His Temptation

2. The Morning After.

Chapter 2

Amber Foster’s POV

Discomforted, I turned to the other side, only to find someone beside me. I opened my eyes in surprise, as I had expected to wake up alone in bed. Before I could even look at the person, my eyes widened upon noticing the unfamiliar surroundings.

The light blue-shaded walls, the fancy ceiling, the classy curtains, and the white blanket—all of it felt unfamiliar. Not to mention the sleek furniture and the warm fragrance. Where am I? Could I be at a friend’s place? No, none of my friend’s homes are this classy.

Before I could figure anything out, I felt the blanket being pulled away. I was about to pull it again as coldness hit my skin, but my eyes widened, realizing that I was naked. What the hell? Why am I like this? No, most importantly, why am I here? And with whom?

Then I saw him.

A man was lying on the other side of the bed, his broad back turned to me. His breath was loud enough to send a sensation to my heart, and his black hair was messed up. His broad shoulders had some nail marks, neck had some bite marks. Had I done that?

Hang on! What happened between us?

My mind raced in all possible directions. Who is he? Is he Liam? No, his shoulders aren’t that broad. His hair is brown. In addition to all this, he’s out of the city for work.

I squeezed my eyes shut, pulling the blanket closer. I took heavy breaths and swallowed my tears, realizing what might have happened. But how could this happen? No, it can’t. I must be mistaken. Yes, I’m overthinking. Nothing could have happened between us.

I tried to recall last night’s events. Hayley visited me, and she forced me to go to the party. Then, with some more friends, I went to a club. We danced first and then drank… What happened after that?

“Think, Amber!” I scolded myself. The harder I tried, the more the memories slipped through my mind like sand. I tried and tried, but I couldn’t remember more than drinking alcohol like a horse, dancing like crazy, laughing like a maniac.

My thoughts were interrupted by a vibration under the pillow. I grabbed my phone and saw some notifications. I was about to turn it off, as I wasn’t in the condition to open them. But my eyes welled with tears when I saw Liam’s and my photo as the wallpaper.

We were both beautifully dressed—him kissing my cheeks, a ring in our hands—all of it made me recall our engagement. How happy we were that day. We had planned so many things together—marriage, holidays, children, retirement, and so on.

How would I answer him? Most importantly, what would be his condition? He is so afraid of losing me.

“Amber, first you should leave. You can think about all of this later,” I reminded myself. I needed to go before any more mess could be created.

Yes, I had to leave.

Quietly and carefully, I moved out from under the blanket. I could barely manage to stand, as I didn’t have any energy left. I tried to calm myself, but it was in vain. I could only hear two sounds—his breathing and my throbbing heart.

“Calm down, Amber, or he’ll wake up,” I whispered to myself, slapping my cheeks lightly.

My eyes glanced around for my belongings. On the couch, I spotted my clutch, black heels, and golden necklace.

“Where is my dress?” Tears rolled down my cheeks as I couldn’t locate it. Where could I have kept it? I held my breath for a second and then looked to the other side, hoping to find my dress. A wave of relief ran over my spine.

My dress was safely kept there, but then fear engulfed my heart. How would I get it? What if he woke up? No! I can’t face him.

I closed my eyes for a moment and then slowly knelt, moving onto my knees to grab my dress. I quickly dressed myself.

As I put my hair in a bun, my gaze involuntarily shifted back to him. Should I look at him just once? What if he was someone I knew? What if someday he confronted me and asked why I ran away? Or, in the worst case, what if he decided to tell everyone about us? The thought of looking at him made me shake. I couldn’t gather any courage.

“Just leave. Get out of here before he wakes up. You won’t be able to face him.”

I grabbed my clutch and heels, clutching them to my chest like they were the most valuable things to me. As I moved forward, my heart pounded and my tears rolled down. My legs barely listened to my brain.

“Be strong.”

As I stepped out, I noticed the quiet environment. Perhaps it was too early. The hallway outside was dim, with photographs hanging on the walls. I had no idea where I was. A resort or a hotel? Perhaps a hotel, as I saw many rooms. Not only that, but the room number indicated that this place had several floors.

