The next morning, Ava Bennett woke to the city humming outside her apartment window, the sun glinting off the wet streets from last night's rain. She rubbed her temples, trying to shake off the lingering memory of him—the man who had appeared like a storm and left her heart racing.
Lucas Sterling. Even his name felt like it shouldn't exist in her orderly, predictable life. And yet, it did. It stayed with her, a constant echo she couldn't ignore.
She tried to focus on the day ahead. Meetings. Deadlines. Presentations. Anything to push the memory aside. But fate, as if it had a sense of humor, had other plans.
It was during the first meeting of the day that her carefully controlled world cracked.
Ava had spent hours preparing, slides polished, numbers double-checked, every word rehearsed. Yet, as she stepped into the boardroom, she froze. Across the long table, seated with a calm yet commanding presence, was him.
Lucas Sterling.
Her pulse skipped. He was leaning back in the chair, dark eyes meeting hers with that same unsettling intensity. A faint smile curved his lips, as though last night had never been a coincidence.
"Good morning, Ms. Bennett," he said smoothly, his voice filling the room.
She managed a tight nod, clearing her throat. "Good morning… Mr. Sterling."
Her mind raced. Was this the same Lucas Sterling from the gala? The one who had disappeared into the rain with that maddening, infuriating smile? Why was he here? And why was he… part of her project?
As the meeting began, Lucas didn't speak much, but his presence was impossible to ignore. Every glance, every subtle movement seemed calculated. He didn't dominate the discussion, but he didn't fade into the background either.
Ava caught herself stealing glances, noting the curve of his jaw, the sharpness in his eyes, the way he tilted his head slightly when someone else spoke. She scolded herself silently—she was supposed to be professional, focused. But her heart didn't care about professionalism.
By the time the discussion reached the section on budget allocations, a problem she had overlooked earlier became glaring. A critical piece of data she needed for her calculations was missing.
She froze, feeling her chest tighten. Her stomach knotted with anxiety. If she didn't solve this, her entire proposal could crumble. Panic threatened to take over.
And then, just as she was about to open her mouth and admit defeat, she felt a presence beside her.
"Looks like you could use a hand," Lucas said softly, leaning slightly closer than necessary. His voice was calm, confident—reassuring in a way she didn't expect.
Ava blinked at him, caught off guard. "I… I think I'm okay," she stammered, trying to maintain control.
"Are you?" he asked, his eyebrow arched, the corner of his mouth tugging up in that infuriatingly knowing smile. "Because it looks like your data set is missing something critical. I can help—if you want."
Her pride flared. She didn't need help. She didn't want help. But… the problem remained glaring. And she couldn't afford a mistake.
With a reluctant sigh, she nodded. "Alright… fine. Let's see what you've got."
Lucas leaned closer over her laptop, and for a moment, Ava felt her resolve falter entirely. His proximity was… intoxicating. The faint scent of his cologne—something woody, rich, and faintly intoxicating—reached her senses. She tried to focus. Data, numbers, not… him.
"Here," he said, pointing at a spreadsheet. "If you cross-reference the vendor reports with last quarter's projections, you'll see the discrepancy here. And here. Adjusting these numbers should fix the gap."
Ava followed his instructions carefully, noting his precision, the ease with which he navigated the problem. Her respect—and something deeper, something she didn't want to name—grew with every step.
When the numbers finally aligned, she looked up, meeting his gaze. "I… I don't know what to say. Thank you. That… really helped."
He shrugged, casually charming. "Consider it… unexpected assistance. For someone who clearly doesn't ask for help enough."
Ava felt a blush creep over her cheeks, and she forced herself to look down at her laptop again. "I… I don't need… I mean, I—"
"Relax," he interrupted softly, leaning back but keeping his eyes on hers. "I'm not here to complicate your life. Just… offering a hand where it's needed."
Her pulse hammered. She wanted to argue, to tell him she didn't need help, that she didn't want him to notice her like this, that her life didn't have room for… whatever he was. But the words caught in her throat.
The rest of the meeting passed in a blur. Lucas didn't dominate, but every time her eyes met his, a current ran through her that made her stomach twist. She tried to focus, tried to remind herself of her priorities—her career, her independence—but her mind refused to cooperate.
After the meeting, as she packed her laptop and notes, she found him waiting outside the boardroom.
"You're good at what you do," he said casually. "But don't forget—it's okay to let someone help from time to time. Even the strongest people need a hand."
Ava swallowed, caught off guard by the sincerity in his tone. "I… I'll remember that," she said softly, meaning it in ways she didn't entirely understand.
He offered a smile, brief but loaded with something she couldn't name. "I'll see you around," he said, and then he was gone, slipping into the hallway as easily as he had appeared in her life.
Ava's hands trembled slightly as she adjusted her bag. She tried to steady her breathing, tried to convince herself that this was just coincidence, that Lucas Sterling was just… a man who happened to help her.
But deep down, she knew better. Something had shifted—something she couldn't undo.
She spent the rest of the day replaying every moment: his gaze, the warmth of his hand, the way he spoke as if he understood her completely. She told herself firmly that she was imagining things, that nothing had happened, that he was just… someone she met once.
And yet, the memory lingered like a shadow she couldn't shake.
That evening, Ava returned home, raincoat still damp, mind restless. She made herself a cup of tea and sat by the window, staring out at the city lights. She didn't notice the time passing until her phone buzzed with a notification from her email.
A project update—sent by Lucas Sterling.
She stared at the screen, heart skipping again. He had… anticipated her questions, solved issues she hadn't even considered yet. It was brilliant. And it was infuriating.
"Who is this man?" she whispered to herself, gripping the edge of the table. "And why do I feel like my entire life just… got more complicated?"
A flash of lightning lit up the sky, illuminating the city in brilliant white for a heartbeat. And Ava, sitting alone in her apartment, realized that she was already thinking about him… and that thought scared her. And excited her. All at once.
Because Lucas Sterling wasn't just a man who showed up in the rain. He was a force she couldn't ignore. And somehow, some way, she knew he wasn't done with her yet.