Chapter Five: Sandra’s POV

"Yeah, so that's why I wanted to meet with you, but you didn't show up."

I crossed my arms over my chest, because honestly, there was no way in hell I was believing he had asked me out just so I could help his relationship with my sister.

If I were going to do anything, I would've devised a way to make sure he was completely divorced from her so I could have him all to myself.

And what exactly was he saying?! Why on earth should I help him stay with that selfish sister of mine who cared more about hoarding men like Pokémon than actually building a life?

The mere thought of her getting with my ex still made my blood boil, and now Elias was sitting here talking about saving their marriage?

To strengthen their marriage... Now that brought up a question I hated asking myself: was my sister really *that* good in bed? Why were all these men dying to stay with her?

I was good, too. I knew I was incredible in bed, holy fuck, was I seriously competing with my sister in my head right now?

Yeah, I had to! Because why else was Elias fighting so hard for her? "Didn't you know that my sister marries every now and then?" I snapped, stepping closer.

"There were four husbands before you, you knew that before you signed the contract! Did you actually think you were going to be the one to change her?"

"I never said I would change her."

"Then?"

"I'm saying I need your help."

"Need my help with what?!"

"To save my marriage."

I stared at him, utterly stunned. Was he even listening to himself? Were we speaking the same language, or was he intentionally trying to drive me insane?

I swallowed hard, advancing until I was practically in his face. "And in what possible way do you expect *me* to help save your marriage?"

Elias looked at me for a long moment, his dark eyes slowly taking me in from head to toe. Then, without answering, he stood up and straightened his suit jacket.

"This is better discussed outside of work."

"Excuse me?" I gasped, but he had already marched right past me toward the door.

He opened it, and before I could even take a step, the heavy wood slammed right in my face. I barely stopped myself from smashing my nose against it.

*Sandra, calm down,* I told myself, taking a sharp breath. *There's no need to get so riled up. He's always an arrogant bastard.*

I yanked the door open and marched out, following him down the long glass corridor. I kept my distance, my heels clicking furiously as I tried to match his impossibly long strides.

We stepped into the private executive elevator together. Elias reached out and clicked the parking garage button. The heavy doors slid shut, sealing us in a suffocating, heavy silence that stretched tighter with every passing floor.

He slid his hands into his tailored trouser pockets. And, because of that terrible, addicting habit of mine, I couldn't stop my eyes from wandering over him.

"If you keep looking at me like that," Elias drawled softly, staring straight ahead at the elevator doors, "you're going to wear the handsome right off my face."

"And you *know* that you're handsome," I shot back, narrowing my eyes.

To my absolute shock, he gave a slow, daring nod. "I am very handsome. The way you stare at me every single day actually made me start checking the mirror every morning before I leave the house."

A sudden, foolish spark of pride bloomed in my chest. I couldn't stop the small, triumphant smile from spreading across my face. "So... what you're saying is that I made you want to look tidier every day?"

Elias tilted his head down toward me, his expression cool. "No."

My smile instantly vanished into a deep frown.

"Cynthia loves a tidy man," he added smoothly. "She enjoys it when I look put-together."

There it was again. *Cynthia.* Always Cynthia. Holy shit, could he go five minutes without bringing her up?!

I heard a faint, irritating smirk in his voice, and I whipped my head around to glare at his profile. "You said that on purpose, didn't you?"

"What?"

"You said that about Cynthia just to get on my nerves."

"Did it get on your nerves?"

"Fuck you, Elias."

"I'm still your boss until we leave the premises," he reminded me, his lips twitching with dark amusement.

I bit down hard on my lower lip, my fangs practically aching to burst out. I should hit him. I should just throw a right hook at his perfect jaw and damn the consequences.

The elevator doors chimed and slid open. Elias stepped out effortlessly, his long legs covering so much ground that I practically had to scurry behind him, cursing under my breath until we finally reached his reserved spot in the parking lot.

"Are we taking your car or mine?" he asked, turning around to face me. His hands were still casually tucked into his pockets, while I was standing there silently trying to regulate my breathing so he wouldn't know I was out of breath from chasing him.

"What?" I asked, panting softly.

Elias gauged my posture, let out a slow sigh, and shook his head. "I guess we'll take my car."

"Are you driving yourself?" I asked, looking around the empty VIP floor. "No bodyguards? No chauffeur?"

"Why?" Elias unlocked the matte-black luxury sedan, opened the driver's door, and slid inside. "Get in."

He wasn't even going to open the door for me? Not even a shred of gentlemanly courtesy?! What was I even expecting?

Did I think he'd suddenly stop being the infuriating Elias Hart the moment we left the office? He was only tolerable when he kept his mouth shut!

I huffed, opened the passenger door, and climbed inside.

The moment the door shut, the scent of leather and his rich cologne hit me like a physical blow. I turned to look at him, only to see that he had already rolled his dress shirt sleeves up to his elbows.

Those thick, prominent veins mapped across his forearms were right there, practically glowing under the dim garage lights.

I whipped my head toward the passenger window so fast my neck nearly popped. I couldn't let my mind wander down that filthy road again.

"You can look, Sandra," Elias's deep voice echoed in the quiet cabin, "My veins are attractive, I know. You don't have to stare at the glass and just imagine things in your head."

"Fuck you."

"I'm your..."

"You're my brother-in-law now," I interrupted, snapping my head back toward him and crossing my arms tightly over my chest. "We are in the parking lot."

Elias stopped moving. He turned his head slowly, his deep, dark eyes locking onto mine without a single hint of hesitation.

Then, he began to lean across the center console.

My breath caught in my throat. My gaze snapped straight to him as his massive frame shadowed over me.

I noticed he had already pulled off his silk tie; the top three buttons of his crisp shirt were undone, revealing the golden, smooth skin of his collarbone, his strong neck, and the faint shadow of hair near his nape.

My eyes greedily dragged themselves back up to his sharp, bearded jawline, finally settling on his full, slightly parted lips. He was staring at my mouth, too. I could feel the scorching, suffocating heat of his gaze.

"Your brother-in-law?" he whispered, his lips resting just an inch from mine, hovering in that agonising space before he let out another slow smirk.

"Well..." I swallowed, my voice barely above a rasp. "...you're not my boss right now."

I saw his hand move behind my head. My heart did a violent, terrifying flip. I closed my eyes instinctively, tilting my face up and thrusting my lips out slightly, waiting for the devastating collision of his mouth against mine.

*Click.*

No lips. Just the snap of my seatbelt being drawn across my waist and locked securely into the buckle beside my hip.

I snapped my eyes open. Elias was sitting right there, his face inches from mine, staring down at me with an insufferable, amused glint in his eyes.

A burning, electric blush violently flooded my cheeks. My ears turned bright, scalding crimson.

*This utter bastard!!* Were all humans this thoroughly, unforgivably evil?!

"What?" Elias asked, his brown eyes sparkling as he slowly pulled back into the driver's seat.

I rolled my eyes so hard it hurt, snapped my jaw shut, and stared dead ahead through the windshield, refusing to offer him another single word as he started the engine and drove out into the Sable City night.