The Ghost Of His Touch

A muffled scream left Selene’s throat as she pulled her hair so tightly that her scalp stung. She could feel the hot water pouring over her face, but it did nothing to wash away the humiliation she felt.

Because her mind kept replaying exactly what happened on the dark highway. She couldn’t stop thinking about the way his palm slid up her dress and the feeling of his fingers against soaked clit.

Your body says otherwise, El.

Hearing him call her El after all these years cut the deepest. It was a reminder of the boy he used to be, before he turned into a heartless person. 

What made her blood boil was that her body was still betraying her. Even now, under the running water, she was still pulsing, aching for the exact touch that had just humiliated her.

He was a cold bastard who had spent years punishing her for a marriage she hadn’t asked for, but god! he knew exactly how to break her. The way he had gripped her ass and touched her pussy throbbing with an intense heat.

Selene heard the bedroom door close over the sound of the shower and froze, her fingers still in her wet hair as the bathroom door swung wide open without a single knock.

Through the steam, she could see Cassian’s broad frame. He had taken off his suit jacket, his white dress shirt looked wrinkled and unbuttoned halfway down, exposing his bare chest. In his hand, he held the purse she had forgotten on the passenger seat.

Selene watched him toss it onto the bathroom sink, while she moved further  against the wall of the shower. 

Then, he stepped closer, raising his hand to wipe away the moisture on the glass and deliberately exposing her inch by inch.

Selene gasped under his intense gaze, instinctively trying to cover herself, as she saw his eyes slowly move down her wet body. 

“Get out,” she managed to call out, her voice trembling.

Cassian didn’t even flinch as he leaned his shoulder against the doorframe, shoving one hand into his trouser pocket. She could see the smirk she hated on his lips. 

“You left your purse,” his deep voice echoed in the bathroom. “…Wouldn’t want you to think I kept something of yours.”

“I said leave, Cassian.”

His smirk widened, and she could see amusement in his eyes as he took a step closer to the glass. “Make sure you lock your doors from now on, El. You never know who might walk in when you’re... distracted.”

Before she could fire back, he turned on his heel and strode out, shutting the door behind him. Selene let out the breath she’d been holding, sliding down the wet tile until she was sitting on the floor.

~~•~~

By 8:00 AM the next morning, Selene stood in front of the floor-length mirror of her new office, smoothing down her red blazer. She had deliberately chosen an outfit that felt entirely corporate to feel in control.

Outside her office, she could see her team split into pairs, organizing desks, setting up monitors, and hanging creative mood boards. This was her sanctuary, and inside these walls, she wasn’t just Cassian’s wife; she was Selene, the founder of Vellum Creative

“Hey, boss.” Hannah, her assistant popped her head into the office, holding two steaming mugs of coffee. “The tech team just finished setting up the main server. We are officially fully operational.”

Selene smiled softly as she took the coffee. “Thank you, Hannah, let’s make sure the clients’ files are completely organized. I want our pitch decks ready by noon.”

“On it,” Hannah said, giving an enthusiastic salute before heading back out to the main floor.

Taking a sip of the bitter espresso, Selene sat behind her desk as a surge of adrenaline easily replaced the exhaustion she’d been feeling in her muscles. 

She opened her laptop, determined to bury herself in work until all thoughts of Cassian were out her head.

At exactly ten o’clock, her personal phone buzzed on the desk, and seeing Marcus's name flash on the screen, she answered immediately. “Marc, please tell me you have good news.”

Marcus’ chuckle came through the speaker. “Have I ever let you down, El? I just left a breakfast meeting with Daniel Sterling. I showed him your portfolio from the luxury campaign you did last quarter, and he's completely hooked on your aesthetic.”

Selene gripped the edge of her desk in excitement. “Are you serious? Did he agree to a meeting?”

“Better, he wants you at the Sterling Gallery tomorrow morning at nine for an exclusive pitch. The launch for his new international collection is the biggest art event of the summer, Selene. If Vellum bags this, you’ll be booked out for the next two years.”

“Marcus, I could kiss you,” she breathed, her mind already racing with design concepts already. “Thank you. Truly, you have no idea how much I needed this win today.”

“Don’t mention it, babe. I’ll text you the address details in a bit.”

Hanging up the phone, Selene leaned back in her chair as  relief washed over her. 

She felt she had a lifeline now, Vellum was going to blow up, and it’ll make the countdown on the six months she has left to spend with Cassian feel achievable.

Selene raised her head when she heard the main entrance door open, expecting a courier or a late delivery, but instead, the entire floor went dead silent. 

The low murmur of her team instantly vanished, replaced by the loud sound of shoes against the concrete floor.

Cassian walked into the center of Vellum Creative, looking impossibly hot in a charcoal gray three-piece suit, his dark hair neatly styled as he drew every eye in the room without saying a single word. 

His intense gaze swept across the floor, completely ignoring the staff until his eyes locked directly onto Selene sitting behind her desk.

Selene watched him walk right past the reception desk and straight toward her office like he owned the place. 

He pushed her door open without knocking, slammed it behind him, and stood there, glaring at her.