Chapter Three: Crossing Boundaries

The days following our unexpected kiss were a mixture of tension and silence. Alexander remained the professional CEO I had always known, but every time our paths crossed, there was an undeniable undercurrent between us. The way his gaze lingered a little longer than necessary, the briefest touches when we passed each other in the hallway — all of it added up to something unspoken, something that neither of us was ready to address.

It was a strange dance. On one hand, we had to maintain our professionalism, uphold the boundaries of employer and employee. On the other hand, the chemistry between us was undeniable, crackling like electricity in the air.

Work was moving forward, as usual. I kept my focus on the partnership proposals Alexander had assigned me, but my mind was far from the documents in front of me. Every decision I made, every word I spoke in meetings, seemed to carry a weight that I wasn’t used to. I knew that I wasn’t just representing myself anymore — I was now a part of Alexander's world, in ways I hadn’t anticipated.

It was late Thursday afternoon when I received a call from his assistant. "Ms. Parker," she said, her voice clipped but professional, "Mr. Collins would like to see you in his office immediately."

I felt my pulse quicken as I set down my pen. It had been a while since he had personally called for me. I straightened my blouse and headed to his office, trying to calm the fluttering in my stomach.

When I arrived, the door to his office was slightly ajar, and I knocked softly before entering. Alexander sat behind his desk, eyes fixed on the laptop screen, the usual aura of control surrounding him. But today, there was something different — something in the way his eyes narrowed as he looked up at me.

"Ms. Parker," he greeted, his voice smooth but tinged with an unfamiliar edge. "Please, come in. Have a seat."

I obeyed, sitting in the chair across from his desk. His gaze never wavered from mine, his lips pressed together in a firm line. I couldn’t quite place the expression on his face. It was as if he was about to say something, but he was holding back.

"Is everything alright?" I asked, trying to break the silence.

He took a deep breath, his fingers drumming lightly on the surface of his desk. "I’ve been thinking a lot about... our situation." He paused, as if carefully weighing his next words. "About what happened at the gala."

My heart skipped. Was he about to pull back completely? Was this where he ended whatever it was that had started between us?

"I know we agreed to keep things professional," he continued, his tone more serious now. "But I can’t deny that there’s something between us. Something that feels more than just business. And I think it’s time we address it."

I blinked, caught off guard. "Address it?" I echoed, trying to hide the vulnerability creeping into my voice.

He leaned forward, his elbows resting on the desk, his expression intense. "Yes. I know you’re a professional, and I don’t want to make things difficult for you. But I can’t pretend that I’m not... interested in you. In a way that goes beyond work."

The admission hung in the air like a heavy weight. My mind raced, torn between the professional boundaries I had worked so hard to maintain and the undeniable attraction that had built between us over the last few months.

"I don’t want this to affect our work," he continued, his voice softening. "But I think we need to be honest about what’s happening."

For a moment, I sat there in stunned silence, the words he had spoken sinking in. He was being honest — more honest than I had ever expected him to be. And suddenly, the thought of him, of what he might want from me, wasn’t just a distant fantasy. It felt real.

"I’m not sure what this means," I said quietly, my voice betraying the uncertainty I was feeling. "I don’t want to risk my career or our professional relationship. But I can’t deny what I’m feeling either."

Alexander leaned back in his chair, his gaze never leaving mine. "I don’t want to put you in an uncomfortable position," he said, his voice calm yet filled with an intensity that sent a shiver down my spine. "But I also can’t pretend that I’m not drawn to you. And I think you feel it too."

I nodded slowly, my heart beating faster with each passing second. "I do," I whispered. "But... what does this mean for us?"

He let out a quiet sigh, standing up from behind his desk and walking over to where I sat. He didn’t touch me, but the proximity was enough to make my breath catch. "It means we have to decide where to go from here," he said softly, his eyes searching mine. "Do we ignore it and move on, or do we take a chance and see where it leads?"

The question hung in the air, and for the first time, I realized that the decision wasn’t just in his hands — it was in mine, too. I could feel the pull between us, but was I ready to cross the line? To risk everything for something that might only be fleeting?

I took a deep breath, trying to steady my racing heart. "I don’t know," I admitted, my voice barely above a whisper. "I don’t know if I’m ready to risk everything... but I also don’t want to keep pretending that nothing happened."

His eyes softened, and he reached out, placing a hand on the back of my chair. "We don’t have to make a decision right now. But I think we both need to acknowledge that something is there. And we need to figure out what that means for us."

For a moment, I sat there, lost in the intensity of his gaze, wondering if this was the point of no return — the moment that would change everything between us.

"I’ll think about it," I finally said, my voice steady despite the chaos swirling inside me. "But for now, I think we should focus on work. We can talk about this later."

Alexander nodded slowly, the tension in his posture relaxing slightly. "Of course. We’ll take it one step at a time."

As I stood to leave, his hand brushed against mine, just a fleeting touch, but it sent a jolt of electricity through me. I looked back at him, meeting his gaze one last time before I stepped out of his office, my mind a whirl of questions.

I didn’t know where this would lead. But I knew one thing for sure — I wasn’t going to be able to ignore it any longer.

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