~
The next morning, I went straight to Mr. Heinrich’s office, so I could get the hard part of my day done quickly. My heart was racing as I straightened my clothes before knocking on the door.
“Come in.”
His office was cozy. The walls were a soft beige, and a large hardwood desk sat in the center of the room. Positioned in front of a large window, the desk offered a stunning view of the city. His laptop was buried under a pile of papers, and his monitor was lit up. He was clearly also working hard on the upcoming presentation.
“Good morning, Mr. Heinrich.”
He stood up as soon as he saw me. “Guten Morgen, Miss Sauvignon.” He walked over to me, his presence commanding the room.
“If you’re too busy, I can come back later,” I offered.
He shook his head, his blue eyes unwavering. “Not at all. Please, have a seat.”
He gestured to a chair in front of his desk, but instead of returning to his own chair, he sat on the edge of his desk, right in front of me. Close enough that I could feel the heat radiating off him. I caught a hint of his cologne—dark, intoxicating.
“I’ve made a decision about your dinner invitation,” I said, my voice steady, despite the tension in the air.
His eyes locked onto mine, sharp and focused. “I’m eager to hear it.”
“As much as I would love to accept your offer, I have to decline.”
The corner of his mouth twitched, but his voice remained calm. “And why is that?”
I straightened in my seat, feeling the weight of his gaze. “I don’t want to jeopardize our professional relationship. If things didn’t work out between us, I would be the one left with nothing.”
He leaned in slightly, his body language both subtle and overwhelming. “You wouldn’t have to worry about that. We could keep our relationship private. It wouldn’t affect our work. I will make sure of it.”
I swallowed, trying to maintain my resolve. “I can’t take that risk, Mr. Heinrich.”
His jaw tightened just the slightest bit, but his tone was smooth, controlled. “Sage,” he corrected. “Call me Roman when we’re alone.”
His use of my first name caught me off guard, and for a brief moment, I felt my defenses waiver. “Okay…Roman.”
A smirk played on his lips. He stood up from the desk and moved closer, his height towering over me as he leaned down, hands resting on the arms of my chair, trapping me in place without touching me. “Is there any way I can change your mind?” His voice dropped lower, soft yet firm, coaxing.
I could feel the pull of his dominance, the energy between us thick with tension. “I—” My breath hitched as I struggled to think straight. “I told you, it’s too risky.”
His gaze didn’t falter. He tilted his head slightly, his mouth so close to mine that I could feel the heat of his breath. “You’re overthinking it,” he whispered. “I can tell you want this as much as I do. Why deny yourself?”
The air felt heavy, and my heart pounded in my chest. “Roman, I—”
His fingers brushed lightly against my chin, lifting my face so I was forced to meet his eyes. “I know you’re tempted, Sage. One dinner. That’s all I’m asking.”
Every inch of me screamed to resist, but his sheer presence was overpowering. The way he spoke, the way he looked at me—it was as if he knew how to pull the strings of my resolve, unravelling it thread by thread.
“I—” my voice was barely a whisper now.
His lips curved into a satisfied smile, and he pulled back just enough to give me room to breathe. “I’ll pick you up at eight. We’ll keep it between us. No one needs to know.”
Before I could respond, he stood tall again, stepping away with a sense of finality. “If there’s nothing else to discuss, I’ll see you tonight.”
I blinked, still trying to process what had just happened. Somehow, he’d turned my ‘no’ into something else. It wasn’t a demand, not exactly, but the way he commanded the situation left me feeling…swayed.
“Okay,” I finally said, my voice small. “I’ll see you tonight.”
“Good,” he said, his tone softer now, but still in control. “I’m looking forward to it.”
With a subtle nod, he turned back to his desk, the conversation clearly over. I stood up, straightened my clothes, and made my way to the door, feeling the weight of his gaze on my back.
Once outside his office, I leaned against the wall for a moment, my heart still racing. That was intense. He knew exactly what he was doing, and somehow, I had let him.
Even though I had a million emails in my inbox, I knew I needed to update Ronnie first.
As I scurried to her office, I saw Sher peering over at me. I scoffed and continued on my way.
I dipped into Ronnie’s office, closing the door behind me, and I immediately started pacing. Ronnie leaned back in her chair, her eyes following my every move.
“Uh, Good Morning to you, too, Sage.” When I didn’t respond, Ronnie continued. “Are you going to tell me what happened? Or are you going to just keep pacing?”
“Okay,” I started, taking a deep breath. “You’re not going to believe what happened yesterday.”
“Try me,” she said, raising an eyebrow. “You look like you’re about to combust.”
I stopped pacing and faced her. “After you left me alone with Mr. Heinrich…”
I groaned, running a hand through my hair. “He asked me out. Like, straight-up asked me to dinner.”
Ronnie’s jaw dropped. “Shut up. Mr. Tall, Dark, and Terrifying asked you on a date? I mean, no offense, but… what?!”
“Gee, thanks,” I muttered, rolling my eyes.
She waved her hand dismissively. “You know what I mean. He’s always so mysterious, I didn’t even think he was the dating type.”
“I didn’t give him an answer right away,” I admitted. “I told him I’d think about it, but I couldn’t get it out of my head all night. I mean, he’s my boss. What if it all goes wrong? I could lose my job.”
Ronnie nodded; her expression serious now. “Fair point. So, what did you decide?”
“I decided to say no,” I said firmly. “This morning, I went to his office to tell him it wasn’t a good idea.”
“And?” she prompted, her eyes narrowing.
I sighed, collapsing into the chair across from her. “I said no. At least, that’s how it started. But then he just…looked at me, Ronnie. He stood up, came around his desk, and got so close I could barely think straight.”
Her mouth fell open, and she clutched her chest dramatically. “Oh my God, he used the stare, didn’t he? The one where you feel like you’re going to melt into a puddle of submission?”
“Yes!” I said, throwing my hands in the air. “It was like my brain stopped working. He told me he would pick me up tonight, all calm and confident, and before I knew it, I said okay.”
“You said yes?” she shrieked, slamming her palms on the desk.
“I said yes,” I groaned, burying my face in my hands.
Ronnie let out a low whistle. “Damn. That man is dangerous. So, what’s the plan? Where are you going?”
“I don’t know,” I mumbled, peeking at her through my fingers.
She leaned back in her chair, her grin absolutely wicked. “Oh, this is going to be good. You’re about to step into some major drama, Sage. You realize that, right?”
“Believe me, I know,” I said, sinking deeper into the chair.
Ronnie tilted her head, studying me. “But you want to go, don’t you?”
I hesitated, my heart pounding. “Yeah,” I admitted. “I do.”
