The first time he noticed it, heat warmed the back of his neck. When he turned around, nothing appeared to be amiss; she was innocently stirring the pot of chili bubbling on the stove. He was just being paranoid, as a spy is wont to be if he values breathing.
"Hey buddy, you ready?" Chuck asked, jingling the keys to the Nerd Herder in Casey's direction.
Casey grunted in affirmation, slowly releasing Ellie from the grip of his gaze.
The second time, he was mindlessly stocking shelves at the Buy More, when the feeling of eyes on him ghosted over his skin, sending a chill trekking down his spine. As he adjusted his position on the ladder, he caught a bit of yellow sundress clinging to curvy hips, honey-infused brown hair cascading down her back. "Hmmm," he mused, blue eyes narrowed.
The third time, he was helping her with the dishes after one of her infamous Sunday dinners. She thought she could get away with studying his hands as they dipped into the hot, sudsy water and withdrew a dripping wet dish, but he was wise to her heavy-lidded inspection. He made sure that his fingers grazed hers when he handed her the dish to rinse. He couldn't help the smirk that tugged at his lips when she blushed.
"See ya, Casey," Chuck offered from the couch, followed by a hasty "Tomorrow, big guy," from Morgan, both nerds too mesmerized by the pixelated special ops teams they had running around the TV screen, to offer a more formal goodbye.
He said good night to Ellie, thanking her for dinner, as she walked him to the door. After stepping through the door, he turned and leaned back in to where she was still standing in the open frame. "Let me know when you're ready to do more than just look."
A hot tide of crimson washed up her neck, blooming in her cheeks. He winked before turning and sauntering across the courtyard to his apartment.
She watched as he slowly and deliberately unlocked the door, meeting his eyes when he looked back over his shoulder.