0002.

Tilda’s POV.

I took shot after shot, feeling the alcohol scorch its way down my throat. The empty cans piled up on the table in front of me, mocking me with each clang.

I was still in my wedding dress. The dress alone reminded me of the nightmare I had woken up to just hours ago. I had fled the hotel room—feeling Wyatt’s absence like a knife to my heart—and sought refuge in the one place that promised oblivion: a nightclub.

I tried to drown my pain in alcohol, hoping it would numb the ache that was consuming me from the inside. But nothing could fade the betrayal I felt. Wyatt. My best friend. Emily. The two people I trusted most in the world.

How could they do this to me? How could they be together? How could they get married on my wedding day?

I thought about it. How did this even happen? When did they get together? How did I not know this? It seemed like their relationship blossomed right under my nose. I had never seen the signs. I felt so stupid.

I forced a hollow laugh, trying to distract myself from the ache in my chest.

"Another round!" I yelled, waving my hand toward the waiter. My voice was slurred, and I didn’t care. The pain was too much, and the alcohol, though not enough, was all I had.

"Waiter!" I called again, my voice cracking. "Don’t abandon me too!" I laughed. It was a loud broken sound that rang through the club, drawing the attention of the other patrons. They were staring now and I could hear their whispers. I was a spectacle—a bride, abandoned and drunk, drowning in a sea of misery.

Anger flared inside me, hot and uncontrollable. I slammed my fist down on the table.

"Leave me alone!" I shouted. "I’m not a freak!"

But the stares only intensified. I stumbled to my feet, pointing at their faces.

"You want to know what happened? Fine! I was supposed to get married today!" My voice rose, tears pricking at my eyes. "It was supposed to be the happiest day of my life!"

I heard someone whisper behind me. "Left at the altar..." The words sliced through me like glass.

"What? Dumped? Me?" I turned around. My vision blurred with alcohol and rage. I held up my engagement ring, shaking it at the crowd like it was some trophy. Well, to me it once was.

"My groom’s right here with me!" I spun, scanning the sea of strangers for some sign, of someone to play along in this twisted reality I was trying to hold onto.

But all I saw were strangers’ faces, filled with pity. My legs began to tremble beneath me, the weight of the stares, the whispers—it was too much.

"She’s delusional... Poor thing..." I heard someone murmur.

The murmurs grew louder, digging deeper into my already shattered heart.

I turned to leave. But as I moved, I collided with something—no, someone. A solid chest, warm and firm. I looked up, my breath catching as I locked eyes with a stranger. His eyes were dark, and intense, as though they could see straight through me, past my pain, and into the depths of my soul.

For a moment, time seemed to stop. The world around us faded, and it was just him and me, standing there, lost in each other’s gaze. I couldn’t look away. My heart raced, not with panic, but with something else—something I hadn’t felt in a long time.

"I'm sorry," I whispered, my voice barely audible as I blinked away the haze of alcohol.

The man said nothing, but his eyes remained on me, studying me in a way that made my skin tingle. He began to step away, but desperation seized me. I reached out, grabbing his arm.

"Wait," I murmured. The words slipped from my lips before I could stop them. He wore a suit, perfectly tailored and elegant, and an idea—a mad, desperate idea—began to take shape in my mind.

I didn’t care how absurd it was. I didn’t care about the embarrassment or the shame. I had already faced the ultimate humiliation. Wyatt and Emily had destroyed me in front of everyone. What was a little more madness compared to that?

I clung to the man’s arm, facing the crowd. "See? This is my groom!" I forced a smile, leaning into him, praying he wouldn’t push me away. "I told you, I wasn’t abandoned. He’s right here, with me.

The murmurs grew quieter. The crowd watched in stunned silence. I could feel the stranger’s tension beside me, but he didn’t move. He didn’t protest.

Then, to my shock, he pulled me closer. His arm slid around my waist, firm but gentle, and before I could even process what was happening, his lips were on mine. The kiss was soft at first, but then it deepened, sending a wave of electricity through my body. My heart Pounded. My mind spun as I melted into him.

