It was an accident—at least, that was how it appeared. She leaned forward, reaching across the table for something, and in the motion, her blouse slipped open just a little too far.
She knew it. She felt the cool air against skin that should have been covered, the slight parting of fabric that revealed more than was proper. She should have pulled it back instantly, adjusted herself, pretended not to notice. But she didn’t.
Instead, she froze in the motion, letting the fabric hang loose, letting the silence fill with possibility. His eyes flickered, quickly at first, then longer, drawn helplessly to where the blouse no longer concealed. She caught the shift in his breathing, the way he stilled as though afraid to be caught staring.
Her pulse quickened, a rush she had not felt in years. She was aware of every detail—the rise of her chest, the slope of skin exposed, the magnetic pull of his gaze. She wanted to scold herself for being careless, but deeper than that, she wanted to let him look.
Time stretched. She leaned just a little longer than necessary, her hand lingering in the gesture, her blouse still parted. It was a dangerous stillness, a deliberate pause that said more than words ever could. She didn’t have to speak; her body spoke for her.
When she finally leaned back, the blouse still loose, she didn’t correct it right away. She let it remain open, subtle but visible, daring him to notice again. Her fingers brushed the edge of fabric at her collar, toying with it as if debating whether to close it—then deliberately leaving it undone.
The game was silent, but it pulsed between them like a hidden current. She sat straighter, her lips curving faintly at the corners, as though savoring the secret power of her choice.
She could have fixed it instantly. She could have restored the barrier, erased the memory of what he saw. But she didn’t. She liked the weight of his gaze, the tension it created, the reminder that even a small slip of fabric could change everything.
And so she left it open, just a little too far, for just a little too long.