CHAPTER 16 — DANGEROUS PROXIMITY
The storm had begun long before the clouds rolled over the city that evening. Outside, rain lashed against the glass windows of Velasco Empire Holdings, the streets slick and glistening under the glow of streetlights. Inside, the office was nearly deserted, shadows stretching across polished floors, and every sound magnified in the eerie quiet.
Aria Sarmiento sat at her desk, fingers tracing the edge of a file she wasn't even reading. Her mind was a whirlwind of fear, adrenaline, and the memory of Lucien's protective gaze from the previous day. Every message from unknown sources, every suspicious glance, reminded her that danger had become a constant companion. And the thought of Lucien, ever-watchful, made her pulse quicken in a way that was equal parts comforting and terrifying.
Her thoughts were interrupted by the soft click of the office door. Lucien appeared, silhouette sharp against the dim light. His gray eyes immediately locked on hers, scanning for any hint of distress.
"Aria," he said, his voice calm but carrying a weight of urgency that made her heart tighten. "We need to leave. Now."
Her stomach flipped. "What—what happened, sir?" she asked, though her fear was tempered by the steady pull of trust she had placed in him.
"Someone's trying to access the Henderson files again," he said, his tone clipped. "They're getting bolder. And we don't have time to risk separation."
Her pulse raced. "Then… what do we do?"
Lucien's gaze softened just for a fraction, the human vulnerability beneath his CEO exterior shining through. "We stay close," he murmured, stepping closer. "Too close to be targeted separately. Together."
Aria's breath hitched. The words were simple, logical even necessary but the proximity, the subtle intensity behind them, sent a jolt through her chest. She nodded, knowing instinctively that following him wasn't just safe it was inevitable.
They moved through the office together, silent and alert. Lucien's hand brushed hers more than once accidental by appearances, deliberate in impact. Each touch left her tingling, a mixture of fear and desire that was impossible to ignore. Her pulse thumped erratically in her ears, and she struggled to maintain composure, aware that their closeness was far more than professional.
Once they reached the elevator, Lucien pressed the button with one hand while subtly guiding her with the other. Her fingers brushed his, and the contact lingered slightly, a forbidden current passing between them. She swallowed hard, trying to focus on the threat outside instead of the heat rising in her chest.
During the ride down, Lucien's gray eyes met hers in the mirrored elevator doors. There was no need for words; the intensity of his gaze conveyed everything danger, warning, desire, and an unspoken promise to protect. Aria felt herself drawn to him despite the fear gnawing at her, the kind of attraction that was forbidden, potent, and impossible to resist.
The rain was heavier now as they reached the underground parking garage. The dim light made every shadow look like a threat. Lucien's protective stance was unwavering; his hand on her lower back guided her toward their car, his body positioned strategically between her and any potential danger.
"You're safe," he murmured, voice low and intimate, though the words carried weight far beyond reassurance. "As long as I'm near you, nothing will touch you."
Aria's chest tightened. "I… I trust you, sir," she whispered, her voice trembling slightly despite her effort to sound composed.
He glanced down at her, a flicker of something softer passing over his features—something intimate, raw, and uncharacteristically vulnerable. "Good," he said, brushing a strand of wet hair from her face. The gesture, small and subtle, made her heart leap. "Because from now on… dangerous proximity is the only way we survive."
The drive was tense. Lucien's hands were steady on the wheel, eyes scanning every rearview mirror, every reflection, every shadow. Aria remained quiet, but the subtle brush of his knee against hers under the dashboard made her pulse spike. She was painfully aware of their closeness, of the way every protective movement he made doubled as a silent, forbidden caress.
After several blocks of driving in silence, Lucien spoke again, voice low, steady, and intimate. "Aria… this isn't just about danger. It's about us. About how close we've become, and how impossible it is to ignore it now."
Her breath hitched, words caught in her throat. "I… I know," she whispered, barely audible. "Every time you're near, I feel… everything."
He didn't answer immediately. Instead, he reached over, briefly covering her hand with his own, their fingers brushing lightly but deliberately. The contact sent heat rushing through her veins. "I know," he said finally, voice quiet but heavy with meaning. "And I feel it too. Stronger than I should. Forbidden as it is, I can't ignore it anymore."
Aria's heart thumped violently. The forbidden attraction, always present but restrained by rules, proximity, and danger, now pulsed between them with undeniable force. She realized how much she had been craving him not just his protection, but his nearness, his presence, his attention.
The car arrived at her apartment building, rain still hammering against the roof. Lucien stopped, eyes scanning the empty street, body tensed. "You stay behind me," he ordered, tone soft but commanding. "I won't let anyone harm you."
Aria nodded, following closely, heart racing. She realized with clarity that danger had become more than a background threat; it had become an element that intensified the attraction between them, made their forbidden bond impossible to deny, and forced them into a dangerous, intimate proximity she had once feared but now craved.
At the door to her apartment, Lucien paused. His gray eyes met hers, sharp and intense, yet softened with an intimacy that made her chest ache. "You're safe now," he whispered, his hand brushing hers as he guided her inside. "But this… closeness… it will continue. Because it's the only way we survive, and because I can't stand being apart from you."
Her breath hitched, emotions swirling fear, longing, and something deeper, dangerous, and intoxicating. "I… I don't want to be apart," she admitted, voice barely a whisper. "Even if it's forbidden, I… I need this. You."
Lucien's eyes softened, and a rare, intimate smile touched his lips. "Then we stay this close," he murmured. "Through danger, through fear… together. No matter what comes next."
Aria felt warmth and fear intertwine, the forbidden nature of their connection more potent than ever. Standing close, she realized the truth: the more imminent the danger, the stronger their bond became. Proximity had become both a shield and a spark protecting them physically while igniting emotions that neither could ignore.
And in that moment, Aria understood fully: this forbidden love was no longer just a tension in the office or stolen glances it was a survival, a necessity, and a force that neither danger nor rules could ever break.
The storm raged outside, but inside, the closeness, the intensity, and the forbidden passion between them burned brighter than ever.