Undercover Love

Chapter Twenty-One: From Friends to 'What Have I Done?'

I wake up in the morning, the sunlight streaming through the hotel room curtains and hitting me right in the eyes. I squint and turn away, feeling the soft sheets against my bare skin. That's when I realize I'm wrapped up in someone's arms. My heart races, and I'm hit with the panic of not remembering exactly how the night ended. I assume it's Luke at first, but then my memory comes flooding back—last night, it was Ace.

My eyes fly open, and I jerk away, scrambling to sit up in bed. I glance down, realizing I'm only in my panties. I could swear I put on a bra last night. But my second realization is worse. Holy hell, I fucked Ace. I slept with Ace. What have I done? My life couldn't get any less embarrassing at this point. I run a hand through my hair, trying to collect my thoughts, but it's like trying to grab smoke with my bare hands.

I steal a glance over at him. Ace is still asleep, his tousled hair falling across his forehead, the faint morning light highlighting the contours of his jaw. He looks so peaceful, so completely at ease, and it makes my stomach churn. What the fuck am I supposed to say to him? "I was drunk and wasn't thinking straight" isn't exactly a heartwarming excuse. It's a cop-out, a weak attempt at brushing off what we shared.

The weight of last night crashes down on me, the mix of pleasure and confusion swirling in my mind. I can't even fathom how this is going to change things between us. Sure, I'm angry at him for everything that happened before—the betrayal, the way he chose Emily over me—but sleeping with him? I didn't plan for this.

I swing my legs over the edge of the bed and take a deep breath, willing my heart to stop racing. The urge to bolt out of the room is strong, but I know I can't run away from this. Not again.

Glancing back at Ace, I decide to at least give him a chance to wake up and not make this awkward. I let out a soft sigh, running my fingers through my hair again, feeling utterly exposed. There's a strange weight in my chest—guilt? regret? excitement?—and I can't quite pinpoint it.

Just then, Ace stirs beside me, his eyes fluttering open. I quickly cover my tits, trying to hold onto the last piece of dignity I have left. He blinks a few times, clearly trying to shake off sleep. When his gaze locks onto mine, his lips curl into that cocky smirk that usually makes me want to punch him.

"Good morning, beautiful," he says, his voice rough and husky from sleep.

"Don't you dare 'good morning' me," I shoot back, my tone sharper than intended. I can feel heat creeping up my cheeks, and I'm suddenly hyper-aware of how little I'm wearing.

He raises an eyebrow, a teasing glint in his eyes. "Didn't think you'd be this cranky after a night like last night."

"Yeah, well, it's easy to be cranky when you don't remember what the hell happened," I retort, crossing my arms over my chest in a pathetic attempt to shield myself.

Ace sits up, his expression shifting from playful to serious in an instant. "You don't remember?"

My heart sinks as I watch the light-heartedness fade from his face. "I remember enough," I mutter, avoiding his gaze.

"Adriana..." he begins, but I cut him off.

"I'm not ready to talk about this," I say, my voice firm. "You and I... this is a mistake."

"A mistake?" He sounds incredulous, and I can't help but notice the hurt creeping into his voice. "So last night meant nothing to you?"

"No, it's not that," I rush to explain, my heart pounding in my chest. "I just... I don't want to complicate things more than they already are."

"Complicated?" he scoffs, running a hand through his hair. "You think sleeping with me makes it complicated? I'd argue it's the opposite. We're already tangled up in this mess, and it's not going to change just because we don't want it to."