And even though there was no real reason for me to stay down there, I couldn’t seem to find the motivation to move. Instead, I just stood there at the counter, watching Theo as he transferred the cookies onto the plate.
He’d changed out of his work clothes into a forest-green polo shirt that fit himverynicely in the chest area, the short sleeves leaving his forearms completely on display.
Which… apparently made it impossible not to get distracted by the way his hands moved as he worked.
Because even the faint dusting of golden hair along his arms was distracting.
Since when did I think arm hair was attractive?
Since now, apparently.
I let my gaze travel up higher, taking in his jawline. Which was probably exactly the kind of jaw the Greek gods all had.
It was strong and sharp. And while he normally stayed clean shaven for work, I knew he could also rock a scruffy beard since I was pretty sure I’d seen him sporting one at a gymnastics meet this past winter.
He finished arranging the cookies and looked up.
And just like that, our eyes met.
I glanced away immediately, pretending I hadn’t just been staring at him.
But when the corner of his lips curved up, I knew I hadn’t been nearly as subtle in my ogling as I’d hoped.
Seriously. It should be illegal to be as attractive as he was.
He picked up the plate. “I should probably get these out there before they start wondering what happened to me.”
“Yeah,” I said, nodding a little too quickly. “Good idea.”
But he didn’t move right away.
Instead, he just stood there for a second, the plate of cookies in his hands, his eyes still on me.
And something about the way he was looking at me made my stomach flip again.
Like I wasn’t the only one feeling it.
My breath caught slightly as the moment stretched.
Because for a split second, it felt like he might step closer.
Like he might?—
Laughter burst out from the living room.
“You still alive in there, Theo?” Owen called.
Theo blinked, like the spell had broken.
“Yeah,” he called back, shifting his grip on the plate. “Coming.”
Then he glanced back at me, a small, almost sheepish smile tugging at his mouth. “I’ll see you later.”
“Yeah,” I said softly. “See you.”
Then he headed back toward the living room, his voice blending in with the others as the conversation picked back up.
And I stood there for a second longer than necessary, staring at the doorway he’d just disappeared through. Then I shook my head and grabbed the smaller plate. Because, clearly, I needed to get upstairs before I did anything else that made my crush on my boss even more obvious.