Chapter 4: Coffee Meetings & Close Quarters

Monday came faster than either of them expected.

Adrian arrived at the sleek conference room first, his tailored black suit impeccable as always, not a single strand of silver hair out of place. He sat at the head of the table, fingers laced, eyes fixed on the large screen displaying the terms of the joint project. From anyone else's perspective, he looked calm controlled.

But inside?

He was buzzing. And not just from the triple espresso he'd slammed ten minutes ago.

The door opened with a soft click, and in stepped Kai messy hair, leather jacket over a white tee, and jeans that hugged just a bit too well for a "business casual" meeting. He carried a folder in one hand and a cup of coffee in the other, which he plopped in front of Adrian without a word.

"Don't worry," Kai said with a smirk. "Didn't spill it this time."

Adrian stared at the cup, then at Kai. "Bold of you to assume I drink this garbage," he said, lifting it to his lips anyway. One sip in and he paused, brows arching. "Huh. Not bad."

Kai looked downright smug. "You're welcome, bloodsucker."

Adrian raised a brow. "And here I was hoping you'd matured over the weekend."

"I got drunk and slept in a hoodie I don't remember buying. Does that count?"

Adrian snorted despite himself. "Barely."

They dove into the project, going over spreadsheets, designs, and deadlines. The room filled with hushed arguments, half-hearted agreements, and the occasional jab.

"You can't just cut the cost here," Kai pointed out, tapping the screen. "That affects the supplier chain. The logistics will be a nightmare."

"I'm aware," Adrian said smoothly. "Which is why I'm also proposing a relocation of the primary production hub. You'd know that if you read past the first page."

Kai narrowed his eyes. "I did read past the first page. I just think your plan's trash."

Adrian smirked. "Then it must be a good one."

As the hours dragged on, the tension between them refused to ease. It didn't help that every time Kai leaned forward to point something out, Adrian caught a whiff of his scent woodsy, wild, laced with something softer beneath it. It made his jaw clench. His throat burn.

Kai wasn't faring much better. He kept stealing glances at Adrian when he thought the vampire wasn't looking, caught somewhere between frustration and something far more dangerous.

The man was too composed. Too put-together. Too...

Tempting.

By late afternoon, they'd moved from the conference room to a smaller office with a couch, more coffee, and fewer eyes on them. The energy shifted tighter. Closer.

Adrian leaned against the window, arms crossed. "You really don't trust me, do you?"

Kai looked up from his laptop. "Should I?"

"No," Adrian said honestly. "But I don't trust you either. That's fair, isn't it?"

Kai closed his laptop with a soft click and stood. "So, what's the plan then? We work side by side, sabotage each other quietly, and pretend like we're professionals in the meantime?"

Adrian chuckled. "Something like that."

Kai stepped closer. "I'll make you a deal."

"Oh?" Adrian tilted his head.

"No sabotage. No lies. Just... the work. Clean. Focused." He paused, then smirked. "And if we get through the week without one of us biting the other metaphorically or otherwise I'll buy you dinner."

Adrian blinked. "Dinner? Like a date?"

Kai shrugged, cocky and casual. "Call it whatever you want. I just want to see if you know how to eat something that doesn't bleed."

Adrian stared at him, lips twitching. "You're dangerous."

Kai grinned. "You have no idea."

They stood there for a long beat, heat simmering just under the surface. Neither of them moved. Neither of them dared to break the spell hanging in the air.

But the knock on the door shattered it.

An assistant poked their head in, completely oblivious to the storm they'd just interrupted. "Uh... the board wants an update in fifteen?"

Kai blinked, then stepped back, the tension snapping like a wire.

"Guess we've got a deadline," he said, grabbing his laptop.

Adrian nodded, masking the burn in his chest. "Guess we do."

But as they walked side by side down the hallway, shoulders brushing, eyes catching every now and then they both knew something else had started. Something a little less professional... and a whole lot more complicated.