onths

y neck, whispering the one nam

eps

acing slow, forbidden circles in place

nd out, we'd

kind of sin that wo

e side of my throat-hot, desper

glass of his penthouse window a

ed into a sea of lights, lik

d into mine, as did the shiv

like I was something he might los

m of my loose skirt, slowly f

ppi

ady dripping...

g that could make

ully aware of every be

into the lapels of

anything to ground me but Zane G

h desire, lips brushing the shell of

en didn't stand a chance against th

bra strap slipping down my shoulder, pul

mouth along the dip of my collarbone, each

ldn't," I

you

spered, but the lie

lock eyes with me-those silv

didn't just see throug

irk, fingers tightening aroun

ve me. L

I

, I

ry beg

or

come the man I'd potentially lose my mind and soul

only clea

a tragic run-in with a stranger and a tall cup of ic

my chest with a napkin as I spe

: intern who bath

buzzed

ently. "It's your first day,

say from acros

ago, she'd been trying to coach me t

emarried-and now all we had were these quick mornin

acked my bags and left home like it was

and now I'd relocated to a modest one tucked between

amorous, but

ean

mes not at all, but we hadn't seen each

I'm just... leaking flavor

ly kind of laugh that used to

fine. Just

e to say myself is

s-I needed to be compose

bag strap like it held the last of my dignity, with

he almighty Grey Holdings-the kind of co

eague grads and spat out anyo

ttest CEO

hat I

. I cared

ace of a fallen angel and the suit game of a B

my future into something that wa

less, brilliant, a

internship like a

shaky breath, and stepped into the

ad-towering glass, polished chrome, and

er and, with sweaty palms, wa

rely glanced up from her tablet as

the left. Thirt

-eight

universe, straightened my spine, and whispered

a mirrored box

e blouse situation-still gree

my seco

ter a certain senior manager decide

up-not with bills piling up and

y opened on the 38th

omptly

e he

e G

he f

n a suit that probably cost

and stormy eyes, his mouth set in a li

at me-and I could swear

ked into his fune

didn't

ing across my chest and the deer-in-headl

allo

nt for what he truly was-not just my boss

recogni

ognized that he d

at... my palms s

e chao

ne

s in Manhattan...

eed to see the

epped out of the

e damn smile that haunted

Pres

's new st

a picture of, along

up college soon. She's

lsh

n't my

idn't l

en. No

hat stupid white blouse... something i

't recog

flicker of

ure in

not, i

nerves in her postur

to ac

essi

t walked straight into th

new

uldn't l

scott?" I

ded. "Y

low

If I looked at her a second longer,

ing I cou

past glass-walled meeting r

der in my head than o

A pretty one,

her here to get clo

r move in his long,

lking her to my office i

or and motioned

e

us fingers clut

from me like sh

s was a

ve called

shredded her

I di

ed to introduce herself, fidgeting

s opportunity," she began. "I know I do

't on the

ked. "Ex

nship. So how exactly did yo

the public portal. HR interviewe

back. "Co

g shady, if that's w

, Miss Prescott. I'm telli

hed. But her ga

n unpaid internship just to... w

n't r

s folded over her chest

t accuse me of something just because I didn't co

t my at

she had

a who

at tied us

destroy everything carrying

idn't f

o

g the tension stretch be

guts," I s

y. "I need thi

arder than

limb the ladder-she

decision I a

tomorrow. 9

d. "Wait-you're

chance. Screw it u

ed. "Tha

re I could ch

he door long

hell wa

erson I should've

her's lips I swore I'd

as in my

ng fo

ke vanilla

'd get her eaten al

eady thinking about what it