The first time I felt myself cross a line, it was subtle.
It wasn't a touch. It wasn't a kiss. It was words, and attention, and the space we shared that stretched closer than it had any right to.
Noah was at the office early. I hadn't expected him. He hovered near my desk while I filed reports, pretending to sort papers but really watching. I could feel his presence like a weight in the room, grounding yet impossible to ignore.
"Busy morning," he said softly.
"Yes," I murmured. My voice felt smaller than usual.
He leaned slightly closer. Not enough to make anyone else notice, but enough for my pulse to spike.
"I hope I'm not distracting you," he added.
"You're… fine," I said, though the word faltered.
And that was it. That was the line. The first time I noticed the pull wasn't just professional. I wanted him to stay. I wanted him closer. And I couldn't tell anyone—not myself, not Luca.
Luca appeared an hour later, leaning against the doorway, smirk faint, as if he already knew what had passed.
"You okay?" he asked.
"Yes," I said automatically. But my heart beat faster, and both men knew it.
I didn't cross into their territory. But I crossed into mine. And once you do that, you can't go back.