HOW TO CATCH A BAD BOY

Both men nodded, and Matt even smiled broadly at her, “Everything is great” he said, “I’ll be taking my leave now. Please call me if need to ask anything or if you need my service any other time and I’ll be glad to make myself available.”

After handing one of his cards to Elena, he shook hands with Chandler and left, leaving them standing in the middle of the space that now belonged to her.

Elena faced him, “Thank you so much, Chandler. You know you didn’t have to wait for us to be done. I know you must have missed so much at the office,”

Chandler shrugged, “Believe me, there’s no problem, Elena…I wanted to be here. You love it, don’t you?” he asked, “Judging by the big smile you have on your face,”

Elena laughed, spinning 360 degrees as she looked around once again, “Of course I am, Chandler,” she said excitedly, as they started to walk outside. “I got exactly what I wanted, and it’s all because of you. You have no idea how grateful I am and if there’s anything…. anything at all I can do to show you how grateful I am for you help, you state it, and it’s done,”

Chandler said nothing until they were standing in front of car. “Hmhmmm… Anything… you said that not me,” he said, as he tucked both hands in his pants pockets and grinned down at her.

Elena’s heart fluttered involuntarily as her eyes traced the contours of his face. She’d seen Chandler in casual clothes and even then he’d looked incredibly hot, but staring at him now, impeccably dressed in office attire, he exuded an aura of confidence and sophistication.

The crisp, white shirt hugged his broad shoulders, perfectly tailored to accentuate his toned physique. Each button strained subtly against the fabric, hinting at the strength beneath. The sleeves, which he’d expertly rolled up at some point during the day, revealed just a glimpse of his well-defined tattooed forearms, adding a touch of casual elegance to the formal attire.

Of course she’d noticed all of this before, but now that Matt had gone and they were left alone, it was harder to ignore just how handsome this man was. She couldn’t help but notice the small details that set him apart-the way his perfectly combed hair framed his chiseled jawline, the confident stance that exuded authority, and the subtle scent of a cologne that lingered in his wake, adding an intriguing allure to his already magnetic presence.

And that grin on his face…. That boyish, mischievous grin told her exactly what he was thinking. Was it weird that she could tell what he was thinking even before he voiced it out? She shook her head, but the expression on his face told her that he wasn’t going to let her take her words back.

“You said anything, love,” he stated again.

“Yes, I did,” Elena agreed, “But that was because for a second, I forgot who I was talking to,”

“Too bad…. For you at least,”

“Chandler….” She began, but he interrupted.

“One date, Elena. Just one” he told her, and before she could say anything else, he added, “The company party I told you about… I want you to come with me. You can think of it as a way to network as well. There are going to be investors, CEO’s and business owners at this event and you can introduce yourself… Give them your business card… Stuff like that. It’s like killing two birds with one stone. You get to advertise to potential customers and we get to have an amazing date too.”

Elena rolled her lips between her teeth and glanced beyond his shoulder as she thought. She did like the idea of using it as an opportunity to expand her business and if she was to tell herself the truth, a date with him didn’t sound like a bad idea. She was very attracted to him and she enjoyed his company even if she didn’t want to admit it. After an impossibly long moment, she finally shifted her attention back to him. “One date?” she asked.

Chandler nodded, “Yes…. And I’m sorry I had to resort to blackmail. I just… I want to spend time with you,”

She let out a dry laugh, then rubbed at her forehead. “Chandler,” her voice trailed off.

What was it about her? Just saying his name like that had him wanting to drop to his knees in front of her and take whatever scraps she’d give him.

Apparently, his good girl fetish was marrow deep, and he didn’t realize it until just now.

“We go as friends. No expectations.”

He blinked, not expecting that. “I don’t completely agree to that, but I’m desperate so I’ll try to go along with it.”

Elena stifled a smile, but he already saw her mouth start to curve upwards and he grinned at her. She ignored him. “I’m serious, Chandler.”

His smile was instantaneous. “Noted.”

She licked her lips. Her eyes were wide and nervous, and she tucked a stray hair behind her ear. “And you can’t kiss me.”

Chandler tilted his head to the side and studied her. He hadn’t even said anything about kissing her, but she’d mentioned it, which meant that she was thinking about it, and something told him she didn’t really mean what she said. Nevertheless, it was a promise he didn’t want to make. The words literally would not come out of his mouth.

Pushing away from the car, he took a step closer to her. She held her ground, lifting her chin at his approach.

“What if you ask me to kiss you?” he said quietly. “Then can I?”

Elena exhaled shakily. “I won’t do that.”

“No?” Carefully, he touched his thumb to the curve of her chin. She shook her head, and his hand fell away. “Maybe you won’t,” he told her. “But hear me right now, love, I’d love it if you asked me for a kiss.”

After a moment, Elena swallowed and stepped away from him. Chandler felt the step, the distance it put between them, like a punch to the balls.

“You’ll let me know when?” she asked.

Ahh, so that’s how this would play out, he thought. Chandler dropped his chin to his chest and had to exhale out a hard puff of disappointment. “Yeah.” He lifted his head. “It should be this weekend, but I’ll confirm and let you know.”