UNTIL I MET YOU

Aria hadn't expected to be back in Damian's office so soon. She had thought that their first meeting was a one-off, a curi

time, you wi

felt like it was wrapped in layers of mystery and power, things that made her feel small. Yet,

t now. The polished floors, the silent hum of expensive machinery, the cold, unyielding luxury. Damian Voss world

a second. Her heart raced as her mind scrambled for an excuse to tu

though the receptionist, Emily, seemed to recognize the chan

voice was light, but there was an undercurr

l her nerves tightening as she made her way down the hallway toward Damian's office, each ste

he handle, uncertainty flooding her chest. What wa

the door opened, and there he stood-Damian

lders and lean build. His eyes, however, were what held her attention. Dark, fathomle

y amused, though the way his eyes roamed over her su

set time," she replied, her

sed. The air in his office felt thicker than it had the other day. There was a he

deliberate as he moved toward the window, his

ting in her lap as she waited fo

y, his gaze locking onto hers. "I've been wondering why.

his voice cutting through her like a bla

closing, though not enough to feel truly intimate. "Is that what you think? That y

d firmly, looking up at him. "I've wor

here was something in the way he watched her that unsettled her, as if he could see the cracks beneat

silence. "But don't you ever wonder what it would be like to have mo

sing down on her. Aria shifted uncomfortably in her

he said quickly. "I'm

of quiet amusement crossing h

t the insinuation. She wasn't some naive girl who needed to be rescue

s?" she demanded, her voic

No, this one was knowing, calculating. "Because I think you're lying to you

ly in her chest. "What

u've got it all figured out. That you can survive just by working hard and staying under the radar. B

. "I don't need your advice," she snapped, her anger bubbling to

But I think you'll find that sooner or later, we all need help. We all need someone who knows how to navigate t

n the air, like

is voice steady. "For now, let's stick to b

able belief that he knew better than she did-stirred something deep within her. She wasn't sure if it was fear or fr

ss was at the