Scentless

Jealous?

Ava POV

As I returned to my desk, I tried to push away the strange mixture of frustration and curiosity that simmered within me. The lunch with Damon kept replaying in my mind, especially the look in his eyes when Liam joined us. The way Damon’s gaze hardened, like Liam was something to be brushed aside—it was unnerving. Damon was my boss, and yet... something about his reaction felt so much more than professional.

I couldn’t resist replaying every detail, each word exchanged, each stolen glance. Was he actually... jealous? I laughed a little, trying to shake the absurd thought. Of course not, I told myself. Why would Damon—successful, intimidating, and always in control—be jealous of Liam?

Still, I couldn’t shake it. The memory of Damon’s quiet fury stayed with me, and with each passing moment, my thoughts wandered further from work. I stared blankly at the numbers on my screen, barely registering anything as questions and doubts clouded my mind.

"I must be imagining it. There's no way. Damon is... intense, yes. But this… this felt different. Almost… personal?"

A few hours passed in fog. My mind was too preoccupied to concentrate fully, so when my phone buzzed with a message from Damon summoning me to his office, my pulse jumped. Swallowing hard, I took a deep breath and made my way down the hall, each step feeling heavier than the last.

When I entered, Damon stood by the window, silhouetted against the gray afternoon light streaming through the glass. He looked lost in thought, and something about his posture—usually so rigid, so exact—looked almost… contemplative.

Vulnerable, even. But the second he heard me enter, he turned, his gaze piercing through the dimness.

“Close the door.” he said with a straight face only looking af me

I hesitated, nerves twisting in my stomach. But I complied, shutting out the familiar bustle of the office behind me.

“Is something wrong?” i said pretending that it does not bother me.

Damon’s face was unreadable, his expression coldly neutral, but there was something in his eyes—a flicker of emotion he quickly smothered—that made my pulse quicken.

Damon’s face was unreadable, his expression coldly neutral, but there was something in his eyes—a flicker of emotion he quickly smothered—that made my pulse quicken.

“How well do you know Liam?” His voice was low, a mix of curiosity and something else, something far sharper.

I blinked, thrown by the question. Why was he asking about Liam?

“We’re friends,” I said slowly, watching his reaction. “Why? Is there a problem?” I added

Damon’s gaze darkened slightly. He turned away, almost as if he couldn’t bear to look at me.

“He seems... overly familiar with you,” he said, each word carefully measured, but there was an edge beneath his tone that sent a thrill through me.

“We’re just friends,” I insisted, my voice firmer than I felt. “I don’t see how that’s any of your concern.”

He turned back to me, his eyes narrowing.

“It’s my concern because you’re a part of my team. I don’t tolerate… distractions.”

I stiffened, a mix of irritation and something warmer prickling beneath my skin.

“Distractions?” I repeated, holding his gaze. “Are you really saying that, or is there something else you’re not admitting?”

For a moment, he just stared at me, a muscle ticking in his jaw. I couldn’t help but notice the intensity in his eyes—the way he looked at me like he was holding something back, something he wouldn’t dare say. He took a slow breath, and I saw his control slip, just for a fraction of a second.

“You’re valuable to me, Ava,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper. “And I won’t have you compromised by… unnecessary distractions.”

“Unnecessary,” I echoed, unable to hide the slight tremor in my voice. “If I didn’t know better, I’d think you were... jealous.”

His eyes flashed, his jaw clenched tighter. For a long, charged moment, we just stared at each other, the silence stretching between us, thick and fraught. But just when I thought he might say something—something that would finally confirm what I was feeling—he took a step back, his expression shuttering.

“This conversation is over.”

My stomach twisted as I watched him retreat into that cold, impenetrable mask. Frustration and disappointment churned within me, but there was nothing more to say. I forced myself to turn, my heart hammering as I left his office and returned to my desk, feeling more confused than ever.

The next few days were... strange, to say the least. Damon’s attitude toward me seemed to shift by the hour. One moment, he’d be his usual, professional self, focused and all business. But whenever Liam came around, I’d catch Damon watching us, his eyes narrowing as if he were assessing a threat.

He started pulling me into more projects, keeping me close. And it wasn’t lost on me that every time Liam tried to join our meetings or approach me during work hours, Damon would find some reason to steer me away.

At first, I tried to convince myself it was coincidence, that Damon was just being thorough. But as the days wore on, it became impossible to ignore the way he seemed to stake his claim, to assert his control over my time and attention.

One evening, as I was leaving the office, I ran into Liam in the lobby. He smiled, looking just as relaxed and carefree as ever, and asked if he could walk me out. I agreed, grateful for the easy camaraderie we shared.

“So, how’s everything going with the big boss?” he asked, grinning. “He’s not working you too hard, is he?”

I laughed, feeling some of the tension from the past few days ease.

“Oh, you know Damon—always demanding, always intense.”

Liam chuckled, shaking his head. “Yeah, I’ve noticed. Especially around you.”

I gave him a puzzled look, and he raised an eyebrow.

“Is it just me, or does he seem... I don’t know... a little territorial when it comes to you?”

I felt my cheeks heat up, but I forced a shrug. “He’s just... Damon. Intensity is part of the package.”

But as we walked out together, laughing at something silly Liam said, I saw Damon exiting the building. His gaze fell on us, his face darkening in an instant. He gave a curt nod to Liam, but his jaw was tight, his eyes blazing with something that looked suspiciously like... anger. Or maybe jealousy?

My heart skipped, my mind racing. Was Liam right? Could Damon actually be... jealous?