INSIDE ME

I was sitting in the living room, curled up in the soft velvet chair by the window. A book lay open on my lap, but I hadn’t read a single word in a long time. Outside, the city lights glowed, turning the streets gold and silver. Cars moved like small stars below, but none of it mattered to me. Inside, a storm had been growing for weeks, and tonight, it was too loud to ignore.

The elevator doors slid open with a soft sound. My heart jumped. The whole penthouse seemed to shift, like the air itself was holding its breath. I didn’t need to see him to know. I could feel him. Jake.

He stepped into the doorway. His dark suit was a little wrinkled, his tie loose around his neck. His hair was messy, like he had run his hands through it too many times. But it wasn’t his suit or his hair that caught my breath it was his eyes. The heat in his gaze felt like a spark touching dry wood.

“Chloe.” His voice was low, rough, and it slid through me like a shiver.

I looked up at him, trying to steady my