The rest of the week is a huge anticlimax after spending Wednesday afternoon in Wes’s office. I know we shouldn’t have had sex. My job is important to me, and he’s my boss. Making sure I do what I came to RidgeCo for in the first place is even more important. But I couldn’t resist him. When I think back to it, my body remembers the feel of him buried deep inside of me and my muscles clench.

I can’t think about him all the time, or I’ll work myself up into a state I can’t handle at work. It’s gotten me into too much trouble already. It was that good. Which is very bad.

At least Wes isn’t around all the time. A part of me is relieved about that. He often leaves for client meetings, and I don’t see him as often as I thought I would. It’s a good idea that there is a little distance between us while I wrap my mind around what happened. I need time to work through it. I need time while the sensations that still hover over my body like ghosts fade a little. His body inside mine and the multiple orgasms are so fresh in my memory.

Of course, it will take something just short of amnesia to forget how good Wes was, but two days is enough for me to at least clear my head a little. I never expected to react this way to him.

In the meantime, I’m getting used to my new position and the people that work with me. I have a team that I’m in charge of as project manager, and they’ve all been very kind to me, helping me get used to it all. Everyone is positive except Leon, a senior manager that I bumped heads with from day one.

After one week working with him, I know that it doesn’t matter what I do, I’m not going to be able to like him any more than he allows.

Which is not at all. He’s a sour son of a bitch with an old school way of thinking and no room for change. He doesn’t like me – like at all, and I’m not sure why – and he’s not scared to make it clear.

But what is a job without difficulties? I’m just glad about the position, the fact that I’ve been promoted after working as a mere receptionist for so long. My luck has changed, and I’m willing to take someone like Leon in stride if that’s how it has to be. If my luck holds out, I’ll be able to continue toward my goal with very few hiccups.

When I walk into the meeting room for a team meeting, they’re all smiling at me. It’s my first meeting, and I don’t know what to expect.

“Alright, what do we have?” I ask.

Some of the team members show me what they’ve come up with. I like how on board they all are. There are one or two questions, and I am about to wrap it up when Leon walks in like he’s on the warpath.

“Hello, Leon,” I say politely. “We were just about finished.”

“Not yet, you’re not,” Leon says. “Let’s run through it all again. I want to see what you’ve done this week. I doubt you’ve covered it all.”

I sigh and glance at Tanya, one of the team members sitting closest to me. She rolls her eyes, and I feel like she’s my ally right away.

Patiently, I go through everything again, answering Leon’s questions when he asks them. When I’ve gone through it all, he scowls at me.

“Fine, you’ve managed not to mess up. Your luck might run out.”

His words are eerily similar to my earlier thoughts. What’s with this guy? It’s like he has it out for me. I want to say something, but I swallow my words. He’s my superior, I’m new, and he doesn’t need more ammo against me. Getting fired would ruin everything when I’m getting so close. So I plaster on a huge smile.

“I know where to go when I get stuck,” I say in a saccharine voice. Leon glares at me before he storms out of the meeting room again, and only then do I let out a breath I didn’t know I’d been holding.

“Don’t you mind him,” Tanya says to me. She’s in her mid-forties, with auburn hair and freckles. She still uses Scrunchies, and she has a fringe. “He’s going through a difficult time, and he wasn’t a ray of sunshine to start off with.”

I nod, relieved that my team seems to be on my side. Maybe Tanya’s right—he’s got other things going on and he doesn’t actually have it out for me.

“Thank you for your time,” I say to the team, and the meeting is adjourned. They all get up and leave the meeting room in twos and threes until it’s just Tanya and me.

“Why don’t you come out with us tonight? We’re going to Alchemist. We go out as a team once a month.”

In all the time I’ve worked at RidgeCo, I’ve never been invited out with anyone.

“I’d love that,” I say. I feel like I’m suddenly a part of everything. Things are going my way.

“Great, we’re meeting at seven.”

“Why haven’t I been invited before?” I ask.

Tanya laughs, and it’s one of those laughs that are contagious, so I laugh, too.

“We don’t invite receptionists, but you’re one of us, now.”

She pats me on the shoulder like I’m a child before leaving the meeting room. I watch her walk away. What she said wasn’t all that funny, to be honest. Being shunned because I was a receptionist? It leaves a bitter taste in my mouth and reminds me exactly why I have to stay focused. RidgeCo has it coming for many reasons. There should be respect for employees on every level. But I shrug it off because they invited me now and this is just one more in that I need. I’ve only been on the team for a week, and already I feel like every day brings me one step closer to my goal.

