By Midnight

or, she spilled an entire cup of triple-shot ca

meant to.

n late. O

had forgotten

when the universe decided to trip her via a rogue courier on a scooter. She collided, hot coffee flying in a glorious ar

d, stumbling bac

a hand, sil

nish that

perfectly tailored navy suit now wore a caramel stain across

urse

at it. T

n my defense, I only hit

Not even

ld, narro

walked away.

n ice storm

she'd spilled coffee on Grayson Astor, CEO of Astor

t meant to l

, and freelance design gigs to support her younger brother, Liam. But when the executive assistant to

r shooting toward the top floor of one of the tallest buildings i

Staff, greeted her at reception w

she said, looki

1," Sloan

stor likes

eep and carbs, b

t hint of amusement. "Let's hope your

tened her shou

-ceiling windows offered a commanding view of Manhattan, as if the city

ibly c

d in. Just flipped a page on a re

e," Mallory said. "Graduate from Parsons.

fee on me yester

stomach p

looked up, and

ay, unreadable, an

fairness, you walked

itched. Jus

am

ane

siblings,

hy

who can manage c

y little brother on Pop-Tarts and s

for one long, u

One week. Don't

und four polite ways to tell people no. By day four, she'd blocked three reporters, intercepted a

n day

d somethin

were rarely shown. But every morning, between 6:45 and 7:15, he sat at his desk in total

ys

the back of the frame when she set it upr

mention

e dar

rnoon, sipping green tea at her desk while scanning Sloane over the rim

. "You sound like you le

a little too tig

hanged started with

S – LAST MINU

notorious tech billionaire, and the human

sion launch of VegaTech, hosted in Las Vegas. Jordan had secured a private floor

ed Grayson w

did

p from his laptop, m

g. You're

faster than

ite, b

air. Less buttoned. Still sharp, still quiet, but loos

own and heels that pinched. Grayson wore bl

phers at

he murmured as they pos

. "You say that like

e w

His eyes d

ng in her c

ub. Champagne flowed. Music pulsed. Somewhere between toasts and t

on-lit chapel with a half-sober Elvis imperson

her. One year.

ghed. "You

ed at her, u

razier thing

link, the offician

unce you hus

s breat

wn and whispered

it in the

morni

rwork was al

tor was trendi

riage w

was alread

asn't going to be