The crowd erupted into applause. Their cheers filled the air, but all I could focus on was him. This stranger. This man who, for reasons I couldn’t understand, was playing along with my insane charade. He scooped me into his arms, lifting me as if I weighed nothing, and cradled me against his chest.

"Sorry for the commotion, folks," he said loudly. "She’s had a bit too much to drink. We’re just going to head out now."

With that, he carried me out of the club. As we moved, the applause and cheers fader behind us. I clung to him, inhaling his sweet scent.

Who was this man? Why was he helping me? None of it made sense, but at that moment, I didn’t care. I just wanted to be anywhere but where I had been, drowning in my misery.

He carried me up the stairs of the club, his strong arms holding me close. I felt safe in his arms. For some reason, this felt right, like I was supposed to be here with him.

When we reached a quiet hallway, he gently opened the door to a room and set me down on the bed. The soft mattress cradled me, but my gaze remained fixed on him.

"Why did you do that?" I asked.

The alcohol still clouded my thoughts but the heat of the kiss still lingered on my lips.

He didn’t answer right away. His dark eyes searched mine, and for a moment, it felt like he was seeing something I couldn’t even see in myself. Then, finally, he spoke, "Because you looked like you needed saving."

A strange, warm sensation spread through me at his words. I hadn’t realized how badly I needed to be saved until he said it.

He moved to leave, but something inside me snapped. I reached for him, grabbing his wrist and pulling him back. I stood up, facing him.

"Don’t go," I whispered.

Our eyes locked again, and I saw something flicker in his gaze—a hesitation, but also a spark. A hunger. I felt it too, the pull between us, the desperate need for connection, for comfort. I had no idea if it was the alcohol talking or something else but I wanted him.

He was the most gorgeous man I'd ever laid eyes on. He had intense dark brown eyes. Strands of his dark tousled hair framed his forehead in an effortless way. He had this aura of dominance that drew me in, in a way I couldn't explain. I was drawn to him and I didn't know why.

Without another word, he leaned down, capturing my lips in another kiss. This time, there was no crowd, no pretense. Just us. The kiss deepened. The intensity built as we lost ourselves in the moment, in each other. I could feel the heat in my core get hotter with each second, with each kiss. At that moment, I knew I wanted him. I needed to forget about Wyatt, about everything.

My nails dug into his muscular back as our mouths danced together, exploring and tasting one another. I felt his hands roam over my body, sending shivers down my spine. He tasted sweet. He tasted like expensive wine. He tasted like everything I could have wanted. I couldn't get enough of him, even if I tried.

As we kissed, I felt his erection pressing against my front. I reached down between us, gently rubbing him through his pants. The sensation of his hardness beneath his clothing made me even more turned on. He responded by guiding me to the bed and pushing me down onto the soft mattress. My heart pounded against my ribcage as he stepped back for a moment, admiring the sight before him.

God, he was beautiful. I admired how gorgeous he looked in that moment with the moonlight streaming from the windows and illuminating his face—his heavy breathing, his hard cock, and his dark tousled hair falling on his face.

He was perfect.

He looked like he had just stepped out of a painting.

He hovered over me and kissed me again. Slowly, he parted my legs. As we kissed, his fingers trailed down my body, leaving a trail of fire. As I lost myself in him, I found it weird that this man I just met knew exactly what to do. My body reacted to his touch in ways I never knew possible. Even Wyatt couldn't touch me like this.

This stranger, whose name I didn't even know, knew where to touch and what to do to send shivers down my spine. I could hardly contain my moans as I felt his finger dive into my wetness. He caressed and rubbed my clit while never breaking our kiss.

He pulled away from my lips, kissing the sensitive spot on my neck. I couldn't help the moans that escaped my lips. He shifted his attention to my chest, taking one nipple in his mouth. His finger thrust in and out of my pussy slowly, making my head spin. I was on cloud nine.

