Room Service

CHANCE CARTER

Chapter 1

Mona

I took a deep breath, rolled my shoulders back, and allowed myself one more look in the mirror. Yes, I looked fine – and no, I couldn’t find a single reason to linger about in the hallway of my apartment for even a minute longer. I was stalling.

I wasn’t sure why my nerves had suddenly overwhelmed me so late in the game. I’d had weeks of notice leading up to this moment, ample opportunity to work off all the nervous energy that had crept up on me in the last half-hour.

No, my stupid anxiety had to choose right this instant to reveal itself, and here I was trying to calm down minutes before I had to get out the door and show up for my first day of work at Artemis Tech.

I still couldn’t believe I’d landed the job. I had spent months looking for something and after so much rejection I decided it couldn’t hurt to apply for the position, even though I was certain they would take one look at my resume and toss it in the trash.

I was a business graduate without a single minute of secretarial experience clocked, let alone any that would qualify me to work alongside one of the biggest names in the business world right now.

Even when they had called me in for the interview, I convinced myself it had to be some kind of mistake.

I sat down opposite the woman in charge of hiring, and I guess my complete lack of confidence and hope relaxed me enough to leave a good impression. I got the offer two weeks later. Go figure.

I kept my cool long enough to accept the offer and write down a few details, but as soon as the woman from Artemis’ HR department hung up, I dropped my phone, punched the air, squealed and collapsed back into the couch, relieved that the search for gainful employment was finally over..

My roommate Katya having heard the commotion, walked in with a furrowed brow.

“Are you okay?” she asked.

“I got a job,” I said, still dumfounded. “I got a job!”

“Oh, shit!” she said, cocking her head and grinning. She was well aware that my savings were almost completely depleted, so the news was as much a relief to her as it was to me.

“Where’s the job?”

“Artemis Tech,” I said, shaking my head in disbelief.

Her eyes bugged out of her head, and I was sure I saw a flash of jealousy pass across her face. Still, she reached out to pat my shoulder.

“Well, congratulations.” she offered, and turned to go back to her bedroom.

I knew this was as much of a surprise to her as it was to me. Artemis Tech was the company everyone dreamed of working for.

Oliver Paulson had created the kind of career everyone in my graduating class could only dream of, a start-up business he launched straight out of college. And he spent every waking hour since then working his ass off to turn his baby into a world-dominating enterprise.

Now, I would be working alongside him.

My heart jolted again. I fished my phone out from between the couch cushions and dialed my mom. I wanted to share my news with someone who wouldn’t think I was gloating.

That was a month and a half ago, and I had spent a very lean six weeks doing every bit of research on the company I could manage. I learned the history of Artemis Tech back-to-front, scouring over as many profiles of Oliver as I could get my hands on and reading up desperately on advice from people who’d worked as secretaries in companies like the one I would be starting at.

I signed my contracts, guaranteeing me six months at the company, and spent most of my nights staring at the ceiling, wondering what it would be like to work near someone like Oliver Paulson. I had repeated his name so many times in my head, it almost lost its meaning. Oliver Paulson. O-li-ver Paul-son.

He was kind of hot. I had to admit that. Maybe it was because he held the future of my career in his hands, but I found myself gazing a little too long over pictures of him in the profiles. I noticed his sharp jaw and expensive suits, wondering if he had chosen his hair style because he knew how chiseled it made his cheekbones look.

He was about fifteen years older than me, but that didn’t matter. One of the reasons I’d avoided dating through college was because I found so many of my classmates to be immature and irritating. The thought of someone who worked hard, ran his own company, and was already a stone-cold success was deeply attractive to me.

I did my best to keep those kinds of thoughts from my head. I knew it would be crazy to think for even a second that someone like him would give me the time of day.

In my search for Oliver Paulson profiles, I had come across plenty of paparazzi shots of him stumbling out of nightclubs and bars with whatever hot actress or model the tabloids were obsessed with at the time. He seemed to have a knack for picking the most famous, the most beautiful, and the most stylish women in the country and making them his dates for the night.

I would have been crazy to think for a second, with all that on offer, he would take so much as a second glance at someone like me. I was there to do a job, and the chances of that woman having hired me because she thought I would make some delicious eye-candy for her boss seemed pretty damn slim. They didn’t get where they were in the business world by letting Oliver’s libido make decisions for him.

Still, a girl could dream, and indulging myself in a few steamy fantasies had done plenty to distract me from the stress of starting a new position.

I had never been one for dating. I had managed a couple of casual hookups in college but nothing serious, and the last year before graduating had been so crazy busy and stressful that dating and sex was the last things on my mind.

My crush on Oliver was nothing more than my sex drive reminding me that it existed, and that I might want to satisfy it at some point in the near future. But for now it would have to wait. My impending career was taking up most of the real estate in my head. Like exactly how I was going to use this new position to my advantage.

It was an incredible opportunity. I had to make it count. Katya had done her best to avoid the subject with me in the beginning, clearly a little bitter that she was still working at the coffee shop to make ends meet, while I had landed a cool, new position at an awesome company. But she eventually came around.

“Yeah, I’m jealous as shit,” she said. “But hey, maybe when you’re a higher-up there, you can put in a good word for me, right?”

“I’ll drop your name as often as I can,” I assured her as she’d handed me a plate to dry.

“Just order all your coffee from me so I can come by and get to know everyone.” she suggested, laughing but definitely not joking.

“I’ll do my best,” I promised, and she smiled, returning her attention to the dishes.

We had been living together for a few months now, both of us escaping from the group apartment we shared with a couple of other friends in college to a two bedroom of our own. It had taken a bit getting used to but it was getting easier and easier.

She was still fast asleep as I slipped out the door for my first day of work.

I was dressed in a skirt that was perhaps a little too tight, left over from the internship I’d done right out of high school. I had to borrow one of Katya’s blouses, which was a little loose over the bust area. I’d managed to pin everything in place, but I swore as I walked out the door, the first thing I would do with my pay check was get some clothes that fit for a change.

I didn’t have money for a taxi, so I caught the train across town. The business district was pretty far from our slightly run-down end of the city, and I appreciated the time to stare out the window, zone out, and center myself in preparation for the day.

I knew I was overthinking it, that no one would expect me to sweep in there and know everything all at once, but my perfectionism was nagging at the back of my brain, reminding me I was actually going to have to learn how to do this job. I hated feeling behind on anything, but it was an inevitability, so I’d just have to suck it up.

The train arrived at my stop, and I pushed through the dozens of commuters to get off. All of them were dressed in sharp fitted clothes, at least ten of them already babbling on their phones, securing crazy-important deals I couldn’t even imagine the scope of.

I smiled. These were my people. This was me now.

I hurried down the street to the building that housed Artemis Tech, allowing myself to pause outside to appreciate the enormity of it. One day, I’d build a business that could barely be housed by a skyscraper, just like this one.

I ducked inside and held up the ID I’d been sent in the mail a few weeks earlier, and the bored-looking receptionist nodded me through. On my way to the elevator, I noticed a couple of curious glances from the other employees, who were no doubt wondering where the hell I thought I was going.

I lifted my chin and shot straight for the top floor, as I’d been directed to do in an email a few days prior. There was no one here to hold my hand. I had to take control, and I kind of enjoyed that.

The elevator dinged open, and I stepped out, inhaling deeply. The open-plan office space smelled of printing ink and lemon scented cleaning product. I strolled through to the enormous door that led to my new workspace.

Emblazoned in impressive gold letters on the door were the words Oliver Paulson, CEO. I paused for a moment and glanced around, half-expecting someone to reveal this was all a prank, and that I should leave before humiliating myself further. No one did, so I pushed the door open as my heart flipped somersaults in my chest.

This was it. My career started right here.

I lifted my eyes, and my jaw dropped. Standing before me was the hottest freaking man I’d ever seen in my life.

He stood a good few inches taller than me but wasn’t gangly and skinny like most of the guys I’d met in my college class. No, he was lean and strong, the definition of his muscles visible, even through the expensive shirt he wore. His eyes were gray and striking, his jaw smattered with a dusting of stubble that looked haphazard, but I knew probably cost a bomb to keep looking as good as it did.

He nodded at me, not smiling, and I felt my eyes widen involuntarily as I realized he was actually paying attention to me.

It didn’t make sense. How could someone who looked like that have his attention on somebody like me?

“Mona?”

He spoke my name, and hearing it snapped me out of the reverie I’d put myself in.

I shuffled my feet and cleared my throat, nodding.

“Yes, that’s me.”

I extended my hand to him and he took it.

As soon as our skin touched, I felt a jolt of electricity pass from his fingers to mine. Holy hell, what was it about this guy?

“I’m really looking forward to working with you,” I began, repeating the spiel I’d practiced in my head on the way over. “I-”

“Yeah, me too.”

He seemed distracted.

“I have a meeting to get to. If you speak to Andrea in HR, she’ll be able to run down everything you’ll need to do for the next couple of days, okay?”

“Of course,” I said confidently, in spite of feeling a little breathless as I watched him grab a couple of things off his desk – a file, a notebook, and a pen.

“Your office is in there.”

He gestured to a door that led off the room we were currently in.

“I’ll see you later?” I blurted before I could stop myself, and he paused to eye me for a moment, finally managing something approximating a smile.

“Yeah, sure.”

He nodded and went to the door. I was left standing in the middle of his office, staring at the space he had just occupied, wondering if I could have made it any more obvious that I thought he was gorgeous. He was preoccupied, though, and I’m sure he couldn’t care less about my ridiculous crush. As well he shouldn’t.

I shook my head and moved toward the office he’d indicated was mine. I opened the door and stepped into the small room that was to be my work home for the next six months and let out a small sigh.

Dumping my bag on the chair, I stepped over to the small window overlooking the city and let out a smile, feeling instantly more calm. It wasn’t like I was in love with the guy, I was just flustered, that was all. Nervous on my first day. Now, I had to get in touch with Andrea and figure out precisely what I was meant to do for the day.

I got myself set up with a to-do list and plenty to keep me busy for the rest of the day. Oliver wasn’t anywhere to be found, and his schedule told me he was in meetings all day.

A couple of times, I heard him ducking back into his office for something or other, but I knew sticking my head out to see if he needed anything would only cause me to get under his feet, and that was the last thing I wanted. The best I could do was to swim comfortably under his radar. If he noticed me, it wouldn’t be for the right reasons.

I finished up my duties around five. I had spent the day sending out emails, getting my office set up, and putting in a couple of phone calls regarding Mr. Paulson’s personal schedule. I made sure to stay a few minutes extra before heading home.

Yes, I was tired, but I didn’t want to look too keen to get out of there. I needed them to be goddamn sure I appreciated this job as much as I did, and I wasn’t going to take twenty extra minutes relaxing at home over that.

I heard Oliver re-enter his office, and resolved to go once he’d left again. Ten minutes passed, then twenty, then a half-hour, and I sat there in my office getting restless as I waited for him to leave.

I checked his schedule. His meetings were done for the day, so why was he still hanging around? If I were him and ran a company this big, there would be no way in hell they could keep me in there a minute longer than they had to.

Then again, as had often been drilled into me, it was the people who went the extra mile who did the best in the long run.

I paced back and forth, ears pricked for the sound of the door closing as he left, but there was nothing. Eventually, after packing and repacking my bag a couple times to kill time, I hooked it over my shoulder and went for the door. I wasn’t going to hide out here like an eighth-grader eating lunch in the bathroom to avoid the mean girls. I had shit to do.

I took a deep breath, bracing myself, and pushed the door open. Oliver glanced up at me briefly. He had been looking through papers on his desk, and I felt something in my chest seize up as I looked into those gorgeous eyes.

Okay, I was going to need to get the hell over this crush if I had any hope of working with him like a grown adult.

“Oh, hey,” he said. “I forgot you were here.”

“I was just going to head home,” I managed, my voice higher than I’d heard it before. “Is there anything else you need me to do before I go?”

“No, you’re good,” he said and turned his attention back to the papers. Although, I may have been mistaken, but I might have caught him peering at me out of the corner of his eye for a moment. Probably just checking that I was actually going already.

“Cool.”

I went to the door and paused for a moment before I opened it. I felt something in my stomach, some kind of force tugging me back to him. I closed my eyes and forced myself to pump the handle and walk out of there.

As soon as I was back on the street, I shook my head and took a deep breath. I had no idea what that had been about. When had I turned into some kind of swooning school girl just because a guy was good looking? There had been plenty of impressive dudes at college, and I had managed to keep myself in check around them. That was all Oliver was – a good-looking guy. That was it.

That’s what I told myself all the way home, on the train and the short walk back to my apartment, where I flopped down on the couch and closed my eyes, totally spent from my first day of work.

“Hey,” Katya said when she wandered through from the kitchen, wearing her uniform and pulling her hair back. She would be doing the after-work shift, maybe even serving a few of the people I’d met in the office earlier today.

“Hey,” I sighed, tilting my head back to look at her.

“Good first day?”

She smiled at me as she went on the daily hunt for her keys.

“Yeah, it was fine,” I shrugged. “Just getting settled in.”

“And how was Oliver?” she asked, as if it were just a casual question, but I could hear the innuendo in her voice.

“He was a little cold, but he was super busy today, so I’m not reading too much into it,” I replied, carefully.

I didn’t want to say anything too strong on either side, in case it somehow got back to him.

“Is he as cute as he is in the pictures?” she teased, and I flushed.

I hated that. It was a bad habit I couldn’t shake, a natural reaction to any kind of discomfort that I might be feeling.

“Yeah, I guess,” I replied diplomatically. “You off to work?”

“Yeah, don’t worry, you have the place to yourself for the rest of the night.”

She nudged me as she went by.

“You got any plans?”

“Just relaxing.” I yawned. “I forgot how tough it is actually having to do shit during the day.”

“Yeah, college spoiled us a little,” she agreed, finally finding her keys. “Okay, I’m off. Have a good night. See you tomorrow?”

“See you.”

I waved her off without turning around, dramatically flopping down onto the couch to demonstrate I was too tired to move.

As soon as she was gone, I went to the kitchen to scavenge, but there was nothing I felt like eating. It was my first day at a new job, and I was tired, hungry, and would soon have more cash than I had in months. If there was any time I could justify getting takeout, it was now.

I pulled out a pizza menu from the messy drawer above the oven, picked out a deal that sounded good, and called to place my order. Then, I ran a bath and slipped into the warm water, confident I had at least forty minutes before the food arrived. That was plenty of time to unwind and ease the pain in my tired muscles.

I tried to clear my mind, but instead, found my thoughts drifting to Oliver. He looked so freaking good in those suits.

