For several long moments, Maya simply stared at the box.
Sunlight spilled across her bedroom floor in warm golden streaks, illuminating the cream walls and casting delicate shadows across the furniture. The city beyond her windows continued its endless movement, but inside her room everything felt strangely still.
The cream envelope remained pressed against her chest.
"I will see you at 1pm, Krasota."
A smile threatened again.
She groaned softly.
"Honestly, this is becoming ridiculous."
The smile widened anyway.
Slowly, she walked toward the sofa where the large black box rested.
Her heartbeat picked up slightly.
Not because she expected something extravagant.
Because it was from him.
And lately, anything from Rege seemed capable of affecting her far more than it should.
Carefully, Maya lifted the lid.
The moment it opened, she froze.
"Oh."
The breath escaped before she could stop it.
Nestled inside layers of tissue paper was a maroon velvet dress.
For a second she simply stared.
Then she reached forward and lifted it carefully.
The velvet slipped through her fingers like liquid.
Soft.
Elegant.
Beautiful.
The off-shoulder design immediately caught her attention.
A sweetheart neckline.
Delicate lace detailing that flowed from the bodice down to the waist.
The skirt fell gracefully just above knee-length.
Simple.
Sophisticated.
Not overly dramatic.
Not flashy.
Not attention-seeking.
Exactly the type of dress she would choose for herself.
A strange feeling settled inside her chest.
Because this wasn't luck.
This wasn't guessing.
This was someone knowing her.
Really knowing her.
Maya swallowed.
Then continued exploring the box.
A small laugh escaped her.
Of course.
Black heels.
Simple ones.
Comfortable enough to walk in.
Elegant enough for dinner.
The tiny gold bow on top made them adorable.
Very Maya.
Another box revealed delicate gold bracelets.
Nothing oversized.
Nothing flashy.
Just beautiful understated pieces.
Exactly what she liked.
Her smile softened.
Then she discovered the hair clip.
Pearls.
Gold accents.
Elegant without being excessive.
She immediately loved it.
Finally, she lifted the black handbag.
Her eyes widened.
"Rege."
A soft laugh escaped her.
Of course it was beautiful.
Of course it matched everything perfectly.
And of course—
there was no necklace.
Maya paused.
Then smiled.
A real smile.
One that reached her eyes.
Because she wasn't a necklace person.
She rarely wore them.
Had probably mentioned it once.
Maybe twice.
Nothing significant.
Yet somehow—
he noticed.
The realization hit harder than the expensive gifts ever could.
Her fingers moved gently across the velvet fabric.
She wasn't thinking about price.
Or brands.
Or luxury.
She was thinking about attention.
About someone paying attention.
About someone remembering.
About someone caring enough to notice.
The thought warmed her from the inside out.
For the first time in a long time, Maya felt completely cherished.
An hour later, her bedroom looked like a carefully organized disaster.
Shoes lay neatly beside the bed.
The handbag rested on a chair.
The velvet dress hugged her figure perfectly.
Maya stood in front of the mirror.
Staring.
Then staring some more.
The maroon color complemented her skin beautifully.
The neckline highlighted her shoulders without revealing too much.
The skirt moved softly every time she turned.
The side of her hair had been pinned back with the pearl clip.
The rest flowed naturally down her back in loose waves.
She looked...
different.
Not because of the dress.
Because of how she felt wearing it.
And that realization was infinitely more dangerous.
A glance toward the clock made her straighten.
1:00 PM.
Downstairs, Cassie looked up from the living room sofa.
The doorbell echoed through the penthouse.
She smiled knowingly.
Setting her tea aside, she crossed the room and opened the door.
Rege stood outside.
For a moment even Cassie was forced to acknowledge how unfairly attractive the man was.
Black tailored pants.
Dark maroon velvet shirt.
Sleeves buttoned neatly.
His dark hair slightly disheveled.
As though he'd run his hands through it repeatedly.
Which, knowing him lately, was entirely possible.
"Sir—"
Rege's eyebrow lifted.
Cassie laughed.
"Rege."
A faint nod followed.
"Please come in."
He stepped inside.
His gaze immediately scanned the room.
Instinctive.
Searching.
Looking for Maya.
Cassie noticed.
And smiled.
"She's upstairs."
Something softened in his expression.
Only briefly.
But Cassie caught it.
"Would you like me to call her?"
Rege glanced toward the staircase.
Then shook his head.
"It's okay."
His voice remained calm.
"I'll wait."
Cassie studied him for a second.
Then smiled knowingly.
"Okay if you say so, I'll be in the kitchen."
