"If I’d known the view was this good, I’d never leave the office."
 

Hermione’s head raised quickly when the lazy drawl washed over her, forgetting that she was beneath her desk retrieving the parchment that had fallen from the stack of files. Her head hit with a thump, a curse spilling from her lips as she glared at the floor. Scooting backwards, she moved from under her desk and turned the glare to the too handsome wizard standing in her doorway. She scowled when she caught him looking at her arse, wishing she hadn't removed her robe to be more comfortable while working, her cheeks flushing a pale pink when she saw the flash of desire in his green eyes that was quickly concealed by amusement. "Go away."
 

"Now, now Kitten, is that any way to talk to your future husband?" he made a tsking noise with his tongue.
 

"If I happen to come across him, I’ll let you know," she said sweetly, refusing to let his flirting fluster her this time. Adrian Pucey was an annoyance. Albeit, a very attractive and charming one, but still an annoyance. Ever since he had moved back to England three months ago and accepted a position with her firm, he had gone out of his way to pursue her. He was rarely in the office, but, when he was, he always stopped by to flirt, his favorite pastime seeming to be causing her to blush. She hated her reaction to him, hated that one charming smile or teasing innuendo could make her feel so damn girly.
 

She’d been surrounded by men since she was eleven and befriended Ron and Harry. She’d even had a somewhat serious relationship her seventh year at Hogwarts with Justin, though it never moved beyond some awkward kissing. Yet no man that had ever been in her life had ever made her feel the way Adrian did, as if she was a sexy and attractive woman that he couldn’t wait to shag. Men just didn’t look at her that way. She was not someone that induced thoughts of lust or desire. Even Justin, whom she’d dated for six months, hadn’t had an overwhelming desire to get her naked, preferring to spend their time discussing school work instead of snogging.
 

Adrian sparked something in her that had been dormant for twenty-three years, something that made her wish she knew how to flirt, wish she wasn’t so average and curvy, wish she was charming and vivacious, wish he was serious with his flirting and lusty gazes. As cliché as it sounded, when she was around Adrian, she felt like a woman. A beautiful, sexy, alluring woman who had a gorgeous man dying to get her alone for hours of passionate, naughty, wicked sex.
 

Because sex with Adrian would definitely be wicked and naughty, of that Hermione had little doubt. She had given the matter much thought since they had first met months ago, after all. Many of her evenings spent thinking about things Adrian Pucey, especially naked and aroused Adrian, she definitely shouldn’t even be fantasizing about. She was pulled from her thoughts by the man in question, hastily pushing aside images of him naked as she tried to focus on resisting him yet again.
 

"Should I start practicing my hexes, Kitten?" Adrian purred, watching her pupils dilate at the sultry voice he was using, triumph flashing in his eyes at the reaction she hadn’t been able to hide. He deliberately moved to sit on her desk in a position that drew attention to the tight jeans he was wearing beneath his open robe, not believing he was reduced to going to such great lengths to get the woman he wanted.
 

Any other witch would have said yes the first time he asked her out, but not Hermione Granger. No, the stubborn spitfire had given him a look of distrust and then had the gall to laugh and ruffle his hair like he was a child before telling him no. Dismissing him as if he wasn’t one of the most eligible and sought after bachelors in Britain, if not Europe. When he’d first asked, it had been merely because he was back in England after years traveling the world and he thought she was rather pretty in a natural sort of way. After she’d rejected him, she’d become a challenge.
 

He was determined and ruthless when there was something he wanted, and he wanted Hermione Granger. A lunch with Pansy had given him information about the witch that enchanted him, his cousin married to one of her best friends and claiming Hermione as one of her only real friends. Pansy hadn’t told him anything at first, but, after he’d spent nearly an hour begging and ranting about the infuriating brunette who dared tell him no, she’d smiled a crafty smile that had made him slightly suspicious before she’d suddenly become a fountain of information.
 

Using that information and what he had observed during his first weeks working with her, he’d set out to woo her.  It had begun as a game, a challenge to get a date so he could know that he had managed to charm her despite her initial dismissal. But, somewhere along the way, he’d begun to like her and it had stopped being a game. She’d taken over his dreams, becoming the star of his fantasies, and he thought about her all the time. He hadn’t dated anyone since moving back to England, despite several owls from former lovers who were interested in a night of no strings attached sex. 
 

It had only been last week that Adrian realized that he wanted strings attached with Hermione. He wanted to know if she slept on the left or right side of the bed, how she took her morning coffee, if she snuggled during winter, if she ate chocolate constantly during her monthly like his sisters, what it felt like to wake up with her in his arms every morning, to spend time with her and learn things that no one else knew, to share his life with her. He knew it sounded stupid, especially considering they’d never even had a date, never kissed, never really had a conversation beyond the light teasing they exchanged whenever he dropped in at her office or they crossed paths outside of work, but it was true. She had him thinking about things he’d never considered before, a future with one woman, marriage and children, settling down and growing up. Looking at her, he saw her roll her eyes at his words of hexing any possible suitors, still oblivious to the fact that he wanted her more than just about anything except oxygen.
 

Deciding that she was too busy to waste time fending off Adrian‘s flirting that afternoon, she finally asked, "Did you want anything specific or are you simply stalking me?"
 

"Some call it stalking," Adrian impulsively decided to forget his intricate plan of wooing her, since it didn't seem to be working anyway, and take a risk, his customary flirtatious smile faded and was replaced by a never before seen shy smile as their eyes met. "I call it love."
 

"Adrian," Hermione was confused, flustered yet again, though this time because he had deviated from the standard routine. Usually, he showed up, he flirted, he asked her out, she said no, he’d sigh dramatically, then he’d leave with a promise to see her again. Today, however, there was something new in his eyes, something that caused her heart to race a bit faster and her tongue to nervously wet her lips.
 

"Hermione, I’m only going to ask you this one more time," Adrian said softly, doing rather well hiding his nervousness and ignoring the voice in his mind telling him it was foolish to be so open regarding his intentions. "Will you go out with me?"
 

Hermione didn't look away from those beautiful green eyes as she opened her mouth, her normal refusal on the tip of her tongue. She was a bit surprised when, instead of saying no, she whispered, "Yes."
 

Adrian smiled at her acceptance, impulsively leaning down and brushing his lips against hers. With a soft groan, he deepened the kiss, his hand knocking the pins from her hair as his fingers tangled in the thick chestnut curls. When he finally released her lips, he took a moment to collect his thoughts, not believing the impact of that one kiss. He’d had the urge to push her against her desk and take her right then and there, but he didn't think she was ready for that, not yet. Happy to see that she was just as affected by their kiss as he had been, he smiled, "I’ll pick you up at your flat at seven tonight, Kitten. I’m thinking an autumn wedding, perhaps an outdoor ceremony."
 

"It’s just one date, Adrian. I don’t think you should start planning the wedding just yet," she said dryly, her eyes flashing with amusement and desire as he grinned.
 

"We’ll see." He had to kiss her again, swift but thorough, releasing her lips reluctantly. Knowing he needed to leave before he did end up shagging her on the desk before their first date, he walked to the door. Turning back to look at her, mischief flashed in his eyes as he said thoughtfully, "October 15th. That’s a good day for a wedding." Before she could reply, he winked and left her office, leaving Hermione staring after him with a slight smile on her lips.
 

The End.