CEO’s Regret After I Divorced (Serena and Ryan) novel Chapter 225

Chapter 225: Chapter 225 Morning After Misunderstanding

Maya’s POV

I woke up at an ungodly hour, my head pounding like a construction site. Where the hell was I? Some hotel room by the looks of it, way too fancy for my usual taste. Sunlight streamed through half-drawn curtains, making my headache even worse.

As I pushed myself up, squinting against the brightness, I nearly had a heart attack. There was Ethan—fucking Ethan Quinn—slumped over in a chair beside the bed, fast asleep.

Holy shit.

The morning light caught in his dark hair and fell across his rumpled dress shirt. Even exhausted and disheveled, he looked annoyingly perfect. What was he doing here? What happened last night?

I frantically checked myself under the covers. Fully dressed. Thank God. At least we hadn’t... well, whatever.

I couldn’t help staring at him. His usual perfectly composed expression was softened in sleep, though his eyebrows were still slightly furrowed. Something about seeing the always-in-control Ethan Quinn passed out in a chair made my heart do a stupid little flip.

Before I could stop myself, my hand reached out toward his hair. It looked so thick and soft—how did he keep it that way?

My fingers hadn’t even touched him when his eyes snapped open. Steel gray met mine, and for a moment, we just stared at each other. The air between us felt electric.

I recovered first, yanking my hand back and clearing my throat. "Why are you here? Where am I?"

Ethan straightened, wincing as he rotated his obviously stiff neck. His arm looked numb as he tried to move it.

"It’s a hotel," he said flatly. "You were drunk out of your mind last night. I didn’t know where you lived, so I brought you here."

I glanced around and recognized the suite—his regular New York hotel. Heat rushed to my face as embarrassment hit me full force. Christ, had he been watching me sleep all night? I refused to let him see how mortified I felt.

"Who asked you to bring me here?" I shot back defensively. "I was having a great time last night."

Ethan’s expression darkened instantly. He made a sound somewhere between a scoff and a snort. "Yes, I’m sure you and those male models were having a fantastic time."

"I was being a good Samaritan. My mistake." His voice turned cold, detached. The way he spoke to business rivals, not to me.

"You can leave now."

Something about his tone set me off. "What’s with the attitude? Fine. I’m going."

I threw back the covers and jumped out of bed, shoving my feet into my heels. Two steps later, my ankle twisted viciously beneath me.

"Shit!"

Ethan moved with surprising speed, catching me around the waist before I could faceplant. "Careful!"

I tried to steady myself with one hand on the bed, but our balance was off. We tumbled backward, landing on the mattress with Ethan practically on top of me.

My breath caught in my throat. I could feel the heat radiating from his body, smell his expensive cologne mixed with coffee. His face hovered inches from mine, those gray eyes wide with surprise.

My heart hammered so loudly I was certain he could hear it. His lips parted slightly, and for one insane moment, I thought he might actually kiss me.

Instead, he practically leapt off me, straightening his shirt like it was on fire.

"Sorry," he said stiffly, avoiding my eyes. "That was... unintentional."

As he drove me home, I kept my gaze fixed firmly out the window. When we reached my apartment building, I climbed out without looking back, his oversized slippers still on my feet.

I didn’t say goodbye. Neither did he.

* * *

Ethan’s POV

After dropping Maya off, I sat in my car longer than necessary, gripping the steering wheel until my knuckles turned white. Images from last night kept flashing through my mind—Maya stumbling in those ridiculous heels, Maya singing off-key at 3 AM, Maya getting sick twice in the bathroom while I held her hair back.

For anyone else, I would have called a cab or had hotel staff deal with it. But with her...

I ran a hand through my hair, frustrated by my own behavior. Last night had been a disaster from the moment Serena called. When she mentioned male models, something primal and possessive had erupted inside me. I’d left an important meeting without explanation, breaking every rule of professional conduct I lived by.

And for what? To find Maya drunkenly draped over some shirtless stranger, wearing barely anything herself.

"Keep partying with me. I’ve got plenty of money for tips, baby." Her slurred words echoed in my mind, making me clench my jaw all over again.

I started the car and pulled away from her building, trying to focus on the day ahead. I had meetings scheduled, decisions to make, a company to run. I couldn’t afford to be distracted by a woman who clearly wanted nothing to do with me.

But as fall air rushed through the cracked window, cooling my face, I had to acknowledge the uncomfortable truth. Something had changed within me—a crack in the perfect facade I’d maintained my entire life.

That crack had a name: Maya Carter.

And I had no idea what to do about it.