Page 11 of Ardent Desires

Her voice is soft, curious. She’s not asking because it’s part of her job; she’s asking because she actually wants to know.

I take a deep breath, the question hitting harder than I expected. Normally, I wouldn’t bother answering. I’d give some corporate line about diversification or expansion, but something about the dark, about being trapped in here with her, makes me... want to tell her more.

“It’s complicated,” I start, running a hand through my hair. “My father... he built this company, but he was all about the tangible—real estate, physical businesses. When I took over, I wanted to shift things toward tech. Something more future-facing, you know? Somethinginnovative.” I pause, staring out the window at the storm. “But lately... I don’t know. It’s like I need to prove I can do both. That I can take what he built and make it something bigger. Something more.”

She’s quiet, listening. I can feel her watching me, and it’s making me say more than I usually would.

“My father and I—we didn’t see eye to eye on a lot of things,” I admit, my voice lower. “He wanted me to follow in his footsteps, and when I didn’t, it created... distance.” I let out a bitter laugh. “A lot of distance. He’s not exactly the kind of guy who’s good with emotions. Or... people.”

“I get that,” Ellie says softly, surprising me. “My mom—she passed away when I was a teenager. Car accident. She was... everything to me. Losing her just... changed everything. I’ve been on my own ever since.”

I glance over at her, the raw emotion in her voice catching me off guard. Her eyes are downcast, her fingers tracing the edge of the file in front of her, but I can see it—how much she’s holding back, how much it’s still affecting her, even all these years later.

“I didn’t know,” I say, my voice quiet.

She shrugs, but it’s forced. “Not exactly something I bring up at work.”

The room feels smaller, like the walls are closing in, the storm outside only making the silence between us louder. I’m not surewhat to say. I’m used to dealing with people who keep things at arm’s length—never letting anything personal in. But here we are, sitting in the dark, sharing things we don’t tell anyone else.

I reach out before I realize what I’m doing, my hand finding her cheek. Her skin is soft under my palm, and she freezes, her breath hitching just a little. I don’t know why I did it, but I don’t pull away.

Her eyes flick up to meet mine, wide and searching, and suddenly, the air between us is thick, electric. I can see her chest rising and falling, can hear the way her breath catches every time she exhales. Her lips—red and plump, the kind you think about for no damn reason—are right there, and for a second, I forget where we are. I forget who I am. All I can think about is how much I want to kiss her.

I lean in, close enough to catch the scent of her perfume, vanilla and something else that’s been driving me crazy all week.

And then, just as I’m about to close the distance, the door swings open.

“I got a call from maintenance and hurried back. Mr. Blackwood, the generator’s back on—” Lena’s voice cuts through the tension like a knife, and we both jerk back, like we’ve been caught doing something we shouldn’t.

Ellie jumps to her feet, her face flushed, and I drop my hand, clearing my throat.

“Thank you, Lena,” I say, trying to keep my voice steady. “That’ll be all.”

Lena stands there for a second, her eyes flicking between us, suspicion in her gaze. She nods curtly and leaves without another word, closing the door behind her.

The moment she’s gone, Ellie lets out a shaky breath, her hands trembling as she gathers her things. “I should—uh, I should probably head out,” she says quickly, not meeting my eyes.

I watch her for a moment, my heart still pounding in my chest. Damn it. I wasthisclose.

“Ellie—” I start, but she’s already halfway to the door.

“Goodnight, Mr. Blackwood,” she says over her shoulder before slipping out into the hallway, leaving me standing there, frustrated as hell and more confused than I’ve ever been.

I sit back down, running a hand through my hair, trying to make sense of what just happened. I was about to kiss her.Whywas I about to kiss her?

I’m the CEO of Blackwood Enterprises. I don’t get distracted by employees. I don’t let myself get wrapped up in whatever this is. But with Ellie... it’s different. She’s different.

I stare at the papers scattered across the table, the project suddenly feeling far less important than it did an hour ago. I can still feel the warmth of her skin against my palm, the way she looked at me when I touched her cheek. Vulnerable. Open.

And now I’m sitting here, alone in the dark, thinking about her.

I exhale sharply, pushing myself away from the table. I need to clear my head. Focus. There’s work to be done, and this thing with Ellie—it can’t go anywhere. It’s a distraction. Nothing more.

But as I leave the office and head toward the elevator, I can’t help but wonder... what would’ve happened if Lena hadn’t walked in?

Chapter three

Mixed Signals

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