He settled onto the sofa.
Looking entirely composed.
Entirely controlled.
Entirely calm.
At least outwardly.
Cassie suspected otherwise.
Upstairs, Maya was still staring at herself in the mirror.
Not because she was vain.
Because she was nervous.
Meeting his family suddenly felt very real.
Very immediate.
Very terrifying.
"Cassie?"
She stepped out of her room.
"Cassie, can you—"
The words died instantly.
Halfway down the staircase.
Because she saw him.
And promptly forgot what she had been saying.
Rege looked up.
And forgot how to breathe.
The entire world seemed to pause.
Maya stood frozen on the staircase.
The maroon dress fit her perfectly.
The soft waves of her long dirty blonde hair cascaded down her back.
The pearl clip caught the afternoon light.
And her smile—
God.
Her smile.
Rege had imagined seeing her in the dress.
Many times.
None of those imaginings came close.
Not even remotely.
She looked beautiful.
No.
That wasn't enough.
She looked breathtaking.
Like every impossible thing he had spent weeks trying not to think about.
The sight hit him so hard he forgot to move.
Forgot to speak.
Forgot every coherent thought he'd possessed seconds earlier.
Maya recovered first.
Her smile widened.
And somehow that made everything worse.
Because now she was smiling at him.
Rege rose immediately.
Crossing the room before she reached the bottom step.
His hand found hers automatically.
Steadying her.
Helping her down.
Neither looked away.
Neither seemed capable of looking away.
Finally Rege lifted her hand.
His lips brushed her knuckles.
Soft.
Gentle.
Reverent.
Heat rushed into Maya's cheeks immediately.
"You look dangerous."
The words escaped before she could stop them.
A laugh flickered in Rege's eyes.
"You somehow look better than I do."
His smile deepened slightly.
Then his gaze traveled over her again.
Slowly.
Deliberately.
Not because of the dress.
Because it was her.
Because somehow she made everything beautiful.
The word escaped before he could stop it.
"Beautiful."
Maya's breath caught.
The sincerity in his voice nearly undid her.
Rege's jaw tightened.
Because beautiful wasn't enough.
Not even close.
"You are beautiful, Krasota."
The warmth that flooded her expression made saying it worthwhile.
Made everything worthwhile.
And for a moment neither looked away.
Neither wanted to.
Maya giggled.
The sound escaped before she could stop it.
Light.
Soft.
Dangerously happy.
Cassie appeared from the kitchen at exactly the wrong moment.
Or perhaps exactly the right one.
She stopped in the doorway, immediately catching the expression on Maya's face.
Cassie laughed softly.
Maya eventually composed herself and walked toward her.
"I was actually looking for you earlier."
Cassie folded her arms casually.
"I was in the kitchen."
Maya nodded.
A hint of nervousness suddenly resurfaced.
The excitement.
The anticipation.
The fact that she was about to meet Rege's family.
She lowered her voice.
"I wanted you to check if I look okay."
Cassie's eyebrow lifted.
"You look more than okay."
"No, I mean really check."
Maya moved closer.
Almost conspiratorially.
"My face."
Cassie blinked.
"Your face?"
Maya nodded seriously.
"I only used lip balm."
The last part came out almost as a whisper.
Cassie stared.
Then laughed.
A genuine laugh.
Maya immediately frowned.
"I am serious."
"I know."
"No, really."
Maya touched her cheeks.
"What if I'm supposed to wear makeup?"
"What if I look underdressed?"
"What if—"
"Maya."
The interruption immediately stopped her.
Cassie's expression softened.
"You look beautiful."
Maya hesitated.
"But—"
"No."
Cassie stepped closer.
"You don't need makeup."
Maya opened her mouth again.
Cassie pointed discreetly toward the living room.
More specifically—
toward Rege.
Who had not looked away from Maya once since she appeared on the staircase.
Not once.
Not for a single second.
Maya followed her gaze.
The realization hit instantly.
Heat climbed her neck.
Cassie's smile widened.
"He can't take his eyes off you, isn't that reason enough?"
Maya immediately looked away.
Mortified.
Delighted.
Entirely too pleased with herself.
"That's not helping."
"It absolutely is."
Cassie gently squeezed her shoulder.
"You are beautiful exactly like this, trust me."
The reassurance settled some of Maya's nerves.
The reassurance settled some of Maya's nerves.
Not all of them.
But enough.
A small smile appeared.
"Okay."
Cassie nodded.
"Okay?"
"Okay."
Maya released a quiet breath.
"I trust you."
The words were simple.
