"So, you always have pancakes?" I asked, pouring water into the flour and mixing it.

The mixture was still lumpy and it was taking a lot of time to get rid of those irritating lumps. I was trying to make it smooth since few minutes but these damn lumps were just too irritating.

"Yes. They are really yummy and still my favorite," Jared sat on the counter, opening the buttons of his suit.

"Careful there. Your suit will get floury," I warned. It was really funny seeing him, a CEO sitting on a kitchen counter and swinging his legs like a child.

"What?" He jumped off and brushed off the flour.

"Its white," I giggled.

"Yeah? Oh no. Its a really expensive suit," He was vigorously dusting the flour off his butt. A really nice butt.

"It looks like you have done white poop," I burst out laughing at my own stupid joke. Tears were coming to my eyes. White poop. Seriously?

I could do way better than white poop.

Then my vision clouded as the bowl got snatched from me, "Wha-"

"Do not ever make fun of me. I am your boss. Take that," Jared laughed. He had taken the batter and poured half of it on me.

"What the fucking hell!" I shouted, opening my glasses and wiping my face off.

"Look who is swearing. Careful there. You don't want to wake up the neighbours," He guffawed while I wiped the slimy batter off my eyes.

"Damn right you are. They won't," I took the bowl and poured the rest of the batter on him.

Now let me tell you this, my lovely friends. Pouring things on old clothes.

Still acceptable.

Pouring things on expensive Armani suits whose compensation can take you almost months or even years to pay back.

Catastrophic.

Jared looked as if someone had just informed him he was the father of an unborn child.

"I. Am. So. Sorry," I said, clasping my mouth as I realized what I had done in the heat of the moment.

"Did you just ruin my suit?" He asked quietly.

"Firstly, you shouldn't have done this. Secondly, you really do need glasses. Why repeat the obvious?" I said, unable to hold a snicker back before going full on serious mode again.

I should really learn to control my mouth.

Jared swiftly grabbed the water jug beside me and poured the water on my head, "There. Now you are clean."

I was drenched in water as it flooded my floor. I took out my glasses again and wiped them with a kitchen cloth, my lips drawn into a thin line.

Jared had kept the jug away from my reach. He was staring at me and chuckling. Thankfully, he didn't look too angry.

I went and opened the fridge and took out the extra eggs. His eyes widened when he realized what was I about to do, "Allison, don't-"

One...two...three...

Eggshells sat on his head and floor while the yolk slid down his shirt slowly. He stared at me blankly before his eyes narrowed.

"Allison Marshall! You are so dead!" He sprang on me.

"Jared!" I shouted equally loud and stepped back to run. I slipped on the ground and landed on my bum. I groaned but Jared had already grabbed my wrists and put my hands above my head, trying to stop my moves.

He tackled me on the ground and tightened his grip on my wrists as I writhed under him.

"Please don't kill me," I laughed, squirming violently, my hips hurting a little now.

"Stop laughing, will you?" He rolled his eyes.

"I can't. You are looking so-"

"I dare you to finish that sentence, Marshall," He threatened, raising an eyebrow.

"Or what, huh?" I challenged. He looked like a joker with white battered face and egg yolks sliding down his blazer. It was hard to take him seriously in this manner.

He smirked, "You shouldn't have said that."

And then he got off me but turned me over so now I was lying on top of him, straddling him comfortably. It didn't look it mattered to him that he was lying on top of egg water flour mixture with his suit on.

We were laughing our hearts out and then slowly the laughter receded as we realized our positions. Our faces turned from laughter to seriousness slowly as the laughter died down.

Awkward.

Really awkward.

I blushed when I realized our compromising position. I was straddling him with our legs tangled. Our faces laid close to each other and if I just moved an inch down, I could be kissing him practically.

This was totally not helping our so called friendship pact.

Water drops fell on his face from my dripping locks. He was piercing me through his grey eyes, "Your best friend is wrong. You are not heavy, I assure you. Nothing I can't handle at all."

Holy hell, my whole body was numb as his lips parted. Let me tell you. After listening to an American accent throughout my life, British accents were sexy as hell. There was something so sophisticated and posh about Jared saying I wasn't heavy. He could talk for hours with that accent and I would listen. It wasn't overrated for me.

