Chapter 193

Summer's POV

Brandon's hands lingered on my face longer than necessary, the damp wipe cool against my flushed skin. His touch, as always, sent a familiar jolt through me. I hated how easily he could unravel my resolve with a single gesture. I gently pushed his hand away, attempting to fix him with a stern look.

"Enough," I said, my voice steady despite the heat rising in my cheeks. "I mean it, Brandon. We have to maintain boundaries here."

He leaned back against the sofa, his expression unreadable but a familiar spark of amusement dancing in his dark eyes. "Boundaries, June? We are past the point of simple boundaries."

"You know what I mean," I replied, smoothing my skirt and standing up to create some distance. "This—whatever this magnetic pull is between us—it needs to stay out of the office. We had an agreement."

Brandon stood as well, closing the gap between us in one fluid, predatory step. "The agreement was meant to protect our professional reputations," he murmured, his voice dropping to that low, resonant frequency that always made my breath hitch. "But sometimes, the air in this room gets too thin to breathe without you."

I opened my mouth to argue, but the words died in my throat as he brushed a stray strand of hair behind my ear. His fingers grazed my skin, and the spark between us ignited instantly. He noticed my reaction—he always did—and his gaze intensified.

"Brandon," I warned, stepping back, but he followed. His hands found my waist, pulling me flush against him.

"Summer," he countered, mirroring my serious tone. "The door is locked. The world outside doesn't exist for the next ten minutes. What is the harm in admitting that you want this as much as I do?"

"The harm," I whispered, "is that I can't walk back into a board meeting looking like I’ve been swept away by a storm."

"Then let it be a quiet storm," he said, his voice dropping to a dangerous octave. Before I could offer another protest, he captured my lips in a kiss that was both a question and a command.

I meant to maintain my composure, but the second his mouth moved against mine, my rational thoughts evaporated. The professional world, the looming deadlines, and the office setting all vanished, replaced by the overwhelming reality of him.

The intensity grew, a whirlwind of shared heat and desperate motion. Brandon led me toward the floor-to-ceiling windows that overlooked the sprawling city. The glass was cool against my skin, a stark contrast to the searing warmth of his presence as he held me close. Locked in each other’s embrace, we moved in a rhythm that was entirely our own—a silent, fierce celebration of the bond we shared.

The city stretched out below us, millions of lives moving in the distance, but in the sanctuary of his office, there was only the sound of our breathing and the electric pulse of a connection that refused to be ignored. It was a moment of absolute surrender, a release of the tension that had been building between us all day. He claimed my attention with every touch, every breath, making me forget everything but the way I felt in his arms.

When the intensity finally began to subside, we stayed like that for a moment, the city lights beginning to twinkle in the twilight outside. My heart was still racing, and my body felt weightless, anchored only by his firm grip on my waist.

"I need to get back to work," I eventually muttered, though my voice was hoarse and lacked its usual conviction.

"Wait," Brandon said, his tone shifting into something more protective. He stepped back, scanning my appearance with a careful eye. "You can't go out looking quite so... affected."

He reached out, smoothing my tangled hair with a tenderness that contrasted the raw energy of moments ago. He straightened my blouse and adjusted my skirt, ensuring every detail was back in place. I caught my reflection in the glass—my eyes were bright, and my face was still flushed, but the disarray was gone.

I took a shaky breath, trying to regain my professional mask as he straightened his own suit. "There," he said, stepping back to admire his handiwork. "Perfect."

He paused, then added, "I'll walk out with you. We have a meeting to attend, after all."

I nodded, still slightly dazed, and followed him to the door. As we stepped into the hallway and headed for the elevator together, my heart was still thumping, but my head was clear. No one would know what had transpired behind those locked doors, but the secret shared between us only made the connection stronger.