The Affair

Chapter 20

The night blurred as more drinks were poured, more songs played, and the dance floor became a swirling haze of neon and bodies. Kendra was riding the high of reckless abandon, her skin buzzing, her mind clouded. She didn’t think twice when a guy—tall, decently attractive, and full of easy confidence—offered her another drink and leaned in close.

Maddie had raised an eyebrow but said nothing when Kendra let the guy pull her toward the exit. Kendra wasn’t thinking about anything except the need to feel something—to drown out the weight of everything, to remind herself she was in control.

The man brought her back to his hotel, a sleek, dimly lit room with crisp white sheets and the faint scent of cologne and alcohol. His lips were on hers before the door even clicked shut, his hands roaming with practiced ease. Kendra let it happen, let herself be taken, but the fire she was searching for never came.

The touches were there. The movements. The whispers.

But her body remained indifferent.

She tried to focus, tried to lose herself in the sensation—but instead, her mind betrayed her. Her thoughts drifted elsewhere… to someone else.

She pictured his hands, strong and sure, instead of the ones now on her skin.

She imagined his breath, hot and teasing, instead of the stranger’s.

She envisioned his voice—low, rough, Mark’s—saying her name, murmuring words meant only for her.

Her pulse spiked. A shiver ran through her body.

The stranger thought it was because of him.

Kendra squeezed her eyes shut, her fingers gripping the sheets. The fantasy was the only thing keeping her here, the only thing making this moment bearable.

But it wasn’t real.

And the second it was over, she felt nothing.

The man barely lasted before rolling off her, passing out almost instantly, his chest rising and falling in heavy, drunken breaths. Kendra lay there for a moment, staring at the ceiling, feeling empty.

She exhaled sharply, shaking her head at herself. What the hell was she doing?

With a quiet sigh, she slipped out of bed, gathering her scattered clothes from the floor. She dressed quickly, barely sparing the man another glance before grabbing her heels and tiptoeing to the door.

The night air was cooler now, sobering her slightly as she stepped outside. She had no idea what time it was. All she knew was that she wanted to go home.

And as she walked down the quiet streets, her mind wasn’t on the man she had just left.

It was still on him.

Kendra tried to be quiet as she stumbled through the door, locking it behind her. Her heels dangled from her fingers, and she winced as the cool hardwood met her bare feet. Her head was spinning from the drinks, her body still buzzing from the night—but not in the way she wanted. Not in the way she needed.

The whole night had been a waste. The guy? Forgettable. The s*x? Even worse. No matter how hard she had tried, no matter how much she had wanted to lose herself in the moment, her mind had betrayed her.

Because the whole time, she had been thinking about him.

She let out a frustrated sigh as she made her way toward the stairs, willing herself to shake off the lingering heat pooling in her stomach.

Then the kitchen light flicked on.

“Jesus Christ!”

Kendra nearly jumped out of her skin, clutching her chest as her eyes snapped toward the kitchen.

Mark stood there, bathed in the soft glow of the stove light, a glass of water in his hand. His pajama pants hung low on his hips, his broad, bare chest rising and falling steadily as he studied her with an amused expression.

Kendra’s heart slammed against her ribs.

“Are you trying to give me a heart attack?” she hissed, her voice hoarse.

Mark raised an eyebrow. “I could ask you the same thing. Thought you were a damn burglar.” He took a sip of water, eyes flickering over her messy hair, the faint smudges of makeup, the wrinkled dress still clinging to her curves.

“You look like you had quite a night,” he remarked, his tone casual—but there was something else there, something sharp.

Kendra swallowed, gripping the railing for balance. “Yeah, well, I didn’t exactly spend my night tossing and turning like you,” she shot back, desperate to keep control of the situation.

Mark just tilted his head, watching her too closely, too intently.

“You were with someone,” he stated, like he already knew the answer.

Kendra’s breath hitched for half a second—so fast, she hoped he didn’t catch it.

But the way his jaw clenched told her he did.

She rolled her eyes, forcing a smirk. “What gave it away?”

Mark slowly set his glass down on the counter, his fingers flexing at his sides.

“You smell like another man.”

Kendra blinked, momentarily thrown off by how bluntly he said it. By the way his voice had dropped an octave, rough and tight.

