Chapter 4: One Night With Me

Suddenly, my eyes landed on a man sitting a few seats down at the bar. He was dressed in a sharp black suit, nursing a glass of something dark. His expression was cold, unreadable. He looked like the kind of guy who never let anyone get too close. I recognized him. Arthur Sandlin. Julian's boss at Mega Advertising. I'd seen him once before, at a company banquet Julian dragged me to. Arthur had delivered some polished speech and disappeared shortly after. He wasn't the kind of man you expected to see in a place like this. What the hell was he doing in a bar like this? Slumming it? Then a thought came to me. One of those reckless, tequila-fueled ideas that only make sense when your heart's been shattered beyond repair. If Julian could betray me like that, why the hell should I stay loyal? I downed the rest of my drink, stood up, and made my way toward Arthur. My legs weren't exactly steady. Just before I reached him, my heel twisted and I stumbled, landing right into his chest. He caught me. Sort of. He looked even younger than I remembered. Maybe early thirties.  His shirt collar was undone, sleeves casually rolled up, skin tan from actual sunlight, not a tanning booth. His face was all angles. A straight nose, full lips, and those eyes. Deep. Intense. Cold as hell. He didn't say a word. Just pushed me off him like I was something sticky on his suit. "One night with me." I looked at him, eyes hazy, voice low. "What?" Arthur blinked, clearly caught off guard. "I said, I want you to spend one night with me. Was that not clear?" I leaned in, looping my arms around his neck, lips just inches from his. I couldn't believe the words coming out of my mouth. If I'd been sober, I'd have bitten my tongue off before saying anything like that. But tonight? Tonight, I didn't care. I had nothing left to lose. "Women really say shit like that now? What, you're just out here trying to get laid?" Arthur stared at me like I'd just crawled out of a dumpster. Cold and annoyed. His tone dripped with contempt, like I was some desperate groupie throwing myself at a rockstar. "What, you scared. Or just not packing enough to back it up?" I smirked and glanced down, eyes landing right where it hurt. His face changed. Fast. Every man had an ego. I didn't think Arthur was the type to let a comment like that slide. He didn't. "I hope you don't regret this!" The next second, Arthur grabbed my wrist and pulled me out of the bar without another word. Across the street, the neon lights of a five-star hotel flickered like they were egging us on. I stumbled a little on the sidewalk, still tipsy. He didn't slow down. The moment the door clicked shut, Arthur turned toward me. His eyes swept over my body like a predator sizing up its prey. The look on his face told me he liked what he saw. Before I could even breathe, his hand slid under my chin and tilted my face up to his. Then his mouth was on mine. Hard.