Chapter Two
Evie:
I can feel his eyes on me.
Even when I’m not looking, even when I force myself to keep my attention on the plans spread across the table in front of me, I know he’s watching. Dominic Vance. Billionaire real estate mogul. My boss’s boss. The man who sent a construction worker packing with a single glare this morning.
The man whose presence alone makes my entire body hum with awareness.
I tell myself I’m imagining it. That someone as powerful and important as Dominic Vance wouldn’t be wasting his time keeping tabs on a twenty-one-year-old junior designer. But every time I glance up, every time I shift in my chair and sneak a look across the site, I find him there.
Standing by the scaffolding. Leaning against a steel beam. Talking in low tones with the project manager while his piercing gaze lingers on me for just a beat too long.
My heart flutters wildly in my chest, and I hate that my first instinct isn’t to be unsettled. It should be. He’s intense. Overwhelming. The kind of man who could devour someone whole without a second thought.
But god help me, all I feel is a heat curling low in my belly. A thrill. A dangerous pull I don’t quite understand.
I force myself to focus. I need to get through these color palette selections and finalize the material choices for the penthouse suite, so I can send them to my boss by the end of the day for his approval. That’s why I’m here. Not to get caught up in whatever game Dominic Vance is playing.
“Hey, Evie.”
I jump slightly at the voice, my head snapping up. One of the other designers, Liam, leans against the table beside me, grinning. “You’ve been quiet today. Need any help with anything?”
I offer a small smile and tuck a strand of hair behind my ear. “Just trying to make sure everything’s perfect before I finalize things. But I think I’ve got everything under control.”
Liam nods, but his eyes flick behind me for the briefest second, and his grin fades a little. Before I even turn my head, I know exactly what - or who - he just saw.
Dominic.
He’s standing on the other side of the site, arms crossed over his broad chest, watching us. His expression is unreadable, but his body language is anything but relaxed. A slow, unsettling tension curls through me.
Liam shifts and takes a step away from the table. “Well, I should let you get on with your work if you don’t need any help.”
“Yeah.”
The word is barely out of my mouth before he walks away.
Dominic doesn’t stop watching, though.
I swallow hard, feeling the heat creeping up my neck. I turn back to my work and try to ignore the way my entire body tingles with an awareness of him and his dominating presence.
By the time the lunch hour rolls around, I’m a mess of nerves. I keep telling myself I’m being ridiculous, but the problem is, I know what I saw. Dominic Vance didn’t like Liam standing so close to me.
He didn’t do anything about it. Didn’t call me over, didn’t speak, didn’t even frown. But the weight of his gaze was enough to make my coworker scurry off like he’d just stepped into enemy territory.
I don’t know what to do with that.
But I do know I need to get out of here for a while. Maybe some distance from him will help me clear my head. I’ll go to the coffee shop, eat an overpriced salad and forget all about him for a while.
“Evie.”
I freeze.
That voice.
Low, rough, commanding. A voice that expects obedience.
Slowly, I turn.
Dominic stands a few feet away, his expression as unreadable as always, his dark eyes locked on me.
I swallow. “Mr. Vance.”
Something flickers across his face, something sharp and dangerous. “You’re leaving for lunch.” It’s not a question. It’s an observation.
I nod, resisting the urge to fidget under his stare. “I was just going to grab something quick.”
A slow smirk curves his lips, and my stomach does somersaults. I swear it should be illegal for someone to be so handsome. So masculine. So... perfect.
“Join me.”
My breath catches in my throat. It’s not a request.
When I don’t answer straight away, he steps closer, and suddenly the entire world seems to fade away as he takes up all the space around me.
He’s tall, well over six feet, and he towers above me, making me feel tiny in comparison.
His scent surrounds me, a subtle mix of cedarwood and mint that sends heat coursing through my veins.
“I’d like to discuss the penthouse suite. Your designs. I have some thoughts.”
I should say no. There’s no reason to accept a lunch invitation and be alone with him. I can take notes from the team.
But my lips part, and the word that escapes betrays me.
“Okay.”
His smirk widens just slightly. “Good girl.”
My entire body buzzes with the praise. Oh god, what am I getting myself into?
The restaurant he takes me to is dimly lit, private, the kind of place where deals worth millions are sealed with a handshake. The moment we step inside, I know I don’t belong here.
