Page 16

That evening wasn’t easy. But I forced my way through it.

Whatever was happening between Winter and me, it felt like a damn sine wave: rising, falling, rising again.

A spark of hope, then a plunge. Mixed signals, crossed wires.

He never fully shut the door, not quite, but he kept trying to close it anyway.

Daring to do what I did in the supermarket parking lot came almost too easily. Feeling him tremble, soften in my embrace, almost melt, gave me firm reassurance that my dilemma wasn't mine alone. We were both losing the battle to stay proper and professional.

But someone really had to push for the breakthrough.

What Winter didn’t know was that I wasn’t really a quitter, not when I’d set my sights on something.

Yes, at first, I’d been drowning in doubt, convinced we were impossible, with a pile of uncrossable obstructions separating us.

But something had changed.

Day by day, that impossibility started to feel less like a wall and more like a real shot.

And the more I thought about it, the more palpable it became. The more I could touch it, taste it, the more desperately I wanted it to materialize: me and him.

Deep down, there was this untamable, electric pull in me, a force I couldn’t name or stop.

It dragged me toward him like gravity.

All I needed was a little more time.

***

Finally, the last workday before the holidays arrived. I had finished my project, informed Manager Lorens, and he told me that if everything was ready and Werner had approved it, we should present it to Winter so he could review it before his planned trip to Japan.

For the past few days, I’d been trying to give Winter a bit of space to process everything.

I knew we needed to have a more private conversation, in less… emotionally turbulent circumstances.

But I overthought it so badly that I nearly stalled out, there were just too many ways I could’ve approached our situation.

So by the time the day of the presentation arrived, I still hadn’t made my move.

During the project briefing, Manager Lorens was with me, so there was no opportunity to talk.

It was like everything had reset again. Just like before, Winter avoided looking at me.

Except for one moment, when I caught him glancing at my wrist.

The wrist where I still proudly wore the hair tie I had taken from him.

I stuck strictly to Werner’s guidelines, making sure the project was flawless. I presented everything with full composure and professionalism.

When it was over, Winter nodded and said,

"Excellent job, Sariel. We’ll take this with us. From what I can see, it doesn’t need any further revisions."

He cleared his throat slightly and touched a stack of papers on his desk.

Now my eyes searched for his wrist, trying to spot those two tiny red marks. But his shirt cuffs hid them from view.

"And now for the formalities, you can pick up your plane ticket from HR. We're flying business class. Something that might interest you: your uncle, will be flying with us."

He finally looked up and met my eyes, for the first time since I’d entered the room.

They were calm and neutral.

"Blue? I know he’s consulting on the project, but I’m surprised he’d be on the same flight. He has his own private jet. He didn’t say anything to me."

"Probably because he doesn’t know you’re coming. Your father spoke with him about it, but at that point, we hadn’t yet decided who would accompany me. Initially, we thought it might be Werner."

"I understand. Of course, I’ll be ready."

Winter gave a small nod. He went over a few more details about the departure and the time I was supposed to arrive at the airport.

Manager Lorens was with us the entire time. So, I sat quietly, listening.

Winter’s eyes were mostly fixed on his laptop screen, only occasionally flicking to my face, unreadable.

That part hadn’t changed. How could I break through a deadlock like this?

I’d never been in any kind of relationship before. How did people even start something more intimate?

Should I ask him for a quick conversation now? Or maybe I should invite him to dinner, to talk about all of this in a more romantic setting?

But there was a good chance he’d say no, that was almost guaranteed.

Or maybe… just start with something simple. Like exchanging phone numbers?

"I should probably have your phone number, so we can coordinate at the airport," I managed to get the words out.

Winter nodded slowly, hesitantly.

"Yes, of course. Here it is."

He handed me his business card, or rather, slid one toward me with a single finger.

They were arranged in a neat stack inside a small organizer. Very professional.

I immediately typed the number into my phone and hit the call button.

Winter glanced down at his own phone, then gave me a brief, slightly annoyed look, like testing the number was something a teenager would do.

A short time later, Manager Lorens and I said our goodbyes and left the room.

