William Knight had been wide awake all night, enduring three frigid showers to keep his composure.
With a joint government-business summit scheduled for 7:00 AM, he stepped out of his third cold shower at 6:00 AM, ready to dress for the day.
The tall, imposing man stood by the wardrobe and slid the door open.
The usually monotonous, cool-toned space was now disrupted by bursts of vibrant color. William was a man of minimalist habits—strictly black, white, and gray—but now, his closet was cluttered with Diana's lively presence.
There was a silk camisole in cherry blossom pink, a ginger linen shirt, a French maxi dress in pomegranate red, and that visually arresting violet lace bra.
They were huddled chaotically next to his bespoke suits.
William's obsessive-compulsive tendencies began to throb in the quiet morning air. He was a man who arranged his clothes by a precise color spectrum, from the lightest white to the deepest black, with every hanger spaced exactly to the centimeter.
He took a deep breath and set to work. His long, slender fingers brushed against the soft fabrics as he began weaving her colorful dresses between his shirts, organizing them by shade.
When his gaze fell upon her intimate wear, he paused. William couldn't stand the sight of lingerie hanging out in the open; it ruined the clean lines of the wardrobe.
He reached out with his pale, cool fingers, picked up the violet bra, and pulled out the bottom drawer.
His perfectionism took over completely. He opened every drawer, cleared out all of Diana's disorganized undergarments, and sat on the edge of the bed with a stoic expression. Patiently, he folded each piece, tucking the edges in and using his nimble strength to press them into standard little squares.
When he was finished, these multicolored "blocks" were neatly stacked in the drawer according to their color gradient, looking more like an art exhibit than a laundry pile.
Task complete, William shed his robe and began to dress.
His black suit trousers were pressed to a razor edge, and his white shirt hugged his powerful, lean chest. He buttoned it to the very top—distinguished, sophisticated, and utterly pristine.
As he draped a black silk tie around his neck, a soft, warm fragrance suddenly drifted toward him. It was a sweet, youthful scent that seeped into his senses. A pair of delicate, fair hands reached up and took the silk ribbon from him.
"Mr. Knight, let me help you with your tie."
Diana had woken up at some point and was now standing prettily in front of him. They were so close that her stray hairs fluttered against his hot breath.
The scent of the man—a heady mix of cold water and mint body wash—aggressively enveloped her.
She looked up and noticed that his usually perfectly groomed hair was slightly damp, giving him a rare, untamed edge.
"Mr. Knight, did you just shower?"
William's Adam's apple bobbed. "Yes," he replied nonchalantly.
He would never admit to the three cold showers. Such a loss of composure would make him look like an impulsive boy. In front of her, he had to maintain his image of untouchable self-restraint.
As she expertly looped the tie, Diana murmured curiously, "I didn't hear the water. When did you go?"
"I used the guest room so I wouldn't wake you," William said, his voice dropping an octave as he stared down at her porcelain skin. "It seems I disturbed you anyway."
"No, it's just my internal clock."
William was so tall that Diana's arms soon grew tired. She had to stand on her tiptoes, her slender frame swaying slightly in the morning light like a willow in the wind.
Substinctively, William reached out, his large palm steadying her by the small of her back.
In an instant, his spine went rigid.
His palm didn't meet the texture of pajamas; instead, it met exceptionally fine, warm skin. The sensation was like touching heated white jade, instantly reigniting the fire he had fought so hard to douse.
Diana froze too. His palm felt like it carried a low-voltage current. Even through the thin fabric, the spark climbed rapidly up her spine.
William's gaze drifted down her neckline.
He realized then that she was wearing a wine-red velvet nightgown. From the front, it looked elegant enough, but from his towering vantage point, the deep V-neck couldn't hide her breathtaking curves.
In the dim light of the single floor lamp, her silhouette glowed with an amber, ethereal haze.
William's grip on her waist tightened.
He realized then that those three cold showers had been a complete waste of time.
Flushed by his burning gaze, Diana didn't dare look up. She finished the tie with trembling fingers, and a perfect Windsor knot sat at his throat.
She stumbled back a step, trying to escape the dangerous tension. "The tie is done."
As the warmth left his palm, William looked at the knot, his eyes darkening. "Have you practiced that before?"
Trying to steady her racing heart, Diana answered honestly, "Yes."
William's expression chilled, his tone laced with a hint of uncharacteristic jealousy. "That man was very lucky."
"That 'man' was my brother, Noah."
The ice in William's eyes melted instantly. "Oh?"
"He used to represent his school at international Model UN conferences and insisted on wearing a suit to look the part. He was hopeless at it, so I learned how to do it for him."
"I see." William's jawline softened significantly, a trace of pleasure touching his features. "Noah is a good student, then?"
"He's a bit of an extremist," Diana said, her eyes crinkling with affection for her family. "He gets perfect scores in Math but fails his essays. Writing is a total disaster for him."
William smirked. "He sounds a lot like me."
Diana looked at him in disbelief. "The great Mr. Knight was a lopsided student?"
"In a way. If a subject interests me, I'll study it all night. If it doesn't, even a glance feels like a waste of my life."
Diana laughed. She didn't notice that this cold, brooding man was slowly peeling away his mask of "maturity" just for her.
William added, "However, even with my 'preferences,' I never once let the top spot in the rankings slip away."
"Well, you're certainly better than him," Diana teased. "If Noah's essay topic wanders off into the Pacific Ocean, he drops to second place immediately."
William leaned down, whispering playfully, "When the kid wakes up, tell him he should learn a thing or two from his brother-in-law."
"I'll tell him," Diana promised, her face serious.
A phone rang—his assistant was downstairs.
William squeezed her shoulder. "I have to go. Go back to bed and get some more sleep."
"I'll walk you to the door."
William's eyes swept over her nearly-exposed nightgown, his gaze darkening. "No. There are people outside, and I don't want anyone but me seeing you like this."
Diana looked down, remembering her state of dress, and her face turned crimson. She quickly grabbed a long robe and wrapped herself up like a cocoon.
The man turned to leave with a steady stride, but Diana found herself following him.
Just as William reached the door, he stopped abruptly.
Diana crashed straight into his back, which felt like a solid brick wall.
"Ouch..." She clutched her reddened nose, tears pricking her eyes from the impact. "You're so hard," she whimpered.
A wicked curve touched William's lips. He turned, swept her up by the waist with one arm, and effortlessly carried her back toward the bed.
Diana gasped, instinctively clinging to his chest, the scent of him washing over her again.
At the bedside, he gave her a playful nudge with his knee. "Hold on tight. Wrap your arms around my neck."
Diana's heart hammered against her ribs as she obediently looped her arms around him.
William held her in that incredibly intimate position, using his free hand to pull back the duvet without ever putting her down.
Diana felt like a small creature being tucked away by a giant protector.
He lowered her into the bed and tucked the covers around her with a firm, protective grace.
Their eyes met, and the temperature in the room soared.
Suddenly, he leaned down, his cool lips brushing against her flushed earlobe as he whispered:
"Darling, keep those three words for when we're actually busy in bed."
Those three words...
Diana blinked, and then the realization hit her like a lightning bolt. Her entire face turned a vivid, scorching red.