Love in the Shadows (The forbidden love)

Chapter 3: Forbidden Fruit

The air crackled with unspoken tension as Jake leaned against the doorway of the deserted pantry. I clutched a box of printer paper to my chest, my heart hammering a frantic rhythm against my ribs.

"Zie," he murmured, his voice a low rumble that sent shivers down my spine. "Can we talk?"

We were both well aware of the precarious situation we were in. Work colleagues, yes, but a silent understanding simmered beneath the surface, a secret both thrilling and terrifying. Working alongside Jake was a daily torment. Every stolen glance across the crowded office, every whispered conversation in the hallway, felt like a delicious forbidden fruit, the guilt laced with a thrill that left me breathless.

"About what?" I stammered, my voice barely a whisper.

He pushed himself off the doorframe and took a step closer, the scent of his cologne washing over me – a familiar comfort that both soothed and ignited a fire within me.

"Us," he said simply, his blue eyes holding a mix of frustration and longing.

"There is no us, Jake," I said quickly, the words a bitter truth on my tongue.

He let out a frustrated sigh. "Don't you dare pretend you don't feel it too, Zie."

He was right, of course. Denial was a flimsy shield against the storm of emotions that raged within me. I had never planned on falling for someone like Jake, a charming bad boy with a heart demonstrably claimed by another. His girlfriend, Sarah, worked at a different company, a fact that both fueled our stolen moments and gnawed at my conscience.

"This is wrong, Jake," I whispered, my voice thick with unshed tears. "We both know it."

A flicker of pain crossed his features, but it was quickly replaced by a steely resolve. "Maybe," he conceded, his voice rough. "But that doesn't mean it doesn't feel real."

His words hung heavy in the air, a stark reminder of the impossible situation we had entangled ourselves in. A forbidden love, a delicious poison that threatened to consume me. As I looked into Jake's eyes, I knew this was just the beginning, a single chapter in a story that could only end in heartbreak. But a part of me, a reckless, yearning part, couldn't help but crave the next chapter, the stolen moments, the forbidden touch.