THE CONFIDENTIAL AFFAIR

DANGEROUS PROXIMITY

"The closer I got to Nicholas, the more dangerous the air felt as if his presence could both destroy me and set me free."

It was too quiet in the office. The city lit up below us as midnight pushed against the tall glass windows, but the weight of the silence inside made my skin tingle.

Nicholas sat back in his chair and tapped a pen on the desk. His sharp eyes were always on the screen.

It was hard for me to breathe properly. He wouldn't know that I was in this room last night. He couldn't know about the file I found, which had a fake name of my dad.

Nicholas had said earlier that day, "Stay late." There was no way to say no to that. "We need to look over some reports." Also, Amarae, don't make me wait.

I am now here. Locked up with the man who might know the truth about my dad and the man whose gaze made my heart race every time he looked at me.

Nicholas, relaxed and in charge, said, "You type quickly." That's fine. When they're tired, most helpers mess up.

"Guess I work better under pressure," Amarae said with a forced smile.

Nicholas asks with sharp eyes and a voice: "Do you?"

I stopped moving because his words cut deeper than they should have. What did he really mean? Could he see how scared I was?

Amarae, steadying herself, says, "Due dates drive me." Isn't that where the pressure is?"

Nicholas, leaning forward with a smirk on his face, said, "Pressure either breaks you... or changes you to make you stronger. “Stronger.”

He looked at me for too long. The heat rose up my neck.

The door flew open before I could answer.

Amanda walked quickly into the office with heels that sounded like tiny knives. Sharp red lipstick and a tight dress made her look perfect. Before going right to Nicholas, she didn't even look at me.

The sweet but cutting Amanda asked Nicholas, "Are you still working?" Your helpers were never kept up this late before.

Nicholas said, "This one can handle it," but he didn't seem interested.

When she finally looked at me, her eyes got narrow.

Amanda asked bluntly, "Can she?"

The stress grew stronger. I tried to smile politely, but my heart was beating fast. Amanda's anger was clear; it was personal and sharp.

Amarae: "I don't mind staying late." Her voice was calm and soft. It's what you have to do.

Amanda said with a sneer, "You're excited." "That's really cute."

Nicholas said in a stern voice, "Amanda."

Her lips got tighter, but she moved a little away, her eyes staring right through me.

I was shaking inside. Amanda was dangerous because she wanted to hurt me, not because she cared about Nicholas. If she made one mistake, she would let everyone know about it.

Nicholas, on the other hand, paid too much attention. Not far enough. Being around the man was like being near a fire: it was both warm and scary.

Still, I couldn't take my eyes off of him.

Nicholas stood up quickly and pushed a file across the desk toward me.

"Read this through. Be careful. Each and every number and name. I want mistakes to stand out.

When I opened the file, my heart was racing. It was the next step in the project I saw being worked on last night. The same shady deals. The same fake names.

Once more, it was written in pencil at the bottom of a contract: my dad's name.

To keep my hands from shaking, I tightened my grip on the pen.

"This... looks hard," Amarae said in a soft, careful voice. "Why me?"

Nicholas said with a low, sharp gaze, "Because I trust your eyes." You see things that other people miss.

Believe. It hurt like hell when I heard that word. I wish he knew I was here to show him up.

The quiet got worse as the hours went by. Only the hitting of keys and the rustling of papers could be heard.

I leaned over a little and reached for his computer to look up a document that was linked to another one. His hand touched my sleeve.

I felt a jolt. Power.

I didn't pull back fast enough.

Nicholas: "Be careful, Amarae." I heard a deep, husky voice.

"S-sorry, I didn't mean to" Amarae stuttered.

Before I could finish, he moved. In an instant, he grabbed my wrist and hit it hard but softly against the desk. His hand was strong and warm, and it held me in place.

It was dark and hard to read his eyes as they burned into mine.

Nicholas said in a low, scary whisper, "Amarae, if you want to play with fire... Do not expect to leave without getting burned.

My heart beat fast, and my throat felt dry. His grip was protective, but his eyes were looking at something else. There was something scarier than his threats.

Want.

Oh, and maybe... praise.

"I wasn't playing," Amarae whispers out of breath.

Nicholas (getting closer, voice like smoke): "You're good at telling lies." But your eyes make you look guilty.

I wished to look away and be free. I tried but failed. I felt pinned down more by his presence than by his hand.

This is how he looks at me, and he can see everything. The fear. The tricks. I can't tell him the truth.

That being said, I did want him to see.

Behind him, a computer screen flickered with the file I had opened. The fake signature of my father stared at me from the bright screen.

Nicholas got so close to me that his breath touched my cheek.

Nicholas said in a dangerously soft voice, "Tell me, Amarae... What are you trying to find on my computer?"

It made my stomach hurt. My blood ran cold. He knew.

Or worse he suspected.

"If he already suspects me… then I might not survive the fire I’ve stepped into"