Cousin Dave

The city skyline glittered beyond the penthouse windows, but my gaze was locked on him—on the man who had just unraveled every piece of me and still had the audacity to look utterly composed. Damian reclined beside me on the couch, his shirt discarded, the sharp lines of his chest rising and falling with measured breaths.

He reached for a glass of scotch on the nearby table, the ice clinking softly as he lifted it to his lips. For a moment, I watched in silence, mesmerized by the way his throat moved as he swallowed, by the casual power he radiated even in the most intimate moments.

“You’re staring, Secretary Williams.”

His voice, rich and smooth, pulled me from my daze. Heat rushed to my cheeks, but I didn’t look away.

“Maybe I am,” I said, surprising even myself with the boldness in my tone.

The corner of his mouth curved into a smirk, and he set the glass down, leaning back as his eyes swept over me with a slow, deliberate intensity that made me feel exposed all over again.

“Careful,” he said, his voice a low warning. “That look could get you in trouble.”

I raised an eyebrow, my confidence bolstered by the lingering haze of desire. “And what would you do about it?”

He moved before I could react, pinning me beneath him once more, his hands braced on either side of my head. His lips were a breath away from mine, his gaze dark and commanding.

“Do you really want to find out?”

My heart raced, but before I could answer, the sharp chime of his phone cut through the charged silence. The sound shattered the bubble we’d been in, and I froze as reality came rushing back.

Damian’s jaw tightened, his expression darkening as he reached for the phone on the table. He glanced at the screen, his lips pressing into a thin line.

“I have to take this,” he said, his voice clipped.

He pushed himself off me and walked toward the window, the tension in his shoulders evident as he answered the call.

“Damian Xavier,” he said, his tone cold and professional, a stark contrast to the heat we’d shared moments ago.

I sat up, wrapping the throw blanket from the couch around myself as I watched him. It was like watching a switch flip—one moment, he was the man who’d just consumed me with his touch, and the next, he was the untouchable CEO, calculating and distant.

I shouldn’t have been surprised. This was the reality of what we were doing. During the day, I was his secretary, bound by professionalism and decorum. And at night, I was… whatever this was.

He ended the call with a terse, “Handle it,” before turning back to me. His expression softened as his eyes met mine, but the distance between us felt wider now.

“You should go home,” he said, his tone gentle but firm.

I blinked, the shift in his demeanor catching me off guard. “What?”

“It’s late,” he said, running a hand through his hair. “And we both have a long day tomorrow.”

A pang of disappointment settled in my chest, but I nodded, forcing a smile. “Of course, Mr. Xavier.”

His jaw tightened at the formality, but he didn’t correct me. Instead, he grabbed his shirt from the floor and slipped it back on, his movements quick and efficient.

He walked me to the elevator in silence, his hand resting lightly on the small of my back. When the doors opened, he turned to me, his expression unreadable.

“Get some rest,” he said, his voice softer now. “We’ll talk tomorrow.”

I nodded again, stepping into the elevator. As the doors closed, I caught a glimpse of him standing there, his hands in his pockets, his gaze still on me.

The ride down was quiet, my thoughts a whirlwind of emotions. This affair, this dangerous, exhilarating connection we’d forged, was already starting to blur the lines I’d sworn to keep clear.

But as I stepped out into the cool night air, one thought lingered in my mind, sending a shiver of anticipation down my spine:

Whatever tomorrow held, I knew this was far from over.

**

The morning started like any other—emails piling up in my inbox, back-to-back meetings on the calendar, and Damian’s stern yet intoxicating presence looming from behind his desk. I kept my head down, diligently typing away, though my body still hummed from last night’s encounter.

Then the doors to the CEO’s office burst open.

“Cousin!”

The voice was loud, cheerful, and completely out of place in the quiet, professional atmosphere. I looked up to see a man sauntering in, his tailored suit slightly undone, his hair styled in that perfectly careless way that screamed trouble.

Damian’s face darkened immediately. He rose from his chair, his usual air of control cracking at the edges.

“Dave,” he said coldly. “What are you doing here?”

Dave ignored the tension in the room, throwing himself into one of the chairs across from Damian’s desk like he owned the place.

“What, no ‘welcome to the company’? No warm family greeting?” Yeo leaned back, crossing his legs as a mischievous grin spread across his face. “Auntie told you I was coming, didn’t she?”

“She told me,” Damian said, his tone clipped. “She didn’t ask.”

I quickly lowered my gaze, pretending to focus on my screen as the tension between them thickened.

Dave laughed, the sound grating. “Come on, Cousin. Don’t be so stiff. I’m here to help, whether you like it or not.”

“You’re here because your mother insisted,” Damian shot back, his voice like ice. “Let’s not pretend otherwise.”

Their eyes locked, a silent battle of wills, and I could almost feel the weight of whatever history lay between them.

“I’ll be a model employee,” Dave said, holding up his hands in mock surrender. “You won’t even know I’m here.”

Damian didn’t look convinced. “We’ll see about that.”

Dave’s gaze shifted then, landing on me for the first time. His smile turned sharper, more curious, as he took me in.

“And who’s this?” he asked, leaning forward. “Secretary Williams, I presume?”

I froze, my fingers hovering over the keyboard. “Yes,” I said, keeping my voice steady. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Morrison.”

“Please, call me Dave,” he said, his grin widening. “I’m sure we’ll be seeing a lot of each other.”

The way he said it made my skin crawl, but I kept my expression polite.

Damian’s jaw tightened. “Dave, leave her alone. She’s here to work, not entertain your whims.”

Dave raised an eyebrow, clearly amused by his cousin’s protectiveness. “Of course, Cousin. I wouldn’t dream of stepping on your territory.”

The double meaning in his words hung in the air, and my heart skipped a beat as Damian’s gaze flicked to me, his expression unreadable.

“Dave,” Damian said sharply, his tone leaving no room for argument. “I suggest you focus on settling into your new role. I’ll have HR send you your assignments.”

Dave stood, adjusting his suit with a smirk. “Whatever you say, Boss. This is going to be fun.”

With that, he strolled out of the office, leaving behind a tension so thick it was almost suffocating.

I risked a glance at Damian. His hands were clenched into fists on the desk, his eyes fixed on the door.

“Is he going to be a problem?” I asked softly.

Damian exhaled slowly, his shoulders relaxing just a fraction. “He’s always a problem.”

Something in his tone made me wonder just how deep their rivalry went—and what it would mean for the carefully constructed world Damian and I were navigating.