Dominic pulls out my chair, and I sit down stiffly as he takes the seat across from me. For a long moment, he doesn’t say anything. He just looks at me.
I shift slightly, clearing my throat before speaking. “You wanted to talk about the penthouse, Mr. Vance?”
He leans forward, bracing his forearms on the table. “Firstly, I thought I told you to call me Dominic. And yes, I did want to talk to you about that. But I also wanted to talk about you.”
My breath catches. “Me?”
His eyes don’t waver. “Yes.”
I should look away. I should pretend I don’t feel this pull between us, this slow burning tension that makes my skin tingle. But I can’t. All I can think about is how good he might make me feel if he actually touched me, considering the effect he’s having on me with just his gaze.
So I push those thoughts aside and clear my throat again. “That’s... unexpected.”
Dominic doesn’t blink. “Is it?”
“Yes,” I say, shifting in my seat, finally giving in to the need to squirm under his scrutiny. “I mean, you’re my boss. Technically. You don’t usually take an interest in new hires, right?”
A shadow of something dark flickers across his face. “No. I don’t.”
“So why me?” My breath catches in my throat and stays there while I wait for his answer.
His jaw tightens, and for the first time since I met him, he looks almost... frustrated. Like there’s something clawing at him from the inside out.
Finally, he exhales sharply, shaking his head. “I don’t know.”
That admission makes my stomach flip.
I know I should be scared. Or concerned, at the very least. But all I feel is heat licking up my spine, my heart racing.
He studies me for a long moment, his gaze heavy on my skin. Then, finally, he speaks.
“Tell me something, Evie.” His voice is softer now, but no less commanding. “Do you always get as much attention on the site as you did this morning?”
I blink, taken aback. “What do you mean, Dominic?”
His jaw flexes. “First there was the construction worker. Then Liam.”
Oh.
“I...” My voice wavers for a second before I get control of myself. “Admittedly, the first guy was a bit creepy, but Liam was just being friendly. He was asking if I needed any help.”
Dominic leans in slightly, his eyes flashing. “I don’t like it.”
Something in his tone makes my breath hitch. It’s so possessive. So primal. Like I’m his already.
“What are you saying?”
“You know exactly what I’m saying.”
The waiter appears beside us, saving me from having to answer. We both order quickly, and as soon as the server is gone, Dominic speaks again.
“Are you single, Evie?” I stare at him. “What?”
His eyes glint in the dim lighting, and a ghost of a smirk touches his lips. “It’s a simple question.”
“But it’s... inappropriate.”
He just lifts an eyebrow, and a flush spreads across my cheeks.
“I... yes. Yes, I’m single.”
His smirk widens. “Good. So tell me about yourself. Everything.”
I blink. “That’s a little broad, don’t you think?”
“Fine. Start with why you chose interior design.”
I exhale, grateful that he turned the topic to something I’m comfortable discussing. “I’ve always loved creating spaces that feel like home. That makes people feel something. My mom was an artist, and I guess I inherited her eye for color and detail.”
He watches me with an expression I can’t quite read. “And your father?”
I shift in my seat. “He wasn’t around.”
Something dark flickers in his gaze. “I see.”
If there’s one thing to be said about Dominic, he’s a man of very few words. But the words he does choose are always direct. Straight to the point. I guess he didn’t get where he is in the world by wasting time on anything that’s surplus to requirements.
As he glances at me across the table, the air between us tightens. I take a sip of my drink, trying to shake the weight of his scrutiny. “What about you? You built an empire from the ground up. That’s impressive.”
His jaw ticks. “It was necessary.”
“Necessary?”
A shadow passes over his expression. “I didn’t come from money. Everything I have, I earned. Fought for.” He pauses, then adds, “And I always get what I want, Evie. Always.”
He reaches across the table, taking my hand in his. As his long fingers envelop my hand, it suddenly feels hard to catch my breath. There’s no doubt in my mind that he’s not talking about business anymore. Oh no. He’s making a claim.
There is a sensible part of my brain that wants to push back. To tell him that I’m not just something he can possess. But the words catch in my throat, because, deep down, some reckless part of me wonders what it would feel like to be his. To be protected. Loved.
I shouldn’t let this happen. Not with someone like him. I know better than to play with fire.
But when his thumb traces a circle on the inside of my wrist, and his dark gaze locks on mine, I don’t care.
In that moment, I don’t want to fight him.
I just want to surrender.
To him.
Only him.