Cole’s POV

The morning light filters through the floor-to-ceiling windows of Elena’s office, casting long, sharp lines across the polished floor, but I barely notice the city beyond. My eyes stay trained on the door, waiting for her, counting the seconds until I can see her again, hear her voice, and measure the impossible pull that refuses to loosen no matter how much I try to keep it buried beneath professionalism. The anticipation gnaws at me, an edge of hunger I refuse to admit even to ...