Chapter Ten- He's so distracting

My heart stops beating for a second. His grey eyes lock on mine and I fight to keep my expression neutral. I swallow hard and stay rooted to the ground like a statue.

"What are you doing here?" he repeats, slower this time.

What am I doing here? Oh, just trying not to get fired or expose myself as the daughter of scandalized parents, because I need money to pay up a loan, or a very dangerous man would get rid of me and my family. You know, the usual. I grit my teeth behind a tight smile, feeling the urge to bolt.

"I work here, Mr. Gaines," I say, my voice steadier than I feel. "As Mr. Crane's secretary."

His mouth twitches, one silver eyebrow lifting. "Crane's secretary? The irony," he mutters, more to himself. His eyes glints with a cynical amusement that makes my skin crawl. "And does Mr. Crane know exactly who you are, Aria?"

The knot in my stomach tightens. "No, he doesn't," I admit, glancing at the closed door as if it might fly open at any moment. "And I'd like to keep it that way. Please," I add, my voice dropping to a whisper.

He tilts his head, studying me with that unnerving stare. For a moment, the room is so silent I swear I can hear my own thoughts bouncing around.

Great. The man who ghosted my family when we needed help is now holding my future hostage, and here I am begging him like a character in a melodrama.

"And why," Gaines strokes his almost non-existent beard, "should I keep your little secret? What do I gain from not telling him, Aria?"

"Because," I say, as calmly as I can, though I want to run, "outing me would do nothing but create unnecessary drama. Mr. Crane wouldn't appreciate being blindsided by something like this, and you know it. It wouldn't reflect well on anyone, including you."

He chuckles, low and patronizing, making my fists clench at my sides. "You're smarter than I remember. But I'm not convinced. What if I tell him, and you lose your job? It would be quite the spectacle."

My nails bite into my palms. Oh, he's enjoying this, the power play, the smugness. I wish I could open the blinds and throw him out the window. "Please," I say, letting my voice soften just enough to sound sincere without slipping into desperation. "Don't."

"You know, your father was just a greedy bastard. If he had listened to me when I told him to, you wouldn't be here now. But he didn't and he had to pay for the consequences of his actions."

What the hell? I think you're the bastard here you son of a b—

Oops. Mind your language, Aria.

He taps a finger on the table, pretending to mull it over, even though I can see the decision in his eyes.

"Fine," he finally says, leaning back with a satisfied smile that makes me want to hurl the nearest paperweight at his head. "It'll be a little secret between the two of us."

"But..." he continues "I'll need a little favor from you."

"What favor?"

"It's not something I can discuss with you here. Have dinner with me before I leave the city. Then I can give you the details"

I blink. Excuse me? Dinner? "I don't think—"

"That, or I tell Mr. Crane everything," he interrupts smoothly, checking his watch as if he's bored with this game already. "Your choice."

My jaw clenches so hard it's a miracle I don't chip a tooth. "Fine."

"My driver would be here to pick you by 5."

A grin spreads across his face, and I hate that it looks almost warm, like he's some benevolent uncle doing me a favor. "Good to see you, Aria Hartfield," he says as he strides out of the room.

The door closes behind him, and my knees threaten to give out. I take a shaky breath, the room suddenly too bright, too small. I'm having dinner with Mr. Gaines, one of the most sneaky men I know. Fabulous! I mentally add this to the growing list of reasons I need a strong drink and a vacation to a remote island.

I walk back to the office, my head spinning from the encounter. The audacity of that man! I'd rather see him launched into the sun than have a meal with him. But I have no choice. Or I could just tell Mr Crane who I am? It's not like it would matter, would it?

Oh yes, it definitely would.

As I push open the door to Mr. Crane's office...our office, I freeze mid-step. He's taken off his suit jacket, and the sleeves of his crisp blue shirt are rolled up to his elbows.

The fabric stretches across his broad chest and arms in a way that makes my brain temporarily shut down. Seriously, what kind of CEO looks like he moonlights as a Greek god? His biceps shift as he clacks away on a computer, and I find myself swallowing hard, my eyes locked onto the muscles outlined under the fabric. 

Aria, pull it together! 

His eyes snap up, meeting mine with an intensity that could probably melt titanium. "Miss Cole," he says, snapping me out of my trance. "What did Mr. Gaines want with you?"

Oh no. Here we go.

I clear my throat, pasting on a neutral expression as my pulse races. "He, uh, thought I looked familiar. Mistaken identity," I lie smoothly, hoping the way my voice wobbles doesn't give me away.

