Page 36 of Embriagado

“So… that’s a good thing?” I asked, brows pulled close.

He chuckled. “It is.”

“Cool.” Pursing my lips, I focused back on driving until⁠—

“How come?”

“You really are fishing for compliments, aren’t you?”

I shrugged. “Don’t know what you mean.”

He shook his head, and I caught the smile on his lips from the corner of my eye.

“Somehow, I know that whatever task I hand you, you’ll do it well, and so it calms me knowing you’re around. Keeps me at peace.”

We pulled up at a red light, and I turned to look at him.

“If that’s the case, I’m even more reassuring outside of work.”

He side-eyed me, but the barely there smile on his lips said it all.

“Green.”

“Huh?”

“The light. It turned green.”

“Oh—” I gasped, then grabbed the steering wheel and kicked the gas. The van started moving, with Ariyan’s soft chuckle in the background.

After a while of driving in silence, I glanced around, my brows creasing together.

“Say, boss… you sure we’re at the right place?” I asked, as I highly doubted that a flower shop would be located in such a bad neighborhood.

Looking up from his phone, Ariyan’s forehead creased. “Oh.” His eyes dipped back to the screen. “I don’t understand… I put in the right address.”

Seeing the street was clear, I stopped the van at the side of the road.

“Let me see.” I placed one hand behind his headrest and leaned closer to check the map. “Looks like you’ve confused east and west.” I pointed at the address on top of the map.

His brows rose, his lips slightly parting. “You’re right. God, I feel like such an idiot.”

“You’re not. It was just a mistake.” I lifted my head up, realizing only then how close we were, barely a few inches apart. Being so close, his addictive scent hooked me like a drug. My throat dried at his proximity, and I swallowed hard, dropping my gaze to his lips just as he darted his tongue out to wet them. My breath caught, and like a fool, I glanced back up to find him looking at me through lowered eyelashes. The urge to close the gap between us and take over those pink lips was untamable, and so I leaned a bit closer. Ariyan’s breath shuddered, and I thought it was my cue when he snapped out of it.

“Let me type in the right address,” he said as if we didn’t just almost kiss.

With one hand still draped behind his headrest, I let out a deep sigh, then collected myself back together.

“Sure.” I pushed my hand through my hair, then put the van back into Drive.

What a bummer.

He began giving me new directions, which I followed, while my mind was still obsessing over that kiss we nearly shared. Fuck. There was no question about it; he wanted me. He wanted me bad, but being him, he probably resisted it because of work. Yeah, that was it, or else, why would he check out my lips like he was dying to have a taste? I knew lust when I saw it, and his eyes practically blazed with it. And not just now, but whenever he looked at me, it was like fire burned behind those golden irises of his, infecting him with the same possession that tainted me. All he needed was a slight push in my direction, and that would be it. He’d be mine, and I’d finally be able to move forward, as I knew my obsession would pass the second I got to taste him. Now, I only needed to figure out how to make him trip. Given the way he looked at me just now, like he was ready to jump me, I bet it wouldn’t be hard.

“Turn left here,” he said, breaking the silence.

“You know, maybe you can make me your personal assistant or something?” I suggested while taking the turn.

“And why would I do that?”