I imagined what it would be like to watch him undo the buttons on his shirt, his manly hands careful and his fingers deft as he popped the buttons out on the cuff, slowly pulling the fabric open over his chest. He’d hang the shirt up carefully, maybe shooting me a look as he did so.

My hand slid down between my legs and I closed my eyes. My fingers found my clit as I imagined him sliding into bed next to me. His skin would feel warm, and his expensive cologne would fill my senses.

He’d trail his fingers up my bare waist, making me shiver, and he’d grin at the sight of me, so helpless at his touch. He’d lean over to kiss me, almost carefully, pushing his tongue into my mouth as he did so and moaning softly, as though he’d been waiting for the moment all day long.

As soon as our lips met, he’d grow more dominant, rolling on top of me and sliding his hands up and down my body, hungrily as he continued to kiss me. He would be so far removed from the guys I’d hooked up with in college, so totally in control and powerful, and he’d slip his fingers between my legs.

“You’re so wet,” he’d growl into my ear, and he’d be right. I’d be waiting for this, craving him, and I’d be so ready. His long, strong finger would slide deep into my pussy, making a beckoning motion. He’d find that oh so sensitive spot, deep within me, and tease it and coax it until my breathing sped up and I began thrusting against his hand.

He’d have had no intentions of making me wait. He’d unbuckle his pants, and he’d take my hand and pull it to his rock-hard erection, looking me in the eyes as he did so. He’d grimace slightly with pleasure as I touched him, and I’d draw him toward my pussy, aching for him, needing him.

I’d take his cock and squeeze it in my hand, feeling the throb of his pulse as his heart pounded for me. I’d bring the cock to the lips of my pussy and let it touch me, just enough to get the slightest little bit wet.

Once he had a taste of me, or once his cock had a taste of my juices, I should say, there would be no stopping him. He’d be throbbing with desire, craving me so intensely that with just a few hard thrusts, he’d be cumming inside me, filling me up with his cum and making a very definite claim on me. I’d be his after that. There’s nothing that says you belong to a man like having a pussy full of his cum!

I lifted myself up in the bathtub so that my pussy was closer to the faucet. I turned on the water and made sure the temperature was just right. As I continued to fantasize about Oliver, I let the warm jet of water wash over my clit and send pleasure searing through me.

“Oh God,” I moaned as my body began to surrender to the pleasure that was building up inside me.

I tried to picture, as clearly as I could in my mind, Oliver’s cock pouring it’s cum into me. I tried to imagine the way it would make him feel toward me, the way it would make him realize that I was his and he was mine. And then, in a crash of ecstasy, I was cumming.

The orgasm rushed through me like a hurricane.

Suddenly, the buzzer on the door sounded, ripping me straight from my fantasy and depositing me firmly back into reality. My lips parted in surprise, my eyes flipping open, and I snatched my hand out from between my legs as though I’d been caught doing something I shouldn’t have been doing.

Frustrated, I dragged myself out of the bath and upright, sighing deeply as I slipped on my robe and went to the door.

I thought they said a half-hour at least on the phone. This pizza better be damned good if it was going to make up for interrupting my completely work-inappropriate fantasy starring my new boss.

I rolled my shoulders back, patted my hair into place as best I could, and opened the door. Back to reality.

For now.

Chapter 2

Oliver

I thought I made myself pretty fucking clear, but obviously, the message had gotten lost somewhere along the way.

“I mean, have you seen her?” Neil said, raising his eyebrows at me from across the desk and lounging in that confident way he always does.

I ran my fingers through my hair.

“Of course, I fucking have,” I snapped back in his direction, irritated.

Even though he was my business partner and we’d worked together for years, sometimes he really got under my skin.

“And I told you I didn’t want someone like her.”

That new secretary of mine had started the previous day, and I could already tell I was in for a rough ride. After what happened the last time, I had been pretty clear about not wanting anyone even remotely distracting, and look who they sent me.

“Oh, come on,” Neil chided. “You worried you can’t keep your eyes on your own paper?”

“Not at all,” I shot back, my voice a little more tense than I intended it to be. I sat down in my chair and let out an enormous sigh.

Mona – was that her name? It was the kind of name you wanted to say over and over again, like a spell on the tip of your tongue, my lips forming into a kiss when I spoke it. She was due to start her second day any minute now, and I knew I had to get myself the fuck in order if I wanted to make sure there was no repeat of last time.

“What did you say in the advert?” asked Neil, leaning forward, and sensing an opportunity to rip the piss out of me, no doubt. “Only uggos?”

“Come on,” I rolled my eyes at him.

“Look, if you can’t control yourself…”

“I can control myself fine,” I replied firmly. “It’s just…”

“Yeah, I know, it wasn’t exactly like you pounced on her walking down a corridor.”

He raised his eyebrows at me. “Just play it a little cooler with this one, okay buddy?”

“I will, I know,” I muttered.

Neil got to his feet and clapped his hands together, rolling up the sleeves of his shirt.

“I should get back to the office and get some work done.” He glanced at his watch. “See if you can keep your mind on track and you do the same, eh?”

“Get outta here, asshole.”

I waved him in the direction of the door and he grinned, clearly pleased he’d managed to get a rise out of me.

That was how we always played it, busting each other’s balls. It was the only way to keep sane in a business like this one. It could be so easy to get all pumped up on the compliments, the adulation, and the success, so it was good to have someone around to keep my ego at bay.

I watched him leave, then raked my fingers through my hair and attempted to focus on the papers on the desk in front of me. I knew, though, that I wouldn’t be able to relax until Mona was sitting behind closed doors in the office next to me, out of sight and out of mind.

Neil was right. I had to keep her at arm’s length. In theory, that shouldn’t be hard. She worked for me, after all, and I’m sure the last thing she wanted was to hook up with some two-decades older man in a suit like me.

This was surely a stepping stone to something bigger for her, and getting attached was likely the last thing on her mind. I had seen her qualifications, and I doubted Mona wanted to spend the rest of her life running around after me.

Nevertheless, I was doing my best to make it clear that I wasn’t interested in those pouty lips of hers, or those eyes, or the way her legs looked in that slightly too-short skirt. She was a stone-cold stunner, one of those women who could have cars squealing to a halt on the street as she walked by, even if she didn’t know it.

It wouldn’t take long for her to figure it out, and God help the men she encountered when she did.

The door clicked open in front of me, and my head snapped up. There she was.

“Morning,” she said, smiling at me shyly and headed straight for her office.

“Uh, Mona?”

I said her name again before she could close the door behind her, and she paused. I wasn’t sure what it was I wanted to say, but I knew I wanted her to stay in the room with me for a moment longer.

“Could you double-check my schedule for the day?” I furrowed my brow. “I want to know when the Harrelson meeting is.”

“Of course.”

She nodded, flashing me a dazzling smile, and started up her computer.

I shifted in my seat and found that my gaze followed her. Shit, how did she keep doing this? Why was I so drawn to her? Maybe because she was as close to fucking perfect as I’d ever come across in my life.

In any other circumstance, I’d have been buying her a drink and inviting her back to my apartment. As the situation was, however, I’d have to find a way to keep it firmly in my pants, because she was my fucking secretary, and like I’d be damned if I was I going through all that again.

I was almost certain I’d laid out as much to Ann when she was getting ready to hire for the assistant position. I mean, I couldn’t come right out and say it, because it would have been a big HR deal if I had, but she’d seen what a cluster-fuck the last one turned out to be. Not that I was completely innocent in all of that, but still, I assumed she’d be a little more careful about who she’d hire for the position.

Or maybe, just maybe, she expected someone with as much experience as I had to be able to overlook things like sex and beautiful women to focus on his damn business.

I bet Neil convinced her to hire someone like Mona because he knew it would get to me. It seemed exactly like the kind of thing he might do – a little nudge and a wink to let me know he knew what I was capable of.

I rocked back in my chair and ran my fingers through my hair, staring at the ceiling and tightening my lips. I was overthinking this. For damn sure, I was overthinking this.

I got up to go to a meeting and resolved that for the next week, I would be nothing but cool toward the new girl. Not unpleasant, not an asshole, but nothing more than pointedly, carefully cool.

If she was still around at the end of it, then I’d know she wasn’t here just to get underneath my skin. I rolled my shoulders back as I walked down the corridor, readying myself for the day ahead, but I couldn’t shake the image from my brain of the gorgeous woman sitting in the office next to mine.

I did my best to get her to prove herself. Part of me hoped she would take me aside, admit this whole thing had been a mistake, and move on, but she didn’t.

She took in stride every change of plans, every late meeting that required her to stick around, every note I needed her to take. She had merely nodded, smiled professionally, and disappeared back to her office to take care of it. She was totally unfazed by it all.

I had to admit, I was impressed. Usually, the high pace and thinking on your feet required for this job had the new starts frantically trying to get a grip on it all.

Not Mona. She never let me see anything other than complete level-headedness and control, moving comfortably through the office and taking everything that needed to be completed in stride.

Maybe Anne had actually hired her for her acumen at the job.

Somehow, that was worse than the other possibility, that she had been picked just to fuck with me. She was proving herself to be indispensable.

Mona was smart, resourceful, and intelligent, precisely the kind of assistant I’d always needed, but she was also so goddamned gorgeous, I was having a hard time keeping my mind off her.

I sat in the office on Friday afternoon, staring out the window, processing the accomplishments of the past week and the impending meetings I still had to attend. It had been a long, busy week, and I still had a couple events to endure over the weekend. It was nice to steal a little moment or two of solitude.

“Hello?”

My head snapped up, and I turned around, to find Mona. She was hanging through the door between our offices and had her bag over one shoulder.

“I was going to go unless there’s anything else you need?” she asked, her voice ticking up nervously at the end of the sentence.

“No, you’re good.” I said. “Doing anything this weekend?”

She paused at the door, obviously surprised by the interest I was taking in her. She glanced around slowly, as though I could actually be talking to her.

“Uh, nothing really,” she said with a nervous smile. Her lashes fluttered briefly as she looked at me, and she leaned her shoulder against the door frame, as though settling in for a longer conversation.

“You?” she asked.

I snorted with mirthless laughter.

“I haven’t had any decent weekend plans in years,” I replied. “It’s all business, I’m afraid.”

“Well, I’m your assistant,” she pointed out. “Maybe I could use some of my organizational skills to free up some time for fun in your schedule?”

“You’re good, but I’m not sure anyone’s that good,” I warned her. “I’m also not very good at actually taking time off when I need it.”

“I’ll see what I can do,” she teased and straightened up from the door frame. “I should probably get going. My train leaves soon.”

“Have a good weekend.”

I nodded, keeping my tone neutral, but when she turned to leave, I couldn’t help my eyes drifting down to her ass as it swayed out the door and away.

I closed my eyes and leaned back in my seat. I needed to get my shit together, and soon. This kind of attitude wasn’t going to fly if I was to work with Mona in the long term. How long did those initial contracts last? Six months? More? It wasn’t like I could find a good reason to get rid of her if she continued to be as sharp anyway. I would just have to get over the attraction and remind myself I was a grown man who didn’t need to get hooked on every cute, young thing who walked into my office.

And find some way to erase from my imagination the image of her bent over my desk with her skirt pulled up over her hot ass.

Chapter 3

Mona

It was nearing the end of my second week at Artemis Tech and I was pretty certain I’d managed to get myself under control. All I had to do was keep my head down, get on with my work, and do my best to keep any thoughts of Oliver and me together firmly to the back of my mind.

I was also finding I actually enjoyed working there. The people were friendly, but knew when to let me get on with my work, and the job was easy enough not to be stressful but not so much so that I found myself bored.

I had always been good at organizing. When it came to nights out with our whole, sprawling group from college, I was the one who coordinated everything, choosing where to go and where to stay, making reservations and arranging transportation. This was just an extension of that.

I sat in my office on Thursday morning. I was already personalizing the space, pasting up post-it notes with the little drawings Katya did on my computer and collecting a variety of snacks in the bottom drawer for those nights I had to stay later at the office than anticipated.

I was still in that sweet spot where I had new things to learn, so I wasn’t bored yet, and I looked forward to getting to work each day.

I got to my feet and stretched, standing on my tippy toes and yawning. I was getting used to the early mornings, but I was drinking a lot more coffee than I used to, just to get me going. In fact, I could use another one, now I that thought of it.

I stuck my head into Oliver’s office, but he was still away at the meeting he had scheduled for ten. Now would be a good time to sneak out and grab another cup.

I paused in his office for a moment, looking around the place and smiling to myself. If my place was slowly becoming a space that reflected me, then this place was utterly and completely him.

There was an enormous picture window that sprawled out over the back wall, allowing for a gorgeous view of the city, a reminder of where he was and how far he’d come.

The space was sleek and minimalistic, but there were a handful of objects scattered around that hinted at sides to Oliver I hadn’t gotten to know yet – a tacky magnet pressed to a filing cabinet from a Spanish resort, a framed, black-and-white photograph of a gorgeous forest scene, and a small metal model of a motorbike that sat next to his computer. I wondered what significance they held for him.

Who were they from? What did they mean? Did they make him smile when he saw them? Or were they for show, something to humanize him for the business people he met in here, something to make him seem less the lofty businessman and more a regular, relatable guy?

I knew I shouldn’t have spent that much time lingering. I was just feeding a crush I should have been able to put a pin in days ago. I turned and left down the corridor to get the coffee I so desperately needed.

Kieran, one of the other guys who worked on the floor, was in the break room when I arrived, pouring himself a mug from the carafe of dark roast. He glanced up as I entered and nodded to me.

“You want?” he asked, holding up the jug.

“Yeah, thanks.”

I leaned up against the counter, watching as he filled an enormous mug with the hot, but stale coffee that had likely been made a few hours prior.

I took my coffee bitter and black and instantly raised it to my lips to take a long, satisfied sip.

“Mmm,” I sighed.

Kieran didn’t seem to be in any rush to get out of there. He and I had chatted a little over the last couple of weeks, and he seemed perfectly pleasant. I was happy to have a break from sitting in my office and he looked like he wanted to ask me something.

“So, how’s it going?” he asked, something close to a smirk forming at the corners of his lips. I furrowed my brow.

“It’s going good,” I replied. “Thanks. Why do you ask?”

“I wasn’t sure what being his assistant must be like after what happened the last time”

I leaned forward with interest.

“What do you mean?” I pressed.

He glanced around, making sure we were alone and pushed the break room door shut with his foot.

“You really don’t know?” he murmured.

I shook my head.

“Know what? Come on, you’re kind of freaking me out here.”

What was it? Did the last assistant end up dead in a ditch somewhere? Did she go crazy from having to fit so many meetings into one day? What the hell had happened that he was so wary to share with me?

“I assumed they must have mentioned it.”

