The office had settled into its usual rhythm, and for once, everything felt... good. Calm, even. The buzz of phones, the clack of keyboards, the low murmur of conversations—it was all familiar background noise to Sienna as she sipped her coffee, double-checked her calendar, and mentally prepared herself for the rest of the day.
She leaned back in her chair, staring at the calendar again, the corner of her mouth tilting without meaning to. Her mind drifted—back to that carnival night. The ridiculous headbands, the Ferris wheel, the way his hand never once let go of hers. She could still feel the warmth of his palm, the quiet way he'd looked at her under the lights like she was something rare.
That night hadn't been just fun. It had felt like something else. Something soft and important.
And now… now she couldn't stop remembering the way her heart raced every time he smiled, how his laughter made her stomach flip, how his presence—once just steady and grounding—now shook her in the best kind of way.
She didn't know what they were. Not exactly.
And Cassian Hayes had become impossible to ignore.
She returned from the printer just as the lunchtime lull began. But something on her desk stopped her cold.
A basket of flowers.
Not just any bouquet. It was massive. Elegant. A curated explosion of white peonies, soft blush roses, eucalyptus, and delicate trailing greenery. It was the kind of bouquet people took pictures of in wedding magazines.
Her heart pounding.
"Ohhh," came a voice. It was Letty from Accounting, already leaning over Sienna's desk, eyes wide. "Looks like someone's got a secret admirer."
Sienna blinked, then moved closer, cheeks already warming. There was a small envelope tucked into the ribbon. She opened it with cautious fingers.
From the hands you love so much.
She gasped softly and immediately buried her face in the blooms. They smelled divine. Luxurious. Stupidly romantic.
A chorus of teasing hoots and catcalls rang from the desks nearby.
"Who is it?"
"Don't pretend you don't know!"
"Tell us what the bouquet says. Spill!"
Sienna couldn't speak. Not with her heart doing somersaults. Not when all she could think about was him. His fingers on piano keys. On her skin. His voice low and teasing.
Before she could answer anyone, Cassian's voice floated across the room.
"Caldwell."
She turned.
There he was, all black suit, lazy grin, and undeniable presence. Like he hadn't singlehandedly destroyed her composure just days ago.
"Lunch?"
She nodded, grabbing her bag—still clutching the card in her other hand.
The teasing followed them all the way out of the office. She just rolled her eyes on them.
—
The restaurant he took her to was unexpectedly casual. A cozy bistro with wooden booths and handwritten menus. He ordered for both of them—grilled salmon, pasta, and iced tea—and she let him, too preoccupied with the flutter in her chest.
Once they were seated, Sienna took a breath and leaned back. "The flowers?"
Cassian grinned, reaching for his glass. "Too much?"
"They were half my desk."
"You like them?"
She hesitated, lips curling. "I loved them."
"Good," he said, like it mattered more than she knew. "You deserve beautiful things."
She looked down at her napkin, trying not to smile like an idiot. But it was useless. She was beaming.
They ate in easy silence for a few moments before Cassian glanced up, that wicked spark in his eyes again.
"So," he said. "If I show up at your door with more flowers… would you consider me boyfriend material?"
Sienna choked slightly on her drink. "What?"
He raised a brow. "You heard me."
"You're ridiculous."
He shrugged. "Maybe. But I'm also handsome, successful, great at giving orgasms—"
"Cassian!"
He laughed, absolutely shameless. "I'm just listing facts."
She flushed to the tips of her ears. "You're too much of a flirt for me."
That made him pause—just a little. His grin faded into something softer. More careful.
"Yeah," he said. "I get that. But I bet… if it were you, I wouldn't even look at another girl."
Sienna's mouth parted.
"And I'm not saying that to get in your pants," he added, voice low now. "I just mean… you've been here for everything. You see me. And I want to be someone who deserves that."
She stared, utterly speechless.
Cassian leaned forward, elbows on the table, eyes on her like no one else existed. "Can I court you?"
She blinked. "Court?"
"I want to do this right," he said. "Not just screw around. Not steal kisses in cars and grope you under restaurant tables—though, full disclosure, I would still very much like to do that. But I want the real thing. Dates. Dinners."
Sienna laughed, and then immediately bit her lip, trying to keep it in.
"Is that a yes?" he asked.
She didn't answer.
But she didn't say no either.
And for Cassian, that was enough to grin like a man already falling.
Before they left the restaurant, he reached into his coat pocket. "One more thing," he said, sliding a slim velvet box across the table.
Sienna blinked. "Cassian…"
"Just open it."
Inside lay a delicate bracelet—white gold, shimmering in the light, with tiny stones nestled into the band.
"Are these—?"
"Probably," he said casually. "Maybe. Definitely."
She stared at it, jaw slack. "You can't just give me diamonds at lunch."
"You're right," he said, reaching for her wrist. "I should've waited until dessert."
"Cassian," she warned, heart racing as he gently clasped it on her. His fingers brushing her skin made her pulse stutter.
"You like it?"
She nodded. "It's beautiful. You didn't have to—"
"I wanted to," he said simply.
On the walk back to the office, she kept glancing at it. At him. And the way he looked at her—eyes soft, teasing, every so often brushing his arm against hers—she didn't feel like she was walking beside her boss. Not even her friend.
It felt like… something else.
When they got back to the office, Cassian didn't let her slip away to her desk. Instead, he gently caught her wrist and said, "Come. I have something to show you."
They walked down the hallway, past the curious glances and smirking co-workers, until they slipped into his office.
He closed the door softly behind them, but didn't let go of her hand. She looked up at him, her heart trying to jump out of her chest.
He stepped a little closer, that infuriating calm confidence in his eyes. "Can I kiss you?" he asked, voice velvet soft.
Her breath caught.
She blinked at him. "Did you give me the bracelet so you could kiss me?"
Cassian's smile tilted, wicked and devastating. "If I knew that's all it took, I would've bought you ten."
"Cassian—"
He cupped her face gently, his thumbs brushing her cheeks. "I'd give you more," he whispered. "Everything, if that's what it takes."
And then he kissed her.
Soft, slow, and reverent.
It wasn't the desperate kind of kiss they'd shared before. This one unraveled her carefully woven control one thread at a time. She leaned into it, gripping his shirt, heart pounding so hard she could feel it in her ears.
He pulled her closer, his mouth parting hers, coaxing her into something deeper—hotter. His hand slid to the back of her neck, fingers threading into her hair as the kiss built and built until she was pressed against his desk, breathless and wanting.
By the time they finally pulled apart, her lips were swollen, her cheeks flushed, and she could barely remember her name.
He looked just as wrecked.
But still smiling.
"Definitely going to need to buy you more jewelry," he murmured.
She could only glare at him, weakly, and try not to melt all over again.