004

Chloe’s Pov

I wanted one night where I didn't have to be the smart girl, the reliable student, or the person who had to fix everyone else's problems.

I just wanted to dance, drink a cold drink, and pretend for a few hours that my life wasn't a giant mountain of stress and unpaid bills. My best friend, Maya, had spent thirty minutes doing my hair and convince me to wear a fitted dark green dress that I usually kept hidden in the back of my closet. For the first time in months, I felt pretty. 

So when I walked into the crowded, loud living room of the penthouse party downtown, I took a deep breath and promised myself I was going to have fun.

Then my eyes swept across the room, and my heart completely plummeted into my shoes.

Standing right by the granite bar, holding a glass of dark liquor, was Nathaniel Hayes.

He wasn't in his medical scrubs or his sharp press-conference suit tonight. He was wearing a simple, dark fitted shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, showing off the strong, tanned muscles of his forearms. His dark hair was slightly messy, and he was laughing at something a guy next to him said. He looked unfairly, ridiculously good. It was like the universe was playing a huge prank on me.

Before I could turn around and march straight out the front door, Nathaniel turned his head. His hazel eyes locked onto mine through the flashing party lights. His laugh faded, replaced by a slow, intense look that made my skin prickle with heat.

I tried to ignore him and walked toward the kitchen with Maya, but ten minutes later, I felt a tall, warm presence step up right beside me.

"Are you following me, Bennett?" Nathaniel asked, his deep voice carrying easily over the heavy bass of the music.

I spun around, crossing my arms over my chest and staring up at him. "Following you? I was here first, Hayes! You're the one who keeps showing up everywhere I try to relax."

Nathaniel leaned against the counter, a lazy, gorgeous smile spreading across his lips. "The city doesn't belong to you, Chloe, even if you act like you own the place. Besides, I was beginning to wonder if you ever smiled at anyone who wasn't trying to annoy you."

"I smile at people I actually like," I shot back, lifting my chin high.

Nathaniel’s amused expression faltered for a tiny second. His eyes softened, searching my face with a sudden intensity that made my breath catch in my throat. "Ouch. That was cold, even for you."

"Good," I said, though my voice sounded much softer than I intended.

Instead of walking away like a normal person, Nathaniel motioned toward a quiet, dimly lit balcony at the side of the room. "Come on. Step outside with me for five minutes. If you still hate me after that, I'll leave the party entirely."

I knew I should have said no. I knew I should have turned around and found Maya. But my feet moved on their own, following his tall frame out onto the cool glass balcony overlooking the glowing city lights.

The cold night air hit my bare shoulders, making me shiver slightly. Before I could say anything, Nathaniel unbuttoned his dark jacket and slid it gently over my shoulders. The fabric was warm and smelled heavily of his clean, expensive cologne.

"Thanks," I murmured, wrapping the heavy coat tighter around myself.

"So," Nathaniel said, leaning his arms on the railing and looking out at the city skyline. "Do you really think every athlete with a bit of money is an arrogant jerk?"

"I think money makes people lazy," I said honestly, stepping up next to him. "It makes them think they can buy their way out of consequences. I watched my family struggle when my older brother got hurt, while rich guys at his sports club just paid for faster treatments and moved on. I don't trust people who think money solves everything."

Nathaniel didn't get mad. He didn't yell or defend himself. He just looked down at his glass, nodding slowly.

"That's fair," he said softly, his voice full of a dark, quiet honesty I had never heard from him before. "My family has money, Chloe. A lot of it. And for my whole life, people have treated me like I was special just because of my last name. They don't care if I'm tired, or hurt, or scared of making a mistake. They just want the captain to win the game. Sometimes... it feels like nobody actually sees me."

I looked up at his side profile, at the tight line of his jaw and the quiet sadness in his eyes. For the first time, I didn't see the rich, untouchable hockey star. I just saw a lonely guy carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.

"I see you, Nathaniel," I whispered before I could stop myself.

He turned his head, his hazel eyes locking onto mine with a burning intensity that made my chest ache. "Would you still hate me if I stopped trying to act like a big shot?"

A small, genuine smile broke across my face. "I guess I'd have to find another reason to dislike you."

Nathaniel let out a low, breathless laugh, and the heavy tension between us suddenly melted into something warm, soft, and electric. He took a small step closer, his hands reaching out to gently touch the sides of my waist. My heart pounded against my ribs like a wild drum.

"Can I kiss you, Chloe?" he asked softly, his eyes dropping down to my lips.

My head was screaming at me to stop, to run away, to protect my heart from a guy who lived in a completely different world. "One kiss isn't going to turn you into a decent man, Hayes," I breathed out, my voice trembling.

"Then let me try anyway," he murmured.

I didn't wait for him to move. I reached up, wrapped my fingers into the soft hair at the back of his neck, and pulled him down to me.

When his lips met mine, every single warning bell in my brain went completely silent. The kiss was slow, deep, and full of a desperate heat that swept through my body like wildfire. Nathaniel pulled me tight against his chest, his hands pressing into my back like he was terrified I would disappear. It wasn't clean, and it wasn't safe, but it felt more real than anything I had experienced in years.

An hour later, we were standing in the quiet, carpeted hallway outside his luxury apartment door. The party was far behind us, replaced by a thick, heavy silence.

Nathaniel reached into his pocket and pulled out his brass keys. But before he put the key into the lock, he stopped. He turned around to face me, his chest rising and falling heavily.

"Chloe," he said softly, looking straight into my eyes with total honesty. "Are you absolutely certain you want to come inside with me? Because once we open this door... everything changes."

My hand hovered near the collar of his coat, my fingers shaking slightly as I looked at the dark wood of his door, realizing that my whole world was about to spin completely out of control.