I inhale sharply, eyes trailing after him, unwillingly noting justhow muchhe’s changed. His frame is broader, his walk more commanding… but his ass? Yeah, still just as perfect as I remember. Round.Unfair.
As soon as the door clicks shut behind him, the air feels breathable again—barely. Honestly, I’d been bracing for this meeting to implode the moment we booked it. But deep down, I think I hoped for something different. Something warmer.
Instead, the second he saw me, he looked like he’d just come face-to-face with his childhood trauma. Like Harry Potter seeing a Boggart, onlyI’mthe thing in the closet.
Honestly, I can’t blame him.
Then, of course, he slapped on that trademark Walker cold front like emotional SPF 100.
“YES!” Chad suddenly shouts, making me jump.
He throws his arms around me in one of his overenthusiastic, borderline clingy hugs. I respond with a tight-lipped smile, the kind that doesn’t dare show teeth.
“We got the account, Emma! Youdidit!”
“Yay,” I whisper against his shoulder. It’s not yay. It’s terrifying.
Luca just nuked my whole strategy. He didn’t justquestionmy creative direction—because duh, healwaysquestions everything—but he maneuvered it all to guarantee one thing: I’ll be working inside this office. With him. Formonths.
I need to get out of here before I scream.
“Kind of weird that he wants the whole team here in person, huh?” Chad mutters, collecting his stuff like we’re not in shock.
Weird? No. It actually makestoo muchsense. Luca was controlling as hell when we were younger—detail-obsessed, borderline neurotic about perfection. So no, it doesn’t surprise me one bit that he wants us working fromhisturf. That way, he gets to monitor every email, every brainstorm, every breath I take.
I start gathering my things, when I notice I’ve lost my favorite pen—the one I takeeverywhere. But I’m so desperate to escape, I leave it behind. Sacrifices must be made.
Just as we’re heading out, a woman steps into the doorway.
Brenda—Luca’s assistant. She had introduced herself earlier.
“Congratulations!” She beams. First time I’ve seen her smile.
She’s younger than me—maybe twenty-five—with gorgeous, tight curls, and a white blazer and pants set that looksinsanelygood on her. Girl isflawless.
“Oh, thank you!” Chad says, slinging his laptop bag over his shoulder like a war hero. “We don’t want to brag, but… we kind of knew we’d land this job.”
Sure, you did.We were up until midnight last night, running through the presentation for the fiftieth time. I’ve never seen Chad so sweaty. I was nervous too, but for very different reasons.
“Yeah, totally… of course,” she says, distracted now, words sounding pre-programmed.
Chad and I exchange a weird look.
Then Brenda’s gaze lifts—like her sixth sense just activated—and I instinctively follow it.
Luca’s walking past the glass wall of the conference room like he’s in slow-mo. All long legs and commanding presence, one hand tucked into his perfectly tailored black slacks. His blue eyes flick to mine for a fraction of a second. Just long enough to make my chest ache.
Then he looks away. Keeps walking. And disappears.
“He said we should get everything locked in to start as soon as possible,” I blurt, trying to re-anchor the room.
Brenda blinks, like she just remembered she’s in charge of something. “Mr. Walker? Right. Um… if you could spare fifteen minutes, we can knock out the logistics now.”
“Sounds great,” Chad says, already heading back to the table like it’s hisowndamn office.
It’s not, Chad. Sit your smug little butt down.
I spent theentire damn dayorganizing my team move.
