I couldn’t sleep.
My mind kept replaying his words, his touch, and the way he looked at me like I was still his. I tried to drown it all out by throwing myself into work, forcing my focus onto my proposal until exhaustion finally won and I passed out at my desk.
That was when he followed me into sleep.
He was everywhere in the dream, his voice in my ear, his hands on my skin, his gaze burning through me. When I woke,the feeling hadn’t faded. My body still tingled, and my thoughts refused to settle.
Now, sitting in my office, the cursor blinked on my finished proposal, but my nerves were wound too tight to hit send.
And still, I hadn’t found a space for my boutique in the city. That worry hung over me, but I couldn’t afford to dwell on it now. The proposal had to come first. Everything else could wait.
I exhaled sharply, pressing my fingers against my temples. The numbers, projections, and sketches blurred together.
A knock sounded at my door.
“Inaya, I’ll be out in a second,” I called, assuming she was checking in.
But the voice that answered wasn’t hers.
“Not Inaya.”
I froze, my hands stilling over my laptop. That voice. Low, smooth, and too familiar.
I turned sharply in my chair, my pulse kicking up a notch. “Ronan?”
He stood in the doorway, leaning against the frame like he had all the time in the world. A to-go cup sat in his hand, steam curling into the air.
“Espresso,” he said simply.
I blinked. “Huh?”
He took a step closer, placing the cup on my desk. “You have this presentation, and typically, you forget to eat during them.”
How did he know about the presentation?
Did I mention it?
I must’ve, or maybe I was too busy getting turned on by him.
Dear God, help me.
I stared at the cup, warmth creeping up my neck. “Oh.”
“Yeah.” His gaze softened, the intensity in his blue eyes making my stomach flip. “I figured you were prepping.”
Why was he even here?
Didn’t he have a whole hospital and an empire to run?
I swallowed, wrapping my fingers around the cup. The heat seeped into my palms, grounding me. “You didn’t have to come all this way for me, Ronan.”
“Yes, I did.” His voice left no room for argument.
There was something about the way he said it—like it was obvious, inevitable.
I looked at him, my chest tight with something unnameable, and for the first time all morning, the nerves quieted.
I wanted to forget the past, the walls I built, the reasons I kept him at arm’s length. I wanted to melt into him, let myself fall. But I didn’t.
