Chapter 9 A Tempting Mistake

Elena knew she should stay away from his office.

Damien Sinclair had made that clear.

But when she passed by his study later that night and saw the door left slightly ajar, something darker inside her refused to listen.

She hesitated.

The penthouse was quiet. Most of the staff had retired for the night, and Damien was nowhere to be seen. Probably still out at one of his exclusive business dinners.

Her pulse quickened.

This could be her only chance.

Taking a slow breath, she pushed the door open and stepped inside.

The office smelled like him-expensive cologne and something darker, something intoxicating. Floor-to-ceiling windows framed the city skyline, but her focus was on his desk.

The place he had forbidden her from touching.

She moved toward it carefully, her fingers grazing over the smooth mahogany surface. Everything was arranged meticulously-except for a locked drawer.

Her heart pounded.

This was it.

She crouched slightly, inspecting the lock. It wasn't a simple one. Damien wasn't the kind of man who made careless mistakes. Whatever was inside was important.

And she needed to know what.

Just as she reached into her pocket for a pin-

"Are you lost, little maid?"

Elena froze.

The voice came from the doorway-low, dark, and dangerous.

Her stomach twisted as she slowly straightened, turning to face him.

Damien leaned against the doorframe, his tie loosened, his shirt sleeves rolled up. His hair was slightly disheveled like he had just run his fingers through it. But it was his eyes that sent a chill through her.

Stormy. Unreadable. Lethal.

He stepped forward, closing the door behind him with a soft click.

Elena's breath caught.

Shit.

He stalked toward her, slow and deliberate, until there was only a sliver of space between them.

"You're awfully bold for a maid," he murmured, gaze flicking to the drawer she had been inspecting. "Tell me, Elena... were you looking for something?"

She forced herself to stay calm. "I was just-"

"Just what?" His voice dropped lower, silk laced with steel.

Her pulse pounded so hard she could hear it in her ears.

This was bad.

But she wasn't about to let him win.

She lifted her chin, giving him an innocent look. "I was just cleaning, sir."

Silence stretched between them.

Then-

Damien chuckled.

But there was no humor in it.

His hand shot out, fingers wrapping around her wrist, yanking her forward until her body almost brushed his.

Her breath hitched.

His grip wasn't painful, but it was unrelenting. A reminder of who held the power here.

"You're a terrible liar," he murmured, his thumb brushing against her skin.

Heat curled low in her stomach, but she ignored it, glaring up at him. "Let go of me."

His smirk deepened. "And if I don't?"

The air between them crackled.

Elena's throat went dry. She could smell him-clean, masculine, dangerously intoxicating.

Her body betrayed her, reacting to his touch, to the sheer dominance rolling off him.

And he knew it.

His fingers loosened, but he didn't step back. Instead, he leaned in, his lips a breath away from her ear.

"Be careful, little maid," he murmured. "You keep tempting me like this, and I might just forget you're off-limits."

A shiver ran through her.

Before she could respond, he pulled back, his eyes dark with something undeniable.

He studied her for a beat longer, then turned away, walking toward the liquor cabinet.

"Go," he ordered, dismissing her like she was nothing.

Elena didn't hesitate.

She spun on her heel and fled the office, her heart racing.

Damn him.

She had made a mistake tonight. A dangerous one.

Because for the first time since coming here...

She wasn't sure if she was the hunter or the prey.