The Billionaire Ritual by Amy Malone

There was something about Cameron Caine. It was in his gait as he slowly prowled, in his husky voice as he spoke to each employee, in his gleaming eyes that sparkled with attentiveness and mystery. He was more a man than any Lynn had ever seen, from his demeanor shimmering with power to his countenance sparkling with confidence.
    Lynn was content merely to watch him . Shooting furtive glances out of the corner of her eye as he made his rounds around the office checking the work of his subordinates had become standard. There would come a time when she would look on the memory of such moments, fantasizing about him at a distance, with embarrassment and a wry nostalgia.
    It was October . The office retreat neared, and the employees in her office were abuzz with who would be going. There were always a limited amount of cabins, and as the company grew selection for the trip with the boss became more and more of a coveted prize. Despite her crush, Lynn had never really considered going on the trip. She hated outdoor events, preferring a movie in a theater or a cup of coffee at a local café. If you ever want to grab lattes, Cameron, put me at the top of your list, she thought, smiling. She woke from her thoughts to a blinking cursor in her spreadsheet on her computer screen.
    Cameron worked his way down to Lynn’s cubicle, stopping briefly to greet each employee as he went along. He recalled their names and the details of their personal lives with careful precision. It was important, after all, to keep his employees happy. Lynn could feel his presence, butterflies fluttering in her stomach as her face grew warm. Her transparent nature had won trust and affection from both friends and colleagues alike, but she often thought the charm wasn’t worth her inner most feelings being left open to read.
    Lynn felt a presence stop behind her in her cubicle entrance. She could nearly feel every shift in his muscles as he stood behind her, patiently giving her a chance to notice his presence. Coming from him it wasn’t an act of timidity so much as a declaration that it was impossible not to notice him. Lynn turned around and smiled, her head leaning to the side as she licked her lips and played with her hair. It was hard to define, but it felt like something subtle was happening before their conversation even began. It was just a half beat of a moment where the energy in the room changed, but it was gone in an instant. He locked eyes with her, entrancing her with the most mundane topics. It was the sound of his voice, the intent inherent in it that made Lynn tingle with a nervous energy. It was a palpable tension, and after the first few minutes she noticed heads peering over from adjacent cubicles.
    “I’ve been noticing your work, Lynn. It looks good,” Cameron said, the faintest hint of a smirk at one corner. I sensed an ever-so-slight, barely- perceptible emphasis on the word ‘good’. As if to imply that my work wasn’t all that looked good. Lynn immediately chalked it up to wishful thinking.
    “Thank you, sir. We’ve all been working hard,” Lynn said, all too aware that her colleagues were listening.
    “I’m sure,” Cameron said, understandingly surveying the room briefly. He turned to go, but there was something in his demeanor that caught Lynn’s attention. It was almost as if he turned to leave more slowly than usual, reluctantly, meaningfully. Just as she was wondering whether the whole thing had been in her imagination, he turned around again.
    “I hope you’ll be joining us at the retreat this time.”
    In that brief sentence, in his voice and in his eyes, he managed to contain a raw and unabashed sexual pressure. She felt a jolt go through her me, tingling down her spine and melting into a warm glow in her thighs. It was suddenly very hot. Lynn still intended not to go. Aside from being too shy to explore his intent, she still hated being away from the city. What Lynn meant to say was: “Oh thank you. But I