The Hockey Roommate's Filthy Desire novel Chapter 83

Chapter 83

Chapter 83

ARIA’S POV

I still couldn’t get the moment from earlier out of my head.

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The way I slipped. The way my body tipped forward before I could even think. The way Brandon caught me like it was nothing.

Effortless. Instinctive. Too quick. Too certain. And the worst part was how my heart reacted before my brain could catch up.

I didn’t understand it. I didn’t want to.

Because I knew how these things went. I knew how kindness turned into control. How attention turned into expectation. How protection turned into ownership.

I had lived through that before. And I refused to repeat it. By the time we got back to the penthouse, my mind was still unsettled.

Brandon got out of the car first, as usual, but I stayed back for a second longer. I didn’t know why.

Maybe it was the awkward tension still sitting in my chest. Maybe it was the embarrassment from earlier at the office. Or maybe it was just him.

Either way, I followed behind slowly. But the moment I stepped into the living room, I stopped.

There was someone there. A young woman.

She was very very pretty. She stood neatly in the center of the room, holding a small tablet in her hands, dressed simply but elegantly. Her posture was respectful, professional.

My stomach dropped instantly. Of course. My brain didn’t even hesitate. This was his girlfriend.

How did I think that a man like him didn’t have one before?

It came so naturally that I hated myself for it.

My chest tightened as I stood frozen near the entrance, unsure whether to move forward or turn around and disappear into the elevator.

Then Brandon walked in behind me. “Boss,” the girl greeted immediately, bowing her head slightly. “I’ve returned from my leave.”

My entire body went still. Boss? Brandon nodded once. “Good.” And just like that, something inside me deflated so fast I almost felt dizzy.

She wasn’t his girlfriend. She was his staff. The maid. Of course she was.

I blinked slowly, suddenly aware of how ridiculous my thoughts had been. My face warmed immediately.

12:20 Thu, May 14 N

Chapter 83

I had actually thought that she was his girlfriend.

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No. No, Aria. Don’t even go there. I pressed my lips together tightly, mentally scolding myself as I walked further inside.

Dinner that evening was quieter than usual. But not uncomfortable. Just heavy.

I kept glancing at Brandon between bites, still slightly distracted by everything that had happened today. The catch. The office. The maid. My own embarrassing assumptions.

And then finally, I couldn’t hold it in anymore. “I don’t want to keep working like this,” I said.

Brandon looked up. “Like what?”

“As your assistant,” I clarified. “If I’m not actually working.”

His brows lifted slightly. “You are working.”

“No, I’m not,” I insisted. “You’re just letting me sit there all day. I don’t need that. That’s not what we talked about and you know it. I don’t need a babysitter, Brandon.”

Silence stretched between us for a moment. I tightened my grip on my fork. “I don’t want to be treated differently just because I’m pregnant,” I continued. “I don’t want special treatment. I don’t want pity. I just want to work properly.”

His gaze settled on me more intently now. “You’re pregnant,” he said simply. “You don’t need to be stressed.”

Something in my chest twisted. There it was again. That tone. That calm, steady concern I didn’t know what to do with.

“I don’t need you to decide that for me,” I said quietly. He didn’t respond immediately. And for a second, I thought he might argue. But instead, he leaned back slightly in his chair.

“Fine,” he said.

My eyes widened a little. “Fine?”

“You want work,” he continued. “You’ll get work.”

Relief washed through me instantly.

But then, a slow, faint curve appeared at the corner of his lips. It was not warm, not soft but something else.

Something sharper. Almost amused. “I’ll assign you properly tomorrow,” he added.

I narrowed my eyes slightly. “Why do I feel like I’m going to regret that?”

His gaze didn’t waver. “You probably will,” he said simply.

And somehow, that made my stomach tighten in a way I didn’t like at all. I didn’t eat anymore. I just stood up and excused myself to my room before crashing on the bed.

12:20 Thu, May 14 N

Chapter 83

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The next morning came too early. I barely slept. Brandon had left instructions through the maid that I was to be ready early, dressed appropriately, no questions asked.

Which immediately made me suspicious. Very suspicious. By the time I stepped out of my room, he was already waiting by the door. Suit. Tie. Watch. Perfect as always.

“Come,” he said.

“Where are we going?” I asked cautiously.

“You’ll see.” That answer alone made me regret waking up. The car ride was silent again. But this silence felt different.

He wasn’t working. He wasn’t reading documents. He was just sitting there, watching the road in that calm, composed and completely unreadable expression.

I shifted slightly in my seat. “Brandon.”

“Yes.”

“What exactly am I doing today?”

He glanced at me briefly. “You’re coming with me.”

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