LOGINZoeās PovThis was probably a bad idea but I couldn't bring myself to turn around. About twenty minutes later, Richard turned into a quieter residential area.The buildings here were older, many of them constructed from red brick, with narrow entrances and small trees lining the pavements. I slowed down as the sedan pulled toward a block of apartment buildings.My pulse quickened as Richard stopped near the entrance. Vivienne opened the passenger door, stepped out, adjusted her coat, and bent down to speak to him through the open window.He said something in return. Then she smiled, waved, and disappeared through the buildingās entrance. I drove past without slowing down too much, my eyes fixed on the rearview mirror until I was certain she hadnāt noticed me.I continued down the road, turned at the next intersection, and pulled over a few streets away. I should have been satisfied. Iād confirmed that Richard and Vivienne were meeting outside work, and now I knew where heād dropped he
ZOEāS POV Shopping was supposed to be therapeutic. At least, that was what I had told myself when I left my apartment that evening with the intention of buying a few new outfits for work. After spending the better part of the last few days hiding from the world, I figured it was time to start acting like a functioning adult again. Besides, I was returning to Hart & Rowe tomorrow, and I felt like I deserved a fresh start and some part of me also wanted to see Julianās reaction when he saw me in my new outfits. By the time I finished shopping, I had accumulated four bags, a lighter bank balance, and the distinct feeling that I had somehow managed to spend twice as much as I intended. ⨠But did I regret it?⨠Not even a little. My credit card might hate me, but we would work through our differences. I was just going to have to make sure I didnāt open my banking app for the next forty-eight hours. With my shopping bags safely tucked into the boot of my car, I headed to my favo
ZOEāS POV The most dangerous thing about Julian Hart was that he didnāt have to touch me to make me feel him everywhere. He was simply driving and that was enough to leave me hot and bothered. One hand rested on the steering wheel, the other occasionally shifting gears as we moved through Manhattanās evening traffic. The lights from passing cars swept across his face, catching the sharp line of his jaw, the straight bridge of his nose, and the faint stubble I had spent the better part of dinner trying not to stare at. Trying, and failing. God, I had missed him. My gaze dropped to his fingers wrapped around the steering wheel, and a memory flashed through my mind. Of those same hands holding me down while his mouth and body drove me out of my mind. I swallowed. It had been more than a week since we had been intimate and although I enjoyed dinner, being close to him just made the ache much worse. I tore my gaze from him and looked out the window and my reflection stare
JULIAN By the time we arrived at the restaurant, the city had begun to glitter beneath the evening sky, the streets alive with headlights and the glow of towering buildings. I handed the keys of my Porsche Panamera to the valet and walked around to Zoeās side of the car. She accepted my offered hand as she stepped out and her gaze lifted toward the hotel. āJulian.ā I knew that tone. It was the āthis is too much tone.ā āWhat?ā I smiled in amusement. She looked at the entrance, then back at me.āPlease tell me you havenāt booked the entire restaurant.ā I laughed because that was exactly what I had done but I wasn't going to tell her that. I decided to settle for a half-truth.āNot the entire restaurant.ā She narrowed her eyes. āThat pause before you answered was suspicious.ā āI booked a private dining room.ā A smile tugged at her lips and my heart skipped at how beautiful she looked. āOf course you did. Why am I not surprised?ā āWould you have preferred to eat in t
JULIANāS POV The smile wouldn't leave my face as I stared at my message thread with Zoe. She just agreed to have dinner with me. I scrolled through my phone and immediately called the managerĀ at The Modern, one of Manhattanās most exclusive restaurants.āI need a private dining room for two tonight. Seven PM.ā There was a brief pause.āOf course, Mr. Hart. Would you prefer the chefās tasting menu or the Ć la carte experience?ā āĆ la carte. And I want the room completely private.ā āCertainly, sir.ā āNo other guests. I donāt want anyone walking in unless I authorize it.ā āUnderstood. Would you like us to arrange anything special?ā I thought about it for a second. āNo. Just make sure everything is perfect.ā When I ended the call, I leaned back in my chair and s
JULIANāS POV Iād spent most of the weekend dealing with the mess surrounding my campaign, trying to contain the damage before it spread any further. But no matter how many calls I made or how many meetings I scheduled, my mind kept returning to Zoe. Iād called, texted, and even considered driving to her apartment before reminding myself that sheād explicitly asked for space. It was the only reason I hadnāt gone. I wasnāt proud of how often Iād checked my phone over the weekend, either. Patrick was navigating the Monday morning Manhattan traffic when my phone rang. It was Raymond. I answered immediately.āTell me you have something.ā āGood morning to you too, Mr. Hart.ā āRaymond.ā He chuckled. āIāve got something you should see. Check your email.ā I pulled my laptop closer and opened the email application on my phone. A new message sat at the top of my inbox, containing several attachments.āWhat am I looking at?ā āRichard Forrester. Yesterday evening. He met with a w
Zoeās POV I stared at him, waiting for him to laugh ā to tell me he was joking. But Julian didnāt move. He just leaned back against the seat, watching me with those dark, unflinching eyes that stripped away every last layer of composure I had left. āDonāt look so alarmed,ā he m
JULIANāS POVI watched as Zoe scrambled out of my office like sheād just seen a ghost.Seeing her flustered always amused me. The way she tried so damn hard to keep her composure, to act like my presence didnāt affect her, when her eyes and body said otherwiseāit was addictive. Nothing turned me on
JULIANāS POV āCassandra, that doesnāt work.ā I pinched the bridge of my nose, leaning back in my chair. āNo, listen to meāif Burke wants a meeting, fine, but tell him Iām not interested in getting into politics myself. Not now, not this year. I already told him this.ā Cassandraās calm clipped
LIAMāS POV You know that feeling when youāve messed up so bad you canāt even tell which wayās up? Like every move you make could save you⦠Or blow everything to hell? Yeah. Thatās where I was. Madison was already waiting when I walked into the restaurant ,her back was to the window, her hair