He shook his head, and I could tell he was enjoying the power he had over me. I was starting to get annoyed. Why wouldn’t he just come out and tell me? Surely it couldn’t be that bad.

“Nope, no one mentioned anything to me about the last assistant.”

I shrugged. The best way to get the truth out of him was to act as though I couldn’t care less, but that was proving difficult. It was obviously juicy, or he wouldn’t be making such a scene.

“Jeannie,” he said, taking a sip of his coffee, as though to punctuate the word. “That was her name. Jeannie.”

“And what about Jeannie?” I asked impatiently.

I wanted to get back to work, but I also needed to hear whatever it was that had him so wound up.

“There’s a damn good reason she’s not here anymore,” he said, leaning forward conspiratorially. “She-”

Before he could finish his sentence, the break room door opened and someone I didn’t recognize stepped in to join us. She glanced between us, apparently not blind to the tension in the room.

“What’s going on?” she asked, glancing at Kieran, a smile forming on her face as she tried to put the pieces together. “I didn’t interrupt anything, did I?”

“No, you didn’t,” I assured her, my grip tightening on my cup.

The last thing I needed was for people to assume I had some kind of flirtation going on with Kieran. There was nothing wrong with him, but he wasn’t my type, and I didn’t want to give anyone the idea he was.

“I should be getting back to work.”

I headed for the door and made my way out of there before I got hit with any more questions. My head was spinning as I walked back to my office. What had happened with the last secretary? How bad was it? What had Oliver done to Jeannie that had forced her to leave this place, and where was she now?

I was preoccupied when I opened the door, and when I saw Oliver, I practically jumped out of my skin.

“Oh, hello,” I burbled. “I was just getting a coffee. I’m going back to work now.”

I wanted to kick myself. Yeah, way to show him what an in-control, on-the-ball woman I was, laying out my schedule for him like it mattered.

He raised his eyebrows at me, a flicker of amusement passing over his face. His eyes flashed and it gave me butterflies in my tummy.

“How’d the meeting go?” I managed, at last.

He shrugged.

“Not bad, but I think I’m going to have to see them again before the week’s out,” he said. “And I’d really rather not.”

“Why?” I said and cocked my head at him. “That boring?”

“Oh, marketing just isn’t something I can get my head around.” He shook his head and raised his eyebrows. “I feel like I should have a better grasp on it by now, but it still bores the hell out of me, and I can’t figure out how they get to the conclusions they do. But fuck it, it works, so I can’t really complain.”

It was the first time he’d cursed in front of me, and it sent a little jolt up my spine, as though I had just heard something I wasn’t meant to.

“You’ve got another meeting after lunch.” I forced myself to continue. “Would you like me to organize any food, or…?”

“No, I’m good,” he assured me. “But thanks. Enjoy your coffee.”

I went back to my office, but I shot a look over my shoulder before closing the door. I wanted to drink him in, enjoy the sight of him one last time. To my surprise, I found him looking back at me.

If I wasn’t meant to hear him curse, then I sure as hell wasn’t meant to see the look on his face. His eyes were darker than before, the polite pleasantness gone as he eyed me. His gaze flicked up to mine briefly, and for a second I was frozen to the spot, unable to move, heated and tense with his attention on me like this.

He cleared his throat and the moment was gone, the spell lifted. I blinked and slipped into my office, closing the door tight behind me.

What the fuck was that?

I placed my coffee down on my desk and paused for a moment to look out the window before picking up where I’d left off. I couldn’t shake the mess of feelings cluttering up my brain.

I forced myself to turn back to the computer and focused my eyes on the schedule for the upcoming week. I’d have to see if there was room for another meeting with marketing at some point, just in case he did need to see them again.

The work wasn’t stimulating enough to keep my mind off Oliver completely, and I found my thoughts drifting back in his direction.

He was warming up to me. I could feel it. The first week, it seemed as though he’d been actively avoiding me, but this week, he was spending a lot more time in his office, even when he perhaps should have been at meetings, signing contracts, or charming the hell out of a new client.

He asked me about my weekend and found little ways to let me know he was thinking about me whenever he could. It was way easier to ignore my crush when he was acting cold toward me, but now that he seemed to be taking an interest my heart pattered at the thought of him.

Why had he looked at me that way? Maybe this was what Kieran had just intimated about Oliver’s last assistant. Maybe this was how he played it. I was just one in a long line of women who worked for him who ended up falling for his charms.

I still couldn’t figure out what it was that had landed me the job. I didn’t have a whole lot of hands-on experience, especially not this high up in the business world. Could it be that I was hired as some sort of plaything for the boss?

If we’d met somewhere else, under different circumstances, I might sidle up to him at a bar. I could slink up to him, look him up and down, and feel that same jerk of attraction I had the first time we’d laid eyes on each other.

He’d buy me a drink, and I’d ask him about the stuff in his office. Maybe I’d sit, crossing my legs, letting him see just enough of my thighs to turn him on. I’d catch him glancing down at my legs, and then I’d glance at his crotch, just for a second, to see if there was a bulge there. If there was a bulge, if his cock was hard, then I’d know where I stood.

I’d lean across him for something, maybe for a napkin from the bar, and let my breasts brush against him.

He’d take a seat then, and dominate me with his eyes. He’d be undressing me in his mind and I’d let him do exactly that. How could I say no to a man like that? A man who knew what he wanted and knew how to get it.

I’d be like prey staring into the eyes of the predator. He’d know he had me and he’d toy with me for a while.

“Can I get you a drink?” he’d say. Or, “what say, you and me get out of here?”

I’d follow him anywhere. He’d take me out of the bar and into a cab, where immediately, he’d start taking liberties.

His hand would be on my thighs before I even realized what was happening. It would slide up, under my skirt, and reach all the way to my panties. My pussy would feel his hand through the thin fabric of my panties and I’d let out a small moan. And he’d kiss me.

That first kiss would be heaven. It would be ecstasy. He’d tease my lips open with his tongue and then explore every part of my mouth, gently rubbing my tongue with his. I’d feel his teeth with my tongue. I’d get reckless and give his lower lip a little bite.

He’d growl then, pulling me closer, and begin opening my blouse, even though the cab driver was sitting right there. I’d protest weakly, but secretly I’d be willing him to do more. I’d be willing him to go all the way, right in front of the cab driver.

Life is too short not to be naughty once in a while.

As my breasts fell out of my blouse, he’d cup them in his big hand, while his other hand reached up under my skirt and pulled my panties out of the way.

A long, thick finger would slide up into my pussy, which would be so wet for him by this point. I’d thrust toward him, forcing his finger deeper inside me, and as his kisses moved toward my breasts, as his mouth fell on my nipples and began to suck them, he’d bring me to the point of orgasm with his finger.

I’d glance forward to see if the cab driver was watching. He’d be trying not to. He’d be pretending his attention was on the road ahead.

I’d shut my eyes again, and let the pleasure of Oliver’s touch overwhelm me. The orgasm would be pure perfection. It would be the best orgasm of my life. I’d muffle my scream in Oliver’s hair as his finger continued to work its magic, bringing me through wave after wave of orgasmic ecstasy.

“Oh, Oliver,” I’d moan.

“I’m just getting started, baby,” he’d whisper, as the cab pulled up outside his elegant, fancy apartment building. The night would be pure bliss.

I sighed, forcing myself to return my attention to the work in front of me. He was tempting, and yes, the way he looked at me made me feel something open up deep inside me, but I couldn’t and wouldn’t let it get in the way of my work.

What kind of idiot would I be if I slept with him. Then I’d be forced to spend the next five and a half months working along side him and trying to pretend like nothing happened?

But at least we’d have done it. Maybe the only way to get him out of my system was to get him into it first.

I left work as early as I could and decided to walk most of the way home, getting off a few stops early and enjoying the cool evening air as I cleared my head. When I got back to the apartment, I found Katya flopped down on the couch watching TV after a busy shift.

“Oh, hey!” she greeted me perkily. “Good day at work?”

“Not bad.”

I shrugged and sat down to join her on the couch.

“What’s up?” she asked, nudging me with her leg. She could always tell when something was wrong.

“It’s been a weird-ass day.”

I shook my head, and she flipped over, turning the volume down on the TV, and giving me her full attention.

“Oh, yeah? Like how?” she asked.

“I had this conversation with someone I work with. Well, half a conversation.”

I tried to put the pieces of the day into words, hoping she would be able to make sense of what I couldn’t.

“With who? What did they say”

“This guy Kieran. He said something had happened with the last assistant,” I began. “I don’t know what it was, but it must have been a big deal because the guy was really surprised I hadn’t heard about it yet.”

“Really? What do you think it is? You think she fell out of a window or something?”

“No, it had to do with Oliver.” I said. “That much I know.”

“Oh?”

Katya raised her eyebrows, instantly interested. “What do you think it was? Was it bad?”

“I honestly have no idea, but it seemed like some serious gossip, whatever it was, and I’m not sure I want to know.”

“Oh, come on, you totally do,” she chided, propping her chin up in her hand. “What’s he been like with you? Any indication there?”

“He’s been fine.” I shrugged. “I mean, he was a little cool with me the first week, but he’s been pretty nice to be around since then.”

“How nice? Like, wants-to-get-in-your-pants nice?” she prompted, and I wrinkled my nose.

“I don’t know about that,” I said, dismissively. “Though we did have…”

I trailed off, and she bugged her eyes out as I came to a halt.

“Oh, come on, you can’t leave it there,” she complained. “What was it? What happened?”

“I was coming back through his office today, and we had this… moment.” I paused. “I don’t know how to describe it. He was just looking at me, and it felt kind of…”

“Hot?” she said and grinned widely. “I’ve seen those pictures of him, Mona. I know he’s hot.”

“I could just be reading into things.” I said dismissing the idea. “I don’t want to assume more than is actually happening.”

“Yeah, and hooking up with your boss isn’t the best way to go about advancing your career,” she said in agreement. “Still, you’re only there for, what was it, six months?”

“I’d like to be there longer than that,” I shot back.

“If you end up hating the job and want to get out, you should go for it.”

“Except for explaining to my next employer why I didn’t work there for longer,” I pointed out. “I don’t want “sex with the boss” on my permanent record.”

“What about this old assistant of his? Do you know anything about her?”

“Only that her name was Jeannie,” I replied, closing my eyes and pressing my head into the couch. “I don’t think I want to know anything more.”

“Well, I do, so keep your ear to the ground for me. I love gossip when it has nothing to do with me.”

“Me too, but maybe there’s a reason I don’t know yet,” I pointed out. “Maybe I’m not meant to know.”

“But the rest of the staff seem to,” she said cocking her head at me. “So why shouldn’t you? If you work there, you have as much right to know the gossip as anyone else does, especially if it concerns the person you’ve just replaced.”

“I guess you’re right.” I agreed, nodding. “I’ll see what I can find out.”

“Do that.”

Katya turned back to the TV.

“You want me to catch you up on this? Might take your mind off everything.”

“I think it’s important you do,” I agreed, and soon enough, we were both fully engrossed in the drama unfolding on the television.

I found my mind mercifully distracted from work, from whatever happened to Jeannie, and most importantly, from Oliver.

At least for now.

Chapter 4

Oliver

I was finally done for the week, and man, did it feel good.

Well, I was never really done for the week. My therapist had frequently insisted that I needed to find more time away from work to do the things I enjoyed. That was easier said than done. There was always one more meeting to attend, one more deal to broker, one more phone call to make.

But, tonight, I was determined to hang up my suit and tie and chill out for the evening. As soon as I got this paperwork filed.

It was just before six, and I had kept Mona longer than usual to help me get everything in place for a deal I was hoping to secure. I was really impressed with the products this new company had come up with and was super excited to have them on board.

With our marketing and status, we’d be able to turn their cool ideas into gold. At least, that’s how I’d pitched it to them. Now, I just had to deliver, but that could wait. I needed a little time away from the office. I would return on Monday rested and ready to run with it.

Maybe I would even leave town, visit one of my apartments out in the country, get some fresh air. I had been cooped up in the city for too long, and a little time away always did a lot to boost my productivity.

I went to the the liquor cabinet in the corner of my office and unlocked the doors. I reached in, pulled out a glass, and poured myself a generous few fingers of scotch. I downed a big gulp and let out a satisfied sigh. Turning and placing my hand against the window frame, I looked out over a city that was just beginning to come to life for the weekend, taxis streaking down the streets and lights flickering on in clubs was far as the eye could see.

Maybe I could stay in the city. I’d see what clubs were open, rent out some VIP booths, and relive some of that early-twenties experience I’d mostly missed out on because I was so busy running this place.

The door clicked open behind me and I turned, ready to defend the fact I was drinking scotch in the office. I relaxed when I saw it was Mona.

Her eyes went straight to the glass in my hand, and her eyebrows shot up, but she didn’t say a word. She would get far in this business. Being able to keep your mouth shut when you saw stuff you weren’t meant to see was a skill few people possessed.

“I’m celebrating landing the Holstone account.” I lifted the glass in her direction as though I was toasting her. “Don’t worry, I don’t make a habit of getting sloshed at the office.”

“I don’t care if you do.” she said with a smile, and I noticed she didn’t have her bag or coat.

The scotch settled into a warm haze in my head. I looked down at the drinks cabinet and saw the other glass sitting right there. Fuck it.

“You want a drink?” I suggested, and she hesitated for a moment before she responded.

My instinct was to jump in and take it back before she could turn me down, but I knew at once how desperate that would have made me look. There was nothing inappropriate about this, at least there didn’t need to be.

“Yeah, why not?”

She shrugged, glancing over at the cabinet and grinning.

“I’ve always wondered what you kept in that thing.”

“Well, now you know,” I remarked, pouring her a scotch and handing her a glass.

Our fingers touched for a fraction of a second as we made the exchange, and I felt a jolt of electricity run up the length of my arm and fizzle around my brain for a few seconds as she raised the glass to her lips. Okay, so maybe this wasn’t totally appropriate.

She took a sip and her face puckered at the bitter, burning taste.

“I don’t usually drink scotch,” she admitted with a shy smile in my direction.

God, she had the most gorgeous smile. Her eyes lit up, and a dimple appeared on one cheek. I wanted to press my thumb into the hollow, to feel her soft skin beneath my fingers.

I looked away from her and returned my gaze out the window, keeping my cool as best I could.

“Well, you’ll have to get used to it,” I teased. “Everyone here drinks scotch.”

“Really? I assumed it was a ‘whatever alcohol’s going’ kind of industry,” she replied, turning to lean on the other side of the window frame.

With nothing but our glasses between us, we were agonizingly close. I could reach out and brush my fingers through her hair if I wanted and all this pretending would be over.

“I should get the copies of the contracts for your files,” she said.

