Eleanor stiffened slightly in his embrace. Above her, the man''s voice rang out with absolute certainty. "Even if we hadn''t met that summer, I know I still would have


    fallen for you."


    Stunned, she looked up, crashing straight into his gaze. She saw the unconcealed sincerity and almost obsessive conviction burning in his eyes.


    "How can you be so sure?" she couldn''t help but ask.


    He didn''t answer immediately. Pulling back just an inch, his voice dropped to a smooth, resonant timbre. "You have this light about you. A drive thatpletely draws me in. Even if I hadn''t met you that summer, I would have found you at some medical event. And then... I would have pursued you, invested in you, and made damn sure you noticed me."


    His fingertips gently brushed a strand of hair behind her ear, his touch agonizingly tender. "No matter what timeline, no matter how we met, you would have pulled me in like a ma."


    He lowered his head, resting his forehead against hers. As their breaths tangled, his tone shifted into a bold deration. "So, whether it was fate or just a chance encounter, my feelings for you were inevitable. Time, ce, method... those are just variables. You are my only absolute answer.


    He pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead.


    Eleanor''s heart began to hammer wildly in her chest, the blood rushing straight to her head.


    She stared into his eyes, watching the raw, scorching emotion churning within them.


    "So, never say ''if we hadn''t met'' again," he ordered, his voiceced with a dark possessiveness and a hint of frustration. "We met, and that''s it. You are the love of my life. I''ve never doubted that for a second."


    Without giving her a chance to process his words, he dipped his head and imed her lips.


    This kiss wasn''t a test. It was a branding, an absolute certainty.


    She instinctively tried to pull back, but that only provoked a more aggressive


    assault. He cupped the back of her head,pletely devouring her mouth as he tasted every inch of her.


    Stepping backward, Eleanor''s lower back hit the edge of the kitchen ind. She was trapped.


    Defeated, she closed her eyes. Just then, arge hand grabbed her wrist, quiding it up to drape over his shoulder until her arms were securely wrapped around his neck.


    They lost themselves in the intoxicating rhythm of their passion.


    It was impossible to tell how much time had passed beforen finally, reluctantly let her go, both of them panting heavily.


    He crushed her against his chest,


    resting his chin on the top of her head. Listening to her frantic heartbeat, he whispered seductively against herear, "Do you want to


    keep going?"


    Eleanor pushed against his chest. "It''ste."


    "But I really don''t want to let you go," he murmured, his grip unyielding yet devastatingly tender.


    Her face flushedpletely red as a shred of reason fought its way back. "We have a meeting... tomorrow."


    "Then I''ll just push the Meridian Dynamics meeting to the day after," he chuckled, radiating the arrogant dominance of a man who controlled everything.


    Eleanor shot him a warning re.


    Heughed helplessly, clearly fighting a losing battle with his own desire. Finally, he loosened his hold, slipping his hand down to intertwine, his fingers with hers. "I''ll walk you back."


    "It''s literally one door away," she reminded him. It waspletely unnecessary.


    But he simply squeezed her hand tighter. "I''m walking you back."


    Unable to argue, she let him lead her to the door. He opened it for her. "Good night."


    Eleanor turned, stepped back into her own living room, and shut the door.


    Leaning back against the wood, she ran a hand through her long hair. In that moment, she felt as though she had discovered an entirely new dimension of emotion.