Ella

By the third day of working with Liam at Trenton Tech, we have an easy rhythm. I still miss my kitchen and yoga pants, and hate to admit, but given the tight timeline, being on site has really sped things up.

Liam had IT link my laptop to their system and Tim has been working remotely with me to get his program up and integrated with their system. There's a slight comfort in having him on messenger to chat with and distract me from the man sitting mere feet away.

Tim: So how's working with the big boss going? 😏

Me: Same as yesterday. Don't you have a patch to work on?

Sophia, of course, told Tim all about our dinner and now he is super interested in my day-to-day moments. To listen to him, you'd expect Liam to be humping my leg, but that's not the case at all.

In fact, there's been no sign of anything from his end since dinner. I feel this electricity between us, but he's been nothing but professional, chipping away at whatever his workload is before we leave.

I'm at the point that I'm wondering if I misinterpreted his interest at dinner... Maybe he was just being polite?

Tim: The patch is done and rebooting, stop dancing around the question!

Me: There's nothing to dance around. It's fine, we're both very busy.

Tim: Bullshit, there's no way y'all are just sitting there like saints after THAT chemistry at dinner.

Me: I think I looked into it too much... he's been very professional all week.

I can't look away from the screen and those infernal chat bubbles as Tim types his reply. An eternity slowly ticks away before his reply finally pops up.

Tim: Right...

Me: 5 minutes of typing for one word?!?!

Tim: You don't want to hear what I was going to say.

Me: Lay it on me.

Again, those awful chat bubbles blink away at me like they're laughing as Tim apparently types me an essay. My eyes flit up above my laptop and steal a glance at Liam. His jacket is hanging up, leaving his broad shoulders on full display as he types away. When he isn't typing, he's reading and absentmindedly stroking his beard.

Tim: You're too close to it. Take it from another guy. From what Sophia said she saw, he's hooked. Maybe he's just trying to be professional... you guys do work together... now how he might act OUTSIDE of the office, that's a different story...

Outside of the office...

I inwardly groan, rolling my eyes. That's not likely to happen. We spend the day working and Soph swings by and grabs me on her way out, then drops me off at home.

Me: This is a professional, working relationship, need I remind you?

Tim: Is that what you think, sweet cheeks?! Let me know what you think after you spend the weekend with him without a chaperone.

My cheeks heat instantly at his suggestion. I hadn't thought about what might happen on this trip. I just assumed long hours of digging through data. Not that Sophia counts as a chaperone. She would lock us in a room together at her first chance.

Really, I have no idea what to expect from this trip. He hasn't even said anything about when we'd be leaving other than Friday, nor when we'd be back...

Tim: Earth to Ella, where'd you go???

Me: Sorry, got distracted...

Tim: By a certain green-eyed devil?

Me: Got to go!

Before he can reply, I shut my laptop and bury my face in my hands.

Tim's relentless and currently I'm his favourite new topic.

"You okay?" Liam asks. I crack my fingers open and see him staring at me with a mix of concern and confusion.

"Yeah," I groan, feeling my cheeks heat. "Just needed a break."

"You have been burning through that stack pretty fast. Let's go grab some lunch and stretch our legs." His offer sounds perfect and I'm on my feet instantly.

I close my eyes, rubbing and rolling the tension out of my neck as Liam finishes up what he was working on. He grabs his jacket and rounds the desk, pausing very close to me as his green eyes lock on mine.

"What are you feeling like today?" he asks, slipping his suit jacket on and adjusting it, stealing all of my attention.

"Um?" I mumble, unable to form coherent words as his cologne surrounds us.

"Cafeteria, or would you prefer to head out?" he asks with a crooked grin.

"Definitely out," I say, rubbing my neck. "I feel stiff."

"There are lots of food carts in the park?" he offers, dropping a hand on my lower back to guide us towards the door. The contact is so natural and my feet respond immediately before my mind has a chance to catch up.

Liam picks our path through the scenic park, bustling with busy professionals on their lunch breaks. He leads us past a pretzel cart, sails past the hotdog one, and beelines for a blue and white food truck that smells heavenly. When his hand drops from my lower back, I instantly miss the contact as he orders our food.

A moment later, he's back with a couple of chicken wraps, drinks, and fries. He leads us around the corner to a quiet bench by the nearby lake. I breathe deep, take in the relaxing atmosphere, and let the tension roll out of my shoulders.

"That bad?" Liam asks, cocking a brow, but his green eyes glint in the dappled sunlight.

"No," I blush, realizing that he's been watching me the whole time. "I think I'm just out of practice... Offices, they feel stiff."

"I assure you, Miss Carter, you're doing exemplary work," he says with a wink.

"Why thank you, Sir," I tease back, playing on his formality. "I do so aim to please." I flash him a cheesy smile and heat instantly under his darkening gaze. The lightness in our joking around seems to have been sucked out of the air and has been replaced by a heavy... something... Whatever the shift is, it sends my heartbeat on overdrive and excites me.

Before I can make a fool of myself further, I turn back to my wrap and take a bite, focusing my attention on a couple of ducks swimming nearby. The food is delicious, but all I can feel is Liam's heated gaze as he watches me. After a moment, he catches himself and shakes his head like he snaps out of it.

