-HUNTER’S POV
Self–control. Discipline. Restraint.
The three things I built my life on. The things that kept me grounded, kept me sharp, kept me from ever making a mistake.
And yet,tely, every time Celine was near, all three seemed to disappear.
At first, it was nothing. A nce. A fleeting thought. A moment so brief I could ignore it. But then it became more. It became constant. It became dangerous.
I found myself watching her too often.
Like when she moved through my office, careful and precise, dark hair falling forward as she bent down to pick something up
Or the way she bit her lip when she concentrated,pletely unaware that I was watching.
Or how, when she was with Caesar, she softened in a way that made my chest ache in a ce I didn’t know could feel anything at all.
I told myself it was just passing thoughts. Nothing real. Nothing that mattered. But my pulse begged to differ.
And I hated it.
Tonight was no different.
I sat in the lounge, a ss of whiskey in my hand, pretending to be interested in anything other than the woman moving around my kitchen.
She was wiping down the counters, tucking things back into their ce,pletely lost in her own world. She didn’t know I <b>was </b>watching.
She didn’t know she had my full attention.
I should have looked away. Gone back to my drink.
But I didn’t
Because the longer <b>I </b>watched her, the harder it was to ignore the thought pressing against the edges of my mind-
**Celine Brown was beautiful.**
I exhaled sharply, tossing back the rest of my whiskey, setting the ss down harder than I should have<b>, </b>
Enough.
I needed water. That <b>was </b>all. Just water.
But the second I stepped into the kitchen, she turned, and our eyes met.
And just like that, the air shifted.
<b>1/3 </b>
9:08 pm <b>G G G </b>
It was subtle, but it was there.
She quickly looked away, pretending to be focused on anything but me. I should have walked past her. I should have ignored this ridiculous pull.
But I didn’t.
I watched as her fingers brushed the rim of a ss, reaching up to ce it back on the shelf.
Instinct took over.
I stepped closer at the exact moment she stretched her arm out, reaching for the same ss.
**Our fingers collided.**
A jolt. A spark. A slow, sinking realization.
Celine froze. So did I.
The air thickened, heavy and charged, the kind of silence that meant something even if neither of us were saying a word.
Her skin was warm against mine, but the effect? **Anything but soft.**
Neither of us moved. Neither of us breathed.
Her lips parted, like she wanted to say something. But nothing came out.
And then-
A voice shattered everything.
“Why are you two staring at each other like that?”
I yanked my hand back, turning sharply to see Caroline standing in the doorway, arms crossed, an eyebrow raised.
Celine stepped away instantly, clearing her throat, face unreadable.
But me?
My mask was already back in ce.
Because whatever that <b>was</b><b>? </b>
It couldn’t happen again.
-CELINE’S POV-
I was losing my mind.
That was the only exnation for the way my heart was racing right now. <fna215> ??? ????? ???????s ??? ?????s??? ?? find?novel</fna215>
<b>38 </b>
I clutched the edge of the counter, trying to steady my breath, but it was impossible when Hunter was still standing so close, his presence overwhelming.
It wasn’t the first time I had felt this tension <b>between </b>us.
<b>2/3 </b>
9:08 pm <b>G </b><b>GGG </b>
38
I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t noticed the way his gaze lingered on me sometimes, or how my body reacted whenever he was
near.
But tonight… tonight had been different.
That moment–when our hands touched—it was as if something raw and undeniable had sparked between us.
And the worst part? I hadn’t wanted to pull away.
I swallowed hard, my mind reying the sensation of his fingers brushing against mine, the sharp inhale he took, the way his body tensed.
Had he felt it too?
God, what was I thinking? This was my boss. The man who held my job–my livelihood–in his hands.
I shook my head, forcing myself to move, to busy my hands with cleaning, but I could still feel his eyes on me.
I made the mistake of ncing up.
Hunter was watching me, his expression unreadable, but there was something in his eyes<b>–</b>something intense<b>, </b>something unfamiliar.
I looked away quickly, pretending to be focused on wiping the counter, but my pulse was still erratic.
Caroline’s voice still echoed in my head.
“Why are you two staring at each other like that?”
It had been a harmless question, but it rattled me.
Because I didn’t know the answer.
And I was terrified of what it might be.
<b>3/3 </b>