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I watched in a trance as Stephen’s figure approached me in the video.

I couldn’t see him gripping my hands, but as my breathing calmed, the ghost of his touch lingered on my palms, igniting a warmth that spread through me.

His voice, low and commanding yet gentle, whispered through the playback, “Breathe in… and out…” Each word felt like a caress, pebbling my skin and awakening an unexpected rush of desire that I couldn’t ignore.

Instinctively, my fingers traced my collarbone, moving slowly down toward my breast. My breath caught as I imagined it was Stephen’s hand on my body.

I circled my breast, teasing my nipple through the fabric of my shirt, feeling a thrill ripple through me with each brush.

The heat pooled low in my belly as my hand trailed lower, across the plane of my stomach, descending farther, where I was already growing slick.

As my fingers strayed beneath the band of my pants and into my lace knickers, I felt each of Stephen’s intentional words echo in my mind, “Breathe in…and out…” Every repetition filled me with an aching need.

I envisioned it was Stephen stroking me, and as I touched myself, electric sparks raced through my body.

I gasped, my skin alive with sensation, my world narrowing to this moment of forbidden pleasure, imagining Stephen was here with me, touching me in the way I wished he had in the elevator.

But it was the sound of my own voice echoing from the audio—“Stephen”—that jolted me back to reality. Shock flooded through me as I realized what I was doing, the intensity of my longing for him overwhelming. How had I let myself slip so easily into such desire so deep it left me breathless?

Quickly, I withdrew my hand from beneath my knickers, taking a deep, steadying breath before forcing myself to close the video. I stifled the memory of his gentle lips, the caress of his fingertips against my jaw. Then, with a trembling finger, I clicked delete on the video.

I reminded myself that what was between us was just the result of chemistry, the result of pheromones bringing about that delicious heat that made me ache for…

Nope, nope. I’m not doing this.

Closing the laptop, I decided to go for a shower and wash away the lingering scent of him.

It was just a physiological reaction and nothing else.

With the weekend to get my head in the game, I decided to have some retail therapy.

I’d only brought a handful of business outfits with me, so I went shopping at Macy’s for some new work outfits.

On Monday, I doubled down on keeping focused at work.

By the end of the week, I couldn’t believe it had already been three weeks that I’d been at Blackthorn Corporation, which was the completion of my probationary period.

Toward the end of the day, Magnus called me into his office. I’d been trying to keep my head down this week, too, on account of the news that Magnus was digging into my shadow company and looking for a connection to me. I’d gone about my work as diligently as possible.

“I wanted to congratulate you on your work the last few weeks,” he said, leaning back in his chair. “It goes without saying that you passed your probation period with flying colors.”

“Thank you, Alpha,” I said. “I’m very happy with how it’s been going, too.”

Magnus’s dark brown stare brushed over me, and I got the usual uncomfortable feeling I did during our meals at Blackthorn Villa on the weekends when we were both there, and he continued to slip in questions about the past five years as if still trying to trip me up.

“Stephen has had nothing but praise for you,” he added.

The usual undertow of anxiety thrummed through my veins at the mention of Stephen. My palms grew clammy in my lap, but I forced the calm I’d been trying to keep over myself. “I appreciate everything he’s done in showing me the ropes, too. ”

“Now for the best part,” Magnus said, buzzing his intercom and saying, “Would you join us in here, Stephen?”

When Stephen joined us, keeping my cool wasn’t as easy. Already, my thoughts were skipping over what Magnus could have to say that would involve us both. And the memory of our kiss loomed like a hidden crevasse that I was in danger of falling into all too swiftly.

“I’ve decided to send you both on a business trip on Monday,” Magnus informed us. “Stephen is familiar with Haldon Limited in California. They recently absconded to one of our competitors. I’ve set up a pitch with them for you on Tuesday.”

Anxiety bubbled up within me. Of all the clients that Magnus could have chosen, of course, it would be the client my shadow company had recently poached. We’d struck solid gold by poaching this key client from Blackthorn, and I fought to keep my expression solemn as triumph sizzled through me.

“Sounds exciting,” I said, carefully schooling my features to convey neutrality.

However, the thought of the client wasn’t the only thing that had my heart quickening.

A business trip away with Stephen was the last thing I needed.

It had been a week since the moment we’d shared in the elevator, and we had successfully kept our distance in the office.

But how much harder would that be on a plane, journey, and worse still, over two nights away together?

There would be nowhere to hide and no distractions to pull me away from the weight of what lingered between us.

“Stephen, you’ll take the lead on the presentation,” Magnus continued, his attention thankfully on my traveling companion. Stephen nodded, but I had the distinct impression, based on the quiet intensity blanketing his strong features, that he was feeling similarly unsettled by this news.

“But Lina, I want you to be closely involved in the discussions,” Magnus said. “Your perspective on the market will be invaluable to resecuring Haldon.”

“Of course,” I managed to say, my voice steady despite the tumult of thoughts swirling within me.

I heard Emily’s words from our call playing in my head, “ Keep your head in the game.” I wouldn’t let anything—especially not my feelings toward Stephen—undermine my efforts to keep my cover.

“Let’s get this client back in the fold,” Magnus said.

I nodded again, forcing a lightness in my tone. “We won’t disappoint you.”

Once the meeting concluded, I left Magnus’s office, adrenaline coursing through my veins.

Worry knotted my stomach as I contemplated the need to put my all into a pitch to secure a client that my shadow company had just acquired.

But what if this was an opportunity—one I could use to divert suspicion away from myself?

Just as I was packing up my things and formulating a plan, Stephen rejoined me in our office.

“Congrats on the probation period,” he said as he returned to his desk. “I owe you a drink in California. The flight’s not until one, so we can work on the pitch in the morning.”

His tone was amicable and just the right level of professionalism we’d been keeping to all week. But I was suddenly picturing us in a hotel bar, leaning in close to one another. Just like that, my heart was thumping, my mouth was moistening, and my legs were feeling weak.

I shook the thought away. If my plans came to fruition, we wouldn’t even be making that pitch in California.

I had to be strategic. The stakes were too high for mistakes.

But whatever happened, I needed to maintain the facade that I was just another employee eager to impress Magnus, so I quickly agreed.

“Thanks. Let’s get an early start Monday—8 a.m. so we have most of it ironed out before the flight. ”

Stephen nodded his agreement. But as I left the office, the determined glint in my eye wasn’t for the pitch but for the plan I was formulating. With an impending business trip on the horizon, it was time to make a move before the walls closed in around me.