The office felt different the next day. It was as if the tension from last night had lingered in the air, thick and heavy, like smoke from a fire that wouldn't die. Evelyn tried to shake it off. She didn't have time for distractions. But as she entered her office, the sight of Leo standing by her desk—casually leaning against it—made her pulse spike.
He looked relaxed, too relaxed. There was something about him that made her skin prickle, like he knew exactly what he was doing.
"Good morning, Ms. Carter," Leo said, his voice playful, his smile smug.
She narrowed her eyes, still not over the fact that he called her by her first name like it was the most natural thing in the world. "We need to talk about boundaries, Leo," she said, her voice tight.
Leo raised an eyebrow. "Boundaries? You've got to be kidding me. After everything that's happened?"
Evelyn felt her blood pressure rise at his teasing tone. She opened her mouth to respond but stopped herself. There was something about the way he looked at her—like he was daring her to say something. She hated it.
"I'm not joking, Leo," she said slowly, walking to her desk and sitting down, trying to compose herself. "There's a line. And I expect you to respect it."
Leo didn't move from his spot, his gaze never wavering. "Is that so? What exactly are you going to do if I don't?"
Evelyn's breath caught in her throat. There it was again. That challenge. That damn smile.
She stood up again, suddenly feeling like she was suffocating. "I'm your boss. You will respect me."
His smile didn't falter. "You're right, you are my boss. But what happens when I don't want to just be your assistant anymore?"
The words hit her like a punch to the gut. She froze, staring at him, trying to process what he had just said. He stepped closer, and she could feel the heat radiating off of him, making her heart race faster.
"I'm not a man who follows orders just because they're given, Evelyn," Leo said, his voice low and dangerously seductive. "I want more. And I'm not afraid to take it."
The air between them crackled with electricity, thick with unspoken tension. Evelyn's breath quickened, and for the first time, she wasn't sure how to respond. Her mind raced with a million thoughts, but none of them made sense. She hated how badly she wanted to give in to the pull between them.
Leo was right there, so close she could feel the heat of his body, the scent of his cologne filling the air. She was drowning in it, and she hated it.
"You're playing a dangerous game, Leo," she whispered, her voice trembling despite herself.
He smirked, inches from her face. "I know. And I'm winning."
Before she could stop herself, Evelyn reached up and touched his chest, feeling the steady beat of his heart beneath her palm. The connection was electric, almost suffocating. She could feel the heat rising between them, could feel the magnetic pull that neither of them could deny anymore.
She opened her mouth to speak, but Leo placed his finger over her lips, silencing her.
"Don't say a word, Evelyn. Let me show you how good it can be."