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An accident.
With an incredibly hot guy who, by pure chance, had later shown up at Fiona's bachelorette party. Thanks to a completely crazy dare, I had kissed him and then...
...we had ended up in a hotel room shortly after, where we spent an unforgettable night. The thought of it sent heat and warmth flooding through my body. I had never experienced a night like the last one. I had never met a man like Carter. He had completely overwhelmed me. I could hardly believe that I had gone to bed with a man I barely knew. That wasn't like me at all, but the alcohol had simply made my inhibitions disappear. And the night had been incredibly satisfying. Magnificent.
I tried to focus on the here and now again, which I managed only with difficulty. Carter and I had snuck into a hotel room. That's where I was now, in a strange bed.
With Carter?
My... fiancé?
Remembering the prank we had played on Carter's companion last night, I giggled with my eyes closed.
Ouch.
As I only now noticed while giggling, my head hurt a little. The unpleasant throbbing probably came from all the alcohol. And the little sleep I had gotten last night. The memory of it made me warm again, and I wished for nothing more than to look into Carter's bright blue eyes. So I opened my eyes. In the slightly dim light around me, I made out the outlines of some furniture. A closet. A TV. I turned to the side. A desk. And a bed in which no one but me was lying.
I was alone.
Where was Carter?
Slowly, I sat up until I was leaning against the pillow. My hand felt for the light switch, found it, and pressed it. It became bright around me. The light hurt my eyes a bit, and I blinked hard.
I was still alone.
My clothes were scattered on the carpet, just as I had thrown them to the floor yesterday when Carter had ordered me to undress. That dominance had surprised and incredibly aroused me.
Carter's clothes had been right next to mine.
But now they were gone.
Only my clothes were here. And that could only mean one thing.
Carter was gone.
I held my breath. Had he just left me without a word in an anonymous hotel room after this night? Was he no better than all the men I had met before? A bit of casual fun with his "fiancée" was probably all he had wanted. Taking advantage of an annoying accident.
Isabella! Now hold on a second! The engagement was just a joke. You can't derive any claims from that, none at all. Yesterday was about exactly that: a bit of casual fun. Nothing more and nothing less. That was perfectly clear to you when you went upstairs with him. Besides, he didn't take advantage of the situation. You were the one who kissed him.
But even though my head knew all too well that I was right and I didn't regret anything, I felt a certain disappointment inside me.
Isabella, forget it. Better get ready and think about what to do next instead of continuing to mope around here. That won't get you anywhere. You have more important things to do. Remember, you need a new job. And urgently! Otherwise, you're ruined! Carter will get in touch if he wants money for the damage to his car.
The thought made me flinch. I would have liked to stay a little longer in this bed, where there were only memories of exciting hours and no worries about the future. But I literally couldn't afford that. Sighing, I turned around and slowly swung my legs over the edge of the bed. That's when my gaze fell on the nightstand on my side of the bed.
My heart leaped.
On the nightstand were three things that didn't belong there and that... that were probably meant for me.
A white artificial flower that must have come from one of the arrangements in the hotel.
A business card.
And a note from one of the hotel's notepads with a message.
With a pounding heart, I picked up the note.
Good morning, fiancée,