Chapter 2 Two

The next morning came too soon.

Izzy woke to the sharp ring on her phone and the painful brightness of daylight streaming through her window. Her head throbbed. Her eyes burned.

"Crap," she groaned, sitting up fast. "I'm late!"

Her new job... today of all days. The one thing she had promised herself she wouldn't mess up.

She stumbled out of bed, the memories of last night flashing through her mind in broken pieces. The club. The stranger. His touch. The way she'd felt... breathless, alive, completely out of control.

Her cheeks grew hot. She grabbed her towel and rushed into the shower, trying to wash the memories away, but they only came back stronger. The way he'd looked at her. The way her body had responded. She never knew sex could be so damn good.

As warm water ran down her skin, her phone started buzzing again from the counter. She quickly wrapped herself in a towel and answered.

"Girl," her best friend, Maya, on the other end, her voice way too loud for Izzy's pounding head. "Who was the guy in your story last night? The mystery guy in the car? Don't play innocent...I saw your post!"

Izzy froze. "You saw what?"

Maya laughed. "You posted a blurry picture of someone's arm and captioned it 'best night ever.' So... talk. Who was he? Don't tell me you finally went wild after that jerk of an ex dumped you."

Izzy covered her face with one hand. "Oh, my God. Maya, it wasn't like that. I was drunk. I didn't even know what I was doing. And I don't know who he was."

Maya gasped dramatically. "You don't even know his name?"

"I don't!" Izzy said, running a hand through her wet hair. "I just wanted to forget everything for one night"

"Well," Maya teased, "you looked like you had fun forgetting."

Izzy groaned. "I have to go. I'm late for my first day at work!"

"Fine, but I want details later," Maya sang before hanging up.

Izzy threw on the first outfit she could find... a white blouse, a fitted skirt, and heels that pinched a little too tight. She grabbed her bag, lipstick, and a granola bar on the way out the door.

By the time she reached Steele Enterprises, her heart was racing from both nerves and caffeine. The tall glass building loomed over the city, sleek and modern, like something out of a magazine.

Inside, everything gleamed... marble floors, quiet hum of elevators, people moving with purpose. Izzy took a deep breath and tried to shake off the last of her hangover. New start, she told herself. New job. New life.

The receptionist greeted her kindly and directed her to the top floor. Izzy's palms grew sweaty as she stepped into the elevator. The ride up felt endless.

When the doors opened, she stepped into a large, quiet office space. The air smelled faintly of coffee and expensive cologne. A tall man stood by the window, his back turned to her, sleeves rolled up, talking to someone on the phone.

"Mr. Steele, your new assistant is here," said the woman at the desk.

He turned around.

Izzy's breath stopped.

Her bag slipped slightly from her shoulder.

It was him.

The man from the club.

The stranger.

He froze for a moment, eyes narrowing in disbelief, then quickly masked it. His expression turned calm, professional... too calm.

"Thank you, Claire," he said to the secretary before looking at Izzy again. "You must be Miss Hart."

Izzy swallowed hard. "Yes, sir," she managed, her voice barely above a whisper.

Their eyes met... a flicker of recognition, a spark of something unspoken.

"I'm Dominic Steele," he said smoothly, extending his hand. "Welcome to Steele Enterprises."

His touch lingered just a second longer than it should have. The corner of his mouth curved slightly, as if he already knew the storm inside her head.

Izzy forced a polite smile. "Thank you, Mr. Steele. I'm glad to be here."

They both pretended.

Pretended not to know each other.

Pretended not to feel the tension that now filled the air between them.

But deep down, Izzy knew the truth.... the moment his hand brushed hers, she felt it all over again. The heat. The pull. The hunger.

And she had a feeling this new job was going to be a lot more complicated than she ever imagined.

She tried to steady her breathing as Dominic turned back toward the window, his voice calm and deep as he finished a call. Every part of her wanted to look away, but her eyes stayed fixed on him. The way he carried himself, the quiet confidence... it was exactly how he'd been last night.

She forced herself to focus. This is work. You need this job.

When he finally hung up, he motioned toward the chair in front of his desk. "Have a seat, Miss Hart."

She sat, crossing her legs, pretending not to notice how his gaze flicked briefly toward the movement. Her hands clasped tightly in her lap.

"I read your file," Dominic said, settling into his chair. "Marketing background. Strong recommendations. You'll be working closely with me on the new product campaign."

Izzy nodded. "Thank you for the opportunity."

He leaned back slightly, studying her. "Do I make you nervous?"

Her head snapped up. "What? No... I mean, I just didn't expect to meet you so soon."

A faint smile touched his lips. "Neither was I."

His tone was smooth, polite... yet underneath it, she could hear something else. A quiet challenge.

He stood, walking past her toward a cabinet, and the scent of his cologne followed. She closed her eyes for half a second. It was the same scent that clung to her pillow this morning.

Dominic turned with a file in hand. "We start early here. Nine sharp means eight-thirty. I like things done on time."

"Yes, sir," she said automatically... then winced at her own choice of words.

One eyebrow lifted. "Good."

Her heart thudded. Stop it, Izzy. He's your boss, not the man from last night.

He walked her through her tasks, pointing out deadlines and clients. She nodded, doing her best to follow, though half of her brain was still caught on the memory of his voice whispering against her ear only hours ago.

When the meeting ended, she stood to leave. His hand brushed hers as he handed her the folder. It was brief, almost nothing... but it sent a jolt straight through her.

"Welcome to the team," he said quietly. "I expect great things."

Their eyes met again, and this time there was no hiding the awareness between them.

"Thank you, Mr. Steele," she managed, forcing her voice steady.

She stepped out into the hallway, closing the door behind her. Only then did she let out the breath she'd been holding.

Maya's text buzzed almost immediately: First day? Survive yet?

Izzy typed back quickly: Barely. And you won't believe who my boss is.

She didn't send the rest... the part that said he's the man from last night.

Because even she could hardly believe it.