William Knight remained wide awake all night, taking three cold showers to keep his composure.
Since he had a joint government-business summit at 7:00 AM, he stepped out of his third cold shower at 6:00 AM and prepared to head to the conference hall. The tall, imposing man stood by the closet and pulled open the doors.
Originally, the wardrobe held only a monotonous collection of black, white, and gray. Now, it was infused with a vibrant array of colors that didn't belong to him. Her pink t-shirts, pale yellow blouses, red dresses, blue jeans, and violet bras were hanging right alongside his suits.
William struggled with a touch of OCD; he preferred his clothes sorted strictly by type and then color-coded from light to dark. Seeing Diana Bell's colorful garments mixed in haphazardly triggered his compulsions. He began rearranging her clothes, meticulously sorting them by shade.
He particularly disliked seeing lingerie hanging up, preferring it tucked away in drawers. His long, elegant fingers picked up her bras as he opened a lower drawer. His OCD flared again—he ended up pulling out every single one of her bras, folding them into perfect little squares, and lining them up in a gradient of color.
Once every square was perfectly aligned, William finally began to dress. His black trousers were pressed without a single crease, and his crisp white shirt strained slightly against his powerful chest. He buttoned it to the very top—distinguished, refined, and immaculate.
He draped a black tie around his neck, but just as he was about to knot it, a soft, sweet scent enveloped him. A pair of delicate, white hands reached up to take hold of the silk fabric.
"Mr. Knight, let me help you with your tie."
Diana stood directly in front of him. They were so close she could feel his hot breath brushing against her forehead. The clean, sharp scent of his body wash lingered at the tip of her nose. She looked up, noticing his thick black hair was still damp and glistening with moisture.
"Mr. Knight, did you just shower?"
William gave a nonchalant "Mhm." He didn't mention the three cold showers. He had a reputation to maintain; he didn't want to come across like a total deviant.
As Diana worked on the tie, she asked, "I didn't hear the water running. How did I miss that?"
"I used the guest room shower so I wouldn't wake you," William said, his eyes fixed on her porcelain skin. "But it seems I woke you anyway."
"No, I woke up on my own."
He was so tall that her arms grew tired from reaching up, so she stood on her tiptoes. Hovering on that single point of balance made her unstable; her slender frame swayed like a willow branch in the breeze.
William instinctively placed his palm against the small of her back to steady her.
Suddenly, his body went rigid.
His palm wasn't resting on fabric; he was touching her bare, silky skin. It was warm—almost hot. The skin-to-skin contact made his palm feel as though it had been scorched.
Diana felt it too. His hand was dry and burning, sending a faint electric tingle through her. The spot where he touched her felt itchy and sensitized.
William's gaze drifted down from her face, finally realizing what she was wearing. From the front, the burgundy nightgown seemed somewhat modest, but from his height, looking down at her, the perspective changed everything. The deep V-neck combined with his bird's-eye view left very little to the imagination.
In the dim light of the floor lamp, her silhouette was a soft, snowy blur. William felt a sudden, restless urge in his hands. The three cold showers had been a complete waste of time.
Diana didn't notice where his eyes were wandering because the heat from his hand on her back was becoming overwhelming. She felt like she was being roasted over an open flame. Her movements turned frantic, but she was skilled; with a quick pull, she finished a perfect Windsor knot.
Her heart was pounding so hard she was sure he could hear it. She took a sharp step back to put some distance between them. "The tie is done."
The sensation of her smooth skin vanished from William's palm. He noticed how practiced she was at the Windsor knot and asked, his eyes darkening, "Did you practice that for someone else?"
"I did," Diana answered honestly.
William's jaw tightened. "That man is very lucky."
"That man is my brother," Diana clarified.
William's brows twitched upward in surprise.
"Noah was chosen as a student representative for an International Model UN conference," Diana explained. "He had to wear formal attire, so I practiced the knot specifically for him."
"I see." William's rigid jawline softened instantly. After a pause, he added, "Your brother must be quite the scholar."
"He's a bit unbalanced. He gets perfect scores in math, but he can barely pass his literature classes."
"Then he and I are very much alike," William remarked.
Now it was Diana's turn to be surprised. "You struggled with specific subjects too?"
"In a way. The subjects I liked, I could study forever. The ones I didn't? I couldn't stand to look at them for a second."
Diana laughed. It was refreshing to see this side of him. The "Young Master of the East City" always seemed so perfect and composed; knowing he had a rebellious, impulsive streak as a student was surprisingly charming.
"However," William added, "despite my lack of interest in certain subjects, I still ranked first in my grade every single time."
"Well, you've definitely got my brother beat," Diana teased. "When Noah's essays wander off-topic toward Mt. Everest and take a detour through the Pacific, he drops to second place."
"When he wakes up, tell him he should learn a thing or two from his brother-in-law," William said playfully.
"I will. I'll make sure he knows," Diana replied seriously.
William let out a low chuckle. He had been joking, but she treated his words like a royal decree.
His phone rang—his assistant reminding him it was time to leave. William gently squeezed her ivory arm. "I'm heading out. It's still early; go back to sleep."
"I'll walk you out."
William's gaze swept over her again. "No need. My assistant is right outside the door. I'd rather not have anyone else see you looking like this."
Diana finally remembered she was still in her provocative lingerie. She quickly turned to grab her robe, wrapping it tightly around her.
As William's tall figure headed for the door, she jogged after him, her silk robe fluttering beautifully in the dim light. At the threshold, William stopped abruptly.
Diana couldn't brake in time and slammed right into his back. Her nose hit his hard muscles, and the sudden pain made her eyes water. "Ouch," she whimpered. "You're so hard."
A smirk tugged at William's lips. He turned around, hooked his arm around her waist, and scooped her up into his arms, carrying her back toward the bed.
Cradled against his firm chest and surrounded by his scent, Diana completely forgot about her stinging nose. When they reached the bed, William used his knee to gently nudge her hips upward. "Wrap your arms around my neck."
She bounced slightly in his grip, her heart leaping with her. She pressed closer to his chest, her soft arms circling his neck as their body heat mingled.
William supported her legs with one hand, letting go of her back to pull back the covers. Diana was left suspended, her entire weight held up by her grip on his neck. He didn't put her down; he simply leaned forward, bringing her down with him.
She felt like a baby kangaroo clinging to its mother.
Once the covers were pulled back, he laid her down and tucked her in tightly. He leaned over, staring directly into her eyes. Diana felt her cheeks burning.
Suddenly, he leaned down further, his lips brushing against her ear. His voice was a low, velvet rasp.
"Darling... keep those words for when we're actually in the middle of 'business.'"
Those words... 'You're so hard.'
Diana froze for a second before the realization hit her. Her face turned a violent shade of crimson.