Page 17 of Dangerous Vows

It was only one night, but it tugs at my heart with each step I take.

And no matter how fast I walk, I can’t deny that my body remembers last night and how his lips trailed fire over my skin. It wasn’t just sex. It was something else. Something dangerous. But it’s lost because I’ll never see him again.

Hours later, when Sarah asked me a million questions, I relived my night in a stranger’s bed—the exhilaration and freedom of just being in the moment. I got to be me. It was thrilling to do what I wanted without thinking about my baggage.

“You should have seen the room, Sarah. OMG. The plush carpet, the fully stocked bar, the living room, and the huge TV. I didn’t see much as the lighting was terrible, but it was the penthouse!” I squeal.

But even as I relieve the night, I know I can’t afford to relax my guard. And daydreaming over Pietro is a luxury I can’t afford. I have to stay on my toes because not thinking will get me killed.

“He has a fuckton of money,” Sarah elaborates. “Who can afford that swanky room anyway? Do you know who he is?”

“I have no clue. His name is Pietro. I mean, it’s so unusual. Who do you think he is?” I have the excitement of a child who’s making up a character to marry when I grow up.

“A hitman?” she jokes.

“Naw, he’d be lying low somewhere. I seriously doubt he’d be at the club last night if that were the case.”

“Unless he was hiding in plain sight, like you,” she adds.

Which makes me pause. “You’re right. I guess anything is possible. By the way, thank you for last night. It was fun.”

“You’re only saying that because you got laid. I saw you as you left, and he was smoking hot.”

“Yeah, I don’t know what he saw in me, but the sex was so incredible!” I moan as I take a hop-jump so that I land on the sofa, where I immediately tuck my legs under me.

“So, he must be like a…billionaire?” Her eyebrows furrow as she glances at me over her laundry basket.

I shrug. “Who knows? It’s New York. He can be anyone. He’s probably visiting from a foreign country, and I’ll never see him again. He has a bit of an accent, and that’s sexy as fuck.” I’ve always loved foreign accents, especially when a God-like man like Pietro speaks them.

“That sucks. Did you have a good time?”

“Yes, but I could get addicted to him. He was so smooth and confident, y’know?”

“No. But I’ll take your word for it. I fly out later tonight. I’ll be gone for two days, so don’t do any more risky one-nighters, okay?”

“Trust me, it was a once-in-a-lifetime occurrence. I don’t know what possessed me to do that. It’s like I came to life when I saw him. He’s dangerous, but getting involved with him will only lead to abroken heart. Besides, I don’t know his last name. It was so refreshing, though—I mean, most good-looking men are assholes.”

“With that kind of money, he must be very, very wealth and prone to be an asshole, yes,” she concurs.

I ponder this for a moment. I’m still curious about what Pietro does for a living. I want to know more about him, but that won’t happen. We’ll never see each other again. It’s a huge city, so aside from stalking him at the hotel, I cannot find him.

“Lightning doesn’t strike twice. Does it?” I ask, hoping she’ll disagree with me.

“Doubtful.”

My heart sinks, knowing that the dangerous night of living on the edge is over. This Cinderella has returned from the ball, and I’ll never get another night like that again.

What makes matters worse is that I was on top of the world when I got home this morning, and it’s over. I remembered him grabbing me and biting my nipples, and it just did something to me that I can’t explain. It was a bit rough, and I loved it.

“By the time your shift is over, I’ll be in the air, but I want to hear about your new job when I land,” she says as she stacks her folded jeans into the laundry basket.

“I’m sure I’ll be fine. You know how it goes—the first few days feel great, then the job becomes a chore. Just a means to an end.”

And there isn’t. As long as I’m in the wind, I don’t have my generous allowance or trust fund, and I can’t use the family name to advance myself. I never realized how tough it was to get a job until I was forced to abandon my name. As a single woman, it isn’t easy to make it in the real world.

“It’s going to be a long night,” I say, following Sarah to her room as she prepares for her trip. Even though I didn’t sleep much last night, I’m too wired to rest.

Sarah and I hang out like we do, making tossed salads with canned tuna for dinner before she leaves. The apartment is chilly because we can’t afford to run the heat to keep it comfortable. I didn’t shower allday so that I could smellhim. But it’s getting late, so I shower and tug on an old sweatsuit and wool socks to keep my feet warm.

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