Chapter 1: Rude awakening

Chapter 1

I woke up to a sharp throbbing in my skull and the urge to throw up.

Groaning, I tried to sit up and realized that a heavy arm was pinning me to the bed.

I froze in my tracks, my thoughts coming to a screeching halt, and slowly looked to my left.

Sleeping peacefully beside me was the most handsome man I have ever seen; naked, beautiful and without a care in the world.

The memories from last night immediately came crashing back.

EIGHT HOURS EARLIER

"C'mon, Ana, we won, we got the contract. We should celebrate!" my stepsister, Jenny, groaned, pushing two shots of tequila into my hands, "stop being so uptight for once in your life and have some fun."

I frowned and took the shots from her, downing it immediately, just to prove a point that I could let my hair down and have some fun.

She grinned wide at me and under the bright purple lights of the exclusive club, she looked almost evil.

I shook my head to get rid of those thoughts.

While I didn't have the best relationship with her, I knew that she would never go out of her way to harm me.

After the third shot, my head began to spin.

I slid out of the barstool, my legs wobbling and giving out. I would have fallen flat on my face if Jenny hadn't grabbed me and held me up against her.

"I feel funny," I murmured, the room spinning around me.

I felt worse than funny. I felt hot. Breathless... Horny.

"Gosh, you're hopelessly lightweight, Anastasia." Jenny said, her voice dripping with annoyance.

I brought a hand to my head to try to steady myself as she began leading me out of the club.

"Don't worry, I'll help you back to your room so that you can sleep this off," she promised. "It 2001, isn't it?"

The rest of the night was a blur.

Her leading me up to my room. Unlocking the door and pushing me in. Me stumbling to my bed, my breath racing, heart pumping. Needy and desperate for someone's touch. For a release. Finding a man in my bed. Kissing him. Having sex with him.

Oh God.

I swallowed as the memory came slamming back to me and I sat up quickly, finding my clothes and putting them back on. I found my purse sitting on the bedside table and feeling horrible for basically assaulting a stranger last night, I left some cash on the table for him as compensation.

I snuck out of the room and realized that I had actually slept in room 2002 and my room 2001 was right beside this one.

Jenny must have mistakenly gotten the numbers mixed up while trying to help me.

God, I'm never drinking again.

I decided to take a taxi back home, seeing as we had already accomplished what we came to the hotel to do.

While in the taxi, I brought out my phone to text Jenny and inform her that I would be heading back home but I quickly found at that my battery was dead. I shrugged, deciding it was still too early for someone like her anyway. She liked to sleep in and I didn't want to disturb her.

I didn't want to make a sound as I slipped back into the mansion. Knowing my father and stepmother, they'd probably be at work or on another vacation in an exotic island on the other side of the world.

I quickly went to my room and took a warm bath, letting myself soak in the water for a while. It was very relaxing and I found myself thinking back to last night, bits and pieces of the night coming back to me.

It had been a mistake, a horrible mistake, but that didn't take away the fact he had been the best lay I have ever had. It's not like I had a large body count to compare him to, but I couldn't deny the fact that I had enjoyed my time with him.

Oh God, I sank into the water, suddenly feeling hot and embarrassed.

I hope he doesn't remember my face. I just want to put the night behind me.

I exited the bath, dried my hair and slipped into fresh clothes, feeling better already.

I was walking down the stairs, intent on getting breakfast when a familiar voice stopped me in my tracks.

"Did you do what we asked?" My stepmother asked, her voice cold and cynical like always.

"Yes!" Jenny squealed. "I can't believe the plan worked perfectly," Jenny was saying excitedly.

I didn't even know that she had left the hotel already.

I shrugged, seeing as it was no big deal anyway, but the next words that came out of my father's mouth stopped me in my tracks immediately.

"She would never have gone into his bed if you hadn't drugged her drink," my father said and my lungs closed in on me.

"She thinks we got the deal because of her negotiating skills," Jenny said, "the bitch doesn't know that we offered her up for sex to bag the deal."

WHAT?!

I stumbled back, nearly falling to the ground, cold sweat breaking out on my face.

That can't be true. They can't- They couldn't have done that.

"I told you, didn't I?" My stepmother snorted. "We should just sell her off, seeing as she's not contributing anything to the company anyway. She has to earn her keep."

"If I had known that was all it took to get the job done, I would have done this a long time ago," he scoffed and I couldn't stop myself from the hot jolt of anger that exploded out of me.

I screamed so loud, my voice cracked and I stomped down the stairs, shaking with uncontrollably anger.

My eyes zeroed in on each of them, pain and fury cracking my voice. "How could you?!"