“Yeah, probably,” I agreed, and took another drink of my scotch.I didn’t want her to feel as though she had to keep hanging around if she had somewhere to be and things to do.

Her shoulders sagged a little, and I looked over to find her smiling out the window.

“What are you thinking about?” I asked before I could stop myself.

She looked over at me, apparently surprised by my interest.

“Just how glad I am to be here,” she responded, lifting the glass to her lips and looking at me over the top of it. Her eyes were big and a pale gray that popped against her olive skin.

“Yeah?” I leaned forward a little, in an attempt to hide the boner forming in my pants. “You’re enjoying your first month, then?”

“It’s been fun,” she said. “What about you? You enjoying your thousandth month?”

“It’s been a better one than most.”

I smiled at her, my eyes flickering obviously, up and down her body.

Jesus, could I switch it off for just one second?

“Glad to hear it.”

She leaned over to clink her glass against mine.

“To many more good ones.”

We both paused to take a sip, and the tension in the room was palpable. I knew that acting on impulses would only end badly. Mixing drink with the obvious sexual tension between us would cause fireworks of the worst kind, but I couldn’t stop myself. I didn’t want to.

Mona was easy to be around, easier than most of the people who worked in this damn office, and I wasn’t about toggle up a chance to spend a little more time with her.

“What are you doing to celebrate?” she asked.

“I don’t know yet,” I admitted. “I was thinking of going out of town for the weekend, but I haven’t had a proper night out in the city in a while.”

“You still go out? Like, clubbing and stuff?”

She cocked her head at me and I snorted with laughter.

“I hate to break it to you, but lots of people are still going out at my age.”

I raised an eyebrow and turned to look in her direction.

“I guess I don’t go out enough to notice them,” she shot back. “I haven’t been out here. At least, not yet.”

“No?”

“No. I only moved here a few months ago, and I haven’t had the money to be going out until now.”

“Oh, so now that you’ve got the money, you’re going to be living it up every weekend?” I teased. “I can recommend some clubs if you’d like, from back in my day.”

“I thought you said your days of clubbing were over,” she pointed out. “Besides, I don’t really do clubs. I’m not really into that kind of thing.”

“Huh.” I cocked my head at her. “And here I was thinking all university students wanted nothing more than to go out on a Friday night and have fun.”

“Maybe when you went to university,” she said playfully. “But I was too busy getting internships and doing coursework to go out. I never really got a taste for it.”

“Yeah, that’s probably what I should have been doing at university,” I admitted.

“Doesn’t look like it held you back too much,” she pointed out, gesturing around the office.

“Cheers to that,” I replied, finishing off my drink and placing the glass back under the cabinet.

She lingered for a moment before finishing up her scotch. She watched as I made my way around the office putting things back into place – a cabinet drawer that had been left open, a desk trinket I had knocked over. I could feel her eyes on me, and it was getting to me, but I knew I couldn’t indulge myself.

“So, what are you up to this weekend, then? If you’re not going to hit up the clubs?”

I turned to her and was suddenly distinctly aware of the space between us. Not just the physical space, but the distance in age, in career, in the places we were at in our lives.

She was different from me, and we both knew it. Pursuing something with her would have been wrong, considering how far removed we were from each other. our age, our status, our experiences. At least, that’s what I kept telling myself, but somewhere in the back of my mind, a relentless urge reminded me just how much I wanted her.

Her lips were wet from the scotch and her eyes fixed on me as I waited for her to reply to my question.

“Oh, nothing,” she shrugged, swiping her tongue out over her lips in a gesture that forced me to avert my gaze. “Just hanging out with my roommate, catching up on some sleep. Not all of us have properties outside of town to visit when we want a break, tragically.”

“Maybe I’ll take you some time,” I joked, not realizing how flirtatious the words would sound coming out of my mouth.

Her eyes widened with surprise and I dived in to cover my ass.

“A company trip, of course,” I added quickly. “It’d be fun to get the whole office out of town for a while, see what would happen…”

“Yeah, I have a feeling that wouldn’t end well,” she replied, and the way her eyes darted down to my lips and then back to my eyes told me she wasn’t just talking about hypothetical HR violations.

“Where do you have your properties?” she continued, slipping straight from flirtatious to professional again. I was having a hard time trying to keep up.

“Oh, all over.” I shrugged. “California, Michigan, Hawaii…”

“Hawaii?” she squeaked. “I’ve never been there. Is it as amazing as it looks?”

“I’d like to tell you it isn’t, but yeah, it absolutely is.” I nodded with a sly grin. “It’s gorgeous out there, especially in the summer. I try to get out at least a couple of times a year.”

“If I had a place like that, I would never be in the office.” She sighed longingly. “I’ve always wanted to go.”

“I’ll have to lend you the keys, then,” I replied offhandedly. “I don’t use it that often.”

“You serious?”

She cocked her head and smiled at me in disbelief, and I shrugged.

“I don’t see why not,” I replied.

“I might just take you up on that,” she warned and drained the last of her drink.

She handed the glass back to me, and this time, when our fingers touched it was pretty deliberate. She paused for a moment and looked up at me as my hand briefly closed over hers. My heart flipped in my chest and my cock grew hard as our gazes met.

For the briefest second, I knew I could have leaned in, could have wrapped my arm around her waist and pulled her close, could have pressed my nose to her hair and inhaled the sweet, intoxicating scent of her shampoo and perfume all mixed up together. I could have done it, once and for all, and thrown all this bullshit posturing out the window.

I glanced down at her cleavage and imagined what her soft, supple breasts would feel like in my hands. What would those perfect, pert little nipples taste like in my mouth?

I looked at her lips. I tried to imagine her kneeling in front of me, opening that perfectly delicious mouth, and taking the full length of my firm cock between her lips. She’d slide her tongue along my shaft, making it throb with desire. She’d run her tongue around the tip, licking the underside, bringing me close to orgasm with a single flash of her eyes up at mine.

And I’d try not to spill myself into her mouth, I’d try to wait until we were fucking, but I wouldn’t be able to resist. Despite myself, I’d cum, right there, in her beautiful, delicious, delectable mouth.

But all at once, I withdrew my hand, and the moment was gone.

Mona averted her gaze to the ground, as though she’d felt it too.

“I should probably get those files sorted,” she mumbled and reached out to grab the manila folder on my desk containing the contracts I’d all but forgotten about over the course of our ten-minute conversation.

“Yeah, I don’t want to keep you,” I said, nodding, and she glanced up at me.

“Don’t worry,” she assured me. “I don’t spend time anywhere I don’t want to.”

With that, she leaned down to scoop up the files, tucked them under her arm, and departed to the elevator. I watched as she elegantly disappeared from my sight

So much for not letting her get under my skin, not getting carried away with my attraction. She was flirting back – I was sure of it.

This was getting awfully close to a repeat of what had happened with Jeannie. It was inappropriate and so exhilarating. What was wrong with me?

The thought of Jeannie’s name sent a jolt through my system. I hadn’t so much as allowed myself to think it since she’d left a few months before. I could still see her face, the accusatory look on her face when she walked out of here for good, the anger and hurt in her eyes as I had explained what had to happen.

I couldn’t let that happen again. Mona was different, but I’d be an asshole to allow anything even close to that to happen again. Yes, she was amazing, and yes, she was charming the hell out of me, but I could keep myself in check, and I was going to.

Straightening my back, I took a deep breath and sat back down at my desk. Leaving town for a couple of days would get her out of my head.

At least, I hoped it would.

Chapter 5

Mona

I hurried downstairs, shifting some documents from arm to arm as though it might keep my mind off what had just happened between Oliver and me.

What had I just told myself the day before? That I wasn’t going to let him get into my head. I wasn’t going to indulge my silly crush. I liked this job too much to jeopardize it.

The elevator whisked me downstairs where I was to drop off the contracts for filing.

The whiskey sloshed around my head. I didn’t drink heavy liquor, even at the best of times, and I had no idea why I had thought for a second drinking it with Oliver would be a good idea with no repercussions.

I had managed to get out of there before anything actually happened, but still, I felt stupid for staying in the first place. It was dangerous given my attraction to him. When our fingers had connected that second time, I saw the way he looked at me, and I wanted him just as badly as I knew he wanted me.

Being alone with him, booze flowing as we talked about travel and partying and… life, really, was exactly the kind of thing I would have told myself not to do if I were given the chance.

He was definitely flirting. I wasn’t imagining it. I could have sworn when he mentioned taking the staff away on a trip, he was only doing it to backtrack after having invited me, and me alone.

The elevator doors slid open, and I went to drop the files off, smiling distractedly and handing them over to the friendly woman behind the desk.

“Have a good evening,” she called after me a smirk on her face. She must have sensed my dizziness.

I wouldn’t have blamed her. My feet were barely touching the ground and it wasn’t just the drink. I needed to get home and clear my head.

Just then I realized with a sinking feeling I had left my coat and bag back in the office. Maybe I could just leave them there over the weekend. Maybe Katya was home already, and I wouldn't need my keys, my phone, or my credit cards for the next few days?

As if.

I turned with a sigh and went back to the elevator, stepping into the small, mirrored space and waiting for the doors to close.

I looked at my reflection and saw a tendril of hair had escaped from the tight ponytail I’d worn into work that morning. I looked flushed, flirtatious, and I knew I would have to pull myself together if I had a hope in hell of getting through another encounter with Oliver.

What we both needed was some time apart. He could leave the city and I could go home to the comfort of my apartment and watch Netflix until I was numb. I needed to remind myself that sex and love were two distractions that I didn’t need at this time in my life.

The doors slid open and I walked quietly down the corridor toward his office, I paused for a moment to read his name on the door. The letters danced in front of me, and I took a deep breath to remind myself the man I was crushing on was Oliver Paulson.

The genius, successful playboy who probably saw me as nothing more than a pleasant way to pass the time. The chances of him actually flirting with me for anything more than a bit of fun were so slim as to be almost laughable.

I’d go in, get my shit, and then get out. Then I’d head home and see if there were any beers in the fridge. I needed something to take the edge off.

I opened the door and found Oliver wrapped in a large jacket, a gorgeously soft, expensive number that made him look both powerful and relaxed at the same time. My heart dropped to my feet and bounced back up again, making me feel as though I needed to lean on the wall just to stay upright.

Fuck he was dreamy.

I looked up at him, my mouth parting slightly, and he met my gaze at once.

“Mona,” he murmured, and I realized he thought I had come back for another reason entirely.

I bit my lip. I wanted him. Man, did I want him. I found myself moving toward him, my back arching almost of its own accord as I closed the distance between us. He was wearing leather gloves, and I longed to feel them on my skin, trailing along my bare back, slipping between my legs.

“My bag,” I finally spoke, and the spell was broken. He stopped a few feet from me, and my entire body relaxed. I hadn’t even realized I’d been so tense, but as soon as he paused, I released a long, deep breath.

“Of course,” he gestured to the door of my office. “Go ahead. I’m off. I’ll see you Monday.”

“I’ll see you then,” I echoed him and dashed into my office before I could do anything else to embarrass myself.

As soon as my door clicked behind me, I placed my hands on my desk and leaned over, breathing heavily, my heart slamming against my chest so hard, I was surprised it wasn’t shaking the foundations of the building.

I was so close to having broken my own rules. I wanted him so badly to want me, needed him to touch me, and if he’d made a move, I knew I wouldn’t have been able to stop myself from going along with it.

The thought of what those leather gloves would feel like on my skin made me so hot. My face felt flushed.

I grabbed my stuff and waited a few minutes allowing him time to leave the building before following him downstairs. The last thing I needed was to be stuck in the elevator with him on the way down.

As soon as I was confident he was out, I hurried out of the office, trying not to look at his chair, as though I might manifest him there simply by wanting it hard enough. A minute later, I was out of the building, and the cool, evening air was enough to remind me that I had just managed to avoid something very stupid.

I couldn’t imagine what Monday morning would have been like if we’d hooked up. Would he have taken me with him, spent the weekend romancing me? Or would he have fucked me right there and found a reason to get rid of me so he didn’t have to bother with me once he’d had his fun?

Honestly, at that point, I’d have taken either/or, just for some kind of relief. Jesus, if I was thinking this way now, then how was I going to get through the next five months? What was I meant to do? Just crush down this desire, a desire that felt as though it might overwhelm me at any moment? Or could I embrace it, indulge my crush, enjoy our flirtations, and hope that whatever happened between us wouldn’t affect my career?

I wanted to jump into the future and ask myself whether or not it would affect my life in any major way, and if I would regret not going for it.

I made it home in a daze, and by the time I got back to the apartment, intense desire that had taken over when I was in Oliver’s presence.

I made my way up to my room and threw myself face-down on the bed. Maybe I needed a good lay? Katya was always telling me I should go on dating sites already, and maybe she was right. Maybe I wouldn’t find myself so utterly overwhelmed with desire if I was getting some elsewhere.

But I didn’t want anyone but him. That was the problem. Oliver was my ideal guy – successful, intelligent, charming, and with a business he had nurtured from the ground up. Talking to him today, it was clear he had managed to keep his feet on the ground in the process. He was the perfect man. And I couldn’t go near him.

I raked my fingers through my hair and sighed dramatically.

Then, I reached into the drawer next to my bed and pulled out my vibrator. I was going to need some kind of relief if I was going to get through the next six months, and this was the only thing that appealed to me right now. At least I could use this to my heart’s content and not worry about losing my job.

I imagined Oliver standing in the doorway of his office, wearing a perfectly tailored black suit and a sexy pair of leather gloves.

He’d beckon for me to come join him. I’d step inside the office and he’d shut the door behind me.

“Now,” he’d say, his voice confident and in control of the situation. “I order you to strip.”

“You order me?” I’d say, my heart pounding with excitement, my body beginning to anticipate the pleasure of his commanding presence.

I turned on the vibrator and touched it against the sensitive skin of my clit.

This was a silly fantasy, I know, but it was one I couldn’t help indulging in. Especially after all the time I’d been spending with Oliver. I wanted to be dominated. I wanted to be bossed by him and commanded.

I’d take off every strip of clothing and let it drop sexily to the floor.

“Good girl,” he’d say. “Now, get on your knees.”

I’d do as I was told, and get to my knees. He’d guide my head toward his crotch with his gloved hands and I’d take my cue, opening the zipper of his suit pants.

His perfect, enormous cock would fall out of his pants and I’d be face to face with it. I’d blow on it gently and look up at him, teasingly.

His cock would grow and stiffen, reaching the full extent of his erection. Which would be enormous. So big I’d be apprehensive about putting it inside my delicate body, but also desperate to find out what it would feel like.

I’d run my tongue around the head of his cock, making him throb and sigh, his pleasure increasing with each and every flick of my soft, wet, tongue. I’d let him slide into my warm mouth, just to give him a foretaste of what my pussy would feel like.

