MasukZOEâS 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 Julianâs 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 didnât 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 f
ZOEâS POV The most dangerous thing about Julian Hart was that he didnât 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 Manhattanâs 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 Zoeâs side of the car. She accepted my offered hand as she stepped out and her gaze lifted toward the hotel. âJulian.â I knew that tone. It was the âthis is too much tone.â âWhat?â I smiled in amusement. She looked at the entrance, then back at me.âPlease tell me you havenât booked the entire restaurant.â 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.âNot the entire restaurant.â She narrowed her eyes. âThat pause before you answered was suspicious.â âI booked a private dining room.â A smile tugged at her lips and my heart skipped at how beautiful she looked. âOf course you did. Why am I not surprised?â âWould you have preferred to eat in t
JULIANâS 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 manager at The Modern, one of Manhattanâs most exclusive restaurants.âI need a private dining room for two tonight. Seven PM.â There was a brief pause.âOf course, Mr. Hart. Would you prefer the chefâs tasting menu or the Ă la carte experience?â âĂ la carte. And I want the room completely private.â âCertainly, sir.â âNo other guests. I donât want anyone walking in unless I authorize it.â âUnderstood. Would you like us to arrange anything special?â I thought about it for a second. âNo. Just make sure everything is perfect.â When I ended the call, I leaned back in my chair and s
JULIANâS POV Iâd 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. Iâd called, texted, and even considered driving to her apartment before reminding myself that sheâd explicitly asked for space. It was the only reason I hadnât gone. I wasnât proud of how often Iâd 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.âTell me you have something.â âGood morning to you too, Mr. Hart.â âRaymond.â He chuckled. âIâve got something you should see. Check your email.â 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.âWhat am I looking at?â âRichard Forrester. Yesterday evening. He met with a w
ZOEâS POV I knew what I had done was a coward's way out but I really hadnât been thinking when I called Maureen on Sunday night and requested to take three days off my yearly leave. So here I was on a Tuesday morning walking down the shopping aisle, absentmindedly adding items to my shopping cart. The weekend had gone by in a blur, with me being tucked in bed and occasionally responding to messages and video calls from the messy Express group chat. Lani and Ella were worried about me so they had constantly kept checking in. Julian had called at least two dozen times in the last seventy-two hours but I hadn't picked up. I still needed time; I wasn't ready to be sucked in by his intoxicating presence just yet. At least, that was what I kept telling myself. But apparently, Julian Hart had decided that if I wouldnât answer his calls, he would simply find other ways to get my attention. It started on Saturday. A dozen bouquets of white roses had arrived at my apartment with
ZOELLA I have done a lot of things in my life but stalking has never been one of them. But right now as I sat across from Julian, it sure felt like I was stalking him. Come to think of it, he had called me a stalker when I slipped into the backseat of his car. Life really knew how
Zoeâs POV I stared at him, waiting for him to laugh â to tell me he was joking. But Julian didnât 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. âDonât look so alarmed,â he m
JULIANâS POVI watched as Zoe scrambled out of my office like sheâd 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 didnât affect her, when her eyes and body said otherwiseâit was addictive. Nothing turned me on
LIAMâS POV You know that feeling when youâve messed up so bad you canât even tell which wayâs up? Like every move you make could save you⌠Or blow everything to hell? Yeah. Thatâs where I was. Madison was already waiting when I walked into the restaurant ,her back was to the window, her hair







