Chapter 2

My cheeks heat and words left me as I fought to respond. Did I want this? Absolutely. He was barely touching me, and yet I felt a pull I had never experienced before to raise my chin just a fraction so I could taste his lips. My head was silent of all thoughts save one, how badly I wanted to feel his skin on mine.

My hand raised and pressed against his chest, slowly smoothing up and between his defined pecks. The heat from his body does nothing to calm my nerves and my heart pounds wildly.

I close my eyes as he lowers his head, and I feel the tip of nose caress my cheek and press against the side of my neck. A shiver travels up my spine and I ache to press myself tighter against him.

Before I know it, I’m already doing it. My mind completely consumed by this insanely sexy man in front of me. I wrap my arms around Adrian’s neck, rise on my toes, and try to taste those delicious lips.

Adrian lets out a low chuckle, his broad hand tipping up my chin.

“Take it easy.” He says, his voice a rough whisper. “What’s your name?”

Those piercing blue eyes lock on mine.

I could drown in those deep blue eyes. The heated promise in them makes me want to melt into his arms and let him do whatever he wants with me. Yet there’s a tenderness in them that makes me feel warm and protected. I don’t know Adrian, yet I know I’m safe here.

Blue eyes, safe. Julian.

Memories of Julian hit me like lightning—sudden, sharp, and sobering. My face is still burning, but now it’s with shame.

I pull away from Adrian’s embrace, hard, fighting the intense pull, that stupid sense of belonging.

“Mr. Whitmore… I’m sorry. There’s been a misunderstanding. I have to go.”

Adrian’s relaxed expression freezes over. That cold, detached look returns.

“A misunderstanding? I don’t think so. But I don’t force what isn’t wanted.” His voice turns low, almost dangerous. “Do what you have to do. Just don’t regret it later.”

I turn to leave the room, hoping he doesn’t notice that my cheeks are still flushed and I’m trying to keep my hands from trembling. My body wants to stay. To take Adrian up on his offer, relieve him of his towel, and let him have his way with me.

But my mind is on Julian and shame rears its ugly head at the thought that I almost betrayed him. I’m not a cheater and the idea of hurting him makes me sick.

By the time I get back to the party room, it’s clear I’ve been gone far too long. The guests have been indulging in too much wine, and Erica alone hasn’t been able to keep up. Another wave of guilt hits me like a truck. I shouldn’t have left her.

As I’m reaching for a tray to dive back in, a pair of keys come flying at me. I fumble to keep hold of them and look up to see Vanessa, flipping her long hair back and looking at me from down her nose. “You. Drive me home.”

My eyes sweep around her instinctively, but I don’t see that Julian doppelgänger anywhere. I relax a little. But Vanessa has definitely been drinking. I’m not dealing with this spoiled girl’s drama.

“I’m not a chauffeur.” I toss the keys back at her. Drunk or not, she catches them out of the air.

“Don’t you know who I am?” She scoffs at me. “Don’t you dare talk back to me. I knew it the moment I saw you. You’re just another worthless, lazy server. Just hear to collect the paycheck. No ambition.”

I don’t give her the satisfaction of a response, which just seemed to irritate her more.

“Lily!” My manager calls. I look over to see her beckoning me over, Vanessa smiling smugly as she saunters away. I walk over and she hands me a bucket and a brush. “One of the guests got sick all over the carpet under the head table. Go clean it up.”

I want to argue, but I know if I do, I’ll be considered difficult and won’t get scheduled for parties anymore. And I need the money.

I take the bucket with one hand, and holding my tray with the other, go to set it down on a stand when another drunk party guest runs into me. A piece of leftover cake goes flying off my tray, smearing chocolate down my white shirt. Great.

I sigh heavily and try to ignore that the man didn’t even apologize before going to the head table and locating the pile of vomit.

Getting to my hands and knees, I start to scrub at the carpet. I’m not far into my task when I hear Vanessa’s voice, turned sickly sweet, announce over the crowd, “Everyone, my fiancé is here!”

I can't help but think of that Julian look-alike earlier, and my eyes follow the crowd's gaze. My head snaps up so fast, my neck cracks.

No luck.

It is Julian. My Julian.

Standing next to the pretty birthday girl, his arm around her waist, is the familiar man I’ve been sharing my home with for months.

Vanessa is smiling brightly up at him and I feel my heart twist painfully in my chest.

He’s not just cheating. He has a fiancé.

My first instinct is to go over there and throw a bottle of wine at his head, but I’m the server. The sweating, hair falling out of its braid, chocolate cake smeared down her shirt server. If I go over there and confront him, he could just deny it. Then I’ll just look like a lunatic in front of all of these people.

“Star struck?” My manager asks with a grin. “They make a beautiful couple. You know who that is, right? The only son of that billionaire, Adrian Whitmore.”

Adrian Whitmore? The gorgeous man I almost kissed twenty minutes ago? The gorgeous man I turned down because I had a boyfriend, only to find out that said boyfriend, is cheating on me. This is the worst night of my life.

Tears sting my eyes, threatening to fall, but I force them back and clear my throat. “I thought I just heard that Julian’s last name is Huntington.”

My manager shakes her head. “Adrian’s late wife was from a noble family, so Julian goes by her maiden name.”

Nobility and the son of a billionaire, and yet, he had to take my tuition money to pay his bail, leaving me to work sixty hours a week, just to get by? So, not only is he cheating on me, but he’s also been lying to me about everything from day one.

Julian still hasn’t seen me, and I want to try one more time. Maybe I’ll get an explanation. So, I take out my phone and dial his number. I watch as Julian reaches into his pocket to take out his ringing phone and glance down at my name. Then my heart dies in my chest as he declines the call and it goes straight to voicemail.

“Who was that?” Vanessa asks, pouting her lips at his phone.

“Nobody.” Julian answers and Vanessa smiles back up at him.

No. I will not take this. Rage fuels me and I storm out of the room and back into the hotel. In that second, a wicked idea for payback flashes through my mind.

Time to prove I’m not just nobody.

That man looked done with me half an hour ago, but I’ve got nothing left to lose.

I don’t think about it, refusing to let my nerves make me change my mind as I knock on Adrian’s door.

It opens, revealing the beautiful man who doesn’t look surprised—just amused, like he saw this coming.

“Too bad. I don’t do second invitations.”

But I’m not taking no for an answer today.

I step closer, hook my finger in his collar. “Then I guess you’re making an exception for me.”

I stand on my toes and kiss him, right on those lips I’ve been staring at since earlier.

He tastes just as dangerous as he looks.