CHAPTER 26 — THE KISS THAT RUINED SELF-CONTROL
The elevator doors slid open like a scene designed to destroy Eva's balance.
A woman stood there—tall, elegant, radiant in a tailored white dress that hugged every dangerous curve. Her smirk was the kind that said she knew things. Intimate things.
Derek's eyes hardened.
Eva's stomach clenched.
"Hello, Derek," the woman purred.
Her gaze slid to Eva, slow and assessment-heavy.
"And you must be the reason he hasn't taken my calls."
Eva stiffened. Derek's jaw locked.
"Natalia," Derek said coolly. "Not now."
Natalia's smirk deepened. "When then? You've been avoiding every conversation we need to have."
Eva felt the air thicken.
Avoiding… conversations?
Need to have?
Her chest tightened.
Derek sensed it immediately. His hand brushed Eva's lower back—not tender, but claiming, protective, grounding.
Natalia's eyes flicked to the touch. Her brows lifted.
"Oh," she said softly. "So that's how it is."
Eva suddenly felt very small inside the elevator—but Derek stepped closer to her, blocking Natalia's view with the broad shield of his body.
"Natalia," he repeated, voice dropping to a dangerous low. "Walk away."
"But Derek—"
He didn't raise his voice. He didn't need to.
"Walk. Away."
For a moment, Natalia hesitated. Then something sharp flashed in her eyes—jealousy or realization, Eva couldn't tell.
"This isn't over," she whispered.
She turned and left, heels clicking sharply across the marble floor.
The elevator doors stayed open.
Derek didn't move.
Neither did Eva.
Silence pulsed around them—but his hand was still on her back, warm, strong, possessive. She could feel his heartbeat in the tension of his arm.
He exhaled slowly.
"I didn't want you to meet her like that."
Eva swallowed. "Who is she?"
His jaw ticked once. "Someone from my past."
"Someone important?"
"Not anymore."
The words should have soothed her…
But something thorny twisted inside her chest.
"Eva."
He said her name like a warning, a plea, and a confession.
She looked up—and that was the moment everything snapped.
Because whatever restraint he had… shattered.
He stepped into her space with purpose. Intention. Heat.
"Derek," she whispered, breath catching—
But he didn't let her finish.
The Kiss That Undid Everything
He cupped her jaw in one hand, the other sliding around her waist, pulling her flush against him as if he'd been denying himself for too long.
And then he kissed her.
Not soft.
Not hesitant.
Not testing.
A kiss like fire.
A kiss that tasted like possession and frustration and desire sharpened by jealousy.
Eva gasped against his mouth, fingers curling in his suit jacket. He deepened the kiss instantly—mouth claiming hers, tongue sliding against hers with a hunger that made her knees weaken.
The elevator door tried to close again.
The metal brushed Derek's shoulder.
He didn't care.
He didn't move.
His focus was entirely on her—on the soft sounds she made, on the way her body melted and tightened at the same time, on the trembling need that rose between them like heat.
Her hands slid up his chest—hard muscle under expensive fabric—until they reached his neck. He made a low, rough sound against her mouth, pulling her even closer.
Her body pressed into his.
His breath tangled with hers.
Everything else fell away.
When he pulled back—barely an inch—his breath was uneven, his forehead resting against hers.
"You have no idea," he murmured, voice raw, "how long I've wanted to do that."
Eva's heart thudded so hard she felt dizzy.
"Derek…"
His thumb stroked her bottom lip, swollen from his kiss. His eyes were dark, dilated, burning with something dangerous and beautiful.
"She had no right," he whispered, almost to himself.
"To what?" her voice trembled.
"To look at you," he breathed, "like she had something over you. Like she knew a part of me you didn't."
The jealousy, the possessiveness—it shook her. It thrilled her.
"That kiss," he said, voice dropping even lower, "was me reminding both of us who you are to me."
Eva's breath hitched. "And who am I?"
He didn't hesitate.
"Mine. Even if you haven't admitted it yet."
Heat shot through her like lightning.
"Derek… you can't just say things like that."
"I just did."
His lips brushed hers again—soft this time, teasing, testing, a contrast to the ferocity of before.
"I don't share," he whispered.
Eva's fingers tightened on his suit.
"I wasn't yours," she said weakly.
"You are now."
The elevator dinged again.
Someone outside grumbled, "Can you two move? Some of us need to get to work."
Derek didn't even look.
"Take the stairs," he growled.
Eva's cheeks burned. She lightly pushed his chest—not enough to move him, just enough to break the spell.
"Derek, people are watching."
"Let them."
"Derek," she whispered again, breathless, half-laughing from the overwhelming intensity of him.
He exhaled, finally stepping back—but just barely, his fingers still grazing her waist.
"We're not done," he said.
She swallowed. "With… the kiss?"
His eyes dragged over her lips again, slow and hungry.
"With any of it."
When They Stepped Out
They exited the elevator together.
Her lips still felt hot.
Her pulse still raced.
Her body still remembered the exact pressure of his hands.
Coworkers glanced at them—then at each other—whispers already starting.
Derek didn't care.
He placed his hand on her lower back again, guiding her through the hall with quiet, unquestioned dominance.
"Lunch," he murmured. "My driver will pick you up. We need to talk."
Eva blinked. "Talk about what?"
His gaze held hers, deep and unguarded.
"About what happens next."
And then, without waiting for her answer, he walked away—leaving her standing there with trembling lips, a racing heart, and the memory of a kiss she knew would ruin her sleep for days.