Bunny:
Are we going to the party together? People might get the wrong idea.
My eyebrows knit together.Wrong idea?
Silas W:
Since when do I care what other people think? You're my date tonight, whether they like it or not.
There’s a pause, long enough to make me wonder if I came on too strong. Then her reply comes in.
Bunny:
I'll be waiting at 7
I smile, satisfaction settling in. She’ll be with me tonight, and that’s all that matters. The party is at a venue just a few blocks from my apartment, something Stella had started planning, but Lauren finished. Honestly, they nailed it. It’s a shame Stella won’t see the final result, but I’m sure she’s enjoying her last days of pregnancy. Thank God she decided to have that baby, because if she hadn’t, Lauren might never have walked back into my life.
I stand outside her building, waiting. When Lauren finally appears, I have to swallow hard, like a damn animal trying to regain composure.
She’s wearing a dress I’ve never seen before, and I know I haven’t because there’s no way I could forget it. Not in a lifetime. It’s red, form-fitting, hugging her in all the right places. Her bare legs seem endless, sleek, and toned. She’s wearing black heels, and her blonde hair falls effortlessly over her shoulders.
She’s radiant, and she smiles at me—openly, warmly—and that feeling, the one I’ve been trying to keep in check, surges again. Every time she looks at me like that, it’s like I’m the only one standing on this street, the only one in her world.
I’m completely in love with her, and it terrifies me how intense it is. This explosive energy, this urge to have her in every way, is so overwhelming I’m not sure how to control it. I don’t want to scare her off. God knows I’ve already pushed too hard by asking her to move in after just one endless, unforgettable night. I clear my throat, trying to keep it together before I say,
“You're the most beautiful creature I've ever seen in my life, Lauren Green.”
Her ears turn red instantly, her cheeks flushing, and she gives me that shy smile that only makes her more irresistible. “Thank you, Silas. You look amazing, too.”
Pushing off the Mercedes, I close the distance between us in two steps. I gently lift her chin and press the softest kiss I can manage to her lips, though it’s taking all my willpower to keep it controlled. “Fuck the party, come to my apartment,” I growl against her mouth.
Lauren smiles, her lips brushing mine. “And spend New Year’s Eve alone?”
“I don't need anyone else but you.” My voice is low, serious—probably more honest than I’ve ever been with her. Silas Walker knows what he wants, and right now, that’s Lauren.
She laughs lightly, as if I’ve said something amusing, and pulls back just enough to slide into the car. She leaves me standing there, half smiling, half wrecked by the simple fact that I want her more than anything else in this world. Reluctantly, I open her door, and with her usual elegant grace, Lauren settles into the leather seat.
The drive starts in silence, but it doesn’t last long.
“Silas …” she says, her tone different. The kind of tone I don’t like.
I glance at her from the corner of my eye, eyebrows raised, already feeling defensive. “Bunny …” I toss out her nickname, a clear sign I’m on guard, but she doesn’t protest this time.
“I don’t want the office to know about whatever this is,” she says, gesturing between us.
Instantly, my defenses spike and my jaw clenches. “Why not?” My grip tightens around the gearshift, moving it a little too roughly as I try to channel my frustration somewhere.
Is she ashamed of me?
“Because they’ll think badly of me, you know that. What’s more cliché than a secretary sleeping with her boss?”
My foot hits the gas a little harder, and I begin weaving through traffic like a New York City cab driver, the sound of honking horns and distant shouts trailing behind us.
“What are you doing?” she says, gripping the door.
I don’t answer. Instead, I pull up in front of Central Park, slamming the brakes harder than necessary. I yank open the door and march toward the parking meter, jamming my credit card into the slot. The screen asks how long I’ll be staying, but there’s no option for “Until Lauren comes to her senses.” Could be days ...
When I return to the car, she’s looking at me like I’ve completely lost it.
