Dumped My Cheating Ex. Now I'm Sleeping Next to a Billionaire CEO novel Chapter 23

James stood in the hallway shirtless, his skin a warm bronze that gleamed with a thin sheen of sweat under the corridor lights. Every detail of his body seemed designed to tempt—sculpted abs, those perfectly cut V-lines, and muscles that flexed with every subtle movement. He wore only a pair of black athletic shorts, slung low on his hips, making his whole frame look dangerously powerful.

Emmy’s eyes drifted lower—and she froze. For a second, she just stared, completely thrown off. Even though she’d been married before, her cheeks lit up like a furnace, heat rushing up her neck. She jerked her gaze away, but her heart was already pounding so loud she was sure he could hear it.

And of course, the man in front of her was none other than her new husband—James.

James looked just as surprised to see her. He arched a brow, his eyes dark and unreadable. “You live here too?”

His voice was low and still a little rough from his workout, sending a shiver straight down Emmy’s spine. It was the kind of voice that could make a girl weak in the knees.

She tightened her grip on her robe, forcing herself to sound normal. “Yeah, just downstairs.”

“Uh… Mr. Nelson, were you working out? Or…” Her mind immediately wandered to places it shouldn’t, and she couldn’t help sneaking a peek at the apartment behind him. Was someone else in there? The noise had sounded like more than just one person…

“Was I too loud?” James asked.

Emmy gave a sheepish nod. “Kind of. Just a little.”

“Sorry. I’ll be more careful next time.”

“It’s okay, really. Don’t worry about it,” she said, managing a weak smile and silently begging him not to make any more, well, questionable noises.

James noticed her glancing inside, so he simply opened the door wider and stepped aside. “Want to come in and try it out?”

His eyes lingered on the outline of her body beneath the robe. She looked so delicate—maybe she really did need to work out more.

Oh my god.

She never imagined the guy making all that noise upstairs was James.

Her mind wouldn’t stop replaying the scene—his bare chest, damp hair, those abs, that V-line… and, well, everything else. Just thinking about it made her face burn hotter.

With a body like that, and the way he carried himself, James was every bit the alpha male. The kind that made it hard to breathe, let alone think straight.

“Seriously,” Emmy muttered, pressing her overheated cheeks with both hands. Get it together, Emmy. He’s just a guy. Sure, he’s got a ridiculous body and a stupidly handsome face, but you’re not some sheltered teenager.

But the image of him—and that offhand “want to try it together?”—kept flashing through her mind, making her knees go weak all over again.