Page 12 of My CEO Neighbor
"Then your nervous system is overreacting.Watch."Monica took a slow, deep breath that expanded her ribcage and moved her stomach hand.She could feel Ted's attention on her like a physical touch, and it made her skin warm in ways that had nothing to do with the elevator's temperature.
"This is diaphragmatic breathing.It activates your parasympathetic nervous system, your rest and digest response."
"You want me to digest right now?"
Monica laughed, and the sound seemed to echo in the small space."I want you to convince your body that it's safe to relax."
"My body doesn't relax."
When was the last time this man had allowed himself any pleasure, any softness?
"When was the last time you got eight hours of sleep?"
Ted's pause was answer enough.
"When was the last time you ate a meal without checking your phone?"
Another pause.
"When was the last time you did anything just because it felt good?"
This time Ted's silence stretched long enough that Monica wondered if she'd pushed too far.The emergency lighting cast shadows across his face, making his expression difficult to read, but she could see vulnerability there.It made her want to reach out and touch him.
"I don't remember," he said finally, his voice so quiet she almost missed it.
"Try again," she said gently, her voice warmer than it should have been."Breathe into your belly instead of your chest."
Ted closed his eyes, and Monica found herself studying his face without the barrier of his intense gaze.His eyelashes were longer than she'd expected, dark against his cheekbones.His mouth was full, the kind of mouth that probably knew how to kiss a woman senseless when it wasn't being used to bark orders into phones.
What would it feel like to kiss him?The thought came unbidden, and Monica felt heat flood her cheeks.She watched his stomach hand rise slightly and felt an unexpected surge of pride when his shoulders dropped half an inch.
"Better.Again."
They sat in relative silence for several minutes, Ted's breathing gradually deepening and slowing.Monica found herself synchronizing with his rhythm without meaning to, which was either very professional or very unprofessional, depending on how she looked at it.
The intimacy of breathing together, of watching him relax under her guidance, made Monica acutely aware of how lonely she'd been.How long it had been since she'd shared space with a man, since she'd felt that electric awareness that came with mutual attraction.
Because that's what this was.Attraction.Pure and simple and completely inconvenient.
"This is actually..."Ted opened his eyes, and Monica was struck by how much younger he looked with his face relaxed, how handsome he was when he wasn't wearing stress like armor."Not terrible."
"High praise from someone whose default state is aggressive respiration."
"I'm never living that down, am I?"
"Probably not."
Ted's mouth quirked upward in what might have been the beginning of a real smile, and Monica felt her stomach do acrobatics that had nothing to do with breathing exercises.God, he was attractive when he smiled.It transformed his entire face, made him look less like a corporate robot and more like a man she could imagine laughing with, touching, kissing until they both forgot their own names.
Then the emergency lighting flickered again, dimmed further, and died completely.
The elevator plunged into absolute darkness.
"Shit," Ted muttered, and Monica heard the rustle of fabric as he moved."My phone—"
A pale blue glow illuminated his face as he activated his phone's flashlight, but even that seemed dimmer than before.In the weak light, his features looked sharper, more mysterious, and Monica was attracted to him more than ever.
"How's your battery?"Monica asked.
