Page 81 of Boards & Betrayal

I buried my face in the crook of her neck, breathing in her scent as I rode out the waves of my climax. Her body trembled against mine, our breaths mingling in the charged air of my office. It felt like an eternity and an instant all at once—a moment suspended in time where nothing else mattered but the two of us.

Finally spent, I leaned back in my chair, still holding Ally close. My heart pounded against my ribs as our breathing gradually slowed to a more manageable rhythm. We stayedlike that for a while, tangled together in the aftermath of our shared intensity.

It wasn't just physical; it was something deeper that neither of us could ignore anymore.

Our breathing slowed, the room thick with the remnants of our passion. I traced slow, comforting circles on the small of her back, savoring the closeness.

Eventually, she stood up, and a swell of pride crossed my features as I watched some of my essence slip onto her thighs.

"I have no underwear," she muttered.

"I'm not sorry about it," I replied, amusement dancing in my eyes as she tugged on her jeans.

"Ass," she said, but there was no real heat in it.

I smirked, leaning back to watch her pull on her bra and shirt. She continued to look around the room, taking in the trophies and memorabilia cluttering my office. Finally, she stopped, her gaze fixed on something.

"Why do you have a picture of Nick Morgan?" she asked, holding up a framed photo from the filing cabinet.

I pulled up my pants, frowning as I glanced at the picture. In truth, I'd forgotten it was there. "Oh," I said. "That's my son."

The picture slipped from her hand, clattering to the floor.

"What?" I asked, concern etching lines into my forehead. "Ally, what the fuck?"

She laughed then—a hollow sound that made something twist in my gut. "It's… it's nothing," she muttered. "It's just…" She looked at me, her eyes filled with a mixture of disbelief and something else I couldn't quite place. "I should have realized it sooner. You're Nick's father."

"And?" I prompted, trying to make sense of her reaction.

"Nick was my ex," she said softly.

The weight of her words hit me like a punch to the gut. My son’s ex? The girl I'd been so drawn to had once been withNick? The tangled web of our connections suddenly felt more complicated than ever before, and I wasn't sure whether to throw up or punch Nick in the face.

Because this changed everything.

There wasa tentative knock on my office door. It was getting late, and I had no idea who the hell would be here at this hour. I stood up, my curiosity piqued, and opened the door.

Ally stood there, looking more fragile than I'd ever seen her.

"Ally," I murmured, unable to hide my surprise.

"Can I come in?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

I nodded and stepped back to let her in. She walked past me, her eyes sweeping over my desk and chair. Did she remember what happened between us there? The thought sent a jolt through me, a mixture of longing and guilt.

I closed the door behind her, shutting out the world.

"I need to tell you something," she said, turning to face me.

"I'm listening," I replied, leaning against the doorframe.

She looked down at her hands, fingers twisting nervously. "It's really... I'm sorry I didn't..." Her voice trailed off, and she glanced up at me, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. "Honestly, I just wanted to protect you."

"Ally," I murmured, my voice softening despite the storm raging inside me.

"I know how much your career means to you," she continued, her voice trembling. "And I didn't... Knowing about Nick, and I just, I didn't want anything to risk that."

I stared at her, my mind racing. Her words cut through the fog of confusion and frustration that had been clouding my thoughts for months. She had been trying to shield me frommore pain, more complications. But in doing so, she had carried a burden that wasn't hers to bear alone.

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