Page 47 of Ardent Desires

He freezes for a second, then grins wider. “Babe, huh? I like that.”

I blush, burying my face in the pillow for a moment before looking back at him. “Don’t get used to it.”

He chuckles, finishing up with my computer and walking over to the couch. “You’re lucky I’m in a good mood. I ordered Chipotle for us. Should be here any minute.”

I sit up, feeling my stomach growl at the mention of food. “You’re a lifesaver.”

He sits down beside me, his arm draped over the back of the couch as he leans in. “I know.”

We sit in comfortable silence for a while, the weight of the day slowly lifting off my shoulders as I relax into him. I catch him glancing over at me a few times, and I can’t help but think about how easy it is to be with him. How natural it feels. I’ve never had that before.

The door buzzes, and Alexander stands up to grab our food. When he returns, we dig into our burritos, laughing and talking about everything but work. It’s easy, being with him like this, and I find myself thinking something I never thought I would.

I could fall in love with this man.

The thought scares me, but it’s also thrilling. Being with him is like walking a tightrope, and I can’t help but wonder when I’ll fall—and if he’ll be there to catch me.

Chapter twelve

Secrets Revealed

Ellie

The rest of the week is a blur. Work is non-stop, meetings dragging on, deadlines creeping up faster than I can handle. Alexander and I barely have time to breathe, let alone have a proper conversation. Every time I glance over at him, he’s deep in his laptop or on the phone, barking orders, negotiating deals, completely consumed by work.

And honestly, so am I.

We’ve been putting in late hours all week, burning the midnight oil, but there were a couple of nights—two, to be exact—when we couldn’t keep our hands off each other. Even with the exhaustion, something about being in his office late at night, just the two of us, makes it impossible to focus on anything but how badly I want him.

The first time, it was almost an accident. I was sitting on his couch, half-asleep, when he came over, tilted my chin up, and kissed me. The next thing I knew, he was pushing me against his desk, his hands under my skirt, his mouth everywhere, and I was completely lost in him. The second time, well, we didn’t evenpretend to focus on work. He locked the office door, kissed me hard, and fucked me right there, both of us barely able to keep quiet, knowing the cleaning staff could walk by at any moment. It was fast, dirty, and exactly what we needed to release the tension from the week.

Now, it’s Friday. One in the morning, and we’re both dead on our feet. I’m so sleepy I can barely keep my eyes open, slumped against his office couch with my shoes off, curled up under a blanket he got for me. He’s sitting at his desk, typing something out, his tie loosened, his hair a mess from running his hands through it all day. We’re both exhausted, and the only thing keeping me awake is the sound of his voice every once in a while, making sure I’m still conscious.

“I wish we could go to Nancy’s,” he says suddenly, his voice pulling me out of my half-asleep state.

I yawn, rubbing my eyes and sitting up a little. “Maybe we can go Monday?”

He glances over at me, his lips curving into a small smile. “Monday, huh?”

“Yeah,” I mumble, pulling the blanket tighter around me. “I’ll even let you buy me pancakes.”

He chuckles, shaking his head. “Alright. Monday it is.”

I smile sleepily, watching him as he goes back to typing, the soft clack of his keyboard filling the quiet room. My mind drifts a bit, but something’s been nagging at me for a while now, and I finally decide to ask.

“How did it go with Vanessa?” I ask quietly, my voice breaking the silence.

He looks up, surprised. “When I returned the watch?”

I nod, suddenly nervous.

“I didn’t meet with her,” he says casually, leaning back in his chair. “I sent my driver to drop it off and told Lena not to sign for any more gifts from Vanessa.”

I blink, processing his words. “So, you haven’t spoken to her at all?”

“Nope.” He leans forward, resting his elbows on his desk. “And I don’t plan to.”

Relief floods through me, but something else has been bothering me too. “You know… I don’t think Lena likes me very much.”

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