Chapter 2: Breaking Boundaries
The next few days at the office felt different—uncomfortable, charged with the unspoken. Emma couldn’t focus. Every time she crossed paths with Alex, her heart raced, and her thoughts scattered. Their kiss lingered in her mind, haunting her in the quiet moments of the day.
She kept telling herself that it was a mistake. That it had been a moment of weakness—a lapse in judgment. But deep down, she knew it wasn’t just that. She felt something real, something she hadn’t expected to find, especially not in Alex Cole.
Her usual routine felt off. She’d spent the entire morning preparing for an important board meeting, but as she sat at her desk, her thoughts kept drifting back to him. She hadn’t seen him much since that night—only a brief exchange of words in passing, and each time, he seemed distant, his usual cold demeanor back in place.
It was like the kiss had never happened.
Emma sighed, pushing her hair out of her face as she refocused on the report in front of her. But then, the door to her office opened.
“Emma, I need you in my office. Now.”
It was Alex.
His voice was firm, authoritative—as it always was. But there was something else beneath it, a slight edge to his tone that made her pause. She stood quickly, smoothing her blouse and gathering her papers, trying to appear composed, though her pulse was already quickening.
“Coming,” she replied, forcing a professional smile.
When she entered Alex’s office, she saw him standing by the window, staring out at the city skyline, the same posture he had that night. She could feel the weight of his presence before he even spoke.
“Shut the door,” he said without turning around.
Emma obeyed, the sound of the door clicking shut loud in the quiet office. The air between them felt thick with tension. Alex finally turned, his dark eyes meeting hers.
“Sit down,” he commanded.
Emma walked toward the chair across from his desk, sitting slowly. She didn’t know what to say, unsure of what this meeting was about, or if he was even going to acknowledge the kiss. Maybe he had already decided it was a mistake, too.
But when Alex spoke, his voice was lower than usual, a slight vulnerability creeping into his words.
“I’ve been thinking about what happened,” he started, his gaze not leaving hers. “And I need to know where we stand.”
Emma’s heart skipped a beat. She had been bracing herself for him to shut her out, to pretend it had never happened. But instead, he was acknowledging it, even if it was just for a moment.
“I—” She started, her voice faltering. She cleared her throat. “I don’t know. I didn’t expect it either, Alex. But… it happened. And I don’t regret it.”
The words tumbled out before she could stop them. She hadn’t meant to say that, but now that they were out in the open, it felt like a weight had been lifted. It was the truth. She didn’t regret it.
Alex ran a hand through his hair, clearly conflicted. “I’m not good at this. I don’t know how to—” He stopped, looking frustrated, as if searching for the right words. “This company, Emma, it’s everything. I can’t afford distractions. I can’t afford feelings.”
Her chest tightened. He was shutting down. She could feel it.
But then he looked at her again, his eyes softening just the slightest bit. “But I can’t ignore this. The way I feel about you.”
Emma felt her heart race again, her breath catching. He hadn’t just said he cared—he’d acknowledged it. He wasn’t dismissing her.
“I’m not asking for more than we can give,” she said quietly, her voice steady despite the whirlwind inside her. “But we can’t keep pretending nothing happened. Not after… everything.”
Alex exhaled, running his fingers over his suit collar. “We can’t let this affect our work. Our lives. I won’t let it.”
“I won’t either,” she replied, her gaze unwavering. “But I’m not going to pretend it’s not there.”
There was a long pause between them. The only sound was the hum of the air conditioning, the city far below. Then, Alex moved toward her, his steps slow, measured. He stopped just in front of her, his breath barely audible.
“I’ll need you by my side,” he said, his voice rough, almost like a plea. “But I don’t know how to do this. I’m not… I’ve never done this before.”
Emma looked up at him, feeling a mix of emotions. She saw the raw vulnerability in his eyes, the unspoken fear of losing control. For the first time, he wasn’t the unapproachable CEO. He was just Alex.
“I’m here,” she said softly, “if you want me. But we do this together.”
For the first time in days, a small, tentative smile tugged at the corners of Alex’s lips. It wasn’t the confident, commanding smile he wore in meetings. It was real.
“I’m not good at this,” he said again, but this time, there was a hint of hope in his voice.
“You don’t have to be,” Emma replied.
And for the first time, Alex felt something shift inside him—something that wasn’t about control, but about letting someone in. And that was terrifying. But it was also the beginning of something neither of them had expected.
