Page 111 of Sexting His Assistant

“Correct,” I say. “I did not need to. I chose to. That’s usually how helping works.”

His gaze lifts to mine.

There’s something quieter in his face this morning, something less armored than usual. It makes me nervous. I prefer him arrogant and impossible. Arrogance gives me something to push against. This version of him, half-dressed in my sheets with sleep shadows under his eyes, feels far more dangerous.

He picks up the fork with his good hand.

It’s immediately awkward.

Not disastrous. Luka would rather chew glass than look helpless. But the movement pulls across his shoulder, and I see the tiny pause before he corrects his grip.

“Don’t,” he says.

“I haven’t said anything.”

“You were about to.”

“I was going to say you look very independent.”

His eyes narrow.

I sit cross-legged at the foot of the bed with my own coffee and watch him struggle through one bite of eggs. “You know,” I say, “for a terrifying man, you are very bad at breakfast.”

“I have staff for breakfast.”

“Of course you do.”

“I have staff for most things.”

“That must be very hard for you.”

“It is a burden.”

I laugh before I can stop myself.

His gaze shifts to my mouth.

The laugh dies a little.

Not because I’m embarrassed. Because I remember exactly what that mouth did last night. What we did. The room changes for half a second, and he knows it too because his expression stills, the fork forgotten in his hand.

“So about what you said earlier… about Alina,” I say trying to change the topic.

“What about it?” he asks.

“You’re saying she’s doing it intentionally?” I ask.

He shakes his head. “I don’t know what her motive is here.”

“Hmmm,” I say. “We need more information.”

“Yeah, I’m having her background checked,” he says.

“I have another idea,” I say, picking my phone up.

I open Instagram and type Alina Karelin into the search bar.

Luka watches from beside me, his back against my pillows, his shirt hanging open because of the bandage at his shoulder. He looks annoyed that I’m doing this, which only makes me more determined to continue.