Chapter 1: A Stranger in My Skin
I woke up to a world that felt like a fever dream, my own reflection a betrayal of everything I knew. The mirror showed a woman—stunning, with curves that could stop traffic, full lips curled in a smirk I didn’t recognize, and eyes that burned with a hunger I couldn’t place. I was supposed to be Michael, a 38-year-old father of two, a man who knew his place in the world. But this… this was Mia. And everyone—my kids, my parents, even my best friend Jace—acted like I’d always been her.
I stood in my bedroom, or what I thought was mine, tracing the unfamiliar swell of my hips in a silk robe that clung to every inch of this body. My mind screamed that this wasn’t me, but my skin prickled with a heat I couldn’t ignore. The door creaked open, and Jace sauntered in, his broad shoulders filling the frame, his dark eyes raking over me like I was a prize he’d already claimed.
‘Damn, Mia, you look like trouble this morning,’ he drawled, his voice a low growl that sent a shiver down my spine. ‘What’s with the lost puppy look? You forget how to own a room?’
I turned, my new voice sharp as a blade, though it trembled at the edges. ‘Jace, cut the crap. You don’t see anything… off about me? Anything at all?’
He laughed, stepping closer, his scent—woodsy, raw, and maddening—hitting me like a punch. ‘Off? Babe, you’re a fucking masterpiece. Always have been. Or are you fishing for compliments again?’
I wanted to shove him away, to demand answers, but my body—traitorous and alive in ways I’d never felt—leaned into the space between us. ‘I’m not your babe,’ I snapped, though my breath hitched as his hand brushed my arm, sending sparks skittering across my skin. ‘You don’t even know who I really am.’
‘Oh, I know exactly who you are,’ he murmured, his lips curling into a wicked grin. ‘You’re the woman who keeps me up at night, the one who plays hard to get but always ends up right where I want her.’ His fingers trailed up my arm, daring me to pull away. I didn’t. I couldn’t. ‘Tell me you don’t feel it, Mia. Tell me you’re not already wet just standing this close.’
My cheeks burned, but I held his gaze, refusing to crumble. ‘You’re an arrogant bastard, you know that? Thinking you can just waltz in here and—’
‘And what?’ he interrupted, his voice dipping lower, rough with intent. ‘Make you admit you want me? Because I can see it, darlin’. Your body’s screaming for it, even if your mouth won’t.’
I hated how right he was. This body, this cursed, gorgeous shell, was humming with a need I didn’t understand—a dripping, aching pull that made my thighs clench. My mind was still Michael, still fighting, but Mia’s instincts were winning. I stepped closer, my chest brushing his, my voice a hiss. ‘You think you’ve got me figured out? Keep talking, Jace. See what happens when I stop playing nice.’
His eyes darkened, a predator’s gleam, and before I could blink, his hand was at my waist, pulling me flush against him. I felt him—hard, unyielding, pressing into me through the thin fabric of my robe. ‘Oh, I’m counting on it,’ he growled, his breath hot against my ear. ‘Let’s see how long you can pretend you don’t want my cock buried deep inside that pretty little pussy of yours.’
My pulse thundered, every nerve alight, as his words tore through the last of my resistance. I was sweating, panting, caught between who I was and who I’d become. And as his lips hovered over mine, daring me to cross that line, I knew one thing for certain: this was only the beginning.
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