ey's

the air in my office wou

or, half-hoping, half-dreading he'd walk in. Alan Jean. The man I

een me naked un

the memory of his mouth, his touch, his voice - still

out that night. But promises meant noth

nd filled the space with that energy that alw

, but his eyes didn't match. They burned -

hle

able edge, stopped me dead. My entire body locked up, rigid wit

ion. His presence was a physical fo

Slowly. Deliberately. The sof

esk, crossing his arms like he owned the room. "But I think

ument on my screen. "If

's

froze on th

at is it

too much like frustration. "You really do

face him. "A

er. "I've tried. Believe me, I've tried. Bu

ked hard aga

"You really want to pretend it didn't happen

la

I'd built. "You really don't want to talk about that night? Well, sorry,

nough that I could feel the wa

lips intertwined. Tell me you don't remember the way I grab

la

lower, angrier now. "Tell me you don't rememb

ike a slow burn. M

but it came out softe

read every lie I was trying to build. "Because it's driving me

For a moment, ne

hadn't noticed that night. His tie hung loose, sleeves rolled up, like he

quietly, "we

rless smile. "You thi

n st

"You're asking the wrong

ve made my knees

needing distance - but he mirrored me,

d. "Right now. Tell me this-" he gestur

mouth, but n

he was

killi

oice low, shaking with the intensity of his suppressed fury. "Too

a mistake. An anonymous encounter under duress. I

pushed off the wall and took another step, trapping me with his heat and his presenc

splayed against the cold marble. He was so clo

his voice dropping to a seductive, dangerous whisper. "Tell me you don't remember

s neck, pulling him down, needing more. The floor felt like it was tilting beneath my feet. I squeezed my

spered, the w

er, pressing the attack with the

spering Alan softly into my ears that night," he insisted, his voice a low, furious growl.

resence, needed the validation of his desire that Richard had so cruelly denied me. The sham

mask was gone. He could s

the truth finally breaking free, tas

ng in his eyes. He leaned back slightly, giving me just enough air to realize I was still trapped. "

d and calculating. He smoothed the sleeve of his suit, adj

what you wan

tru

racing. "You want

es. I think about it too. About you. Abou

nd his gaze - relief, ma

e echoed.

ot

lowed stretched so t

e, jaw tight, breathing uneven. T

, voice quieter

othing victorio

turned back. "You can bury it, Ashley.

rt stu

"I remember exactly how you tasted when

t behind him before

acing so fast it felt like it

l looked composed, calm - but

he was

part of me that wanted to hate h

e wors

just the

eeting. Another project. Another e

keep pretending that night didn't still li