'My car will get here in some time, you don't have to wait for me to leave. You can sleep'

She glanced at the clock, the dreaded hour hand pointed at one in the morning. She didn't need a night of beauty sleep, she wanted him out and at the earliest.

"I hope your car gets here soon"

Amber could not say anything more but sit tight with a solid stance, nothing to think of. It was obvious Alex wanted out as soon as possible but they had to wait and she hoped not long.

'At least go and change. Seeing you in that dress is making me uncomfortable'

She was uncomfortable, but the thought changing while a man sat on her couch made her feel uneasy. But he had expressed her thoughts very clearly and she wondered if he was uncomfortable seeing her in a revealing dress or was it that he hated her in a dress, because she looked unpresentable.

The conflict in her mind went on till she stood up walking to her bedroom and the suit and trousers worn by him were still on the floor. Picking them and placing them on her desk she locked her bedroom door and undressed. Taking off her make-up and well-done hair Amber took a fast shower to get rid of that glitter on her body and wore her joggers with an oversized shirt.

"I will send your suit after it is clean"

Alex glanced up at her as she made her way to her open kitchen. It was a small kitchen, it had him wonder how she cooked a meal in such a small space.

"May I call Miss Linden and let her know where you are-"

'Not necessary, she will only make it hard for me. I am surprised you are asking me that, don't you think she will fire because of this incompetent work of yours?'

Amber gulped slowly, looking down at the boiling water, and continued grinding some coffee, she was well aware of her position hanging on a pendulum and she did not hide it. Although it did hurt to see him talk about how bad she was at this work when she had been dedicating years into it just to live an average life.

"I like to be honest even if I know I may get fired. It is better your face remains clean of any scandals in this company"

'You don't have to think of me in this. I have people covering up for me. Worry about yourself and your work. If you to keep working then better not talk about this night and we both are good'

She had agreed even before she was asked, Amber did not want any risks in her life, she was already on the verge of quitting.

"Coffee?"

He nodded. 

She handed him the warm cup of dark liquid and their fingers brushed past like the clique moment of every movie. But it was his gaze meeting her eyes which caught her by surprise. Something had passed between then just that minute, maybe a charge of electricity which had shaken him but to her, she just looked surprised and stepped back. 

Did she expect something? He thought as he stared at her back while she walked to herself a cup. Was she into someone else? The questions pilled up but he ignored them. She certainly made no move to show a desire inside her for him. She was just plain, normal, and somewhat clumsy. He found that cute. She may be working for one of the top positions in her career but she wasn't earning much to live better considering the apartment she was living in currently. 

"What if the snow continues to block the road by morning?" 

Amber clutched her cup tight as she muttered to herself looking at the windows. Her lips parted and her tongue circled over her lower lip all while Alex stared at them. He fought the urge to reach out and pull her against him. 

'It won't be' He replied looking away and shifting in his position to hide that sudden thing in his pants which he was utterly shocked about. 

There was no way Alex had found that small desire to pull in a woman like her and have her to himself let alone a boner. He gulped some sips of his coffee to pull his thoughts away from her. 

"Would it be risky? To call someone to pick you up? The weather reports don't seem so well and the roads are all blocked, at least will be in an hour" 

Alex sighs unable to answer about it. 

"Should I use my car?" He looked up to her at that sudden suggestion. 

"It's not one of the best ones but-" She paused looking at her coffee. 

'I wouldn't try risking it with us both in a car its better I just wait it out" 

Amber nodded glancing at him and sitting on the chair near her window across the room. To Alex, it was a rejection-like deal. He felt like she wanted him out of her place but at the same time, he could see her shifting under his gaze and blushing with that slight pink pigment over her cheeks. 

'Have I offended you in any way?'

Alex thought about asking her that, but he chose against it. 

For a minute, she disappeared into her room before walking out with a cream blanket. She placed it at the end of the couch before slowly biting down on her lower lip as she looked down stepping back before looking at him. 

"In case you need it" She whispered. 

Alex leaned on the side of the couch, with his legs crossed over the other and his head resting on the back of his hand, he looked at her thinking what she had in mind. 

'When I saw you, I didn't think you would be the secretary working under my aunt'

"What do you mean by that?" Amber froze, she thought of it as a joke or maybe an insult. Maybe he didn't think of her as a woman smart enough to work for his Aunt. 

He shrugged staying quiet for a couple of minutes before staring at her and leaning his hand back at some kind of confusion. Within a moment of the silence between them, their eyes stared back into each other. One thinking of the past comment as an insult and one's eyes hinting a hidden smirk. 

