The soft chime of Walker's phone buzzed on the nightstand.
Lena groaned as she buried her face deeper into the pillow, the sunlight already creeping in through the wide glass windows of the penthouse. It was warm under the duvet, wrapped in the remnants of last night—their laughter, whispers, and touches still fresh in her mind.
Walker reached over her to silence the call. His bare chest brushed against her back, and she shivered slightly. "Ignore it," she mumbled.
"I wish I could," he murmured, kissing her shoulder before sliding reluctantly out of bed.
She watched him from under the covers as he pulled on a pair of joggers and checked his screen. "It's from the office," he said, rubbing the back of his neck. "I need to head in for a few hours."
Lena sat up, the sheets clutched to her chest. "Back to CEO mode?"
He looked over at her and smiled, though there was something wistful in his eyes. "I never left it. But last night... you made it easy to forget for a little while."
She bit her bottom lip, heart thudding. "I didn't mean to distract you."
"Lena," he said, walking over and cupping her cheek, "you're the best distraction I've ever had."
They shared a lingering kiss before he reluctantly pulled away, disappearing into the bathroom. Lena lay back against the pillows, staring at the ceiling. What were they now? More than friends, clearly. More than a fling. But how much more?
She got up slowly, dressing while Walker moved through his routine with an efficiency she hadn't seen before. Watching him now—the clean lines of his suit, the shift in his voice as he took a quick call—she was reminded of who he really was. A man who ran a company. A man who had expectations on his shoulders and a whole life that didn't include the smell of cinnamon and buttercream.
He emerged a few minutes later, slipping on his watch. "I'll have my driver take you back to your place," he said.
"I can walk. Or call a cab."
"Lena." His voice dropped into something softer. "Please. Let me do this."
She nodded, swallowing the sudden tightness in her throat. "Okay."
Walker paused at the door, hesitation flickering in his eyes. "Dinner tonight? My place again?"
"I'll bring the dessert," she said with a small smile.
After he left, Lena stood alone in the vast, quiet penthouse. She looked out at the city skyline and wrapped her arms around herself. She hadn't felt like this in years—exhilarated and terrified all at once.
She wandered into the kitchen, aimlessly opening cabinets and running her fingers along the cold marble countertop. It was all pristine—too pristine. The kind of place designed for entertaining, not living. Her gaze landed on the empty coffee pot and the untouched fruit bowl. It made her think of his life before she reentered it. Structured. Predictable. Immaculate. And then she imagined what it might look like if she stayed—her laughter echoing off the walls, the smell of fresh scones in the air, warmth in a space that seemed like it was waiting for something real.
Back at his office, Walker stepped into the boardroom, his game face firmly in place. But as he listened to the quarterly numbers being recited, his thoughts wandered. To Lena. To the way she'd curled into him last night like she belonged there. To the soft goodbye kiss he still tasted on his lips.
He was still the CEO. Still sharp. Still capable.
But when he wasn't with her, the world didn't feel quite as alive