Sweet For You, Ruthless For Others
Chapter 49: Dinner?

Chapter 49: Dinner?

The touch was light, fleeting, yet it sent a shiver down her spine.

"Thank you," he added, straightening to his full height. Without another word, he turned and walked out of her office.

Hermia sat frozen, her heart racing, her body alive with tingling sensations she didn’t quite know how to handle. Her nose felt warm from his touch, as though it lingered there.

Her thoughts swirled. What was that? Did he feel it too?

She wanted to jump up and shake the feeling off, maybe even dance to release the tension, but her legs felt like lead. Instead, she stayed rooted to her chair, her lips curling into an involuntary smile as her body hummed with leftover energy.

"Sigh..." she muttered to herself. "How am I supposed to focus now?"

>>>>>>>>>>>>

Unbeknownst to Hermia, Niklaus wasn’t as composed as he appeared. Every moment in her presence felt like an exercise in restraint.

Her scent, a delicate mix of lavender and something uniquely her, lingered in his senses, making it almost impossible to think straight.

As he leaned against the wall of his office, his fingers brushed against the bridge of his nose.

He had wanted so badly to lean in, to press his nose lightly against hers in a playful gesture, but the sheer absurdity of the idea had stopped him.

Instead, he had settled for the smallest touch—a light tap on her nose with his index finger during one of their earlier exchanges.

And the way she had blushed afterward...

Niklaus smiled to himself, loosening the top button of his shirt. His thoughts drifted back to the coffee she’d left on his desk.

The fact that she had thought of him when she went down for her own drink—it struck a chord in him he wasn’t ready to confront.

With a deep sigh, he got up, his restless energy making it impossible to stay seated.

He stepped into his private bathroom and splashed cold water on his face.

The icy shock cleared some of the haze in his mind, though not entirely.

"That’s better," he murmured to his reflection, shaking his head as droplets of water trickled down his sharp jawline.

Straightening his shirt, he took a calming breath. "Let’s get back to work."

But As Niklaus settled back into his chair, his gaze lingered on Hermia through the glass wall of her office. She was completely immersed in her files, her brows furrowed in concentration, her lips moving slightly as she read. The sight tugged at something deep inside him.

Focusing on anything but her was proving to be the most daunting task he’d faced all day. He had brought this on himself, hadn’t he? Offering her the job, bringing her into his world—it had been his decision.

But it wasn’t just about him. He knew she needed something stable, something tangible to hold onto in her life right now. A reason to believe in herself again. And if there was one thing he believed in, it was her.

Still, a small voice in his mind questioned his choices. Should he have gone directly to her parents? His kind of family thrived on arranged marriages; it was the way things were done. It would have been so easy to make the call, to set everything in motion, binding her to him before she even had a chance to argue.

But no. Niklaus shook his head slightly, his lips curving into a faint smile. That wasn’t what he wanted. He knew how people reacted when pushed too far, too fast. It was a fine line, and he wasn’t about to risk alienating her. No, he would draw her in his way, weaving her into his world slowly, until she wanted to stay.

Until she wanted him.

His smile widened as he picked up his pen and returned to his paperwork, the familiar rhythm of business bringing a measure of calm. He could wait. He would wait.

The hunger he felt for her, the insatiable pull—he would endure it. Because when the time came, when she turned to him willingly, the wait would be worth it.

And in the meantime, he’d keep her close. In his office, in his heart, and, soon enough, in his home.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Evening fell, and the soft hum of the city outside grew louder as the office began to empty. Hermia shut her laptop, slipping it into her bag as she prepared to leave.

She straightened her desk, ensuring everything was in order before grabbing her coat.

As she stepped out of her office, she noticed the lights still on in Niklaus’ space. He sat at his desk, his face shadowed by the dim light of his lamp, his brow furrowed in concentration as he typed.

She hesitated for a moment before speaking, her voice breaking the silence. "I’d be leaving now, Mr. Hathaway."

Niklaus glanced up from his screen, his expression shifting from focus to mild amusement. "A secretary who leaves before the boss? Don’t be that secretary," he said, raising a brow.

Hermia’s lips twitched with restrained annoyance. "But it’s past work hours," she countered, keeping her tone polite but firm.

Niklaus leaned back in his chair, a faint smirk playing on his lips. "I’m working overtime," he said, his tone deliberately casual.

"Yes, you are," she retorted with a sharp edge, her words cutting just enough to make her point.

Niklaus blinked at her in surprise before a low chuckle escaped his lips. "Touché," he murmured, his eyes gleaming with something she couldn’t quite place.

Hermia’s gaze lingered on him for a second longer, then she turned on her heel, her bag slung over her shoulder.

She left without another word, her head held high, a small sense of triumph warming her chest.

Before the door could close behind her, Niklaus’ voice stopped her in her tracks. "Have you had dinner?"

Hermia turned, raising a brow as if to say, Really? "I’m fine, Mr. Hathaway," she replied coolly, but her stomach betrayed her with a soft grumble.

Niklaus smirked, catching the sound. "You haven’t had anything since morning," he said knowingly, standing from his chair and slipping his blazer off the back of it.

"I’ll eat when I get home," she said firmly, but her voice wavered slightly.