Morning came too soon, spilling sunlight across the penthouse in sharp, cold angles that made the room feel impossibly vast. I dressed slowly, each motion deliberate, aware of the heat fluttering through my chest that had nothing to do with the air. Today wasn't just another day-it was the first time I'd exist under Asher's rules in a way that felt permanent, at least for now.
He was already in the living room when I stepped out, sleeves rolled up, eyes scanning a tablet. The air around him seemed to hum with control and magnetism. I felt it instantly, like standing too close to a flame-dangerous, irresistible. "You're early," he said, voice calm and low, the kind of tone that made me sit straighter, made my spine tense with attention.
"I thought I should be," I murmured, trying not to betray the tremor in my hands.
His gaze lifted slowly, deliberate, scanning me as though he could weigh every secret I carried. "Good," he said simply. The word landed heavier than I expected, a mix of approval and expectation I couldn't untangle.
I sat at the dining table, knees pressed together, hands folded, trying to steady the storm in my chest. Silence stretched between us, electric and alive. Every small movement, every breath, felt loaded with meaning. When he approached, the heat radiating from him pressed against me, sharp, controlled, undeniable.
"You'll accompany me to a meeting today," he said, standing near me. "People need to see us together. You will appear comfortable."
Comfortable. The word made a bitter laugh bubble in my chest. There was nothing comfortable about him. His presence alone was a command, a test, a warning. Still, I nodded. "I'll manage," I said softly, though my voice felt firmer than I felt.
His eyes lingered on me, unreadable, peeling away layers I had carefully built to protect myself. Then he slipped on his jacket with ease, the faint scent of him drifting to me, intoxicating and dangerous. "I'll brief you in the car," he said, calm, final, leaving no room for protest.
The drive was quiet, the city a blur outside the windows. Inside, my body betrayed me. Fingers brushing against the leather seat, small, unconscious movements, sent sparks through my nerves. Asher glanced at me once, just a flicker of acknowledgment, and I felt it-the heat in my veins, the electric charge between us, impossible to ignore.
"Maintain distance and composure," he said finally, voice low and deliberate. "Any misstep will be noticed."
I swallowed hard, gripping my bag until my knuckles ached. My heart raced-not from fear exactly, but from being so close to someone who could dominate a room with nothing but a glance. Every second felt weighted, every movement critical. I had to survive this, keep my composure, keep the lie alive.
Then, as he reached across the console to adjust something, our fingers brushed briefly. A spark flared between us. I inhaled sharply, short of breath, and for a long moment, neither of us moved, though he made no comment. The closeness lingered, sharp and alive, long after the touch ended.
By the time we arrived, my pulse was chaotic, my thoughts scattered between fear, anticipation, and a magnetic, aching curiosity I couldn't name. I followed him through the tower, heels clicking softly, posture impeccable, smile measured. Every eye seemed to brush over us, like we belonged to a world carved from something unreal.
And all the while, I was hyperaware of him-the tilt of his shoulder, the sharp set of his jaw, the way he moved as though nothing in the world could touch him.
As we approached the meeting room, the tiniest flicker of something unspoken passed between us. A glance, a brush of energy that shouldn't exist in public. It made my pulse quicken, made me ache for something I knew I shouldn't want. But a small, reckless part of me also knew that surviving this day, surviving him, might be more intoxicating than anything I had ever imagined.
wood and expensive cologne. The air was thick with power and expectation.
I walked beside Asher, heels clicking softly on the marble floor, trying to steady my nerves. Every head turned as we entered, but it wasn't the attention that made my pulse jump-it was the nearness of him. The heat radiating off him made it impossible to think clearly.
He held the door for me. Our fingers brushed briefly as I stepped inside. My stomach flipped. I reminded myself: maintain composure. Remember the rules. Yet that spark lingered, teasing, electric.
"Sit," he said simply. His voice low, precise. I lowered myself into the chair across from him, careful not to move too quickly, careful not to betray the chaos building inside me.
He leaned back slightly, observing me with cool detachment. I felt my heartbeat thrum audibly in my ears.
The executives began their discussion, but my attention kept flicking to him. The subtle tension of his presence made the room feel smaller, more intimate than it should have. His sharp jaw, the way his eyes scanned the room but always found me in peripheral glances, the faint scent of him-it was suffocating and thrilling all at once.
I tried to focus on the conversation, tried to take notes, but every brush of his arm, every subtle movement, ignited a heat I wasn't ready for. I had to remind myself: this was a façade. An arrangement. A lie performed under rules. Nothing more.
And yet, when his gaze lingered just a second too long, I felt exposed. My pulse raced, my breaths came shorter, and I wondered if he even realized the effect he had-or if he liked it. The thought made me flush hot and self-conscious.
Minutes stretched. Each time he adjusted his posture, leaned closer to reach a paper, or glanced at me, it sent a thrill straight through me. My body responded before my mind could catch up, nerves alive with tension. I reminded myself: he is untouchable. I am not allowed.
When the meeting ended, he stood first, calm and commanding, and I rose as well. Careful movements, measured posture. Every step calculated.
In the elevator, silence thickened. I gripped my bag, knuckles white, trying to anchor myself. He leaned slightly to adjust the panel. Our shoulders brushed. Sparks. I closed my eyes to stop my pulse from betraying me.
"Remember the rules," he murmured under his breath, not meeting my eyes. Simple words, but the intent behind them sent a shiver down my spine. I nodded, forcing myself to breathe, to appear composed.
By the time we reached the car, my thoughts were scattered. Adrenaline, fear, anticipation, and something I couldn't name tangled together. I climbed in carefully, avoiding contact, avoiding temptation.
Yet every glance he threw, every subtle movement, made my skin prickle. My pulse raced in ways I didn't want to acknowledge.
The drive was quiet. Each of us lost in thought, yet the space between us felt charged, alive, dangerous. I wanted to speak, to confess the confusion simmering inside me, but the rules pressed down. Don't cross boundaries. Stay in control.
And still... beneath all the fear and discipline, a small, reckless part of me thrilled at the tension. The closeness, the sparks, the heat of him near-it was intoxicating. Forbidden, yes, but intoxicating all the same.
I realized, with both dread and anticipation, that surviving him, enduring him, navigating this world under his rules... might become the most consuming and dangerous part of my life yet.