I took my time. First I reached up and brought down one mug. Then I changed my mind and wriggled as I stretched to put it back up.
“How was your day?” I gasped, as I reached on tippy toes for a mug further back.
I glanced over my shoulder. He was completely still, his eyes glued to my butt. I pretended not to notice, but hot butterflies tingled in my gut when I saw the intensity of his gaze.
“It was fine. Yours?”
I turned around and faced him while I opened my tea bag. “Do you care if I get Jordan to cook for my friends? Selena and Tanya? Tanya’s mom is always sending baking, so now Jordan is kind of acting like my mom by cooking for my friends.”
His eyes were on my legs. “I think that’s perfect.”
I turned to pour the hot water into my mug. “They love his cooking.” I deliberately let my baby teaspoon clatter on the counter and bounce onto the floor.
I kept talking, but I bent over at the waist, not the knees. I could feel my sweater sliding up my back as I did. I was basically doing my best to pose like a pinup model for him, with my butt cheeks exposed as I slowly bent over. How could he not tell that I was deliberately posing? “How is your food?”
He cleared his throat. “Fine.”
I glanced back at him from my position. His jaw was tight and his cheekbones were flushed, but his gaze thrilled me the most. He was staring at me with so much intensity, I feared I might incinerate on the spot.
I stood up and dramatically flipped my hair so the long curls bounced around my face. “I was thinking about your invitation.”
His eyes met mine, and they sparked molten heat. “Remind me again?”
I gave him my sweetest, most guileless smile. “It was generous of you to invite me to your business dinners.”
“Tomorrow I have dinner with clients at a nice restaurant that you might enjoy, but you should note that Giselle is going to be there, too, for business purposes.”
“I’ll come,” I agreed readily.
There was a slight pause as he processed that, but his response was polite. “I’ll pick you up at eight.”
I gave him my sweetest smile. “Good night, Axel.”
“Good night, doll.”
I pushedthe mango chutney toward Selena. “It didn’t work. I basically didn’t have pants on.”
“Wait, tell us exactly what happened.”
“I reached up, did the drop and bend, and he just stared. He didn’t move.”
“What kind of stare?”
I thought about how he watched me, not hiding his desire, but not acting on it. Him wanting me wasn’t the problem. This situation needed something more.
“Kind of like he’s watching a show, but not participating.”
“Oh, that sounds like it’s working.”
Tanya giggled. “You’re going to have to go to stage two.”
“Which is?”
“Touching him.”
“He invited me to one of his business dinners. Maybe I could try there?”
Selena bit into her samosa. “That’s a great environment, but once you get him there, you have to touch him.”
