Chapter 6

But Instead, he positioned himself against the back wall, arms crossed over his chest, and began his survey of the room again. This time, when his eyes found me, they stopped.

I felt it like a physical touch… that particular intensity that made my skin feel too tight and my pulse accelerated into something dangerous. The woman next to me, a blonde woman named Jennifer who'd been making nervous small talk before he'd arrived, suddenly seemed very interested in her orientation packet.

"Continue," he said to Patricia, his voice low but carrying perfectly through the silence.

Patricia stumbled through the remainder of the policies, and I spent the next forty-five minutes acutely aware of his presence. Not looking at him directly would have been suspicious, but looking at him felt like admitting something I wasn't ready to acknowledge. So I stared at my packet and tried very hard to regulate my breathing.

When the orientation finally concluded, people stood and began filing toward the door. Patricia was already moving toward Myles with something that looked like relief.

"Ms. Harlow," a male voice said behind me.

I turned to find a man with warm brown eyes and an expression that suggested he found the entire morning mildly amusing. He was attractive in a way that was accessible… dark hair slightly tousled, a smile that reached his eyes, tailored suit that fit well but not obsessively. There was something about him that immediately registered as safer than the predator still standing at the back of the room.

"I'm Alden Maxwell," he said, extending his hand. "I work directly under Myles in strategic operations. Thought I'd introduce myself before the chaos begins."

I shook his hand, grateful for the normalcy of the interaction. "Nova Harlow."

"I know." His smile widened. "Myles mentioned you."

Before I could process what that statement might mean, Myles appeared beside us with the suddenness of a predator cutting off prey from the herd.

"Nova," he said, and the temperature seemed to drop further. "I'd like to give you a personal tour of the facilities. Familiarize you with the layout."

It wasn't a request.

"Of course," I said, even though every instinct was screaming that being alone with him in any context was a dangerous idea.

Alden's expression shifted into something more guarded. "I can show her around if you're busy, Myles. The strategic operations team needs you in the conference room… "

"The strategic operations team can wait," Myles replied smoothly. "Nova's orientation is more pressing."

The way he said my name… slowly, deliberately, with a possession that bordered on obscene… made Alden's jaw tighten almost imperceptibly.

"Right," Alden said after a moment. "Well, Nova, if you need anything, my office is on floor thirty-one. Don't hesitate to reach out."

There was something in that statement that felt like a warning disguised as an offer.

Myles led me through the corporate corridors with the casual confidence of someone who owned not just the building but the air inside it. He pointed out departments and offices, explaining the hierarchical structure with the precision of someone who'd memorized every detail of his domain.

But I barely heard him.

I was too aware of his proximity. The way he moved through the space with absolute certainty, never hesitating, never doubting. The way his hand occasionally brushed against the small of my back… ostensibly to guide me through doorways, but the contact lingered just a fraction too long each time to be accidental.

"The research division," he was saying as we approached a sealed floor. "Confidential projects. You won't have clearance here."

"Of course," I murmured, focusing very hard on not reacting to the fact that his hand was still pressed against my lower back.

We moved through the executive floors, and I became increasingly aware that we were moving away from the common areas. The corridors became quieter, more private. Less populated. By the time we reached the top floor, we'd moved from the professional world into something that felt distinctly personal.

His office occupied the entire corner, two walls of glass offering impossible views of the city. The interior was exactly as I remembered… minimalist, expensive, designed to project power and control. But this time, I noticed details I'd been too anxious to absorb during our first meeting. Books on philosophy and economics. A photograph of an older man who shared his severe features. A painting on the far wall that showed a woman with dark hair and eyes that seemed to follow you through the room.

"This is my private space," Myles said, gesturing around the office. "You'll be working here most days. Katherine handles the administrative aspects, but strategic projects will come directly through me to you."

"I understand," I said, positioning myself near the windows to put distance between us. The maneuver was transparent and apparently ineffective, because he simply moved to stand beside me, his proximity creating a magnetic field that made my skin prickle with awareness.

"You're nervous," he observed. It wasn't a question.

"It's my first day," I replied, trying to sound professional.

"That's not why you're nervous." He turned to face me, and I was forced to look up to meet his gaze. "You're nervous because of what happened Monday night. Because of the message I sent you."

My breath caught. "How did you… "

"I told you," he said quietly. "I have access to everything. Your phone records, your search history, your location data. All of it flows through my servers, Nova."

The violation of it should have terrified me. Instead, I felt heat bloom through my body… a response to the intimacy of being so completely known, so thoroughly examined. It was wrong. It was invasive. It was also, somehow, arousing.

"That's illegal," I said, but my voice lacked conviction.

"Yes," he agreed. "It is."

He reached out and tucked a strand of hair behind my ear, his fingers lingering against my neck. The touch was gentle, almost tender, which made it somehow more intense than if he'd been rough.

"I need you to understand something," he continued, his voice dropping to that low frequency that made my pulse race. "Whatever attraction you're feeling right now… whatever your body is telling you about being close to me… it's real. And it's only going to intensify from here."

"Myles… " I started, but he pressed one finger against my lips, silencing me.

"You can fight it if you want," he said. "But eventually, you're going to stop fighting. You're going to realize that whatever this is between us, it's bigger than your fear. Bigger than your logic."

I should have moved away. Should have told him his behavior was inappropriate and potentially harassment. Instead, I stood frozen, acutely aware of his finger against my mouth, the warmth of his body, the intensity in his grey eyes that suggested he could see directly through to the parts of me that were already surrendering.

The moment stretched between us, taut with possibility and danger.

Then his phone buzzed.

He withdrew his hand and checked the message, and something dark crossed his expression. His entire demeanor shifted, the seduction retreating, replaced by something colder and more calculating.

"The DuPont family is making moves," he said, the words delivered like a tactical update. "It's nothing that will affect you directly, but you should be aware that the landscape is shifting. There are people who would like to use you as leverage against me."

The shift in topic was so jarring that it took me a moment to process what he was saying.

"Why would anyone want to use me as leverage?" I asked. "I'm nobody."

He looked at me then, and his expression was almost sad. Almost regretful.

"That's where you're wrong, Nova," he said quietly. "You're not nobody. You're everything."

Before I could ask what that meant, he moved toward his desk and pressed a button on his phone.

"Katherine, clear my schedule for the rest of the day. We're not to be disturbed."

My stomach did a complicated flip. "What are you doing?"

"Ensuring your protection," he replied. "And making sure you understand exactly what you've gotten yourself into."

He moved to the door and turned the lock. The soft click of it echoed through the office like a closing trap...