Page 3 of Ardent Desires

Chapter one

Sparks Fly

Ellie

Three months in New York, and I’ve become a professional coffee-fetcher. It’s not exactly the glamorous marketing career I imagined, but it’s paying the bills. Barely. I glance down at the to-go cups, the nameMr. Reedscribbled on the side in that fancy script the barista insists on using.

“Order’s ready, hon,” the barista calls, smiling at me.

I return the smile, grabbing the two cups and balancing them on the tray. “Thanks, Stacy.”

Stacy gives me a thumbs up, then goes back to dealing with the early morning rush. It’s always packed in here. Something about New Yorkers and their need for caffeine at the crack of dawn. I don’t get it. I mean, I getcoffee, but the sheer desperation? It’s like their lives depend on it.

My phone buzzes in my pocket, and I juggle the tray and my purse to pull it out.

“Hey, Jen,” I answer, pinning the phone between my shoulder and ear as I push through the revolving door of the café.

“Ellie!” Jenna’s voice comes through, chipper as ever. “Just opened up the bakery! The ovens are going, and the smell... girl, you would die. I’m talking chocolate croissants fresh out of the oven. You’d be drooling.”

“Stop,” I groan, weaving through pedestrians on the sidewalk. “I just grabbed coffee. You can’t hit me with fresh pastries like that.”

“Sorry, not sorry,” she laughs. “Seriously though, wish you were here.”

I stop at the curb, waiting for the light to change. “Me too. How’s everything in Philly?”

“Busy, but good. You know how it is. Small town, everyone’s nosy, and I have to smile through it. But it’s nice to have something that’s ours.”

I glance up at the towering buildings around me.Ours.That’s the bakery back home, and this—this massive, corporate maze—is my life now. “I’ll try to visit soon, but I’m swamped. Late nights, early mornings, you know the drill.”

Jenna hums in understanding. “Well, you’re a big New York City woman now. I’m not surprised. Just don’t forget to sleep occasionally, okay? And, I dunno, date?”

I snort. “Yeah, right. With all my spare time?”

“You’re hopeless,” Jenna teases. “But I’ll let you get back to work before you get fired for being late. Love you!”

“Love you too,” I say, ending the call as I speed up my pace.

I make it to the towering glass building, nodding at the receptionist as I rush to the elevators. I still get a little jolt of excitement when I swipe my keycard at the security gate.Blackwood Enterprises,baby. I’m actually working here. But holy hell, this company is way bigger than I imagined. Real estate and luxury properties, sure—that’s what I signed up for. But then there’s the tech division, and the hotels, and theAIinnovations? Seriously? They have their hands in every pie. And here I am, running for Mr. Reed’s coffee like some intern.

The elevator doors slide open, and I step out onto the twelfth floor. Marketing.

I glance at my watch. Not late. Thank God. I make a beeline for my desk, but of course, the minute I set the coffee tray down, I see it. The stack of papers, thick as a brick, waiting for me. “Jesus,” I mutter under my breath.

And that’s when I hear it.Him.“Miss Sanders, you’ve got my coffee, I assume?”

I turn to see Mr. Jameson Reed standing at his office door, his gaze flicking from the tray to me, lingering a little too long on my legs. I tug my skirt down, shifting awkwardly. “Yes, Mr. Reed. Your coffee’s right here.”

He gives me this half-smile, the kind that’s supposed to be charming but mostly makes my skin crawl. He’s older, mid-fifties maybe, with salt-and-pepper hair slicked back like some Wall Street wannabe. The suit is always perfectly tailored, but his eyes—God, his eyes never look where they should. Always wandering. Always lingering.

“You’ll want to go over those documents before lunch,” he says, jerking his head toward the mountain of papers on my desk. “We need everything corporate-ready by tomorrow.”

“Of course, Mr. Reed,” I say, forcing a smile as I grab the tray and hand him his coffee. I just want to get this over with.

“Oh, and Miss Sanders?” He steps closer, dropping his voice like he’s about to share some deep, dark secret. “I’ll need to speak with you at noon. I have a meeting with Mr. Blackwood in the morning.”

My stomach does a little flip at the mention ofhim.Alexander Blackwood. The CEO. The man who runs this entire empire. I’ve never actually met him. Not that I expect to. He’s this mysterious, untouchable figure, too busy wheeling and dealingto ever interact with someone like me. But still, just hearing his name... it’s something.

“Got it,” I say, keeping my voice even. “Noon.”

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