CHAPTER THREE

SUSAN DELIVERS MY COCKTAIL AS promised. She’s polite and emotionless, reminding me of a robot. The glass she offers me looks like it contains nothing but water. When I ask what’s inside, she simply tells me that it’s something to help me sleep. The vagueness is a bit unsettling, but I suppose Chandler knows that I’m not allergic to any medications because of my medical screening.

I nod in thanks as I take the glass from her and send her on her way—wherever it is she goes when she’s not busy tending to Chandler’s needs. Hopefully, not to his bedroom, I think selfishly. If they have sex tonight, I should be able to hear it. And it would shatter me completely. I shouldn’t feel this possessive of him, but I have no control over it. After all, what we just did together was kind of a big deal for me.

I sit on the side of my bed and drink down the cocktail. It’s flavorless, which makes it easy to stomach. Within a few minutes, my eyelids begin to grow heavy. The sleepiness comes on with a disturbing rapidness. One minute I’m fine. The next, I’m on my side struggling to keep my eyes open. And then… darkness.

I wake to something poking me. At least, I think I wake. I’m so deliriously groggy that I can barely open my eyes—that I can’t tell what’s real and what’s not.

Darkness surrounds me. I close my eyes because I don’t have the strength to keep them open. Then I feel a hand massaging my hip and the stinging of something pressing between my legs. It takes me a moment to put the pieces together—that someone is in my room trying to fuck me.

I groan to let whoever it is know that I’m awake. It’s Chandler. It has to be. There are no other men here.

Just knowing he’s with me instantly revs my core. I push my hips back, ready to receive him but too tired to actually move. Whatever was in that cocktail still has me in its iron grip. If not for the discomfort of his cock tunneling into my sore pussy, I’d probably pass right back out.

A soft moan when he’s all the way inside confirms that it’s Chandler, and I instantly feel my body relax. What time is it? Did he wake up in the middle of the night and come into my room to have sex with me? He must have. Not that I can tell what time of day it is in here with no windows.

I glance at the clock on the bedside table, confused when I realize there’s no light coming from it. I could have sworn it was digital. I raise my head and look around for any other small lights from plugged-in electronic devices, but there’s nothing. Chandler’s grip tightens on me. He bucks his hips, the compressed position making him feel extra large inside of me.

Where are all the lights?

Chandler wraps his arms around me, one of his palms cupping my breast as he pulls me back against him, moaning into my ear. He picks up the pace, and my mouth falls open in a torrent of soft pleasure noises. I was not ready for this. Not prepared. But it’s a most welcome intrusion.

“Oh yes,” I breathe out, consumed by the spreading sensation every time he thrusts. My clit pulses in approval.

This is what I wanted, isn’t it? To have him again. Barely being able to stay awake makes the experience a bit bizarre, though. The cocktail is messing up my mental focus, but my body feels everything. Somehow, my physical senses are on high alert, able to enjoy everything he does. I still don’t know whether this is real or not.

“Oh fuck,” he curses, sending a dose of comfort to me from the recognition of his voice. To be honest, I’m so out of it that I’m not even sure I’m imagining things correctly. It could be anyone behind me. My senses aren’t reliable right now.

“It feels so good,” I mutter.

Chandler pistons into me a few more times before he pulls out. And the next thing I know there’s a knock on the door, and I’m opening my eyes to the sound of birds chirping in the artificial landscape. I’m alone in bed, completely clothed. Did I dream the sex from last night?

“What in the hell?” I tear my fingers through my hair as I sit up.

There’s a slight lingering drowsiness from the cocktail. I gaze down at the empty glass on the bedside table. Whatever Susan gave me, it had too much medicine in it. While it worked to knock me out, I don’t want that again. I look at the digital face of the clock on my bedside table and sigh. The sex was a dream. It had to have been.

My legs feel wobbly as I stand and head to the door. Susan is on the other side, announcing that it’s time for breakfast. I ask her to give me a few minutes as I rub the sleep from my eyes. For as long as I napped yesterday, I can’t believe I slept all night. It’s 9 AM. Hopefully, Chandler hasn’t been waiting for me. Whatever the case, he’s going to have to wait a little longer because I need a bath.

Not being able to shower is annoying. Normally, I enjoy baths, but not when I’m rushed. My body is still wrought with exhaustion. I want to sink into the water and sleep forever. Not in the suicidal sense. Just that it’s too comfortable and I’m still sleepy.

I explore my curves, thinking about how Chandler’s hands were all over me last night. Will it be weird facing him today? We’re no longer just artist and muse. Now we’re something more. Will he see it that way or am I just being a naive, hopeful girl? There’s really no way to predict how he’s going to react to me now.

The warm water helps to soothe my sore muscles. I emerge from the bath feeling relaxed but guilty for taking so long. By the time I finish getting dressed and do my hair and makeup, it’s almost 10 AM. Chandler is probably annoyed by my lateness. I should plan on setting the alarm for the rest of the week so that this doesn’t happen again.

I head into the dining room, the backdrop of the glass window a pleasant view. The sun is streaming in, and the outside scenery looks inviting. The scenery inside isn’t bad either. Chandler is sitting at the table with his cell phone in his hand. He’s wearing a muscle shirt that shows off his amazingly toned arms. To think that they were wrapped around me last night. That he was inside of me… My body is already hungering for something more substantial than the bowl of fruit set out on my side of the table.

I try to push back my arousal, tearing my eyes away from him to assess my breakfast as I take my seat. “What’s this?” I ask, noticing a bunch of unidentifiable things in the bowl.

“It’s pitaya shaved ice and granola on the bottom with fresh strawberries, bananas, and blackberries. There’s bee pollen, chia seeds, and agave nectar on top,” he informs me.

“Fancy.” My eyes widen for effect before I realize that there’s no plate in front of him. “Did you eat already?”

“Yes. A while ago.” He puts his phone in his pocket.

“Sorry.” I shrink down in my chair. “I didn’t mean to keep you waiting, but I desperately needed a bath. I made the mistake of drinking that cocktail before I could take one last night. It really knocked me out. What was in that, by the way?” I glance up at him.

“Sleeping medicine,” he replies plainly.

“I know, but what kind? I had some pretty…intense dreams.” I nod at the memory.

Chandler grins at me, crossing his arms on top of the table as he leans forward. “What kind of dreams?”

“Wouldn’t you like to know?” I blush, averting my gaze and stirring the mixture in the bowl.

“I would. That’s why I asked.”

When I look up at him, the expression he’s wearing makes my pussy clench. My God is he ever sexy.

“Naughty dreams,” I say vaguely.

“Did you dream of me fucking you?”

His boldness makes my cheeks flame. Plus the way he said it was super seductive. I wonder if he knows he’s driving me crazy.

“Maybe.” I tilt my head to the side, playing coy.

“Would you like to workout with me today?” Chandler leans back and relaxes in his chair, throwing ice on the intensely flirty conversation we were just having.

“I don’t really workout, but if you want to show me the ropes, then sure.” I scoop up a bite of the weird breakfast mix and stuff it into my mouth. It tastes heavenly, like fruit on sweetness steroids. “Wow, this is really good,” I tell him around the mouthful of food, totally forgetting my manners.

He chuckles. “I’m glad you enjoy it. I hope you enjoy everything while you stay here.”