Chapter 63

**Matthew’s POV**

The morning light filtered through the windows, soft and golden, cutting across my desk as I tried—unsuccessfully—to focus on the files in front of me. The city outside was waking up, traffic humming faintly in the distance, but here in the office, the only sound was the faint tick of the clock.

I should have been productive. I *needed* to be productive. Instead, my mind drifted to Heizel—the way her hair had tumbled around her face when she laughed, her hands dusted with flour from our kitchen chaos last night, and the warmth of her body as she leaned against me afterward.

A smile tugged at the corner of my lips before I even realized it.

I wasn’t supposed to feel like this. It was dangerous. And yet, it was impossible to stop.

The door to my office flew open without warning, shattering the quiet.

“Morning, sunshine!” Taylor’s voice rang out far too cheerfully for this hour, his grin wide enough to make me want to punch it right off his face.

I shot him a look, barely lifting my head from the papers scattered across my desk. “What the hell, Taylor? Do you know what knocking is?”

He dropped into the chair across from me with an exaggerated sigh, stretching his legs out like he owned the place. “Do you know what sleeping is? It’s early, man. Even the birds outside look like they need coffee.”

“Unlike you, I have work to do,” I muttered, trying—and failing—to ignore him.

Taylor smirked, that glint of mischief in his eyes unmistakable. “Oh, you mean pretending to work while thinking about Heizel?”

I froze mid-movement, my pen hovering over the page. Slowly, I looked up to glare at him. “What?”

“Don’t play dumb,” he said, leaning forward and bracing his elbows on his knees. “You’ve got that look on your face. All dreamy and brooding—like you’re the lead in a romance novel.”

I tossed the pen down onto the desk, pinching the bridge of my nose. “You’re insufferable.”

“And you’re smitten,” he shot back, grinning like the devil himself. “It’s adorable, honestly. The way you stare into the middle distance like some lovesick poet? Priceless.”

“I swear to God, Taylor…”

“Oh, don’t get all grumpy with me,” he said, standing up and casually rounding the desk. Before I could react, he reached out and swiped one of the papers off my desk.

“Taylor,” I warned, my voice low.

He ignored me completely, holding the paper up like it was the key to my soul. “What is this? Numbers? Oh, fascinating. I’m sure you’re totally focused on it and not thinking about Heizel’s—”

I grabbed the paper back, glaring daggers at him as I shoved him a step away. “If you value your life, you’ll shut up now.”

Taylor burst out laughing, leaning casually against the corner of my desk. “Relax, man. I’m just saying—you’ve got it bad. And don’t even try to deny it.”

“Not everything is about her,” I shot back, though I knew I wasn’t fooling either of us.

Taylor raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced. “Oh yeah? Then tell me—what were you *really* thinking about when I walked in?”

I opened my mouth to fire back a retort, but nothing came out. The smug bastard knew he had me.

“That’s what I thought,” Taylor said, grinning like he’d just won the lottery. “Man, it’s so weird seeing you like this. You’re always the cool, collected CEO. Now you’re practically glowing. Should I expect you to write her a sonnet next?”

I couldn’t stop the laugh that escaped, shaking my head as I leaned back in my chair. “You’re impossible.”

“And you’re in denial,” he shot back, nudging a coffee mug on my desk as he studied me. “But seriously, Matt—this is a good thing. You’ve been locked inside your own head for too long. You like her. It’s okay to admit it.”

I stared at him for a moment, his words hitting a little too close to home. “Maybe I do,” I said quietly, surprising even myself with the confession.

Taylor’s grin softened, turning into something closer to pride. “See? That wasn’t so hard, was it?”

“Harder than listening to you run your mouth at seven in the damn morning,” I muttered, though there was no bite in my voice.

Taylor straightened up, clapping a hand on my shoulder as he turned to leave. “Well, get used to it. You’re the one who fell for her, so now you’ve got me to deal with. Oh—and don’t forget, Mom wants to meet her soon. I may or may not have mentioned Heizel.”

I froze again, my eyes narrowing. “You told my mom?”

Taylor was already halfway out the door, his voice echoing back as he disappeared down the hallway. “You’re welcome!”

I sat there for a moment, staring at the empty doorway in disbelief before running a hand through my hair with a groan.

*I’m going to kill him.*

But despite the frustration—and the knowledge that my mom was going to interrogate me relentlessly—I couldn’t help but smile. Because Taylor was right.

I *did* like Heizel. And no matter how much I wanted to deny it, the truth was written all over my face.