STRICTLY BUSINESS

TOO CLOSE FOR COMFORT

Tasha Williams

I should have known the day was going to be complicated the moment Adrian Cole opened the passenger door for me.

Not because it was particularly romantic.

It wasn't.

It was just... unexpected.

This was the same man who had spent the last two days reminding me that he was my boss.

Yet there he was, standing beside the car with one hand on the door.

“Are you getting in?”

I blinked.

“Yes.”

“Then stop staring at me.”

“I wasn't staring.”

“You were.”

I rolled my eyes and got into the car.

He closed the door behind me.

A few seconds later, he got in on the other side.

The car smelled faintly of leather and something I couldn't identify.

I looked out the window.

This was ridiculous.

I was sitting beside my boss, going to a construction site, and somehow my brain had decided to replay yesterday's tiny moment when our hands touched.

It meant nothing.

Nothing.

“Are you nervous?”

I turned toward him.

“No.”

“You've been unusually quiet.”

“I was thinking.”

“About?”

“You.”

The words slipped out before I could stop them.

Silence.

My eyes widened.

Adrian slowly turned his head toward me.

“About me?”

I cleared my throat.

“I meant... about the project.”

His lips curved.

“Of course.”

I looked out the window again.

Why did he have to look so amused?

“Don't flatter yourself,” I muttered.

“I wasn't.”

“Yes, you were.”

He laughed quietly.

It was the first time I'd heard him genuinely laugh.

And annoyingly enough, I liked the sound.

I turned toward the window again before he could notice the smile forming on my face.

The rest of the drive was quiet.

But it wasn't uncomfortable.

If anything, it felt strangely easy.

That worried me.

Because Adrian Cole was not supposed to feel easy.

He was supposed to be intimidating.

Cold.

Impossible.

Not someone whose laugh made me want to hear it again.

***

The construction site was enormous.

Steel beams stretched across the property, workers moved around with helmets and safety vests, and the sound of machinery filled the air.

Adrian stepped out of the car.

“Stay close.”

I followed him.

“I can take care of myself.”

“I didn't say you couldn't.”

“Then why tell me to stay close?”

“Because I don't want you getting lost.”

“I won't.”

He looked at me.

“That's exactly what someone who is about to get lost would say.”

I laughed.

“You're impossible.”

“So you've said.”

We walked through the site while he explained the project.

I took notes, asked questions, and pointed out a few things I thought could be improved.

To my surprise, he actually listened.

Not the fake listening people did while waiting for their turn to speak.

He listened.

When I finished, he nodded.

“You're good.”

I looked at him.

“Was that a compliment?”

“Yes.”

“Wow.”

“What?”

“I didn't know you were capable of giving those.”

He smiled.

“Don't get used to it.”

I smiled back.

“Too late.”

For a moment, neither of us looked away.

His expression softened.

Mine probably did too.

Then a loud noise came from behind us.

I jumped.

Adrian immediately reached for my arm and pulled me closer.

“Careful.”

I looked down at his hand around my arm.

Then up at him.

We were standing much closer than before.

His eyes met mine.

Neither of us moved.

My heart began beating faster.

Not because I was scared.

That was the problem.

Adrian's gaze dropped briefly to my lips before returning to my eyes.

My breath caught.

Then he released my arm.

“You okay?”

I nodded.

“Yeah.”

“You sure?”

“Yes.”

He stepped back.

“Good.”

I tried to focus on the project again.

But my mind was somewhere else entirely.

***

By lunchtime, we were sitting in a small office overlooking the construction site.

Adrian handed me a bottle of water.

“Thanks.”

“You haven't eaten.”

I looked at him.

“How do you know?”

“You've been working since we arrived.”

“I forgot.”

“You need to stop doing that.”

“Doing what?”

“Forgetting to take care of yourself.”

I stared at him.

It was such a strangely personal thing to say.

“You sound concerned.”

“I am.”

The answer came too quickly.

He seemed to realize it too.

A brief silence followed.

Then he looked away.

“I mean, you're an employee. I need you functioning properly.”

I smiled.

“Of course.”

He narrowed his eyes.

“Don't.”

“Don't what?”

“Make that face.”

“What face?”

“That face.”

I laughed.

“You're weird.”

“And you're distracting.”

The words came out quietly.

I froze.

He froze too.

“What?”

Adrian looked at me.

“I said you're distracting.”

My heart skipped.

I didn't know what to say.

So I smiled.

“Maybe you're just easily distracted.”

His eyes stayed on mine.

“Maybe.”

Before either of us could say anything else, his phone rang.

He answered immediately.

“Cole.”

His expression changed.

“What?”

I watched as the warmth disappeared from his face.

“When?”

He stood.

“Don't tell anyone.”

A pause.

“I'll handle it.”

He ended the call.

I frowned.

“Is everything okay?”

He didn't answer immediately.

Then he looked at me.

“We're leaving.”

“Why?”

“There's been a problem at headquarters.”

“What kind of problem?”

His jaw tightened.

“Someone accessed confidential company files.”

I stood.

“Who?”

“We don't know.”

He grabbed his jacket.

“But whoever did it had access to information only a few senior executives should have.”

I followed him outside.

As we walked toward the car, I couldn't stop thinking about what he'd said.

Someone inside the company was leaking information.

The exact thing Daniel had warned me about earlier.

Except now it wasn't just office gossip.

It was real.

***

When we returned to headquarters, the atmosphere was completely different.

People were whispering.

Employees stood in small groups.

Security officers were moving through the building.

Adrian walked straight toward the executive floor.

“Tasha, stay here.”

I stopped.

“Why?”

“Because I said so.”

I frowned.

“You can't just—”

“Tasha.”

His voice was firm.

I crossed my arms.

“Fine.”

He stared at me for a moment.

Then he walked away.

I watched him disappear through the doors.

Something felt wrong.

Very wrong.

I returned to my desk.

Daniel was already there.

“What happened?”

I told him.

His expression changed.

“You shouldn't get involved.”

“I wasn't planning to.”

“Good.”

He looked around before lowering his voice.

“This isn't the first time.”

I stared at him.

“What?”

“Someone has been leaking information for months.”

My stomach tightened.

“Why didn't anyone stop them?”

“We thought it was a security issue.”

“And now?”

Daniel looked toward Adrian's office.

“Now we think it's someone inside.”

I swallowed.

“Who?”

“We don't know.”

A notification appeared on my computer.

I clicked it.

A new file had been shared with me.

No sender.

No explanation.

Just one folder.

I opened it.

Inside was a single document.

My blood ran cold.

The title read:

**WILLIAMS, Tasha — Confidential.**

I stared at the screen.

Why would my name be in a confidential company file?

I clicked.

The document contained one sentence.

**Her father worked for Cole Enterprises.**

I stopped breathing.

My father had never mentioned Cole Enterprises.

Not once.

I knew I had to do something Abt this buh what can I do I really couldn't figure it out