Fated (9 page)

My
insides clenched as I immediately thought about my fantasy on Friday. I didn't
want to imagine what Caden meant about other ways to express a connection
without a camera, so I just nodded.

Caden
wasn't willing to let the subject drop as his eyes studied me, not hiding the
heat in his gaze. "Have you ever been photographed, Lauren?"

I
tried to laugh to lighten the mood, but the breathy sound didn't do much to
dispel the tension in the room. "Not professionally. I doubt I'm the type
to be anyone's muse."

"I
wouldn't be too sure about that. Your face was made to be photographed. So
expressive yet so closed off. You're the embodiment of contradicting emotions.
Your blue eyes can be frigid and distant in one second, and then warm and
inviting the next second. It would be a challenge to capture it all." His
gaze was intense, and I was transfixed by the hypnotic lull of his voice. When
his eyes flicked up to my hair, it didn't lessen the intensity of his scrutiny.

"And
your hair. Always pulled back into a neat ponytail, but bursting to be free. I
find myself wondering what your hair would look like with no restraints, to be
let loose in all its glorious abandon."

The
thought of Caden thinking about my hair, the wild curliness that was the bane
of my existence, turned my insides to mush. I wanted to protest the liberties
he was taking with his observations, but my mouth wouldn't cooperate. Instead,
I stared back at him, feeling a heat flowing through my body. The heat turned
into an inferno when his eyes flitted down my body.

"And
the prim clothes you're always wearing. What are you hiding beneath your boxy
shirts and tailored pants? Instead of detracting from your beauty, it adds
mystery to it. You can't think that your efforts to make your body unnoticeable
can succeed with a few loose-fitting clothes. Every movement you make presses
your curves against the fabric, inviting the observer to imagine what's
underneath."

"Stop."
I finally found my voice, although it was strained. "This is totally
inappropriate. I work for you. You can't say those kinds of things to me."

Caden
smiled, looking anything but chastened when he met my gaze. There was an
unmistakable heat in his eyes, but when he spoke, his voice was casual.

"I'm
just speaking from the perspective of a photographer. I'm trained to observe
others."

I
shook my head, not accepting his explanation. I wasn't going to be placated so
easily this time. "Caden, I'm serious. You're my boss. I can't work for you
if you're going to keep making suggestive comments."

"Am
I making suggestive comments or are you reading too much into my
observations?" Caden raised an eyebrow, looking positively devious.
"Maybe my words are being colored by your desires."

"I
don't have any desires!" I exclaimed, knowing that I sounded too agitated.
It was as if Caden knew what I had fantasized about. I took a deep steadying
breath, telling myself to calm down. Caden was just doing this to get a rise
out of me, and I wouldn't let him succeed. "This isn't a joke. You need to
respect my boundaries. Otherwise, you'll need to find someone else to fill in
for Macie."

Caden
shrugged, as if the thought of me quitting didn't perturb him, but he relented.
"Fine, you win. You can go back to pretending I don't exist unless I speak
directly to you."

There
was a bit of rancor in his voice, and I was surprised that he seemed
disgruntled that I had tried to limit my interactions with him unless
absolutely necessary. He didn't know about the desires springing inside of me
that made me try and distance myself from him. I knew his comments were
inappropriate, but maybe he was right. Maybe I was reading too much into his
comments and glances. After all, Caden was an artist and maybe I was mistaking
his passion for art with a passion for me.

I
sighed, wanted to smooth over this hiccup. "I'm not trying to ignore
you," I lied. "I'm just trying to be professional."

Caden
nodded but he pressed his lips together, looking dissatisfied. When our lunch
was delivered, he disappeared upstairs, and instead of feeling relief, I felt
disappointment. For a brief period of time, I had actually enjoyed Caden's
company. He could be funny and charming when he wanted to be. Unfortunately, it
didn't seem like he wanted to be that way very often.