There was a twinge of discontent in me, but I kept repeating to myself that if I wanted to avoid pushing Winter too far, too quickly. I had to keep things as professional as possible while we were at work and patiently wait for the right moment.

That day, since it was the last before the holidays, I lingered near the elevator, hoping to catch a glimpse of Winter.

Sure enough, he showed up right on time. Luckily, no one else was waiting at the elevator doors, so it was just the two of us.

When he saw me and realized we were alone, his heart rate picked up immediately. He instinctively reached out to press the elevator button, even though I’d already done it.

I caught his hand in a quick motion. I did it before I even thought it through, but I needed to make another reckless attempt.

"It’s already pressed," I said in a low voice.

I held onto his hand, and my thumb unhurriedly slid beneath his cuff, searching for the two scars. My territory. Marked by me. Claimed. I didn’t let go. My finger moved in small circles over the scabs.

Winter’s eyes slowly lifted to my face, his pupils slightly enlarged.

"Can I take you out to dinner?"

Well, I said it. If I was going to be a rebel, then I might as well go all in.

A group of employees appeared in the hallway behind him, coming out of another room. Winter quickly pulled his hand back.

"I asked you to stop doing that."

"And I told you—I want you."

The group of employees passed us by.

"We can go to your place, if you prefer. We can prepare the meal together."

"Sariel…"

"And then we can make love."

Winter closed his eyes, just for a moment.

"Sariel, thank you for the invitation, but I have to decline. You don’t know anything about me. You don’t know who I am. We have a professional relationship. And do I really need to remind you for the third time that your father would never approve, I would have to change my job. There’s no way anything could happen between us."

"But it’s already happening."

He frowned, but did not deny it.

"Can I just ask you one thing?"

Winter didn’t answer, so I went ahead and asked, "If none of that were an issue, the work relationship, my father, would you say yes?"

Winter’s body radiated some intense energy, his breath seemed to hitch in his chest. And then he said it.

"Yes."

My lips spread into a grin.

The elevator arrived with a soft ding.

Fate was not on my side. The doors opened to reveal other people already inside, so we couldn’t be alone.

We stepped in. Winter stood toward the back, on the right. I positioned myself in the center-back, just far enough that the others couldn’t see what I was doing.

As the doors closed, I slowly raised my hand and ran it gently along his spine, then down to his waist.

He was wearing a well-tailored suit, there was a decent layer of fabric between us, but I could still feel the warmth of his body beneath it.

The elevator started moving, and Winter turned toward me.

Our gazes met again. I gave him a small smile, just a little provocative. Then, not tearing my eyes from his, I shifted my hand from his waist to his forearm, and finally back to his hand.

But this time… something new happened. Unbelievably, his fingers seemed to respond to my touch. It felt like he squeezed my hand ever so slightly.

When the elevator doors opened to the lobby, Winter stepped forward, letting go of my hand, and quickly maneuvered past me, heading outside toward his car. But something still pulled me toward him. I followed, step by step, until we stopped by his car.

Only then did he turn sharply to face me. "What do you want from me, Sariel?" His voice had changed. He was breathless.

His back was pressed against the car door. The wind blew a loose strand of his blond hair, one that had escaped his ponytail, against his cheek.

"Everything…" I breathed out.

Then, I slowly brushed the strand back behind his ear. Calmly, I placed my hands on either side of him, trapping him in place against the car.

"Also, I just wanted to wish you a happy holiday, Winter, and say I’ll see you at the airport."

I saw the flicker of surprise in his expression. But I wasn’t finished yet. Moving in slowly, I leaned toward his neck, toward that spot where his right scent gland was. On a beta, it was just a faint mark on the skin, but my nose skimmed over it. Fresh lavender fields, with a hint of lime, so very subtle. I took a deep breath, savoring it, and then I made the famous AO sound, called ‘Appreciation’. Even a beta would understand it. Only then did I straighten up.

Winter stared at me, his pupils slightly dilated, his heartbeat racing.

"You smell amazing," I murmured. "Sometimes I think about kissing every inch of you, leaving no place untouched… and giving some spots a little extra attention."

He said nothing.

Slowly, I took a step back, releasing him from my trap, and smiled again. "I’ll see you around."

Then I turned and walked away.