Jake
As soon as Laura stepped out of her room, I froze. My breath hitched, and for a split second, I forgot how to function. She looked absolutely stunning, no, that wasn't even the right word. Drop-dead gorgeous. The body-con dress hugged every inch of her body, accentuating her curves in a way that made my mouth dry. Her legs seemed endless, and the bright red lipstick on her full lips was doing things to me that I had no right feeling.
This was Laura, my assistant. The same Laura I'd just tried to convince myself I couldn't want, couldn't be with. Yet, here she was, standing before me like a vision, a siren sent to drive me out of my damn mind.
I couldn't stop staring. I didn't want to stop. Every curve, every movement, even the way her hair framed her face, it was as if she was created to torment me. And the worst part? She knew exactly what she was doing. She knew the effect she had on me, and she was reveling in it. Her eyes flicked over to mine briefly, catching me drooling like an idiot, but instead of embarrassment, she gave me this small, knowing smile, almost like a challenge.
I was so lost in her beauty that I didn't even register that she was talking until she turned her back to me, her voice pulling me out of my stupor.
"Jake," she said, her voice so casual, so smooth it almost knocked me off balance. "Can you help me with something?" She let out slowly and I couldn't think straight anymore.
"Uh, yeah. Of course," I replied, trying to get a grip on myself, though my voice came out more strained than I intended.
She turned slightly, exposing the back of her dress, showing off the zipper that was only halfway up. "I can't seem to get this zipped up all the way. Would you mind?"
Her back was bare, the curve of her spine drawing my eyes down, and for a moment, I was paralyzed again. This was torture. Pure torture. I could feel my hand trembling slightly as I stepped closer, reaching for the zipper. My fingers grazed her skin as I carefully pulled the zipper up, feeling the heat radiate from her body.
The air between us felt electric, thick with something unspoken, something neither of us could ignore. My hand lingered a little too long, and I could swear her breath hitched ever so slightly, but she didn't acknowledge it. She just stood there, calm, poised, as if she wasn't aware of the firestorm she'd ignited in me.
Once the zipper was fully up, I stepped back, trying to regain my composure. But even as I moved away, I couldn't stop the pull I felt toward her. It was like gravity, a force I had no control over. I opened my mouth to say something, anything, to break the tension, but she beat me to it.
"Ive got good news too." My face lit up when she said this but I didn't saw a word and only looked with anticipation.
"I got service earlier on my phone and a text came in from the hotel. They've noticed we are missing."
"I called them afterward," she said, turning to face me again, her expression cool, controlled. "They promised to send help. So, we should be getting out of here soon."
She was so calm, so composed, as if the events of the last few days hadn't happened, as if the tension between us wasn't suffocating. I didn't know how she could be so unaffected. I was struggling to breathe, my mind a whirlwind of confusion, desire, and guilt.
"That's good," I managed to say, though my voice sounded distant, detached, like I was trying to convince myself everything was fine. But it wasn't. Nothing was fine.
I needed to apologize. I needed to explain myself. The way I'd reacted earlier, the way I'd yelled at her, pushed her away, it wasn't fair. I didn't want her to think that what had happened between us meant nothing to me, that I didn't care. Because I did. Maybe too much.
"Laura," I started, stepping toward her. "About earlier…" But she cut me off before I could even begin.
"It's fine, Jake, or should I just stick to sit since you're my boss." she said quickly, her tone firm and taunting
"I've told you before now that you can call me Jake. You don't have to ask me that every time we have issues." I quickly cleared while she smirked.
"Ohh no, we actually don't have any issue. I totally get it. You don't have to explain."
"No, I do," I insisted. "I didn't mean to hurt you. That wasn't my intention. I just… I didn't know how to handle…"
"Jake," she interrupted again, her eyes meeting mine with a sharp intensity. "I said it's fine. I understand."
I could see the tension in her posture, the way she held herself so tightly, like she was trying to keep it all together. It killed me to know that I was the reason she felt like this. I opened my mouth to say more, to explain why I had reacted the way I had, but she didn't give me the chance.
"You're my boss," she said bluntly, her voice steady, controlled. "There are boundaries. I'm not entitled to want you. You made that clear."
Her words hit me like a punch to the gut. It wasn't the truth of what she was saying that hurt, it was the cold, distant way she said it, like she had already resigned herself to this idea that I didn't care about her, that I couldn't want her the way she wanted me.
"Laura, that's not…"
But before I could finish, there was a knock at the door. The hotel staff had arrived, and just like that, the conversation was over.
A flood of relief washed over me, but it was tainted with frustration. I wasn't ready for this to end, not without clearing things up, not without making her understand that this was far from simple. But now, with help finally here, we had no more time. No more chances to say the things we needed to say.
I glanced at Laura, but her face was unreadable, her expression as cool and calm as ever. She wasn't going to let me in. Not now. Maybe not ever. And that thought hit me harder than I expected.
We stepped outside, greeted by two hotel employees who were waiting beside a car, ready to take us back to the hotel. The sight of them reminded me that this strange little bubble we had been living in for the last few days was about to burst. Everything was going to go back to normal, back to the way it was before. Only, nothing felt normal anymore.
Laura brushed past me as she headed toward the car, her dress swaying with each step, her heels clicking softly against the pavement. I watched her walk ahead of me, her head held high, her posture exuding confidence and control. But I knew better. I knew that behind that cool exterior was a storm of emotions she wasn't ready to let me see.
Before she reached the car, she turned slightly, her voice cutting through the silence. "Jake, can you help me with something?"
I blinked, confused for a moment, before she turned her back to me, gesturing toward the zipper of her dress. "I think it came undone again," she said, her tone casual, but there was a hint of something else in her voice. Something teasing.
I moved toward her slowly, my pulse quickening. I knew this game. She was testing me, pushing the boundaries, and part of me wanted to step back, to let her have the upper hand. But I couldn't. Not when she was standing there, her back exposed, waiting for me to close the distance between us.
I reached for the zipper, my fingers brushing against her skin again. I could feel her breath hitch slightly, just like before, but she didn't acknowledge it. She just stood there, calm, poised, as if the electricity between us didn't exist.
But it did. It was crackling in the air between us, pulling me toward her in ways I couldn't explain.
Once the zipper was up, I let my hand linger for a moment longer than necessary, the heat of her skin seeping into mine. I wanted to say something, to break the silence, but my throat felt tight, the words stuck somewhere between my heart and my mouth.
But before I could do anything, Laura turned around, her eyes meeting mine for a brief moment. There was a flicker of something there, something I couldn't quite put my finger on. But then she smiled, a small, knowing smile, "Thanks, Jake," she muttered and then walked toward the car.
I stood there for a moment, watching her, completely lost in the whirlwind of emotions she had stirred up in me. I didn't know what the hell I was supposed to do now. But as I followed her to the car, one thing was clear: nothing between us was over. Not yet… she had just made that clear. She was playing my game and using my moves against me…