I’d suck on the head of his cock, and then let it slide all the way to the back of my throat.

“Oh god,” he’d moan.

Then he’d pull me up abruptly and turn me around, pressing me naked up against his desk. His body would be against my back, his cock pressing against my butt, and he’d push me down so that I was bending over the desk.

“Very good,” he’d say, his leather gloved hands holding my thighs in place as he slid his cock up toward the lips of my pussy.

He’d have perfect access, bending me over the desk as he was, and he’d press the tip of his cock gently against my pussy lips. I’d spread my legs, opening myself for him, and when he slid all the way inside me, right to the very core of my being, I’d gasp in pleasure and delight.

“Oh, boss,” I’d moan.

I’d feel every inch of him inside me, throbbing and pulsing with the pulse of his heartbeat. He’d be so far inside me, so deep, deeper than I’d ever imagined it was possible for a man to be.

At this point, I stretched my fingers as far into my pussy as I could reach.

I imagined it was Oliver.

I wanted him to cum inside me. I imagined his cock throbbing with the pleasure of his pre-orgasm. He’d grab my hips tighter in his gloved hands, and press up tight against me.

“Yes,” he’d cry, and as the first explosion of his orgasm spilled into my body, I’d cry out his name.

He’d cum inside me over and over, and as I felt the force of his cum pouring into me, I’d be brought over the edge too. I’d have such a powerful, amazing orgasm that it would almost make me faint!

Afterwards, he’d turn me around and pull me up to him, kissing me so passionately on the lips that I’d be dizzy with delight.

My mind came back to the present as my orgasm subsided. My trusty vibrator had done its job!

I turned it off and went to the bathroom to clean up before falling into a deep and satisfied sleep.

Chapter 6

Oliver

I needed a distraction and not the kind I’d been relying on for the last couple of days. The weekend I’d taken away had only served to underline the fact I wanted Mona so desperately, it was going to take more than just getting out of the city to get her out of my head.

I needed something intense and business related. Some work I could bury myself in. Something that would require my undivided attention.

I had gone to my apartment out in the countryside, not too far from the city, but far enough to take me away from the office and remind me there was, indeed, a world outside of work. I fished, hiked, worked out, drank scotch, and enjoyed my time off. But I couldn’t successfully eliminate the memory of what had transpired with Mona in the office on Friday evening.

When she walked back in the door, I was relieved because, for a second, it seemed as though she felt it too. She too was aware of the intense, unmistakable, undeniable electricity between us, and she had come back to consummate those feelings.

When I took that step toward her, I saw her react to my movement. Her lips had opened, her cheeks had flushed, and she had matched my actions, moving toward me at the same time. If she hadn’t blurted out that she had come for her bag, I was prepared to throw her down on the desk and fuck her right there and then.

I’d left at once, driving a little too fast in an attempt to burn off excess tension and sexual energy, and arrived in record time to the country house.

As I went about my weekend, I couldn’t help but imagine her joining me in everything I did. I wondered if she’d gone fishing before, where she grew up, if she considered herself more of a country girl or a city one.

I wanted to know her, to really know her. Then again, maybe it was just my libido getting confused and making me think I actually had feelings for this girl when all I wanted to do was fuck her. It wouldn’t have been the first time.

When I returned to the office, I knew it was time to focus on work. It would be hard to spend too long mooning over her if I were wrapped up in a challenging deal, and I had the perfect one in which to escape– the Masterson deal.

We had been courting Masterson and Co. for more than two years, and they were our white whale. They were a British company who had first reached out to Artemis Tech about promoting a product of theirs eighteen months ago. They were hugely successful in Britain, and I knew if we could secure them for the US, we’d be on to something lucrative.

I had been chipping away at them for months now, but still hadn’t managed to get them to commit. Now seemed the perfect time to finally get them on board. If anything were challenging enough to get my mind off Mona, it was securing Masterson.

I called Neil up to the office first thing in the morning to let him know what I was planning. He sat across from me as I laid out my game plan, and his eyebrows raised higher and higher with each new detail. When I was done, he paused for a moment and eyed me suspiciously.

“What is it?” I asked, shifting back and forth in my seat.

Neil knew me better than anyone, and I had the feeling he had seen straight through my plan.

“It seems like a lot of work,” he began slowly. “For something we don’t necessarily need at this time.”

“Are you saying I shouldn’t do it?” I asked, cocking my head at him, defensively.

He held his hands up.

“I didn’t say that,” he replied, calmly, “but I think you have to figure out why, exactly, you’re doing this.”

“To land the deal,” I shot back, firmly.

He looked at me for a moment, and I could tell he was considering whether or not it was worth it to call me out on my obvious lie.

“Is it about her?”

Neil jerked his head toward Mona’s office door.

Mona wasn’t in yet, and I had no idea how we were going to interact, given what happened on Friday. The thought made me nervous, and I hoped I could get out of the office by then.

“What do you mean?” I demanded, assuming if I went hard then he might back down and forget about it.

“I know she’s your type and that you don’t have a whole lot of restraint when it comes to the women who work for you,” he pointed out.

I could tell he was trying to be delicate despite the bluntness of his words.

“I don’t think of her like that,” I lied, swiftly, rolling my eyes and dismissing him. “I just want to land this deal, that’s all.”

“As long as that’s all that it is,” he warned. “We can’t afford a repeat of the Jeannie situation.”

“I know, I know,” I shot back, crabbily.

He was right, but I didn’t want to admit it. Everything that happened with Jeannie had been pretty fucking unpleasant, and I had no desire to relive something like that again.

“You sure? We can find someone else. Move her to another part of the company. We don’t have to dissolve her contract. It’ll be fine.”

“No, no,” I shook my head. “I’m not interested in her like that. And besides, she’s a good assistant. I don’t want anyone else working for me right now.”

“Whatever you say.”

Neil nodded in agreement, rising to his feet.

That was the thing about Neil. At the end of the day, he did trust me. He would put everything in place to cover our bases if things didn’t go to plan, but he did trust me, and I appreciated that more than he knew. I just had to earn his trust now, with the Mona thing, one way or another.

“Good luck with Masterson, and keep me updated,” he said over his shoulder as he went for the door.

“Of course,” I agreed and watched him leave.

I hated that everyone knew about what happened with Jeannie and me, but that’s how it worked in a building like this. I should have kept it in my pants if I didn’t want a scandal. I wondered if Mona knew about all that yet. I’d be surprised if someone hadn’t told her, but then, maybe they at least had the good sense not to scare her off so early in the game.

I ducked out early to go down to resources and pick up the files on all the interactions we’d had with Masterson over the last year and a half. I could have sent Mona to do it, but I wanted to put off seeing her for as long as was humanly possible. Even with my new found resolve, I wanted to avoid any uncomfortable situations.

If she walked into our office and told me she wanted me right then and there, I knew all thoughts of this new deal would go straight out of my head, and I would be completely unable to resist her.

I collected everything we had and went back upstairs. Mona’s office door was open just a crack. I took a deep breath and stepped inside, making sure she could hear me come in so I wouldn’t have to directly alert her to my arrival.

She stuck her head out a moment later. Her hair was down around her shoulders, thick and wavy, and all I wanted was to rake my fingers through it as I kissed her hungrily.

Damn it! So much for resolve..

“Good morning,” she said shyly and nodding, her cheeks flushed. “Good weekend?”

“Yes, thanks,” I replied. Better if you had been there.“Could you clear my schedule of anything not totally vital for the next few days? I want to focus on something new, and I’m going to need all the time I can get.”

“Of course,” she replied smoothly, her tone impenetrable. “What are you working on?”

“A new deal,” I replied, vaguely. “Well, an old one, but this time I’m going to make it happen.”

“Sounds interesting,” she said, grinning. “Let me know if there’s anything else I can do to help.”

“I will.”

I nodded as she ducked back inside her office. I found my heart was thumping in my chest, almost dangerously fast for a man of my age. Jesus, I would need to work a little harder if just one mild conversation with her was enough to put me in this state.

I sat down at my desk and focused. I had to go over our full history with the Masterson group and figure out what approaches worked best with them. Soon enough, I had completely lost myself in my work and had forgotten about everything else, even Mona.

When I was confident in the best way to begin, I sent off an email and was surprised when I heard back within minutes from James Masterson himself, agreeing to speak with me later in the day.

The rest of the afternoon sped by as I focused on my work, and it wasn’t until Mona stuck her head back out of her office with a panicked look on her face that I so much as looked up from my desk.

“What’s up?” I asked, and a flash of amusement played on her face before she responded, as though what she had to say was pretty juicy.

“There are two women downstairs waiting for you,” she announced. “Tracy Clements and Kyra Tan?”

“Oh, fuck!”

I got to my feet.

“Didn’t you cancel all my appointments?”

“I did,” she said. “Or at least, I tried to. Seems like Ms. Tan didn’t get the message, and Ms. Clements is here of her own accord.”

“Fuck,” I muttered.

Tracy and I had split up months before. Hell, we had hardly been in a relationship to begin with. What was she doing here?

Kyra, I had planned to meet with around this time, but I was hoping to avoid that conversation. It was never fun cutting things off for good, even if I was pretty sure she knew it was for the best.

“What do you want me to do?” she asked.

I looked down at my papers. James was due to call any minute, so I couldn't go downstairs and give them the send off they both deserved.

I knew Kyra would be furious with me if she thought I’d been seeing Tracy at the same time I’d been dating her. This had every chance of turning into a giant cluster fuck, and it was the last thing I needed on this particular Monday afternoon.

“Stall them,” I said, getting to my feet. “If you can, get rid of them both, and make sure they don’t lay eyes on each other if at all possible.”

She lingered for a moment, regarding me with a playful smirk. I think she knew exactly what was going on, and she had every intention of jibing me for it.

I looked up at her expectantly, and she vanished back into the office for a moment before emerging with her jacket on.

“I’m on my way,” she assured me, and a few seconds later, she was off toward the elevator. I hoped she could find a way to keep my exes at bay, if only for the time being.

Chapter 7

Mona

Holy crap, how in the hell was I going to avert this crisis? My mind was racing as I hurried downstairs to intercept Kyra and Tracy, hoping to God all the while that they wouldn’t see each other.

Then again, if they were both dating him, which it seemed like they were, and if they weren’t connected to any of his business ventures, then maybe he did his best to keep them apart. It’s possible they had never even met.

I arrived at reception and laid eyes on both women. I could tell who they both were from a mile away, even though I’d never seen them before in my life.

One stood tall in smart business wear, looking like she’d just strolled out of an office of her own. She must have been Kyra because she looked completely calm, as though she belonged there.

The other was dressed expensively but casually, in sharp statement heels and a slouchy t-shirt that was obviously made to look less costly than it was.

I looked back and forth between them, pausing for a moment as I came up with a plan. Then I straightened my back, took a deep breath, and walked straight up to Kyra.

“Ms. Tan?” I greeted her, making sure my voice didn’t carry enough to alert the other woman.

She looked up at me and smiled politely, obviously pissed she’d been kept waiting.

“Yes, hello,” she nodded, reaching out to shake my hand and looking me up and down. “And you are…?”

“Mr. Paulson’s new assistant,” I replied with a respectful nod. “I called you earlier, but you must not have received my message. Unfortunately, he’s been pulled away last-minute and won’t be able to meet with you today.”

I saw the other woman looking over at the two of us, craning her neck as she tried to make out what I was saying. I deftly steered Kyra away from her and back toward the door. She reluctantly followed my lead, and I could tell she was put out.

“Typical Oliver,” she said and rolled her eyes. “You tell him to call my office and reschedule, okay? I’m not trying to fix this up again.”

“I’ll do that.” I bowed my head and peeked up as I watched her march angrily through the revolving door.

With a relieved sigh, I turned to the other woman. This one could prove to be more difficult, considering she’d turned up out of nowhere. Who knew what her business was with Oliver?

I beamed widely as I made my way across to her, but I could see her jaw was tense and tight as I got closer.

“Who was that woman?” she asked, nodding toward the doors as I extended my hand to her.

“A business partner of the company,” I replied smoothly. “She had to cancel an important meeting due to personal issues. What can I help you with?”

“I want to see Oliver,” she demanded, planting her hands on her hips and looking down at me. She was at least a full foot taller and and that coupled with her bitter attitude was a little intimidating.

“I’m afraid Mr. Paulson is out of the office today,” I responded with a polite smile, dropping my hand once I realized the chances of her actually taking it were slim. “Can I pass on a message for you?”

“Give him this.”

She fished around in her almost comically enormous purse and pressed a magazine firmly into my hand. I unfolded it, and it fell open to a page with a huge photo of her and Oliver engaged a tight embrace.

I glanced at the page and back up to her, realizing I’d seen her before. Tracy was a socialite, a regular in the back pages of magazines just like this one.

“I know he has contacts,” she said, tossing her hair over one shoulder. “I know he can take care of this. I don’t want to see any more pictures of the two of us anywhere, do you understand?”

“I’ll pass on the message,” I promised, nodding and managing a tight smile, more for show than in kindness.

“Thank you,” she sighed dramatically. Then, she turned on her heels and exited the lobby, her heels stabbing into the parquet tiling with every step.

I waited for her to vanish onto the street, and then turned to head back to the elevator. My heartbeat slowed. That was easier than I thought it would be. The receptionist shot me a look, and the two of us shared a knowing smile as I pushed the button to call the elevator.

It was over, thank goodness, and I was confident that I had dealt with it with grace and professionalism. They had both left the building, at least, and I managed to prevent any confrontation between the two of them. I felt like punching the air and cheering as the doors slid shut.

I looked at the magazine in my hand as I was whisked upstairs and shook my head at the photograph. It must have been taken a few months earlier. His hair was definitely longer and looked as it had when I’d been researching him before starting at Artemis.

They were holding hands, and he was holding his hand up to shield the glare of the cameras – in vain evidently.

Why was she so mad about this? What kind of relationship did they have? Did his exes and girlfriends make a habit of showing up at his work? I wasn’t sure I could take another encounter like that one.

When I got back to the office Oliver was pacing back and forth on the carpet, agitated. He turned as soon as I walked in.

“So, how did it go?” he asked, and I grinned at him, shaking my head in amusement at how desperate and nervous he was.

“It went fine,” I assured him. “I sent them each on their way before they could have a turn in with each other, so you’re good.”

“Thank God,” he said, shaking his head.

I could see the color slowly returning to his cheeks. I observed him for a moment and felt something flutter in my chest.

“When did you become such a playboy?” I teased lightly, knowing I was straying toward dangerous territory.

“Hardly.”

He rolled his eyes.

“Do you know what Tracy was here for?”

“Yeah.”