On Friday, everyone leaves earlier. I stay a bit longer to be sure everything is taken care of for Monday. Someone clears a throat, and when I look up, Wes walks toward me. My stomach flips when I look at him. His suit, tailor-made like all the others, fits perfectly and he fills it out like a GQ model.

“Working late, tonight?” he asks, his eyes dark and dangerous, reminding me of how he looked at me in his office two days ago.

I nod. “Taking care of a few things before I leave.”

He looks impressed. “It’s the mark of a good project manager. It’s to be commended.”

I smile and glance at the time on my wristwatch.

“Are you needed somewhere?” he asks.

“The team invited me to Alchemist tonight. I think I’ll swing by. They’re going out of their way to make sure I settle in.”

Wes smiles. “They’re a great group of people. You see why it’s so important I got someone worthy of managing them.”

I smell a compliment, and I can’t help blushing. My cheeks flame and I feel like an idiot. He shouldn’t get to me this way. But he does, and I don’t know how to handle it.

Wes chuckles, flipping something around in his hand. It looks like a tiny remote, but before I can get a better look at it, it’s disappeared into his pocket.

“I have a few things to take care of, too,” he says. “I’ll let you go. I’ll see you on Monday, Kylie.”

“It’s the mark of a good CEO,” I say and grin at him. He looks surprised that I’m joking but then his smile widens, and he walks away, shaking his head and chuckling to himself. I’m a bit surprised at myself too, but I feel strangely comfortable with Wes, even though he simultaneously sets my body on edge.

I leave the office and head home, still thinking about him. I have no idea what I’m going to wear tonight.

After a shower, I stand in front of my closet. I want to look nice but not too dressy. I know Alchemist – it’s a cocktail lounge with prices that I can’t usually afford, but my salary has been increased, and I have a feeling I’ll join the team there more often.

In the end, I opt for dark blue skinny jeans, a tuck in white blouse and a beige leather jacket. I pair it with nude heels and gold jewelry. I tie my hair up into a messy bun and reapply my makeup to be a little heavier. When I’m ready to go, I grab my purse to make sure I have everything I need in it. That’s when I notice a small black box with a deep red ribbon tied around it.

What is this? I certainly didn’t see it today when I was at work. Then it hits me.

Wes.

He was smiling like he knew something I didn’t. I grab the box and untie the ribbon, then pause before opening it. Do I really want to know what it is? Maybe I shouldn’t open it. But my curiosity gets the better of me. Like I could really not find out what’s inside.

When I pull the lid from the tiny box, a small gasp escapes my lips. No fucking way. This can’t be from Wes. But when I read the note tucked inside, I recognize his handwriting right away.

Don’t leave home without this.

Holy shit. I pick up the tiny silver bullet. It’s one of those little vibrators. The kind that tucks discreetly away, right inside where no one knows it’s there. Wes gave me a vibrator? My mind flashes back to this evening at the office. The remote in his hand.

Oh my God. That remote controls this vibrator. And he wants me to use it. Tonight. I have no doubt in my mind that he’s going to show up at Alchemist, remote in hand.

I must be out of my mind because the next thing I know, I’m stripping down and placing the vibrator inside my suddenly drenched pussy. What’s wrong with me? I shouldn’t be doing this. I know that. But I can’t seem to stop myself.

Next thing I know, I’m dressed again and out of my apartment and on the street, my pussy gripping the bullet that’s my little secret. I get a cab to pick me up and make my way to the other side of the financial district from where the office is.

Alchemist Bar and Lounge is a classy place with an upbeat vibe. The décor is a little Steampunk for my taste, but it has a nice atmosphere when I step through the door. Rich wooden floors compliment bronze pipes and raw brick walls.

I spot our team around a coffee table, settled into leather couches, and they already have drinks in their hands or on the table in front of them. Tanya spots me and waves me over. Her hair is loose, and she’s wearing a blouse that’s a lot flashier than anything she wears in the office.

“You look stunning, doll,” she says and drags me to the team. They’re all happy to see me and Clive, one of the men on the team, buys me a strawberry daiquiri without me asking for it. I accept it graciously and sit down next to Tanya on the far end of the couch, against the leather armrest. I feel like they all must know my secret, but that’s ridiculous. How could they? But the anticipation keeps building. When will Wes show up? Will Wes show up. My pussy aches and throbs with need, and I can barely focus on the conversation around me because of it.