When
he came down later in the afternoon, all of our interactions were strictly
professional. I didn't see Caden smile again, and I couldn't help wanting to
hear him laugh again. But I kept a blank face and tried to concentrate on my
work.

The
rest of the week passed similarly. Caden and I were polite to each other, but
nothing except work was discussed. Caden didn't ask me any more personal
questions and I never looked in his direction unless he spoke to me.

By
Friday, the tension was unbearable and I was dreading accompanying Caden to the
Greenwood opening. I wasn't even sure if he still wanted me to go with him,
since our relationship had gotten so strained.

When
Caden strode into the office that Friday afternoon, I couldn't help asking,
"Do you still want me to go with you tomorrow night?"

Caden
scowled, his expression darkening as his eyes flashed with impatience.
"You're my personal assistant. You need to do as I say, not question
everything. Stop trying to get out of it."

I
made a sound of frustration, unwilling to let his biting tone go. "You're
right, I'm your personal assistant, not your slave! And I was just confirming
that I was still going with you. You don't have to get all pissy just because I
ask you a question!"

Instead
of getting angry, the corners of Caden's mouth turned up. I wasn't sure if his
amusement made me relieved or even more agitated. I didn't understand how one
man who I wasn't even romantically involved with could have me tied up in such
knots.

"There's
the frigid blue eyes I haven't seen in a while. While I prefer their warmth,
it's a vast improvement over blankness."

I
didn't know how to respond. Apparently, Caden had been just as discomfited by the
superficial politeness of this past week as I had. Instead of welcoming the
bland professionalism our interactions had taken on, I had felt strangely
disappointed by it.

"If
it's irritation you want, I'm sure you'll do plenty to get my hackles up."
I laughed wryly to soften my words, wanting to ease our relationship back into
that comfortable place it had occupied for a few moments earlier this week.

Caden
grinned. "I'm happy to oblige."

I
felt a surge of happiness run through me when he sat down behind his desk. He
had avoided spending much time in the office, and I had felt the emptiness of
his absence.

"Anything
you want to go over?" I asked, wanting to prolong our conversation. I
pushed aside the worry that was starting to grow due to my desire to stay
connected to Caden. I didn't want to think about it.

"Sure,
let's go over tomorrow."

I
walked over and settled into the chair opposite his desk. During the past week,
he had abruptly rattled off tasks he wanted me to do while he passed by my desk,
either on his way to the studio or out of the office. It had been a while since
we had sat across from each other.

"I'll
pick you up at seven o'clock. I'm not planning on staying too long at the
opening. Just enough so that people see my face and know that I made an
appearance."

I
nodded. "Do you know where Macie's apartment is?"

"I
do." Caden paused before continuing. "When Macie works late, she
usually takes a car service home and I've dropped her off a few times when I've
been headed out."

It
seemed like Caden was trying to explain why he knew where Macie lived, as if he
didn't want me to think there was anything significant about it. That had been
the last thought on my mind since I wasn't surprised that an employer would
know where an employee lived, considering he had all her personal information.
And I knew Macie was deeply in love with her boyfriend. I found it odd that
Caden seemed to want to make this clear, but I didn't comment on it. Maybe he
just wanted me to know that he wasn't in the habit of trying to bed his
employees. Instead of making me feel better, I felt a flicker of
disappointment.

"Will
we be picking up anyone else?" It was my way of asking if Caden was
bringing a date to the opening without asking outright. Evidently, I wasn't too
sly about it, because Caden smiled slowly, the look in his eyes warming me.

"Do
you mean Michelle?" I shrugged in response, not wanting to admit it. Caden
studied me thoughtfully before continuing, his voice dropping. "No,
Michelle won't be coming. It'll just be the two of us."

I
felt a thrill at the raspiness of his voice, the promise of his words scaring
me and exciting me at the same time. I stopped myself from commenting on the
fact that he hadn't asked me to make a dinner reservation for him tonight.
Maybe his standing Friday date was no longer in the picture.

