Okay, fair point.
His eyes flicker down to my halter top and skirt. My chest constricts as I force myself to keep my arms at my sides instead of crossing them over my breasts or pulling the fabric of my skirt over my legs.
His gaze snaps back up to my face, eyes cold and hard. I barely resist the urge to gulp as I force myself to lift my chin.
“Do we have a problem, Mr. Hawke?”
“Oh, we most certainly do, Miss Clark.”
He takes a step toward me. I stand my ground. Barely.
“How long have you been doing this?”
I narrow my eyes. I most definitely do not like his tone.
“Well, I got here about six o’clock—”
“That’s not what I mean,” Aiden snaps, “and you know it.”
“About a year,” I bite out. “Not that it’s any of your business what I do outside of working hours.”
“You’ve been doing…this,” he says with a wave back toward the fire ring, “and never told me?”
Confused, I frown. “Why would I? You’ve always touted professional is separate from personal.”
“This is different, Seraphina.”
I blink. I never imagined Aiden would find out my secret. But somehow, I thought if it ever did come to life, he would understand. I know he ran away from foster care when he was barely thirteen, that he used less than legal means to survive. He’s crafted a new life for himself. An incredible career. Yet here he is, looking down his nose at me. Hurt pulses through me, ice-cold and sharp. I let it live for a moment, mentally store it as a reminder for what happens when you let your guard down.
And then I do what I learned how to do when the going gets tough; I shut off my emotions until there’s nothing but a blissful numbness, a void that allows me to move forward in the moment.
“I’m up in a few minutes. We can talk Monday.”
I start to pass by. He reaches out and grabs my wrist again. The heat of his fingers sears my skin as I tense.No, no, no. Now is not the time for my stupid crush to show its face. He’s my boss. Not my friend. Not my lover.
He reaches out, places his hand on my shoulder and turns me to face him. My breath catches as his bare palms lie flat against my skin.
“Damn it, Seraphina, I don’t care how you spend your personal time. I just…” His voice drifts off. “You go to greenhouses and music festivals and bookstores on weekends.”
I blink, surprised he knows these details about me. “And?”
“So, I didn’t think my executive assistant was out playing with fire on her nights off.”
I smile slightly. “I’m not playing with fire, Mr. Hawke. I wield it.”
Something flares in his eyes. It’s too dark to tell what. Probably anger, although why he’s upset, I have no idea.
He blinks. Breathes in. His eyes drop down to my lips. I suck in a shocked breath at the sudden flare in his eyes. Can it be possible that Aiden feels something for me? Even if it’s just simple lust, the idea is tempting, intoxicating.
He leans down. My lips part.
A shriek rents the air. A ball of light arcs up from the far side of the lake into the sky, then explodes into a shower of gold and red sparks.
Fireworks, I realize, as reality settles back in. I take a huge step back. Aiden releases his grip on my wrist. My heart is pounding, my breath building up in my chest until it comes out in a rush. Aiden’s staring at me like he’s never seen me before.
Or, worse, like he’s seeing everything I’ve fought to conceal. Like he’s seeing me.
The panic I experienced earlier is nothing compared to the full-blown terror that surges up my throat and fills my veins with a frantic humming. I don’t want Aiden looking at me like this. Before tonight, I was a dependable employee with an admirable track record.
