The office was nearly empty, the usual hum of keyboards and murmured conversations replaced by an eerie silence. Lia had expected to work late, of course, but she hadn't anticipated being trapped in the same building as Leo Grant, the man who had somehow invaded both her thoughts and her heart.
The email alert she'd received earlier had been a sucker punch to her stomach—a rival company had pulled a bold move against Grant Enterprises, and she and Leo were the only people with the clearance to access the confidentiality-ensured files necessary to counteract the threat. It meant one thing—forced proximity.
Lia fidgeted with the strap of her bag, as Leo's proximity made her more and more nervous. He leaned against the doorframe, tall, sharp, and impossibly commanding. Low light carved out his features, and Lia found her pulse quickening, despite herself.
"We'll need to work together tonight," he said, voice calm but with an unmistakable undercurrent of authority. "There's no one else I can trust with this."
Her hands closed reflexively over the strap of her bag. "I… I'm ready," she said, even though her voice quivered slightly. Every instinctive part told her to remain professional, to keep her distance. Yet another part—doubtlessly the part to have grown inexplicably attached—wanted to step closer, to be near him despite the tension.
Time stretched, and the room filled with the soft glow of monitors. They sat side by side, poring over data, cross-referencing files, and tracing every possible lead. Every brush of their arms sent shivers down Lia's spine. Every glance exchanged carried a weight neither dared speak aloud.
Leo leaned back, rubbing his eyes. "You've done more than I expected tonight," he murmured, his gaze lingering on her. "You're… capable. More than anyone realizes."
Lia felt heat rise to her cheeks. "I'm just trying to help."
"No," he said low and also closer than he needed to be. "It's more than that. You're remarkable. And dangerous." His words hung in the air, charged, impossible to ignore.
The quiet intensity between them mounted, mingling with the hum of computers and the ticking of the office clock. Every sane thought she had about keeping the professional boundary finally dissolved in the warmth of his nearness.
Suddenly, the fragile calm was shattered—a security alert on one of the monitors. A red, flashing icon across it flashed to show someone had breached the building's system and was moving towards their floor. Lia's stomach bottomed out. Leo's head jerked toward the screen, his eyes darkening.