I have worked with Otherkin, mages, even ancient bloodlines with untouchable pedigrees in business and politics. I have seen centuries of trained discipline in the executive world.

But Sunny?

She is human.

And she is already outpacing them.

Soon, she will be outpacing me.

“I’ll check in beforehand,” I say, watching her closely. “Anything else I should know?”

She hesitates—just a flicker of thought passing over her face before she gives a small, knowing smile.

“No, only that I took the liberty of preparing your espresso doppio and a plate of shortbread cookies in your office, so you can leave those here for the actual meeting,” she says nodding toward the treats I’ve been inching toward as she gathers her folio. “If there’s nothing else, I’ll go ahead and wrap up a few more things on my end.”

She is already halfway to the door when I realize I’ve been dismissed. She tosses over her shoulder, “If you need anything, I’ll be downstairs. I have to meet the delivery service for the pastries.”

And then she’s gone.

Leaving me here. Alone.

With the perfectly arranged table.

With the seamless efficiency of her work.

With the small, quiet urge to follow her.

I squelch that feeling deep down and force my feet in the opposite direction toward my office where a private serving of my espresso and cookies await me.

Sunny’s workstation draws my attention as I pass it, an aesthetically pleasing balance of clean space and personal decor. Even in her absence, her presence lingers.

I shake my head to clear it from these disctracting thoughts and push into my office, closing the door behind me so I can focus. As promised, the espresso waits for me on a warmer. The treats sealed under a glass dome.

These accessories are new, yet they feel as if they’ve always been a part of my desk.

Dammit. I am here to run a financial review.

Not to think about how thoughtful Sunny is. How warm her hand had been in mine. Nor wonder if her lips are as soft as her fingers.

Work. You need to work, you monumental fool.

No proposing to the admin, no matter how much Urul and Royce tease me.

No appreciating the way she sees to every detail before I have even voiced them.

No imagining her in my office, sitting across from me, laughing softly at something I said.

Absolutely not.

I lean back in my chair, exhaling a slow breath.

The meeting isn’t for another hour, and already, I am itching to get started if only to see Sunny at work.

I need to push through one more stretch of off-site Boardroom interviews.

Because once this is done?

I’ll be in the office full-time.