Clara’s hands fumbled slightly with the zipper of her dress. She tried to focus on her own preparations, on the careful lines of eyeliner, the smoothing of fabric, the tightening of her hair. But she felt his presence even when his attention was elsewhere—like gravity itself had shifted around him.
When she turned, ready at last, his gaze lifted. For a heartbeat, the businessman was gone. His eyes darkened, roaming over her slowly, deliberately, before locking with hers.
“You’ll ruin every man in that room,” Nicholas said softly, almost to himself.
Clara’s throat tightened. She smoothed her skirt with nervous hands. “I’m only there for you.”
The words slipped out before she could stop them, uncalculated and raw. Nicholas froze, his gaze sharpening, unreadable. Then, slowly, he closed t
