Chapter 44

Madison

I woke to sunlight streaming through floor-to-ceiling windows, my body deliciously sore in places I’d forgotten existed. The silk sheets whispered against my bare skin as I stretched, wincing at the pleasant ache between my legs.

The other side of the bed was empty, the sheets cold. No sign of Alexander.

“Ow,” I muttered, sitting up carefully. My thighs protested the movement, and I discovered new bruises blooming on my hips—perfect imprints of his fingers. Heat crept up my neck as memories from last night flooded back. The way he’d pinned me against the railing, his mouth trailing down my spine, his commands whispered in my ear...

I flopped back onto the pillows, covering my face with my hands. What had gotten into me? The shy, sensible Madison Harper I knew would never have begged a man to—

No. Not going there.

The mirror across the room caught my attention, and I couldn’t help but gasp at my reflection. My hair was a wild mess, a