Chapter 2
1282 Words
The first thing Daphne felt was warmth.
Not the thin heat of sunlight, but the kind that radiated from the solid body behind her. His arm rested heavy over her waist, his breath warm against her neck. She snuggled deeper into him.
The second thing she felt was awareness.
Every detail of the night before came back in flashes—his hand on her hips, his mouth on hers, the weight of him, the sound of his voice when he’d said her name.
Her name.
Daphne’s eyes flew open.
They were in a bedroom far too expensive for a stranger. Floor-to-ceiling windows, minimalist décor, and sheets that still held the faint scent of cedar and something darker smooth and cool against her skin.
She glanced over her shoulder.
He was asleep, face half in shadow, the morning light catching the sharp line of his jaw. She couldn't stop looking at him, without the heat of the club, he looked… calmer. But not soft. Nothing about him was soft.
Her gaze caught on his wrist—the same watch glinting under the strobe lights last night. A luxury brand she knew from glossy magazine pages.
Careful not to wake him, she slipped out from under his arm. Her dress lay in a careless trail from the door to the bed. She bent to pick it up, feeling the faint ache in her thighs, the reminder of how thoroughly she’d burned herself on this fire.
“Going somewhere?”
His voice was low and rough with sleep, but it had that same lazy confidence it did last night.
Daphne froze, dress in hand, before slowly turning. “I didn’t want to wake you.”
“You didn’t,” he said, sitting up. The sheet slid to his waist, and her pulse skipped. “But you are leaving.”
She swallowed. “I should. I have… things to do.”
“Of course.” He muttered, his eyes darkening as his gaze skimmed her body. Heat shot to her cheeks as she remembered her state of undress. She clutched the dress to her chest, shielding herself, which only earned her a faint, knowing smile.
“A bit late for modesty, don’t you think?”
“That was last night,” she said quickly, pulling the dress over her head, her movements stiff.
“And this morning?” he asked, leaning back on one elbow.
“This morning, I’m going home.” she said without meeting his eyes.
He studied her for a moment, something unreadable in his eyes. Then he leaned back against the headboard, lips curving faintly. “If I asked for your number, would you give it to me?”
“It was one night,” she said, trying for steady but hearing the thinness in her own voice.
“And that’s all you want it to be?”
Her fingers stilled on the straps of her heels. “Yes.”
“I find it hard to believe you're a one night kind of woman.”
It wasn’t supposed to sound like a question, but somehow it did.
“You don't know what kind of woman I am.” Daphne looked away.
“Hmm”
At the door, she glanced back at him, committing his face to memory. “Thank you for… last night.”
That earned her the ghost of a smile. “The pleasure was mine.”
She didn’t reply, just let the door click shut behind her.
But she felt it—his gaze, following her out.
She found her purse on the table, phone blinking with new notifications—none of which she wanted to see.
She didn’t look back as she opened the door.
On the sidewalk, the city air was cooler than she expected, sobering in more ways than one.
Last night had been about escape.
But as she walked away, heels clicking against the pavement, she couldn’t shake the feeling that she’d just stepped into something she couldn’t walk out of.
---
When she stepped into her apartment, Victoria was waiting for her, arms closed, a concerned look on her face.
"Daphne. You vanished on me last night!"
Daphne shut the door quietly, almost guiltily. “I know. I’m sorry, V.”
Victoria’s brow arched. “Sorry? That’s all you’ve got? I was worried sick! One second you’re next to me, the next—” she jabbed a finger toward her “—you’ve got your tongue down tall, dark, and brooding’s throat!”
Daphne froze mid-step. “…You saw that?”
Victoria’s eyes widened theatrically. “Saw it? Honey, the whole club probably saw it. I was three feet away, blinking like, is that Daphne or her evil twin?”
Daphne groaned, covering her face with both hands. “Oh God.”
“Oh God is right.” Victoria dropped onto the couch with a dramatic sigh. “Do you know how hard it was to explain to myself why my best friend suddenly decided to play out a scene from a telenovela?”
“I wasn’t thinking.”
“No kidding. I mean, who are you? You don’t kiss strangers in clubs. You don’t kiss strangers, period!”
Daphne flopped onto the couch beside her. “I don’t know what came over me. It was—the heat of the moment, I guess.”
Victoria’s lips twitched, fighting a grin. “Heat of the moment? Daphne, you were practically climbing him like a tree.”
“V!”
“Well, am I wrong?”
Daphne groaned louder, pressing a pillow over her face. “Can we not talk about this?”
“Nope. We are absolutely talking about it.” Victoria tugged the pillow away, grinning like a cat. “So… what happened after you disappeared?”
Daphne hesitated. “…We went to his place.”
“And…?”
“V…” Daphne pressed her palms to her face. “I think I made a mistake.”
Victoria gasped. “You didn’t.”
“…I did.”
“Oh my God!” Victoria slapped her knee. “Daphne had a one-night stand? I think pigs are flying somewhere.”
“It was a mistake,” Daphne repeated, though the warmth creeping up her neck betrayed her.
“Uh-huh. You keep saying that.” Victoria leaned in, eyes sparkling. “Was it at least a fun mistake?”
Daphne looked away, cheeks hot. “…I’m not answering that.”
Victoria smirked. “That’s a yes.”
“V—”
“Don’t V me. You deserved it. After Eric? Please. The universe owed you a good night.”
Victoria’s eyes lit up with mischief. “One question though…was he better than Eric?”
Daphne froze. “…I take the fifth amendment.”
“That’s all the answer I needed,” Victoria laughed, leaning back. “I’m glad you enjoyed it, though I must say, it’s a little shocking. And you didn’t even get his name?”
“No.” Daphne's smile was sad. “He asked me to stay for breakfast but I was too embarrassed to do that.”
Victoria tilted her head. “So that’s it? You’re just… never going to see him again?”
“That’s the plan.”
Victoria smirked. “The world's not as big as you think it is Daph.”
“Trust me, this one is.” She grimaced. “He gave me a night I'll never forget but he belongs to a whole different world from ours, V.”
“But your worlds collided last night, what's to say it won't happen again?”
Daphne didn’t answer. But her heart gave a tiny, traitorous flutter of hope.
- Writer
