Kenji had worked as her secretary for nearly a year now, yet every time she so much as acknowledged him, he felt his ears burn and his throat tighten. She was a force of nature—graceful but powerful, intimidating but magnetic. And he? He was just Kenji—awkward, shy, hopelessly drawn to her every move.

He thrived on her attention, even when it made him flustered. The way she said his name, her voice low and smooth, sent shivers down his spine. The way she leaned in when reviewing schedules, her perfume wrapping around him like an intoxicating cloud, made his heart hammer so hard he was sure she could hear it.

Kenji adjusted his glasses for the third time that morning, his hands trembling slightly as he smoothed down the front of his neatly pressed shirt. The office was quiet, save for the soft clicking of keyboards and the distant hum of conversation. He sat at his desk just outside her office, where he belonged—where he had always belonged.