'You're mad, why?'

Amber gulped, "Why? Well, coming from someone like you, I suppose you find me incompetent to manage my work,"

And in that minute of her talking and explaining to herself, he had stood up and ambled his way towards her. Her eyes watched carefully with every step she made till he was right in front. His fingers suddenly pressed under her chin, pulling her head up to face him directly. The feel of his cool finger resting lightly under her chin was as stifling hot.

'What do you think I mean, someone like you? I suppose you took it the wrong way, I mean by someone young, possibly finished her years of running around with one boss and getting a stable job and living in a better apartment.'

"Well, that's a stable job for me right now. I-I cannot afford to lose it. Living here is better than on the streets. I-I will go wash these," she said, stepping back and walking to the couch, glancing at him before grabbing his now empty cup and taking it to the sink. Her heart and brain were in a war, instead of backing away from his touch the minute he was close, she stood there, frozen to her spot, and noticed her heartbeat the way she hadn't felt in a long long time. 

She wanted him to take that and of her but she wanted that distance between them to close. She hate it but she couldn't disagree with the way she felt as he touched her. She wanted his hand to pull her closer, slid it across her waist, and touch her. She didn't want to involve herself with him out of all people but he was making her think things she would never dare. 

It was just her thoughts, right? 

She barely held herself up properly and certainly felt her body go weak being a foot near that man, her body was sending her mixed signals and now she was confused and feared what she felt. 

"I see" He whispered leaning on the wall behind her. 

For a few seconds, Amber hovered around searching the fridge and her pantry for food. It was already past seven and she was getting hungry, waiting for his ride here would probably lead her to starvation. Alex looked at her for a minute observing her action and understanding them. She had her back to him, pulling out things and boiling some water, the snow continued its pour and there were no calls from the other end. He figured there was no way of getting out, it was already too late. It was best he gave up trying to run away from this woman in front of him. He feared he would do or say things she found uncomfortable. 

A night over at a girl's place with no sex...First time. He chuckled quietly to himself. 

Before he had flown to the city from Chicago, he had countless women, innocent like a teen or bold like adults. But there was something about this one that he couldn't put a finger on. She wasn't innocent, he could see it. She was more closed off like she had no interest in love or the desires of her life. Throughout the cooking process, he had stood right next to her, tasting the soup she made or watch her chop some vegetables for the pasta. But she was unfazed. There could be a possibility of her hiding it, but she looked determined to do something he couldn't understand. 

He was not in the slightest ashamed of thinking of her in a sexual way, after all, she was beautiful. A hidden beauty that he saw this evening, her hair slipped down from her ear to beside her eyes, her finger delicately pushed her behind her ear, her lips parted to take a sip of her soup before gentle nod assuring herself it was perfect. He promised himself this trip would only be businesses, but he couldn't help himself get with the first blond who threw herself at her, and now the girl he found fascinating had witnessed that the minute they met. He didn't want romance, but he always kept an image for girls. 

His assumptions weren't far from that image being broken for her. 

He had gotten used to changing girls like his clothes because of the rule set out by his family. More like his folks who wanted nothing more than their sons to settle with one woman at the young age of 28 and get married. Being the eldest, he found it difficult to explore his ways of living life. Every woman he met was seen as his future wife by his family and dragged into considering an engagement. Sleeping around helped him, they were now unfazed by the girls around him. However, his father was disappointed. His father refused to give him the position as the owner of the land and houses Alex owned as his right. 

It didn't faze him, he was rich and independent, but his father was unwell his only wish was to see him get married. His father believed Alex would get a woman by his side as soon as he turned 28 but after a year passed by, there was an utter disappointment. There was even a rumor spread by his own brother that he would not be invited to his brother's wedding unless Alex found a girl he would marry. These were the ridiculous lengths their family went to get him married. 

"What are you cooking?" 

Amber turned back to see him standing with his hands folded and his eyes on the vegetables. She noticed his tall frame and could tell he was above the average height, it contributed to his radiating aura. Her father's clothes were slightly small on him. His muscles were clearly visible in the shirt. Her eyes never lingered on them but moved away in seconds. 

"Just Pasta." 

"I'll help," He said grabbing the onions and the cutting board. 

"Do you always give that uncomfortable stare to people who want to help?" He asked after noticing her watching him. 

Amber blinked looking away. 

"You ask a lot of questions" 

He smiled.