He was staring at me as if trying to search for something when he realised I had frozen. Slowly, he got up, a tight hold on my waist and gently pulled me onto his lap.

"Did you hurt yourself?" He asked softly, rubbing my hips gently as I shivered.

Yes.

"No," I shook my head and felt my neck getting warmer, the sticky mixture around us all forgotten.

I tried to get up but he tightened his hold on my waist. His eyes lazily drawled to my lips. He gave a smile. A genuine, warm smile as if he was very content. He raised a hand and pulled out the needle stick out that I had used to tie my hair into a bun while making the pancakes. Even though my hair was now white and sticky, he weaved his fingers through them so it fell around my shoulders and back.

I was still as a statue, not making a move. I was still frozen. I didn't know what to do next. I didn't mind him doing it either.

And then he leaned forward. My eyes were as wide as saucers now. Our pounding hearts and loud breathing were the only noises in the room.

I thought he was going to kiss me. I really did. But instead, he moved towards the left and slowly rubbed his cheek against mine and then proceeded to do the same with the other.

Now my cheeks were again smeared with batter.

Lord.

It was so intimate to me I could feel the heat radiating off my face. He gently opened my glasses and kept it beside him and cradled my face in his large hands.

"Jared..." I finally found my voice.

Whoopie do!

"You are so beautiful, Alli," He whispered and nuzzled his face against the crook of my neck. He rubbed his nose against my neck and I shivered, feeling the goosebumps on my legs and hands. He opened his mouth and simply pressed his lips against the sensitive skin of the neck. I felt my eyes closing as I gripped his biceps to balance myself. He grazed his lips all over my neck, lightly pressing the skin on my earlobe and I was almost done there.

Maybe it had also to do with the fact I didn't get as much action as His Highness did. Then again, I didn't mind Jared doing stuff at all. He could stare at me for a while and I would turn red.

He slowly leaned towards my lips then, faintly brushing them, his eyes hooded with desire now as his fingers ran agonisingly slow over them.

Five millimeters, four millimeters, three millimeters, two millimeters, one millimeter.

"Jared!" I said, panicking. This was too fast, "You have a presentation to prepare for tomorrow, don't you?"

No, I wasn't ready. Yet. As much as I wanted it, I wasn't ready for things to go so fast.

He stopped and blinked. Then, he looked around and realized where he was and what was he doing. He blinked rapidly for few seconds again before suddenly releasing my waist.

This wasn't high school. There were too many clauses and unresolved things between us that needed attention before I could take a leap like this.

I got off his lap and got up. He stood up immediately, brushing his suit. We stood there, not looking at each other. The tension was so thick you could slice a knife through. He scratched his neck.

"Um, I better leave," He mumbled.

"What about the pancakes and your clothes?"

"I don't think we can have pancakes anymore. The batter is gone. Plus, my clothes, no worries. I will directly go home. No one is going to notice," He said, avoiding my gaze.

"Okay," I said in a small voice.

"Bye. Goodnight. See you tomorrow," He walked towards the door.

"Yeah bye," I said.

He opened the door and paused for a second, "How many more cold showers do I have to take, Alli?"

And he walked out without much further ado. I closed the door, feeling myself go hot.

He did not just say that. We were getting too bold all of a sudden. We should take it slow. It was still fragile, the relationship between us and I didn't want to do anything stupid to break it off this time. We had to take it slow and see where it led us.

It didn't matter how much we crave each other physically. We have never been much intimate anyway besides one kiss shared eons ago. But the need was becoming so strong day by day, it was getting harder to control, I could see that. I was in desperation but I had mastered the technique of learning self control, even if I wanted Jared all to myself. I wanted everything he wanted too but there was a time and now wasn't that time. He had a presentation to prepare and I wouldn't distract him. He wasn't just an intern but my boss. I would feel guilty if things went bad for him for his involvement with me.

"Stupid, stupid, stupid," I grabbed my sticky and wet hair.

Why did I always ruin a moment, though? We could have just kissed and call it a night. Then again, I knew if we had kissed today, it wouldn't just remain limited to kissing.

I walked towards the kitchen. Batter and water was everywhere. Eggshells and yolks stood there posing on the counter.

Fantastic.

Allison Marshall, start cleaning.