Rain hissed against the windows, dimming the city lights until the whole horizon looked water painted .
Inside the office, time thinned to the sound of two people breathing Grace folded into Liam's arms, Liam holding her like letting go was suddenly unthinkable
For a long moment they did nothing, but feel
her cheek against the soft linen of his shirt,
his palm spreading steady warmth over the small back of hers ,
their heartbeats knocking out of sync, then slowly meeting in the middle.
Grace's voice cracked the quiet first. "I should step away before anyone walks in "
"I locked the door," Liam murmured, thumb stroking the slope of her waist "For once, I'm being proactive."
A tremor of laughter fluttered in her chest , half nerves, half relief. She leaned back just far enough to see his face. In the low light his eyes were the color of storm clouds right before they break a vivid, aching, full of what he'd never allowed anyone to read.
"I'm still terrified" she confessed.
His hand moved to cup her jaw, gentle but irrevocably sure. "So am I. Difference is I've decided the fear costs less than losing you."
Then he kissed her.
Not the incendiary rush of the car.
Not the desperate clash behind boardroom doors.
This kiss was patient, coaxing, deep like he was mapping a country he intended to live in forever. Grace's fingers curled in his hair and the low sound he made against her mouth scattered every last shard of her restraint.
When they parted she was breathless, dizzy, but something inside had locked into place with a clarity she'd never felt before.
"Liam ," she whispered, smoothing a raindrop shine of tears from her own lashes, "if we do this, we do it in daylight too ,no hiding, no power and no games."
"Daylight" he agreed. "I'll take the heat. The headlines, the speculation or whatever comes."
"And we keep the project first," she added. "Residents.Sustainability. Mom's legacy. If this starts endangering that mission "
"we pull back" he finished. "But not from each other. From anything that threatens what matters" He brushed another kiss softer now across the corner of her mouth. "Deal?"
"Deal"
A quiet knock thudded against the locked door. "Ms.Cole ,Mr. Vale ,the finance team is ready for the 7 p.m. call."Maya said
They traded a look half guilty, half conspiratorial.
Grace straightened her blouse, clipped her hair back, and wiped the tell tale flush from her cheeks. Liam unlocked the door and composed his face into the smooth mask of the consummate CEO.
But as they stepped into the corridor, his fingertips grazed the back of her hand just once, just enough to say 'remember'and her pulse answered 'always'
Later that night – Executive Video Call, 7:14 p.m
The screen filled with faces , board members in manicured home offices, investors dialing in from penthouses, the governor's senior aide in a cluttered war-room cubicle. Rain streaked the glass behind Grace and Liam. the two of them sat side-by-side at the head of the long conference table.
If anyone noticed they were closer than arm's-length, no one dared comment.
Grace led the briefing, voice steady as she unveiled revised cost models:
• 18 % margin dip offset by long-term tax incentives.
• 30 % boost in community approval metrics.
• A projected 12-year break-even curve that still outperformed comparable mixed-use districts.
She finished and muted her mic, palms damp but solid
The CFO cleared his throat. "Impressive numbers, Ms. Cole . Still our shareholders are wary of the publicity risks."
Liam clicked his mic on. "They hired me to make bold calls. This is one of them. We move forward."
No hesitation ,no space for rebuttal. The message was unmistakable , his full weight sat behind her plan and behind her.
. Meeting adjourned.
When the last window winked off the screen, Grace slowly exhaled. "That was decisive."
"It's easy when you're right," Liam said, and then, softer, "and when you're standing next to me."
She smiled—a small, incredulous curve that felt like sunrise after a month of overcast days.
…..
The Morning After at 8:03 a.m
The atrium buzzed with employees arriving, umbrellas dripping, espresso machines hissing. Grace and Liam entered together, and the effect rippled outward like a pebble dropped in still water ,heads turning, whispers pooling.
It wasn't just that Liam Vale rarely walked the lobby with anyone. It was the unmissable way his hand brushed the dip of Grace's back, guiding, protective, proud and the way she let it
A junior analyst's mouth fell open as they passed. A PR manager fumbled her tablet. By the time they reached the elevators, rumors were already sprinting up stairs and through Slack threads faster than any memo could keep up.
Inside the lift Liam pressed the button for the executive floor. The doors slid shut. Chrome walls reflected two figures side-by-side, shoulder-to-shoulder, unbowed.
Grace nerves ticked "Ready for the fallout?"
"Born ready," he said. Then, with a grin that ignited her all over again, "But just in case after the 10 a.m. zoning meeting I'm kidnapping you for lunch somewhere paparazzi can't find us."
She arched a brow "Kidnapping is a felony"
"Not when the victim consents"
Her pulse tripped. "Ask nicely and I might."
Liam leaned nearer, voice velvet-low. "Grace Cole , will you let me steal you away for one hour?"
She tried to look unimpressed. She failed. "One hour," she agreed, cheeks warm. "And we talk project scope. Nothing distracting."
His reply was a wicked whisper against her ear "Define distracting"
Doors slid open, saving her from answering, though her blush probably answered for her.
They stepped onto the executive floor together.