Fated (6 page)

"Don't
worry, darling. It was strictly professional. I don't know why she was so
rattled by me seeing her. After all, Caden was taking pictures of her for the
world to see."

"There’s
a difference between having an old man barge in on you naked and having a
photograph of yourself hanging in an art gallery," Caden said dryly.

Michael
nodded eagerly. "There sure is! It's one man’s eyes verses a thousand!
You’d think she’d be much more embarrassed by having naked pictures of her
displayed for the world to see."

Caden
rolled his eyes but didn't seem offended by Michael's comment, which seemed to
disparage his art that was hailed by many critics as groundbreaking.

I
didn't want to listen to any more of their conversation so I piped up. "Do
you want me to make a reservation for you two for lunch?"

Caden
shook his head. "No, we'll just eat at the club." I wanted to laugh
at how pretentious that sounded, but I resisted the urge. I wondered if I would
get to use the term
yachting
like Macie had joked about.

I
picked up the phone and was busy canceling their reservation for the squash
court and making one for the following week, so I barely noticed their
departure. I was left alone with my thoughts, and I wrestled with my complex
feelings towards Caden. So far, he had been a fair boss and I had been content
with my job duties. At the same time, his questions about my personal life were
discomfiting, especially since they seemed to be getting more and more
invasive.

Caden
seemed so closed off, but he was almost affectionate with Michael, showing me a
side to him that I hadn't seen before. It was impossible not to notice his
watchful gaze on me, and I was sure I wasn't misreading the spark of desire I
saw in his amber eyes. I knew without ego that I was attractive enough. It was
actually something I saw as a negative because it drew too much unwanted
attention to me. But I was nothing compared to the caliber of women Caden went
out with. I had seen plenty of pictures of him with stunning women clinging to
his arm.

I
dismissed my thoughts, concentrating on filing a pile of paperwork on my desk
and telling myself that I was absolutely not interested in Caden Riley.

Chapter Five

I
was relieved when Caden wasn't sitting at his desk when I arrived Friday
morning. I hadn't seen him again yesterday before I left, and it was with
renewed confidence that I faced the day. I wouldn't let Caden's questions get
under my skin, no matter what he asked.

I
was busying answering emails and eating a cinnamon donut when the studio door
opened. My pulse immediately quickened when I saw that Caden was wearing jeans
that had obviously seen better days, hanging off his hips in a way that seemed
to urge further exploration, and a white t-shirt that was almost threadbare. I
could clearly see the contours of his muscular chest beneath the thin shirt.
But the most arousing thing was the wire-rimmed glasses he was wearing, making
him look like a perfect combination of sexy scholar and virile male.

I
swallowed the lump in my throat. The last thing I had expected was for Caden to
be in his studio since I hadn't heard a sound. Maybe it really was soundproof,
like Macie had suggested.

"Hi,"
I said, annoyed that my voice sounded breathy. "I didn't think you were
here."

Caden
took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes, looking tired. I had been too busy
gawking at him to notice earlier.

"I've
been here since pretty early this morning working on a project."

I
was transfixed as he walked towards me, the muscles of his chest pushing
against his shirt with each movement. I quickly looked down and grabbed onto
any topic to take my mind off what was beneath that shirt. I focused on the
glasses in his hand.

"I
didn't know you wore glasses," I commented lamely as I looked back at
Caden's face, taking care not to pause at his body as my gaze traveled up.

"Eye
strain," Caden replied simply with a shrug.

I
stood up as he walked closer, feeling at a disadvantage sitting down, although
I had to tip my head back to look up at his face because of the height
difference.

"Is
there anything you wanted to go over?"

Caden
didn't answer as he stopped only about a foot away from me. His gaze traveled
down my face and my heart thudded against my ribcage as it stopped on my mouth.

The
tension was thick as he kept staring, and I was at a loss for words. I should
be angry by his intense gaze on my mouth. After all, he was my boss, never mind
that he was the type of man I avoided getting involved with. But instead of
anger coursing through me, I felt almost a painful anticipation of something I
didn't understand.

I
flinched when he reached up and swept my bottom lip with his thumb, but it was
more from surprise than fear. My lips parted and I inhaled sharply when he put
his thumb in his mouth and sucked on it. I felt a sudden wetness pooling
between my legs at his gesture, the intense arousal allowing me to do nothing
but stare at him.

"Cinnamon
and sugar." Caden's voice was low, almost a growl. "Spicy and
sweet."

I
stepped back clumsily, needing to put some space between us. I took a
shuddering breath, as my inner voice screamed at me to take charge of the
situation before it spun out of control.

"Caden,
you can't do things like that." I cursed my shaky voice.

He
raised his eyebrows in challenge. "Why?"

"B-because!"
I sputtered in outrage. Did I have to explain to him that this was sexual
harassment? Maybe he was so used to women dropping their clothes and letting
him take pictures of them that something like this meant nothing. "You're
my boss! You can't go around wiping cinnamon sugar off my mouth
and–"

I
couldn't finish the sentence. The thought of saying the words out loud made me
even more aroused, a feeling that frightened me.
Not this man
, I told myself. My life was
going too well to let myself be dominated by a man.

Caden
shrugged his shoulders, seeming utterly unperturbed by what had just
transpired. I wanted to say more, but my throat didn't cooperate as I just
swallowed. I watched dumbly as Caden walked to his desk and sat down behind it.

I
took a deep steadying breath, telling myself that I only had to endure this
until July. Then Macie would be back and I would never have to see Caden again.
I decided to just let the incident go, not wanting to make a big deal out of
it. I would just make sure nothing like it happened again.

