Chapter 2 The Morning After

Arianna woke to the sharp scent of expensive cologne and the unfamiliar weight of an arm draped possessively across her waist.

For one blissful second, she floated in the hazy space between sleep and wakefulness, her body deliciously sore in places she hadn't known could ache. Then memory crashed over her like ice water.

*The gala. The argument. The kiss.*

*Oh God.*

Her eyes flew open, taking in the disaster around her. The penthouse suite was bathed in early morning light, glinting off shattered champagne glasses and the shredded remains of her sapphire-blue dress. The silk scraps lay scattered across the floor like fallen petals, a stark reminder of how thoroughly Jace Hudson had destroyed it-and her-last night.

She carefully lifted his arm, her breath catching as she took in the sight of him asleep. In daylight, he looked younger, the harsh lines of his face softened in slumber. Dark lashes fanned against his cheekbones, and his lips-those sinful, demanding lips-were slightly parted. The sheet had slipped low on his hips, revealing the sculpted planes of his abdomen and the trail of dark hair that disappeared beneath-

*Nope. Not looking.*

Arianna slid out of bed, wincing as her muscles protested. She spotted her lace thong dangling from a lampshade and barely suppressed a hysterical laugh. *Classy.*

Her phone buzzed from the nightstand. Twelve missed calls from Lila.

**Lila (3:47 AM):** WHERE ARE YOU?!

**Lila (4:12 AM):** If you're dead, I'm stealing your coffee mug collection.

**Lila (6:30 AM):** Okay, now I'm worried.

Arianna typed a reply with shaking fingers:

**Alive. Explain later.**

She tiptoed toward the bathroom, then froze when the mattress creaked behind her.

"Leaving so soon?"

Jace's voice was rough with sleep, but the edge in it was unmistakable. Arianna turned slowly, clutching a pillow to her chest. He'd propped himself up on one elbow, the sheet now pooling dangerously low on his hips. His gaze raked over her bare legs, the bruises on her thighs, the smudged mascara she knew was raccooned around her eyes.

"I have work," she lied.

One dark brow arched. "At seven a.m. on a Saturday?"

Damn. She scrambled for another excuse. "I-I need to feed my cat."

"You don't have a cat."

"How would you know?"

"Because I had my assistant run a background check when you went to the bathroom last night." He said it so casually, as if invading her privacy was perfectly normal.

Arianna gaped at him. "You *what*?"

Jace shrugged, the movement making the muscles in his shoulders ripple. "Standard procedure."

"For *one-night stands*?"

"For anyone who gets this close." His eyes darkened as they trailed over her again. "And you, Arianna Jason, got very close indeed."

Heat flooded her cheeks as images from last night flashed through her mind-his mouth between her thighs, his hands pinning her wrists to the headboard, the way he'd growled *"Look at me"* as she came apart beneath him.

She snatched the nearest garment-his dress shirt-and yanked it on. "This was a mistake."

"Was it?" Jace rose from the bed in one fluid motion, gloriously naked. Arianna forced her gaze upward, but that was worse-the smirk on his lips told her he'd noticed her staring.

He stepped closer, backing her against the wall. "You didn't seem to think so when you were begging me to-"

"*Stop.*" She shoved against his chest, but he didn't budge. "This isn't... I don't do this."

"Do what?" He braced a hand beside her head, leaning down until his breath ghosted over her lips. "Have mind-blowing sex with strangers? Because I find that hard to believe."

Arianna's temper flared. "Wow. Classy."

"Truthful." His fingers brushed the bite mark he'd left on her neck, making her shiver. "You're not the innocent type, sweetheart. Not after last night."

The words stung more than they should have. She ducked under his arm, putting distance between them. "I'm leaving."

Jace watched as she gathered her scattered belongings. "You're welcome to stay for breakfast."

"Pass."

"Shame." He reached for his phone on the nightstand. "My chef makes excellent pancakes."

Of course he had a personal chef. Arianna located her clutch under the couch, along with one lone heel. The other was MIA-probably lost in the frenzy of last night, when he'd pinned her against the floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking Manhattan.

