CLARA

The heavy glass door of The Velvet Chamber swung shut behind me with a muted chime, cutting off the humid city air and replacing it with the scent of high-end silicone, leather, and vanilla-scented disinfectant.

I had a strong urge to walk back out.

I felt like a criminal in a place as raw as this. If anyone recognized me here, it would be scandalous. No doubt.

I was Clara Huntington, the daughter of a Senator, the fiancé of a rising political star, and currently, the loneliest woman in the state.

My sex life with Julian was a polite tragedy.

He approached intimacy like a diplomatic briefing—efficient, sterile, and...