Rowan
Cade’s phone suddenly rings, the sharp sound slicing through the heavy silence between us.
I try to step back, needing even an inch of space, but Cade’s hand immediately slides to the back of my neck, firm and unyielding, anchoring me in place. My forehead drops against his shoulder with a quiet sigh. He’s still warm from everything that just happened, and I can feel the steady thrum of his pulse beneath my brow.
“Yeah?” Cade answers, voice low and clipped, all business again.
I can feel the shift in him instantly… the familiar tension of work stress bleeding into his body, shoulders tightening, breath changing. The gentle man who just wiped tears from my face is gone, replaced by the commanding face of the company.
“Ask Jenny,” he says curtly into the phone.
My heart is hammering stupidly fast now that the adrenaline has started to fade. All that’s left is the relentless loop in my head:
You’re gay, Rowan. You. Are. Gay.
And then, worse… a traitorous little voice whispers from the darkest corner of my mind:
For your stepbrother.
I make a strangled, involuntary noise in the back of my throat and straighten up so fast that Cade’s grip falters. I slip free, catching the quick frown that crosses his face as he says, “She’s busy?”
He looks visibly annoyed at whoever’s on the other end of the line. I turn away from him, moving toward the large window that overlooks the city skyline. My hands shake slightly as I tuck my shirt back in properly and slide them into my trouser pockets. I stare out at the glittering buildings, jaw clenched tight.
Christ. I’m on the executive floor, a grown man running an important division, and yet Cade somehow makes me feel younger, smaller, obedient… and completely confused.
“Fine. I’ll be down soon,” Cade says, then hangs up without another word.
The office falls quiet for a long, heavy heartbeat, before the warm weight of Cade’s hand settles firmly on my shoulder. I flinch hard at the sudden contact, my entire body jolting with the unexpected touch.
“I’ve got to head back,” he murmurs.
I nod, clearing my throat before I manage to speak. “Yeah… you should do that.” My voice comes out steadier than I expected, which feels like a small victory.
“Rowan…” he starts.
I shake my head quickly, still refusing to turn around. I can’t look at him right now. This is all too much… too raw and overwhelming.
Cade sighs, then his voice drops into that demanding tone I’m starting to recognise, laced with something darker and more possessive. “Fire her.”
I freeze, eyebrows scrunching together. I turn my head just enough to see him in my peripheral vision. “What?”
He steps closer until his chest presses against my back, his head dipping so his mouth is almost at my shoulder. “Fire your so-called assistant.Now.”
“But she’s…”
Cade growls low in his throat, the sound vibrating through me. “Idon’twant to see her again, Ro.”
I swallow hard, throat tight, and finally nod.
“See you at home,” he says quietly.
Then he turns. I listen to the sharp click of his smart boots across the floor until the door opens and closes behind him with a soft, final click.
The moment he’s gone, I let out a long, shaky sigh and immediately cross the room to lock the door. The bolt slides into place with a loud, satisfying thunk. I walk around my desk on unsteady legs and sink into my chair, elbows braced on the polished wood, head dropping into my hands.
Fucking hell.
…
