CLOSE ENOUGH TO BURN
1193 Words
The ride to Alexander’s penthouse was silent.
Not the comfortable kind of silence.
The heavy kind that made Lily aware of every small movement she made.
Alexander drove with one hand on the wheel, his attention fixed on the road ahead. The city lights slid across the windshield in long streaks of gold and white.
Lily sat stiffly in the passenger seat.
Victoria’s words still echoed in her head.
Ask Alexander what happened to his brother.
She stole a glance at him.
His jaw looked tighter than before.
He had barely spoken since they left the office.
You don’t talk much, do you?she said finally.
His eyes stayed on the road.
“I talk when necessary.”
“That sounds exhausting.”
A faint breath escaped him. Not quite a laugh.
“Most people complain that I talk too much.”
I doubt that, Lily muttered.
The car slowed as they turned into a sleek glass building overlooking the river.
Two security guards immediately stepped forward.
Alexander handed his keys to the valet without a word.
“Evening, Mr. Sterling.”
Alexander nodded once.
Lily followed him inside.
The lobby alone was bigger than the apartment she had been living in. Marble floors, tall windows, quiet music playing somewhere in the background.
Everything about the place felt expensive.
And distant.
Alexander walked straight to a private elevator.
When the doors slid shut, the quiet returned.
Lily leaned lightly against the wall.
“So this is where the powerful CEO hides after terrifying his employees all day.”
Alexander glanced at her.
“I don’t terrorize my employees.”
“Really?”
“No.”
“You could have fooled me.”
He didn’t respond.
But there was a flicker of something in his eyes now.
Amusement, maybe.
The elevator opened directly into the penthouse.
Lily stepped out and stopped immediately.
The space was enormous.
Floor-to-ceiling windows revealed the entire city glowing below them. Soft lighting reflected off dark wood and glass surfaces. The air smelled faintly of cedar and something sharper—probably his cologne.
“Wow,” she breathed.
Alexander set his phone and keys down on a table.
“You’ll get used to it.”
“I doubt that.”
Her voice sounded small in the massive room.
Alexander watched her for a moment.
“You don’t like it?”
“I didn’t say that.”
“Then what?”
Lily walked slowly toward the window.
“It’s just… a lot.”
“For someone who owns one suitcase?” he asked.
She turned sharply.
“You noticed that.”
“I notice things.”
“Clearly.”
A quiet tension slipped into the room.
Alexander walked closer.
Not aggressively.
Just enough that Lily suddenly realized how close they were standing.
She looked up.
He was taller than she remembered.
And the dim lighting made his eyes look darker.
“You’re nervous,” he said.
“I’m realistic.”
“About what?”
“This situation.”
His gaze sharpened.
“You regret signing.”
“I didn’t say that.”
“But you’re thinking it.”
Lily folded her arms.
“You’re very confident for someone whose fake fiancée just moved in.”
Alexander stepped closer.
One step.
Then another.
Now the space between them had nearly disappeared.
Lily’s breath caught slightly.
“Confidence is necessary,” he said quietly.
“For what?”
“For control.”
“And you always have control?”
His eyes held hers.
“Almost always.”
The way he said it made Lily’s pulse skip.
She became suddenly aware of how close they were standing.
Too close.
If she moved forward even slightly—
Their bodies would touch.
She should step back.
Instead, she stayed where she was.
“You don’t seem afraid of me,” Alexander said.
Should I be?
“Most people are.”
Lily tilted her head.
“You’re not most people.”
Something shifted in his expression.
Then his hand moved.
Before she realized what he was doing, his fingers closed gently around her wrist.
Lily froze.
His touch wasn’t rough.
But it was firm.
Warm.
Her pulse jumped beneath his fingertips.
“You’re shaking,” he murmured.
“I’m not.”
“You are.”
His thumb brushed lightly against her skin.
The small movement sent a surprising spark up her arm.
Lily pulled in a quiet breath.
“That doesn’t mean I’m scared.”
“Then what does it mean?”
His voice had lowered.
The question hung between them.
Lily looked at their hands.
Then back at his face.
“Maybe,” she said softly, “you’re standing too close.”
Alexander didn’t move away.
Instead, his gaze dropped briefly to her lips.
The shift was subtle.
But Lily noticed.
And suddenly the room felt warmer.
“You’re supposed to be convincing,” he said quietly.
“As your fiancee.”
“I’m aware.”
“Then you might want to stop looking at me like you’re planning an escape.”
She lifted an eyebrow.
“And you might want to stop holding my wrist like I’m a suspect.”
For a moment neither of them moved.
Then Alexander slowly released her.
But he didn’t step back.
The distance between them was still dangerously small.
“Your room is down the hall,” he said finally.
Lily exhaled softly.
“Thank you.”
She turned and walked toward the hallway he indicated.
Three doors lined the wall.
One slightly open.
One clearly his bedroom.
And another one—
Locked.
A small keypad glowed beside the handle.
Lily slowed.
That seemed… strange.
She stepped closer.
The door looked older than the others. Small scratches marked the surface near the lock.
Almost like someone had tried to open it before.
“Curious?”
Alexander’s voice came from behind her.
Lily jumped slightly.
“I was just looking.”
His gaze moved from her face to the door.
Then back again.
“Stay away from that room.”
His tone was calm.
But colder now.
“What’s inside?”
“Nothing that concerns you.”
“That’s not very reassuring.”
“It’s not meant to be.”
Lily folded her arms again.
“You keep a mysterious locked room in your penthouse and expect me not to ask questions?”
Alexander stepped closer.
Not touching her this time.
But close enough that she could feel the warmth of his presence again.
“You’re here to play a role,” he said quietly.
“Not investigate my life.”
Lily met his gaze.
“But what if the two become connected?”
For a moment Alexander didn’t answer.
Then he reached past her and tapped the keypad.
The screen lit up.
Lily watched carefully.
But before she could see the numbers—
He stopped.
His hand froze above the lock.
Slowly, he turned his head toward her.
“You really want to know what’s behind this door?” he asked.
Lily swallowed.
Her curiosity had just doubled.
“Yes.”
Alexander’s expression darkened slightly.
Then he asked quietly—
“Are you sure you’re ready to find out?”
- Writer