I held out the magazine.

“She wanted you to call the magazine and make sure they don’t publish any more pictures of the two of you together.”

He opened the magazine, looked at the photo, brow furrowed, and then rolled his eyes.

“How old are these photos, anyway?” he muttered, mostly to himself, and tossed it down on the table.

“I’ll get it sorted.”

“Good.”

I nodded and felt a little punch of excitement in my stomach as I realized the victory I’d pulled off.

“Is this something I’ll have to deal with often?” I asked as I made my way toward my own office. “Chasing off your girlfriends?”

“They’re not my girlfriends,” he replied firmly. The look he gave me unleashed butterflies in my stomach. He wanted to be very clear in that regard, it seemed.

“Whatever they are, shall I just set up barricades around the office?” I teased as I leaned in the doorway.

He grinned.

“It might be our safest bet,” he agreed, and suddenly, the sound of an incoming video call sprang to life on his laptop, drawing his attention away. “Sorry, I’ve got to take this…”

“Of course, go ahead.”

I ducked into my office and pulled the door shut behind me, an odd mix of emotions lingering in my chest.

I was feeling a lot of things. The first was triumph – I’d pulled off a delicate operation, and hopefully, Oliver would remember that when it came to keeping me on or giving me some kind of promotion.

But at the same time… those women. They’d been about as different from me as it was possible to be. Each of them was well-known in her admittedly very different field. They were impeccably groomed and incredibly gorgeous.

Their images were seared into my brain. These were the kind of women I’d seen in magazines, who people followed in social media. I was just a college graduate in her first real job. I was hardly a success. I had only a fraction of the looks, the charm, or the money to compete with either one of them. If that was his type, then I didn’t stand a chance.

I looked down at my nails, chipped and short, and clenched my fists to hide them. I was nothing more than a bit of fun to him, a harmless, office flirtation to pass the time until he could get out on the town with his fancy women again. How could I have thought for a second someone like him would go for someone as ordinary as me?

I forced myself to get back to work and tried like hell to ignore the sound of his voice drifting through from the other room. He sounded excited, almost childlike, as he chatted away, and I wondered who he was charming, and to what end.

I typed up a couple of emails, going as slowly as I could to avoid going and waited for the day to be over. I was disheartened by the encounter with his exes.

If indeed they were exes and not current girlfriends. I couldn’t help but wonder if they were actually current lovers and he was just determined to keep them a secret.

All I wanted was to go home, crack open a bottle of wine, and forget this whole day had ever happened.

Chapter 8

Oliver

It was late in the day, around four, and it seemed like everything I’d been working on had suddenly come to an abrupt stop.

I sighed and leaned back in my seat. I was pretty confident that my meeting with Masterson had gone well, even though I was a little flustered by the unexpected visits from Kyra and Tracy.

What were the chances that both of them would show up here at the same time? At least they hadn’t bumped into each other. I knew Kyra would tear me a new one if she thought I had hooked up with someone else at the same time as her, and Tracy was probably coked out of her mind anyway.

I was surprised Mona was able to get rid of them both so easily, and part of me wished I could have been there to witness it.

I looked at the photo that had dragged Tracy all the way across town. It had been taken at least four months before, in the brief period when she and I were actually spending time together. I was really only hanging out with her because of her connections, and sure, we had a little fun, but I was sure it was all behind me.

This photo wouldn’t exactly help my cause, and I didn’t want anyone I would be working with in the near future to come across it. I would call later. It wasn’t like they could un-print the magazine, anyway.

I tried to determine which night it had been taken. I sighed and turned the magazine over, not wanting to be reminded of my evenings with Tracy. She hadn’t been a good partner for me.

As for Kyra, the chemistry just wasn’t there. She was smart, beautiful, successful and charming, but we both came to the conclusion fairly early on that things weren’t going to progress between us. We had been on a handful of dates, and I had been avoiding actually putting an end to things. I was so bad at ending relationships. Such a coward.

I glanced over at the office door, the one that separated Mona from me. Was she the reason I felt the need to sever these two relationships for good? Because that would be crazy. Nothing could happen between us, and if it did, I knew the entire office, especially Neil, would come down on me.

It would be a pattern, the kind of behavior that could ruin my reputation in this business and I had worked too hard for too long to get to this point.

Still, a man could dream. I tipped my head back in my seat and looked at the ceiling. Images of Mona danced in my memory. Her smile, her laugh, her beautiful eyes, her quiet confidence. And of course those delicious round tits that hid just beneath her tasteful silk blouses. I wanted to rip those blouses right off her chest, tearing all the buttons loose, and then planting my lips on her pert little nipples. I’d suck so hard she’d cry out!

If I called her into the office right then, what would she do? She’d stand there obediently in the door, waiting for me to direct her one way or another. I’d look up at her, meet her gaze steadily, and she’d know at once what I was getting at and what I wanted from her.

She’d make her way over to me slowly, and I’d get to my feet and close the distance between us, snaking my arms around her waist and pulling her close against my body. She’d look up at me, her eyes suddenly widening as she realized that it was finally happening. Then, our lips would touch and nothing in the world would matter but the feeling of her body against mine, her skin next to my own.

I wouldn’t want to wait, sliding my hands down and lifting her off the ground before placing her carefully onto my desk. She’d wrap her legs around my waist, as if by instinct, and moan softly as I leaned in to kiss her once more. She’d just remember there were people in the offices around us, people who we didn’t want to know about our little encounter…

I’d grind against her, already growing hard, and slide my hands up her body to cup her tits. She’d pull open her shirt, grabbing my hand and placing it against her bare breast, and I’d pinch the nipple between my fingers, making her squeal with pleasure. I’d run my lips up her neck, biting lightly on her ear to hear that noise again, to coax it out of her.

“Fuck me,” she’d gasp, and as much as I’d want to take my time and ease into this as slowly as I could, I wouldn’t be able to turn her down now that she’d brought it up.

She’d be in that skirt of hers, the one that was just an inch or two too tight, and I’d push it up easily over her hips and yank down her panties in one swift motion. She’d already be soaking, her pussy glistening and tempting. In a flash, I’d be on my knees, inhaling the sweet fragrance of her juices. I’d put my lips on her glistening pussy and start making out with it as if I was kissing her mouth. I’d slide my tongue in and out of her pussy mouth, kissing her and stretching my tongue inside her as deep as it could go.

I’d move my lips up to her clit and suck on the tender folds of her skin, licking and making out with her clit until I heard her moaning in pleasure.

She’d tighten her thighs around my head and reach down and pull my face harder and tighter against her pussy.

I’d drink up every drop of her juices

Before letting her cum, I’d stop sucking and stand up to face her. I’d kiss her mouth, making sure she tasted herself on my lips.

The thought made my cock throb and almost explode inside my pants!

Then, I’d unbuckle my pants, taking my cock in my hand, and she’d moan softly as she parted her legs, throwing one leg up on my shoulder and shifting her hips up so I could push myself into her. I’d place myself against her slit and look her deep in the eyes as I thrust inside her in one swift motion, losing myself to the feeling of her warm, tight cunt around my cock.

“Oh my God,” she cry.

I’d thrust into her deeply, pushing myself as far into her pussy as I possibly could. The pleasure would almost overwhelm me.

As I push in, deeper and deeper, I feel the pleasure build up to the point of no return. My cock would grow and swell, stretching to fill her, and just then, right as I’m so deep inside her that nothing will ever be able to pull me out …

Knock, knock!

Suddenly, the door opened, and I was yanked straight from my horny fantasy back into real life. I opened my eyes and looked up to see Mona looking back at me, a curious expression on her face.

“Hey,” she greeted me, and she must have been able to tell there was something off about me. “Everything okay?”

I looked at her and then shut my eyes. I was cumming! I couldn’t stop it. The orgasm had started just as the fantasy reached it’s climax and now my cock was throbbing in my pants, spilling cum all over my boxer shorts.

“Yeah, I’m good,” I said feebly, trying to force the image of fucking her on my desk out of my head.

I was rock hard beneath my slacks, and my cum would be causing a stain very shortly. I shifted forward in my seat to hide the mess of my erection and cum from her.

“I was just going to head home,” she explained, gesturing to the door.

I have to admit she looked a little flushed herself, a few strands of hair falling loosely from the tight bun that sat atop her head. Had she been thinking of me next door? The thought didn’t do much to get rid of my erection, and I did my best to force it out of my head.

“Sure, sure,” I nodded. “See you tomorrow.”

She was so goddamned gorgeous. I could so vividly imagine those long legs wrapped around me, the way her thighs would cling to mine as I fucked her with every ounce of my desire.

I could feel my heart beating a little faster and my mouth growing dry as she lingered next to my desk, as though she didn’t want to go quite yet.

“Are you sure there’s nothing else I can do today?” she asked, cocking her head in the most absurdly appealing way. I shook my head.

“Really, you should go home,” I replied firmly, glancing down beneath the desk to see if my erection was visible through my pants. It totally was. Shit.

“I guess I’ll see you tomorrow then.”

She gave me one last, suspicious look, and then went for the door.

I let out a long breath I didn’t even know I’d been holding as soon as the door closed behind her, and finally my cock began to deflate below the desk. I needed to get home, get some sleep, and get that woman out of my head, once and for all.

It was proving to be very difficult. I just couldn’t shake my attraction to her, and every day, it seemed to grow more intense.

I did my best to cast my mind back to how things had started with Jeannie. I could only remember vaguely the details of that night, because it had been at the office Christmas party, and I had a few drinks in me.

I thought she was cute, and I knew I would never have turned her down if she came on to me, but I didn’t recall feeling anything remotely close to the intense desire I felt for Mona. It didn’t feel heavy on my chest then, I didn’t feel pressing. It felt like if I didn’t take care of it I might come apart at the seams.

This was something I felt for Mona alone, and I couldn't get out from under the weight of it.

I turned back to my computer. Even thinking about Jeannie made me feel as though I were violating some kind of contract I had with myself, one that I’d put in place to ensure nothing like that would ever happen again.

I slammed my laptop shut, and the cracking sound as plastic met plastic sent a satisfying burr through the room. I knew I was acting like an asshole, like an angry teenager, but I couldn’t help myself.

I wanted to scream, to hear it echo around me. This was as frustrated as I had ever been because I couldn’t have her. And I wasn’t used to giving up on something I wanted.

I stayed at the office late that evening, and I walked home with the streetlights glowing dimly above me. It was quiet in the business district at ten. Everyone had either already gone home or settled in to their offices with no intention of leaving before morning.

It was a cool night, a pleasant change from the overheated atmosphere of the office, and I found myself wondering what Mona was doing. Was she out somewhere enjoying the cool evening air like I was? Or was she curled up inside, maybe in front of the TV or her laptop, a glass of wine in hand?

It felt odd to spend so much time with someone and know so little about them. Maybe she was thinking about me. She was a young woman, the kind who probably had dozens of guys chasing after her. Why would she be interested in her decades-older boss.

I decided to go the long way home. I needed time to think, clear my head, and a walk could usually do the trick. I passed a small group of teenagers who couldn't have been older than fifteen, and they glanced up as I went by, shooting looks at each other in a panic. They didn’t have to worry about me selling them out, though. I didn’t have the energy for it tonight.

A dim, orange glow blanketed the city. Each building that lined the street cast its own unique light. Something about it was soothing to me, and I found myself matching the pace of my breath to the speed of my footsteps.

Each step spelled out her name. Mo-na, Mo-na, Mo-na. Jesus Christ, I had it bad for this girl. I couldn’t shake her.

What was it about her? What was it about her that had me so enchanted? Was it the way she looked? She was definitely hot, but it was something else. There were so many beautiful women in this city. I’d have to be crazy to think that I had fallen for Mona strictly because she looked good.

It wasn’t anything she did as part of her job. Maybe it was those flashes of deviancy, of playfulness she shot in my direction every so often. Like when she took the piss out of me for having Tracy and Kyra turn up at once, or when she teased me for working there for so long. That was what I liked. That was where my attraction sprang from.

Eventually, I reached my apartment building. I considered looping around and going again, but a tiredness had settled in and I needed to get some sleep if I was going to be on my game tomorrow.

I nodded to my doorman, who opened the gleaming, glass doors for me dutifully, apparently sensing that the last thing I needed was chit chat.

When I arrived in my apartment I walked straight to my bedroom. Peeling off my shoes, shirt, and tie, I dove into a quick shower and then fell into bed thoughts of Mona still taunting me.

Chapter 9

Mona

I yawned and pushed myself back from my desk, stretching broadly and releasing a tired groan. I had been getting up extra early since I started my job. I wanted to make a good impression by being first to arrive and preparing for each day before the others wandered in around nine, but I wasn’t used to it yet at all. I felt as though someone had peeled me straight from the sheets and deposited me at the desk before I’d even had time to fully open my eyes.

I was exhausted, but it was what Oliver needed from me right now. He was obsessed with landing this account he’d apparently been working on for ages.

I respected his hustle and I had to keep up. Even if I was wiping the sleep from my eyes three hours into the work day.

I could hear him talking on the phone to someone next door, and he was making a concentrated effort not to sound overly excited. He was closing in on the deal. I had picked up that much, but I had no idea how it would play out.

I felt like a voyeur, watching from the outside, and it was frustrating not having a good grasp of what was actually going down. I hated being out of the loop. I was used to being part of the action.

Still, the peace and quiet gave me a little time to get things organized and catch up on some much needed rest. As I went through a handful of new emails, my eyelids felt heavy and I caught myself zoning out a couple of times I had to stop myself from falling asleep at my desk.

I was typing away, sending out form responses to the few people I knew Oliver wouldn’t be interested in speaking to, when the phone rang.

“Hello, Oliver Paulson’s office.”

“Hello?”

A woman’s voice came through the line, and she sounded distressed.

“Can I help you?” I kept my tone as neutral as I could, but I shuffled in my seat a little, settling in. No doubt, this was one of Oliver’s women, ready to drop some drama straight into my lap.

“Is that Oliver’s assistant?” the woman asked, and I cocked my head to the side, intrigued.

“Yes, it is,” I confirmed. “Can I help you with something?”

“What’s your name?” she asked, and I furrowed my brow.

“Mona,” I responded. “My name is Mona.”

“Mona,” the woman repeated, as though she was affixing the name to her memory. “And you work for him? For Oliver?”

“Yes, I do,” I confirmed, I was beginning to doubt that this phone call had anything to do with business. Leaning back in my seat, I waited for the woman to continue.

“Don’t let him fool you,” she warned, her voice dropping slightly, and I felt a jolt run through me.

“What are you talking about?” I asked, sitting up in my chair.

“I know he’s charming, but you can’t let him fool you into thinking there’s actually something between you,” she went on, and it sounded as though she’d rehearsed what she was going to say to me.

