The CEO's Midnight Remedy novel Chapter 60

**Dust Writes New Stories by Rei Holt Wilder**

**Aria’s POV**

He pivoted on his heel, his face shrouded in shadows cast by the flickering streetlight. “Aria,” he said, his tone a mixture of surprise and something else—was it annoyance?

“Is that all you can muster?” I challenged, my heart racing as I closed the distance between us. “I saw you standing there, watching everything unfold, and you just… turned away like I was invisible.”

“This isn’t the appropriate setting for this discussion,” he replied, his voice barely above a whisper, yet it carried an authority that sent a shiver down my spine. “You should go back inside.”

“No,” I insisted firmly, my resolve hardening as I noticed his sleek black car gliding to a stop beside us. “I refuse to leave until you explain your actions. Why did you act like you didn’t see me?”

The driver emerged from the vehicle and opened the door for Devon, who stepped towards the car without a backward glance, clearly expecting me to remain behind. But I had no intention of letting him off that easily.

With a surge of defiance, I slipped into the backseat next to him just as the driver was about to close the door, my anger propelling my boldness.

“Get out,” Devon commanded, his voice chilling, like a winter breeze cutting through the warmth of summer.

“No,” I shot back, my arms crossing defiantly over my chest. “We had a deal, Devon. A contract. I thought that included a minimum level of human decency.”

“I told you to leave,” he reiterated, still avoiding my gaze, his demeanor icy.

“And I said no,” I retorted, my frustration boiling over. “What is wrong with you? You saw that guy harassing me, and you did nothing to help!”

Finally, he turned to face me, his gray eyes like steel—cold and unyielding. “I don’t involve myself in public altercations. It draws unnecessary attention.”

“Attention?” I echoed incredulously, my voice rising. “You were worried about attention while I was being manhandled by that creep?”

“Our arrangement is meant to be discreet,” he stated flatly, his expression unchanging. “I don’t want the paparazzi catching us together and stirring up speculation that could jeopardize our business interests.”

His detached reasoning ignited a fire within me. The alcohol swirling in my veins, combined with the emotional upheaval of the past few days, shattered my last vestiges of self-control. In a moment of reckless abandon, I leaned in and pressed my lips against his, kissing him fiercely.

Devon froze in shock, his hands instinctively coming up to push me away. But instead of shoving me back, his fingers tangled in my hair, pulling me closer, as if he were drowning and I was the only air he could breathe.

I instinctively pulled the sheet higher, suddenly aware of my vulnerability in the daylight. “Morning,” I replied softly.

A hint of amusement danced across his features. “Shy now? After last night?”

Heat flooded my cheeks. “Last night was… unexpected.”

“Indeed,” he agreed, stretching languidly beside me, his muscles rippling beneath the fabric of his shirt. “I didn’t foresee you being so… forward. It was a delightful surprise.”

“Don’t flatter yourself,” I muttered, though I could feel a smile creeping onto my lips. “I was drunk and angry.”

“And remarkably enthusiastic,” he countered, a rare smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. “Who knew you had such passion hidden beneath that professional exterior?”

I threw a pillow at him, which he caught effortlessly, a playful glint in his eyes. “Shut up.”

Devon chuckled, a sound that felt foreign yet refreshing. “I didn’t say I didn’t enjoy it. You have quite the flavor when you take charge, Ms. Harper.”