And yet… There he was, mouthwateringly handsome in his suit, with his dark hair perfectly styled and that smirk on his lips.

Those lips…

I press my fingers to my own as I close the door to my office behind me.

Those soft, dangerous lips made my body feel things I’ve never experienced.

My breath catches as I picture him sitting behind that desk, all power and control.

It seems he has the same effect on me regardless of whether I’m standing before him in an office or a bedroom, and that’s a problem.

He’s here.

There’s no way he happened to buy the company I work for. That’s too much of a coincidence.

He wanted to ensure my silence by keeping a closer eye on me.

I’m not sure whether I should be flattered he’s gone to so much trouble, or terrified about how quickly he’s uncovered my life with nothing to go on but my first name.

Though if he’s got contacts that can bury a body, what’s to say he can’t dig deeper into my world and use Cassi or my aunt to ensure my silence?

I have to keep them out of this as best I can and play along with whatever game Andre is playing. No matter what, I will ensure that those I love most in this world are protected from Andre De Luca.

I wish I could say the same for myself.

I’m a nervous wreck all day, choosing not to leave my office even for lunch, in fear of running into Andre. I read through the email the entire company received this morning about the new management, and find out that Max, my previous boss, has been made financial director.

I’m glad Andre didn’t outright fire the poor man, he has three young kids and a wife at home to worry about.

But I worry about my colleagues picking up on any hint of a vibe between Andre and me.

The way his eyes heated as I strolled into his office this morning gave him away, and I know my own chest flushed and my pulse quickened in response.

I’ve worked too hard for rumors to spread around the office that I’m sleeping my way to the top. It’s even more of a reason to stay the hell away from Andre De Luca. Which is hard, considering we now work together.

Surprisingly, Andre doesn’t stop by my office all day. I receive no emails from him either. It’s like he’s not here.

And I’m stupidly a little disappointed.

When five o’clock rolls around, I quickly pack up my things, slip on my trainers, and head out the door, keeping my head down until I get to the elevator. Once inside, I finally release the breath I feel like I’ve been holding all damn day.

When I check my phone, there’s a message from Cassi telling me she’s outside the building. I cringe, knowing there’s no way I’m going to be able to keep Andre’s new business venture a secret. It’ll come out eventually. I just need to make sure that’s the only one of his business ventures she’s aware of…

“Hey, Cass.” I wave to my friend as I hurry down the steps outside my building.

Cassi looks particularly bright-eyed in jeans and a fuchsia pink blouse, her blonde hair swept back in a high ponytail.

“You look better than I do, and I got a full eight hours.”

“Swap the sleeping for fucking, and you’re golden, my friend.” She laughs. “Keeps us looking young and fresh.”

“Is that so.” I laugh, linking my arm through hers.

“Hell, yeah. So, how was your day?”

“Urgh, can we leave the work talk until we get to the restaurant?”

“That bad huh?” Cassi laughs.