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Nico is standing so close to me I can smell his cologne, and the way his hand is wrapped around my face makes me want to lean into him again. Oh my word. His body feels incredible against mine.

The situation with Drake was already intense enough to cause my adrenaline to spike, but now it’s spiking even more.

“Serafina, if he hurt you…“

“No, he was just really pushy. Um. Touchy.”

“Touchy?” Nico clearly does not like the sound of that. “I’ll kill him. ” He moves as though he’s going to run after Drake and tear him to pieces, but I grab the side of his shirt, holding on to him tightly.

“No, let it go, Nico. He’s not worth it,” I say, because I don’t want to cause issues. He’s already lost a potential business deal.

“Sera, the thought of him hurting you in any way…“ His eyes lock with mine, and the darkness in them is terrifying. My heart hammers in my chest, beating against my ribs as though it wants to smash its way free of the bone cage.

I shake my head. “He didn’t hurt me. He would have if you hadn’t arrived. But he didn’t.”

Nico growls, a deep, terrifying sound that vibrates against my chest.

I still haven’t let go of his shirt, my fingers wrapped in the fabric, pulling him closer to me. Having him with me like this makes me feel safe—and it’s turning me on in ways I didn’t know were possible.

I’ve never had a man want to protect me like this.

And of all the men in the world to do it, Nico is the sexiest man I’ve ever met, so every cell in my body is screaming at me to basically throw myself at him.

My hero.

My protector.

My boss.

Nico brushes his hand up my side. His eyes soften and his voice becomes gentle. “Are you sure you’re okay, Sera?” he asks, his tone low.

I nod, unable to speak, not trusting my voice to sound normal.

“Sera, you’d tell me if you weren’t, right?” he asks sternly.

“I promise,” I smile, wishing he would just kiss me, and I could drift off into the make-believe-fairytale that’s playing out in my head.

Oh my word. This is crazy.

Nico empowers me. With him standing at my side, I’m stronger, more capable, and I think I could take on the world. I look up at him and realize it’s because of how he looks at me.

Like he believes in me.

He sighs softly, a frustrated amusement flashing over his face, and he smiles. “I should let you get back to work.”

“Um, yes.” I step away from him, releasing my grip on his shirt. My office door is wide open. Imagine if someone had walked in and caught us standing like that. It would have been impossible to explain.

It’s so unprofessional.

I clear my throat softly.

Nico hesitates before moving away from me completely.

“I’m right next door,” he smiles.

“Thanks,” I smile back at him, my heart spinning.

***

Sitting at my desk, I’m losing my mind. It’s almost five, almost time to go home, and I haven’t been able to focus on work. It isn’t because of what happened with Drake. It’s because of what happened with Nico.

And on top of that, he keeps coming into my office to check on me; he’s hovering and worried about me, and I adore the fact that he cares so much.

But I’m also reading into it. My silly crush is getting out of hand, and the attraction I feel towards him is so intense I might need to jump into an ice bath to clear my thoughts.

At five o'clock, Nico comes back into my office—I’ve lost count of how many times now.

“How are you getting home? I was thinking you should leave your car here and I can drive you,” he says, leaning against my desk.

I laugh. “Nico, I don’t have a car. But I really don’t need you to drive me.”

“I’m not comfortable with you going home alone. Just in case. I don’t know what Drake is capable of. He’s embarrassed and pissed off, and men like that don’t like to be made a fool of. His ego will want revenge,” he says. “I’ll drive you home.”

Standing up, I start packing my things into my work bag.

“There really is no need. The drive would be pointless. I live two blocks away, across from Golden Acre Park. It takes five minutes for me to walk home. Honestly, Nico, I’ll be completely fine.

I make that walk every morning and every evening.

The streets are busy. There are a lot of people around. ”

His lip curls in annoyance; he doesn’t like it when I say no to him. I grin, enjoying the fact that he so badly wants to take care of me.

“Fine. I’ll walk with you then.”

“Nico," I huff. “It’s cold outside. You don’t have to do this.”

“Serafina, it’s not negotiable. Besides, there’s an excellent coffee stand in the park, and I’m dying for a good shot of caffeine. We can go the long way around, through the park. The cold air will help clear my mind. It’s been one hell of a day.”

My heart flutters at the thought of strolling through a park with Nico. It’s easy to romanticize it.

Nico is staring at me with one brow raised, and I realize he’s waiting for my answer. “Coffee sounds amazing,” I smile.

“Good. Let me grab my things. Don’t move,” he demands. I shrug my long coat onto my shoulders, tying the belt around my waist.

Outside Nico’s office, I wait nervously for him to finish packing up. Is this really happening? Is Nico about to walk me home?

Outside on the streets, I glance at him, flashing a cheeky smirk. “I don’t need your protection, you know,” I tease him. “It’s not that dangerous out here.” I gesture around the busy street, and Nico rolls his eyes at me.

“It’s not here that I’m worried about. It’s him.”

“He’s back at home, sulking with his tail between his legs,” I giggle.

“He better be.” Nico is still pissed off about the Drake incident. I decide to change the subject.

“I haven’t had a chance to try the coffee from the guy in the park. I keep meaning to.”

“It’s amazing. He makes it just the way I like it. You’re in for a treat.” As we cross the road and turn a corner, the park comes into view. Nico’s hand brushes down my back, pushing me gently away from the edge of the walkway so that he can continue to walk on the outside of me.

