Contracted hearts

Stranger

Chapter Two

The first thing I felt when I opened my eyes was the unfamiliar weight of an arm draped possessively around my waist, pinning me to a mattress far too soft to be mine. A subtle scent of cologne filled my nostrils, and my eyes flew open. Panic clawed its way up my throat as my gaze darted around the dimly lit room and I instantly recognized the discarded clothes sprawled on the floor, mine and, unmistakably, his.

Oh, hell no.

I was wide awake in a split second as the events of the previous night flooded my mind torrent after torrent: Neon lights, a pair of deep grey eyes, smooth talk, moans that didn’t sound like mine. An insatiable hunger had consumed us both in this very bed. My cheeks flamed, and a wave of nausea washed over me as shame and regret tugged at my mind.

What have I done?

Carefully, I disentangled myself from his grip. A cold rush of air hit my skin, making me shiver despite the lingering warmth of his body as I scrambled for my clothes, snatching them from the floor. “Leaving so soon, Miss?”

His voice, low and rumbling with sleep, cut through the silence. I could hear him sit up as my hands fumbled with the zipper of my dress.

"I... I have to go," I stammered, my voice almost a whisper. I could feel his gaze pierce through my back as I finished with my dress and straightened. "No name? No number?" he chuckled softly, the sound both charming and infuriating. "Just a fleeting encounter, miss?" I finally turned to face him. He was propped up on one elbow while the sheets pooled around his waist, revealing a broad, muscular chest. His brown hair was free from its leash and slightly covered his eyes, and a lazy smile played on his lips; those mesmerizing grey eyes were now completely alert. He looked far too relaxed, too at ease, while I felt like I was going insane.

"It was a mistake," I blurted out in haste. "Last night... it was a mistake."

His smile didn't falter, but a glint of something unreadable flickered in his eyes. "A mistake? Seemed pretty intentional from where I was lying."

"I was drunk," I snapped. "I wasn't myself."

"And who are you?" he asked, and I could tell from his tone that all the humor was gone.

“It doesn't matter. Last night…it shouldn't have happened,” I said, shifting my gaze to the plush chair. I grabbed my bag and made sure my phone was inside.

“Stay for coffee. We can talk afterward. Or, you know, not talk. If it makes you comfortable.”

"No," I said, firmly, desperately. "I can't. I really have to go." I didn't wait for his response, didn't spare a glance back. My hand was on the doorknob, and in a flurry of shame and adrenaline, I ran out of the suite, the door clicking shut behind me.

****

A low chuckle escaped his lips as the door clicked shut. He fell back against the pillows, the scent of her still lingering in the air. "She can’t run away from me," he murmured to himself. It was strange. His other one-night stands would stay, hoping for more than just a night’s memory. They'd linger in the morning, and he would leave them with nothing else but a fat check to let them know that they'd never see him again. But this woman hadn't even offered her name.

Something about that unsettled him.

He could still picture her from last night. Her wild red hair cascaded across his pillows like fire. The way she’d flirted without inhibition, how her eyes had locked with his, heavy with want. Her soft cries of pleasure. Hours ago, she’d craved him. And now? She had vanished like it had meant nothing.

His jaw tensed. Who the hell did she think she was? Annoyance brewed in his chest like a storm. If it meant going to every club in the city, he would find her. She wouldn’t just disappear. Not from him.

His mobile phone rang, cutting through his thoughts. It was his father, the retired CEO of Crawford Capital, which he now owned. His initial annoyance was replaced by a familiar knot of dread as he sighed, scrubbing a hand over his face before finally answering.

"Where are you, Julian?" his father's booming voice assaulted his ear. "You were supposed to be here an hour ago! The board meeting starts in two hours, and your brother has reported your absence."

“Board meeting? What is this about again?” he asked lazily.

“This isn't a game, Julian. This is the future of the company. Your elder brother, Marcus, is useless and incapable of handling the business. You're the leader of this empire instead, and you need to play the part.”

Julian scoffed, pushing off the bed and strolling toward the opulent bathroom. “And what exactly does playing the part mean? Marrying into the Laurent family?” His voice turned sharp, biting.

He’d done everything asked of him. Taken over the company. Made it stronger. Cleaner. Ruthless when he had to be. But ever since he’d rejected the arranged marriage, his father had taken every opportunity to remind him that he only held power because Marcus had failed.

“The arranged marriage with the Laurent family will solidify our position in the market!” Julian splashed cold water on his face. "I understand Father," he said, the words devoid of real meaning. He wasn’t just in the mood for another fight.

He despised the constant pressure, the expectation of being the perfect son, the one who cleans up his elder brother's messes and marries for convenience. Marcus, his older brother, was completely uninterested in the family business, yet their father still clung to the delusion that he might change overnight. But when Marcus proved himself repeatedly incapable, the burden fell to Julian. He accepted it as the perfect son, took it all well, played his part, and even surpassed other companies in the market but now this? An arranged marriage into the Laurents family? And for nothing more than just a merger of empires? A familiar resentment simmered within him.

"Just get here, Julian," his father said one last time before hanging up.

Julian pocketed his phone, got dressed, and grabbed his car keys. He had a board meeting to attend and an arranged marriage looming. But for now, all that mattered to him was finding a woman whose name he didn’t even know.