Page 42 of Ardent Desires

I smirk. “Yeah, I was. Needed a break from all the chaos.”

“Don’t get used to it,” I joke, though I have to admit, I could get used to the kind of break I just had. “What’s going on?”

“I was actually going to see if you wanted to grab drinks,” David says, his tone light. “Catch up a bit. Been a while since we’ve had a proper conversation.”

I nod to myself, realizing it has been a while. David and I go way back—college, internships, breaking into the business world together. He’s one of the few people I trust completely, someone who’s seen every side of me, the good and the bad.

“Come over,” I say, making a quick turn toward my mansion. “We’ll have drinks at my place. I could use some company.”

“Perfect. I’ll be there in thirty.”

I hang up and drive the rest of the way in silence, my mind replaying everything that’s happened this weekend. Ellie…fuck.I can’t stop thinking about her, about the way she looks at me, the way she feels under my hands, the way she fits into my life so seamlessly. It’s terrifying and thrilling at the same time.

By the time I pull into my driveway, the gates swinging open, I’m already pouring myself a drink in my head. My mansion feels too big, too empty without her. I park the car and head inside, the familiar echo of my footsteps on the marble floor greeting me.

I grab a bottle of whiskey from the bar, pouring myself a glass just as the doorbell rings. David’s here.

“Come in,” I call, setting down the glass and walking toward the front door.

David steps inside, his dark hair a little longer than the last time I saw him, his grin as easy as ever. “Look at you,” he says, clapping me on the shoulder. “Taking trips, inviting me over for drinks. What’s gotten into you?”

I smirk, motioning for him to follow me to the living room. “Just trying to keep things interesting.”

“Interesting, huh?” David chuckles as he sits down, stretching out on the couch like he owns the place. “I’m guessing this trip wasn’t just business, was it?”

I raise an eyebrow, pouring him a drink. “What makes you say that?”

He takes the glass from me, leaning back with a grin. “Because you look… different. Relaxed. That’s not a word I’d usually use to describe you, man.”

I laugh, shaking my head as I take a sip of my own drink. “Maybe I needed to relax.”

David studies me for a second, then nods slowly. “So, who is she?”

I almost choke on my drink, coughing slightly as I set the glass down. “What makes you think there’s a ‘she’?”

“You’ve been off the grid for days, and you’re sitting here grinning like you just won the lottery,” David says, his eyes narrowing playfully. “Come on, Alexander. I’ve known you too long to buy into that ‘all business’ bullshit.”

I shake my head, but there’s no use in denying it. “Alright, fine. There’s a woman.”

David grins, looking entirely too pleased with himself. “I knew it. So, what’s the deal? Is she new?”

“She works for me,” I say, my voice low. “Ellie Sanders. She’s smart, beautiful… everything.”

“Wow! And where did you meet her? Please. I need me a distraction too.”

I hate the bile that rises up my throat at that insinuation. “It is nothing like that. She is different.”

He raises his hands and smirks. “You really like her huh?”

“I do. This woman…fuck!She could turn me into a poet if she wanted.”

“Where did you guys meet?”

“She kind of works in my office.”

David whistles, taking a long sip of his drink. “That’s dangerous territory, my friend.”

“Trust me, I know,” I mutter, running a hand through my hair. “But it’s not like that. She earned her spot. I just… I don’t know. Something about her, man.”

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