Chapter 1
The morning sun stabbed through the gap in the curtains, forcing Sophie to wince. Her head was throbbing, and her body felt like it was pinned under a ton of bricks.
She tried to push herself up but realized she couldn’t move—a muscular arm was clamped tight around her waist.
She bolted awake, the hangover vanishing in an instant. Her heart nearly stopped when she looked under the duvet: she was completely naked. Not a single stitch of clothing on.
And there was a guy lying right next to her. He smelled amazing—familiar in a way that made her stomach flip. She was in a high-end hotel suite, and she had no memory of how she’d ended up there.
Last thing she remembered? She was drinking like she’d lost her mind, fueled by pure spite. Her trashy fiancé—ten years of her life down the drain—had dumped her for some random bar girl. She’d been slamming back vodka like water. But right now, the guy behind her was a much bigger problem.
Sophie slowly turned her head to look at the owner of that arm, and she nearly stopped breathing when she finally saw his face.
“Leo.”
Oh my god... she had to be hallucinating. That face—sculpted and perfect—was still fast asleep. Even asleep, he looked ridiculously handsome, but that wasn’t the point.
The point was that Leo was Tiffany’s son. Her neighbor. She’d known him since he was a little kid. And the worst part? He was only nineteen.
She wanted to bang her head against the wall or just jump off the balcony. She was almost thirty-two, and she’d just slept with a nineteen-year-old. If this got out, her life was over.
People would judge her, drag her name through the mud, and look at her like she was some kind of predator.
She bit her lip, eyes shut tight, trying to piece together the mess from last night.
Then the flashes started coming back... The tall, broad-shouldered guy who sat next to her at the bar. She’d been all over him, dancing to slow songs, his hands all over her... until they brought that energy back to this room.
The memories hit her like a train: his low moans, the intense kisses, the sound of skin hitting skin. The heavy breathing, the things he whispered in her ear, and the sweet “I love you” that felt way too real... it was so vivid her face was burning up.
She couldn’t let anyone find out. Only one plan: get the hell out.
She tried to slide his arm off, but out of nowhere, he yanked her back into a tight hug. Leo snapped awake the second she tried to escape.
“Where are you going?”
he rasped, his voice deep and heavy.
She didn’t even dare look him in the eye. Leo buried his face in her neck, breathing in her scent like he was obsessed.
“Leo... let go. I was drunk. I didn’t know what I was doing. I’m sorry...”
she stammered.
“You might’ve been drunk, but I wasn’t”
He cut her off.
“I’m the one who should apologize for taking advantage of you... but everything I did? It’s because I’ve wanted you for as long as I can remember.”
Her jaw dropped. She was speechless.
“It’s not happening, Leo... This can never happen. You know why! Just... just forget it ever happened!”
She tried to squirm away, but his grip got tighter.
“Please... don’t just leave me like this. I don’t care what anyone says. Just give me a chance. I’ll make you love me.”
He sounded totally desperate, almost unhinged.
Sophie was shaking. She’d seen this kid on a tricycle. To her, he was just “the kid next door.” This was a massive mistake she could never live down.
“Just let me go, Leo... I’m begging you.”
“No! I’m not letting go until you agree to give me a shot. Don’t leave me... I won’t let you go!!”
She let out a shaky breath. Leo had always been a stubborn brat. She tried to fight him off, but the more she resisted, the more he lost his cool. Leo flipped her over, pinning her down to the bed.
“Since you were too drunk last night... how about we try it again now that you’re sober?”
“Leo! Are you out of your mind?! Let go of me!”
The second he started using force, her survival instinct kicked in. She gathered every bit of strength and slammed her knee right into his junk—a direct hit.
“Ugh...!”
Leo curled up instantly. She took that split second, shoved his heavy body off the bed, and he hit the floor with a loud thud.
She scrambled, grabbing her clothes from the floor, hands shaking so hard she could barely zip her pants. Leo tried to grab her ankle while crying from the pain, but she kicked him off and bolted out of the room.
She burst into the lobby looking like a total mess. She flagged a taxi, and Leo, in nothing but a white bathrobe, was right behind her. She dove into the car and slammed the lock—click—just as he reached the door.
Leo started pounding on the glass. Bang! Bang! Bang!
“Sophie! Get out and talk to me! Don’t you dare leave like this!” he screamed.
“Go! Just go! Now!”
she yelled at the driver.
The car sped off. She looked back one last time. Leo was chasing the car like a madman until he tripped and wiped out on the concrete.
He looked like he was losing his mind. She gripped her hair, wanting to scream. What had she done? How did she end up in bed with a nineteen-year-old she’d watched grow up?
“You okay, miss? Should I call the cops?"
the driver asked.
“No... I’m fine. Just a fight with my boyfriend. It’s okay,”
she lied, even though her heart felt like it had been shredded.
By the time they pulled up to her place, she had to act normal. She lived with her sister, Sarina, and Adam, her six-year-old nephew.
“Why didn’t you come home, Sophie? I called you a dozen times,”
Sarina said the second she walked in. Her heart dropped.
“Oh... I was at a friend’s. Drank too much and passed out. Sorry,”
she lied through her teeth, hugging Adam to hide her face.
“Sarina... I don’t feel well. I’m going to lie down.”
She ran upstairs. Once the door was locked, she slumped against it, sliding down to the floor. She sat there, hugging her knees. The stress was crushing her.
