“All right then,” she said. “But I draw the line at boxer shorts.”
Hawk laughed and punched the elevator button again. It gaped open instantly, and Ella stepped into the elevator with him for a second time.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Ella knew Hawk’s office well. Probably better than he did. She knew how difficult it was to vacuum around his ferns near the window. She knew the placement of every photo, award, and knickknack on his shelves. And yes, she knew exactly where he kept the clothes he was about to offer her.
But she couldn’t exactly let on that she was privy to all those details, so she gave him her best first-time-in-here expressions of wonder and amazement, even adding comments on the office’s size. Men seemed to like that kind of thing.
“In here,” Hawk said, guiding her to the adjoined room beside the bathroom. An overstuffed futon draped with a blanket and a few throw pillows guarded the back wall. Across from it, a series of wall-length cabinets, a full-length mirror, and hooks holding a scarf and a blue coat waited. Several ties draped on the farthest hook. A large, flat-screen TV was suspended on the neighboring wall.
Ella circled the space, imagining him closing himself in here, settling in comfort after a long day of work when he didn’t want to return home. She hadn’t thought much about it in all the times she’d been here, but standing beside him now, her body sensing his proximity, and taking in the futon, the space was filled with sudden intimacy.
She was in his personal space. Alone with him.
Hawk made for the long cabinet beside the mirror. “Here,” he said, pulling it open to reveal a stack of drawers. “I’m a sweats and T-shirt kind of guy when I come here to do expense reports or other tedious agendas. I promise, they’re clean.”
He removed a perfectly folded pair of black pants and a gray T-shirt from the drawer. His fingers brushed hers as he handed them over. “Better get out of that dress,” he added, locked in her gaze.
Heat splashed her skin. “Shouldn’t you leave first?”
His lips tugged upward. “I should, shouldn’t I?”
Ella slipped the stack of clothes, and her hands, from his grasp. She attempted to keep things casual, but the burning of him overrode her all too fast.
“That sounds perfect,” she said.
His brow quirked. “Undressing with me in here?”
“No! I mean—” She couldn’t think. He was scrambling her every thought. “I meant the sweats!”
He strutted back a step, looking far too pleased with himself. “But?”
“But, I mean, are you sure you won’t be jealous of me in comfy clothes while you’re still all dressed up?”
He lifted a shoulder. “I could change too. If you want me to.”
Good grief. They really needed to stop talking about undressing.
“You’ll miss the rest of your ball.” She withdrew another step. She needed distance from him. This conversation was becoming far too interesting.
He tugged the edge of his bowtie. It came loose and dangled from his collar. The single action held far too much sway over her. He really needed to get out of the room.
“This could be our very own ball,” he said. “I still want to dance with you.”
“In sweats and T-shirts?” she said.
“Why not?” He moved to the open drawer. In a swift motion, he retrieved another set of sweats and shirt, holding them to his side.
“I’ll just change out here,” he said, gesturing with his head toward the door.
“Okay.”
Ella’s face grew hotter. He sure wasn’t moving very fast. He wasn’t waiting for some kind of invitation, was he? She chewed her lip and stepped toward the door. Toward him.
Hawk retreated.
Another step. Another retreat.
The closer she got to him, the more tension sizzled between them. Hawk’s gaze was glued to hers, filled with tempting promises.
Ella reached. He leaned closer in response. His husky scent wafted toward her, his nearness maddening, his eyes flicking to her mouth.
Her hand found the doorknob beside him.
“I’ll be out in a second,” she said, allowing the door to roost him the rest of the way out.
***
Ella folded her dress carefully. The red, speckled stains saddened her, but on the scale of damaged things, a damaged dress was better than, say, targeting her reputation. Yes, she’d probably be eating ramen noodles at every meal for the next month to make up for what she’d spent on the fabric of the other dress, but it had also purchased an evening with Hawk. She wouldn’t have traded tonight for anything.
His sweats bagged around her shorter legs. The T-shirt had an American flag on it, and it hung to her thighs. She didn’t mind, not if he didn’t. Ella placed her dress beside her silver heels on the floor and checked her hair and makeup in the mirror. The tears had washed off most of it, but her eyes were shining, her skin luminous.
Anticipation made her entire body hum. She closed her eyes before the closed door and took in a few deliberate breaths. She was in Hawk’s office with him. He was waiting out there to dance with her.
Pinching oneself out of a dream seemed like a cheesy thing to do, but she was suddenly struck by the impulse. Ella shrugged her shoulders, rubbed her fingers against her palms, and touched her cheeks instead. Yep. This was really her. This was really happening.
With a fortifying breath, she opened the door.
She expected the lights to be their merriest bright, the way they’d been when Hawk had first turned them on. The only illumination now came from the upper lights above his desk, dimmed so the majority of the glow streamed from the immaculate Christmas tree in the corner. This was the first time she’d seen it lit.
Stillness muted everything, leaving room for strains of soft
