indows. He reached out instinctively, his hand finding only the cool emptiness of the bed. She was gone. For a moment, he lay still, replaying the hazy memories of the nigh

touch. And now, it seemed that philosophy had spilled over into his personal life. Who was she, this mysterious woman who had turned his carefully controlled world upside down for one unforgettable night? Wade replayed every detail he could recall about her. The way her voice had wavered when she'd asked him to take her away from the ball, like she was teetering on the edge of breaking. The way her lips had tasted of wine and something sweeter, a flavor he couldn't quite place. The way her laughter had bubbled up, soft and uncertain, when he'd teased her. She wasn't like the women he usually encountered-those polished, practiced socialites who orbited his world, vying for his attention. No, she'd been something else entirely: raw, vulnerable, and utterly captivating. And now she was gone. Wade swung his legs over the edge of the bed, the cool floor grounding him as he stood. The note was still in his hand, and he folded it carefully, slipping it into the pocket of his robe. As he moved through the suite, he spotted the empty champagne glasses from last night, the rumpled sheets on the couch where they'd started before making their way to the bed. Each trace of her felt like a breadcrumb leading him deeper into a mystery he had no intention of leaving unsolved. He paused by the window, the city stretching out before him. Somewhere out there, "E" was returning to her life, slipping back into the anonymity she clearly cherished. But Wade had no intention of letting her disappear so