The penthouse was too quiet.
Mira stood in the center of the living room, her fingers tracing the edge of the contract that had once bound them together. The paper was crisp, the ink now faded from weeks of handling—folding, unfolding, reading and rereading the terms that had started as a business arrangement and ended as something neither of them had anticipated.
*Three months.*
That was all it had been supposed to be.
And now, the deadline had arrived.
She exhaled slowly, her breath shaky. The last few weeks had been a blur of stolen touches, whispered confessions, and the kind of passion that left her breathless. But now, with the contract’s expiration looming, she couldn’t shake the gnawing uncertainty in her chest.
*Theo hadn’t said a word about it.*
Not one.
No mention of extending the arrangement. No hint that he wanted more. No reassurance that what they had was real beyond the terms they’d signed.
Mira swallowed hard.
Maybe he was waiting for *her* to bring it up.
Or maybe—
Maybe he was already done.
The thought sent a sharp pang through her ribs. She clenched her fists, forcing herself to breathe. *No.* She wouldn’t spiral. Not yet. Not until she knew for sure.
The elevator dinged.
Mira’s pulse jumped, her body reacting before her mind could catch up. She turned just as Theo stepped into the penthouse, his broad shoulders filling the doorway, his expression unreadable.
For a heartbeat, neither of them spoke.
Then Theo’s gaze flicked to the contract in her hands.
Mira’s fingers tightened around the paper.
“It’s today,” she said, her voice steadier than she felt.
Theo’s jaw flexed. “I know.”
Silence stretched between them, thick and suffocating.
Mira waited.
Theo didn’t say anything else.
Her chest ached. *That was it?* No grand declaration? No plea to stay? No hint that he wanted her beyond the terms they’d agreed upon?
She forced a smile, her pride rising like a shield. “Well. I guess that’s that, then.”
Theo’s eyes darkened. “Mira—”
“No, no, it’s fine.” She waved a hand, her voice light, almost breezy. “I knew what this was from the beginning. No hard feelings.”
Theo took a step forward. “That’s not—”
“Really, Theo.” She cut him off, her smile never wavering. “It’s been fun. But I should get going. I’ve got a flight to catch in a few hours.”
His expression shuttered. “A flight?”
“Yeah. Back to New York. I’ve got a job interview lined up.” The lie slipped out easily. She hadn’t even started looking for jobs yet, but she needed an excuse—something to make this easier. Something to make *her* leaving seem like the natural next step.
Theo’s hands flexed at his sides. “You didn’t mention that.”
Mira shrugged. “Didn’t think it mattered.”
His eyes flashed. “Of course it *matters.*”
“Does it?” She tilted her head, her heart pounding. “I mean, the contract’s up. We’re done. What difference does it make where I go next?”
Theo’s jaw tightened. “You’re just going to walk away?”
Mira’s breath hitched. *Was he serious?* He was the one who hadn’t said a word about continuing this. He was the one who had let the deadline creep up without so much as a hint that he wanted more.
She lifted her chin. “What else am I supposed to do, Theo? Wait around for you to decide if I’m worth keeping?”
His expression darkened. “That’s not—”
“No, you know what?” She stepped forward, her voice rising. “I’m not doing this. I’m not going to stand here and beg for scraps of your attention. If you wanted me to stay, you would’ve said something by now.”
Theo’s hands clenched into fists. “You think this is easy for me?”
“I don’t know, Theo!” She threw her hands up. “You haven’t exactly been *forthcoming* about your feelings!”
“And neither have *you!*” he shot back.
Mira froze.
Theo’s chest heaved, his eyes burning into hers. “You want to talk about miscommunication? Fine. Let’s talk. You’ve been distant for *days.* You flinch every time I touch you. You act like you’re already halfway out the door.”
Mira’s throat tightened. “Because I *am!*” she snapped. “Because I don’t know what the hell this is anymore! One minute, you’re kissing me like you can’t get enough, and the next, you’re acting like I’m just another contract to fulfill!”
Theo’s expression twisted. “You think *I* don’t feel that way?”
Mira’s breath caught.
Theo stepped closer, his voice low, rough. “You think I don’t lie awake at night wondering if this is real? If you’re going to wake up tomorrow and realize you made a mistake?”
Mira’s heart pounded. “Then *why didn’t you say something?*”
“Because I didn’t want to *pressure* you!” Theo’s voice rose. “Because I didn’t want you to feel like you *had* to stay just because of some stupid piece of paper!”
Mira’s eyes burned. “That’s not—”
“Isn’t it?” Theo’s gaze was relentless. “You’ve been so focused on the contract, on the *terms,* that you haven’t even stopped to ask yourself what *you* want.”
Mira’s chest ached. “I *know* what I want.”
Theo stilled.
She swallowed hard. “I want *you.*”
The words hung between them, raw and unfiltered.
Theo’s breath hitched.
Mira’s hands trembled. “But I can’t—” Her voice broke. “I can’t keep doing this if you’re not sure. If you’re just going to let me walk away because you’re too proud to admit you want me too.”
Theo’s expression crumpled. “Mira—”
“No.” She shook her head, tears blurring her vision. “I’m not going to be your *option.* I’m not going to be the girl you keep around until something better comes along.”
Theo’s hands shot out, gripping her arms. “There is *nothing* better.”
Mira’s breath hitched.
Theo’s grip tightened, his voice rough with emotion. “You think I don’t *know* that? You think I don’t *feel* that every damn day? You’re the only thing that’s ever made sense to me. The only thing that’s ever *mattered.*”
Mira’s heart stuttered.
Theo’s thumbs brushed over her skin, his touch desperate. “I was trying to give you an out. I was trying to make sure you *wanted* this—*wanted me*—without feeling like you had to stay.”
Mira’s lips parted. “Theo—”
“I love you.”
The words hung in the air, heavy and undeniable.
Mira’s breath caught.
Theo’s hands cupped her face, his gaze burning into hers. “I love you. And I don’t give a damn about the contract. I don’t care about the terms. I just care about *you.*”
Mira’s vision blurred. “You *love* me?”
Theo’s lips crashed onto hers, fierce and possessive. “More than anything.”
Mira melted into him, her hands fisting in his shirt. When he pulled back, his forehead rested against hers, his breath ragged.
“Stay,” he whispered.
Mira’s heart swelled. “I never wanted to leave.”
Theo’s arms wrapped around her, pulling her against him. “Then don’t.”
Mira buried her face in his chest, her tears soaking into his shirt. “I won’t.”
Theo exhaled shakily, his lips pressing to her temple. “Good. Because I’m not letting you go.”
Mira laughed through her tears, her hands sliding up to grip his shoulders. “You better not.”
Theo’s mouth found hers again, slow and deep, sealing the promise between them.
When he finally pulled back, his eyes were dark with hunger. “Now,” he murmured, his voice rough. “About that contract…”
Mira arched a brow. “What about it?”
Theo’s lips curved. “I think it’s time we renegotiate the terms.”
Mira’s pulse spiked. “Oh?”
Theo’s hands slid down to cup her ass, pulling her flush against him. “Permanent basis. No expiration date.”
Mira’s breath hitched. “I like the sound of that.”
Theo’s mouth claimed hers again, his kiss hungry, possessive. “Good. Because I’m never letting you go.”
And as his hands roamed her body, as his lips trailed down her neck, Mira knew one thing for certain.
This wasn’t the end.
It was only the beginning.
---
**End of Chapter 16.**