“Is that a problem?” she challenged, lifting her chin.

Mark exhaled sharply through his nose, shaking his head with a dry chuckle. “No,” he said, his voice gruff. “Not a problem at all.”

But the way he was looking at her said otherwise.

Something unreadable flickered across his face—something dark, something that made Kendra’s skin prickle and her stomach twist.

Something that made her wonder if he was imagining the same thing she had been imagining earlier that night.

Mark stepped forward.

Slowly.

Deliberately.

Kendra’s pulse spiked, her breath hitching as he closed the distance between them. Every step he took made the air in the room feel heavier, thicker, suffocating in the best way.

She didn’t move, didn’t trust herself to.

Her back hit the railing as Mark finally stopped in front of her, his broad frame towering over hers, his scent—clean, masculine, completely him—pushing out the lingering traces of the stranger she had left behind.

Mark leaned in, his lips brushing so close to her ear that the warmth of his breath made her shiver.

“Goodnight, Kendra,” he murmured, voice low and smooth, like silk wrapping around her.

Kendra’s stomach flipped.

Her legs felt weak, her skin tingling in places she shouldn’t be feeling anything at all.

She swallowed hard, forcing herself to nod before she turned, quickly ascending the stairs without another word.

But as she reached her room, her fingers shaking as she shut the door behind her, one thing was clear—

She wasn’t going to get any sleep tonight.

——————————

Mark had half expected Kendra to be severely hungover, curled up in bed all day nursing a pounding headache. But when he walked into the kitchen, he was met with a sight that made him pause.

There she was—sitting at the kitchen island, freshly showered, dressed in a black sundress that clung to her figure in all the right ways. Her long legs were crossed, her golden skin glowing in the morning light as she casually sipped her coffee and nibbled on a bagel.

Not a single sign of a hangover.

Mark clenched his jaw, his eyes lingering a little too long on the curve of her shoulder, the way her damp hair tumbled over her collarbone.

Ethan was sprawled on the couch, his fingers rapidly clicking the controller as he played video games with his friends who had spent the night.

Rebecca walked in from the laundry room, smiling as she leaned down to kiss Kendra on the head.

Kendra tensed, shifting away with an irritated sigh. “Mom.”

Rebecca sighed, straightening. “You could at least pretend you don’t hate me for two seconds,” she muttered, shaking her head as she went to pour herself coffee.

Before Mark could dwell on the interaction, a sharp knock sounded at the door.

Mark frowned and set down his coffee, walking over to open it—

Only for his mood to sour instantly.

Jake.

Mark’s first instinct was to slam the door in his face. But before he could, Rebecca’s voice rang out behind him.

“Oh, Jake!” She beamed, stepping past Mark and opening the door wider. “Come in.”

Mark’s fingers curled into a fist.

Jake pushed past him, flashing a cocky smirk over his shoulder before throwing in a wink, as if he knew exactly what he was doing.

Mark’s teeth ground together.

Jake walked straight to Kendra and went to wrap an arm around her waist, leaning in to kiss her.

But Kendra turned her head at the last second, causing his lips to land awkwardly against her cheek.

Jake pulled back, frowning. “What are you doing?”

Kendra arched an eyebrow. “What are you doing?”

Jake scoffed, his confusion quickly turning into amusement. “Giving my girlfriend a kiss?”

Kendra rolled her eyes and scoffed. “I never said I’d take you back. I told you I’m still thinking, Jake. And I don’t appreciate you stopping by unannounced.”

Mark couldn’t help the smirk tugging at his lips.

Good.

Jake’s smirk faltered for half a second before he brushed it off, stepping closer to Kendra.

And then—he did it.

A simple touch.

His fingers grazed just beneath her jaw, skimming that sensitive spot just behind her ear.

The change in Kendra was instant.

Her body betrayed her, her posture shifting, her breath hitching ever so slightly.

Mark caught it immediately.

His smirk disappeared.

Jake knew exactly what he was doing.

Mark’s stomach tightened as he watched Kendra’s eyes darken, her lips parting just the slightest bit.

It was subtle.

But it was enough.

Mark exhaled sharply, forcing himself to look away before he did something he’d regret.