Page 16 of Embriagado

“I asked if you’d like something to drink?”

I quickly shook my head, hoping to God he didn’t catch me drooling.

“Nah, I’m all good.”

He smiled, then grabbed something from his desk and walked back to me. “I made sure there were no mistakes this time.” Holding up the small metal tag, I saw my name engraved on it.

“Thank you.”

Ready to reach for it, Ariyan took another step closer, nearly causing me to choke. Then, he opened the pin and gently tacked it to my shirt. My temperature rose at his proximity, and I tried holding my breath the whole time his fingers gently moved over my chest. My head immediately filled with filthy thoughts about him touching me all over, slowly moving his hands down to my⁠—

“All done,” he said, cutting my fantasy off in its prime.

Placing my hand on my chest, I could feel my heart still beating fast while I glanced down at the golden tag.

“As trivial as it may be, our name is our first and most basic way to connect with our guests,” he said as he walked back to his desk. “I also believe one can learn a lot about a person just from their name.”

Holding his stare, I asked, “So what can I learn about you?”

His golden eyes glinted with something a second before his lips curled into a sweet smile.

“See? I knew you’d be bold, Mr. Rivas. Your name told me you’d be.”

I stepped closer.

“Bold? Nah.” I clicked my tongue. “Stupid would be more accurate.”

He checked me out with a raised brow, and at this point, there was no denying this slight flirtation between us.

“Stupid? Why would you say that about yourself?”

“Self-awareness.”

That made him chuckle, and he covered his mouth with his hand as he laughed.

I could watch him for hours.

“You’re very straightforward. I like it.”

“Do you?” I took another step, eager to get more out of him.

“Hold on, now.” With his hip bucked against his desk, he held his finger in front of him. “Don’t get too comfortable. I’m just being friendly, with this being your first day and all.”

Understanding my place, I bowed my head down with a sigh. “Sorry, didn’t mean to cross a line.”

“Some lines are meant to be crossed.”

My eyes shot to his.

“But not this one,” he said, but the smile on his face told me he might not have meant it. Or at least, it made me hope he didn’t.

“That’s fair,” I said half-heartedly when he crossed his arms.

“So, you said your first day went well? Imani is very passionate about her work and is one of my best employees. Hopefully, she went over everything?”

“Probably beyond that, even.” I snorted, thinking back on that chatty girl. “She’s a good teacher.”

“Great, that’s just great.” He placed his hand down on the desk, and my eyes lingered on his pretty fingers. “If you have any further questions, please don’t hesitate.”