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The first time Olivia Carter walked into James Donovan’s office, it was strictly business. She had spent years building her reputation as one of the best marketing strategists in the industry, and when she was offered a chance to work with the man whose name was synonymous with success, she knew she couldn’t pass it up. James was brilliant, ambitious, and, as much as she hated to admit it, devastatingly handsome.
But she wasn’t here for distractions. She was here to do her job.
James had been warned about Olivia. "Sharp. Uncompromising. A genius in her field." That’s what everyone said. But none of them had mentioned how her presence could set an entire room on fire. From the moment she stepped into his office, her confidence and determination were as captivating as the soft curve of her smile. He had worked with many talented professionals, but Olivia was different. She didn’t just see the numbers—she understood the pulse of the people, the unspoken desires that drove consumers.
Their partnership started with clear boundaries. Business meetings, strategy sessions, late nights at the office, and early morning calls. They challenged each other, pushed each other, and sometimes argued like rivals instead of colleagues.
It wasn’t until one late evening, in the glow of the city skyline, that the walls between them began to crumble.
They had been working on a high-stakes campaign, tension running high as deadlines loomed. Olivia had been pacing the office, frustrated, her usually flawless ideas tangled in uncertainty. James watched her, unable to ignore the way the city lights reflected in her deep brown eyes, how the exhaustion on her face did nothing to dull her brilliance.
“You overthink when you’re tired,” James said, leaning back in his chair, his voice softer than usual.
Olivia stopped pacing and looked at him. “And you get overconfident when you think you’re right.”
A slow smirk tugged at his lips. “I’m usually right.”
She rolled her eyes, but there was no real annoyance there.
For a long moment, neither of them spoke. The silence stretched between them, heavy with unspoken thoughts. And then, almost hesitantly, James asked, “Olivia, do you ever think about what this would be like if we weren’t just business partners?”
Her breath caught. She knew exactly what he meant.
“If we weren’t?” she echoed, her voice barely above a whisper.
“If there weren’t contracts, deadlines, board meetings… if it was just us.”
Olivia looked away, her heart hammering. She had thought about it more times than she cared to admit. But she had spent years keeping her personal and professional life separate, and James was the one man who could shatter every rule she had ever followed.
“James…” she started, but he stood, stepping closer, closing the distance between them.
“I know it’s complicated,” he said, his voice low, his eyes searching hers. “But tell me you don’t feel this.”
Olivia could barely breathe. She wanted to tell him it was impossible, that their careers, their reputations, their future plans were all on the line.
“I do,” she admitted softly.
A slow, almost relieved smile crossed his face. “Then maybe we stop pretending.”
The air between them changed, charged with something electric, something inevitable. And when James reached for her, Olivia didn’t pull away. His hand traced a slow path down her arm, sending shivers in its wake, before he cupped her face gently.
When his lips met hers, it was slow, cautious, as if testing the boundaries of a line neither of them had ever dared cross. But then, the hesitation melted away, replaced by something deeper, something undeniable. Olivia’s hands gripped his shirt, pulling him closer, losing herself in the warmth of him, in the way he kissed her like she was the only thing that had ever mattered.