When I look up, I find him with a one-sided smile and that dimple of his that rarely makes an appearance. I fight the urge to smile back.
“Three urgent emails from the Newside contractors, two from legal about the permits, and,” I pause, scrolling through my screen, hyperaware of how intensely he’s watching me. “Rebecca called. Twice.”
He groans with annoyance. “The next time she calls, you can tell her to keep the winnings and to forget this number. Or I’ll have to ask Dante to remind her. That should do the trick.”
“Can’t you do it yourself?”
“I can. But won’t you want to do it instead? You know, to make sure I keep my promise.” His face stretches into a full, wide smile that makes him look boyish.
My lips twitch, revealing that I’m secretly happy with the choice he’s making for us both—we are carefully acknowledging that yesterday did happen.
“I suppose I would,” I admit, trying to keep my voice neutral even as satisfaction curls warm in my chest. “Though I’m sure she’ll be devastated to lose her best fighter.”
“Second best,” he corrects, straightening from my desk with a smile. “That guy nearly knocked me out, remember?”
“Nearly.” The word slips out before I can stop it—seems like I’m defending him from himself. “You were distracted.”
“Yes,” he says quietly, holding my gaze. “I was.”
The memory of our goodbye kiss heats up the air twenty degrees, and I nearly feel the phantom of his lips against mine and taste the desperation in that singular kiss that couldn’t lead to anything else until Noah heals up, and I feel awful for aggravating his pain with our activities.
“Your nine o’clock is here,” I say, tightening my fingers on my pen and breaking the spell before it can pull us under. I mean, I wouldn’t mind, but there’s a place for everything, and my desk at eight thirty a.m. is not it. “Conference room three.”
He nods but doesn’t move immediately. Instead, he reaches past me for the stack of contracts on my desk, his arm brushing mine. The contact is brief, barely there, but it sends tingles up my spine.
“These need signatures?” His voice is perfectly professional, but I catch the slight roughness underneath.
“Yes.” I swallow. “I’ve flagged the pages.”
“Efficient as always.” He takes the stack, his fingers grazing mine in the exchange. This time I know it’s deliberate. “What would I do without you?”
“I shudder to think, Mr. King.” I manage a teasing smile, even as my overly excited heart hammers in my chest. “You’d be drowning in paperwork and miscommunication, I’m sure.”
Noah chuckles, a low, rich sound that warms me from the inside out. “I’ll be sure to keep that in mind next time I consider firing you.” He winks, and my stomach somersaults. “Can you please accompany me to make sure the conference room is ready? I wouldn’t trust anyone else with such a task.”
“I’m glad I’m such an asset to the company,” I retort, straightening my blouse. “You’d better not keep your nine o’clock waiting any longer, or I may be forced to rescind my irreplaceability.”
“Perish the thought.” He gestures grandly toward the elevator. “After you, Ms. I-Single-Handedly-Keep-King-Developers-Afloat.”
“I know my worth, Mr. King,” I say over my shoulder, striding toward the elevator with all the poise I can muster while swaying my butt. “It’s about time you did too.”
“Oh, Beatrice, I know that too.”
His voice makes its way to my thighs, and I try to rub them against each other discreetly.
Two guys from the IT department follow us, but Noah steps in front of the doors before they can enter. “Take the next one.”
They glance between each other and nod.
The elevator doors close behind us, and we’re plunged into a moment of charged silence. I’m hyperaware of his presence, so close I could easily reach out and touch him. Instead, I fold my hands in front of me and stare at the numbers above the door, willing them to move faster.
Noah’s arm suddenly shoots forward and presses the emergency stop button on the control panel, and the elevator comes to a halt.
“What are you doing?” I ask, feeling my eyes widening when he takes a slow step toward me.
Noah’s intense gaze locks on mine as he takes another step. “I’ve been thinking about all those rules we made.” His voice is low and rough with loud desire.
I swallow hard, trying to calm my heart pounding in my ears. “Mr. King, this is a really bad?—”
