Slow Dancing

15 | nocturne

Reaching for the tablet, I pressed the button and watched the screen flicker to life. With my forefinger, I swiped a quick pattern across the locked keys, all the while aware of Kaden's heavy gaze on me.

He seemed to be calculating my every move, watching me with guarded eyes, even as he reached across the table to teach me how to set up his schedule. He spoke in the same kind of arid professionalism I recognised him using whenever he spoke to clients and I forced all thoughts of missing him aside, focusing instead on the task at hand.

Eventually, he started to become annoyed at having to reach across the table. He got up, pushing his chair back, and came over to stand next to me. Bracing one hand on the back of my chair, he leaned down to point at the screen. And my senses seemed to heighten immediately at his sudden, close proximity. I caught a faint whiff of his scent that I was so familiar with, like an old aphrodisiac I had sorely missed.

"At least three meetings a day. Arrange the slots from three to five here," he explained, and I could practically feel the warmth of his breath on my ear.

I did just as he directed, trying to pretend like his presence didn't affect me at all. He watched me in silence as I continued slotting in meetings for the rest of the week, before reaching down to tap at the screen again.

"I don't get off work any earlier than ten," he said, dragging one of the icons onto a Monday slot. "So you should fit in as many meetings as you can."

My eyebrows knitted together faintly. "Ten? Isn't that a little too late?" I turned to face him, only to realise that my action forced us into a distance merely a hairsbreadth apart.

Kaden paused, uncertainty glossing his features briefly as it suddenly dawned on him how close we actually were, close enough for me to see the freckles dusting his nose. The air was already painfully charged and I wondered if perhaps I wasn't the only one affected by our proximity. And if, perhaps, the closeness could momentarily dull our sanity, crumble his defences.

"Kaden – " my voice was barely audible. I hardly dared to breathe; less I ruin this precious window of opportunity. His eyes fell to my lips as I murmured his name, the green in his irises darkening with some shade far too complicated to name. I could practically feel my heartbeat kick up a notch as his head dipped a fraction of an inch closer to me. "I – "

But the rest of my sentence never left my lips, because a sharp knock on the door promptly destroyed the moment. Kaden blinked and quickly fell a step back, striding back to his desk, his face once again expressionless.

"Come in."

The door to his office opened, and a pretty blonde entered. "Mr Bretton, the files for next Monday's meeting are in." I didn't miss the look of intrigue she threw my way or the gleam in her eye as she approached his desk. "Would you like to review them now?"

"Just leave them on my table," Kaden returned evenly. His attention seemed to be focused on his laptop and he hardly spared her a glance.

The girl set the files down on his table and fell a step back. "Also, Ms Crossbow's been waiting in the lobby for the past half hour. She wants to know if you're still interested in the deal and if you're able to have dinner with her tomorrow. Shall I send her up?"

Kaden seemed adamant on avoiding my gaze. "Send her up in ten minutes," he replied, but I could've sworn I heard a faint trace of irritation in his voice.

"Yes, Mr Bretton." The blonde quickly left the room, throwing me one last look on the way out.

Then the room was silent once more and I faltered, wondering if I was supposed to leave. Was he done teaching me how to plan his schedule? Biting my lip, I stood up hesitantly, setting the tablet down on the desk. "Uh – I'll just be outside, then – "