Chapter 183
“No,” Audrey twisted in protest.
Yann caught both her wrists in one hand, lifting them easily above her head.
“Come on. Just this one time,” he said, volen low
Her words were swallowed. The rest unraveled quickly. The night buined long and slow until sleep finally found her in his arms after a warm shower.
She stared at dawn, eyes fluttering open to find Yann’s face right in front of hers, magnified, still, and impossibly flawless
Even in sleep, hot a flaw in sight Light slipped through the curtains, casting soft shadows under his lathes His nose was straight, lips just the right shape.
She reached out, lightly tracing his profile, then started playing with the shadows across his skin, making silly gestures.
She thought, “Seriously, what k
kind of joke is this? How does a man end up looking like this?
She was trying not to laugh when he suddenly caught her wrist.
Before she could pull back, he bit her fingertip.
“ow”
She yanked her hand free and gave him a light slap.
His eyes were still red at the corners. He chuckled, chest moving with the sound, and rolled over to pull her in. “Just one more minute.”
“You’re warm,” she grumbled, squirming
You want more?”
“No. God, no. It’s hot!” She laughed, exasperated, and grabbed his hair. “What exactly
actly goes of
on in that head of yours?”
“You.” He pressed his chin into her shoulder and inhaled deeply, like drawing in her presence.
The way he did it made her giggle and shrink her neck.
She turned and looked at him. “Weren’t you supposed to come back today?”
“Missed you,” he said matter–of–factly.
She snorted. “You timed this on purpose, didn’t you?”
He clearly had rushed back just in time for last night, finishing work early with suspicious precision,
She patted his hand. “Sleep in. I’ve got to go. We’re deep into A–round, and things are piling up.”
He flipped her over, and kissed her long and deep, only letting go when she was breathless.
She hadn’t been wrong. He’d pulled an all–nighter to make it back before the window closed.
Miss it, and he’d have had to wait days
After washing up, she returned to the room, knelt on the bed, and pinched his nose.
“Tell me the truth. Have you been flirting with someone while you were gone?”
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Chapter 1831
“I swear I haven’t…” Yarn lifted a hand, hall serinus.
She caught his fingers. “There’s a Jocelyn ham Ashbourne. Wants to invest in Stride Commerce, and she’s trying push the nut?
His drowsiness vanished. The light in his eyes furned cald.
He brought her hand to his lips and kissed it gently “She’s nothing
“I’ll take your word for it. She kissed his forehead, then slipped away before he could react
Back in her room, she changed clothes and stretched out her sore back before heading downst
She made breakfast for two, ate hers, and left the rest for him.
At the parking garage, the bumped into Paul. He was ally early and normally never showed before ten
A black car and a white one were parked side by side. He stepped out, waiting: “Morning”
“Moming
The Range Rover’s high chassis and Audrey’s unsteady legs made for a risky combination. Her foot barely hit the ground before she almost other balance
Paul moved fast. Instead of simply steadying her, he caught her full–on, pulling her into his arms.
There was a faint scent on her, clean, soft, not quite perfume, not cosmetics either. Whatever it was, it hit him like a sudden jolt straight to the chest.
She quickly stepped back once she regained her footing: “Sorry.”
Paul also took a step back. The arm that had held her was now tucked behind him, his hand unconsciously curling into a loose fist.
She locked the car. The two walked toward the elevator in silence until he suddenly held something out to her.
“Wrong order at the shop. Ended up with an extra breakfast. Figured you might want it.”
She’d already eaten, but turning him down outright felt too direct.
She took the bag and noticed it was everything she liked.
“I’ve had breakfast, but I’ll keep the coffee. The sandwich can go to Tiffany. It was a perfect compromise, her stomach spared and his gesture acknowledged.
“Sure, your call” Paul looked unfazed, pressing the elevator button as he spoke.
They entered from Basement Level 3. When the doors opened at the lobby, several Stride Commerce employees stepped in.
“Morning, Mr. Gibson!” someone greeted, eyes flicking between him and Audrey, then down to the identical takeaway bags in their hands as if they’d stumbled onto something scandalous.
Audrey felt the shift in the air immediately,
She glanced sideways at Paul. That roguish look on his face wasn’t the least bit embarrassed. If anything, he seemed to be enjoying it.
Paige rushed into the Secretariat, just beating the clock. “Some rideshare drivers took the worst route ever. Doesn’t he know how to avoid
nearly didn’t make it!”
Her eyes landed on the untouched breakfast on Audrey’s desk. She gulped involuntarily
She usually arrived early enough to grab food downstairs, but not today.
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hour?
Chapter 183
Tiffany and Dorothy had already rater Audury had been wondering how to get rid of the extra breakfast and then was perfecting “Haven’t eaten, have you! Take it ”
“Thank you, Ms. Henderson)”
“Thank Mr. Gibson. He’s the one who bought it
“Mr. Gibson is not only handsome, but he cares about the staff Paige said cheerfully, polishing off the sandwich in no time before diving into her work.
Later that morning, when a document required Paul’s signature, and Andrey was still over in Operations, Paige offered to deliver it to the manager’s
Paul was multitasking as usual, computer screen tracking the stock market, an iPad beside it streaming a policy report on government backed indu
majord
Earl himself was shown visiting several sites, coordinating in person.
Paul paused the video, eyes narrowing as a tall figure flashed past the edge of the screen.
It was vann.
Back in Ashbourne, Paul had heard the name plenty. The elders spoke of him often, and he’d done his homework too
Yann was ruthless, decisive, and known for cutting through red tape and competition alike.
Yann was never subtle. After rebranding to Darkshell International, he tore through the global rankings in record time, his ambition as loud as his results
Yet here in lionhaven, he was unusually quiet,
It didn’t feel like he was here to expand business, but more like he was cleaning the way for someone else.
Just as that thought settled, a knock came at the door
“Come in.”
Paige walked in with the file. “Sir, Ms. Henderson asked me to bring this for your review.
Paul skimmed the document and signed without comment,
“Thank you, Mr. Gibson!” she said brightly. “You’re seriously the best boss I’ve ever worked for. No airs, and even buying us breakfast”
His pen paused mid–cap. The smile at his lips chilled a few degrees
Paige didn’t notice. She took the signed file back to Audrey and returned to her desk, working nonstop until noon. Then her phone rang with an internal
extension from Paul.
Theed
you to head down to the port. Baldwin Biotechnology has a shipment coming in. Do a spot check on the quality.”
The line went dead, and Paige almost cried.
She looked over at Audrey, aggrieved. “Ms. Henderson… did I do something wrong? Why would Mr. Gibson send me out to the part in this heat?”
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