All Chapters of His Earthly Desire : Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

56 Chapters

The Lines We Pretend Not To Cross

The rest of the day crawled by, heavy and uncomfortable.I tried drowning myself in work, tried ignoring Andrew’s message burning a hole in my phone, tried pretending I didn’t feel Jayden’s eyes on me through the glass wall of his office.But pretending had limits.By the time afternoon sunlight dipped warm gold across my desk, I felt stretched thin—like one more breath might shatter me.So when Jayden called me into his office with a clipped, “Ms. Sanders,” I nearly jumped.I stepped inside, closing the door behind me.But he wasn’t alone.A man I had never seen before lounged casually in the visitor’s chair—tall, sharp-eyed, the type of handsome that wasn’t polished like Jayden’s, but dangerously effortless. He pushed up his sleeves, revealing a tattoo snaking up his arm.The moment his gaze landed on me, a slow, knowing smile spread across his face.“Oh?” he said. “Is this the famous Ms. Sanders?”My pulse stuttered. “Famous?”Jayden shot him a glare. “Scott.”Scott Willow grinned

The Lines We Pretend Not To See

His question hung between us like a blade — sharp, waiting to cut whichever answer I gave.‎It didn’t matter that no one else was in the room. The silence itself was watching. Listening. Pressing in.‎Who else… besides Andrew… has my attention?‎My breath tangled in my chest. I should have said no one. I should have looked away, stepped back, built the wall I spent days struggling to rebuild.‎But I didn’t move.‎Jayden watched me with that unreadable calm — the kind that didn’t need volume to be powerful. The kind that felt like thunder rumbling under the skin of a storm. His eyes didn’t search my face for clues. They measured me, like he was already certain of an answer he had no right to know.‎“I don’t know what you mean,” I finally whispered, though we both knew it was a lie.‎His jaw tightened — not dramatically, not obviously. But enough to show that he was fighting something in himself. Enough that if you’d memorized him the way I was starting to, you’d notice the crack in his

What Follows You In The Dark

‎The office emptied slowly that night.‎‎People drifted out in groups of two or three, their chatter fading down the hallway until all that was left was the echo of footsteps and the distant hum of the elevator. My computer screen cast a pale glow over my desk, highlighting the stack of unfinished work I pretended to care about.‎‎But I wasn’t thinking about spreadsheets.‎Or reports.‎Or deadlines.‎‎I was thinking about him.‎‎About the last thing he asked me.‎‎> “Who else besides your ex-husband has your attention?”‎‎‎‎The question had lodged itself under my skin like a splinter I couldn’t remove. Every time I tried to breathe, I felt it.‎‎I shut my laptop and gathered my things, desperate for fresh air. For space. For silence that didn’t echo with his voice.‎‎The hallway was dim when I stepped into it, the overhead lights on their nighttime setting, casting long shadows across the carpet. I hugged my bag to my chest and walked faster.‎‎But as I neared the elevator,

The Brother That Sees Too Much

‎The office was unusually quiet that morning, the kind of quiet that hinted at something shifting beneath the surface. Phones still rang, keyboards still clacked, people still moved—but everything felt slower, tighter, like the air itself was waiting.‎‎I was sorting files at my desk when the atmosphere changed.‎‎I didn’t hear him come in.‎‎I felt him.‎‎A ripple passed through the hallway—subtle, but unmistakable. The kind of presence that drew attention without asking for it.‎‎A tall man stepped through the glass entrance and into the office:‎‎Broad shoulders.‎Hands casually in his pockets.‎Suit fitted, expensive, slightly undone at the collar.‎A relaxed confidence Jayden never wore.‎‎He didn’t smile.‎He didn’t speak.‎He didn’t need to.‎‎He looked like someone who walked into rooms expecting them to bend around him.‎‎Whispers broke out immediately.‎‎“That’s Johnson—”‎“The younger Roberts brother—”‎“He never shows up here—”‎‎I froze in my seat.‎‎This was

What He Doesn't Say

The office was quiet, almost painfully so. Even the usual hum of computers and the distant chatter of colleagues seemed muted, as if the building itself was holding its breath. I sat at my desk, hands resting loosely on the keyboard, pretending to work while my heart refused to slow its rhythm. Every time I dared to glance at Jayden’s office, I felt the weight of his gaze like a physical force pressing against my back.The door opened silently. I didn’t hear it. I didn’t need to. I knew when he was there. I felt him.His presence is always a ripple, subtle yet impossible to ignore. He moved like a predator in control, even when he wasn’t moving at all.“Melissa,” his voice cut softly through the quiet, low and deliberate. My stomach tightened at the sound.“Yes… sir?” I whispered, straightening instinctively in my chair.He stepped fully into view, the light from the window catching the edges of his sharp features. The air between us felt charged, thick with words unspoken. He didn’t