But Cassie understood exactly what they meant.
The smile she gave Maya was warm.
Affectionate.
Proud.
Maya turned.
Immediately finding Rege's gaze waiting for her.
Like it always was.
The sight still managed to affect her.
Her smile softened.
"I'm ready."
The words were directed at him.
Only him.
For a second Rege simply looked at her.
As though committing the moment to memory.
Then he offered his hand.
Maya didn't hesitate.
Not even slightly.
Her fingers slid naturally into his.
The simple contact sent warmth through both of them.
Neither acknowledged it.
Neither needed to.
Together they moved toward the door.
Cassie remained where she was.
Watching.
A small smile lingering on her lips.
Something about seeing them together made the entire penthouse feel warmer.
Lighter.
As the door closed behind them, she found herself quietly hoping that both of them would finally stop fighting what was already obvious.
The elevator ride began in silence.
The moment the doors closed, the atmosphere changed.
Immediately.
Neither spoke.
Neither looked directly at the other.
Yet the space somehow felt smaller than before.
Much smaller.
Maya stared straight ahead.
The polished steel walls reflected soft distorted versions of them.
The faint hum of the elevator filled the silence.
She became painfully aware of everything.
The warmth of his hand around hers.
The scent of agarwood and cedar lingering around him.
The memory of aquamarine eyes.
The memory of his thumb.
The memory of—
No.
Absolutely not.
Maya swallowed.
Her pulse immediately betrayed her.
Beside her, Rege remained unnervingly calm.
At least on the surface.
Inside was another matter entirely.
Because standing this close to her was becoming increasingly difficult.
The maroon dress.
The faint vanilla scent lingering around her.
The way she fit so naturally beside him.
The way her fingers automatically curled around his.
It was dangerous.
Very dangerous.
The elevator continued descending.
Floor after floor.
Silence stretched between them.
Heavy.
Charged.
Not uncomfortable.
Never uncomfortable.
Just full of everything neither seemed willing to say.
Maya released a slow breath.
The sound seemed impossibly loud.
Rege's eyes shifted toward her immediately.
Her breathing had become slightly uneven.
Her shoulders rose and fell a little too quickly.
He knew exactly why.
Because he was struggling with the same thing.
Before she could retreat further into her thoughts, his hand tightened gently around hers.
A silent reassurance.
Maya looked up.
And immediately regretted it.
Aquamarine eyes.
Again.
Every single time.
The impact never lessened.
The world seemed to narrow.
Just slightly.
Just enough.
For a moment neither moved.
Neither looked away.
The elevator suddenly felt very small.
Very quiet.
Very intimate.
Maya's heartbeat stumbled.
Then accelerated.
Rege's gaze softened.
Not enough to remove the intensity.
Just enough to make it worse.
Much worse.
The corner of his mouth lifted slightly.
Not quite a smile.
Something more dangerous.
Something private.
Something meant only for her.
The elevator chimed.
Both blinked.
Reality returned abruptly.
The doors slid open.
Cool air rushed inside.
Maya immediately looked away.
Rege released a slow breath.
His hand remained firmly around hers.
Grounding.
Protective.
Certain.
Together they stepped into the underground parking garage.
The polished concrete reflected the soft overhead lighting.
Luxury vehicles lined the private parking area.
The quiet hum of the ventilation system echoed faintly through the space.
Ahead, a black Rolls-Royce waited.
Immaculate.
Elegant.
The driver-side lights flashed softly as they approached.
Rege guided her toward the passenger side.
Before Maya could reach for the handle, he opened the door himself.
Naturally.
Effortlessly.
As though there had never been any other option.
Maya smiled.
A real smile.
One filled with warmth.
"Thank you."
Her voice was soft.
Genuine.
Rege's expression softened immediately.
The faintest smile appeared.
Entirely because of her.
Maya slipped into the seat.
The leather was cool beneath her hands.
Comfortable.
Luxurious.
A moment later Rege rounded the vehicle and entered from the driver's side.
Both fastened their seatbelts.
Neither started the conversation.
Neither seemed particularly interested in breaking the silence.
Because somehow the silence itself had become something precious.
The engine started.
The Rolls-Royce pulled smoothly from the parking garage.
New York unfolded before them.
Busy streets.
Towering buildings.
Endless movement.
Yet inside the car, the atmosphere remained strangely peaceful.
Maya glanced sideways.
Just once.
Only to find Rege already looking at her.
The smile she tried to suppress appeared anyway.
Rege's did too.
Outside, Manhattan continued rushing forward.
Inside, neither seemed in any hurry at all.