Company Ink [PUBLISHED]

f i v e

Oh my God, someone please say something!

Adrian studies me intently before shifting his gaze to my skittish colleagues. "Kitty, Manpreet would like to see you," he finally says. Kitty nods feverishly and scatters away, David close behind her.

Traitors!

And then there were two.

Adrian turns his attention back to me. "You must be Miss Carrington," he states in a low hum, his dark brown eyes giving me a slow once over. I'm acutely aware that my hand is slightly trembling and hot water is spilling down the side of my mug and onto my fingers, but I keep a straight and calm face despite the fact my skin is burning off.

I smile confidently, refusing to look shaken. He didn't hear me. He couldn't have. I was whispering...right? "Cassie is fine."

"Cassie." My name slips out of his mouth like liquid honey. His groomed eyebrows perk up as he rubs his clean-shaven chin. "I'm Adrian Cavallero." After a beat, he extends his hand towards me, almost daring me to touch it. "It's nice to finally meet you."

His soft yet gruff hand encircles mine so slowly that my breath hitches. His palm feels like a plush blanket, so warm and comforting, but there's a certain aggressiveness to his grip that sends a blast of heat into the pit of my stomach. I imagine his lean fingers creeping up my bare arm and onto my shoulder, slithering down my heaving chest and...oh Jesus fucking Christ.

No! Nope. Nope. Nope. It's just a handshake. A sensually arousing one, but a handshake nonetheless. He's being professional. He is a professional.

And so am I.

... I hope.

"Let's go chat in my office," Adrian suggests, his slight Spanish accent sending shivers down my spine. "Seeing as we'll be working closely together, we should get to know each other."

"Definitely," I agree in a steady smooth tone. "I'd love to get to know you."

Every single part of you.

Adrian's top lip curls into a faint smirk. "After you."

I let out a tiny inaudible breath and flip my hair as I saunter down the hallway to his office. Swaying my hips methodically side to side, I pass Kitty and David who both toss me an apologetic look. Honestly, if I was them I'd run off too. Self-preservation and all.

Adrian's office is bigger than it looks on the outside. A sturdy black wooden desk sits against the floor-to-ceiling window, two cream-colored chairs with black piping positioned in front of it. An extravagant bookshelf fills the adjacent wall, stacked with leather back books and nautical figurines. I make a mental note of the charcoal mid-century sofa tucked into the corner of the room. I'm sure that will come in handy at some point.