The CEO's Match

Scared the Hell out of me

Alexander's pov

The second she left the room, I exhaled sharply, rubbing the back of my neck. My whole body was tense, buzzing with energy. Nova had pushed me again, harder than ever, and this time, I almost-*almost*-let her win.

What the hell was she doing to me?

I ran a hand through my hair, trying to focus. But my thoughts kept drifting back to her. The way she leaned in, her lips so close I could practically taste her. The heat of her body against mine, the smell of her perfume, the sound of her teasing voice.

I had to get a grip. This was getting out of control, and if I didn't put a stop to it, things were going to escalate quickly. I wasn't sure if I could handle that, not with her.

Not with Nova.

She was dangerous. Always had been. But now, it was different. Now, it felt like we were teetering on the edge of something bigger, something I wasn't sure I could pull us back from.

I leaned against the desk, staring at the spot where she had stood moments ago, teasing me, pushing me to my limits. It had taken everything in me not to give in. To not pull her close, pin her against the wall, and kiss her until we couldn't breathe.

But I couldn't. Not when she was still recovering. Not when she was still fragile, even if she wouldn't admit it. She needed time to heal, and I wasn't going to be the one to make things worse by acting on the tension between us.

I was better than that. I *had* to be better than that.

My phone buzzed on the desk, snapping me out of my thoughts. I glanced down at the screen-a message from Rebecca about some upcoming meetings. Work. That's what I needed to focus on. Not Nova. Not the way she looked at me, with that fire in her eyes that made it impossible to think straight.

But even as I tried to concentrate, my mind kept wandering back to her. To the way she teased me, pushed my buttons, knowing exactly what she was doing. She knew how to get under my skin, and damn if it wasn't working.

I straightened up, pacing the room to burn off some of the restless energy that had been building inside me since she'd walked into the office. I was supposed to be the one in control here, the one keeping things professional, but with her, that line was becoming harder and harder to maintain.

And what made it worse was that I didn't *want* to keep things professional anymore.

There was something about Nova that drew me in, no matter how hard I tried to fight it. She was smart, witty, and frustrating as hell. But she was also strong, determined, and loyal. Everything about her was... magnetic. The way she challenged me, pushed me, kept me on my toes. It was addictive.

But I couldn't let myself fall into that. Not yet.

I sighed, running a hand through my hair again as I walked toward the window. Outside, the city buzzed with life, people going about their day, unaware of the storm brewing inside me. I was the boss, the one who was supposed to have everything together. Yet here I was, letting a woman get under my skin, throwing me off balance in ways I never expected.

I heard a noise behind me, and I turned to see Nova walking back into the room, holding a glass of water. She leaned against the kitchen counter, watching me, her eyes sharp and playful. The way she looked at me... it was like she knew exactly what she was doing to me. Like she enjoyed watching me squirm under the weight of my own desire.

"You good?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. She took a sip of her water, her lips curling into that familiar smirk.

I nodded, trying to keep my voice steady. "Yeah. Just... thinking."

"About?" she prompted, her tone teasing. She knew damn well what I was thinking about.

"Work," I lied, forcing myself to turn back to the window to avoid looking at her. If I kept staring, I wouldn't be able to stop myself from closing the distance between us. "We've got some big deals coming up."

"Right." Her voice dripped with sarcasm, and I could hear the amusement behind it. "Work."

I clenched my jaw, refusing to rise to the bait. She was testing me again, seeing how far she could push before I snapped. And I couldn't let her win. Not this time.

I glanced over my shoulder, meeting her gaze. "You should get some rest, Nova. You've been pushing yourself too hard."

She rolled her eyes, crossing her arms over her chest. "I'm fine, Alexander. You don't need to worry about me."

"I do," I said, my voice firm. "You may think you're fine, but I'm not taking any chances. You need to take care of yourself."

She shrugged, but I could see the faint blush rising in her cheeks. "If you say so, boss."

I turned back to the window, hoping the view of the city would distract me from the sight of her standing there, looking so damn tempting. But it didn't help. Nothing was helping right now. Not when every fiber of my being was screaming at me to close the distance between us and take what I wanted.

But I couldn't. I *wouldn't*. Not when I was the one responsible for her.

"Go to bed, Nova," I said after a long pause, keeping my voice steady. "I'll finish up here."

She didn't move. I could feel her eyes on me, and the weight of her gaze made my pulse quicken.

"I'll go," she said, her voice softening, "but don't think this conversation is over. You can't keep avoiding it forever."

I stayed silent, my hands gripping the edge of the desk. She was right. I couldn't avoid it forever. But for now, I had to. For both of our sakes.

She finally turned and left the room, leaving me alone with my thoughts. And as I stood there, staring out at the city, I realized something that shook me to my core.

It wasn't just lust that was making this so difficult. It wasn't just desire that had me tied up in knots.

It was something deeper. Something more dangerous.

And that scared the hell out of me.