Chapter 7: I Should Not Care Who Touches You

The days after that night blurred into a tense routine that felt like walking on a live wire. Every morning I showed up at the penthouse or the office early, dressed in the clothes that still felt like a costume, diving into AetherLynx files while Viktor loomed close enough to make my skin hum. We cracked a few outer layers together, nothing game changing yet, but enough to keep the momentum going. He was all business during the day, barking orders at meetings I shadowed, his voice that low rumble that commanded rooms without effort. But the nights were worse. Late sessions at the penthouse where his knee would brush mine on the sofa, or his hand would linger when passing a tablet. No more balcony presses. No more thumb on my lip. Just the memory of it gnawing at me, making me hard at the worst times, forcing me to jerk off in the guest shower more than once while biting back his name. I told myself it was the adrenaline. The power imbalance. Anything but the truth that I was starting to crave the son of a bitch.

Thursday morning hit like any other. I rolled into Volkov Security at seven sharp, coffee in hand, pretending my head was not still spinning from the dreams where Viktor’s cock was not just pressing but buried deep inside me. The lobby buzzed with the usual crowd, coders and execs milling around like ants in a glass hive. I headed straight to the break room for a refill, the space empty except for one guy at the coffee machine.

He turned when I walked in. Tall. Broad. Dark blond hair cut short. Blue eyes that lit up with a smile. Built like he hit the gym hard, white shirt stretched over a chest that screamed former athlete. Daniel, I think his name was. A junior developer ... Openly gay, from what I heard in passing. And hot in that clean cut, approachable way.

“You the new guy who joined last week?” he said, voice smooth and friendly. He leaned against the counter, crossing his arms in a way that made his biceps flex under the sleeves.

I nodded, pouring my coffee. “Yeah. Kai. Assistant to the big man himself.”

Daniel laughed. Low and easy. “Lucky you. Volkov is intense. But hey, if you need help finding anything around here, like the good coffee machine or maybe a decent bar after hours, I am your guy.”

His eyes lingered on mine a second too long. Flirty. Obvious. I laughed politely. “I will keep that in mind. This place is a maze.”

He stepped closer. Close enough that I caught the faint scent of his cologne. Something clean and citrusy. “Seriously though. You look like you could use a break from the intensity. We should grab drinks sometime. I know a spot with killer martinis and zero corporate types.”

His smile was the kind that made you feel seen. Charming. Confident. It reminded me of Andrew. The physical similarity hit hard. Same height. Same build. Same dark blond hair and blue eyes that crinkled at the corners. The kind of guy who walked into a room and everyone assumed he belonged. I felt a twist in my gut. Not attraction exactly. More like a ghost poking at old wounds. I opened my mouth to say something neutral.