Chloe woke up warm and well rested.

Chloe woke up warm and well rested. Oh, she’d missed beds like this—pillow-top mattresses with soft, silky sheets and thick duvets that were light and yet perfectly warm all at the same time. Still, becoming her own person again these past six months since filing for divorce, even if it meant she’d been sleeping on cheap, scratchy sheets and a rock-hard single bed, had been better than soft beds and fancy shoes.

That urgency to start running again tried to steal through her, but for the moment she was just too darn comfortable to do more than stretch and snuggle down deeper beneath the covers. She closed her eyes and tried to go back to sleep, but despite how nice it was to lie in the middle of a big bed like a lump of lazy, rather than rush off to the diner she’d been working in these past months to serve a bunch of ass-pinchers greasy eggs, she just couldn’t nod off. Not when thoughts of Chase kept sliding in, one after the other, insidiously sweet.

And hot.

She’d crawled naked between the sheets the previous night, so exhausted that she immediately fell asleep. But in the light of the morning that was now streaming in through the sheer curtains at the window, she remembered—in vivid, Technicolor detail—just what she’d done in the bathroom.

Just what he’d seen.

She instinctively covered her cheeks as they grew hot.

She wouldn’t beat up on herself for masturbating in the delicious tub. She wouldn’t even call herself out for the way his name landed on her lips as she came. And there really was no point in being angry with him for walking in on her “private time,” not when the only reason he'd come looking for her was because he’d clearly been worried about her. He hadn’t been hoping to catch her with her hand between her legs.

But what had come after—the fact that she hadn’t flat-out insisted he leave the bathroom, the way they’d teased each other, the fact that she’d actually called him Hotstuff to his face—she could hardly believe any of it had happened.

And yet, despite the way her stomach clenched as she tried to force those memories away, the small spot of warmth that had settled in behind her breastbone before she fell asleep remained.

All because Chase hadn’t come at her. He hadn’t frightened her. Or tried to dominate her in any way.

Some women, she knew, liked that sort of thing. They found it exciting to have their power taken away. Once upon a time, she’d been tantalized by fantasies of being held down. Of being bound.

Of being helpless in her passion, of the idea of being able to let go completely with a man who loved her.

She couldn’t imagine ever feeling that way now. No, she’d never let anyone take her power away ever again. And Chloe couldn’t see one possible reason that she might be tempted to let anyone control any part of her life like that. Not a single one.

She closed her eyes, knowing she was being a coward lying here in this soft bed. She should be on the phone, calling the police, filing a report. She should have done it last night, but she’d been so spooked by the way her ex had come after her that she hadn’t been thinking about anything but getting away. Far, far away from him.

But knowing what she should do and feeling strong enough to do it were quite clearly two completely different things.

Finally giving up on getting any more sleep, with her mind reeling in a dozen different directions, she pushed off the covers and slid out of bed.

“You were good last night,” she told it like a fond lover before she headed for the bathroom.

She stood beneath the deliciously warm shower spray, feeling safe and warm, at least for a little while. She wasn’t going to hide here forever, of course. But for the rest of the day, if she could manage it without getting in anyone’s way, she’d hang out in the vineyards. Maybe even taste a little wine.

Pretend her life was normal for a while.

Normal. That sounded really nice.

Forcing back the voice inside her head that told her avoiding the inevitable would only make it harder to take care of the ugliness later, she worked to convince herself that she deserved a tiny bit of normal. Didn’t she?

After drying off and putting on her jeans and T-shirt, she ventured out into the suite.

Okay, so maybe she’d taken longer than normal drying her long straight hair. It wasn’t that she cared about looking good for Chase. It wasn’t that she was nervous about seeing him again.

Oh, who was she kidding? No one, that’s who.

The bruise on her face wasn’t going to terrify small children or anything, but it wasn’t particularly attractive, either. Add that to her well-worn jeans and T-shirt and she wasn’t anywhere near looking her best.

She took a deep breath and threw her shoulders back before rounding the corner of the hallway to where it opened up to the kitchen.

It was empty.

Disappointment reared up in her before she could shove it down. Or pretend it hadn’t been there at all.

There was a bowl of freshly cut fruit on the kitchen island, along with an array of pastries that had her empty stomach growling. She had already picked up a chocolate croissant—her favorite!—and bitten into it by the time she noticed the note tucked beside the pretty red and yellow fruit bowl.

Chloe,

Good morning. I hope you slept well. Sorry I couldn’t stay to keep you company for breakfast.

Please come join us out in the vineyards when you’re done eating.

See you soon,

HOTSTUFF

P.S. Almost forgot. There’s fresh squeezed o.j. in the fridge. Gotta make sure you get your vitamin C.

Surprised laughter rang out in the empty kitchen.

Chloe couldn’t believe he’d signed his note with the nickname she’d given him. In her experience, men didn’t have funny bones. Especially not when the joke was at their expense.

Looking in the fridge, she found the juice and poured herself a tall glass. Settling on one of the bar stools, she picked up the note and read it again, a smile still playing on her face.

