No Strings Attached

Chapter Twenty One

They sat at the desk, the same one that had borne witness to their passion earlier that day. Norma took his hand in hers, her fingers entwining with his. She rubbed her thumb soothingly over his knuckles, waiting patiently for him to speak.
"I gave Bob the flash drive back," he began, his voice low.
Norma looks at him with surprise, her heart stuttering in fear at where this was heading.
"You did?" she asks, the fear seeping into her voice. "So...is that it? Is it over?"
His jaw flexed, and she could tell by the tension that remained in his shoulders that things were far from over.
"No. He's still intent on getting me to work with him," he tells her, his stress evident in his voice.
"Why?" Norma asked, her brows furrowing.
"Because he can't control me," Alex explained, his voice tightening. "I'm in a position of power he can't manipulate, and Bob... he doesn't like that. He needs control. He thrives on it."
Norma nodded slowly, her gaze steady on him. But she could sense there was more, something he hadn't said yet.
"What else?" she prompted gently.
Alex hesitated, his jaw clenching. Finally, he looked at her, his eyes troubled. "I think Bob's still suspicious of us, of our relationship. And, Norma... we really need to think this through. If it's worth it."
Norma went still, her thoughts swirling. She could feel the weight of his words pressing down on them both.
Alex ran a hand over his face, his voice breaking slightly as he said, "Maybe I should've been stronger. Maybe I should've insisted we stay just friends. This... this would be a lot less complicated if we weren't involved."
"No," Norma said quickly, her grip tightening on his hand. "No, Alex. We both deserve happiness. And if this is what makes us happy, then we'll find a way."
He stared at her for a long moment, his jaw tightening as he tried to make sense of the risk she was so willing to take. Shaking his head, his voice came low and sharp, cutting through the tension between them. "Norma, you don't get it. He'll kill you just to get back at me. Is that what you want? Is that a risk you're willing to take? Because I'm not."
His words were a cold splash of reality, but they didn't stop her. If anything, they stoked the fire in her. "So, what?" she shot back, her voice laced with anger and disbelief as her hand ripped from his with a sharp tug. "You're just going to live your life in fear of Bob Paris? You're going to push me away because you're afraid of him-"
"I'm afraid of losing you," he snapped, his voice rising, rough with frustration and fear. The words hit her like a punch to the chest, his vulnerability cutting through her anger. "Don't you get that? Can you just-" he stopped, dragging a hand through his hair, his eyes blazed as he tried to calm the storm building inside him. "Can you just give me a damn second to figure this out?"
Norma stared at him, stunned into silence. Her lips parted, but no words came. She wanted to trust him, to believe he'd find a way. But the idea of losing him, of being pushed away before they barely even had a chance, was unbearable.
"I'm not afraid," he said again, his voice quieter now, like he was trying to convince himself as much as her. "I just need to be smart about this."
Her resolve softened, her hand reaching back for his without hesitation. Her fingers intertwined with his, grounding both of them in the moment. "We can be smart," she said gently, her voice barely above a whisper. "We can be us, quietly, carefully. No public appearances. No one has to know."
A small, playful smile broke through his stoic composure as he looked at her. "Like this morning?" he asked, the faintest teasing edge in his voice.
A laugh spilled from her lips, warm and unguarded. "No. No, we have to be more careful. Emma's definitely onto us," she said, her smile faltering just enough to reveal her worry.
He blinked, caught off guard. "Emma?"
"You didn't exactly hide it, Alex," she continued, rolling her eyes even as a blush warmed her cheeks. "Apparently, there's a way you look at me. I don't know."
That made him laugh, deep and genuine, the sound rolling through the tension between them. He shrugged, his grin widening as if he couldn't help himself. "Well, if Emma's onto us, then we definitely need to step it up a notch," he replied, the teasing in his tone softening into something that felt like a promise.
Her heart soared at his subtle agreement, the tension between them shifting into something lighter, more intoxicating. She felt her pulse quicken as his laughter died away, leaving them closer than before, the space between them humming with unspoken understanding.
"Just...don't shut me out, Alex," she said, her voice soft but certain. "We can have this and be safe too."
Her thumb brushed over the back of his hand, lingering, her touch gentle but charged. His eyes fell to where their hands met, then slowly traveled back up to meet hers. The tension in his shoulders seemed to ease, but his expression remained taut, torn between wanting to resist and needing to surrender.
Norma leaned closer, her face just inches from his. "You've already tried staying away," she said softly, her voice tinged with both challenge and certainty. Her lips curved as she tilted her head, her eyes locking with his. "And you couldn't resist me then. What makes you think you can now?"
His breath hitched, the space between them vanishing as her words landed, unshakable and true. She felt the faintest tremor in his hand, saw the flicker of something raw in his eye, a surrender he couldn't hide.
Her lips curved into a knowing smile, the electric pull between them undeniable now. Slowly, her hand slid up his arm, the heat of her touch igniting every nerve. "Think about it, Alex. It could be fun...sexy, even. Sneaking around."
Her words hung in the air between them as his intense gaze locked on hers. The room seemed to shrink, the air thick and charged. Finally, he let out a heavy breath.
"Fine," he said finally, his voice firm but laced with surrender. "But there will be rules."
Norma laughed, her eyes rolling slightly at his commanding tone. "You and your rules."
"I'm serious, Norma." His voice softened but didn't lose its edge. "We really do need to be careful. Until I can figure out my next move, there can't be even an inkling of suspicion about us. In the eyes of the public, we need to be strangers."
His seriousness only made it more thrilling for her. A secret to keep, a role to play. "I can play the game, Sheriff," she teased, her lips curving into a wicked smile. "The question is, can you keep it up?"
He exhaled sharply, his jaw tightening, though the slight twitch of his lips betrayed him. "Rule number one: no double entendres," he began, his voice low and commanding.
She smirked at him, her eyes flickering to his lips, knowing every string to pull to unravel him.
"Rule number two: you can't look at me like that," he continued, his tone firm but faltering ever so slightly under her gaze.
"Like what?" she asked, feigning innocence, her voice dripping with sweetness.
"Maybe just don't look at me at all," he muttered, his lips twitching into a reluctant smile. "Just to be safe."
"These are a lot of rules for me," she quipped, raising an eyebrow. "Do I get to add any?"
He leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms as he waited, his expression daring her.
Norma tilted her head, considering for a moment before her smile softened. "You can't roll your sleeves."
He blinked, caught off guard. "What—"
"That's my rule," she interrupted, her fingers tracing lazy circles on the inside of his forearm, her touch light but electric. "The uniform is already too much, Alex. The sleeve roll? It's unfair."
His laugh was warm and unguarded, but he nodded. "Fair enough."
"Next rule," he said, his tone shifting back to seriousness. "We can't put ourselves in...tempting situations. No being alone together. Except at night. And...no staying the night."
Her hand stilled, her eyes snapping to his. They'd only spent the night together twice before, but those moments were etched into her heart. The soft breaths of him beside her, the peaceful mornings where everything felt right.
She saw it in his eyes before she spoke. This rule wasn't negotiable.
"Fine," she said quietly, swallowing her disappointment.
A heavy silence settled between them, each of them quietly weighing the rules and their implications. They both somehow knew this wasn't going to be easy. But they were desperate to try.
"We'll figure this out," Alex said, his voice softer now, his hand reaching to cradle her face. His thumb brushed her cheek, grounding her in the moment. "I promise."
Norma didn't trust herself to speak, her throat tight with unspoken emotions. Instead, she closed the distance between them, letting her lips say everything she couldn't.