Chapter 1:

The hotel pulsed with music and laughter. Clinks of champagne glasses and the scent of expensive floral perfumes lingered in the air.

Renata Castell danced in front of the mirror adorned with pink and white tulip flowers. Her champagne-pink dress hugged every curve of her petite body.

Her best friend, Nina, placed a plastic silver crown on her head that read "bride-to-be" in bold golden letters.

“Another shot for the lady of the night!” One of her friends shouted.

“Last night,” Nina corrected with a wink, handing her the drink.

Renata laughed, already buzzed, the room gradually spinning. “You all are insane.”

“Exactly how a spinster night should be,” Nina replied as she drowned the remaining drink in her glass.

They were staying in the presidential wing of the Grand Monarch Hotel. Santiago Hidalgo, her fiancé, and his groomsmen were in the executive wing just across the courtyard. Separate buildings.

Santiago was having the time of his life, away from the pressure, the interviews, the family company, and politics. He forgot them all.

Renata danced till her legs ached. She couldn’t stand it anymore, the silver heels she was forced to wear were hurting her.

She finally left the hall, giggling as her cheeks flushed pink with excitement from the party and the thought of being married to her college sweetheart.

She was meant to walk to her room just two doors down. But the hallway seemed so far stretched and she was too tired to walk. Her legs wobbled and the gold 306 on the door glittered like hers.

She pushed it open without a second thought.

Inside the room was warm with dim lights. A man’s blazer was on the chair. Jazz humming from the Bluetooth speaker. Just as she loved it.

She kicked off her heels and yanked off the crown, laughing to herself. “Santiago?” She whispered.

“You left the door unlocked, dummy,” she belched as she loosened the scrunchie on her burgundy hair and flipped it, her hair resting on her waist.

The man on the bed turned lazily. Shirtless, muscular, half-asleep.

“I was wondering when you’d show up,” he mumbled, voice low and husky with alcohol.

Renata blinked, too drunk to register the difference. The air lingered with Santiago’s earthy, spiced cologne. He even sounded similar.

She thought her head was spinning, that her vision was just blurred from the shots.

She crawled onto the bed.

And when his hands found her hips, she didn’t stop him.

He kissed her like a man who had nothing to prove. Rough. Skilled. Possessive.

She gasped against his mouth as he rolled her beneath him. Her dress slipped off like silk meeting the floor. His breath against her skin as he spoke was warm and comforting. “You’re even prettier than I imagined.”

She thought it was the alcohol.

She thought he was just being sweet.

Santiago knew how to make normal words sweet to her ears.

His mouth found its way to her nipples. He was deliberate and easy on her titties as he suckled on them while giving them a good squeeze each time she moaned in pleasure.

Every teasing bite he had on her nipples sent shivers all over her body. He watched her trying to say some words but she couldn't. All she could do was bite the corner of her lips.

His tongue trailed from her nipples to her belly button and then to her pussy.

“Wet and warm. Huh?” He raised two fingers to his mouth, licked them and inserted them into her pussy, fingering her gently till her moans filled the room and her legs shivered weakly.

With his fingers out of her pussy, he inserted them into her mouth to taste her juice. With his fingers still in her mouth, he leaned closer to her pussy with his mouth in there.

His tongue twisted into her core, his mouth warm against it he sucked her pussy enthusiastically.

“Oh my!”

“Fuck!”

Renata whimpered as she held the back of his head, making sure that he kept going while she moaned aloud.

“You suck me so good!”

“So big!” She gasped when his dick slided into her core.

“San…Santiago…” Her breath hitched as she searched for his face but the lights were away from his face.

The thrusts came slowly. He kissed her lips gently, and he was careful about the pleasure he was experiencing.

His body clapped against hers as the thrusts went in faster. He moaned into her ears while she did the same, their body wet from sweat...

******

The next morning, the headache was like that of a sledgehammer behind her eyes.

Renata sat up, hair wild, mouth dry and…

Her heart slammed in her chest.

This wasn’t her suite.

The furniture was different. The sheets were dark gray, hers were brighter and… her dress from last night was on the floor in a heap, and a man was standing in front of the window. Naked.

Her wedding gown was not hanging on the mobile hanger where the stylist had left it.

“Well, good morning,” the man said soothingly.

He turned slowly to her with a cup of coffee in his hand and his huge dick dangling at her.

She screamed and scrambled back, dragging the duvet to cover her body.

“Whoa,” he chuckled. “You’re not usually this shy. What happened to the girl who begged for round two last night?”

“I… I thought…” she stammered, ignoring his question. “Why are you in my suite?”

He raised his eyebrow, and he casually pointed to the plaque near the door. “Sweetheart, you’re in my room. 306. I walked in here three hours before you, remember?”

She froze.

Her blood ran cold.

“Oh my God…” she whispered, horror washing over her. “I wasn’t supposed to… this wasn’t supposed to happen.”

He placed the cup on the table. Unbothered, and began putting on his pants. “So, you weren’t a call girl?”

She glared at him, disgusted. “Call girl?”

“What the hell… no! I’m getting married today! You were supposed to be… he was supposed to be…”

“Ohhh,” he said slowly, as realisation hit. “You thought I was your fiancé?”

She didn’t answer.

“I mean…” he chuckled darkly, “last night was fun. And you were very enthusiastic. Want to leave me your number?”

He turned to reach for his phone which was on the table.

She grabbed her clothes, humiliated beyond words. “You’re disgusting.”

As she opened the door, she came face-to-face with Nina, her best friend, wide-eyed and stunned.

“Renata?” Nina gasped. “What… are you doing in that room?”

Nina’s eyes rolled to the room number glaring back at her on the door and then to her friend who had the duvet wrapped around her body.

Renata’s breath caught in her mouth. Her dress was in her arms. The man’s scent clung to her skin. Her shame was too big to hide.

“I…don’t ask,” she whispered, pushing past her and running to her actual suite.

An hour later…

She wore white. Her veil was long and lacy, her face carefully powdered to hide the bags under her eyes. Her heart pounded like war drums.

“Relax… you aren’t the first bride to do this,” her best friend whispered as they both stood before the door leading to the garden where the guests were seated.

Renata swallowed heavily as she shook off every thought about last night.

“He is just a random stranger… it doesn’t matter,” she mumbled to herself as she walked out the door.

Everyone smiled. Santiago beamed as he tilted his head to see his bride adorned like a fallen angel.

He looked perfect in his tux. His blue eyes searched hers with such calm adoration that it made her stomach twist.

Renata forced herself to focus on the priest’s voice.

Until her gaze swept the crowd… she felt a different kind of eyes on her and just to be sure…

Her eyes landed on him.

The man from the hotel room.

The one she gave her body to.

The stranger who wasn’t a stranger at all.

He sat on the second row, beside Santiago’s mother, dressed sharply in black with a gold tie.

He met her eyes with a slow, burning smile.

No.

No. No. No.

She felt the ground tip beneath her heels.

Santiago squeezed her hand gently. “Everything okay?”

She couldn’t speak. Her eyes were wide as her lashes fluttered wildly.

She snapped her eyes back at the stranger.

Domingo Serrano nodded slightly at her. Like he already knew she would never be the same.

She was marrying his son.

And she had just slept with the groom’s father.