THE ALPHA WHO ONCE LOVED ME

Just as I was about to leave, a message popped up on my screen.

UNKNOWN NUMBER: We have a meeting with a client by 7 p.m. I'll send you the location.

"Eli!" I shouted as soon as I saw the message, holding out my phone.

"Ouuu, a date," he smirked.

"It clearly said with a client, dumbo."

"You need a wardrobe change. Let's go to-"

"Hell no. I'm not getting scolded for dressing casually to what's supposed to be a meeting. I have to think three steps ahead," I said, cutting him off.

"Suit yourself," he said, grinning. "Just be careful not to stare too much."

One minute later, the location and name of the restaurant came in - The Velvet Room. The name sounded expensive, the kind of place that only existed in glossy magazines. It was on the outskirts of town. More driving for me. Bummer.

By the time I arrived, the sun had already set. The restaurant glowed in shades of gold and deep wine-red, soft music floating through the air. I spotted him instantly - seated in a private corner, one hand wrapped around a glass of red wine, the other scrolling through his phone. He didn't look up until I was standing right in front of him.

"You're late," he said, voice cool as ever.

"I, uh-"

"You were invited for dinner, not back to the office," he cut in smoothly after scanning my outfit. 

Great. Eli was right. Definitely not telling him that.

"What about the client, sir?" I asked, hoping to change the subject.

He set his phone down. "He canceled."

"Oh."

"Yeah. So I figured I'd use the opportunity to talk about your first day."

Ah. There it was. A setup.

He took a slow sip of his wine, eyes on me the entire time. "You seemed... tense. I thought dinner might help."

"You thought dinner might-wait." I blinked. "Are you saying this is a make-up dinner?"

"If that's how you want to call it."

"You yelled at me. Growled, actually," I said before I could stop myself.

His jaw tightened, but his eyes softened slightly. "That was... unfortunate."

"Unfortunate?" I scoffed. "I thought you were about to bite me."

Something flickered in his eyes - sharp, wild, almost dangerous. Then it was gone.

"You're safe with me, Miss Morgan."

I wanted to believe that. God, I really did.

The waiter came and went. Conversation stayed light - work, weather, small talk - but beneath it all, tension coiled tight. When he leaned forward, his cologne - dark spice and smoke - wrapped around me. My pulse skipped.

"Why did you really hire me?" I blurted suddenly.

He lifted a brow. "Excuse me?"

"You barely interviewed me. You didn't even check my résumé. So what gives? Pity hire? Temporary distraction?"

He smirked faintly. "You're blunt."

"I'm curious."

For a moment, he said nothing. Then, softly, "I hired you because you reminded me of someone."

That made me blink. "Someone?"

He nodded slowly, gaze distant for half a heartbeat. "Someone I once knew."

"Oh," I said, unsure how to take that. "Should I take that as a compliment?"

"Take it however you want."

Before I could say anything else, a sharp voice cut through the hum of the restaurant.

"Well, well, if it isn't Tessa Morgan."

I froze.

A tall blonde in a red dress stood beside our table, smiling like a viper. "Didn't think you'd crawl out from under that scandal."

My stomach dropped. Lydia. My ex-boss's assistant.

"What do you want, Lydia?" I asked quietly.

"Just saying hi. Didn't know Wolfe Enterprises was hiring... homewreckers."

The words sliced through me. My lips parted, but before I could reply, Lucian rose to his full height.

"Miss Morgan," he said evenly, his hand landing over mine - steady, protective, commanding.

This man was messing with my ovaries. Seriously. Whatever hormone switch he just flipped needed to be turned off.

I looked up at him, startled. "Sir-"

"Please." His tone made it sound less like a word, more like law.

Then, in a voice so calm it was terrifying, he turned to Lydia. "You have three seconds to walk away, or I'll make sure no one in this city ever hires you again."

Lydia blinked, color draining from her face. "I-Mr. Vale, I didn't mean-"

"Two," he said, his voice dropping an octave.

She paled, muttered something incoherent, and stumbled away.

Lucian's jaw stayed tight for a moment before he sat back down. "People like that feed off drama. Don't give them a reason."

I swallowed. "You didn't have to do that."

He looked at me - really looked at me - and for the first time, his eyes weren't cold. "Yes. I did."

The tension in the room after that moment could have been cut with a knife.

"Eat," he said after a moment, breaking the silence. "You haven't touched your food."

I picked up my fork, fingers trembling slightly. "You didn't even deny it," I murmured. "About the scandal."

"I don't care about rumors, Tessa."

I looked up, meeting his gaze. "You really don't?"

"Not when I can see the truth for myself."

My breath caught. The restaurant faded into nothing. Just his eyes - sharp, heavy, unreadable - locked on me.

Then the waiter appeared, and the spell broke. Lucian stood, buttoning his jacket. "I'll have my driver take you home."

"I have a car-"

"I wasn't asking," he said smoothly. "I'll send someone to get it later. It's a long drive back to Greendale, and I can't have my PA drooling on my desk tomorrow."

Something in his tone - teasing, protective - sent a flutter through me.

I followed him outside into the cool night air. As I stepped off the curb, my heel caught and I stumbled

But before I could fall, his arm was around me, firm and warm, pulling me close.

Our eyes met again.

"Careful," he murmured, his breath brushing my cheek.

I swallowed, pulse racing. "What? You'll growl again?"

A faint smile ghosted across his lips - dangerous, knowing. "Go home, Tessa."

He opened the car door for me, his gaze lingering just a moment too long before turning away.

As the driver pulled off, I glanced back through the window. He was still there, hands in his pockets, watching until the car disappeared into the night.

And for the first time... I couldn't tell who he really was anymore.

But worse - I couldn't stop wanting him to touch me again. I wanted to hear him say my name over and over again. 

Because I think I might actually like my boss.