Evan Lee's POV
Rion Vale sits across from me — calm, unreadable, dangerous.
The man I've spent years hating.
The moment he steps inside, the air changes. His scent unfurls slowly through the room — Black Orchid.
Dark. Expensive. Addictive.
It lingers like smoke curling from a hidden fire, brushing against my skin, slipping into my lungs until it feels as though I'm breathing him. The fragrance is warm yet sharp, soothing yet commanding — the kind of scent that makes the body obey before the mind can resist.
My exhaustion disappears. My tension melts away.
And my body… betrays me.
Why does it feel hot?
My pulse is too fast, the warmth crawling up my throat, painting my cheeks with heat. I take a breath, but it's filled with him — that heady Black Orchid that makes me want to loosen my tie and sink into the calm it brings.
No.
I remind myself who sits across from me.
The man who's ruined everything I've ever wanted.
I straighten in my chair, forcing steel into my voice.
