Chapter 14: A Game She Never Wanted to Play

Emma sat in her office long after Alex had left, her fingers drumming against the desk.

This was a problem.

A very big problem.

She was used to men like Alex Kingston—the ones who thought they could walk into her world and rattle her. She had shut down their advances before, dismissed them without a second thought.

But Alex wasn't like the others.

Because she could feel it—the way he wasn't just flirting for the sake of it. He was watching, reading her reactions, knowing exactly when to push and when to pull back.

And she hated that it was working.

Emma took a deep breath, closing the project folder in front of her. Work. That's what mattered. Not some ridiculous tension with a man who had no place in her life.

Determined to move forward, she grabbed her phone and dialed Lily.

"Clear my schedule for the evening," she ordered. "I need time to review the final contract details."

"Yes, Ms. Carter."

Emma hung up and exhaled.

She would bury herself in work, as she always did. And by the time she was done, whatever this… thing between her and Alex was would be nothing but a passing distraction.

Or so she hoped.

—

The hours passed in a blur.

By the time Emma finally leaned back in her chair, stretching out the stiffness in her neck, the office was almost empty.

She glanced at the clock. 9:42 PM.

A deep sigh left her lips. Maybe she had overdone it, but at least the documents were finalized.

Just as she stood, a familiar voice cut through the quiet.

"You work too much."

Emma's head snapped up.

Alex.

Standing in her doorway, leaning against the frame like he belonged there.

Her pulse spiked before she forced it back down. "Are you stalking me now, Kingston?"

Alex smirked. "Relax, Carter. I had a meeting nearby. Thought I'd drop by."

Emma crossed her arms. "Well, as you can see, I'm busy."

"Busy ignoring me?"

She rolled her eyes. "You overestimate your importance."

Alex chuckled, stepping inside. "If that were true, you wouldn't be so tense right now."

Emma clenched her jaw. He was enjoying this—pushing her, testing her limits.

And the worst part?

She wasn't sure if she wanted to push back or let him keep going.

—

Alex glanced around her office before his gaze landed on the untouched dinner container on her desk. "You didn't eat."

Emma didn't answer.

Alex sighed, shaking his head. Then, before she could react, he reached into a bag he had been carrying and pulled out a takeout box.

"Here," he said, placing it in front of her.

Emma frowned. "What—?"

"You skipped dinner. I figured you'd forget to eat."

Her chest tightened at the casual way he said it, like it was the most normal thing in the world.

Like he knew her.

"I don't need you to take care of me," she said, her voice quieter than she intended.

Alex held her gaze. "I know."

Then why did it feel like he was doing it anyway?

Emma exhaled, sitting back down. She stared at the food for a moment before finally picking up the chopsticks.

Alex didn't say anything else.

He just sat across from her, watching with that infuriatingly unreadable expression.

Emma hated this.

Hated that he was making her feel things.

Hated that, for the first time in forever…

She wasn't sure she wanted to stop him.