.

Rolling over, I saw he was already stirring. His chiseled muscles caught the morning light in a warm, honeyed glow, while his eyes remained half-lidded, lazy and distant.

"Up so early?" he asked, his voice carrying that gravelly morning husk.

A sharp twinge shot through my waist as I leaned down to slip on my stockings, only to discover yesterday's pair had been shredded beyond repair by his eager hands.

Ted flipped onto his side, dangling my bra from one finger with a wicked grin. "A grown woman like you still rocking plain white lace? Talk about outdated. Time to switch things up."

I snatched it from him. "Fine, I'll grab some new stuff. What kind do you..."

"No point," he interrupted. "I'm changing the code soon. Stay clear unless you need something."

I was stunned, especially since we had been entangled in this arrangement for a full year now.

At first, it was just sporadic calls every few days, but soon enough, except for his late-night shifts, I was practically living here.

I'd tidy up the place, prepare meals, and in the evenings when we finished early, we'd sink into the couch with movies and popcorn, our hands wandering long before the plot reached its climax.

We moved like a real couple, easy and intimate.

I'd grown so accustomed to it that I'd even let myself fantasize he felt the same—that we could build something lasting, perhaps even a happy little family.

But now, here he was, cutting me loose.

"Is your family coming by?" I stammered. "Or is work piling up? I could..."

He propped himself up, his smirk deepening. "Nah. She finally agreed to be my girlfriend."

It took a moment for me to realize who "she" was—the fresh-faced college graduate he'd been pursuing, according to the rumors.

Over the years, women had paraded through his life like fleeting summer flings, none lasting more than three months. I'd dismissed this as just another whim, nothing worth worrying about.

My mouth went dry. "You're serious about her?"

"Dead serious," he chuckled. "She is not like the others. You wouldn't get it. She is pure and innocent. I can't risk her finding out about us; it'd crush her. I chased her hard."

Sunbeams sliced through the gaps in the curtains, harsh and dizzying.

"Oh... Okay," I murmured after a beat, forcing myself to sound calm. "I'll pack up and head out today."

"No rush," he replied casually, tugging on a pair of gray sweatpants. "You gave up your old place, right? Hang around here a couple of days until you find something new."

I squeezed my eyes shut, a bitter sting exploding inside me and leaving me off-balance. "Thanks, but no. I'm out now."

I didn't even know why I was in such a hurry.

He was right. I had nowhere else to go, but staying felt impossible, as if he'd stripped me bare and left me exposed under the harsh light, with shame threatening to swallow me whole.

My belongings here were sparse. Most of what I'd bought was for him: pots and pans for cooking his dinners, fresh sheets for the bed, and quirky pillows and knick-knacks scattered around the place.