Michael and Leo were shocked to see the change in Hayden. He smiled at them easily and thanked them. Goodness.. Elena has effected him with her cheerfulness in such a short time. So Michael made up his mind then and there that he will try to push him towards Elena more to bring out the insecurities of his and replace it with peace and happiness and if not more, then Elena can be a true friend to Hayden who he can confide in. Although they all tried and failed but he was sure Elena will be able to do this if she can make him smile so easily and casually...

Hayden was outside her apartment thinking if he should go back or ring the doorbell. After much sighing, he ringed the doorbell. He felt ease. Its ok. It was just this easy to ring a doorbell. When nobody answered for a minute or two he ringed it again waiting and then again...

Elena was sleeping in her room when she groaned loudly at the ringing of doorbell.

She decided to ignore it whoever it is will go away eventually if she will not open the door. Aliya and Noel were gone to office and school, and there was still time for them to come, so who can it be? She thought.

What if they were actually Aliya or Noel. She rushed towards the door without thinking about her appearance or the fact that there could be someone else. When she opened the door. Hayden was standing there in blue suit, looking handsome as ever, about to ring the doorbell again..

She was surprised to see at him door and was staring at him with shocked expressions.

Hayden was about to try and ring the doorbell last time when suddenly the door opened with Elena standing in just a long t shirt with eyes puffy and red as if she had cried a while ago.

He raked his eyes over her body from head to toe lingering a while longer at her soft shaven bare legs. She cleared her throat blushing, feeling stupid for not changing or bothering to check her appearance before opening the door.

Hayden snapped his eyes at her face when she cleared her throat. He felt like kissing the shit out of her. She was standing there looking adorable in only t shirt, some hair lingering on her glowing face with no make up on. She shifted uncomfortably.

He chastised himself for staring too long.. "Hi Elena.. How are you feeling?" He asked to break the quietness.

"Huh" she frowned, confused.

"How are you, weren't you sick? Your PA said when I visited your office" he explained to her.

"Oh.. nothing just a slight headache, it will be okay" she replied.

"Are you sure, my car is outside, if you are not feeling well, we can go to the doctor" he asked concerned without realising.

"Yeah I am sure" she said "you wanna come inside?" She questioned moving to the side making way for him to enter.

He nodded and padded inside eyeing the whole living room and open kitchen. " What will you have water, juice or coffee?" She questioned walking inside the kitchen

"Nothing I just thought I should check upon you since you were not well" he said seating himself uncomfortably.

She came outside in the living room with a tray of glass of juice. She put it on the table in front of him and nodded him through eyes to pick it up.

"Don't worry, I am okay, maybe... Maybe its because of work stress" she said thinking about the morning events.

Hayden picked up the glass and took a sip but was distracted by her legs when she was deep in thought about something not aware of his gaze. He was controlling himself hard to keep his hands and his eyes to himself. So to distract himself, he said "You are looking pale, have you had your breakfast?"

When she realised he was questioning she shook her head to clear her thoughts and replied "Actually no, I got distracted and upset over..... over.. something .. yeah" she replied covering her slip of tongue.

"Oh" he said "let me make you something, what do you want to have?" he said after much thought about taking her outside or preparing something for her inside due to paparazzi.

"Oh no no no, don't bother yourself, its ok I will manage" she tried to persuade him.

"No tell me" he forced standing up.

"Are you really sure, I mean do you know how to make food ?" She asked excited in her heart at the prospect of spending some time with him.

"Ofcourse I know the basic things, now tell me" he reassured..

" okay, I want to eat veg sandwich and some noodles." She said with a big smile..

"oh and make it for two" she said showing two fingers like little girl elated over the fact, he was staying.

"Two? What? Oh.. You mean me, no no I had my breakfast, I will make it for you" he told her.

"But its almost time for lunch, you wil either make it for two or nobody, choice is yours" she said standing up.

"Okay" he sighed walking into the kitchen.

She placed vegetables, bread and noodles pack on her kitchen counter and faced him - "Ok, Hayden you continue, everything is here, I will just go and change" she said embarrassed when she realised she was still waltzing around in only t shirt.

She rushed inside her room and went through her small closet wondering what should she wear to look nice. After going through half of the closet, she aborted her mission thinking how she was losing her damn mind, he wass going to be married for God's sake and picked up nice white off shoulder shirt and tight black jeans. Brushing her hair again, she entered the kitchen with a sweet aroma of noodles flaring her nostrils. "Smells nice" she said standing on tippy toes with hands on kitchen counter..

