Chapter 1
SEBASTIAN
I swung my legs off the bed, the carpet cool beneath my feet. Same hotel. Same room type. Same routine.
Pick a woman from the luxury bar in the city. Bring her to the hotel I own. Get what I came for. Leave.
I always brought my hookups here, upscale enough to impress, anonymous enough not to matter. One hour. That was my limit. Most nights didn’t even reach twenty minutes.
I slid into my pants, already mentally clocked out. No lingering. No aftercare. No small talk. I never linger.
She shifted behind me, propping herself up on one elbow. I had to think for a second, realized I couldn’t remember her name. Blonde. Blue eyes. Pretty in the way that got noticed fast. Too eager. They usually were.
I wasn’t interested. Never had been. Never would be.
“That’s it?” she asked, confusion edging into her voice. “You’re not even going to ask for my number?”
I buttoned my shirt, unfazed. She probably wasn’t used to this, men tripping over themselves, asking for dates, pretending the night meant more than it did. That wasn’t me.
“I don’t do seconds,” I said calmly. “Or dates.”
Because that’s what this was. One time. Always one time. It kept things uncomplicated. No attachment. No expectations. No emotions sneaking in where they didn’t belong.
Her brow creased, disbelief mixing with irritation. “So… that’s it? You just… leave?”
“Always.” I picked up my jacket and keys. “Sheets are warm. Clothes are on. You can stay, the room’s booked for the day. Food, drinks, whatever you want. It’s all on my tab.”
I opened the door. “Goodbye.”
She stared at me like I’d just spoken a language she didn’t understand.
I didn’t wait for morning. I didn’t wait for her reaction. By the time the elevator doors slid shut, the night was already behind me. Another room. Another woman. Nothing that followed me home.
My phone buzzed before I reached the lobby.
“Kevin,” I answered. “What’s up?”
“You done already?” he asked, music thumping faintly in the background. “We’re still at the bar. You coming back?”
“Heading home first,” I said. “Need a shower.”
He scoffed. “Why didn’t you just shower there?”
I stepped outside, the night air sharp and cool. “You know I don’t hang around my hookups longer than necessary. One hour max. After that, they get clingy. Expectant.”
There was a pause. “Night’s still young,” he said. “You coming back out?”
“Yeah,” I replied, already unlocking my car. “Once I’m done. I’ll be there soon.”
After the shower, I dressed in a fresh set of clothes, tailored, effortless, expensive without trying. I grabbed my keys, slid into my Lamborghini, and headed back to the bar.
The place was just as polished as before—low lights, crystal glasses, money humming beneath the music. But when I stepped inside, I only spotted Dylan at the bar.
“Where’s K?” I asked, sliding onto the stool beside him.
He smirked. “Left already. Took his hookup with him.”
I frowned. “And this after he called me to hurry back?”
Dylan shrugged. “You know how it is. Girl was all over him. He didn’t even pretend to resist.”
“Figures.”
I scanned the room, letting my gaze pass over familiar faces. Too familiar. Dylan followed my line of sight and snorted.
“Same crowd as always,” he said. “All hunting rich men. Pretty sure you’ve already run through half of them.”
He wasn’t wrong. There were hardly any new faces—and I knew I’d slept with most of the women giving me lingering looks.
“Maybe we should check out another club,” Dylan suggested.
“Will we actually find gorgeous women?” I asked dryly.
He laughed. “I don’t even know why it matters to you. You do the deed and disappear. Kevin and I at least stick around a bit.”
“What’s ‘a bit’ to you?” I asked.
“Half the night, minimum,” he said. “Drinks. Talking. Pretending we’re interested.”
“Right,” I muttered.
He gestured to the bartender. “You drinking?”
“No. I need to wake up early tomorrow. Maybe Saturday night.”
Dylan nodded. “Saturday is Valentines day. We could go to that bar downtown?”
“Downtown?” I raised an eyebrow. “What kind of women are you trying to attract?”
“What’s wrong with downtown?” he said. “Yeah, it’s not as upscale as this place. Not our usual scene. But the girls there aren’t hunting wallets. You don’t have to flash money just to get noticed. If they were after wealth, they wouldn’t be drinking there, right?”
I considered it for a moment. He had a point.
“Alright,” I said. “Let’s check it out. See if Kevin’s up for it.”
Dylan smiled. “Sounds good.”
He yawned, glancing at his watch. “How long are you planning to stay, though? I’m already getting tired.”
“I’ll probably head out now,” I said. “Kevin won’t be back anytime soon.”
“Fair enough,” Dylan said, pushing off the bar. “Let’s go.”
We headed for the exit—another night, another bar, nothing about to change.
