A Dangerous Game

Zane's POVI sit at my desk, staring blankly at my computer screen. My mind's still reeling from what happened last night—what almost happened.Ash and I crossed a line. Hell, we practically burned the line down.I can still feel the way his hands were on me, the taste of his lips, the way my body responded to every single touch. It was intense, consuming. But then reality hit like a bucket of cold water when his phone rang, snapping us both out of the haze we'd fallen into.Now, I can't stop thinking about it. About him.The door to the office opens, and I nearly jump out of my skin when I see Ash walk in, his face unreadable. I'm torn between wanting to run over and kiss him again or pretend like nothing ever happened. What does this mean for us? Are we pretending it didn't happen, or is this the beginning of something even more complicated?I hate how unsure I feel. How nervous I am just sitting here, waiting for him to acknowledge me. But Ash just walks right past me, his phone glued to his ear, focused on whatever business emergency has his attention. He doesn't even glance in my direction.The knot in my stomach tightens. This is what I was afraid of—the awkwardness, the uncertainty, the risk of everything we've built falling apart.I don't know how to handle it. My mind races with a million scenarios, each one worse than the last.Does he regret it? Does he think it was a mistake?I sigh and turn back to my computer, trying to focus on the pile of emails waiting for me. But my brain refuses to cooperate, still locked onto last night's events like a broken record.Before I can spiral too deep, my phone vibrates with a message.It's from Ash.Meet me in my office. Now.I blink at the screen, my heart pounding in my chest. What does he want? What's going to happen when I walk in there?My hands shake as I grab my phone and head to his office, my mind spinning with all the possible outcomes of this conversation. I try to steady my nerves, but the second I push open his office door and see him standing there, all composed and unreadable, my resolve crumbles.Ash closes the door behind me, his gaze locking onto mine. There's no more ignoring this. We have to face it head-on."Zane," he starts, his voice low and serious. "We need to talk about last night."Here it comes. The part where he tells me it was a mistake. The part where he says we shouldn't have done it, that it can't happen again.I brace myself, my hands clenched tightly at my sides. "Okay," I reply, trying to sound casual, though my voice betrays my nerves. "Let's talk."Ash steps closer, his eyes flickering with something I can't quite place—regret? Guilt? Maybe even desire. "What happened last night..." He pauses, running a hand through his hair in frustration. "It was intense. But you know as well as I do that we can't let it interfere with our work."I should've seen this coming. Of course, this is where we're headed. He's going to brush it off like it never mattered, like it was nothing more than a lapse in judgment.But before I can respond, Ash moves even closer, so close that I can feel the heat radiating from his body. His eyes burn into mine, filled with conflict. "That doesn't mean I don't want you."His words hit me like a punch to the gut. My breath hitches, and I struggle to process what he's saying. He still wants me? Then what the hell is this about?"I—" I start, but he cuts me off, his hand gripping my chin, tilting my face up to look at him directly."I can't stop thinking about you, Zane. You're in my head, driving me fricking crazy." His voice is raw, filled with frustration. "But this is dangerous. We both know that. If this gets out..."He doesn't have to finish. I know exactly what he means. His position, my job, the company's reputation—it could all fall apart if anyone found out about us. The stakes are high.But hearing him say he wants me? That's all I need to know."I don't care," I say, the words slipping out before I can stop them. "I don't care about the risk, Ash. I want this too. I want you."For a moment, the tension between us feels like it's about to snap. Ash stares at me like he's trying to make a decision, his breathing heavy and uneven.Then, before I can react, his lips are on mine again, but this time it's different. This kiss isn't fueled by frustration or heat—it's softer, slower, but just as consuming. I feel myself melt into it, letting go of everything else.But just as quickly as it started, Ash pulls away, his expression conflicted. "We have to be careful," he mutters, his voice strained. "If we're going to do this, we need to keep it quiet. No one can know."I nod, my heart still racing. "I understand."He looks at me for a long moment, then lets out a sigh. "This isn't going to be easy."I laugh bitterly. "When has anything between us ever been easy?"Ash smirks, his hand brushing against mine before he pulls away completely. "Good point."I turn to leave, my head spinning with everything that just happened, but before I reach the door, Ash's voice stops me."Zane," he calls softly. I turn to look at him, my chest tightening at the way he's watching me."This isn't just physical for me," he admits, his voice quiet but sincere. "It's more than that. I just... I want you to know."His confession catches me off guard, and for a second, I don't know what to say. My heart feels like it's going to explode from my chest."I know," I finally whisper, giving him a small smile. "It's the same for me."Ash nods, his eyes softening, and for the first time in a long while, I feel like maybe—just maybe—we might actually figure this out.