Secretly Mine
Chapter 190: Difficulties (2)

Chapter 190: Difficulties (2)

Christian’s scent hit me the moment I stepped inside—sharp, intoxicating, unmistakable.

It was everywhere.

The air was saturated with it, clinging to the walls, curling around my lungs like an invisible snake. His cologne, warm and musky with that underlying cedar note, mixed with the faintest trace of cigarettes. He must’ve just stepped out for a smoke.

It was unbearable.

My thighs instinctively pressed together, a helpless reaction to the way my body responded to him—to the memory of his skin, the heat of his mouth, the weight of his body pressed against mine. I swallowed hard, but my throat was already tight, parched with want.

Why? Why today of all days?

As if this week hadn’t been torment enough—every step I took felt like friction, every breath a battle against the ache burning inside me. And now this? Being surrounded by the scent of him was like tossing gasoline into an open flame.

It wasn’t fair.

This heat, this hunger...it wasn’t just need. It was desperation. A maddening, all-consuming craving that pulsed under my skin, as if my veins had turned to molten wax.

The elevator finally opened, releasing me from the intoxicating scent.

I kept my head down as I made my way to the break room, heels clicking a little too loudly in the nearly empty hallway. My breath still hadn’t fully returned to normal. I was flushed and twitchy, and it felt like everyone I passed could smell what I was going through.

All I needed was something cold. Just one iced drink—tea, coffee, ice water, I didn’t care. Anything to cool this furnace raging inside me.

The break room was empty, thankfully.

I stumbled in and headed straight for the fridge, wrenching it open with more force than necessary. It was stocked full of different drinks and snacks. Rows of different sodas, juices, coffees, and teas made it difficult to choose what I wanted.

I simply reached towards the back of the fridge, grabbing what felt like the coldest can before opening it and downing it all in one go.

Sweet, fruity, and slightly tangy. The refreshing flavors, along with how cold the drink was, quickly helped cool me down in more ways than one. I reached inside and pulled out another can of peach iced tea.

Okay. Let’s head back and get some work done!

I gave myself a slight pep talk and turned to head back to my office. But as I approached the elevator, I once again caught a whiff of Christian’s cologne.

No, maybe I should take the stairs instead...

Acting on my decision, I turned to the door at the end of the hall and walked up the stairwell. It was only one floor, so it wasn’t too bad of a walk. The best part was that there was no intoxicating scent.

---

Seven hours later...

I lifted my head up off my desk. The entire day, I didn’t manage to complete a single task. It was the single most unproductive day in my life.

My mind continued to spiral out of control, and before I knew it, I was resting my head on the desk.

I glanced at the time on the bottom right of the computer screen.

Oh, good. At least the day is almost over.

In less than twenty minutes, Lucas would come to pick me up. Today would be a half-painting half half-modeling session. I was both excited to start a new painting and looking forward to Lucas’s progress on my portrait.

I turned my attention back to the computer screen. The report that I should have finished today still sat as a blank page.

With a heavy sigh, I moved the cursor and closed the blank document.

It’ll give me something to do tomorrow.

By the time I had gathered my things, it was already time to head out.

When I left my office, I carefully glanced toward Christian’s office next door to see if we would accidentally meet once more.

The double doors were tightly shut, standing firm like an impenetrable fortress. A small part of me was disappointed, but I didn’t allow myself to dwell on the thought.

Clearing my head of all useless thoughts, I walked with wide strides, excited for my evening with Lucas.

The elevator had time to air out, so I was spared from having to deal with Christian’s lingering scent once more.

--

"Go get changed. Today we’ll be starting new paintings. Have you thought of the scene you wish to paint?" asked Lucas as we walked up the staircase.

"Mmm, I’ve thought about it, but I’m torn between two," I replied with a smile.

He nodded as he flashed me a look of understanding. "I’d love to hear about them. Tell me after we get changed."

I nodded and walked into the guest room that slowly transformed into my room. Instead of bringing a change of clothes each day, Lucas suggested I keep some clothing there to make it easier on me.

Now my clothes, makeup, and hair accessories occupied the once-empty room.

I quickly changed and made my way over to the painting room. The chaise lounge from earlier was still there, just tucked to the side. Two fresh canvases were already set up in our usual spots, along with the brushes and paints.

This time, the canvas that Lucas prepared for us was larger, nearly the size of my torso. I looked at it was excitement and walked over to sit down on my stool.

A few minutes later, Lucas walked into the room wearing a set of casual clothes.

"Ready? I decided to try and do something on a larger scale, so the canvases today are a bit larger," he said as he walked over to my side.

"Yes! I’m excited! Also, I think I decided on my scene. I was deciding between an oceanic beach scene or a snowy mountain scene. I’ll go with the beach theme since it’s still summer!"

"Great choice," he smiled. "I think I might join you on that!"