My Corporate Affair

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Sophie....

I didn’t even think. The moment I saw the tea spill on his shirt and his flinch, I jumped to my feet.

“Oh my God, sir, are you okay?” I reached him just as he fumbled with his buttons, his brows furrowed in pain. The shirt clung to his skin, and the area where the tea had landed was quickly reddening.

“It's fine,” he muttered, trying to unfasten the buttons himself, but his fingers shook a little. That alone made my chest tighten.

“Let me,” I said before I could stop myself. My hands moved, unbuttoning his shirt in a rush. I didn’t even have time to second-guess it, instinct kicked in. But the moment I saw his chest, I froze.

He was lean but built. His chest was sculpted, strong, with just the right amount of definition. My breath hitched. I blinked, trying not to stare, but my eyes had a mind of their own. I could feel the heat rising in my cheeks, in my neck, everywhere.

I leaned closer and gently blew on the red skin, hoping to ease the burn. My hand was on his chest without me realizing it, and my lips were only inches away from his skin. I could smell his cologne, warm, clean, and expensive, and under that, something unmistakably him.

My stomach fluttered. No. It tightened.

I suddenly became aware of everything. His chest rising and falling beneath my hand. The heat that wasn’t just from the tea. The way we were positioned, me practically between his legs, my hand on his skin, our breaths mingling in the air.

And...

And I felt myself getting...

Wet....

I started to pull back. I needed to. This was way too much.

But he caught my hand.

“Sophie,” he said softly. His voice was low, almost husky.

I stilled. The air crackled around us. His fingers were wrapped around mine, warm and firm, holding me there like I was something precious. Something he didn’t want to let go.

And in that moment, I didn’t know if I wanted to pull away either.

Elliot....

I couldn’t stop looking at her. The way her hand rested against my chest, her face close,too close, it did something to me. My thoughts were a mess, colliding between restraint and raw desire. Her breath was still soft against my skin, and I was almost sure I could feel the warmth of her lips, even though they hadn’t touched me.

I moved forward just a little, compelled by a pull I couldn’t explain. She didn’t flinch. She didn’t step back. And God, that made it worse. I was going to lose control.

Just then, the shrill ring of the office telephone shattered the moment.

Sophie jolted back and I blinked, trying to focus. I cleared my throat and reached for the phone, buttoning my shirt with one hand.

"Yes?" I said, sharper than I intended.

"Sir, Miss Victoria is here to see you," my secretary informed me.

My expression changed instantly. I looked away from Sophie, my jaw tightening. Of course she was here, just in time to ruin what I didn’t even know was blooming.

“Tell her I’m leaving for the day. She should wait.” I ended the call before there was a reply.

Sophie was still watching me, a little confused.

“My friend is waiting for me,” I said flatly. “But I’m done for today.”

She nodded slowly.

“Thank you for the clarifications. You're good to go on the project.”

“Thank you, sir,” she said gently and stood up.

I watched her leave, my heart heavier than I expected.

Sophie....

I was still close to him, too close. My hand was resting gently against his chest, and I could feel the steady rise and fall of his breathing. His skin was warm under my fingers,k, I became painfully aware of how toned and muscular he was. The scent of his cologne, subtle and clean, mixed with the faint sharpness of the tea. Everything about him pulled me in deeper, and I didn’t know what scared me more, the way he was looking at me or the way I was starting to like it.

He leaned in slightly, and my breath caught. I couldn’t move. My body had frozen, but not from fear. Something heavy and charged hung in the air between us. He was inches away, and if he came any closer, I didn’t know what would happen.

And then the phone rang.

I jumped. So did he. The spell broke instantly. I moved away fast, smoothing my blouse and trying to look anywhere but at him.

He cleared his throat and answered the call. I noticed his voice sounded different, tense.

"Yes?" he said.

I stood still, trying to collect myself, then glanced at him when I heard what the person on the line said.

"Sir, Miss Victoria is here to see you."

His whole expression changed. He didn’t even look at me as he said, “Tell her I’m leaving for the day. She should wait.”

He hung up and finally looked at me. “My friend is waiting for me,” he said, and I knew that was a lie. His tone had shifted. Whatever had been there a moment ago was now locked away behind his usual calm exterior.

“I’m done for the day.”

I nodded and lowered my gaze, unsure of what I should say.

“Thank you for the clarifications,” he said more softly. “You're good to go on the project.”

“Thank you, sir,” I murmured and stepped back, my heart still pounding in my chest.

As I walked out of his office, I didn’t look back. But the warmth of his body, the way he almost touched me, and that name, Victoria,.it all lingered.

Who was she? His girlfriend? His fiancée?

I didn’t know. But I hated how much it bothered me to wonder.

I barely made it to the restroom before my legs gave out a little. My hands were shaking as I pushed open the door and hurried to the sink. I turned on the tap and splashed cold water on my face, trying to breathe, trying to calm my racing heart.

The mirror didn’t lie, my cheeks were flushed, and my lips looked… swollen. God. What had just happened?

I leaned forward, gripping the edges of the sink, but it didn’t help. All I could see in my mind was Elliot’s face. The way he’d looked at me like he wanted to eat me alive. There was a hunger in his eyes, not just admiration. It was deeper. Darker. Like he was holding himself back from doing something he might not be able to take back.

And for a moment, I hadn’t wanted him to hold back.

My stomach twisted at the memory of his chest under my hand, warm and hard, his skin marked by the spill. I hadn’t just been blowing on it to help. I’d wanted to touch him, feel him, more than I should.

Shame and heat warred inside me. I pressed my thighs together instinctively, my breath coming out shaky. What was wrong with me?

I shouldn’t feel this way. I was just an intern. He was the CEO. He had someone… didn’t he?

Victoria. The name echoed in my head, reminding me of reality.

But the way he’d looked at me just before the phone rang, it wasn’t fake. It wasn’t polite. It was raw.

I grabbed some paper towels and dabbed my face dry, still trying to cool the fire simmering under my skin. I couldn’t afford to let my imagination run wild. Still, the way my body reacted to his closeness, the way my heart refused to settle, I knew this wasn’t just a harmless crush anymore that I didn't even want to accept before

This was dangerous.

And I was in deeper than I thought.