The morning sun streamed through the blinds, prying my eyes open. As consciousness settled in, a rush of heat flooded my face. Oh God, I couldn’t believe I did that last night. My brain replayed the scene in an unforgiving loop—me, on my knees, taking Matt’s cock in my mouth. Mortification tangled with something else, a featherlight feeling I couldn’t quite name.
Nope. Not going there again.
I swung my legs out of bed and headed for the shower, determined to scrub away both the memories and the lingering scent of Matt’s cologne from my skin. Hot water cascaded down, but it did little to wash away the jumble of emotions swirling inside me.
Once clean, I opened the closet Matt had generously stocked with clothes from that swanky men’s store. There were crisp shirts in shades of white and blue, both casual and formal. Pants ranged from dark jeans to tailored trousers that screamedspoiled rich kid—a title I never thought would fit me. Even the underwear was top-tier: silky boxers that felt scandalously good against my skin.
I dressed in a light-blue shirt and a pair of dark jeans, admiring the way they fit me perfectly. The reflection in the mirror showed a polished version of myself, someone who looked like he belonged next to Matt Caine.
Maybe playing dress-up wouldn’t be so bad after all.
I ordered breakfast and checked my phone while waiting. My heart skipped a beat when I saw multiple missed calls from Mia. The texts were frantic:Andy, are you alright? Call me ASAP.
Why was she so worried? We had just talked a few days ago.
I dialed her number but it went straight to voicemail. Probably busy with work.
Bruno arrived with breakfast—a feast of scrambled eggs, smoked salmon, fresh fruit, and croissants. He set it down on the table with a grunt.
“Thanks, Bruno,” I said, offering him a seat. “Want to join me?”
He shook his head and left without a word. Stoic as ever.
I tucked into the meal alone, savoring every bite like it was manna from heaven. Once done, I settled at my desk and powered up my laptop, diving into lines of code. This app wasn’t going to build itself, and if there was one thing I could control in this topsy-turvy world, it was this project.
The rhythm of my fingers tapping away at the keyboard was almost therapeutic. Lost in the lines of code, I managed to push aside all thoughts of Matt and his infuriating, sexy dominance. The project was my lifeline, a thread of sanity in this chaotic whirlpool my life had become.
Midmorning rolled around, and my phone buzzed on the desk, breaking my concentration. Mia. Her name flashed on the screen, bringing a smile to my lips despite the interruption.
“Good morning, sis,” I chirped. “Got your messages—what’s with the barrage of calls?”
Mia’s voice crackled through the speaker, wound tight as a coiled spring. “Andy! What is going on? Are you alright?”
I frowned at her tone. My sister was tough as nails; it took a lot to rattle her. “I’m good, Mia. What’s all the fuss about?”
Her next words landed like a sucker punch. “I received an email from someone named James Maxwell.”
My heart plummeted into my stomach, and a wave of nausea washed over me.
“He… uh, what did it say?” I managed to choke out.
“It’s about you and a two-million-dollar debt.”
Air refused to enter my lungs as I began to hyperventilate. I clutched the edge of the coffee table, grounding myself in its solidity. Breathe, Andy, breathe.
“I’m sorting it out,” I said at last, once oxygen decided we weren’t breaking up after all. “Don’t worry about it.”
“But how?—”
“Don’t reply to that email,” I cut her off with more force than I intended. “Period. And don’t answer calls from numbers you don’t recognize either.”
Mia was silent for a beat before her voice softened. “Andy, how are you going to sort this out? Why do you owe that man two million dollars?”
“It’s… complicated.” Understatement of the century. “I’ll fill you in later, but right now, I really need to handle this.”
“Okay.” She sounded unconvinced but dropped it—for now. “Just be careful.”
“I will.” I ran a hand through my hair, already strategizing my next move.
