I know I fucked up that night on the boat, but I think I’m starting to win her back.

At least, that’s what I think when I get into work early the next day. We had fun last night at the charity gala. I didn’t bring her there to fuck her, but I did want to try and show her that I’m not just some asshole. There’s more to me than just a rich tech bro.

I hope she’s starting to see it. I’m not comfortable opening up about my romantic past, especially about my ex. I was a different man, a worse and weaker man. I hate the guy I used to be. I let Kelly walk all over me back then, mostly because she had some magic fucking pussy that kept me addicted as hell.

I worked hard to get past that. I’ve fucked as many women as I can and improved myself. Kelly is just a speck in my rearview mirror now, and I haven’t brought her up in years, but it just made sense in the moment.

I wanted Emma to know about her, I think because I wanted her to know that I’ve been through some things in my life. I haven’t just had it easy. I’m not just that blessed rich playboy, or at least I haven’t always been. I come from a humble background and I’ve had my fucking heart broken.

Maybe that’s why I have my walls up, I don’t know. Maybe that’s why I can’t just talk to Emma about Julie, make her understand that I want to be a part of her life. Things might be so much simpler, but I’m afraid Emma will run away and leave me alone and fucked, the way Kelly did all those years ago.

I sit down at my desk and swivel my chair to look out the window behind me. Boo-fucking-hoo, I think to myself. I don’t know when I began to think it was okay to bitch and moan about some ex-girlfriend that broke up with me. Sure, we were engaged, but who the fuck cares? Everyone’s been dumped at some point. I got over it a long time ago. I shouldn’t even be thinking about it anymore.

I turn back to my computer and check my email. I answer a few unimportant things, and ignore a few important ones from Olivia, before going through my usual routine. I check the New York Times for real news and Fox News for propaganda and CNN for fake news. I check the front page of Reddit before diving down deep into a few subreddits. Finally, I end with this Reddit-like tech blog thing called Hacker News where people can upvote and downvote different tech-related stories. As I scroll through, one story in particular catches my eye, and I fucking grimace.

I click the link. The headline reads, David Carlson With New Young Girlfriend, Also Employee.

“What the fucking shit,” I say softly to myself as I scan the article. If the tech world had a Perez Hilton, this blog related to Hacker News would be it. That’s where all the paparazzi and rumor bullshit goes, and everyone in the industry reads it. I’ve been on this blog many, many times in my life, but this is the first time that I’ve actually been pissed.

Notorious playboy David Carlson, that rich, handsome bastard, has another lady. That’s right folks, another one. I mean, we’re up to, what, fifty at this point? Nobody really cares, right?

Except this time it’s different.

David was spotted at a recent charity even for inner city schools with an employee on his arm. That’s right, folks. David’s dating within his own company now, which is basically the worst thing he could possibly do.

I mean, this woman can’t say no, right? He’s her boss, and he’s inherently in a position of power over her. That scumbag, I mean, playboy needs to really go back to basic gender training. I bet his own HR division can provide some salient videos and materials for him to peruse.

In the meantime, enjoy these photos. We’re told the woman’s name is Emma Maye, but we’re still confirming. She’s pretty, though, yeah? Good for you, David. I guess.

I keep scrolling through photos of Emma and I, wincing at each one. The stupid idiots spelled her name wrong, but they’ll figure that out eventually. It’s a petty victory, considering the pictures and the little editorial that goes along with them.

I’m so angry I can only sit back and stare. They think I’m taking advantage of Emma, and now that’s going to be the narrative. Even worse, the whole fucking company’s going to see this. Every single person in the tech business reads Hacker News, and there’s no way they’ll miss an article about their own CEO.

I’m so fucking fucked I think my dickhole is already aching from it.

My intercom buzzes and I hit the button, already sure who it’s going to be. “Olivia for you,” Lucy says.

“Send her in.”

Olivia looks pissed, even more pissed than normal. She waits for the door to close behind her before she whirls on me, hands clenched into fists.

