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OLIVIA

“ S o that’s it? One orgasm and you’re torching your whole career?” Harper says under her breath, as we walk through the airport's security.

I glance at the TSA agent in front of us, who lifts a brow. Then back at Harper, and hiss, "Can we not talk about it anymore. Not here."

She waits until we’re through, grabbing her boots from the plastic bin, before she pushes again, “At least go to HR see if there's some way?—”

"There's not."

“I get why you’re freaked out, Liv. But there are ways around it. You’re not the first person to fall for someone you shouldn’t.”

I shake my head. “This isn’t just someone . There are ethics. Guidelines.”

“And you’ve never crossed one? Not even a little?”

"No," I mutter.

Harper scoffs. “Jesus. You must be exhausted trying to be perfect all the time.”

I don’t look at her. Just stare straight ahead as we walk.

“I don’t care about being perfect,” I say quietly. “I care about doing the right thing.”

She’s silent for a beat.

“Look, maybe I’m morally flexible, but one toe over the line isn’t the end of the world—especially when the line comes with stormy eyes and a six-pack.”

I give her a weak glare. “It’s not funny.”

“I’m not laughing,” she says, grinning. “Much.”

“Someone’s going to find out. You already know. And Kane...”

Her brows shoot up. “Kane knows?”

“Not about last night,” I say quickly. “Just about...the kiss. From before.”

“You didn’t tell me there was a kiss.”

“It was a while ago. After a session.” I exhale. “It just happened.”

“So that look between you two at the bar wasn’t nothing. I knew it.” She grins a little. “You’ve been crushing on Sebastian Wilde for a while.”

“Keep it down.” I glance around, heat rising in my cheeks.

“Sorry,” she says, grinning.

Across the terminal, I spot the team beginning to move toward the private gate.

Sebastian’s with Kane, a duffel over his shoulder, cap low over his brow.

He looks up, eyes finding mine like it’s automatic.

There’s tension in his features—tight jaw, furrowed brow—but something warmer flickers under it.

He walks toward me, gaze locked. “We need to talk, Olivia.”

I shoot a glance around, heart climbing into my throat. “Not now.”

No one seems to be paying attention. Even Kane, standing just a few feet behind, turns away like he knows better than to eavesdrop.

Harper gives my arm a quick squeeze, then slips away toward the line of players.

But Sebastian stays rooted in front of me, jaw tight, that familiar tension vibrating off him like he’s holding back everything he really wants to say.

“There’s a way to make this work,” he says, voice low, urgent.

I shake my head, still not looking at him. “Please don’t do this here.”

“I talked to Kane.”

I freeze.

“You what ?”

“Not about…last night,” he says quickly, scrubbing a hand down his face. “I just...I needed to know what our options are. What the fallout looks like. He’s been through stuff like this. Not the same, but...close enough.”

“And what, he gave you a game plan?” I whisper sharply. “Jesus, Sebastian.”

“I’m trying to fix this.”

“You can’t fix it,” I snap, voice barely above a whisper, teeth clenched. “This isn’t a bad press headline or a rough game. This is my job .”

His shoulders rise with a breath he doesn’t quite release. He steps in closer—just enough for his voice to drop to a thread.

“I’m not trying to cost you anything. I just...I don’t want to pretend like this didn’t mean something.”

My pulse stutters.

“And what would that even look like?” I ask, swallowing hard. “Us sneaking around? Lying? Waiting for it to blow up in our faces?”

“I don’t know,” he says, eyes locked to mine. “But I’d rather try than walk away pretending it didn’t matter.”

There’s a beat of silence, heavy and thick.

Then the gate agent calls final boarding.

Sebastian doesn’t move.

He just stands there, hands fisted at his sides, chest rising and falling beneath that worn hoodie like he’s trying not to break apart.

His mouth stays shut, but his eyes—God, his eyes?—

They say everything he won’t. Everything he shouldn’t.

This isn’t over.

And God help me, I don’t want it to be.