“Who are you?” I demanded, but I already had a good idea.

“I’m his last assistant,” she snapped without a hint of amusement. “Jeannie. Haven’t you heard about me?”

My stomach dropped. I closed my eyes and swallowed, bracing myself for the rest of this unpleasant exchange.

“How did you get this number?” I asked, stupidly, then quickly corrected my question. “Why are you calling?”

“I wanted to warn you,” she replied, as though it should have been obvious. “I know what he’s like. I was there too, and when I found out he had hired a pretty, young girl to be his assistant.”

“How do you know he hired me?” I demanded.

“I still have friends there, Mona,” she reminded me, and I shivered, wondering if she had been keeping tabs on me the entire time.

I looked around, as though someone might be watching me at that very moment.

“And they told me that you’re exactly his type,” she went on. “I was, too, and after we hooked up-”

“You guys were sleeping together?” I interrupted. I guessed I had suspected that was what had happened between them, but that didn’t make it any easier to stomach.

“Of course we were,” she scoffed, and I was beginning to get irritated at the way she was speaking to me. “He was pretty much the best I’ve ever had. I got hooked on him.”

“Right.” I allowed her to my stomach turning somersaults inside me.

“After we had sex, everything changed,” she sighed sadly. “I knew it would, but I thought we could overcome it. God help me, I thought he actually wanted to be with me.”

“And he didn’t?”

“Well, I think you’d know about me if he did,” she shot back, sarcastically.

Why was I still on the phone with this woman? I could have hung up ages ago, but I didn’t want to. I had to hear what she had to say.

“And what happened?” I pressed.

I had no idea how long it would be until I’d get called away by something or someone else, and I felt like I had a right to know.

“They got rid of me, of course,” she went on, as though it should have been obvious. “Or else, you wouldn’t have my job, right?”

“Right, right,” I spoke carefully, suddenly aware that Jeannie might just be pissed that she had been fired and was hoping to sabotage my job here, as well.

“Don’t let him near you,” she warned. “Don’t let him seduce you. Don’t let yourself fall for him because all you’re going to end up with is an unemployment check and…”

She trailed off, falling quiet for a moment and then continued, “Memories,” she said at last. “No job, just memories. It’s not worth it. Trust me.”

“I’ll take that under advisement,” I replied, trying my best to appear neutral.

“Promise me,” she begged. “Please.”

I could have promised her nothing would happen between Oliver and I. They were just words, after all, and the chances of her ever finding out one way or another were slim, but I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t promise her. I wouldn’t.

I hung the phone up, my mind swirling and my heart pounding in my chest.

What did it say about me that I couldn’t just tell her nothing would happen? I knew why. It was because somewhere at the back of my brain, I knew I hoped it would.

Was I so desperate for a man that I would go against the advice of someone who knew from recent experience that it would be in my best interest to stay the hell away from him?

There was just something about Oliver. From the second I’d laid eyes on him I wanted him. I wanted him badly, and not just physically because if it were only that, I would have had no trouble getting him into my bed. I was not without my charms as they say. No, it was a hell of a lot more than that, and there was no denying it any longer.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, forcing myself to slow down. My thoughts were humming at record speed, so fast I was sure I might start levitating if I let them go on any longer.

Nothing had changed. It wasn’t like Oliver knew how I felt. Only Jeannie, a woman who had sat in this seat before me knew what I was feeling. She was the only person who could fully understand what it was like to be next to Oliver day in and day out, seduced by his charms.

Maybe I should take Jeannie’s advice. She ended up losing her job. It was so unfair. Did the company made a habit of canning anyone who got too close to the higher-ups? I had no clue, but it definitely happened with the last woman who occupied this office.

Things wouldn’t happen like that for me. I had to strengthen my resolve. I had to harden myself to his charms, to ignore those looks he gave me when he was sure I wasn’t looking. I had to make sure he knew nothing would ever happen between us.

It would have been simple but Jeannie’s phone call only served to pique my interest. I knew I was being reckless for even thinking it, but if there was any way to get me interested in a guy, it was to hear from his ex-lover that he was the best they’d ever had.

This woman had ruined her career to be with Oliver. What kind of genius in bed must he have been for her to have risked her career, and how could I not be thinking of all the tricks he could pull between the sheets?

I realized with a start that Oliver had finished his phone call next door. I had no idea how long ago he’d hung up, but I got to my feet at once, as though he was going to burst in the door and scold me for slacking.

To my surprise, I heard a knock. He didn’t normally come into my office, and I stumbled over my words for a second before I responded.

“Uh, come in,” I called, sounding a bit frazzled.

He opened the door and walked in, and there was an odd expression on his face, as though he had somehow been privy to the conversation I’d just received.

“Everything alright?” I asked, smiling.

I knew I looked flustered. I was reddening from the chest up, and I wrung my hands together in a way that probably looked neurotic to him.

“Yeah, sure,” he said, nodding and eyeing me curiously, as though trying to put his finger on what was off. “You okay?”

“Yeah, I am,” I assured him, taking my seat back behind my computer and looking up at him expectantly. “What can I do for you?”

“Could you push back the meeting I have with Neil ’til five thirty?” he asked. “I need a little more time to put my proposal together, and I don’t want to rush it.”

“Of course,” I replied, smoothly, checking his schedule and pulling up Neil’s email so I could let him know. “Anything else?”

“Were you just on the phone with someone?” he asked, cocking his head at me.

I froze. Would it be better if I told him? I brushed my hair from my face, buying time, as I tried to come up with an answer.

“Oh, yeah.” I replied. “My Mom, she was calling in to check on me.”

“Oh, okay, he said, shrugging, even though he looked at me with a cock-eyed glance that suggested he didn’t buy it for a second. “You sure you’re okay?”

“Yes, certain,” I replied as firmly as I could. “I’ll rearrange that meeting for you.”

“Thanks.”

He ducked out, and my shoulders softened with relief. Being in a room alone with Oliver was even more difficult knowing what I now knew.

I undid my hair and let it fall down over my shoulders. I massaged my scalp, as I attempted to force the thoughts of Oliver from my head.

I just hoped that he had more restraint than I did.

Chapter 10

Oliver

This last month had been one of the most productive I’d ever pulled off in the history of my career. I had my nose so close to the grindstone it was in danger of getting scraped. I practically had to be wrestled from my office at the end of each day so the cleaning service could get in and get their job done.

I knew it wasn’t good for me to work as hard as this, but the sweet smell of success was an intoxicating reason to go on. I’d forgotten how it felt to be challenged like this, to have to plan carefully and strategize every move I made to ensure that it was drawing me closer to landing the Masterson account once and for all.

They were a British company and, as such, they were somewhat old-fashioned. This was unusual for a tech firm, but I could work with it. I only had to tweak my attitude to make sure I wasn’t coming off too hard or “American” for their liking.

I would do anything to get them on board. I’d be looking at an expansion for the company that would take us from a solid, national brand into a dominating, international one.

Neil was right though when he said we didn’t need it right this second, but that didn’t mean I wasn’t going to try to chase it down if I could. Landing something like this now would be a big win any way you sliced it.

I also knew, with absolute certainty, that I couldn’t have come as far as I was now without Mona’s constant support both professionally and as a friend. I had never had an assistant even half as good as her, one who seemed to anticipate my every move and work around it to make sure I was getting the most I possibly could out of every single work day.

This was a woman who knew how to strategize, one who knew how to work hard, fast, and efficiently, and she was applying all that knowledge with great effect and with a confident and calming disposition.

She didn’t seem to mind coming in before the crack of dawn to cover the dozens of emails I’d have from my overseas correspondents. She didn’t bat an eye when I requested she stay late as I finished up calls from people across the world so she could organize my schedule for the next day. She had done an incredible job of making sure that no one got too ticked off at me for putting the rest of my life on hold to chase down this account.

I often heard her on the phone, talking calmly but firmly to whomever was on the other end of the line and laying out the facts for them in that professional but aggressive tone that let them know that she understood their concerns but wasn’t going to give in to them, not for anyone.

In fact, sometimes I found myself sitting there listening to her, glancing up at the ceiling and letting the smooth sound of her words wash over me like an incoming tide. It was so refreshing. Almost soothing.

She would accompany me to meetings now, too. Not all of them, but it was useful to have someone there with me who was a little less sleep-deprived, someone who could fill me in on details I might have missed in my overworked state. She was there to offer me the information I needed in a competent, confident tone. I could have listened to it all day.

Her contributions to the company were definitely not going unnoticed.

“How long has she worked here now?” Neil asked, jerking his head toward Mona’s office, which was currently empty as I’d long-since sent her home.

It was a Friday night, and though she’d offered to stay in as long as it took to get everything done, I’d practically chased her out with orders to get some rest and forget about office-related stuff for a few days. She had reluctantly left, making me promise to go home at a reasonable time that evening and not to spend the rest of the night refreshing my email to see if anything new had come in.

“I think a couple of months or so?” I said, doing the math in my head. “Why?”

“She’s…” Neil looked over at the office, as though she might walk out of it at any second. “She’s good, that’s all. Really good. I think she’s a major asset to the company.”

“Yeah, she’s a pro,” I agreed, fondly, feeling a small swell of pride, even though her being hired here had nothing to do with me. “I’m glad to have her around. Keeps me on track when I feel like I’m getting buried under it all.”

It had taken Neil a while to come around to the concept that I was going after the Masterson account, but in the last week, he finally agreed it seemed like the best course of action, especially when he saw how damned close I was to landing it for good.

I could see that glow in his eyes. He had started coming down to my office more regularly for updates on how things were progressing. He was as excited as I was, and I couldn’t say I blamed him. This could be huge for us if we pulled it off. Enormous.

“Yeah, you might need to slow down a little,” he remarked, but he he knew it was falling on deaf ears.

I didn’t play those kinds of games. I was either all in or all out, and right now, there was nothing he could have done to yank me from the roll I had found myself on.

“Good luck with that,” I said, grinning.

Neil paused for a moment before he spoke again. I could see the cogs turning in his brain as he thought about the best way to phrase whatever it was he needed to get out.

“What is it?” I demanded.

“You’re spending a lot of time with her,” he replied. “Nothing’s happening, is it?”

“No!” I exclaimed, a little too defensively.

He raised his eyebrows at me, and I rolled my eyes.

“Seriously, Neil,” I said again, this time making sure to keep my attitude in check, so he didn’t have any reason to doubt me. “I know how it looks to you, but nothing like that is happening with us. You really think she’d look twice at someone like me?”

“Yes,” he responded, bluntly, catching me off guard.

I took a deep breath and continued.

“I’m too busy right now to think about pursuing anything with anyone, let alone Mona,” I assured him. “Nothing’s happening, nothing’s going to, either. Is that good enough for you? She’s worked here for weeks now, and there hasn’t been a hint of anything. I don’t know what else I can do to convince you.”

“Okay.” Neil eyed me again, suspicious. “Whatever you say.”

“You want a drink?” I asked, changing the subject and turning to the small drinks table behind me. “I could sure use one.”

“Hell, yes,” he agreed, and soon enough, the two of us were shooting the shit about our time in college, all talk of Mona forgotten.

He left after one drink and a good hour of conversation, and I returned my attention to the screen in front of me, and paying no attention to the nagging, little voice at the back of my head that was telling me I should have left for home hours ago.

The conversation Neil and I had shared about Mona was still thrumming around my head, and I couldn’t shake the thought of her once again. That was why I had picked up this fucking account in the first place, to get my mind off her. I hadn’t accounted for the fact she was going to turn out to be one of the most painfully efficient assistants in the history of the company, and that meant spending even more time around her than usual.

How on Earth was I meant to keep my attraction to her on the down-low when I spent what felt like every minute of every day in her company?

I wanted her more than ever. The more she showed herself to be competent and controlled when it came to business, the bigger and stronger my attraction grew. We still exchanged those looks, those moments, those little dashes of desire that neither of us could verbalize. I was telling the truth when I said nothing had happened, but I wasn’t sure if I could honestly say that nothing ever would.

I made my way into her office, almost without realizing I was doing it. The place smelled lightly of her, and I felt a little creepy for even recognizing what her scent was. I couldn’t help it, though. It felt that, despite my best efforts, I’d absorbed this intimate knowledge of Mona – how she smelled, the way her eyes scrunched up when she smiled, and how she yawned while tilting backward so she could stretch her back that got sore working in that chair all day.

I brushed my hand across the back of that chair, imagining what if would be like if she were here. She would turn to look up at me and give me that bright, beautiful smile, maybe ask if there was something I needed or something she could do.

And maybe this time, instead of asking her to shift around a meeting or switch up a schedule, I would tell her the truth – that she was the only thing I needed, that all of this was only an attempt to distract myself from her and how utterly and completely perfect I was sure we’d be for each other if we just gave things a chance.

But I needed to hold myself back from this as best I could. Even if it hurt, even if every fiber of my being told me it was wrong for me to fight these feelings.

I walked out of her office, and without missing a beat, scooped up my coat and headed straight for the stairs. I didn’t want to be here anymore, not without her.

Jesus. I hoped she had a better grasp on her self-control than I did because things were bubbling over inside of me and I didn’t know how much longer I could hold off.

Chapter 11

Mona

When I arrived in the office that Monday morning, I was surprised to find it empty.

It wasn’t like Oliver to miss an early start like this. I glanced around, searching for clues that might indicate where he had gone. My eyes fell on his drinks cabinet, and I briefly considered diving in and pouring myself something, but it was so early in the day that I knew my body would reject any kind of alcohol – or, indeed, any liquid that wasn’t extremely high in caffeine.

I spotted a note on the table, scrawled out in messy handwriting that I recognized at once as Oliver’s. I looked closer.

‘Meeting – back at ten,’ the note read, and I wondered why he hadn’t just emailed me the information instead. He could be so old-fashioned in the most unexpected of ways. I found it kind of charming.

I made my way around the office, almost reverently, touching the small motorcycle trinket on his desk and enjoying the view out the window as the sun rose high above the city. The light was warm and soft, and I could have stood there all day soaking it in if I didn’t have a million other things to get on with.

I ran my hand absently over the back of his chair. It was tall, almost as tall as I was, and his jacket was slung haphazardly over the arm. I glanced around, hardly able to believe I was really about to do what had just crossed my mind.

Before I could stop myself, I leaned in, closed my eyes, and pressed my face against his jacket, inhaling deeply. The scent of his aftershave filled my senses, and I let out the tiniest moan. I pulled back, flushing, and looked around, as though someone might have caught me, but I was alone in the office, with a couple of hours still before he was due back.

