Eden's POV:Working together in my apartment had seemed like a brilliant idea when I was exhausted after a gruelling day, however come the next day when the clock is getting closer and closer to the moment when Noah will have to come home with me, it definitely doesn't seem so great.I consider pulling a sicky. Fain a headache or something. Anything to avoid having to spend even five minutes with Noah Grisham in MY APARTMENT. I must have been completely balmy yesterday to have even considered suggesting it. Either that of seriously paranoid. We were clearly alone, everyone else having gone home hours ago so why had I felt as if someone was watching me.And no, I do not mean Noah. It hadn't been that nice feeling you get when your crush pays you attention. No. This had been that super creepy feeling you usually only get when you walk down a dimly lit street alone late at night.Everyone else has already gone home and the department is deserted with only me and Noah still here.He usuall
There's a knock at the door just as I'm putting the hoover back away in the cupboard. Every surface is sparkling, all my family photographs are hidden, and the whole place smells like I'm sprayed an insane amount of air freshener. 'Hopefully, he's not asthmatic,' I think to myself as I make my way towards the door nervously.He is my boss. This shouldn't be that weird. We're just working in a different environment, that's all. No matter how much I try to reassure myself of that, it doesn't work and I become more anxious instead of less."Hi," I say, opening the door to let him in. I hope he doesn't notice how high pitched my voice has suddenly become."I brought takeout," he tells me, holding up a bag of food. "I didn't think you'd have time to eat and I know I haven't.""Great!" I say over-eagerly, taking the bag from him. "I'll dish it up. Make yourself at home."I'm grateful for the excuse to leave the room, rushing into the kitchen. I take a deep and stabilising breath, reminding m
Noah's POV:Coming here was a mistake.Everything about this situation is bad. Her lounge is a little cramped, slightly on the small side. Which is to be expected given her salary. Maybe I should give her a pay rise...Wait. I can't give her a pay rise just so she can get a bigger apartment and I won't feel so physically close to her when I come to her place. It's not like this is going to become a regular thing. This is an unprecedented situation.After eating the food, we busy ourselves with the work in front of us. There's plenty to do and it should provide plenty distraction but it doesn't. Eden has curled her legs beneath herself in the armchair that she's sitting in. Her hair is pulled to one side, exposing her neck. Her skin is flawless, perfectly smooth and I'm aching to reach out and touch her.But I absolutely can't do that.Returning my attention to the piece of paper on my lap, I do my best to ignore her fidgeting. I can't tell if she's just sitting uncomfortably or if she
Eden's POV:We've spent the best part of the weekend holed up in my living room. I should never have suggested this. I had no idea how hard it would be sitting opposite him in my apartment. We work in close quarters every day at the office. This shouldn't be that different, but there's something intimate about having him here.What makes the whole thing worse is that we're no closer to finding the answers we need.We've worked through all the data Noah received in that email and compiled a list of inconsistencies but now we're all out of ideas. Noah still hasn't heard anything from his friend in IT and so we're no closer to finding out who sent the information or whether it's even accurate. No matter how many times we discuss it, Noah can't think of anyone in the finance department that can help us.We're all out of ideas. And it's getting more and more tempting to ask Martin for help. I shouldn't. Not if I don't want my grandma to know what I'm up to but I really don't see much option
Noah's POV:I shouldn't do it. I know that. But that knowledge means nothing right now. All I care about is how amazing it would feel to finally kiss her. How soft her lips would feel against mine. How much I craved it. Wanted it. Needed it.It doesn't matter that I'm her boss or that this is highly inappropriate. Neither of those things will stop me now. Not when she's this close and she smells so good. She's wearing a soft floral scent. It's delicate and definitely not overpowering. I breathe in deeply as I move to pull her against myself, lowering my lips to hers.The apartment is filled with a screeching sound, forcing us to pull apart."What the hell is that?" I ask."I think I burnt dinner," she wails, hurrying out of the room.Smirking to myself, I follow after her. The kitchen is full of smoke, which is only made worse when she opens the oven. Clearly, Eden doesn't usually cook. I feel strangely honoured. Pushing her to the side, I close the oven door most of the way so the smo
Eden's POV: He doesn't kiss me. Even though I really want him to. He doesn't do it after dinner or before he leaves and I'm left reeling with disappointment. I wash the dishes and get ready for bed, reminding myself that I'll see him in a few short hours.I decide to get an early night because I want the morning to come quicker. It's silly and childish.Frustratingly, my body doesn't seem to agree with me. I might want an early night but my body doesn't. I'm wide awake and unable to sleep. Partly because I'm too excited about seeing Noah again tomorrow but also because I'm considering our options.I don't think I have much choice but to call Martin. Without his help, I can't see a way for us to find the answers we're looking for. Glancing at my clock, I note that although it's late, it's not too late. Martin would forgive me. I've called him at worse times than five minutes to midnight.Grabbing my phone, I place the call and wait for him to answer.He sounds groggy when he answers an
Noah's POV:"That's not what I meant," she hurries to tell me.I love watching her squirm. Her reactions are brilliant. I shouldn't really tease her. It's hardly professional."I'm pretty sure no one will see anyway," I tell her confidently, "but if they do, we'll just tell them the truth.""That you're taking me home?""No. That we're working late.""Oh... Yeah... That might make more sense."I bite my tongue so as not to laugh. As funny as it is, her reaction is a good reminder of why I really can't act on how I feel. I don't want to think about that though so I choose to start a safe conversation, talking about work.***Sitting in Eden's living room shifting through the new information she's gained, I want to ask her again where she got them. The more I look through it, the more curious I become as to who her source is. Not just anyone would have access to this many years of the company's accounts.These records go back twelve years. I don't know of many people who have been workin
Eden's POV:I've made this meal more times than I can count but I've never felt so nervous. We're actually sitting at the table unlike every other time Noah has eaten in my apartment. Usually we eat as we work but not tonight. It's strange and there's a weird atmosphere between us. This feels far more like a date than two colleagues working late together.Searching for something to say, I try to draw the conversation to safe territory but Noah is having none of it. When I ask his opinion on some of the data we've been working through, he tells me not to even think about it. It's frustrating and out of character. He's supposed to be a workaholic and yet here he is throwing it all aside and for what... to have dinner with me?"This is delicious," he says enthusiastically."It really is the only thing I can cook," I say, not exaggerating."Well, you could just eat this every day."Looking up at him from my plate, I notice that his eyes are teasing. He's enjoying this."I think I'd get a l