Chapter 113: One Way Glass 2

"Hmmm... right." Dorian leaned down and kissed her again, clearly in no hurry to let the moment end.

Naomi kissed him back for a bit before forcing herself to pull away. "I don’t want to go," she admitted, looking up at him. "You’re my drug."

Dorian’s mouth curved immediately. "That’s good to know. How would you like to have me tonight? Smoked or sniffed? Raw or wrapped?"

Naomi burst out laughing. "You are ridiculous."

"I think you mean addictive."

She kissed him again, smiling against his mouth before finally stepping back. "I really have to go."

"I’ll walk down with you. I’ve got to go too." Dorian headed toward his desk and picked up the jacket Naomi had been sniffing only a few minutes earlier. He slipped it on while Naomi busied herself straightening her clothes, fixing the waistband of her jeans and checking that nothing about her screamed I was just being fingered.

Considering the heat still burning across her face, she suspected her dignity had already packed a suitcase and left.

"Come on," Dorian said.

Naomi walked toward him, and he took her hand naturally. The gesture made her smile. They stepped out of the office together.

Dorian barely made it two steps before stopping. Naomi looked at him curiously.

"What?"

He placed both hands on her shoulders and gently turned her around. "Look."

Naomi stared at his office. The glass looked completely different from this side. Her mouth slowly fell open. She hadn’t noticed when she came in because she had been too overwhelmed by the floor, Adrian and the general terrifying competence of everyone around her.

Now, however, the truth was painfully obvious.

"You..."

Dorian leaned closer, clearly enjoying himself. "One-way, Trouble," he whispered.

She spun around. "Oh, you son of a—" Her bag came swinging.

Dorian burst out laughing and dodged the first hit. Naomi swung again. He stepped back, laughing harder.

"You let me stand there thinking everyone could see!"

Another swing.

He moved out of reach.

"I hate you!" Naomi swung the bag again, but this time Dorian caught her wrist. She tried to yank free.

He caught her around the waist instead. He was still laughing when he pulled her against him.

"You are evil."

He kissed her before she got the chance to verbally assault him again.

Right there.

In the middle of the floor. His hand came to the side of her face as he kissed her slowly, completely unconcerned by the fact that they were surrounded.

What neither of them noticed immediately was the silence spreading around them. People stopped moving.

Everyone was staring.

Dorian Heathcliffe did not do this.

When he finally pulled away, his palm remained against Naomi’s cheek. Her eyes opened slowly.

"People are watching Dorian."

"I just want to enjoy this," Dorian whispered, his thumb brushing lightly over her cheek. "Let me, for as little time as I have."

The reminder neither of them seemed able to escape.

Five months.

A little less now.

She hated when the end of their arrangement crept into moments like this and ruined them. Adrian’s question came back to her.

Do you have to leave?

Naomi pushed the thought away just as quickly as it came. Wishful thinking was dangerous. So instead of answering Dorian, she smiled and changed the subject. "Would you like anything special from the restaurant for dinner?"

Dorian’s brows lifted as he took her hand again. "I thought you only brought home leftovers."

They started toward the elevators together, and the moment they moved away from the central office, the murmurs began behind them.

She resisted the urge to turn around. "Well," she said, focusing on him instead, "I wanted to properly thank you."

Dorian pressed the elevator button. The elevator doors opened. He stepped inside with her and waited until the doors closed before looking down at her again. "I’ll take anything if you let me eat you before dinner." He winked.

Naomi’s mouth fell open before she laughed. "Oh, you naughty man."

"I thought you wanted to thank me properly."

"That is not what I meant."

"It could be."

Naomi rolled her eyes, still smiling. Dorian slipped an arm around her and pulled her closer to his side.

"I’m glad you came."

Naomi relaxed against him, resting easily beneath his arm. "Me too."

The elevator continued its descent.

"Uh... I have been informed that you need a stylist for the forum we will be attending."

Naomi slowly turned her head. "A... a stylist?"

Dorian shrugged. "I don’t know much about it. Ginny called me this morning." He paused. "I wouldn’t say called, more like hunted me down. For what it’s worth, I think you look good in everything."

Naomi smiled. "Everything?"

His eyes dropped over her body. "Especially nothing."

She slapped his chest. "Behave."

"I think I have already demonstrated today that I cannot."

Naomi shook her head, still laughing. "I don’t know any stylist."

"Adrian has you covered, my..." Dorian stopped himself abruptly.

Love.

It had been sitting right there, ready to fall from his mouth. He cleared his throat.

"...Trouble."

Naomi smiled, completely unaware of the disaster he had just narrowly avoided. "Oh... okay."

The elevator doors opened, and they stepped into the lobby together.

Naomi immediately spotted the receptionist. The poor woman looked up from her desk and nearly froze when she saw Naomi walking beside Dorian, his hand still resting comfortably at her waist.

A terrible idea formed instantly. She pointed at the receptionist.

"You!"

The woman straightened.

"You’re fired!" Naomi yelled it with enough confidence that even Dorian turned to look at her.

The receptionist’s face drained of color. "Ma’am, no! Please..."

Naomi held the serious expression for exactly two seconds before bursting into laughter. "Oh, I’m just kidding." She gave a dismissive wave and leaned into Dorian again as though she had not just shaved several years off the poor woman’s life.

"What was that for?" he asked.

Naomi pressed her lips together, still laughing. "Uh... inside joke."