"So, um, this trip?" I ask, breaking up the silence. "How long, or... um, what should I pack?"

I catch the corners of his mouth tug up slightly as he fights a grin while he finishes his bite. The look in his eyes makes me curious as to what he's thinking about.

"I don't really have an answer, I'm afraid," Liam replies and takes a sip of his iced tea.

"Nothing to go on?" I ask, feeling a slight pout pull at my lips. Part of me feels like he's toying with me. I don't miss how his green eyes zero in on my pouty lips in a way that instantly makes me pull them back in and run my tongue over them.

"We are booked in for Friday night at the Benton," he starts as he shifts his gaze to the water. "We have the penthouse, so you can have your own room but a shared commons to go over work or whatever."

"Penthouse? That seems... expensive," I mumble, shocked, earning a throaty chuckle from Liam.

"It's a write-off and with how accommodating you've been, I wanted to make sure you were comfortable," he admits with admiration in his eyes. "The hotel has a spa, gym, and pool, if any of that interests you. Declan has it set up for us to spend all Saturday and Sunday in the office, where Renford's will have everything available for us, but that's where what we know ends."

Liam sighs and looks lost in thought, and I continue to pick at my fries, hoping for any insight into what's in store for me.

"Best-case scenario, we find what we need on the weekend. Worst case, we could be there all week, maybe more," Liam replies with a shrug. "We really won't know until we get in there."

All I can do is silently nod. I have never done this type of in-person audit before, but he makes it sound so simple. I always figured business trips involved bad motels with lumpy beds and cold cereal breakfasts, but I should have known that Liam would insist on the best. My eyes flicker up to him as he eats and watches the water, lost in thought. The faraway look in his eyes and the way he's ticking his jaw make him look like he's conflicted about something.

"Everything okay?" I ask, drawing him back.

"Hmm?" he mumbles, still half lost in thought.

"You look pretty far away there," I say.

"Just thinking ahead," he dismisses. "Is there anything you want to do when you're in the big city?" I just shrug, having never considered it. "Give it some thought. We'll have some nights to occupy. The shopping and restaurants are some of the best."

"I'll take a look," I say with a smile, not wanting to disappoint. Shopping is more of Sophia's thing. She has a serious fashion addiction. I just buy what I like and need.

Lunch is over too quickly and after some light conversation, he finally makes the move to head back. Liam wastes no time gathering up our wrappers and disposing of them before holding out a hand to help me up. Effortlessly, he pulls me up towards him and slips his hand lightly on the small of my back once more as he guides us back in.

When we get back to his office, he's called away before he even steps through the door, leaving me to see myself in. As I make my way over to the desk and boot up my laptop, I take a closer look at one of the pictures hanging on the wall. It's simple, elegant, and of a woman's hands wrapped in red ribbon.

The more I stare at the picture, the more intrigued I am. Not that I expected sports posters on the wall, but there's almost an abstract sensuality from such a simple picture. A flurry of pings brings me out of my reflection as Timothy's chat bubble explodes.

Tim: Don't run away!

Tim: Ella?

Tim: Sweet cheeks?!

Tim: Where'd you go?!

Tim: and more importantly... Did the green-eyed devil go too?

Tim: I want details

Tim: Okay, now I want Sophia level details.

Tim: Seriously?! A picture may be needed too... you know... for business purposes.

My cheeks instantly heat, knowing where his mind is racing to. I roll my eyes and shoot off a reply to stop him from spiraling any further down the gutter.

Me: Sweet Jeezus, it was just lunch!

Tim: Lunch, you say? Sausages or hotdogs?

Me: Wraps -_- In public!

I groan, knowing that this hasn't stopped Tim's wheels from turning one bit. With a thankful sigh that Liam isn't sitting here as Tim grills me, I decide to get it over with and tell him exactly what happened, which is nothing.

Tim: I knew it! Told you, El, you just need to trust me!

Me: Knew what?! There's nothing to know!

Tim: It's simple, El, Touch.

Me: Touch? Are you on a sugar high again?

Some people are addicted to coffee, booze, or even drugs... Tim is a sugar junkie, candies and cookies are his drugs of choice. His last break up, me and Soph practically had to hose the sugar off of him from his comfort sour watermelons and gummy worms.

Tim: Leave my sugar out of this. El, when do you see men who aren't into women put a hand on their backs?

I stared at the chat bubble on my screen and literally pause. I can't think of a single time; not even my exes put their hand on my lower back and I was sleeping with them.

He can't be right, can he?

Me: Just because I never noticed it doesn't mean you're right. Besides, none of my exes did.

Tim: El, you dated boys.

Tim: This is a man you're dealing with who clearly knows how to treat a woman and I'm telling you, his sights are set on you!

I know Tim would never steer me wrong, but I don't know what to think. A big part of me wants to believe him, but as I sit back in my seat, the other more practical side of me says that I don't get attention from the Liams of the world. I'm not like Sophia, beautiful and confident, turning heads in any room she enters. She can charm anyone as easily as she breathes, meanwhile I can choke on air.