Chapter 15 Fifteen
Monday morning arrived with its usual chaos, emails flooding in, phones ringing, and the steady hum of Steele Enterprises’ office.
Izzy’s head still buzzed from the weekend, the memories of Dominic at her apartment making it almost impossible to concentrate.
She tried to shake it off, straightening her blazer and smoothing her hair as she entered the sleek office space. The glass walls, chrome desks, and soft hum of air conditioning were a sharp contrast to the warmth and chaos of her weekend.
She made her way to her desk, pretending to focus on her computer, typing out emails with precise movements.
Her heart skipped every time she thought of the weekend, but she tried to bury it. This is work. Strictly work. No distractions.
Dominic appeared in the office shortly after, moving through the room with his usual commanding presence. His dark eyes scanned the team briefly before landing on Izzy. Her chest tightened. She reminded herself to stay professional.
He approached her desk, his steps measured, precise, and cold. There was none of the teasing, intimate energy from the weekend. None of the dangerous smirk. Just control, authority, and distance.
“Miss Hart,” he said curtly. “I expect the project files on my desk by three. Not a minute later.”
“Yes, Mr. Steele,” Izzy replied, her voice steady despite the flutter in her chest.
He gave a nod and moved on without another word. There was no glance lingering, no teasing comment, nothing to indicate the storm of the weekend still lingered beneath the surface.
It was as if the man who had invaded her apartment, who had kissed her with that intensity, had disappeared entirely.
Izzy tried to focus on her work, typing and organizing files, but every sound... the click of his shoes on the floor, the low hum of his voice giving instructions... made her pulse quicken. She told herself to ignore it. This was strictly professional.
Yet she caught him glancing at her occasionally, brief and calculated, like a predator keeping track of his territory. Each time, her stomach tightened. The coldness, the distance, and the authority only made the memory of his warmth and passion burn stronger in her mind.
By the time the morning passed, she realized she hadn’t spoken more than a single word to him outside of replying to instructions. Every other interaction was purely professional, rigid, and distant.
He’s back to being impossible, she thought, frustrated and slightly wounded. The man who spent the weekend with me is gone. And now all that remains is… this cold, untouchable boss.
Her mind wandered despite herself, imagining him in the office, standing in that commanding stance, his eyes watching, calculating. A shiver ran through her. She wanted his attention, his acknowledgment, but she also hated how much control he had over her thoughts and emotions.
By lunchtime, she was exhausted... not from work, but from the tension of having Dominic Steele in the same office while keeping her feelings buried.
She tried to tell herself it was only Monday. He was strict, professional, untouchable. She had to focus.
But somewhere in the back of her mind, she knew the weekend had changed something. The cold man in the office was only a mask. And she couldn’t stop wondering when... or if he would take it off again.
The rest of the afternoon passed in silence. The kind that filled the air like a heavy fog.
Dominic barely looked at her. Every time she turned her head, he was either on a call, reviewing papers, or speaking to another department head. His tone was sharp, controlled, and distant... the very picture of a man completely focused on business.
Izzy tried to do the same. But every tap of her keyboard, every click of his pen, made her aware of him.
It was like her body remembered what her mind was trying to forget.
Around midnoon, she gathered the files he requested and knocked on his office door.
“Come in,” his deep voice replied.
She stepped inside carefully, clutching the folder like it was her shield. His office was immaculate… black marble desk, tall windows overlooking the city, and shelves lined with awards. Dominic sat behind his desk, sleeves rolled up, his attention fixed on the laptop screen.
“Here are the project files you asked for, sir,” she said quietly.
He looked up slowly, his expression unreadable. “Place them on the desk.”
She did, then waited, unsure if she should leave or say something more.
“Anything else, Miss Hart?” he asked, not looking up again. His tone was polite, distant.. professional to the point of painful.
She hesitated. “No, sir.”
“Then you may go.”
Her heart dropped a little at how easily he dismissed her. She turned to leave, but his voice stopped her just as she reached the door.
“Miss Hart.”
She turned around, eyes meeting his. For a second, something flickered there... something softer, something familiar. But it disappeared just as quickly.
“Yes, Mr. Steele?”
His voice was smooth, but it carried an edge. “I expect you to stay focused at work. Personal distractions are not tolerated here. Understood?”
Izzy swallowed hard. “Understood.”
He nodded once, eyes cold again. “Good. You may go.”
She left the office, her chest tight. His words weren’t cruel, but they stung. It felt like a wall had been built between them overnight... one she wasn’t allowed to cross.
Back at her desk, she tried to focus on the screen, but the numbers and words blurred together. All she could think about was the tone in his voice… how formal he’d been, how he looked through her like nothing had happened.
Was it really that easy for him to forget? she wondered bitterly. Or is this just another game?
The hours dragged by. Every time she heard his voice echo through the office, her heart reacted before her mind could stop it.
At one point, she looked up and caught him staring at her through the glass wall of his office. It was only for a second... but in that second, she saw it.
The tension.
The restraint.
The same fire that had burned between them that night.
He looked away first, pretending to adjust his tie, and called for his next meeting.
Izzy sat back in her chair, trying to steady her breathing. She told herself to be strong... to focus.
But deep down, she knew something had changed between them.
Even if he pretended nothing happened… the air between them was charged with something neither of them could control.
By the time the clock hit six, the office began to empty. Izzy packed up slowly, glancing at Dominic’s office one last time. The lights were still on. He was still there... working, untouchable, unreadable.
She sighed and turned away. Strictly work, she told herself again.
But even as she walked out into the cool evening air, her heart whispered the truth she didn’t want to admit.
Strictly work… was becoming impossible.