Chapter 46 Chapter 45

Chapter 46 Chapter 45
The next morning, I woke up accompanied by a throbbing headache that seemed to echo inside my skull. I brought a hand to my temples, pressing my fingers against the burning skin, and let out a low, hoarse groan that got lost in the pillow. Even with my eyelids heavy and my vision blurred, I forced my eyes open, squinting against the invasion of light.
"I’m never drinking again… I swear, never in my whole life," I murmured, my voice a scratchy whisper. My mouth was dry, with a bitter taste of hangover and regret.
I turned my head with painful effort on the pillow, and my heart jumped violently in my chest. There was Dominic, sleeping deeply beside me. An involuntary, tender smile escaped my lips for a fraction of a second — a reflex of an affection my mind couldn’t yet understand. But then, it hit me.
Dominic.
My body froze. My muscles tensed, and my breath caught in my lungs. What? WHAT was he doing here?
A chill ran down my spine, and in a pure panic impulse, I lifted the sheet with a trembling hand. The sight of our naked bodies beneath the fabric hit me like a bucket of cold water. My stomach twisted.
"So that means…" I whispered to myself, unable to finish the thought.
My eyes, now wide open and alert, darted back to him, tracing the line of his shoulders, the curve of his back… and, unintentionally, further down. A sudden and treacherous heat rose up my neck and flooded my cheeks.
What a view to wake up to, I thought, before rationality could scold the idea.
"How long are you going to keep staring?" His deep, rough voice, thick with sleep, echoed through the silent room and made me jump. My whole body trembled, my pulse racing.
"What? Staring? No… I don’t know what you’re talking about," I stammered, my voice higher than intended as I turned my face away in embarrassment. The flush on my cheeks now burned with mortification. "But I can already tell you love taking advantage of drunk women."
He let out a low chuckle and turned his face toward me. His half-open eyes caught mine, and my jaw tightened under the weight of his gaze.
"Me?" he questioned, a sardonic smile playing on his lips. "If I remember correctly, you were the one begging. And the way you hungrily sat on my dick made it pretty clear what you wanted."
"I was drunk!" I snapped, my hands curling into fists at my sides, my nails digging into my palms.
"Oh, maybe you were," he conceded, his gaze roaming mercilessly over my flushed face. "But you almost ripped it off with how eager you were. So spare me the drama — it’s not going to work."
I stood up from the bed, pulling the sheet and wrapping it tightly around myself.
"What’s that for?" Dominic asked, his voice rough and lazy as he propped himself up on his elbows, the sheet slipping down to his waist.
"Well, I don’t want you looking at me," I shot back, clutching the fabric against my body.
He let out that damned low laugh again — that half-smile that made me want to throw something at his face. "Chloe, we—"
"I know, okay?" I cut him off before he could finish. "What happened last night was… a drunk mistake, that’s all." My voice faltered halfway through, and I looked away, pretending to search for my clothes on the floor. "So stop gloating and forget it ever happened, because this…" I lifted my face to meet his eyes. "…this is not happening again."
I walk toward the bathroom. The sheet slips off my body and falls along the way, and I turn on the shower without looking back. Warm water cascades over my skin, running down my shoulders and loosening every tense muscle. I close my eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath, trying to erase the flashes of the previous night — but they keep coming back, too vivid to ignore.
When I open my eyes, the reflection in the glass changes. Dominic is there, leaning against the door, watching me with that calm gaze — too calm for someone who knows exactly the effect he has.
"Can’t I even take a shower in peace?" I ask, turning my head slightly but not hiding my irritation.
He gives a slow, teasing half-smile. "You can..." He takes a few steps toward the edge of the shower. "I just thought I could help with your peace."
I roll my eyes, water still streaming down my body.
"I already told you what happened last night was a mistake."
"Funny," he replies, his voice low and husky, "I didn’t say anything."
"I know you didn’t." I take a step back, but he keeps moving forward. "But your eyes are giving you away. Nothing’s changed."
He tilts his head, his gaze sliding slowly down before returning to meet mine. "Wasn’t it you who got mad when I didn’t kiss you?"
"That?" I let out a short laugh. "That was just a momentary thing... and you managed to ruin the mood."
He steps closer, and the steam from the shower begins to mix with the heat radiating from his body. "Alright," he murmurs. "I’ll pretend I believe you."
His eyes lock onto mine, and his smile curves at the corner of his lips. "But you don’t have to pretend you hate me anymore, Chloe."
Dominic takes another step forward. His hand rises slowly to my face, fingers firm but touch gentle. The back of his hand brushes against my damp skin, tracing the outline of my cheek until it stops beneath my chin. With the tip of his finger, he lifts it, forcing my gaze to meet his. His eyes drop to my lips.
For a second, he hesitates, as if wanting to give me a chance to pull away. I don’t. His lips touch mine, lightly — but that brief contact is enough to make me close my eyes, leaning closer. His scent mixes with the steam, and the warm brush of his breath against my mouth makes my heart race. His lips move with mine in a sensual dance.