The office was quiet, the hum of the air-conditioning and the occasional click of a keyboard filling the space. Ava sat at the sleek glass desk, organizing spreadsheets, schedules, and emails, but her focus kept drifting. She was supposed to be efficient, precise, professional—but the presence of Lucas Sterling, seated across the room in his leather chair, made concentration a near-impossible task.

He didn’t give her any overt attention—at least not yet—but she felt it in every glance ...