Chapter 144 - Getting closer (7)

Next day, everything went back to normal. Sophia got a huge bouquet of carnations in the morning, and Felix came to office of the CEO to pick up Sophia for lunch. She was expecting him, and he was relieved that she stopped avoiding him.

Two of them had a lunch together and enjoyed chatting in a pleasant and relaxed atmosphere.

On the way back to office, they were standing in front of the elevator, waiting to go up. As the door opened one woman rushed outside and bumped into Felix. "Oh, no! I'm so sorry!", woman exclaimed. Sophia approached Felix and saw his troubled face. He was shaking hot liquid off of his hands, and his shirt had a big brown stain on it. Next to him was a woman with a panicked expression. It seems that woman carried coffee and bumped into him. Luckily, his coat was not buttoned, so most of the liquid ended up on his shirt, sparing his coat. Unfortunately, that also meant that hot coffee probably reached his skin. Woman pulled out paper napkins out of her purse and started wiping Felix's shirt, apologizing repeatedly. After few seconds, Felix held woman's hands back asking her to stop the wiping. "It's OK. It's not helping."

"I'm so sorry. Let me wash the shirt for you, or get you another one.", woman pleaded.

Felix shook his head, rejecting her offer, "It was an accident. Don't worry about it." He looked at Sophia, "I have a spare shirt in my office. I will go and change."

Sophia followed him. There was panic in her voice, "Did you get scalded? Let me check if you need a treatment."

Felix didn't reject her offer. He liked that she is worried about him.

Sophia thought how she should get one set of clothes in the office for herself, what if someone spills coffee on her? Having spare clothes could be handy.

They reached his office, and Felix closed the door behind them.

Sophia looked around. She could not see anything personal. He had two whiteboards on the wall, both filled in with complex diagrams and calculations that she didn't understand. His desk had two monitors, keyboard and rest of the desk was covered in different wrappers from granola bars and candies. 'He should eat healthier, this is all junk food.', Sophia thought.

She heard him let out a low hiss, as he if is in pain. Sophia turned to look at Felix who was few steps away from her, and noticed that while she looked around his office, he removed his coat and shirt. She was facing his muscular v-shaped back which looked more attractive than what she imagined before. She inhaled sharply and composed herself suppressing lustful thoughts that started appearing in her mind. "Are you hurt?" she asked him.

"Just some minor burns. I think I will be OK.", he responded.

"Oh, no. Let me see", she stepped toward him without hesitation, and took his hand indicating to him to turn around. Her focus was on his abdomen, in the area where the biggest coffee stain was on his shirt. She saw that his skin is getting light red. "Something cold will help. I don't think it needs medication. Wait here, I will find something." Sophia left his office and rushed to the kitchen.

She soaked a towel in cold water and wrapped few ice cubes in it before heading back to Felix's office. When she got back into his office, he was sitting on the sofa, with his top exposed. She took a seat next to him. "Lay down, let me put this on you."

Felix obediently stretched himself on the sofa, allowing her to put cold towel on his abdomen, covering now dark pink patch of skin.

As the scalded area was covered, Sophia's view expanded and she took in his torso, full of well-defined muscles. Her view traced along his chest hair which sparingly covered middle of his chest and created a narrow path to his navel. Shape of it looked like an arrow which is pointing to his navel… or below it… Sophia realized that her cheeks are getting hot, and she hoped with all her might that she is not blushing.

Suddenly she became aware that she is sitting next to him on a sofa, and his top is not covered. 'He is so handsome!', she screamed internally hoping that her expression is not revealing her thoughts. Sophia made an extraordinary effort not to look away, and not to gawk either. She inhaled and exhaled slowly, doing breathing exercises to keep her composure.

"It's not cold anymore", she heard him say, and slowly her eyes moved to meet his. "The towel, it's not cold anymore", he repeated seeing that she is not reacting.

Without word, Sophia took the towel and flipped it. When she placed it over his abdomen, tips of her fingers touched his skin. She didn't move her hand away. Her fingers moved slightly caressing his firm muscles, and she wished to move her fingers just a bit to the side so that she can touch that golden blanket made of his chest hair. When she realized what she is doing, she jerked her hand away and looked at his face, embarrassed. One side of his lips was curved up and he smugly asked, "Done touching?"

She looked at him suspiciously, "Did you get that woman to pour coffee on you on purpose?"

He shrugged helplessly. "If I say yes, I'm in trouble. If I say no, will you believe me?"

She thought for a moment and agreed with his assessment. She was confident that somehow, he orchestrated this incident, just so that he could expose himself like this... 'Why am I not leaving his office? Why am I still sitting here?'

Sophia's gaze went to his chest, and slowly moved down towards his abdominal muscles, following that arrow shaped golden blanket. And her gaze started moving lower, in the direction that arrow was pointing. She forced herself to stop staring.

"You are very handsome", she blurted out.

"You can touch if you want", he said with a smug expression.

Sophia looked at him, and felt her temper rising. "Get lost!" She stood up and left his office swiftly. As she closed the door, she heard him laughing. She was furious. Sophia could not decide if she is furious because of his behavior or because she could not keep her composure in front of him. 'I really wanted to touch him.' That thought made her even more angry.