I
tried to rein in my confusing emotions and smiled at Caden. "Anything else
I need to know about tomorrow night?"

"Wear
your hair down."

Caden's
husky request made me shiver, but I forced myself to remain casual. "The
last thing you need is to have Medusa next to you. My hair has a mind of its
own."

Caden's
amber eyes darkened to a molten tawny gold. "I want you to wear your hair
down."

"If
this is your way of making good on your intention to irritate me, it's
working." I frowned at him in annoyance, his autocratic manner making me
bristle and making my earlier reaction to his request vanish.

"Remember,
I'm in charge. What I say goes."

I
went from annoyed to pissed off. "You're in charge of what I do for you.
Not how I look."

Instead
of firing back a reply, Caden leaned back in his chair, a slow smile stretching
across his face. "I can live with being in charge of what you do for me.
In fact, I'd be more than happy to be in charge of that."

I
cursed myself for my choice of words, but I couldn't deny the ache I felt at
his declaration. I didn't know how I was going to survive Saturday night.

Chapter Seven

I
was a bundle of nerves on Saturday. The way we had left things on Friday only
heightened my anxiety. I had tried to laugh off Caden's words about being in
charge of what I do for him, trying to make it seem like a joke, but he hadn't
laughed along. Instead, his eyes held a promise, and I wasn't sure if it made
me apprehensive or excited.

The
closer it got to seven o'clock, the more anxious I became. Caden had told me
the party was formal, and I hoped my dress would measure up to the event. It
was a modest black dress with delicate straps that revealed a hint of cleavage,
falling above the knee. It was more form-fitting than any other piece of
clothing I owned, but it was nothing compared to some of the clothes I had seen
women flit around in all over New York. I studied myself in the mirror,
wondering for the first time if my clothes were dowdy. I remembered the dress I
had seen Michelle wear a week ago. My dress looked like a nun's habit compared
to hers.

I
sighed inwardly as I put the finishing touches on my makeup and smoothed back
my hair. In defiance of Caden's wishes, I had pulled it up into a French twist
and I wrestled with the tendrils that escaped until I finally gave up.

I
lectured myself on what this night would be. It would be a professional
function where I would assist my boss with whatever he needed,
within reason.
Macie had replied to my email, saying that she had gone with Caden to a few
events, although it was rare. She also mentioned that she had never gone with
Caden alone. She had been part of an entourage with his publicist and agent. I
didn't know what to make of it. On one hand, it seemed accompanying Caden to an
event was par for the course. On the other hand, being alone with him seemed
too intimate.

I
jumped when the buzzer for the front door sounded. I took a steadying breath as
I pushed the intercom to speak.

"Hello?"

"It's
Caden. Buzz me in."

"That's
okay," I said hurriedly. I had already decided that there was no way I was
letting Caden inside my apartment. My resistance against him seemed to be
weakening, and I didn't need to tempt myself. "I'm ready. I'll be right
down."

I
grabbed my clutch, checked my appearance in the mirror one last time, and then
exited the apartment, locking the door behind me. The hollow sounds of my heels
hitting the stairs echoed in the stairwell, the hurried beat almost in sync
with the pounding of my heart. The nervous anticipation was overwhelming, as if
a part of me knew that tonight would change everything.

I
saw Caden standing outside through the glass door, and I tried to hide my reaction
at his appearance. If I wasn't so on edge, I would have laughed at the way I
gawked at him. Caden Riley drew my attention like no other man had. If I had
thought he looked tempting in his casual ensemble when he went out with
Michelle, he looked positively sinful tonight. His black suit fit him like a
glove, tailored perfectly for his broad shoulders and lean torso. His black
shirt was unbuttoned at the collar, even though he had told me the event was
formal. That unbuttoned collar made him look irresistibly sexy and begged a
woman to slip her hand underneath to find the muscled contours hidden beneath
it.