My first cocktail is about halfway gone, and I’ve started warming up to spending time with the team outside the office when Wes walks up to us. He’s wearing expensive jeans, faded in all the right places, his dark hair is stylishly messy, and he wears a cream collared shirt that’s unbuttoned low enough for the top bit of his dark chest hair to show.

The whole team cheers.

“Oh, God,” Tanya says cheerfully. “Wes never comes to these things.”

I must look as nervous as I feel because Tanya laughs. “We always thought he was too good for us or something. Looks like we’re wrong. Don’t worry. He’s great once you get to know him.”

“Absolutely,” I say because I can’t tell her what I’m really feeling. Horny as fuck. And yeah, I know exactly how great he is. I’m intimately acquainted.

Someone opens a seat for Wes, and I watch him. He’s comfortable around the team, falling into the conversation as if he does this every day. I can see why they all love him so much despite how often he’s away for meetings.

I’m a nervous mess. Does he have the remote with him? What if he turns it on? Oh my God, what if he tries to make me come right here in front of all our colleagues?

When my drink is finished, I stand.

“I’m going to get another drink,” I say.

“Let me escort you,” Wes says, and he stands up. I glance at the others. They don’t seem to think it’s strange that Wes is volunteering to walk me to the bar. I nod, and he smiles at me, his eyes holding something more than just a smile.

He walks with me to the bar. It’s a polished wooden corner bar with round bar stools on both sides. I make my way to an open spot and Wes joins me.

I order a margarita. When the bartender sets it down in front of me, Wes pulls money from his wallet and pays.

“You didn’t have to buy that for me,” I say.

“What? The drink or the vibrator?” he answers, and there’s nothing I can say to that. In fact, I just gape at him.

His green eyes are striking and this close I can smell his cologne. He’s even more intoxicating than before. Or maybe that’s just the alcohol speaking. And the fact we slept together.

“Let’s sit down over here,” Wes says, and he points to a small table with two armchairs close together. It’s away from the team.

“Shouldn’t we get back?” I ask.

Wes shrugs. “I’m not going to stay long. I want to spend a little time with you, then you can go back to them.”

He looks at me, and his eyes are impossibly green, twinkling with mischief as he pulls the remote from his pocket and twirls it in his fingers. I can’t resist him, and I nod. He can ask me almost anything right now and I will strongly consider saying yes. Even letting him give me an orgasm right here in public. I don’t like that I’m tripping over my feet for him – I prefer being independent – but it is what it is. I have no control over my body when it comes to him.

We sit down together.

“You’re doing well at work,” he says. “I’m getting good feedback.”

I wonder how he’s able to act so cool. Just as I start to lift my drink to my lips, I feel it. He’s turned the vibrator on. I nearly jump out of my seat from the shock of it, even though I’ve been anticipating this moment all night. Somehow, I manage to say, “What kind of feedback?”

Wes angles his head toward me. “That you’re always on top of things. That you know what you’re doing. That you have it all under control. But Kylie…”

The way he says my name, combined with the vibrator now buzzing deep inside my pulsing pussy, nearly sends me over the edge. I gasp.

“You don’t always have to be in control. I can take care of you.”

He says it to me in a way that makes me think he might not just be talking about work. Maybe not even just about this craziness happening between us in a very public place. But when he turns the vibrator up a notch, I stop thinking altogether.

A small moan escapes my mouth, and I try to muffle it by taking a sip of my drink. Wes watches me closely, and I fight to keep my eyes open. But it feels so, so good, and I just want to close my eyes and melt back into the seat and let him take care of me all he wants.

“Tell me about yourself,” Wes says with a naughty grin. “What do you do for fun?”

How does he expect me to talk right now? I open my mouth, but all that comes out is a low, needy moan. I look around anxiously, but no one seems to have noticed. Everyone at the other table is wrapped up in conversation.

Fuck it. I give in to what I really want. “Just shut up and make me come,” I manage to say.

Tilting my head back, I do let my eyes fall shut. Wes cranks up the vibrator even more, and the next thing I know, I’m biting my lip and gripping my thighs as I come so hard I don’t know how everyone in the restaurant isn’t taking notice.

