0

h the

-

ack of her chair, her heels discarded somewhere under the sheets. The adrenaline of

ress one of the most selective hiring panels in Paris, or the way Xavier Louis had

was a coinciden

at exact, knowing sm

nch of her body, who had whispered things in the dark that still echoed

s through her curls

ctly was

thing, she'd made it perfectly clear when she walked away that night that there we

earched

anged the

he had.

rl when the world felt too big. She was grateful for the opportunity-of cou

Groups if it meant being a paw

laining her sketches and talking about her process. She remembered the thrill in Clar

been real. She

let one powerful man t

someone he could manipulat

-

the grate even though the night was warm. He held a glass of wine

nd was

Blue

ted her to look so startled either, like she'd seen a ghost-and yet st

hadn't planned to walk in, but when Clara complimented Bella's strength of pu

er to see h

she

ed. But her eyes-those betrayed her. And he saw i

t like t

ong with her portfolio. He flipped through the pages again-not because he needed to, but because each

from how they draw fabric," she'd

ured me out?" he had

back. "But I'm good at l

e wasn't impressed by money or power. She didn't chase stat

as in his wor

in her trial week as a junior consultant starting Monday. An

re her off. He didn't

id want

m why-for the first time

-

rived too

k tablet clutched tightly against her chest. She had barely slept. The week ahead

ed to o

or," the elevat

sharply and

tive space, the café, and her temporary desk. Bella pretended like everything was

idors. And Bella started to relax-just a little. Maybe he was goi

g on her work tablet s

Executiv

lla Bl

tile sample drafts to Mr.

reen. Her fingers tigh

ldn't be

at the tim

samples and the draft sheets she had been

ed like a warn

-

riam, greeted her with

ing you," sh

ce, then stepped

a panoramic view of the city, and a massive black

here

chair, fingers steep

" he said calmly

shoulders. "I brought t

ght away. Just looke

ally. "At the interview. I didn

h to earn the job... or good e

touched his

caught in

If I'm here, it's because I deserve it. Not beca

etween them like a predator-but there was no threat in his

it to stay in th

he air between them t