Chapter 33: chapter 33

Chapter Thirty-ThreeMaya slipped her ballerinas off under the table and surreptitiously massaged her foot. Her ankle twinged painfully, and she moved her hand a little higher to try and ease the ache in it. She’d been on her feet all day canvassing the office, coaxing and cajoling people into starring in their ad campaign. She’d been successful but her poor foot had paid the price for it. Sighing, she glanced around the empty office. Almost everyone had left already which made sense given it was past nine on a Friday night. She saved her latest mood board and packed up her laptop. The lights above her head flickered for a moment and then held. She swept her bag onto her shoulder and started towards the elevators. She didn’t want to be stuck in the empty office if the lights went out. She was halfway to the elevator when a lit cabin on the right caught her eye. The Chief Marketing Officer hadn’t left to start his weekend early.Yash stood at the window, his hands shoved in his pockets again, and stared out at the lit skyline in his line of sight. Shoulders back, face grim, he was so lost in thought that he didn’t notice her standing in the corridor gawking at him. That trim, fit body of his filled out those gray slacks and white shirt perfectly and then there were those rolled up sleeves that gave her a glimpse of his hair dusted forearms and honestly, it was illegal how attractive that man was…even when all he was doing was brooding and glowering at the night sky.“Everything okay?” She regretted the words the minute they left her lips. She hiked her laptop bag higher on her shoulder and leaned against the doorframe watching him. There was something undeniably amiss in the picture he presented. She just didn’t know what. Yash didn’t turn from the window but she saw his shoulders tense in reaction to her presence. “No hot date to get to, Mr. Malhotra?” she persisted, something inside her wanting to ease the stress she saw lining his face. He turned slowly to face her, his hot, intense eyes taking in her ready-to-flee stance near the door. “Why are you still here?” he asked, his low, rumbly voice sending tingles through her. Maya shook it off. She didn’t have time for tingles. “You should be happy your consultant is working overtime,” she replied, resisting the urge to fan herself. Why did it always get hot around this man? “That’s not what I asked you, Maya,” he murmured, coming around to lean against his desk. “I’m asking why you are here.” “Me, as in Maya, not Maya from Social Butterfly,” she clarified in a strangled croak when he just stared at her, his eyes doing a slow survey of her crumpled, work stained outfit. “Yes.” Yash straightened and came closer to her. He stopped right in front of her forcing her to tilt her head back to look at him. “Why are you, Maya, here in my cabin at nine at night?” All rational thought fled her brain as the heat of his body seeped into hers. Jeez, she was on fire. She tried to take a step back but he stepped forward with her, tracking her. No, stalking her! “Stop it, Yash.” “What are you doing here, Maya?” he asked, again, his voice dropping to dangerously low levels. “I was working,” she said, defensively. “Do you know how long it took to find the perfect cast for your campaign from the people who work here?”Yash said nothing, just watched her. “I finally found our style and substance guy in the legal department. A total gym bod with the kind of face that looks like its hewn from rock.” A small frown wrinkled Yash’s forehead. “You know the guy I’m talking about? Stoneman with a whole bottle of gel in his hair?” His lips twitched the slightest bit. “I still haven’t found a Yash type guy yet.” The twitching disappeared. His eyes when they rested on her were still warm though.The bloody tingles were back. Maya took a shuddering breath and said, “I’m here because I just wanted to know if you were okay.” “Why?” he asked, bending down so his breath, that hard exhale of air, feathered over her lips. “Why would you think I’m not okay?”His gaze caught hers and held, an endless moment. “You looked lost.” The almost inaudible whisper disappeared in the space between them as they stared at each other, their eyes saying more than words ever would. “And why do you care if I look lost?” The rumble of words in his chest reverberated against her own, making the strange ache inside her intensify.“I don’t.” Her lips and throat felt parched as she stared up at him, swallowing hard in a vain attempt to wet it a little.“No?” he asked, one finger reaching up to gently touch her lower lip. She parted them, helplessly, her heart starting to thud rapidly. “No,” she whispered. The lights overhead flared brilliantly bright and then went out, leaving them shrouded in darkness.  Before she could overthink any of it, Maya reached up and touched her lips to his. And in the secret inky dark of that room, she allowed the light inside her to shine.