When the waves of pleasure finally subside, I open my eyes and gape at Wes.

He simply smiles and tosses back his drink. I can’t believe we just did that.

I take another sip of my drink. I need more alcohol in my system.

After a minute, he says, “Seriously, Kylie. Tell me about yourself.”

I stare at him for a minute. We’re not going to talk about what just happened? I don’t even know what to think, so I do the only thing I can. I answer him. “Well, there’s not much to tell. Up until now I’ve basically been spending all my time working as hard as I can to make ends meet.”

I can tell by Wes’s face that he doesn’t expect that answer, that he has questions he wants to ask, but he doesn’t know if it will be rude. At least, I like to tell myself that he’s as gentlemanly as that. Maybe he’s just confused, and that’s the end of it. It was pretty random.

“My dad left us when I was in high school. It was…complicated. My mom and I moved back in with my gran because my mom didn’t earn enough to support us. I send her whatever I can spare to make it easier. My gran is retired, and my mom will have to retire soon, too.”

Wes nods slowly, his face an unreadable mask. “You’re very selfless,” he says.

I shake my head. “It’s not selfless. I owe my mom. She fought through it all when she could have just given up. She deserves me to do the same.”

He looks like he’s thinking about something, looking at the table intently.

“What about you?” I ask, trying to move the conversation away from whatever makes him look so troubled.

He looks up at me and smiles. “My dad is a bit of a hard-ass,” he says. “My parents are still together, but he’s not home often and when he is I have a lot to live up. Mostly, it’s my mom and me, and we’re close.”

I nod. It’s interesting to see another side of Wes, to see the human behind his serious business mask. I’m not sure what to make of it. I don’t want to think about it too hard because I can’t let it complicate things.

“And girlfriends?” I ask.

Wes looks at me with laughing eyes. “Are you asking if I’m single?”

I shrug. “I guess so.”

He shakes his head, laughing. “I’m single. So, the other day in my office wasn’t wrong.”

He looks at me, and his green eyes are bright and intense. “I loved it,” he says. “I love what we just did, too.”

I blush. My cheeks and my ears are red-hot. He chuckles, and I know he can see it even in the dim lighting in the bar. I look down at my drink, feeling silly.

“I loved it, too,” I say. I look up at him. “But it was a mistake.”

Wes frowns, the intensity in his eyes sliding away.

“Wasn’t it?” I ask. “I mean, we can get in trouble. I know what the rules are.” Plus I can’t afford to let him distract me like this.

Wes looks around, and I can’t tell what he’s thinking now. His face is carefully blank.

“I’m CEO of the company,” he says.

I nod. “I know. But even you’re not untouchable. There are rules and if we caught I lose my job.”

I stop talking because I can’t tell if he’s getting upset or not. He’s so empty and distant now, it’s the exact opposite of what he was when he walked in. Something’s changed, but I can’t figure out what.

“Well, I didn’t think I was going to see you here,” someone says behind me. When I turn and look up, Leon is standing there with his hands in his pockets. He doesn’t look much different than he does when he’s at the office. He might have gotten rid of his blazer and tie, but that’s it.

“Leon,” Wes says. His voice is hard.

“And you,” Leon says, turning to me. “I didn’t think you would be invited out with the team.”

“She’s part of the team,” Wes says.

“Barely. But alright, let’s get technical.” He’s being sarcastic. I don’t know why he’s here, but I know that I don’t want to be his target all night.

“I think I better go,” Wes says, reading my mind.

I nod. I was thinking the same thing, but I spot the team in the corner, laughing and talking, and I decide I won’t ditch them. Wes and I get up and join them. I sit down next to Tanya.

“I’m off, ladies and gentlemen,” Wes says. They protest, but he graciously shrugs it off and leaves. He gives me one last intense glance, then turns to leave. I watch him walk away. His ass is perfect underneath those jeans, and his shirt is tight in all the right places.

God, I want him.

“What was that all about?” Tanya asks me when Wes is gone.

I shrug. “He paid for my drink, a welcome drink, he called it.”

Tanya nods. “He’s a great boss,” she says and lets it go to my relief.

“And Leon is here,” I say.

Tanya rolls her eyes. “Don’t worry, we won’t let him get us down.”

I smile, and we both turn our attention to the conversation. I join in because these people are my colleagues and they’re nice. For the first time since high school, I feel like I fit in.