NOVPUBThe quiet hum of the air conditioner filled the spacious office, accompanied only by the soft scratching of a pen against paper. Elion sat behind his massive mahogany desk, his piercing gaze flickering toward the woman seated across from him.
Raelynn idly drummed her fingers on the smooth surface, shifting in her seat as she watched Elion review some documents. She tilted her head slightly, letting out a small, exaggerated sigh. "You really made Kade go get our lunch?"
Elion didn’t even look up as he responded, his voice even and calm. "Don’t worry, it’s part of his job."
Raelynn raised an eyebrow. "I thought he was your right-hand man, not your personal delivery guy."
Elion smirked, setting down his pen. "Same thing."
She huffed a small laugh, shaking her head. Before she could comment further, the door swung open, and in walked Kade, carrying two neatly packed lunch boxes in a plastic bag. He placed them on the desk with an exaggerated sigh, giving both of them a flat look.
"And here I thought I was your second-in-command," Kade drawled, crossing his arms. "Turns out I’m just a glorified delivery guy now. Should I start wearing an apron too?"
Raelynn let out a laugh while Elion simply lifted a brow, unimpressed. "If it bothers you so much, I can start docking your pay."
Kade scoffed. "Right, because that’s completely fair."
Raelynn, still chuckling, reached for one of the lunch boxes. "Thank you, Kade. You’re the best."
Kade waved her off dismissively. "Yeah, yeah. Enjoy your meal, lovebirds."
Elion shot him a glare, but Kade was already heading toward the door. As soon as he was gone, Elion opened his own lunch, glancing at Raelynn as she eagerly dug into hers.
"So," he started, picking up his fork, "how was the tour?"
Raelynn, chewing happily, swallowed before answering. "It was fun. Helped distract me from boredom—though I only got to explore this floor."
Elion nodded, looking pleased. "I’m glad you’re not bored without me."
Raelynn waved her fork carelessly. "Oh no, I’m good. You can be gone even longer, and I won’t be bothered at all."
Elion’s hand, which had been reaching for his drink, stilled. His expression faltered for a fraction of a second, the corner of his lips twitching downward ever so slightly. He schooled his face back into neutrality quickly, but the flicker of disappointment had already shown.
Raelynn, completely oblivious, continued munching on her food, humming softly as she enjoyed the meal. She licked her lips, her eyes flicking up toward Elion. "I have to say, though, you guys really know how to pick good food. I might just keep relying on you for lunch."
Elion’s gaze lingered on her lips for half a second before he reached for his drink. "You can rely on me for more than just food, you know."
Raelynn, without thinking, smirked as she speared a piece of meat with her fork. "Oh? Then can I rely on your hands too? I want to feel like I’m on cloud nine?"
Elion, in the middle of drinking, choked. The water slipped from his lips as he sputtered, and in his attempt to steady himself, the glass tilted too far forward—spilling its contents onto his lap.
"Damn it," he muttered under his breath, setting the glass down harshly as water seeped into his pants.
Raelynn’s eyes widened. "Oh no! What happened?" Without waiting for an answer, she grabbed a napkin and hurried around the desk to his side.
Elion sat stiffly, his hand coming up to cover part of his face as Raelynn crouched beside him. She leaned in, dabbing the napkin against his soaked thigh.
"I was just teasing! I didn’t mean to make you choke on your drink—" She paused, suddenly realizing where exactly her hand was pressing against.
Elion was turned away from her, his jaw visibly clenched, his hand covering his eyes as though he couldn’t bear to look.
The silence stretched between them, thick with unspoken tension.
Raelynn’s mouth opened slightly, words failing her as her fingers twitched against the damp fabric. The warmth of his body seeped through the material, and her brain caught up with the situation.
Oh.
Oh.
Her face burned.
Just as she jerked her hand away, the door burst open.
"Elion—" Kade started, but he froze, his expression morphing into one of sheer horror as he took in the scene before him. His jaw dropped slightly, his eyes narrowing in utter disgust.
"Are you serious? It’s still broad daylight. And it’s the office!"
Raelynn’s eyes went round. "Wait, no—"
Kade groaned, covering his eyes dramatically as he took a step back. "I did not sign up for this!"
Before Raelynn could explain, he turned on his heel and bolted, practically fleeing from the room as though he’d seen something scarring.
The office was eerily silent after his departure. Raelynn was still kneeling beside Elion’s chair, one hand hovering awkwardly in the air. Slowly, her eyes lifted to meet his.
Elion had finally uncovered his face, his eyes unreadable as he looked at her. They stared at each other, neither saying a word.
Raelynn blinked once. Twice.
Then it hit her.
Oh god.
Her hand.
His thigh.
The way it looked from an outsider’s perspective.
She sucked in a sharp breath and yanked her hand away as though burned, stumbling backward as she scrambled to her feet. "I—it’s not what it looked like! I swear!"
Elion let out a long-suffering sigh, shaking his head as he pushed back his chair. "I’ll go clean up."
Raelynn remained frozen in place, watching as he strode toward the private washroom attached to his office. The moment the door shut behind him, she exhaled deeply and lifted both hands to press against her flushed cheeks.
And then she realized—
The same hand that was now touching her face… was the one she had used to touch Elion’s thigh.
"Oh my god!" Her eyes went wide in horror before she let out a strangled shriek, shaking her hands violently as if that would erase the memory.
