A business arrangement forced us together.
His power keeps us tangled.
And every time I try to pull away... I want him even more.
" * " indicate more mature/ explicit scenes, the more the spicier
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AMIRA
The lab smelled like warm vanilla layered over something clean and slightly sharp, like citrus that hadn't fully committed to being sweet yet, and I liked it like that because it felt unfinished in a way that meant it still belonged to me.
I leaned over the counter, pen tapping lightly against the page as I studied the ratios I'd just written down, letting the scent strip hover just beneath my nose while I tried to decide whether I was about to create something addictive or something that needed to be dumped immediately.
"No... it needs something deeper," I murmured, mostly to myself, even though I knew Nia was listening because she always was.
"Amber?" she called from across the room, her voice casual but sharp in that way that meant she was already thinking three steps ahead.
"Too damn predictable," I replied without hesitation, already reaching for another vial as I shook my head slightly.
"Mmm... oud then?" you know it has that lasting note that amplifies the others.
That made me pause, not because I hadn't thought of it, but because I had, and I was trying not to fall into something too heavy too fast.
Contradicting myself like always
"...maybe," I admitted, grabbing the bottle and tilting it just enough to let a single drop fall into the blend before waving the strip once through the air and bringing it back to my nose, my brows knitting together as I let the scent settle properly this time instead of rushing to judge it.
It was better, richer, something that lingered just enough to make you question it, but not enough to overwhelm.
"Okayyy, she's getting somewhere," Nia hummed, and I could hear the smirk in her voice without even looking at her.
"Don't gas me yet," I said, setting the strip down carefully as I reached for a fresh one, already knowing I was about to tweak it again because I refused to settle for almost when I knew I could get it right. "This could still go left real quick."
"Everything you make eats, relax," she shot back, and I rolled my eyes even though a small smile tugged at my lips because she wasn't entirely wrong. "Igualmente, Nia" I returned the compliment.
I had just reached for another oil when her tone shifted slightly, not enough for anyone else to notice, but enough for me.
"Amira." I didn't look up immediately, still focused on aligning the bottles in front of me. "Yeah?"
"Front desk just called."
"Mhm," I responded absentmindedly, still expecting her to follow up with something normal, something routine.
"You have a visitor." Say what now?
That made my hand pause mid-air, the glass vial hovering just above the counter as something unfamiliar settled in my chest, because that wasn't normal, not here, not without notice, and definitely not without me knowing about it ahead of time.