“Those fucking assholes,” she says.

I blink. “Huh?”

“That trash blog.” She sits down in the chair in front of me. “Posting that shit about you.”

I almost want to laugh, but I know better than that. I don’t want to risk this moment. “You’re mad at them,” I say. “And not mad at me.”

She grunts. “Yes, David. In this instance, I’m mad at them. I can’t exactly pretend like my hands are clean of this situation now, can I?”

I smirk at her. “Guess not. Considering you sent her over to my house the other night.”

She shrugs, nonplussed. “You were distracted. I was doing you a favor.”

“You were whoring out an employee.”

“Are you complaining?”

“Nope, it’s just so many levels of fucked up, that’s all.”

“Imagine what they’d say.” She gestures at my computer lazily. “Probably that you’re raping Emma and destroying the world, or something insane like that.”

I sigh and lean back in my chair. “Are they wrong, though?”

Olivia stares at me, surprised. “What are you saying?”

“She is my employee,” I say slowly. “I can’t exactly dispute that.”

“It isn’t simple,” Olivia counters. “They don’t know the whole story.”

“Would that matter?” I say, laughing. “Shit, if they knew, it’d be even worse. I’d be the rich playboy blackmailing a woman with money into letting him fuck her.”

“Bribing,” Olivia says.

“What?”

“You’d be bribing her, not blackmailing her. But at any rate, your point’s well taken.”

I roll my eyes. “I just shouldn’t be seen in public with her.”

“No, you shouldn’t,” she agrees.

“But I didn’t know I was in public at that event.”

“No, you didn’t.”

“What do we do now?” I ask her.

She leans back in her chair, crossing her legs. I let her think for a moment, and normally the silence would drive me nuts, but it’s Olivia. I’ve gone through this moment with her countless times. I know that if I just let her think it through for a moment, she’ll have an idea.

“You have to make a statement,” she says. “You need to counter this narrative. Make it clear that you’re not with Emma.”

“I’m not,” I say.

“Right. Say that you took her as a gesture of good will, or a reward for service, something like that. Under no circumstances will you admit to dating her.”

“I can do that,” I say. “Since we aren’t dating.”

“Good.” She clears her throat. “And you can’t mention that you’re fucking her, either.”

I bark a short laugh. “Yeah, I know.”

“Good.” She watches me for a second before my intercom buzzes again.

I lean forward to answer it. “Just a second, Lucy,” I say.

“Uh, David, Emma’s here to see you.”

I can tell by Lucy’s tone that she knows all about the article. “Of course she is,” I mumble and sigh. Olivia gives me a tight smile. “Let her in,” I say to Lucy.

“Be nice,” Olivia says, standing.

“Same to you,” I grumble.

Emma comes in, looking sheepish. She’s wearing a loose black skirt and a pale cream blouse, making her pale skin look smooth and gorgeous. She smiles at Olivia.

“Hey,” she says. “I, uh, just wanted to talk with David.”

“Of course you did,” Olivia says, heading to the door. She pauses in front of Emma. “You look really good in the pictures.”

Emma blinks and Olivia leaves the room, shutting the door.

I groan, shaking my head. Olivia can’t help herself. She’ll gladly take any opportunity to mess with someone’s head.

Emma turns back to me, still frowning from that little encounter.

“Please, sit,” I say to her.

She shrugs a little, but doesn’t sit. “I saw the blog,” she says. “Well, it was emailed to me like fifty times.”

I sigh. “I figured that would happen.”

“This is really bad, David.”

“I know.”

“What if they find out?” She starts pacing a little bit, rattling off some nervous energy. “I mean, what they wrote is bad, but can you imagine what they’ll say if they knew the truth? If they knew what we’ve been doing?”

“Do you plan on telling them?”

She stops in her tracks and look at me. “Absolutely not.”

“Good. I don’t either. And I guarantee Olivia won’t. Who else knows?”

“Nobody,” she says.

“Maudette might suspect,” I muse. “Well, not the extent of it.”

