nd her, the weight of her decision pressing down on her shoulders. As her heels clicked against the pavement, the tension in her chest grew. Th

pull she felt toward Aiden was impossible to ignore. They had crossed lines before, lines that blurred between professional and personal, bet

a polite nod, and she stepped inside the opulent lobby. The gold accents gleamed under the soft lighting, and the hum of class

nist greeted her with a smile. "Mr. Wolfe

culating. The elevator doors opened, and she stepped inside, her pulse quickening with every floor she ascended. By the t

floor-to-ceiling windows that offered a panoramic view of the city skyline, the twinkling lights stretching out i

pants. The city lights cast a soft halo around him, making him look even more imposing. He turned slowly

ooth but tinged with satisfaction, a

o let him see how deeply he affect

a slow, predatory smile.

d. She wasn't here to play games-not the ones he was so good at, anyway. She had come to c

sked, cutting to the chase. Her voi

adable. "You know why, Eva. This thing between us-this tension-

hem, though she knew it wouldn't last. "P

't hate each other. We've been dancing around this for years, Ev

y fiber of her being was already responding to him. "You think you can just snap your

on't want to control you, Eva. I want to understand you. To

them threatened to ignite, she pulled back, terrified of what would happen if she gave in. But this time felt different. There was no boardroom to hide behind, no

said, her voice barely above a whisper

he air between them charged with electricity. His hand lifted, brushing a strand

, his voice low and intimate, "but

ey made her feel vulnerable in a way she hadn't felt in years, and it terrified her. But it a

space between them shrinking until it was nonexiste

in her hair as he pulled her closer, his breath warm against h

ad been simmering for so long. It was gentle at first, a slow exploration, but the second she kissed him back, the

f melting into him, her fingers gripping his shirt as if she needed him to anchor her. The world outsid

g. This wasn't what she had come here for. She needed answers, clarity, not to

he said, stepping ba

usion and something else-something tha

ain control. "This... whatever this is, it's dan

dent in the tense line of his body. "We'r

, but she couldn't let herself believe it.

whispered, barely a

ation, but he didn't push her. "Fine. Take all the time you need.

with the weight of what had just transpired. As she stepped into the eleva

wasn'

a lon