Page 43 of Ardent Desires

David watches me, and I know he’s trying to piece it all together. He’s been there through every relationship, every misstep. He knows I don’t do feelings. At least, I didn’t. Until now.

“You really like her, don’t you?” he asks, his voice softening.

I nod, staring into my glass. “Yeah. I do.”

David clinks his glass against mine, smiling. “Well, then here’s to hoping this one doesn’t screw you over.”

I laugh, shaking my head. “Thanks for the vote of confidence.”

“Anytime,” he grins. “But seriously, Alexander, if she makes you feel like this, don’t fuck it up.”

I nod, knowing he’s right. Ellie is different, and I can’t risk losing her, not to the business, not to anything.

We drink in silence for a while, and I can’t help but let my mind drift back to her. That kiss before she walked into her building. The way she fit so perfectly in my arms. The way she makes everything feel right.

David’s voice pulls me out of my thoughts. “So, tell me about this trip. You didn’t just spend the whole time with her, right?”

I smirk, leaning back in my chair. “Let’s just say it was a business trip with some… added perks.”

David laughs, shaking his head as he takes another sip of his drink. “I knew it.”

I smile, but in the back of my mind, all I can think about is tomorrow. About seeing her again. About how hard it’s going to be to keep this between us, when all I want to do is tell the world how fucking lucky I am to have her.

Chapter eleven

Torn Between Desire and Danger

Ellie

I wake up late, my body sore in the best possible way. My muscles ache in places I didn’t even know could hurt, but it’s not exactly a complaint. I glance at the clock and bolt upright.Shit.I’m going to be late.

Scrambling out of bed, I rush through my morning routine, pulling on the first outfit I find—a pencil skirt and a blouse that I barely have time to button up. My mind is still foggy from last night, from the way Alexander’s hands felt on my skin, from the way he made me feel like I was the only thing that mattered in the world.

I grab my purse and practically throw myself into the back of an Uber, tapping my fingers nervously against my leg as we drive toward the office. My phone buzzes, and I absentmindedly check it, expecting a reminder for a meeting or maybe a text from Jenna. But it’s neither.

It’s from an anonymous number.

Stay away from Alexander or you’re going to pay.

My heart stops. I blink at the screen, rereading the message over and over, hoping it’ll disappear. But it doesn’t. The words are still there, mocking me, sending ice-cold panic through my veins. Who the hell would send this?

I swallow hard, my throat dry as I try to keep my breathing steady. I don’t even know who this is. How do they know about me and Alexander? We’ve barely been together a week, and already someone’s trying to sabotage us. I stare out the window, the city blurring past me, but my mind is racing. What if it’s someone at the office? What if it’s one of his exes?

By the time I reach the building, I’m a nervous wreck, my thoughts spinning in a hundred different directions. I thank the driver and practically run inside, my heels clicking against the marble floors as I make my way to Alexander’s office. I don’t even care that I’m late—I need to talk to him.

I step off the elevator and immediately feel the tension in the air. Lena is sitting at her desk, her eyes flicking up from her computer screen, and the look she gives me is anything but friendly.

“Morning, Lena,” I say, trying to keep my voice steady.

She doesn’t bother to respond. She just looks at me, her lips pursed in that way that makes me feel like I’ve done something wrong. I force myself to ignore it, my heart pounding as I walk past her toward Alexander’s office.

“He is in a meeting,” she says.

Before I can knock, the door swings open, and there he is. Alexander. He looks as gorgeous as ever in a perfectly tailored suit, his eyes lighting up the second he sees me. His smile is like a shot of warmth straight to my chest, but the panic from the text is still gnawing at me.

“Ellie,” he says, his voice smooth and low.

“Sorry. I didn’t know you were busy. I heard you were in a meeting.”

---