Not his first choice

Chapter 7

Sienna's pov

The office was quiet in the early morning, the hum of the city outside barely breaking through the thick glass windows. I walked in, balancing my coffee and tablet, my heels clicking against the marble floor.

I had dressed carefully today. Not for anyone in particular—definitely not for him.

But because I needed to feel like I had control over something.

A fitted white blouse, crisp and tucked neatly into my black pleated straight skirt—one that hugged my hips perfectly before falling just below my knees. The front slit was subtle, not too revealing, but enough to give me confidence.

I had just settled at my desk when the door to Lucian’s office opened.

I felt him before I saw him. That charged awareness that always seemed to settle over me when he was near.

“Sienna,” his voice was low, smooth. “Inside.”

I grabbed my tablet and stepped in, keeping my posture perfect, my expression unreadable.

Lucian stood behind his desk, his jacket already off, sleeves rolled up to his forearms. His sharp gaze flickered over me—slow, deliberate.

Something shifted in the air.

It was nothing new for him to look at me. But this?

This was different.

I could feel it in the way his gaze lingered as I walked toward his desk, in the way his jaw tensed.

The way his fingers flexed against the desk like he was restraining himself from doing something reckless.

I ignored it. I had to.

"Your schedule for today," I said, placing the tablet in front of him. "You have a meeting at ten, a site visit at—"

"Sienna."

The way he said my name sent a slow shiver down my spine.

I lifted my gaze, meeting his intense, unreadable expression.

"Yes, sir?" I kept my voice even.

His eyes darkened. Flickered down.

To the slit in my skirt. To my thighs.

For a moment, he didn’t speak. Didn’t move.

And then, in a split second, his fingers twitched—like he was fighting the urge to reach for me.

A sharp inhale.

His gaze snapped back up, his mask slipping back into place so quickly I almost thought I imagined it.

Almost.

"That’ll be all," he said, his voice clipped.

I nodded, turning to leave. But as I walked away, I felt it.

The weight of his gaze on me.

Lingering.

Burning.

And for the first time in years, Lucian Sterling was looking at me differently.

Lucian's pov

The second the door shut behind her, I exhaled sharply, dragging a hand down my face.

What the f**k was that?

I had seen Sienna in a thousand different outfits. Countless skirts, dresses, heels.

But today?

Today, it wasn’t just a skirt.

It was the way it clung to her hips, the way the slit parted just enough to tease the soft skin of her thighs when she walked.

The way I wanted to grip those thighs, spread them apart—

I shut my eyes. f**k.

She had always been off-limits. Always just Sienna—my assistant. My right hand.

But now, all I could think about was how it would feel to have her on this desk. How it would feel to have her beneath me, legs wrapped around me, my hand sliding up that skirt—

A sharp knock on the door snapped me out of it.

I forced a breath, rolling my shoulders before calling out, “Come in.”

The door opened, and Camilla walked in, poised, elegant, my supposed future wife.

She smiled, setting her designer bag on the chair before meeting my gaze.

“I have your answer.”

Lucian

I leaned back in my chair, keeping my expression unreadable as Camilla closed the door behind her.

She moved with the kind of confidence that came from knowing she was wanted. Or at least, knowing she was the logical choice.

She took a seat without waiting for permission, crossing her legs in a way that was undoubtedly calculated. “I’ve thought about your offer,” she said smoothly, her gaze unwavering. “And I’ve decided—” she paused, tilting her head, “—we should go through with it.”

No hesitation. No emotion. Just a business transaction sealed with expensive perfume and a well-practiced smile.

It should have been a relief.

But all I could think about was the way Sienna had just walked out of my office minutes ago, the slit in her skirt teasing me like a f*****g challenge.

I pushed the thought aside, focusing on the woman in front of me. “You’re sure?”

Camilla gave a soft laugh. “Of course, Lucian. We both know this isn’t about love—it’s about aligning power, influence.” She leaned forward slightly. “And if we do this right, we can both get exactly what we want.”

Her meaning was clear.

She wasn’t looking for devotion, nor was she naive enough to expect fidelity.

For all intents and purposes, she would be my wife on paper, but outside of that… we would live separate lives.

It made sense.

It was clean.

So why did it feel like a slow burn of irritation was creeping up my spine?

I exhaled sharply, tapping my fingers against the desk. “Fine. We’ll move forward, then.”

Camilla’s lips curved. “Good. I’ll have my assistant set up a meeting with your legal team to draft the necessary agreements.”

Efficient. No nonsense.

And yet, as she stood, smoothing out her perfectly tailored dress, I felt nothing.

No anticipation. No curiosity.

Just the weight of a decision that should have felt like control—but instead felt like a mistake.

I walked her to the door, keeping my touch minimal as I pressed a polite hand to her lower back. But just as I was about to open it, the door swung inward—

And Sienna stood on the other side.

Her lips parted slightly, just enough to show surprise.

For a second, her gaze flickered between Camilla and me.

Then, just as quickly, her expression smoothed into one of careful indifference. Like she didn’t care.

Like it didn’t affect her at all.

Liar.

I saw the way her fingers tightened around the tablet she held. The way her throat bobbed in a barely-there swallow.

Camilla turned to her with a polite smile, oblivious. “Good morning. I assume you must be Sienna?”

Sienna returned the smile, all professional composure. “That’s correct.”

I watched her closely. Waiting for something.

A flicker of emotion. A sharp inhale. Anything.

But she was too good at this game. Too damn good at pretending.

“I’ll leave you both to it,” Camilla said smoothly, brushing past Sienna without a second thought.

And just like that, it was just us.

Sienna stepped inside, shutting the door softly before walking toward my desk. “Your ten o’clock meeting has been moved up,” she said evenly, placing the tablet down. “I’ve adjusted the rest of your schedule accordingly.”

Nothing in her voice gave her away.

Nothing in her body language suggested that seeing me with my fiancée had rattled her.

But I wasn’t fooled.

Not after the way I had caught myself looking at her this morning.

Not after the way I had thought about bending her over this very desk.

“Sienna,” I said, my voice lower than I intended.

She met my gaze, unreadable. “Yes, sir?”

Sir.

Not Lucian.

Not even Mr. Sterling.

Fucking sir.

Like I was just her boss.

Like I wasn’t the man who had spent the last hour thinking about pushing her up against my desk and ruining her composure.

Something inside me tightened.

I leaned forward slightly, watching her, waiting—pushing.

But she didn’t break.

Not yet.

I sat back, exhaling slowly. “That’ll be all.”

She nodded, turning to leave.

And once again, I watched her walk away—that slit in her skirt mocking me with every step.