Caden's
voice, sounding perfectly normal, interrupted my thoughts. "Let's go over
some things."

I
tried to look as steady as possible as I walked over and plopped down in the
chair opposite his desk. I was feeling agitated and on edge, but I didn't want
Caden to know he had affected me so much.

"Are
we all set for Saturday?"

I
nodded. Caden was having a small get-together with some colleagues, and I had
reserved a private room in a restaurant. I wasn't surprised he was entertaining
at a restaurant instead of his house. Macie said he rarely let anyone upstairs
except for Michael and his wife. Macie had only been up there a few times
herself. Whenever she did personal errands for him, like picking up his dry
cleaning, she left it in the office for Caden to take upstairs. I was to do the
same, and I had no problem with not seeing his personal quarters. It did make
me wonder where he took all the women he slept with, but I stopped that train
of thought before it went too far.

"Yes,
it's set for a party of ten at Marea for eight p.m. And I also confirmed your
reservation for tonight at Nobu. Table for two at seven o'clock." I raised
an eyebrow. "No flowers?"

I
regretted the words as soon as they left my mouth. It wasn't a positive step in
keeping our relationship professional. Caden smiled sardonically at my
question.

"Someone
once told me that if I didn't care, I shouldn't pretend like I do."

I
was stymied by his response. I wanted to make a remark about how distasteful it
was that he was going out with women he didn't care about, but I didn't want to
flame the fires anymore. So I kept my mouth shut. I just nodded as Caden ran
through appointments he wanted me to set up, and which invitations to decline
and accept. It was dizzying the amount of invitations Caden received to various
dinners and functions, but he refused most of them.

My
eyes rested on the calla lilies that were still sitting on my desk when I
returned to my chair. It was amazing that they had lasted so long, but I was
diligent about replacing the water. They were a calming presence when I felt
off-kilter by Caden's enigmatic remarks and actions, soothing me with their
simple beauty. I doubted they would last through the weekend, even though they
still looked fresh and healthy.

Caden
retreated to his studio for most of the morning until lunch time. I knew he had
a lunch appointment with his publicist, and I was happy for his absence. He
didn't return to the office until much later in the afternoon, apparently
having changed some time during the day. His jeans and threadbare t-shirt were
replaced with black pants and a black button-down that was open at the throat.
The monochromatic outfit made his good looks even more pronounced, and he
looked dangerously dark and appealing.

I
handed him a stack of messages without a word, our earlier interactions making
me feel even more uncomfortable around him. It annoyed me to no end that Caden
looked completely at ease.

"Michelle
will be coming by at six o'clock," he announced. I had never heard her
name before, but I had a pretty good idea of who she was. It seemed like he had
a standing Friday date.

"Okay,"
I replied. I usually left at six unless Caden had more things for me to do and
I wasn't sure if he wanted me to wait around to let her in. "Should I wait
until she arrives to leave for the day?"

Caden
studied me for a few beats. I met his gaze blandly, trying not to show how the
intensity of his gaze was affecting me.

"No,
I can let her in if you're gone."

I
nodded as Caden strode to his studio and closed the door behind him. I prayed
that Michelle arrived well after I was gone.

I
was relieved when she still hadn't arrived by six and I hurried to shut down my
computer and grab my purse. Of course, the minute I stood to leave, the buzzer
for the front door sounded. I sighed in resignation and walked over to the
panel and pushed the button to speak.

"Hello?"

"It's
Michelle!" The voice was bright and cheery, further dampening my mood. I
could tell from even from the grainy picture of the monitor that she was drop
dead gorgeous. I pushed the button to unlock the front door and waited for her
to come in.

Michelle
opened the office door and entered in a flurry of blonde hair, sparkling jewels
and perfume. She was undeniably beautiful, tall and slim with large aquamarine
eyes that peered at me with curiosity. Her blue dress made her eyes look even
more brilliant as it hugged every elegant line of her svelte body. I bet she
had never eaten a cinnamon donut in her life.

"Hello,"
I said politely. "I'll let Caden know you're here."

I
picked up the phone and called his extension inside the studio. Once I
discovered that he had a phone in his studio, I rarely ever knocked on his door
anymore.

"Caden,
Michelle's here. I'll be leaving now."

"Wait."
Caden hung up after his barked order before I could respond. I sighed in
resignation and leaned against my desk while I waited for Caden to emerge from
his studio.

"Who
are you?" Michelle's question was more curious than demanding and I
reminded myself that as Caden's employee, I needed to be friendly.

"I'm
Lauren. I'm filling in for Macie while she's on vacation." I gave her a
thin smile, wanting to be polite but also wanting to discourage further
conversation. She didn't take the hint.

"I'm
Michelle Grammer. Nice to meet you." I shook her proffered hand and
silently wished that Caden would hurry up. If there's one thing I was horrible
at, it was small talk.

"You
too, Michelle."

"How
long–"

Fortunately,
Michelle's question was cut off by Caden swinging open the door and striding
into the office. He glanced at me before walking over and leaning down to kiss
Michelle on the cheek. I was uncomfortable being witness to his token
affection, but Michelle didn't seem to think it was satisfactory as she swung
her arms around Caden's neck and pressed up against him, giving him a firm kiss
on the mouth.

"What
did you need, Caden?" I asked, more abruptly than I had intended. I didn't
understand the conflicting emotions roiling inside of me, and I didn't want to
examine them. I just wanted to get out of there.

Michelle
was leaning against Caden, her arm entwined around his as he stood there
stiffly, not discouraging her familiarity but not embracing it either.