Mr. Crane's eyes narrow, and he studies me like a detective piecing together a crime scene. I can practically hear my heartbeat in my ears. "Richard Gaines doesn't make 'mistakes' like that," he says, leaning back against his desk, which only makes him look more hot.

I shrug, attempting nonchalance even as my stomach does a triple somersault. "I guess there's a first time for everything."

His gaze hardens, the room suddenly feeling ten degrees colder. "Listen to me, Miss Cole. Gaines is not just another businessman. He's..." He pauses, as if weighing how much to tell me, then continues, "He's a very dangerous man. If he's taking an interest in you, you should be on your guard."

Oh, the irony. If only he knew just how much of a guard I needed right now. I nod, forcing a smile I hope looks grateful instead of panicked. "I appreciate the warning, Mr. Crane."

He looks at me as if trying to crack a code. Finally, he looks away, dismissing me with a nod.

"Sit down."

I settle into my chair, trying to recover from the intense eye contact and the amount of lies I just spilled.

"File these documents and make sure the conference notes are sent to Edwards by the end of the hour," he says, eyes fixed on his computer screen.

"Of course." I reply, leaning over to gather the papers.

After some minutes, I look up to see him unbuttoning his collar. He usually doesn't wear a tie so I catch a glimpse of skin just above the neckline.

I can't focus because he's so distracting and I shake my head, trying to force my thoughts elsewhere, but it's too late; I'm caught.

"Are you alright, Miss Cole?" His voice slices through my thoughts, smooth as always. I can't help but feel like I've been caught with my hand in the cookie jar.

"Um, yeah! Just... admiring the, uh, office decor," I manage to stammer, heat flooding my cheeks. Why did I just say that?

His brow arches, and I can see a smirk threatening to break through. "The office decor? You mean my shirt?"

"Right! That," I say, trying to sound casual while my heart races. "It's, um, very... blue." God, I sound ridiculous.

He leans back in his chair, arms folding over his chest in a way that makes the fabric pull taut, outlining every solid line beneath. "Blue suits me, don't you think?"

"Y-yes," I reply, my voice slightly higher than normal. "It's... it's very fitting." I can't believe I just said that. Someone, please, let the ground swallow me whole.

"Fitting?" His voice deepens, almost a murmur. He leans forward, his eyes darkening as he studies me with an intensity that makes my pulse stutter. "You've noticed how it clings, Miss Cole? That's... interesting."

My throat is too dry to swallow, and my thoughts scramble like leaves in the wind. "I mean... not that it's—"

He raises a brow, a glint of mischief under the cold, composed surface. "Careful Miss Cole. You're sounding... distracted." His gaze deliberately dropping to my parted lips for a second that feels like an eternity.

Holy guacamole! What in the world is going on here? Is he trying to make me lose my mind? Because at this rate, it's definitely working.

"No, I'm... I'm just tired," I blurt out, the words tumbling over each other in a rush.

A hint of amusement forms at the corner of his mouth, but it's dark. "Funny. I didn't take you for someone who's easily worn out."

The insinuation slams into me, the weight of it stealing the breath from my lungs. "I'm not," I manage, the denial coming out weak and unconvincing.

"Good." His eyes still pierce into mine, steady and relentless. "Because I wouldn't want you... tiring out before we even begin the real work."

Wait...

I squirm uncomfortably in my seat and my lips part, but no words come out. The only sound in the room is the soft hum of the air conditioning.

He leans back as if he's aware of just how rattled I am. "Get back to it, Miss Cole. And stay... focused."

"I'll make sure everything is prepared for Mr. Edward," I finally say, as I grab the stack of papers, my fingers trembling just enough to make me grit my teeth in frustration.

He watches me with that maddeningly unreadable expression, eyes dipping to the curve of my jaw before he looks away and begins to roll down his sleeves. "No mistakes."

I nod, "Understood."

He straightens, the smirk vanishing as quickly as it came, replaced by his usual cold demeanor. "What's next on my schedule?."

"Should be the stakeholders meeting but I postponed that to tomorrow. You have no other appointments till 2pm."

"Good. I'll get going now. I have other things to do before then. By noon, someone will be here to take your order for lunch."

I nod. He gets up and wears his suit, adjusts the cufflinks and proceeds to the door. His voice stops me one last time.

"And Miss Cole?" 

I hesitate, glancing over my shoulder. His eyes glint, no trace of softness. "We'll continue this conversation later."

The words send a shiver down my spine. I don't dare to respond, just nod stiffly as he walks out. Whatever this is, it's far from over.