She straightened just as Jace's phone buzzed. His expression hardened as he read the screen.

"Change of plans," he said abruptly. "I'll have my driver take you home."

Arianna blinked at the sudden shift. "What happened?"

"Business." The word was a dismissal. He was already striding toward his walk-in closet, pulling on black slacks with ruthless efficiency.

She should've been relieved. Instead, an odd pang shot through her chest. *Idiot. Did you expect him to beg you to stay?*

By the time Jace emerged, fully dressed in another tailored suit (because apparently billionaires kept spare Armani in their closets), Arianna had composed herself.

"Keys." A uniformed driver appeared in the doorway, holding out a hand.

She hesitated. "I can call an Uber."

Jace didn't look up from his phone. "It's rush hour. You'll wait forty minutes."

The driver-an older man with kind eyes-nodded toward the elevator. "Car's ready when you are, miss."

Arianna squared her shoulders. "Thank you for the... hospitality."

Jace finally met her gaze, his expression unreadable. "We're not done, Arianna."

The words sent a thrill down her spine-one she ruthlessly ignored. "Yes, we are."

---

The penthouse elevator doors had barely closed when Arianna's phone buzzed again.

**Lila: GIRL. You hooked up with JACE HUDSON?!**

Her stomach dropped. **How do you know that?**

**Lila: Because TMZ just posted a photo of you leaving his building at dawn looking like you got RAILED.**

Arianna's blood turned to ice. She clicked the link-and there it was. A grainy but unmistakable shot of her in Jace's shirt and last night's smudged makeup, slipping into his black town car. The headline screamed:

**BILLIONAIRE BACHELOR'S LATEST CONQUEST: Mystery Woman Spends Night at Hudson Tower!**

The article speculated wildly-was she a model? An heiress?-but thankfully, no one had identified her yet.

Her fingers flew over the screen. **Don't tell anyone it's me.**

**Lila: Too late. The entire office knows.**

Arianna groaned, thunking her head against the elevator wall. Of course they did. Luxe Affairs planned events for Manhattan's elite; gossip was their currency.

The car ride home was a blur. She tipped the driver (who politely pretended not to recognize her) and sprinted up the stairs to her tiny walk-up apartment.

Her roommate, Sophie, was waiting with two mimosas and a shit-eating grin. "So. You *slept* with-"

"Don't." Arianna stormed past her to the shower, scrubbing until her skin was raw. But no amount of water could wash away the memory of Jace's hands on her body-or the unsettling realization that part of her wanted to do it all over again.

---

**Hudson Tower, 8:17 AM**

Jace stared at the TMZ photo, his grip tightening on his phone. He should've anticipated this. Should've had her leave through the private garage.

His assistant cleared her throat. "The board is waiting, sir. The vote on the merger-"

"I know what the vote's about." He tossed the phone aside. "Damage control. Make sure no one digs into her background."

"Already done. But... sir?" She hesitated. "Your father saw the photo."

Jace's jaw clenched. Of course he had. Richard Hudson had eyes everywhere.

Sure enough, his phone lit up with a call from *Dad*. He dismissed his assistant before answering.

"I hope she was worth the distraction," Richard said without preamble. "We have a $2 billion deal hanging by a thread, and you're fucking some event planner?"

Jace's temper spiked. "My personal life isn't up for discussion."

"It is when it affects the company. Clean it up." The line went dead.

Jace exhaled sharply, scrolling back to the photo. Arianna's tousled hair, her long legs, the defiant set of her shoulders even as she'd fled-it all stirred something primal in him.

Last night hadn't been part of the plan. He didn't *do* impulsive. Didn't lose control. But the moment she'd challenged him, something inside him had snapped.

And now?

Now he couldn't stop thinking about her.

His phone buzzed with another alert-a notification from the building's security system. Arianna had left something behind.

A single sapphire-blue earring, tangled in his sheets.

Jace pocketed it with a slow smile.