The Rules He Breaks

The morning began like any other, deceptively calm. The sound of computers, the shuffle of papers, the quiet murmur of voices — all ordinary. But the moment I sat down at my desk, a subtle unease settled in my chest, prickling like static across my skin. My fingers hovered over the keyboard, yet my mind kept drifting back to Jayden’s office, to the weight of his gaze from yesterday, to the invisible thread that seemed to tether me to him.And then it happened.A sharp ping of an incoming email dragged my attention back. A client had called — their shipment delayed, the presentation later that afternoon in jeopardy. My pulse quickened. Panic twisted in my stomach as I skimmed the email. This was serious. This was… catastrophic if mishandled. And I knew Jayden would notice, would expect perfection.I typed a response frantically, coordinating with the warehouse and our logistics team. Every keystroke felt amplified, every hesitation magnified under the invisible weight of his presence. I

What Belongs Where

By the time the crisis was officially declared resolved, the office had already moved on.That was how it always worked.Mistakes were buried beneath paperwork. Rumors dissolved into new distractions. Names were whispered for a while, then forgotten—unless they mattered.And somehow, I knew mine still did.The shipment issue was closed. The board had accepted Jayden’s explanation without further resistance. Vanessa Crane disappeared back into whatever shadow she crawled out from. By all accounts, I should have been relieved.Instead, I felt hollow.Jayden hadn’t spoken to me all morning.Not a single word.Not a glance.Not even the quiet pressure of his presence looming behind me.It was unsettling in a way I hadn’t expected.I was finishing up a report when a shadow fell across my desk. I looked up instinctively—and there he was.Jayden.Perfectly composed.Impeccably dressed. Cold again.“Clear your schedule for tonight,” he said flatly.I blinked. “Tonight?”“Yes.”I hesitated. “S

The Shape of His Claim

The car ride away from the Roberts estate was silent.Not the comfortable kind.Not the peaceful kind.The kind that pressed against my ears until my thoughts felt too loud, too exposed. The city lights blurred past the tinted windows, glowing gold and white like distant stars I couldn’t reach.Jayden sat beside me, perfectly composed, one hand resting loosely against his thigh, the other braced near the door. He hadn’t spoken since we left the ball. Hadn’t looked at me either.That was worse.I stared straight ahead, fingers clenched in my lap, replaying the night in fragments.His mother’s eyes. Clara’s smile. The way I suddenly felt… unnecessary.I swallowed hard.Maybe this was it.Maybe I had crossed into a world I was never meant to survive.The car slowed.I frowned. “This isn’t—”“My place,” Jayden finished calmly as the gates slid open. “You’re coming inside.”The words landed heavy.“I didn’t bring anything,” I said weakly.“You don’t need to.”The car came to a stop. The dr

Where The Walls Close In

Jayden returned after midnight.I knew without checking the time.The penthouse carried his presence the way a storm carries pressure—silent, heavy, unavoidable. I was seated on the couch, knees drawn close, pretending to read a book I hadn’t turned the page of in over an hour.He didn’t greet me.Didn’t ask if I was awake.Didn’t explain.The sound of the door closing echoed softly through the space. I felt it more than I heard it.He loosened his tie slowly, methodically, as if every movement was calculated to keep something contained. His jacket followed, draped neatly over the chair. He poured himself a drink, the clink of ice sharp in the quiet.I waited.That, I was learning, was how things worked with Jayden. He spoke when he decided the silence had done enough damage.“You didn’t ask,” he said at last.My eyes lifted to him. “Ask what?”“How dinner went.”I swallowed. “I didn’t want to know.”His gaze snapped to me instantly.Sharp. Focused.“That,” he said quietly, “was the w

When Fire Chooses You

The smell reached her before the heat did.Melissa froze in the narrow hallway of her apartment, fingers still curled around the strap of her bag. At first, she thought it was coming from outside—burning trash, maybe, or a neighbor cooking late. But the scent was wrong. Thick. Bitter. It crawled into her lungs and refused to leave.Her chest tightened.She took one careful step forward.The lights flickered.Once. Twice.“Hello?” she called out, though she didn’t know why. She already knew she was alone.The silence answered her.Her phone buzzed in her hand, startling her so badly she almost dropped it. Jayden’s name glowed on the screen.She hesitated.Something inside her whispered don’t ignore him.She answered. “I’m inside,” she said before he could speak. “I just came to get a few things. I won’t be long.”There was a pause on the other end. Too long.“You went back,” Jayden said quietly.Her stomach twisted. “I needed clothes. My documents—”“I told you not to go back.”His voi

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