Page 34 of The Billionaire's Vow

That would be a mistake.Especially since her thoughts were becoming distinctly less professional.

She struggled to breathe normally, stepping back slightly to break the overwhelming spell he was casting over her.

“How do you like your new office?”he asked, shifting gears smoothly.“Do you need anything?”

She turned, forcing herself to look around, even though her thoughts were still ensnared by the man standing mere feet away.Carefully, she walked over to the bare desk, sliding the box onto it as she looked around.

“It’s great,” she admitted, scanning the space.“It’s significantly bigger than my last office, though, so I have no idea what I’ll do with all the extra space.”

“You’re going to need it,” he replied easily, gesturing toward the sun-lit corner where the small conference table sat.“Especially the extra seating.”

She smiled, shaking her head slightly.“I think you’re overestimating how many people want to have meetings with me.”

Dimitri’s mouth quirked, his eyes gleaming with something unreadable.“We’ll see about that.”

Then his gaze flicked to the box on the desk, and his brows pulled together slightly.“Where’s the rest of your stuff?I’ll help you get set up.”

Giselle laughed, placing a hand on the half-filled printer-paper box.“This is it.It’s all I have from my old office.”

Dimitri blinked at the box, then at her, then back at the box.For a long moment, he said nothing.

“That’s it?”Dimitri finally asked, his voice tinged with disbelief as he stared at the half-filled box on her desk, as if it personally offended him.

“Yep.”She forced a smile, unaware of the sadness in her own eyes.“I travel light.”

He stepped closer, the shift in his presence making her breath catch.

“You don’t think you belong anywhere, do you, Giselle?”

The question landed like a gut punch.She had no answer because, damn, he was right.Her family… well, she never really felt like she belonged with them.She had always been the misfit, the one who never quite fit into their dysfunctional rhythm.And she knew that they knew it too.

“I just—”

“And you don’t want to take up space,” he continued, his deep voice threading through her thoughts.His gaze locked onto hers, unwavering, cutting straight through her defenses.“You’re afraid that if you take up too much space, people will notice you.”

She swallowed, her throat suddenly dry.

His hand lifted, his fingers grazing her hair, barely there, as if he was tucking away a stray lock.

“If people notice you,” he murmured, “they might have expectations.And you’re not always certain you can meet them.”

The words struck deep, stabbing into places she wasn’t willing to acknowledge.

How the hell did he know that?

How could he take one look at a stupid box and read her whole life like an open book?

“You don’t know me, Mr.De Luca,” she said, her voice clipped, but betraying the emotion threatening to choke her.“You don’t know what motivates me.”

“You’re right,” he agreed, stepping back, but his eyes didn’t lose their intensity.“But I’d like to.If you’d let me.”

And just like that, he turned, heading for the door with a casual ease that irritated her.How could he say something like that, shatter her composure and then leave like nothing had happened?

“I know today has been chaotic,” he continued, glancing over his shoulder.“The office move, the new role…” His eyes flicked to the red dress she wore with a knowing glint.“A few unexpected surprises.We’ll meet tomorrow morning to go over everything.For now, take the rest of the day to settle in.Then leave early so you can go home and sort through your new wardrobe.”

Her mouth opened slightly in protest.

“I’ve already sent the rest of your clothing to your home,” he added smoothly, as if he anticipated her reaction.“I hope you don’t mind.”