Page 15 of Hidden

His lips tick up at the corner like a muscle twitch. Like he doesn’t want to smile but he just can’t help himself.

“Because, Hadley.” He steps closer, his head tilting toward me, and oh, his exhale ghosts across my neck. “I can smell you.”

That should not do the things it is in fact doing to me right now.

I turn my head toward his body. To anyone looking at us it would look like two lovers in that in-between of almost and just about.

We aren’t lovers and I’m far more confused about this moment than any other in my life. I have been confused like this exactly once before, and I walked. I am not walking right now.

This entire night has me feeling sideways.

And he’s so close that for a moment I close my eyes and picture we are two lovers in a hallway. Stealing a moment away because we can’t keep ourselves from each other.

Then he leans in, hovering behind my ear, where he inhales again before pulling his head back. The scruff of his cheek scratches mine before he pauses.

I can’t breathe. Wanting a man in your life is completely different than having him.

I lick my lips. The satin is failing me. The dress is having a bad humid night.

Don’t move, don’t move, don’t move.

Move, you idiot.

Don’t move.

“Come find me after your speech,” he says, but he doesn’t move. Almost as though he’s trapped in the moment with me too. Two opposing forces suddenly in each other’s orbit.

Neither of us wants to move.

“Why?” I turn far enough to see his eyes, to watch those specks of light blue shimmer in the darkened ring. Our lips are millimeters apart and the need to kiss him builds inside me.

My body isn’t just aware of him. My body is leaning. I am holding my body back the way I would hold back a dog at a crosswalk. Both hands. Full weight. All while the leash is on fire.

He tilts his head toward me, impossibly close and yet so damn far away. I’ve never wanted anything more in my life.

“Because, Hadley, there are things about yourself you’re going to learn tonight.” He pauses, letting his words land in my brain. They do. Barely. “And I for one hope you come to me for answers.”

He steps back, exhaling a long breath against my neck as he does so.

I hum, allowing my composure to settle in once more. “Well, Mr. Dagon.” I take another step away. Then one more for good measure. “Don’t allow your ego to get too far ahead.” I fix his tie because fuck it if he can touch me then I can fix his pristine tie that doesn’t need fixed. I just want to touch him. “You haven’t asked.”

I walk away, my mouth literally drooling for this man and my chest doing what it has not done in two years and three months.

My boss is off-limits.

I repeat it.My boss is off-limits.

Except this doesn’t feel like off limits anymore. It feels like full steam ahead.Off-limits.I try it in my own voice and in my mother’s voice and in Callie’s voice and none of the voices make it true.

The hallway smells like him for another twenty feet.

I can’t shake the feeling I’m wrong somehow. That I’m missing something. And he doesn’t say a word. Just stays quiet. Stoic almost.

Turning a corner, I release the tense breath I’d held through the entire conversation. And I didn’t once look back.

No mantra needed. Go me.

Breathing becomes easier the further I get from him and then the static in my ear buzzes. Touching the comm, I whisper, “Callie.”