Cora Hayes woke up in a cold sweat, her heart racing and her cheeks flushed.
The dream had been… intense.
She'd been in Jace's arms, his lips trailing down her neck as his hands explored every inch of her body. The details were hazy, but the heat of it lingered, leaving her breathless and more than a little flustered.
"What the hell?" Cora muttered, sitting up and running a hand through her tangled hair.
She glanced at the clock. 6:00 a.m. Too early to be awake, but there was no way she was going back to sleep after that.
Cora groaned and flopped back onto the bed, staring up at the ceiling. This was bad. Really bad. She couldn't be having dreams about Jace. He was her fake husband, for crying out loud. Her annoyingly rigid, ridiculously handsome fake husband.
"Get it together, Cora," she muttered, throwing off the covers and heading to the bathroom.
By 6:30, Cora was dressed in workout gear and heading out the door for a run. She needed to clear her head, and there was no better way to do that than pounding the pavement.
The early morning air was crisp and refreshing, and for the first few blocks, Cora felt like she was finally getting her thoughts under control.
But then she turned a corner and ran straight into a nightmare.
"Cora! Over here!"
"Is it true you got married in Vegas?"
"Who's the mystery man?"
Cora froze as a swarm of paparazzi descended on her, cameras flashing and microphones shoved in her face.
"No comment," Cora said, trying to push past them.
"Come on, Cora, give us something!" one reporter shouted.
"Is it true your family doesn't approve?" another asked.
Cora's heart raced as she tried to navigate the crowd. She'd dealt with paparazzi before, but never like this.
"Back off!" she snapped, finally losing her patience.
But the reporters didn't budge. If anything, they seemed to get more aggressive, their questions coming faster and louder.
"Is your husband really Jace Hart?"
"Are you pregnant?"
"What's your secret to a happy marriage?"
Cora's head was spinning. She needed to get out of here.
Just as Cora was about to lose it, a familiar voice cut through the chaos.
"That's enough!"
Cora turned to see Jace striding toward her, his expression dark and his jaw clenched. The paparazzi immediately backed off, clearly intimidated by his presence.
"Are you okay?" Jace asked, his voice low as he reached her side.
Cora nodded, though she was still shaking. "I'm fine. Just… overwhelmed."
Jace glared at the reporters, his tone sharp. "If any of you come near her again, you'll be hearing from my lawyers."
The paparazzi scattered, leaving Cora and Jace alone on the sidewalk.
"Thanks," Cora said, her voice soft.
Jace nodded, his expression softening. "Let's get you home."
Back at the penthouse, Cora collapsed onto the couch, still trying to catch her breath.
"I can't believe they ambushed me like that," she said, running a hand through her hair.
"It's my fault," Jace said, sitting down next to her. "I should've warned you. The press has been all over this story."
Cora sighed and leaned back against the cushions. "I just… I didn't think it would be this bad."
Jace studied her for a moment, his expression unreadable. "We'll figure it out. Together."
Cora felt a warmth spread through her chest at his words, but before she could respond, her phone rang.
She glanced at the screen and groaned. "It's my mom."
Jace raised an eyebrow. "Are you going to answer it?"
Cora hesitated, then sighed and picked up the phone. "Hi, Mom."
"Cordelia Hayes," her mother's voice came through the line, sharp and disapproving. "What is this I hear about you getting married?"
Cora closed her eyes and took a deep breath. This was going to be a long conversation.