Frost in December - My Brother's Best Friend

Chapter 8: Flaws

Vivian

I strode into Kaden's office with a mischievous grin, eager to tease him about missing me yesterday. "I heard a certain big baby missed me?" I quipped, my voice laced with playful amusement.

Kaden looked up from his desk, a hint of annoyance flickering in his eyes before it was replaced by a mock scowl. "Big baby? Who are you calling a big baby?" he retorted, though I could see the ghost of a smile tugging at the corners of his lips.

I chuckled, knowing I had struck a nerve. "Well, someone was sulking all day yesterday because I couldn't make it to the office," I teased, leaning over his desk with a grin.

Kaden rolled his eyes, but I could tell there was no heat behind the gesture. "I wasn't sulking," he protested.

I raised an eyebrow, not buying his feeble denial for a second. "Sure, and the sky isn't blue," I joked with a laugh. "Anyway, I'm here now, so you can stop pouting." I stretched my arms, stating that I was ready for the day. "You ready for this dating profile thing or what?"

He huffed. "Dimples, I have a workload to finish. Can this wait?" I eyed the papers on his desk carefully. The bags under his eyes caused my gut to twist uncomfortably. Had I been keeping him too much from working?

"Oh, sure! I'm sorry, I didn't want to keep you from working," I said in a supportive tone. I genuinely did not mean to pile up his work like this. Kaden stared at me for a long time and I almost moved away. "Come here." He gestured to his side.

"Kaden, I—"

"Dimples," his voice was laced with authority, "I said come here."

Heat rose to my cheeks at his demanding tone. I circled around his desk and watched him take out his phone. He opened the dating app I forced him to download and I had to bite back a grin.

I stood beside his chair, leaning over his armrest to see his phone. To my surprise, Kaden stood up from his chair, gesturing for me to take his place. "Here, you sit," he said, his voice almost gentle as he turned the chair around for me and handed me his phone.

I blinked in surprise, caught off guard by his sudden chivalry. "Oh, um, thanks," I stammered, feeling a rush of warmth spreading through me at his unexpected kindness.

As I settled into the chair, Kaden leaned over my shoulder, his breath warm against my neck as he peered at the screen of his phone. My body tensed unwillingly.

"So, how does this work?" he asked, his tone casual as he scrolled through the app. I swallowed hard, trying to ignore the fluttering sensation in my stomach at his proximity. "lf you like someone, swipe right. Don't like someone? Left she goes," I replied, my voice slightly breathless.

Kaden nodded, his gaze focused on the screen as he scrolled through the profiles of potential matches. I admired his flawless side profile. "Okay," he murmured, his lips quirking into a smirk as he examined each photo and bio.

But as he scrolled, I couldn't help but feel a twinge of jealousy bubbling up inside me. Each woman seemed more perfect than the last, with flawless smiles and impeccable profiles that seemed to highlight all their best qualities.

I noticed that all the women that he swiped right were the polar opposite of me. Tall, blonde, and a body that I would easily kill to have. By setting up the profile for him, I tried to convince myself that I wouldn't catch any feelings for him once he was taken.

Perhaps it was already too late for precautions.

"What about her?" Kaden asked, pausing on a particularly striking profile. Another blonde supermodel. Kill me now.

I frowned, my jealousy flaring up at his words. "Yeah, but did you see that grammatical error in her bio? Doesn't seem very competent to me." I pointed out, my voice sharper than intended.

I saw Kaden smirk from the corner of my eye, shooting me a knowing glance that I chose to ignore. "Ah, the grammar police strikes again," he teased. Way to rub salt into the wound.

I flushed, feeling embarrassed at my outburst.

And as we continued to scroll through the profiles together, I realized that maybe, just maybe, I was too far gone to keep myself from falling for a man that would never reciprocate my feelings.

The afternoon slipped away unnoticed as Kaden and I delved deeper into the dating app, sharing occasional laughter — well, at least I laughed — and conversation as we sifted through potential matches for a date.

But as the hours passed, I couldn't shake the nagging feeling of unease that lingered in the back of my mind. Each profile seemed more perfect than the last, fueling my insecurities and leaving me feeling inadequate in comparison. Although I tried to ignore it, the jealousy continued to gnaw at me, threatening to ruin the easy affinity we had established.

Finally, unable to bear it any longer, I blurted out the first thing that came to mind. "You know, Kaden, I think I've figured out why none of these women seem right for you," I said, my voice unsteady.

Kaden looked up from his phone, genuine curiosity flickering in his eyes. "Oh? And why is that?" he asked, his voice suddenly raspy. It made my head spin from dizziness.

I hesitated, unsure of how to voice my thoughts without revealing too much. "Well, for starters, none of them have your sense of humor," I replied lamely, hoping he wouldn't see through my flimsy excuse.

His sense of humor? That's all you can come up with?

But to my surprise, Kaden laughed, a genuine smile spreading across his face. I blinked. I don't think I ever heard him laugh before. The sound of it so unfamiliar that I made a mental note to burn it into my brain permanently. "You know, you're right," he said, his eyes crinkling at the corners. "I guess this will just have to wait, then."

When the sun set low enough for the sky to turn into a pretty night sky, Kaden turned his phone off. I looked up at him, my heart fluttered as he looked down at me. He had rolled up his sleeves and the expanse of his muscular arms did nothing to calm the whirlwind of emotions within me. Much less the sight of his dress shirt clinging to his impressively muscular body.

"There's going to be an opening party next week. For the bakery," Kaden broke the silence with a quiet voice. "Make sure to dress formally."