Claiming What's Forbidden

rived early, as usual, but

ed at her, as if she were the only thing anchoring him. The almost-t

r. It shouldn't ha

it

adjusting his back-to-back meetings for the day. When she brought his tea int

the desk," he

ourse he was pulling away. He had to. Whatever had passed between

supposed to exi

able. His replies to her emails were clipped. He didn't call her into h

dn't bot

et it

She needed distraction. Fortunately or unfo

The board was buzzing, the press already speculating. Selena found herself fielding dozens of calls a day, sort

eball came that T

out of the executive lounge. "Mr. King

Selena stood. "Is

said to bring your

na gathered her things and m

far end of the long table, a file in hand. He looked sharper than us

said witho

ena

minutes," he said, sliding a thick folder toward h

ed. "That's unus

u're not here to take not

skipped. "

yes. "How I

senior execs, all slick suits and fake smiles. They shook hands, exchanging

ng, language razor-precise. Every word he spoke was a move on a chessboard. He maneuvered through the ne

undercut the terms they had previ

waste my time with games, I'll walk. And I'll take

hat followed

man stammered. "Let's stick

She had never seen anyone

ncluded. Ares didn't look at

re alone again,

what ha

ld all the power, and they didn't ev

t shouting the loudest. It's about k

"And why did you wan

Something unreada

id. "And if anyone's going to be by my side,

na left work diz

responsibility? Did he see

rmor-pushing her into his world so he wouldn

r came a

looking for archived files from an acquisition

the footstep

he s

trust with this," Ares s

th his chest. He was too close. The

t be here," s

kno

ated-and then brushed a st

"I've tried to be the man I'm expect

s heart

my office," he went on,

d. "I didn'

e worst part. You

ved c

stopped him. B

hin and whispered, "Then

s like it was a war he'd already lost. Her fingers tangled in his shirt. His hand cup

ire. Cha

thless, Ares looked down at her wit

es everythi

ispered. "But I

hone

een-and all warmth d

he said, voice tight. "

, leaving her in the silence of the archives,

use overlooking the city, Ares

d been from

emi

arn

" she had said. "Amara's family is fly

s jaw. "I haven't

since you were five. That'

of duty, but of a woman who'd kissed him like he w

verything he wasn

ing rules-especially when it came to clai