Chapter 1

Jessica's POV.

“Love is for fools and I am never doing that shit ever again.” I murmured to myself as I downed my glass of vodka.

I winced slightly as it burnt the back of my throat. I shouldn't have been drinking, ah… I shouldn't have been thinking of losing myself in alcohol at this time of my life.

Especially not after the last time I tried to get drunk and how embarrassed I was afterwards. I didn't have a head for drinking, so this was wrong, I told myself.

But yet I still did it. 

The fourth sip still wasn't helping. Nothing could help me forget the fact that I spent four years of my life with Max and just yesterday, he realized I wasn't sexy enough for him.

How could he say that to me when he was the one who adored my body?

All the times we spent making love and he told me I had the most beautiful body he had ever seen?

What went wrong?

The memory of seeing him online just a few hours ago, in England, the same place he said he went for a business trip, with another girl broke me.

She was more sexy than I was. She had a slim waist, full breast and a good rounded buttocks. I noticed her skin was better than mine and her face was like a doll.

He broke up yesterday night and he already found someone new?

It all made sense now. The reason he kept avoiding me for the last few weeks. 

But my thoughts wandered curiously as I tried to remember her face again.

Did that mean he broke up with me because of her or had they just met?

Had he been cheating on me the whole time with her while I thought we were going to get married?

“Oh God…” I exhaled shakily. My chest felt sharp pains everywhere, like someone was holding a knife to me, promising to pierce me each time I took a breath.

How could it be so easy for him to end what we had? Just like that?

How on earth did Max expect me to move on?

I asked the bartender for another glass and when he passed it to me, I downed everything in one go.

The chair beside me was occupied suddenly and I felt uncomfortable. I couldn't bear anyone I knew seeing me at my lowest. Not when I portrayed the image of a confident and self independent girl.

With every intention to leave, I turned to slip out of my stool when I noticed hands sliding my chair over to the person seated beside me.

I traced the hands first. Veiny and huge. I swallowed hard. It was a man.

Fear shot up my spine as I became instinctively tense. Feeling compelled to find out who was doing this to me, I gently angled my neck until I was face to face…

Nose to nose…

Eyeball to eyeball with him. A fallen angel with eyes that glowed green under long thick lashes, high cheekbones, and a jawline sharp enough to cut me. 

His lips drew my eyes in and made me stop to linger as I wondered what they would taste like.

For a flash second, I had the most bizarre and urgent desire to press my lips against his.

To find out what they tasted like. To taste his tongue…

This had to be the alcohol speaking, I told myself. I was too decent to hook up with someone because of their lips.

“Hey beautiful.” He began. “How are you doing this evening?”

A new feeling took over me. Hot and sizzling, like acid but in my belly. I couldn't understand why but the more I tried to find out, the more my breath hitched and my body felt dizzy.

Luckily, I was still seated so I grabbed the counter for support and whispered to myself. “Pull yourself together, Jess. You're supposed to be heartbroken.”

This had to be the alcohol, I reminded myself as I shakily stood up from the chair.

“Don't tell me you're leaving so early. The party's barely even started.” he gestured towards the room filled with excited people smiling, dancing and looking like they were having the time of their lives.

“I was… I was about leaving before you came. S-sorry.”

“I saw you here before I came over. A beautiful woman like you shouldn't be here all alone. Would it be selfish of me if I asked you to share one last drink with me?” he asked with his lips tightened at the corner of his mouth.

A smile, maybe a smug but he was handsome doing it.

I should have declined his offer, should have used work for an excuse and then called a taxi. But I couldn't. Not with that deep voice and sexy grin.

It was only a drink, I told myself. What bad thing could come out of it?

I sat back into my chair and stared at him. A burning reaction spread through me like fire burning through my body and every bit of blood pulsating through my veins.

And when he smiled, the room felt like it tilted a little.

“I…I” I let out a pathetic breath. “I… I mean you… you… I…”

He took off his coat and jacket, revealing the thin silk of his shirt. The body of a god that I suspected existed, was now clear as day.

“You've got a nice body!” I blurted out before I could stop myself.

He smirked again, his gaze lingering at my chest and then to my face. “So do you.”

I swallowed hard, a tingling sensation tickled between my legs and for a second, I could have sworn, I felt hot liquid roll down my thighs.

This has to be the alcohol speaking. I was never like this.

“So… what's your name?”

“Jessica.” I blurted again.

His smile never left. “Nice, Jessica. It's a pleasure to meet you. Let me buy you a drink and who knows, later on, the night could get really interesting.”

Interesting…

Those were the last words I remembered. 

But I got to say, the night was really interesting.