I grin. Girls joke about this sort of thing, but having a man actually do this for me makes me realize why it ever became a topic of discussion in the first place. He’s a gentleman. Protective and caring.

The further we get away from the office, the less professional this moment is, and the more my nerves taunt me.

I’m alone with Nico, and it has nothing to do with work.

My eyes constantly drift towards him, even though I try to keep my face forward to hide the fact that I’m watching him.

“The park is busier than I expected,” he remarks as we step onto the wide stone pathway that leads through the park. The trees are mostly bare, their leaves dropped for the winter.

“I told you, there’s nothing to worry about. I’m more likely to shiver to death than have problems with anyone out here.”

“Are you cold?” he asks, instantly stepping closer to me and wrapping his arm around my shoulder. I tense up, my nervous energy rocketing higher. Nico has his arm around me. My heart pulses quickly, my body sparking with desire.

“I’m better now,” I answer, leaning into him.

He looks down at me with a smile on his face, his amber eyes bright and unreadable.

If I tried to kiss him, would he push me away?

My stomach knots.

I’ve been rejected before—the sting of my ex’s nasty words, his taunts, is still fresh in my mind even though it happened a while ago. I chew on the inside of my cheek. I never want to experience that again.

I might be confident and capable in my job, but when it comes to understanding guys or having confidence in approaching them, I’m completely useless.

I glance at Nico again; he’s looking ahead. “I can smell the coffee from here,” he says, excited.

He has a square, angular jaw, strong and solid, with a dark shadow of stubble across it. His black hair makes his eyes seem even brighter, especially outdoors in natural light instead of in the overhead lights of the office.

Every time I look at him, he gets more handsome.

I want him.

I wish I were confident enough to do something about that.

“You’re staring,” he grins, glancing at me. Our eyes meet, and my face ignites in instant flames of red.

“I, I, I—was thinking about something. Lost in thought. I—um—"

I’m tripping over my words, dying of embarrassment.

“I asked you if you want coffee or hot chocolate?” he grins, looking pleased with my reaction.

“Hot chocolate, please. I’ve had one too many doses of caffeine today, and at this rate, I’ll be up all night.”

“There are ways to burn off excess energy—to help you sleep deeper than you’ve ever slept before.“ He raises one brow, and the mischievous grin on his face sends my mind right off the edge of a cliff and into the naughtiest flood of thoughts I’ve ever had in my life.

I press my lips together tightly.

Nico turns towards the guy behind the coffee stand.

“One cappuccino and one hot chocolate, please.”

“Coming right up.”

A cold wind whips past us, and in the most casual, natural gesture, Nico pulls me up against his chest and holds me there.

I’m stiff as I lean against him, worried he’ll feel how fast my heart is beating against his chest. “The wind has a bite to it,” he remarks, not letting me go.

The longer he holds me, the more I relax, until I have my cheek pressed into his jacket and a soft smile on my face.

I could get used to this.

I shouldn’t. But I could.

The hot chocolate is creamy and sweet. Absolutely divine. We walk slowly through the last half of the park towards my apartment at a slow pace, enjoying the fresh late afternoon air and watching people move around us.

Neither of us talks much, but it’s a comfortable, peaceful silence.

I’m sad when we arrive at my front door. I really wasn’t ready for this to end yet. I wanted to live in my little dream world for a little while longer. The one where my boss sees me as more than just his assistant.

The small steps leading up to the door are slippery with a very thin layer of ice, and Niko insists on walking me up to make sure I get there safely.

We’re standing right at the door. My anxiety has crippled my thoughts; imagine if I was brave enough to cook dinner for him, or to tell him to come in for a drink.

I could say something like, I have an incredible single malt.

It’s sure to warm you up, if you want to come in?

But then, I image a man like Nico has the fancy whiskey. The one that pours thick and looks like gold.

I open my mouth, wanting to invite him in. Just say the words. What could go wrong?

He’s standing, quietly watching me, his head tilted to the side, waiting. He’s waiting for you to invite him inside, Serafina.

No, he isn’t, he’s just looking at you weirdly because you’re standing here with your mouth open, saying nothing.

I press my lips together and huff a breath out of my nose. Ugh. Why is this so difficult?

“Thank you for walking me home—and for the hot chocolate,” I smile nervously. I’m so anxious that my throat is dry.

“ It was my pleasure,” he smiles back. “I mean that.” He reaches up and brushes a loose curl away from my eyes, tucking it behind my ear, letting his hand linger against my cheek.

Why is everything he says so easy to misread? Of course, I’m going to start making up fantasies about how he’s falling madly in love with me when he’s so charming.

I’d rather let this fantasy continue a little longer than invite him in and risk rejection.

At least for now, I can pretend.

I look up at him with a smile.

“I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Looking forward to it.” He nods, stepping away from me, the cold taking his place and instantly filling me with longing.

He waits until I’ve unlocked my door, and I get so shy I fumble with my keys, almost dropping them. I push it open and step inside.

He turns away, shoving his hands into his pockets as he walks down the steps and onto the street. He glances over his shoulder once, his eyes piercing into mine and making my heart spin.

I close the door and lean against it, taking a deep breath and telling myself to stop being so pathetic.

This isn’t love at first sight.

This is real life.

Girls like me don’t get guys like him.

Oh my word.

He’s so gorgeous.