Chapter 4 — Closer Than Comfort
The day dragged, but not for the usual reasons. Lena found herself constantly aware of Adrian's presence, though he never spoke to her directly beyond the tasks he assigned. His subtle movements—leaning against a desk in a particular way, adjusting the cuff of his sleeve, even the slight turn of his head—seemed to follow her without her realizing it.
It wasn't just observation. It was claiming.
She tried to focus on her work, shuffling files and checking schedules, but each glance toward his office made her chest tighten. Adrian Cross didn't need to speak to remind her who controlled the space. His aura did it all on its own.
Around mid-afternoon, her courage—or foolish curiosity—got the better of her. She approached the glass walls of his office, trying to catch a glimpse of what he was working on. For a moment, he didn't look up, absorbed in his documents. But then his eyes found hers.
Lena froze. That look wasn't casual. It wasn't neutral. It carried weight, almost tangible in its intensity. She felt the pull in her chest, the quickening of her pulse, and for a fraction of a second, she wanted to look away.
But she didn't.
Instead, she took a careful step forward.
"Lena," he said, voice low, deliberate. Even the sound made her skin prick. "Come in."
Her heart leapt. She hadn't expected an invitation, and her instinct told her to hesitate. Yet something deeper urged her inside. One step led to another, and soon she stood just inside the doorway, hands fidgeting at her sides.
"Close the door," he added. There was no command in it, but the subtle insistence made her comply without question.
Adrian leaned back against his desk, studying her as if she were a puzzle he intended to solve. "You've been watching me."
Lena's throat tightened. "I… I was just curious."
His eyes softened just slightly, but the edge of control never left. "Curiosity is a dangerous thing. Especially around someone who notices everything. I notice when people watch me."
Her chest tightened further. "I wasn't—"
"You were," he interrupted softly, not harshly. "And now you know that I notice you."
The words hung in the air. She wanted to retreat, to escape the weight of his gaze, but her legs felt rooted to the spot. There was a magnetic pull she couldn't deny.
He stepped closer—just a small shift, almost imperceptible, but close enough that the space between them felt charged. Lena's breath caught in her throat, and she realized how acutely aware she was of him: his height, the sharpness of his features, the calm authority in his presence that somehow pressed down on her chest.
"You've adjusted quickly," he said, almost conversationally, though his gaze never wavered. "Most people fumble when they're near me. You… don't."
Lena tried to keep her voice steady. "I… I pay attention."
"Good," he murmured, almost a whisper. His eyes locked with hers, intense, unblinking, and yet there was something beneath that intensity—a hint of fascination, interest, a spark that made her stomach tighten.
For a moment, they simply stood there, the hum of the office outside the glass walls fading until it was nothing but the unspoken tension between them. Lena's pulse raced. She couldn't tell if she was afraid or thrilled—or both at once.
Then Adrian moved back slightly, breaking the tension—but only partially. "I'll be assigning you more tasks soon," he said, voice neutral now, but with the faintest undercurrent she couldn't ignore. "Consider this your first lesson: I notice everything. Do not forget it."
Lena nodded, barely able to form words. She left his office, closing the door behind her, and took a deep, shuddering breath. Her hands were clammy, her chest still tight, but a strange exhilaration ran through her.
She realized, as she sat back at her desk, that something had shifted. Adrian's attention wasn't just a presence anymore—it was a force. A quiet, persistent gravity that tugged at her, pulling her closer even when every rational thought screamed that she should keep her distance.
And deep down, she knew it wasn't just her noticing him anymore.
He was noticing her.Fully. Completely. Intensely.
A slow-burn tension had begun between them, one that neither could ignore. And Lena understood, with both fear and something she wouldn't admit aloud, that this was only the beginning.