While I moved in a random direction to find the elevator, I collided with a guy. He was neatly dressed in a white shirt, black coat, and black trousers.

“Sorry, ma’am,” he bowed his head.

“Where am I?” I almost whispered, controlling my tears.

He looked at me for a second and then said, “Baccarat Hotel.”

“And the elevator?” I gulped as I heard this hotel’s name often in business newspapers. This was one of New York’s most luxurious hotels. Amber, what have you done? With whom did you come here? Is he some kind of bad guy? Of course, yes that's why he took advantage of the situation.

He guided me toward the elevator. I mumbled thanks and moved in that direction.

Reaching the elevator, I pressed the button. With each passing second, my forehead dripped with sweat. My whole body shivered in fear, thinking what if that guy opened his eyes, didn’t find me, and came to look for me? Thankfully, the elevator door slid open, and I stepped inside. I heaved a sigh of relief and wiped my sweat.

As the elevator descended, I noticed my reflection in the mirrored walls. Any hope I had shattered when I saw my condition. My makeup was smudged, my hair was a mess, and my lips were swollen as if someone had bitten them. Also, there was slight pain between my legs. The whole elevator ride seemed to be too long traveling from one continent to another. I turned my face away from my reflection, not able to take it.

I got out of it quickly once the elevator reached the ground floor. The lobby was filled with muffled noise. I ignored everything and moved toward the exit. I noticed a receptionist whose eyes were glued to the screen. She lifted her eyes and met mine. She passed a warm smile, but it seemed like a fake one. Then, she turned towards another man’s direction who was staring at me only.

I avoided his gaze, slipping out through the glass doors.

Fresh air hit my face, and the city was waking around me. Car honks filled my ears. Pedestrians whispered to themselves as they saw me. I inhaled deeply and took out my mobile.

I looked for a cab, and once I found one, I typed in my drop location. I slid my phone into my clutch and waited for my cab. As soon as it appeared, I stepped inside, mumbling for the driver to go fast.

The ride home was a blur. I stared out the window, my mind racing with questions. Who was he? How did I end up in his bed? And most importantly, what would I tell Liam if he found out? How would I face him? How would he deal with it? Would he be angry with me?

“Your location,” the driver sought my attention. I nodded and got out of the cab. After paying, I ran to my apartment, ignoring every gaze and greeting.

The familiar surroundings of my home were not enough to give me peace. I threw myself onto the couch and snuggled my face into the cushions.

For a moment, I considered calling Hayley. She could help me. She might tell me how I landed there. She could also help me deal with this situation. But then the thought of confiding in someone only increased my tension.

Instead of gathering courage, I stared at the ceiling and tried to piece everything together.

“Come with me,” a familiar yet unfamiliar voice echoed in my ears. More fragments hit my mind—a hand wrapping around my waist, my head hitting someone’s chest, his blurred face.

My phone buzzed on the coffee table, jerking me from my thoughts. I grabbed it, my heart sinking as I saw Liam’s name on the screen.

“Morning, love. Hope you slept well. Can’t wait to see you next week. Yes, you read it right. I’m coming back next week. You will be the first person I meet, my lovely future wife,” Liam had messaged.

I immediately put my phone away in fear. Guilt hit me hard. How would I face him? No, I can’t.

My phone buzzed again with another message from him.

“What happened, love?”

“Why are you not replying?”

“Are you with someone else?”

“Did your cousin say something against me again? Don't pay attention to her, she is jealous of you.”

“Are you okay?”

“Shall I come to see you?”

Several other messages popped up. See how much he cares about me.

I typed out a quick reply, my fingers trembling:

Morning! Can’t wait either. Love you. Sorry, love, for replying late. I was in the washroom.

The lie tasted bitter, but what else could I do? I can't break his heart.

As I set the phone down, my mind returned to the stranger. I didn’t know his name, his face, or even the sound of his voice. But something about him felt… familiar.

I shook my head, forcing the thought away. For now, all I could do was hope that whatever had happened last night stayed buried in that hotel room.

But deep down, I knew the truth: secrets never stay buried. They always find a way to come out.

And when that day came, everything would be destroyed.

To be continued.