Amber’s POV

    In a panic, I tapped at my body. No… no… I was still wearing clothes. If I’d slept with Julian, surely I would

    be nakedb? /b

    I nced around. The spot on the bed beside me was empty. I myself wasying on top of the nket, as if someone had just ced me here, rather than us diving beneath the covers for sex.

    But if we didn’t sleep together, then what the hell was I doing here? And where was Julian?

    Last night was such a blur.

    A ss of water and a couple of aspirin sat on the bedside table. Despite my upset at being in Julian’s

    room, my headache was an irritation. I reached for them, taking the aspirin and then downing the water.

    As I lowered the ss again, I finally spotted Julian.

    He was sleeping on the floor beside the bed. He didn’t even have a pillow or a nket, but his eyes were

    closed, his chest rising and falling gently, blissfully unaware of the panic I was feeling at waking up in

    this ce, in the room.

    I scanned the room for my purse and saw it sitting on the desk beside an open bottle of wine and two

    sses. The sight of it made me angry somehow.

    Wait… hadn’t Olivia been herest night?

    Maybe I was misremembering but I didn’t think so. I distinctly remembered seeing the video of Olivia

    entering Julian’s hotel room. That was right, Chase showed it to me. And then I… I ran over to his hotel

    room to confront him myself.

    My head throbbed and I rubbed it with my forefinger and thumb, praying that the aspirin would work

    sooner rather thanter.

    Regardless, I had to get out of here.

    Keeping my eyes on Julian, not wanting to wake him, I slowly started to make my way toward the foot of the bed. Inch by careful inch, I scooched down, making as little noise as I possibly could.

    So far so good. So I moved a little more.

    Then, just as I was cing my feet over the edge of the bed, the mattress squeaked.

    Julian’s eyes snapped open and he looked right at me. “Amber.”

    I hopped off the bed now, and rushed to grab my purse.

    Julian was beside me in an instant, moving so fast at his Alpha speed. “Calm down,” he said. “Let me ulli/li/ul

    exin.”

    “I don’t want to hear it,” I said, even though I kind of did. I wanted to know what happenedst night, but my emotions were worn out. I was embarrassed – no, mortified – over having stayed here. Did I drink too

    much? I hardly ever have more than a ss of wine!

    No more rum. Ever.

    “Nothing happened between us,” Julian said quickly. He kept cutting me off as I tried to move around him for the door, forcing me to listen. “You came here, rightfully scolded me for having a drink with Olivia. You don’t my drink, and then you passed out. That’s all that happened.”

    I paused a moment, and looked up at him skeptically. “One ss?”

    He nodded.

    Even with the rum… one ss of wine shouldn’t have made me ckout drunk.

    “I can usually handle my alcohol better than this,” I said, confused.

    Maybe I couldn’t exin what happened with me, but the main point of rity I still felt was that Julian had epted Olivia into his hotel room. If they had too much to drink, who knew what would happen?

    My anger over that coupled with my irritation from having a headache. It all made everything worse.

    “Let me out of here,” I said. “Then you can get back to whatever you were doing with Olivia.”

    “Nothing was happening with Olivia,” Julian insisted. “She came over and we were just –

    I definitely didn’t want ito /ihear about this.

    I faked like I was going right, and while he moved to block me I dodged left instead.

    i“/ii2 /i

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