Chapter 9

Melanie took a deep breath as she watched the man walk inside. She didn’t stand up. She didn’t offer him a seat. She didn’t even acknowledge his presence with any words. If there was one thing she had learned about Adam Collins in the past few weeks, it was that he did what he wanted—when he wanted. Nobody could make him do anything. If he had decided to come here, then he would, regardless of whether she welcomed him or not.
Still, she couldn’t help but wonder what it was that made him so different. There were plenty of men like him—confident, powerful, unbothered by the rules of polite society. And yet, none of them had the same presence, the same energy that seemed to demand attention the moment he stepped into a room.
Well, other than his looks, of course.
Adam Collins was a beautiful man. There was no denying it. But not in an effeminate way, not in a way that made him seem delicate or polished. No, there was something raw about him, something almost dangerous. His beauty wasn’t just in his face but in the way he carried himself, the way he moved, like an animal on the prowl, wanting to hunt.
And she, usually felt like a prey in his presence. Because he made her feel unsettled yet drawn to him all the same. Everytime she came into contact with him, her instincts would scream at her to run in the other direction, yet it was almost impossible to look anywhere else when he was around.
Melanie knew she was staring as she watched him walk into her office. And she assured herself, that in a minute, she would snap at him about his reason for being here. For now, she would not return his kindness of bringing her here by snapping at him.
Her eyes drifted to the small silver ring at the corner of his lower lip. It wasn’t flashy, not the kind that screamed for attention, but on him, it was impossible to ignore. It was distracting. And confusing. She wasn’t one to like piercings but why could she never look away.
She hated that she was staring.
But before she could force herself to look away, he cleared his throat. Amusement flickered in his dark eyes, as if he knew exactly where her mind had wandered. And just to make it worse, he let his tongue dart out, tapping against the metal in a slow, deliberate motion.
She scowled. Dam* it! She’d been caught! “What are you doing here?”, she snapped finally.
Adam clucked his tongue, shaking his head like she’d asked something ridiculous. “I’m here for the board meeting, of course.” He tilted his head slightly, his smirk deepening. “I do own a substantial amount of shares in this company, you know.”
She shook her head. She knew that. This meeting was one of the biggest reasons that Spencer had returned and so had Adam. Otherwise, she had not seen a hair or hide of either her husband or this brother of his.
“I meant why are you here in my office?” She answered.
Did he answer her? No. He simply moved. Not toward the chair opposite her desk, where any normal person would sit, but around it. She stiffened as he closed the distance, rounding the large wooden desk.
And then, he leaned against the edge of her desk, right next to her. Her jaw clenched, but before she ask him to move away, he lifted one foot and hooked it against the leg of her chair, pulling it forward until she was closer to him than she had any intention of being.
She looked up at him, as he stared down at her. Her heart steeled. She was not one to be intimidated easily, just because he was invading her space.
The scent of his cologne—something dark, woody, and sharp—filled her senses as he leaned in, just enough to make her heart stutter against her will.
His voice dropped to something low and teasing. “Did you miss me that much, Melon?”
Her hands clenched at the ridiculous nickname, her nails digging into her palms as she leveled him with a glare sharp enough to cut through steel. But Adam? He only grinned, as if nothing in the world could amuse him more than riling her up.
“What are you even talking about?” she snapped. “Why would I miss you? Did you just have some kind of daydream?”
Adam’s smirk widened, his dark eyes glinting with mischief. “Hmm. Maybe it does feel like a dream,” he mused. “After all, when I came in last week, I was told my office was at the far end of the hall. But now—” he gestured vaguely toward the door, “it turns out I’ve been moved right next door to you.”
Melanie stiffened. Dam* it! She had been so agitated with Spencer just now that she’d wanted to push him away and so she told him that the opposite at the other end was his… which meant that Adam’s cabin was right next to hers… How could she have been so foolish?
And while she was busy cursing herself, Adam leaned in, closing the remaining distance between them, his breath warm against her ear as he murmured, “I don’t mind, really. I can be even closer.”