er

ike honey spilled over ice. The office had quieted into a hush desks empty, keyb

e had go

except E

ows across her face. Her inbox had exploded with assignments. It was only her third d

and sighed, whispering to herse

t her phone. N

't texted

mind kept wa

Aiden

had pierced through h

curled around her waist,

her name like a secr

, heat blooming

floor-to ceilin

a ju

echoed from

Click.

p slow. C

reath

s reflection behind her tall, dar

he asked, his voice low, a

wly. "I... didn't reali

is hands in his pockets,

dn't overwork yourself

"Well, I don't exactly ha

u think working hard is

ed. "Isn't t

, close enough for her to feel his

sn't about rules, Ms. Bla

flicker of defiance

nstincts,"

voice dropped

didn'

etween them like light

n't awkward. It

T

power f

loor plunged

, standing i

n said calmly. "Ba

the emergency lights blinked o

now, inche

she said, her voice softe

lowered to

aid of the dark,

r n

elt like silk brushi

ad slowly. "Only

faintly. "I

d tucked a loose strand of her hair behind he

breath

undered. Her kne

ervous around your

touches me,"

hat w

n closer. She d

" he said.

she d

he whispere

hen he ki

lo

ten

starving. Like he'd wanted her since the

around his neck. His hands gripped her wai

me one shaky, rushe

hind her as he kissed down her

e. Ever

urred into nothi

T

zz

buzzed on

ped, pul

ya

he screen like i

say a word, ju

," she stammered

, his face

u sh

and fled the office

cool air hit h

inst the wall,

gled. Her heart rac

worst

anted to

dn't go home

past the honking taxis and distant city hum. Her heels c

d this

That's all

nes between business and s

tepped inside, and ordered something strong. The barist

ring the foam with distracted f

your day wasn

sage, feeling like it

uld she

and I wanted it more th

d back: "Still adj

he cool glass. Her reflection stared back at her. Flushed

was sh

stood by the floor-to-cei

moved since

ed below, but he

hts were s

her mou

she hadn'

way s

ting something in his chest. He d

rary. He was suppos

wasn't that alway

a wh

spa

then

e had come back for in the first place. But his finger

a Bl

, the taste of her nam

nge

was da

et, he

apartment was tiny, clean, quiet. She dropp

lt guilty. Or sca

she felt

tingled where

ep inside, she kn

even

ight, as she closed her eyes,

d him agai

pered int

p me, I w

Contin