Chapter 1 Slept with the Wrong Man
Warmth.
That was the first thing Cora Dev felt when she woke — a strong arm around her waist, the steady rise and fall of a man’s chest against her back.
Instinctively, she snuggled closer.
Her body ached everywhere; she hadn’t slept at all last night.
Still, she didn’t regret it.
For two years, she’d been with Matt Miller, always dodging when he tried to take things further.
She wasn’t old-fashioned — she just wanted to wait until it meant something.
But this time was different.
Matt had been transferred out of state for two years, and he was leaving tomorrow.
And tomorrow also happened to be her twenty-third birthday.
An important night, a few drinks with her best friend Dina, and a little encouragement later…
Cora booked a luxury suite at the Hilton, determined to give Matt the most precious part of herself.
Smiling drowsily, she slipped her hand around the man’s waist. Matt’s gotten fitter, she thought dreamily. Not too lean, not too bulky — just perfect.
“Mm… Dina, you’re awake?”
A deep male voice rumbled above her. “Rough night, huh?”
“Don’t say that, Matt,” she murmured, hugging him tighter. “I wanted this.”
Dina… Matt…?
They froze at the same time.
One stunned heartbeat later, both of them jerked apart.
Cora fumbled for the bedside lamp.
Light flooded the room — and a completely unfamiliar face stared back at her.
She screamed. “Who are you!”
Grabbing the quilt, she covered herself from head to toe. “Why are you here?”
“This is my room! Who the hell are you?” The man looked just as shocked.
A chill crept up her spine. “This is 1216 — my friend gave me the keycard. My boyfriend and I were — I mean…”
He let out a short, scornful laugh. “That’s the lamest excuse I’ve ever heard.”
Julian Watson — that Watson — had seen plenty of women try to get into his bed.
But crying innocence after the fact? That was new.
“How much do you want?”
The contempt in his voice hit her like a slap.
Cora bit her lip, forcing herself to think back to last night.
She and Dina Baker had been drinking to celebrate two things — Dina’s big break in Milan and Cora’s birthday.
Cora had gotten tipsy; Dina kept teasing her to “finally seal the deal” with Matt before he left.
Somewhere between laughter and champagne, Dina handed her a keycard and told her which suite to use.
Cora had walked straight into the room, heart pounding — and apparently, straight into the wrong man’s arms.
“I don’t want money!” she snapped. “Where’s Matt?”
Julian frowned. Matt? She’d said that name twice.
He remembered last night clearly — he had been waiting for Dina.
Someone swiped into his room; the lights stayed off; the perfume in the air was the one Dina always wore.
But when he woke up, it wasn’t Dina lying beside him. It was this woman.
He was about to question her when his phone rang. Dina’s name flashed on the screen.
“Dina. Explain,” he said flatly.
Her voice came through, breathless with apology.
“Julian, I’m so sorry. I got a last-minute call from Milan — they want me to close the fashion show! You know it’s my dream. I flew out at eight last night. Please don’t be mad, okay? Oh, and… did you like the gift? I picked it just for you.”
Julian’s eyes darkened. “Gift?”
“Yes,” she whispered. “She’s a virgin. Isn’t that nice?”
Julian’s lips curved coldly. “How could I be upset with such a thoughtful girlfriend? Do well in Milan.”
He hung up.
Across the room, Cora was tearing through her things, desperate for any sign of Matt.
Nothing.
Her stomach twisted. She’d spent the night with a stranger. How was she supposed to face Matt now?
Tears spilled over. She crouched in the corner, sobbing silently, pretending the man watching her didn’t exist.
Julian exhaled, expression unreadable.
The woman was plain — too plain for Dina’s usual games. Maybe the “gift” wasn’t even her.
Either way, what happened could never get out.
He slipped into his coat, pulled out his checkbook, scrawled a number, and tore the page free.
This should be enough to keep her quiet.
