ARIA
The silence in Damian's office dragged on after his last words. I stood there holding the folder tight against my chest. Mate. Bond. Choice.
I needed to get out of that room. Away from his eyes and the way he looked at me like he already knew what I was thinking.
"I need to work," I said. "That is why I'm here. Maid. Assistant. Whatever you need."
I turned and left before he could answer. My bare feet made almost no sound on the floor. I heard his chair creak behind me, but he didn't follow.
For the next few hours I kept myself busy. I scrubbed the kitchen counters until my arms burned. I folded sheets and towels in the guest wing, stacking them in sharp, angry piles. Every time my mind went back to last night—his hands on me, his mouth between my legs, the way I had