Hasil (Bahasa Indonesia) 1:

Chloe woke up warm and well rested. Oh, she’d missed beds like this—pillow-top mattresses with soft, silky sheets and thick duvets that were light and yet perfectly warm all at the same time. Still, becoming her own person again these past six months since filing for divorce, even if it meant she’d been sleeping on cheap, scratchy sheets and a rock-hard single bed, had been better than soft beds and fancy shoes.That urgency to start running again tried to steal through her, but for the moment she was just too darn comfortable to do more than stretch and snuggle down deeper beneath the covers. She closed her eyes and tried to go back to sleep, but despite how nice it was to lie in the middle of a big bed like a lump of lazy, rather than rush off to the diner she’d been working in these past months to serve a bunch of ass-pinchers greasy eggs, she just couldn’t nod off. Not when thoughts of Chase kept sliding in, one after the other, insidiously sweet.And hot.She’d crawled naked between the sheets the previous night, so exhausted that she immediately fell asleep. But in the light of the morning that was now streaming in through the sheer curtains at the window, she remembered—in vivid, Technicolor detail—just what she’d done in the bathroom.Just what he’d seen.She instinctively covered her cheeks as they grew hot.She wouldn’t beat up on herself for masturbating in the delicious tub. She wouldn’t even call herself out for the way his name landed on her lips as she came. And there really was no point in being angry with him for walking in on her “private time,” not when the only reason he'd come looking for her was because he’d clearly been worried about her. He hadn’t been hoping to catch her with her hand between her legs.But what had come after—the fact that she hadn’t flat-out insisted he leave the bathroom, the way they’d teased each other, the fact that she’d actually called him Hotstuff to his face—she could hardly believe any of it had happened.And yet, despite the way her stomach clenched as she tried to force those memories away, the small spot of warmth that had settled in behind her breastbone before she fell asleep remained.All because Chase hadn’t come at her. He hadn’t frightened her. Or tried to dominate her in any way.Some women, she knew, liked that sort of thing. They found it exciting to have their power taken away. Once upon a time, she’d been tantalized by fantasies of being held down. Of being bound.Of being helpless in her passion, of the idea of being able to let go completely with a man who loved her.She couldn’t imagine ever feeling that way now. No, she’d never let anyone take her power away ever again. And Chloe couldn’t see one possible reason that she might be tempted to let anyone control any part of her life like that. Not a single one.She closed her eyes, knowing she was being a coward lying here in this soft bed. She should be on the phone, calling the police, filing a report. She should have done it last night, but she’d been so spooked by the way her ex had come after her that she hadn’t been thinking about anything but getting away. Far, far away from him.But knowing what she should do and feeling strong enough to do it were quite clearly two completely different things.Finally giving up on getting any more sleep, with her mind reeling in a dozen different directions, she pushed off the covers and slid out of bed.“You were good last night,” she told it like a fond lover before she headed for the bathroom.She stood beneath the deliciously warm shower spray, feeling safe and warm, at least for a little while. She wasn’t going to hide here forever, of course. But for the rest of the day, if she could manage it without getting in anyone’s way, she’d hang out in the vineyards. Maybe even taste a little wine.Pretend her life was normal for a while.Normal. That sounded really nice.Forcing back the voice inside her head that told her avoiding the inevitable would only make it harder to take care of the ugliness later, she worked to convince herself that she deserved a tiny bit of normal. Didn’t she?After drying off and putting on her jeans and T-shirt, she ventured out into the suite.Oke, jadi mungkin dia telah mengambil lebih lama dari biasanya pengeringan rambut panjang lurus. Bukan bahwa dia peduli tentang mencari baik untuk mengejar. Bukan bahwa dia adalah gugup tentang melihat dia lagi.Oh, yang dia bercanda? Tidak ada satu, itu adalah siapa.Memar di wajahnya tidak akan menakutkan anak-anak kecil atau apa pun, tapi itu tidak sangat menarik, baik. Menambahkan bahwa untuk nya usang jeans dan T-shirt dan dia tidak berada di dekat mencari yang terbaik.Dia mengambil napas dalam-dalam dan melemparkan bahunya kembali sebelum pembulatan sudut lorong untuk mana membuka ke dapur.Itu kosong.Kekecewaan dibesarkan ke dalam dirinya sebelum ia bisa mendorong ke bawah. Atau berpura-pura itu tidak ada di sana sama sekali.Ada sebuah mangkuk buah segar memotong di pulau dapur, bersama dengan sebuah array dari kue-kue yang memiliki perut kosong menggeram. Dia sudah mengambil chocolate croissant-favoritnya! — dan menggigit ke dalamnya pada saat ia melihat catatan yang terselip di samping mangkuk buah cukup merah dan kuning.Chloe,Selamat pagi. Saya berharap Anda tidur juga. Maaf aku tidak bisa tinggal untuk menjaga Anda perusahaan untuk sarapan.Silahkan datang bergabung dengan kami keluar di kebun-kebun anggur ketika Anda sudah selesai makan.Sampai jumpa lagiHOTSTUFFPS Hampir lupa. Ada OJ diperas segar di kulkas. Harus memastikan bahwa Anda mendapatkan Anda vitamin C.Terkejut tawa berdering di dapur kosong.Chloe tidak percaya ia telah menandatangani catatan dengan julukan dia yang telah diberikan kepadanya. Dalam pengalamannya, pria tidak memiliki tulang lucu. Terutama ketika lelucon berada di beban mereka.Melihat di lemari es, dia menemukan jus dan menuangkan dirinya gelas tinggi. Menetap di salah satu bar kursi, dia mengambil catatan dan membacanya lagi, senyum masih bermain di wajahnya.