Softly, he bit my nipple, making me gasp. Our eyes locked, and he seemed to revel in the expression on my face. I felt like I was on cloud nine. My body was on fire but in the best way possible.

He trailed kisses from between my breasts down to my belly button. His lips ignited a fire everywhere he touched and it drove me insane. He lowered himself down my body and spread my legs before he began to taste me. His tongue glided over my clit, making me shiver with pleasure.

"Please," I moaned breathlessly, feeling the knot of pleasure in my core tightening.

He smiled up at me before spreading my lips apart. He worked his tongue inside me with an expert touch that left me moaning out loud. He licked me up and down as if I was his favorite meal. I was a bit surprised. Wyatt hated going down on me and here this man was, doing it without me even asking. He wasn't just doing it. He looked like he was enjoying it.

The look on his face as he ate me out was enough for me to cum. He closed his eyes and from the looks of things, he looked like he enjoyed what he was doing.

I held his hair, pushing his tongue further into my wetness. It felt amazing. I gripped his hair tighter, circling my city around his tongue. I closed my eyes, moaning loudly as the pleasure took over me.

Slowly, he worked his way back up to meet my lips once again and I tasted myself on his tongue - so sweet. Our bodies pressed together, and I could feel the need and desire radiating from our very cores. The next thing I felt was his cock inside me. We both moaned at the same time.

We made love passionately. The feeling was unlike anything I'd ever experienced. It felt new and... Amazing. He was gentle. He kept kissing me, kissing my neck, holding my hands in his, making me feel wanted.

I couldn't explain the emotions that pulsed through me as we moved together in perfect harmony. Our breaths mingled, and our bodies entwined as he thrust in and out of me. In those moments, it was as if nothing else existed but him and me—two souls united by a connection that we couldn't describe even if we tried. We just met.

As he moved inside me, I ran my hands over his muscular back, feeling the strength in his body as he moved above me. Our eyes locked and I saw such intensity, such passion there. It made my heart race even faster.

"You're beautiful," he whispered.

I moaned in response. With the way I felt disoriented, I couldn't even form words if I tried. He lowered his head to my neck, planting hot kisses along my throat as he continued to thrust. I wrapped my legs around him, pulling him even closer. Our bodies moved together in perfect synchronicity like we were meant to be.

Every touch, every caress sent sparks of electricity through my body.

I ran my fingers through his hair as he placed attention on my breasts, his tongue swirling around my sensitive nipples. Soft moans escaped my lips at the sensation.

"You feel so good," I whispered. "I never want this to end."

He lifted his head, his eyes dark with desire as they met mine.

"We're just getting started," he said with a devilish grin.

He shifted us so I was on top, straddling him. I braced my hands on his chest as I began to rock my hips. He gripped my waist, guiding my movements as we found our rhythm together.

"That's it, baby," he groaned "Take control"

I jumped on his cock every now and then. Then slowly, I would ride him back and forth. I did whatever I felt like, whatever made me feel good and from the looks of things, I was doing something right. He didn't complain like Wyatt. He allowed me to take control. I could feel myself getting close. The pleasure inside me built to an almost unbearable intensity. He must have sensed it too because he reached between us to rub my clit in tight circles.

"Oh god!" I cried out, my back arching as waves of ecstasy crashed over me. My inner walls clenched around him as I came hard.

He flipped us over again, driving into me with powerful thrusts as he chased his own release. I wrapped my legs around him, urging him on. With a loud moan, he buried himself deep inside me as he climaxed.

We laid tangled together afterwards. Our bodies were slick with sweat as we caught our breath. I nestled my head against his chest, listening to his heartbeat gradually slow. His fingers traced lazy patterns on my back as we laid there.

"That was..." I trailed off, unable to find words to describe what we'd just shared.

"Incredible," he finished for me, pressing a soft kiss to my forehead. "You're incredible."

By the time dawn broke, I laid beside him. My body was exhausted but my heart was… lighter. For the first time since this morning, that I didn’t feel completely broken.