Chapter 69

Amaris' POV

My heart flipped in my chest as I felt a shiver run down my spine even though I already knew who it was. I froze, my spatula hovering over the pan and I suddenly started feeling self conscious for some reason. How I did not hear him walking towards me?

I tried to turn around, but my body refused to move. Fear had rooted me to the spot, my eyes fixed on the wall in front of me as I wished I would become invisible that very moment. If I turned right now I would be inches away from me and I didn't want that...I've been running away from this for a long time.

I knew Kian liked me...well I knew he found me attractive I wasn't so sure about the like thing. I felt a burning sensation on my neck and I didn't know why I kept imagining his wet lips on them which sent another wave of shivers down my spine. My mind raced with countless X-rated scenes and my breath caught in my throat.

The silence was oppressive, punctuated only by the gentle simmer of the cheese. I could still feel his gaze on me, boring into my skin, making my skin tingle.

Time seemed to stretch out as no one said anything, each second an eternity as we both stood there, me, paralyzed with fear, him...I wasn't so sure. I took silent deep breaths preparing myself to turn when I felt an arm wrap around my waist. I tensed up, my heart racing with a mix of fear and surprise.

I didn't know what his intentions were which caused my mind to go into overdrive but after feeling the warmth of his body against mine and the soft pressure of his arm holding me close, I didn't understand why but I felt oddly relaxed and kind of safe knowing he was right here with me.

Despite my initial fear, I found myself leaning into his touch, enjoying the sensation of being held. *The last time I was being held like this was.....* I pressed my lips in a thin line as I tried to not think about him. Just then I heard Kian's deep voice breaking through the silence.

"If you keep moving like that you're going to get yourself burnt." His voice reverberated through me. That was when I realized I had subconsciously moved closer to the grill in attempt to avoid coming in contact with Kian's body earlier.

"Oh." I spun around meeting his gaze. Standing right behind me was Kian staring down at me....I wasn't wearing heels this time so yeah he was way taller. His presence was both captivating and unnerving. The second our eyes met, I felt a spark of connection, like a holy of electricity had passed between us. Hell that spark had been there the whole time I had just been ignoring it. "Thank you."

He dipped his head in a small nod and for a moment, we just stared at each other, the only sound piercing through the silence was the soft hiss of the stove. I felt like I was holding my breath, unsure of what to say or do next. My gaze then dropped to his thin lips for the second time tonight. *He's your boss's friend Ammie. Cousin even. You wouldn't want to be involved with Caleb in any way.* Just then, he spoke, his voice low and gentle, pulling me out of my thoughts and breaking the spell that had been cast. "You might want to check that." He pointed towards the grill and that was when I realized that the sandwich was still cooking. Thankfully it didn't burn.

"Right." I turned to the grill with the spatula in my hand taking out the two sandwiches. I placed them in two different dishes before handing one of them to Kian.

As I handed him the sandwich, our fingers touch briefly, sending more sparks through my body. He then looked up at me with a smile. "Thanks."

"You're welcome." I flashed him a smile before lifting the sandwich to my lips. I watched him take a bite out of his sandwich before I bit into mine and I couldn't help but notice the way his eyes lit up as he took his first bite. I watched eager to see his reaction as the flavors pirouetted on his taste buds although I didn't fully trust my cooking skills.

His eyes grew big and a smile spread across his face, then I knew once more that I was responsible for something, I had made him happy. The bread was crunchy, the turkey was sweet and cheese tangy...those two things should not go together but in combination, the flavors seemed to sing for him.

As he chewed, his gaze met mine, and I felt a flutter in my chest. I knew he could see the pride and satisfaction in my eyes. I had made this sandwich just for him, hoping he'd like it and it was clear he did.

He nodded slowly as he chewed on the sandwich. "Ok....this is good." He smiled, his voice filled with delight. "Remind me to tell you to bring me one of these every day." He said eliciting a giggle out of me.

"I'm glad you like it...." I said trying to sound nonchalant despite the thrill of pleasure I felt. "...and I'm so not bringing you a sandwich to work everyday."

He let out a small huff before he took another bite and I watched the way he savored each morsel. I smiled again before I began telling him about the project with the new client. We talked about it for a while before we diverted to a less thriving topic. Caleb.

"I mean I don't even get why he hates me so much." My lips twisted into a scowl. "I hate him cause he's a rude, selfish, an incredibly annoying and disgusting human being and also cause he hates me..." I added.

"Amaris calm down." Kian threw his head back as his chest rumbled with laughter. "Like I told you Caleb is not as bad as you think he is." He leaned back on the counter.

"Yeah....to you that is." I waved my hand in the air before placing it on my chest. "To me he's an arrogant, selfish, rude, obnoxious, egotistical, jerk. I mean he even told me to stay away from your mother..." I pointed at him. "...like who does that?" I wrinkled my nose.

"He did what?" Kian lifted a brow and that was when I realized I had blurted everything out to him. I pressed my lips in a thin line before slowly covering my lips with my hand. He was Caleb's cousin...of course he was supposed to know that. Right?