Emma groans. “Maudette,” she says. “Of course.”

“Relax. Maudette’s been with the company for a long time, and the worst she can do is tell them that we’ve been seeing each other. Is that really so bad?”

“Yes, according to that blog. You’re practically taking advantage of me.”

I wince. “I wish you wouldn’t put it that way.”

“Sorry. It’s just, I’m frustrated.”

“I know you are.” I stand up and come around the desk. “Listen, Emma, I promise this isn’t going to hurt you. If anything, it’ll hurt me.”

“It’s already hurting me,” she says. “You should have seen the way my team was looking at me. And don’t get me started on what Sven thinks.”

“What did he say?” I ask, afraid of the answer.

“He says, ‘How does big boss dick taste? Get to work.’”

I groan but can’t help laughing. Her impression of Sven is pretty spot on.

“Look, I’ll talk to him.

“No, please,” she says. “I’m begging you, don’t. It’ll make things worse.”

“Okay then.” I sigh. “I just want to make it right.”

“Please, just, I’ll figure it out, You’ll only make it worse. I really don’t want them thinking I’m the boss’s pet.”

I hesitate a second before smirking at you. “But you are.”

She glares at me. “Not funny.”

“I’m not joking. You are my pet, aren’t you?”

She shakes her head. “David.”

“Emma.” I walk closer to her. “You are my pet. You can pretend like you’re not, like this is all for the money, but we both know the truth.”

“This is so not the place for this,” she says, backing up against my filing cabinet. I stop inches away from her, and I notice that she’s breathing fast now, but not pushing me away.

“No, it’s pretty fucked up, right?” I smirk and put my hands on her hips, pressing myself against her. She feels so fucking warm and I want to taste her so badly it almost hurts. But she’s right, this isn’t the place.

“You’re my pet,” I whisper in her ear. “Admit it to me. I want you to say the words.”

“Is it in my contract?”

“No,” I say. “But it’s the truth.”

“Then I won’t say it.”

I laugh softly. “Good. I like that you still pretend like you want to fight.”

“Asshole,” she says, finally pushing against my chest. I step back and let her slip away, crossing her arms and blushing like mad. I turn to her, smirking, my blood ringing with excitement.

“We’ll just let it die,” she says. “No more being seen in public. Okay?”

“Okay,” I say. “Olivia’s also going to release a statement. You were with me at that party as a special thank you for such excellent work here at Envoy.”

She pauses. “We’re lying now?”

“Yep,” I say. “You don’t have to if you don’t want to.”

“So what do I do when people ask me about it?”

I shrug. “Tell them we’re not dating and don’t go into details about why you were with me. Say we’re friends, if you want.”

“Are we friends?” she asks.

“I don’t see why not.”

“Huh.” She looks a little surprised and then laughs. “I don’t think of you as a friend.”

“What do you think of me as?” I ask.

“A fuck buddy. A boss. I don’t know.”

“I’m all of the above.” I walk over to her again. “I think of you as a pet.”

“Watch it,” she says, a smile on her face, stepping away toward the door.

“Listen, one more thing,” I say before she can leave. “We need to… accelerate this process.”

She raises an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”

“Well, there’s going to be scrutiny, but I still want my baby.”

She pauses, frowning. “Okay, so what does that mean?”

“I want to fuck you every single day until you’re pregnant.”

She stares, her face twisting into surprise, followed by delight, followed by a mask of neutrality. I grin at her conflicting emotions and the way she’s trying to control herself, but clearly she wants this.

“If that’s what you think’s best,” she says. “I can handle it.”

“Oh, you think so? We’ll see.”

She nods. “I’ll see you later,” she says.

“Yes, you will.”

She leaves my office, and my cock’s practically thrumming with energy for her.

I know I should be ending this and distancing myself, if not for my own sake, then for hers. But I can’t stop it, and she doesn’t seem to want to, either. I’m just using this as an excuse to see her more.

And I’m not going to wait long.