A Dangerous Liaison

-24-

warning: this chapter contains some intimacy!!! be warned

Talay

Friday

Talay didn't head straight for the bathroom. As soon as he rounded the corner, he slowed his pace, glancing over his shoulder to make sure Akira wasn't watching. His heart raced - not just from nerves, but from the gravity of what he was about to do. As planned, this wasn't a casual visit for drinks, but to find that incriminating evidence he had been instructed to search for. He had no choice, because now that May getting closer to arresting Star by the hour, Talay needed to make his move. 

As Korn and May stated, Akira's connection to his father's money-laundering cartel wasn't clear, but there had to be something - some evidence linking Akira to the criminal world he'd been born into. And the only way to potentially locate it was here, in this house, but Talay didn't want to believe Akira was involved. He'd come to like Akira more than he ever intended, more than he should've. But there was no room for sentiment or hesitation. This was the job.

He passed the bathroom, moving deeper into the house, his footsteps silent, controlled. As he moved up the stairs, a wave of doubt hit him, and for a moment, he considered turning back. Could he really betray Akira like this? But there was no time to question his actions. He had to know. Once on the landing, he continued, peering into every room with the hope to stumble across Akira's office. 

And then, as if blessed with luck, he reached it. Talay paused, his hand hovering over the door handle. Uncertainty hit him like a truck in the gut, but with a deep breath, he pushed the handle down and slipped inside. The office was immaculate, almost eerily so. Everything was perfectly organised - the desk tidy, books lined neatly on shelves, the faint scent of cedarwood and cinnamon in the air. 

Talay wasted no time. He moved to the desk first, pulling open drawers, filing through their contents - pens, notebooks, receipts. Nothing unusual. He moved to the filing cabinets, flipping through folders, hoping to find something that could expose Akira's involvement. But each file he opened contained nothing more than dull paperwork: business contracts, employee records, restaurant receipts. No hidden files, no suspicious documents, no incriminating evidence.

Frustration built up inside him. Where was it? If Akira was involved, there had to be something. He scoured the room again, checking every drawer, every folder, every nook, gap, and hole, where something might be hidden. Without any success, Talay closed the last drawer with a quiet click, and leaned back against the desk. 

Now, he started doubting whether he'd find anything related to Akira at all.

His chest tightened with a strange combination of relief and frustration. Relief that maybe, just maybe, Akira wasn't involved with his father's dodgy dealings. And frustration that if he was, Akira had hidden it so well that Talay would never find the proof he needed. He glanced at his watch, aware that he couldn't linger any longer. 

Taking a moment to steady himself, Talay slipped out of the office, retracing his steps quietly down the hall. When he returned to the kitchen, Akira was still seated, sipping his drink. He glanced up as Talay walked in, eyes narrowing slightly with concern, as though sensing something was wrong.

"You okay?" Akira asked, voice curious, yet laced with worry.

Talay forced a yawn, feigning exhaustion. "Yeah, just tired. Long day," he replied, pointing toward the door. "I should probably head out."

Akira stood, setting his glass down. "You sure? Well, hold on," he said, dashing around the table. "I'll see you out."

Talay smiled softly, feeling his heart quicken. "Okay," he said, pulling his shoes on. 

===

Once outside, Akira reached out, his hand gently brushing Talay's arm, stopping him. "Wait," he said, his intense gaze holding Talay's, searching, desperate. "Don't leave, not yet."

Talay smiled, sadly. Something about the way Akira spoke - the urgency, the hope - prevented him from continuing, and he turned on his heel to face him. "I promised Ploy I'd be home before 10," he said, gently releasing Akira's hand from his arm, despite relishing at his touch. He didn't want to push Akira away. He wanted the opposite - to pull him closer, even if it was forbidden. 

And then, without warning, Akira leaned in, closing the distance between them. His lips gently brushed Talay's ear, soft and hesitant, as if testing the waters, a question in the way they touched - in the way they felt. It sent a shock through Talay, and every nerve in his body awakened a desire he had been desperately trying to avoid, suppress...and forget. 

"Akira, I..." he stumbled on his words, but before he could continue, Akira nose lightly brushed the side of his face. They were only inches apart; one edge forward, and Akira's lips would be on his. Talay could feel the desire burning in his heart, the curiosity to try it, to push their intimacy further. He wanted to see how far they'd go - how Akira would break.

But it was impossible. Talay's mind screamed at him to stop, to push Akira away, to remind himself of what he'd been instructed to do. But his body betrayed him. His hands instinctively moved to Akira's waist, pulling his even closer, his lips parted. Akira did not wait, and within seconds, he kissed him.

Nerves, anticipation, and desire took control. The kiss deepened, no longer hesitant and soft, but hungry, fueled by the tension that had been between them for weeks. Akira's body pressed against his, and before Talay realised what was happening, he felt the cold metal of his car door against his back as Akira slowly pushed him. The sensation of the heat coursing through his veins was dizzying, wild. 

Damn it. Talay's thoughts blurred, along with his purpose, as he was consumed by the feel of AKira's lips on his. The taste of him was like a trance, and he refused to stop, feverently pushing his hands up Akira's waist, pulling his shirt with them. Akira's fingers tangled in Talay's hair, the magnet of lust, need, and curiosity invincible as they kissed each other intensely, their breaths quickening.

The job, the investigation, the reason he had come here - it all evaporated. 

Akira pulled back first, both of them panting, eyes locked. The look Akira gave him sent a shiver down Talay's spine - both knew that this was just the beginning. He didn't say a word, just slid his hand down to Talay's wrist, tugging gently, leading him back toward the house.

Talay followed without hesitation, his mind in a fog. His rational side yelled at him to stop, to think about what he was doing, but it was drowned out by the pull Akira had on him. They stumbled through the door, laughing breathlessly, lips finding each other again as they made their way inside. Every thought of betrayal, every suspicion, every shred of the investigation Talay was supposed to be on, faded into the background.

Right now, there was only Akira, his dangerous liaison. 

+----------+

well, well, well...but is it love?

400+ reads no way, this can't be real....

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