For me at least.

“”**

The sound of running water woke me. I blinked slowly and opened my eyes.

My heart spun and my vision felt blurry but when I realized I wasn't laying in my own bed, my eyelids popped wide open.

“Oh my goodness!” I let out a sharp gasp.

The room looked exquisite. Chandelier, wide ceiling to floor beige curtains, a Moroccan carpet barely feet away and a center piece on a table made of expensive glass.

I heard movement, realized the curtains were being open and when I looked down, I found clothes on the floor right next to the bed.

Mine and a stranger's.

“No…”

I shakily laid back and held the duvet to myself. What the hell?

I mentally assessed myself. I was naked. I had a banging migraine and I smelt different.

Unable to believe what my brains kept telling me, I uncovered myself and thought to stand up when I felt it.

Tenderness in-between my legs. I felt so tender that it hurt to even move.

Like a flash, the memories came flying back to me. I remembered taking a glass from the stranger, and then another and a final one. His lips brushed against mine at some point before I said something about laying down. Next thing, we were in a hotel bed taking off our clothes.

My cheeks felt so hot as I grabbed my long hair. Memories of him sliding in and out of me repeatedly, stroking me like I was his horse…

I remembered his lips locked on mine when he flipped me over and carried me in his arms while he was still inside me.

Something kicked inside me. Goodness, I swallowed hard. He had done me good, that was for sure.

My hand flew across my cheeks quickly. What was I becoming? This was surely not the time to think of that.

For goodness sake, I just had a one night stand with a total stranger. Something I had never done before.

How was i supposed to face him?

What was I supposed to say?

“I can't deal with this.” I muttered under my breath as I grabbed my dress off the floor and snatched my purse. The bathroom door was wide open, I could hide there for a little while until I figured out what to say and how to leave.

As I hurried towards the door, I didn't realize someone else was in there when I bumped into him.

I staggered backwards, tilting by my heel. My weight shifted enough to let me down with my bum taking the impact when he caught me.

Hand rounded my waist, grip tight, he pulled me into him. Into those rock hard muscles and wet skin. I could tell he had just finished his shower. His hair and wash were dripping wet.

“You—” the words wouldn't come out. I was floored by just how handsome he looked. He had on a bathrobe but I couldn't stop noticing just how sculpted he looked.

His broad shoulders… and when my eyes lingered down, those thick muscles thighs…

My heart started to pound. There was no way on earth that Max would hold a candle to this guy.

“Good morning.” He smiled and memories of our time alone last night invaded my memories.

The way he kissed me, hugged me and thrusted inside me. How deep he got in…

Awhh.

I felt heat almost immediately.

Shaking my head, I forced my thoughts back to the present. Slapping something invisible near my face, I tried to blow my own air to calm me down but it was useless. I glanced at him, while I trembling inside, he was as calm as a leaf.

And then he caught my gaze. 

He stared at me like I was an object. One cocked eyebrow and a curved lip like he was making a disdainful tsk tsk with his tongue at me.

Why was he staring at me like that?

Before I could think of an answer, he left my side and bent over at the bedside drawer to grab something.

His wallet.

He opened it. I saw it loaded with Benjamins. My jaw dropped.

Did he think I was a prostitute?

I felt a shot of anger in my stomach. He was crazy to think he could insult me.

No way was I going to let him do that to me so before he could offer me the money, I decided to act fast.

I scooped out my own wallet from my bag and opened it. 

I found a hundred and fifty dollars inside. Good. I still had change.

I took them out and threw them at the side of the bed next to him. He froze, holding his wallet in his hand.

“What was that for?” He questioned, his brown arching with concern.

I put up a calm smile with my arms folded across my chest. Guess no one likes being treated like a toy after all.

Looking him straight in the eye, I smiled. “You were good but I've had better so that's the value of what you're worth— Little money. Next time, improve.”

I wanted to humiliate him before he had the chance to do it to me.

“Excuse me? What the heck did you just say?” the stranger asked furiously. 

I could tell he was mad, even though he was twice my size and my strength, I didn't care. I took a deep breath, hid how scared I was and moved closer.

With my hands stretched forward to gently pat his shoulder, I forced a sly smile. “You should try giving a discount until you learn how to fully satisfy a woman, then by all means,raise your price.”

With that, I spun so fast and dashed out of the room without looking back.

In the hallway, a long way away from his room, I heard him curse. “F’uck!” He yelled.

I didn't look back. My pace heightened until I got inside the elevator.

I had deeply annoyed the man.

But I didn't care.

Max did the same to me, I would be damned if I let another man make me look stupid again.