CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

EVA’S POV

When I finally opened my eyes the next morning, I had no memory of walking back to my room.

All I remembered was falling asleep in Clark’s room… in his bed… after telling him things I would never dare say while awake.

My cheeks warmed instantly.

I sat up, pressing my hands to my face.

What the hell had I done?

I must have sleep-walked back to my room or maybe Clark carried me.

Oh God.

I hoped I didn’t drool or mumble anything embarrassing.

I showered quickly and changed into the outfit Clark had requested last night…a fitted white blouse and a black pencil skirt. Corporate. Clean. Professional. Safe.

Well… not safe enough, because the blouse was slightly sheer, and the skirt hugged my waist and hips more than I anticipated.

I blamed the mirror for telling me I looked good.

At 8:45 a.m., someone knocked on my door.

My heart gave a little leap.

I fixed my blouse and cleared my throat.

“Come in.”

The door opened, and Clark stepped inside.

Black suit and white shirt.

Tie perfectly knotted.

And that look…the one that made my pulse jump and my knees weaken even when I pretended it didn’t.

He gave me one slow, deliberate scan.

“That’s the outfit you chose?” he asked, voice low.

“What’s wrong with it?” I frowned.

His jaw tensed as he looked away.

“Nothing. It’s fine,” he said too quickly, turning slightly.

“Just… wear this.”

He handed me a blazer.

I crossed my arms.

“Why?”

He didn’t look at me when he answered.

“Because I said so.”

I narrowed my eyes.

“That is not a reason.”

He finally turned, eyes locking with mine.

“It is... when I’m trying to help you,” he said quietly.

“You look beautiful…a little too beautiful for a room filled with fifty men.”

My heartbeat did a somersault.

“O…oh.”

“Put it on, Eva,” he said softly.

“Please.”

That one word..please…disarmed me completely.

I slipped on the blazer, and his gaze slowly lifted from my collarbone to my eyes, leaving sparks on my skin.

“Let’s go,” he said, voice suddenly firm.

We left the suite and entered the elevator.

The silence was thick.

Electric.

Unbearably heavy.

Then Clark turned his head slightly and murmured,

“Did you sleep well?”

My cheeks flamed.

“I… yes. I think.”

“No nightmares?”

“Not really.”

“Good,” he said, staring straight ahead, but his voice had softened.

“You were tired.”

He remembered.

He paid attention.

He cared.

And that scared me more than anything.

The meeting venue was stunning..glass walls, long marble tables, screens everywhere.

The executives from the hosting company sat waiting, murmuring among themselves.

Clark and I took our places at the front.

He handed me the files I needed.

Our fingers brushed.

Just that tiny touch sent heat rushing up my arm.

He leaned close.

“Focus,” he whispered.

“It’s a big negotiation, Eva.”

“I know,” I whispered back.

But he didn’t move.

He stayed close enough for me to feel his breath on my cheek.

“Then stop being so tense,” he said.

“I’m not tense.”

“You are.”

“I’m… fine.”

He gave me a tiny, dangerous smile. “Then why is your heart beating that fast?”

I froze.

“How do you know…”

He tapped his ear lightly.

“I hear it.”

My face went hot.

Before I could respond, the meeting began.

Everyone in the room was captivated by Clark's speech or rather presentation.…men, women, even the uninterested-looking CEO perked up.

And Clark knew it.

He moved through the slides effortlessly, voice smooth, gestures precise. His energy filled the room.

I was taking notes when suddenly his eyes flicked to me.

Just for a heartbeat.

Then… again.

Then he held my gaze.

While speaking, presenting, convincing, charming the entire table..his eyes kept drifting back to me like he couldn’t help it.

My stomach tightened.

This man was dangerous.

At one point, he asked,

“Eva, can you hand me the file please?”

Everyone turned to look at me.

I quickly grabbed the file.

But instead of reaching out for it normally, Clark stepped closer… too close… and brushed his fingers over mine as he took it.

A deliberate brush..Slow and purposeful.

My entire body went warm instantly.

He slid me a sideways smirk like he knew exactly what he was doing.

“Thank you,” he said softly..his voice low enough that the others didn’t hear.

The tension between us was so thick I could barely sit still.

The meeting continued smoothly, Clark handling every question with impressive precision. When it ended, executives lined up to shake his hand.

But he had eyes only for me.

“Good job,” he said quietly as soon as we were out of earshot.

“I didn’t really do anything.”

“You were there,” he replied simply. “That’s enough.”

No one had ever said something like that to me.

It felt warm.

Dangerous.

Addictive.

We stepped into the hallway together, and he touched the small of my back…guiding me toward the elevator.

I jumped slightly at the contact.

“Relax,” he murmured.

I swallowed.

“Clark…”

“I told you to focus,” he said, stepping closer.

“But it seems you’re distracted.”

“I’m not distracted,” I whispered.

“Oh?” His eyes glittered.

“Then why were you staring at me while I was presenting?”

“I wasn’t!”

“Yes.” He leaned in, breath brushing my ear.

“You were.”

I felt heat spread all the way down my spine.

“I was just paying attention,” I managed to say.

“You looked,” he said softly.

“And you kept looking.”

“That’s…. that’s not..”

“It’s fine,” he said with a quiet, teasing smile. “I liked it.”

My knees nearly gave out.

The elevator arrived. The doors slid open.

We stepped inside.

The air was instantly heavier.

Clark didn’t touch me, but it felt like he was everywhere.

His presence was too big.

Too warm.

Too consuming.

As the elevator doors slid shut, he spoke again.

“Do you regret last night?”

My breath caught.

“I…”

“Because I don’t.”

I stared at him.

He stared back.

Unblinking, unmoved and Completely honest.

The elevator dinged.

We stepped out onto our floor without speaking.

But everything between us was louder than words.

We reached the hallway.

I turned to enter my room.

He caught my wrist.

Not harshly, not demandingly but gently like he was asking for something he didn’t know how to say.

“Eva,” he said quietly.

“Yes?”

He opened his mouth like he was about to say something important.

Something real.

But suddenly

A loud voice echoed down the hallway:

“CLARK!!! BABY!!!”

We both froze.

We turned.

And there she was.

Rachel.

My sister.

Wearing a pink crop top and expensive jeans, dragging a suitcase behind her, smiling like she owned the entire building.

She dropped the suitcase and ran straight toward Clark throwing her arms around him before he could react.

“I missed you!” she squealed.

Clark stiffened completely.

I felt something sharp twist inside me.

Something ugly.

Something painful.

But what broke me wasn’t her hugging him.

It was what she said next.

Loud enough for the entire hallway to hear.

“I came to spend the week with my fiancé!”

I stopped breathing.

Clark’s hand dropped from my wrist.

And the world around me blurred.