A Winter's Heartbeat

Chapter 8

The Morning After

Leona woke up to the feeling of warm sheets and the unfamiliar scent of cologne on her skin.

For a moment, she was suspended in that hazy space between sleep and consciousness, the memories of the night before still blurred at the edges.

Then—

Rhyder Vale. His hands. His mouth. His weight pressing her into the mattress.

Oh.

Oh, hell.

Her eyes snapped open.

She was in a penthouse. Not hers.

Her dress was draped over a chair.

And beside her, still fast asleep, lay Rhyder Vale.

Shirtless. Gorgeous. Unbothered.

Leona sat up so fast the sheets pooled around her waist.

What have I done?

Last night had been supposed to be about forgetting Ian. About making one reckless decision to erase the pain of the one before it.

But this?

Sleeping with Rhyder Vale?

That was a whole different level of bad.

She needed to leave. Now.

Carefully—so carefully—she began to slip out of bed, trying to locate her shoes without making a sound.

And then—

“You’re not very subtle, you know.”

Leona froze.

Slowly, she turned.

Rhyder was awake, propped up on one elbow, watching her with that signature smirk that made her want to throw something at him.

Or kiss him again.

She wasn’t sure which impulse was stronger.

“I—” she started, but what the hell was she even supposed to say?

“Running away, Ms. Everhart?”

Leona swallowed. “I—this—last night was—”

Rhyder stretched, looking infuriatingly relaxed. “Fun?”

“A mistake,” she corrected.

His smirk didn’t falter. “So you do regret it.”

Leona hesitated.

Did she?

Before she could answer, Rhyder sat up fully, his expression shifting—less teasing, more serious.

“I have a proposition,” he said.

Leona narrowed her eyes. “If this is about round two, the answer is no.”

He chuckled. “Not that kind of proposition.”

Then, meeting her gaze, he said—

“Be my girlfriend.”

Silence.

Leona blinked. “I—what?”

Rhyder leaned back, watching her reaction. “I have a business deal on the line. My grandmother is convinced I need to ‘settle down.’ A fake relationship would be mutually beneficial.”

Leona stared.

Was he serious?

She had just woken up naked in his bed, still trying to process what happened, and now he was offering her a contractual relationship?

This was insanity.

Absolute insanity.

And yet…

Some reckless part of her was listening.

Because she needed the money.

Because she needed the distraction.

Because saying yes felt just as reckless as saying no.

Leona exhaled slowly.

And, against all logic, she said—

“Tell me more.”