"I hope it tastes good too" he said hoping he had not made it a blunder...

"You go sit on the table, I will take it from here" she said pushing him to the table in the kitchen..

She served the food in two plates and put it on table, one in front of him and second in front of herself, she was craving noodles. So she dabbed the fork and rolled it to eat a spoonful in a bite. When she put it in her mouth, she was choked to taste so much spices in wrong proportion but she controlled herself seeing hopeful expressions on his face.

Its official, she really.. like really.. likes him - the man who doesn't shows much emotions has cooked food for her because she was not well and now waiting for her approval but damn she can't tell him about her feelings. She felt like crying but avoided it. "So?" Hayden asked, eyes hopeful.

"Yum..... Its soo good" she said "actually give your plate to me, I am starving, I want it so bad" she said feeling helpless inside on how will she eat this much spicy food..

"Um... Okaayy" he said not knowing her weird behaviour..

She continued eating , after 3-4 bites, she excused herself for water, she entered the kitchen, drowned 2-3 glass of water to make herself feel better.

Hayden was waiting for her to come back outside when he thought on eating a spoon from her plate to taste the food he made on his own. So excitingly he put a fork full of noodles inside his mouth but spit it on tissue the next minute. He was making dirty faces cursing to himself when Elena came back and couldn't control herself. She started laughing soo hard that tears started coming out of her eyes..

" I am sorry, but you were making adorable faces" she said on her knees between her laughter "Oh my God" she said wiping her tears.

Hayden couldn't control himself from giving a broad smile seeing her angelic laughter. The tasteless food was long forgotten. He was mesmerized by her. Elena stood up from the floor, put the food in the bin and placed the plates in sink. She picked a chocolate from refrigerator and starting eating it, then noticing he was seeing her she offered him some, although he shook his head but Elena encouraged him to take a bite

"Have it, it will replace the taste of food" she said jokingly... He took her hand in his and had a bite of chocolate from it still hand in hand..

Then as if trance has broken they both avert their gazes from each other...

"I should go, take care" he said now composing the straight face for the outside world to see..

"Okay, bye, I will, you too take care" she said smiling broadly and hold the door for him to go out. He went out feeling peace and calmness in his mind and soul.

Elena was going to her room back when the doorbell rang again, thinking it must be Aliya and Noel she went to open the door. But as she opened, Hayden was again standing there. "What? you forgot something?" she asked confused to see him there again.

"No, I am sorry, I wanted to do it, since the time I arrived here" he said at once.

"Wh..

He didn't let her complete the sentence and planted his lips on her with one hand on her waist and other caressing her smooth cheek softly.

She stood there frozen, wide eyed..

After the initial shock was over, she kissed him back pushing rational thoughts at the back of her mind..

The kiss was soft and sensuous. Hayden was feeling like exactly he had imagined her lips - soft, sweet and plump. He sighed contentedly while kissing her and pulled her more closer from waist. Elena curled her arms around his neck tugging his silky hair and moaned. She was exactly feeling the same way as mentioned in the cliche stories not the butterflies but the warmth, excitement and tingles were same. she felt giddy feeling in the pit of her stomach. It felt complete and erotic at the same time with his lips on her.

Hayden was feeling the same happiness bubbling inside his stomach with a mere kiss. He bit on her lip sharply making her gasp and entered her mouth to taste each and every corner of it. He roamed his tongue like he own her mouth. They parted from each other panting with ragged breaths, for more oxygen. Elena was red like a tomato, with lips parted for easy breathing.

Once the breathing was somewhat normal he hold her again with his right hand in her hair and kissed her on her forehead with his lips lingering there a bit longer and said bye turning on his heels to go back. Elena for the first time saw so much warmth in his eyes for her when he kissed her head but it disappeared as soon as it appeared. She touched her lips grinning ear to ear biting her lip but as soon as she remembered the gravity of situation , her smile disappeared causing her to frown and blink back tears. She turned inside the apartment, into the living room and switched on the TV to pass her time and to distract herself from thinking too much...

Hayden returned to the car with a small smile, he was trying so hard to maintain straight face, the kiss was replaying in his head again and again.

Funny he was fuming today before meeting, his temple was throbbing as if it would burst any second but now he was controlling to not smile, his headache was long gone and he was actually feeling happy, not only peaceful but happy...

When he got inside the car with twitching lips, Michael and Leo were giving each other looks as if saying we were right to bring him here. All the way to his office, they were seeing him lost in thought with a subtle twitching of lips or sometimes a slip of small smiles.....

*****