14

14

Adrian's POV

The cold side of the bed was the first thing I noticed when I woke up. I reached out instinctively, my fingers brushing against nothing but wrinkled sheets. It was empty. My eyes blinked open slowly, adjusting to the sim morning light that was filtering through the curtains. I looked at the empty side of the bed where she was supposed to be but she was gone.

Bethany was gone. I stared at the ceiling for a moment, soaking in the silence. I should have expected this. Hell, I would have done the same, but still, seeing that she had woken up earlier and had gone instead of waiting, it hurt.

I sat up, running a hand through my hair. The room smelled faintly of her, like a mix of soft perfume and something warmer, something that cling to my skin. I should be feeling relieved, not downcast. One night. That was all it was. Just one night. No strings, and no complications. But as I glanced over at the empty spot where she was supposed to be, that relieved didn't come. Instead there was a tightened in my chest that I couldn't explain. Damn it.

I swung my legs over the side of the bed, planting my feet on the cold floor. Focus, I chided myself. I wasn't some kid nursing feelings after a one night stand. I had work to do.

I forced myself off the bed, going through the motions— showering, dressing, pouring myself a cup of black coffee— I could still see her eyes and hear her moans in my head. God. It was like she was imprinted in me.

The way she had looked at me last night with that fire in her eyes, even through the haze of whatever that bastard bartender had slipped into her drink. And the way she kissed me like she wanted to forget everything. Like she wanted to burn. I had let her, and now she was gone.

***

By the time I got to the office, the day was already moving faster than I could keep up.

"We have problem with the new shipment of our cars from the UK. Customs flagged it," my assistant, Bernardo, said the moment I got to the door of my office, his usual scowl in place.

Of course they did. I motioned for him to follow as I walked into my office.

"Handle it. Pay off whoever you need to, but keep it quiet. I don't want Mason catching wind of it," I ordered. Mason would throw a fit if he caught wind of what was going on and I didn't want that happening at all. I already had enough on my plate. I didn't need to deal with all that too.

Bernardo hesitated.

"You sure you don't want to oversee it yourself?" He asked, raising a brow at me.

I shot him a look.

"If I have to personally deal with every idiot and issue of shipments, then what the hell do I pay you for?" I snapped, eyeing him. I was on the edge and I didn't think I'd be needing to handle every damn idiotic question Bernardo was asking me today.

He gave a stiff nod and left without another word. Good. I sank into my chair, loosening my tie. I loved my work.

Work was where I thrived. Where I was always focused and in control. So why couldn't I focus now?

My eyes drifted to the city skyline beyond the window, but all I could see was her. All I could see was Bethany.

And U couldn't help but wonder what the hell she was thinking now? Was she regretting it?

Of course, she was. That was the only reason why she could have left before I could wake.

And the fact that her fiancé was cheating on her and she recently just found out was enough to make her hate men and not want anything to do with me.

And that fact alone should've been enough to keep me the hell away. But it wasn't. Not when I could still taste her on my lips.

Focus, Adrian, I chided myself again, leaning forward and grabbing the stack of papers Bernardo had left on my desk. Contracts, numbers and logistical bullshit.

I stared at the words, but none of them made sense. With a curse, I shoved them aside and reached for my phone, hoping to distract myself with something else. But of course, J had no messages. Not like I expected any. Especially not from Bethany. We never got to exchange each other'a contact, and she was probably going to pretend all her life that last night never happened and that she never met me. So why the hell couldn't I?

***

The day dragged on slowly, meeting after meeting ongoing with orders to be filled, workers to inspect and deals to be made. I love through it all like a machine, saying the right things and making the right calls, but my mind wasn't here at all. It was still in that dark room with Bethany and I tangled in with each other. By the time it was late afternoon, I couldn't take it anymore. I leaned back in my chair, pinching the beidge of my nose and sighing. Maybe I really was losing it. God. I needed to forget about her her, but the more I tried the more impossible it felt to even do that. Her voice echoed in my head, the way it broke when she told me her fiancé had cheated on her. God,

I wanted to find the arrogant bastard and kill him. How could he have something like her around and still manage to fuck it up?

No, not something. Someone.

Bethany wasn't a prize to be won.

She was fire. It was obvious. And her fiancé was too damn stupid to know he was about to get burned.

But I wasn't. I needed to find her, no matter what. I knew exactly how dangerous this was. And yet…

My phone buzzed, breaking the silence.

Bernardo again. I answered on the first ring.

"What is it?" I snapepd, my eyes narrowing even though he wasn't there to see me.

"The shipment issues are handled. No more issues," he reported.

"Good," I answered and waited for him to end the call but he didn't.

There was a pause that made me know that he wasn't done yet.

"There's something else," he added cautiously.

I tensed. "What now?"

"It's about Mason," he replied and I almost rolled my eyes. Of course it was about the little spoilt brat.

"What about him?" I asked him with a raise eyebrow.

"He's looking for his fiancé. Said she didn't come home last night."

My grip on the phone tightened and I grounded my teeth together in irritation. "And what exactly does that have to do with me?"

"I don't know, just want to let you know. By the way I heard that he had been cheating on her and they had a fight about it just yesterday," Bernardo answered and my blood ran cold.

It sounded so much like Bethany's story.

"Then she's no longer his problem," I replied with a shrug. To be honest I wasn't exactly interested in whatever had to do with Mason's personal life.

"Doesn't look like he sees it that way. He's making too much boise about it," he murmured and I rolled my eyes. Of course Bernardo wanted me to do damage control so that it wouldn't look like the alpha of our pack couldn't even monitor his fiancé's whereabouts. I didn't have the time for that now.

"Let him." My reply was flat and firm.

"Adrian—" Bernardo began but I cut him off.

"I said let him."

I ended the call before he could say more.

Mason could search all he wanted and throw a fit about his missing Fiancée for as long as he wanted. I didn't particularly give a fuck. At least not today. I had my own shit to figure out too.

The rest of the day passed in a blur and I was eager to get out of work by the time I closed for the day. When I got home, the sky was already darkening and stormy.

The penthouse was very quiet and swaying slightly as usual, the city lights flickering in the distance.

I poured myself a drink, staring out over the skyline as my thoughts wandered back to that particular lady that was living rent free in my head for the entire day.

I should let this go. I should forget about her. But as the liquor burned down my throat, I knew I wouldn't. There was no way I could. Not until I saw her again.

And something told me that wouldn't be long anymore.

I loosened my tie and took off my shirt, heading to the room and dropping the glass on the way there. I got into bed and slept, images of her plaguing my dreams.