Alex's jaw ticked as he stared at the bracelet notification on his phone. He had it sent to her desk five minutes before she walked in. Not because he cared what the others thought, he couldn't care less about the whispers in the office but because he wanted her to know she was his. And so would everyone else.
When the door opened, Karen stepped in quietly. Her eyes didn't meet his, and that pissed him off more than it should've.
He rose slowly from his chair, his tall frame casting a long shadow across the office. "Shut the door."
She did,...'silence'.
He walked around his desk and stopped a few feet in front of her, hands in his pockets. "Why didn't you respond to my message immediately?"
Karen blinked. "I… I was just getting to my desk. I didn't expect...."
"I don't like to be kept waiting."
She looked up then, meeting his eyes with that stubborn fire he was beginning to crave.
"You dragged me in here just to scold me?"
Alex studied her face. Her lips were still a little glossy, and she smelled faintly of the same vanilla scent he'd told her to stop wearing. She was doing it on purpose, she was testing him.
"I dragged you in here," he said, voice lower now, "because you've been walking around my office without my bracelet on your wrist, letting these idiots think they still have a chance."
Her mouth fell open. "What? That gift… you sent that?"
"Of course I did." He took a step closer. "And I want you to wear it every single day."
Karen took a step back, flustered. "You can't just mark me like I'm..."
"Mine," he cut in. "You're mine."
The words hung in the air between them, heavy and dangerous.
"I didn't agree to that," she whispered.
He smirked, taking another step forward "Not yet."
Her breath hitched as he lifted his hand and gently tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. His fingers lingered longer than they should've.
"I know what you're doing," she said.
"Do you?"
She nodded. "You think you can own me with pretty things and mixed signals. But I'm not a toy you can play with when you're bored."
Alex's eyes darkened. "You think this is a game to me?"
"Aren't you the one playing it?"
For a long moment, they stared at each other two storms threatening to collide.
Then the intercom buzzed.
Luca's voice came through. "Sir, Leo just arrived, he wants to discuss the Shenzhen deal."
Alex cursed silently and stepped back. "We'll finish this later."
Karen turned to go, but just as her hand reached the door handle, his voice stopped her.
"And Karen?"
She paused.
"You look so beautiful today."