an the last. Her mind raced, spinning through the night they'd shared, the revelation of his name, his title,

on her skin was now the man who con

t, hands clenched in her lap as her screen came to life. Her inbox

ithout sayin

ftershock, like he hadn't expected her

eeing. But now she felt nothing close to powerful. Instead

r new CEO just requested you by name? Because I'm trying to

wanted to go over some perf

e man looked at you like you were the PowerPoi

her monitor. "It'

as she knew Ava well enough to l

a brand strategy meeting, nodding along while senior executives pitched rebr

ss the hall in t

ackwood Enterprises from the ground up. Whispers said the board had been looking fo

ad found Gray

his acquisitions were brutal, efficient, and alwa

territory and not just pro

ed back at her desk as she tried focusing on her spreadsheets, but her body betrayed her, and her j

m., and she looked up, as

softly from the threshold, co

he glass corridor. Once inside, he didn't offer her a seat; he just closed

r. "What happened between us... will remain between us. But it cannot

r arms. "I've

hers. "I know. That's why I don't

sed over for a promotion. And then that stranger walked into my life as the man who

. "That wasn't

y what y

n. Any of it. I know what you taste like when you're angry, and how your mouth curves when you lie. I k

le

rned lower, "And I know I s

ed hard. "B

didn't mo

gut like heat spreading,

to pretend it never ha

ant it. But pretending and for

w enough to still burn. Her body still remembered his hands while he

tepped back and gestured

, just like that. No softness now. All CEO. "The board wil

s a C-level client

e been overlooked long enoug

for a chance like this, and now it came o

she aske

rayson said. "Even if I can't

t, the meeti

an the one who had stepped in, as she knew this wasn't over because

dn't feel like the woman who had been passe

, was the knowledge that the line between power and