“You freeze when you should act on instinct,” he murmurs. “You’re doing it right now.”
Ivy Ellison, Event Producer and Functioning Adult, elbows her way back into the room.
“I donotfreeze.”
To prove this point—
I shoot to my feet, my chair skidding into the wall. And march straight out of the room.
Because if I stay another two seconds, I’ll either slap Cole Hartwell… or straddle him.
And neither option will get me that promotion.
“See, you hesitate,” he says, following me down the hall. “You default to safe.”
“Call it what you want, Hartwell. You know everything.”
“And you’re terrified my instincts might be right.”
We’re both standing at the elevator. I jab the button, imagining it’s Cole’s forehead. He steps into my space, but I don’t budge.
He dips his head. “Admit it, you hate how I act while you’re stuck overthinking.”
“I hate thatyouthink there’s more to you than sheer arrogance.”
DING!
The elevator opens. I’m inside it in half a second. “Conversation over. I need to change before lunch.”
“Not until we talk about—” he gestures, between us, “—this. Whatever the hell this is, that keeps almost happening.”
The doors start to close, but Cole’s palm presses against them, holding them open—holding me captive. He fills the threshold with hard muscle and dark intent, one forearm braced against the door, doing things it has no business doing. My skin prickles with the heat of his stare, like he’s already touching me.
“That’s where you are very, very wrong.” I hold up a finger. “There is you. There is me. There is one promotion. That’s it. Nous.And nothing to talk about.”
“So, back in the office?”
“Proximity and poor judgment.”
“You felt it.”
I take a step closer, frustration clawing up my throat, and stab the second-floor button so hard my finger stings.
His hand stays firm. Still trapping me in the moment.
“I think,” he says quietly, “you’re scared to listen to your instincts.”
My laugh comes out sharp. “You want instinct, Hartwell?”
And before the sensible, promotion-minded part of my brain can intervene, I grab his face and kiss him.
It’s supposed to be a demonstration.
A mic-drop moment.
Instead, Cole makes this rough, startled sound deep in his throat(half groan, half approval)and suddenly the kiss is not mine anymore.
One second, I’m proving a point.
