Chapter 1 Promises

Most women put love first, career second. But I''m not most women. At twenty-six, I was the youngest marketing assistant at our company, and I''d fought like hell for that position. No way was I letting some anniversary dinner mess with my momentum.

Don''t get me wrong—I loved Alden. And yeah, I felt guilty about screwing up our plans. But if he really loved me, he''d get it.

Work comes first. Always.

My girlfriends used to crack up and say it was because I hadn''t discovered my "full orgasm potential." Coleen would always roll her eyes. "Kyla, if you were actually getting satisfied, work would be the *last* thing on your mind."

I''d just laugh and shake my head. Coleen and the girls would never understand. Sex? Love? Just not my priority. What''s wrong with that?

But deep down, I''ll admit...I wondered. What *was* I missing? It wasn''t like Alden was terrible in bed. He was just more practical than passionate.

And as a career woman who needed stability, that was perfect for me!

So why, when Alden went down on me at night, did I feel practically nothing? Why, when he was pumping away, did my mind wander to consumer rating reports?

Would I ever meet *the one*? The guy who''d finally drag my attention away from spreadsheets? What would he look like? How would his lips feel? Would he nail that sweet spot between gentle and rough? Would he just *know* what to do without me having to spell it out? I imagined this mystery dream guy would be intuitive—like he could read my mind, know exactly where to touch me. He could do anything to me, and I''d love every second because it was *him*.

Whatever. Tonight I promised myself I''d prove to Alden—and to me—that our relationship mattered. I was going to rock his world.

*For once,* I told myself, *put love first, Kyla.*

Alden was worth it.

Or so I thought.

After reading Alden''s texts over and over, realizing how much this anniversary meant to him, I managed to convince my boss Mr. Leach to let me leave early. I thought about texting Alden that I was heading home.

But why spoil the surprise?

On my way home, I met up with Coleen and hit a lingerie store. She helped me pick out the sexiest panties I could find—black lace, sheer in all the right places.

I couldn''t wait to see Alden''s face when I stepped out of my pencil skirt. He was going to lose his mind.

At checkout, the clerk started wrapping them in a bag, but I waved her off. "I won''t need that."

She raised an eyebrow with a knowing smile and handed them over unwrapped.

The second I said bye to Coleen and got on the nearly empty bus, I slipped off my boring panties and pulled on the sexy ones. Sure, I could''ve changed in the dressing room, but where''s the thrill in that?

Now I was ready. I rushed home, feeling myself getting wet just thinking about it. *Save it for Alden,* I reminded myself.

I hopped off the bus and into the elevator, practically vibrating with excitement. Even though I was exhausted from battling Mr. Leach all day, I felt a second wind kicking in.

I felt giddy and wicked, imagining everything I was about to do to the man I loved.

When the elevator doors opened, I practically sprinted to our apartment, mouth watering at the thought of him.

I turned the key, threw open the door, and flashed my most seductive smile.

"Surprise, babe!"

But the surprise was on me. Because when I walked through the hallway into our bedroom, I found the man I loved—the man I''d spent three years with, the man I was finally putting first—buck naked with none other than Mallory Cornfield, my college nemesis.

***

I couldn''t believe I was actually going out. Ever since I caught Alden in bed with Mallory three months ago, I''d sworn off sex completely. No exceptions.

I needed time to figure things out. How the hell had I ended up in that situation? I wasn''t the type of woman who got cheated on. Yeah, three months without sex is a long time, but I needed it to get Alden out of my system...and Mallory.

I shuddered as that horrible night replayed in my head for the millionth time, like the world''s worst movie on repeat.

God, how was I ever going to erase that memory? I''d thrown myself into work, poured all my energy into our clients, done everything possible to distract myself. But three months later, I was still haunted.

My friends were convinced they had the solution. *The game.* If you''d told me a few months ago I''d be willingly participating in this ritual, I''d have called you insane.

Yet here I was, getting dolled up to hit a bar and hook up with some random stranger.

Since when did a one-night stand ever fix anything?

As I called an Uber and waited, I braced myself. If the girls wanted to play the game, fine. But that didn''t mean I had to follow *their* rules. Part of me wanted to win at this stupid game. It had been forever since I''d been on the prowl, but I still remembered what I was like before Alden.

I was flirty, playful. Men noticed me and liked what they saw. But I never met anyone worth taking home, even for one night. I was always comparing real guys to the fictional men in my books and movies. My dream guy never showed up—he only existed in my head. I figured I had to settle if I didn''t want to die alone. That''s how I ended up with Alden. And look how *that* turned out.

I checked myself in the mirror. I had to admit, I looked incredible. Drop-dead gorgeous, even. Maybe Alden cheating on me was the best thing that ever happened.

Taking a deep breath, I stepped outside, ready to own the night, though still skeptical. *No man is ending up in my bed,* I told myself. *Not a chance.*

But the night, as I''d soon find out, had other plans.

Let the games begin.