I slipped into the seat, leaning my head back against the soft leather and closed my eyes. I ran my hands along the armrests, squeezing them softly, and watching as the imprint of my hand dented and released in the fabric. I tilted my head to the side so I could capture the scent of his jacket once more.

Mmm, he smelled so good. He was so far removed from the guys I knew in college, who always seemed to smell of Axe body spray and cheap beer. His aftershave was rich, fragrant, and deliciously tempting, the kind that made me want to bury my face against his neck and breathe him in like I could consume him whole if I tried hard enough.

I bit my lip as the thought crossed my mind. Maybe I’d even bare my teeth, let him feel them against his neck. I could imagine the laugh he’d let out at my mock ferociousness, the way he’d slip his hands around me and tug me away gently so he could look me in the eyes.

“So, you want to play rough, do you?” he’d say, and it would be as much a challenge as it was anything else.

I’d bite my lip and nod up at him coyly.

“Take off your panties,” he’d order.

My mind envisioned the two of us, me in front of the desk and him in this very seat behind it. As my mind played out this fantasy, I slipped my hand beneath my trousers, beneath my panties, and my fingers found my clit and set to work. It had been a while since I’d found the time to grant myself some relief.

I’d lean down seductively, taking my time, hooking my fingers around my panties and pulling them down my legs before delicately stepping out of them and looking back to him for orders.

He’d hold out his hand.

“Give them to me,” he’d order, calmly, and I would do as I was told at once, handing them over dutifully. He’d pluck them from between my fingers and lift them to his face, inhaling deeply and shooting me a wicked smile as he did so.

“Turn around, and touch your toes,” he’d demand.

By now I would be able to feel my clit pulsing to attention, demanding to be taken care of. I’d do as I was told at once. My skirt would ride up, and I’d hear the sound of the chair creaking beneath him as he leaned forward and took me in. He’d pause for a moment, and the room would be so quiet I could hear my heartbeat. Then, finally, he would speak again.

“Finger yourself,” he’d growl, his voice low and heated.

My desire-fuddled brain would take a second to work out what he meant, but as soon as I did, I would slip my hand between my legs and push two fingers into my soaking wet pussy.

Back in his office chair, I squirmed and ground my pussy against my fingers, breathing in the smell of his aftershave. It felt so close to being real that I could almost reach out and touch it, and it was making me almost crazy with desire.

I’d push my fingers in and out of my pussy, moving slowly, making like I’d forgotten he was even in the room and getting myself off as best I could. My body would be tense all over as I waited for his next order, but he’d take his time and make me wait, enjoying the show too much to intervene quite yet. Finally, he’d speak again.

“Turn to me. Put your hands on the desk.”

Again, I would eagerly comply, my fingers slick as I pressed my hands against the cool wood of the desk in front of me. I’d look at him for a moment and he’d look back, still sitting in that chair, his face somehow impassive, despite everything that was happening, while mine would have my need written all over it.

He’d meet my gaze, and he’d offer me the briefest smile, one that told me he knew how badly I needed this and that he wasn’t going to make me wait much longer.

He’d get to his feet and slowly walk around me, his gaze burning into me the whole time. I’d shift back and forth, desperate for some kind of release, and when he positioned himself behind me, I’d know it was coming at last.

“You look so good like this,” he would say.

Then, he’d run a hand over my bare ass, maybe landing a sharp, sore spank on my backside to make me jump a little. I’d groan, unable to articulate how badly I needed this. He’d unzip his pants, position himself at the entrance of my slit, and run his hand up my back to grasp my hair.

Tilting my head back with a small tug, he’d force me to look into his eyes, brushing his mouth temptingly across my throat as he did so.

“Ready?” he’d ask, and I’d only be able to nod.

That would be all the invitation he needed. He’d push into me with one hard thrust, burying himself inside my pussy and letting out a deep, guttural groan as he held himself there for a second, letting me get used to the feeling of his thick erection deep inside me.

My hands would tighten on the desk, legs already wobbly beneath me as he would begin to move, slowly at first.

“You feel so fucking good,” he’d say, tugging again at my hair, so he could murmur the words directly into my ear. The sensation would course through me veins.

His other hand would grasp my hip, holding me steady as he would really begin to move behind me, fucking me deep and hard. He wouldn’t take his time, having kept me waiting long enough at that point, and my mouth would drop open as he picked up the pace.

He’d reach around, push two fingers between my lips, order me to suck on them, then he’d tighten his grip on my hair, knowing that the mixture of pleasure and pain he was causing had me close to the edge.

He’d go harder, faster, his breath coming in short, sharp bursts and matching with every thrust as he would plow into me, our bodies connecting, and my chest would heave as I tried to keep up with him.

I let out a cry.

It pulled me back from my fantasy and to the real world once more. I was coming, hard, my pussy pulsing under my fingers, and my entire body crumpling in the office chair below me.

My breath was labored, and a small sheen of sweat covered my brow. I realized I had just made myself come thinking about my boss fucking me in the office we spent most of our days in together.

I couldn’t believe I’d let myself do it. After all that time telling myself it was wrong, and convincing myself I’d managed to put my crush behind me, I let this happen.

It felt like I was an addict, dipping into this potent drug I just couldn’t let go of. Every time I thought I’d shaken myself free, I found myself pulled back in.

I still panted hard, and my muscles felt loose as I tried my best to scold myself for having indulged my desire but I failed dismally. I knew it was a cliché, but how could something that felt so right be so wrong?

I stroked my clit a couple more times before I withdrew my hand from my panties – and to my horror, I heard someone making their way down the corridor toward me. There were footsteps. Footsteps I recognized.

Shit, it was Oliver!

I leaped from his chair as fast as I could, zipping my pants and slipping into my pocket the hand I’d used to masturbate, in the hopes he somehow wouldn’t pick up on what had just happened. I knew I was the color of beetroot, and I wracked my brains as fast as I could, trying to come up with a reason for why I was in his office when I should have been tucked away, working in mine.

The door opened. I straightened my shoulders and cleared my throat.

“I thought you weren’t going to be back until ten,” I blurted out, as soon as he came through the door.

He shot me an odd look, furrowing his brow and smiling slightly as he made his way toward his desk. I had to step out of the way to let him past and found myself inhaling that almost intoxicating scent of his aftershave once more.

“I just needed to pick up some papers,” he replied, rooting in his desk drawer for a moment and holding up a file.

“Oh, right,” I mumbled, looking down at my feet.

I couldn’t believe what I’d just done. What if he’d come back a few minutes earlier, when I was mid-orgasm and lost in a fantasy with my fingers down my pants. I’d have been fired on the spot, no question, and I would have deserved it. The thought of it was enough to make me cringe with embarrassment.

“Sorry to disturb you.”

He flashed me that flirtatious smile, the one that sent a shiver along my spine, and turned to head out the door. “I’ll be back in a couple of hours. Could you get back on all my messages for me?”

“Sure, of course.”

I nodded and waited for him to close the door tight behind him before I let my shoulders slump with relief. Holy shit, how the hell had I gotten away with that one?

I scurried down the corridor to the bathroom to wash my hands, looking at myself in the mirror as I did so. My cheeks were still flushed, and there would have been no way in hell he hadn’t noticed that there was something up with me.

Hopefully, I could pass it off as nothing more than fatigue and an early start if it came up again, but in the meantime, I would have to do a hell of a lot better job keeping my desires locked away while I was at work.

I tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear and made my way back down to my office. I needed to get back to work and get on top of everything I’d missed over the weekend. He’d told me to take some time off and relax, to come back refreshed on Monday, and here I was using up all my energy masturbating instead of replying to emails. What kind of assistant was I?

I slunk past the rows of people working in the offices not far from ours, as though all of them would know at a glance what I’d just done and were judging me harshly from where they sat. I finally arrived back in my office after what felt like the most protracted walk of shame endured by anyone ever, sat down at my desk, and stared blankly at the computer screen for a minute before I switched it on and set to work.

Chapter 12

Oliver

“I’m sorry, how soon?”

I held the phone to my ear and tried unsuccessfully to keep the incredulity out of my voice.

“By the end of the week, if you can make it,” the man on the other end of the line replied.

He was British, so I couldn’t tell if the calculated impassivity in his voice was a built-in feature or if he was actually trying his hardest to keep his temper with me.

“And that’s the only time they’ll meet with me?” I clarified.

This call had come out of nowhere, and I found myself desperately trying to make sense of what I was hearing – that the Masterson group would meet with me at the end of the week, and that it was the only time they had clear to meet face-to-face for the next six months. Six months!

“That’s correct, sir,” the man replied, coolly. “Can I pencil you in for this Thursday?”

“I’ll make it work,” I agreed before I had a chance to think about the implications of what I was saying.

“Excellent,” he replied, and I heard the tapping of computer keys at the other end of the line. “I’ll be in touch soon with the details. Thank you for your patience.”

He hung up the phone and left me standing in the middle of my office wondering what the hell had just happened, because it felt a lot like I’d agreed to fly out to the UK on a few days notice, just to get a chance at a meeting with the people I’d been trying to get on board for years.

I turned to look out the window. The view always helped to clear my head, to remind me of how small I was in comparison to the sprawling city below.

This was a power move, no doubt about it. A way to get me off my guard and have me scrambling to meet their needs. They were trying to figure out just how committed I was to the deal, and I had some heavy news for them – there was nothing they could do to put me off, no roadblock they could dump in my way that would make me feel anything other than more motivated to hunt them down and get them on our side.

I was going now, no doubt about it, and I felt a burst of excitement as I realized just how big a deal it was for us. I grabbed the phone and pulled up Neil’s number at once, tapping my foot impatiently as I waited for him to pick up.

“Hello?”

“Neil, it’s me,” I greeted him. “It’s about the Masterson account. They’ve asked me to fly out and meet with them.”

“Holy shit, you serious?”

“Yep.”

I nodded, running my hand over my head as though to keep my overflowing thoughts intact. “And they want me to go this week.”

“This week?” he spluttered. “Can you? Are you?”

“I think I have to,” I admitted. “I mean, I can’t afford to turn this down, can I?”

“No, you’re right, you can’t,” he agreed. “When exactly?”

“Thursday. That’s when they said they could meet with me,” I replied. “I’m going to book the flights, is that okay with you?”

“Flights? Who else is going?” he asked, sounding a little confused.

“Mona,” I replied, as though it should have been obvious, and there was a pause from his end. I knew at once what he was thinking.

“Oh, come on,” I sighed. “It’s not like that. You know how good she is with stuff like this.”

“You know if you sweep some girl off on a world tour on company money, I’m going to rip you a new one,” he remarked, almost offhand.

I pressed my lips together. I knew he had reason to think I was going to pull something like this. I knew he wasn’t pulling it out of his ass, but still, it was hard not to feel like this was some kind of personal attack, a comment on the kind of person I was, even if I knew he was just making sure I didn’t land us in more hot water.

“I’m not doing anything like that, Neil,” I assured him. “Please, I just want to get this meeting on lock. Can I get the go-ahead?”

“Of course,” he sighed. “I’ll make sure the finance department knows that this is work-related.”

“Thanks, man,” I said. “I’ll come by your office later, and we can go over the details, okay?”

“For sure,” he agreed, and I hung up.

I glanced over at Mona’s door. I guess I would have to ask her if she wanted to come, first. That would probably be the best course of action. I took a deep breath, made my way over to the door, and knocked.

She opened it, and I felt for a moment like I had turned up at her apartment and she was answering her door to me. She looked oddly chilled-out and calm like she had just come out of a long bath with a glass of wine.

“What’s up?” she asked, smiling up at me. God, but she had a sexy smile.

“Are you free this Thursday through Sunday?” I asked before I could think of how it would sound. Her eyes widened, and she opened her mouth, but I cut her off to clarify before she could say anything.

“It’s for a work trip,” I added quickly, adrenalin pumping hard in my veins. “I’ve been invited to fly out to the UK to meet with the Masterson group, and I’d like you to come with me. As my assistant, of course.”

“Of course,” she said in response, and I could almost see the gears in her brain turning as she tried to process the news.

“So, can you go? We need to book tickets as soon as possible,” I urged her and found my stomach twisting in knots.

I felt as though I was asking a crush out to prom all over again. Last time, I’d been rejected, but as she opened and closed her mouth trying to come up with an answer, I could see her face lighting up.

“For sure,” she said, and although she was trying to keep her voice professional, I could hear the excitement in there too. “For sure. I’d love to.”

“Great!” I said, and though I should have backed out to get the tickets booked already, I found myself lingering in the doorway a little longer.

“I’ve never been to the UK!” she exclaimed. “I’ve never even left the country.”

“Then you’ll need to get packing.”

I flashed her a smile and she smiled back. She was giddy and it was cute as hell.

“I’m going to,” she promised and stepped back into her office to get back to work.

I watched her for a moment and turned back to my desk. The reality of the situation finally began to settle in. I was going away with this woman. I mean, away, away. Far away from the office. Far away from our day-to-day lives. Far away from all of this, all of the taboo that had swirled around us from the moment she walked in the door.

I sat down at my desk, closed my eyes, and my mind filled with thoughts of Jeannie. The memory of her was a solid reminder that going after Mona, no matter what the circumstances, was only going to end badly. The details flooded my brain, the memory of her, everything that had happened washing over me like a bad dream.

After we had hooked up, things started going downhill. Well, not at first. At first, of course, it was fun. It wouldn’t have gotten so intense if it hadn’t been fun in the beginning.

For the first few weeks, maybe the first month, I was having a good time, and so was she. It was sexy, fun, deviant – the two of us sneaking into each other’s offices and hooking up whenever we got the chance. I enjoyed it, and I assumed she did, too. But I saw it as nothing more than the fling and I was sure she did too. Anything else would have been ridiculous. If it wasn’t fun, then what was it?

Well, as far as she was concerned, it was the beginning of a relationship. I can’t believe I was so blind that I didn't see it at the time. the way she looked at me, how she lingered late at the office to spend time with me. I thought she had just been angling for a promotion.

As we continued hooking up, though, I grew bored. That was the kind of asshole I was when it came to women. I got tired of them as quickly as they sparked my interest, and all being with her for a few weeks proved to me was that we were not a good match.

She was a little nervous, maybe even neurotic, and while that made for a good assistant, it didn’t interest me outside of work. I also assumed she was seeing other people because, well, why wouldn’t she have been?

We had just been hooking up, after all. I hadn’t slowed down at all in the dating other people thing. I dropped a couple hints to her, but she didn't seem to take them seriously. She thought I was joking and brushed them off like they were nothing until, that is, the big blowout.

As my assistant, she had an intimate knowledge of my schedule. When I planned a date with a model I’d been chatting with for several weeks, Jeannie blew her top. She came storming into my office clutching the printed-out email in her hand.

“What the fuck is this?” she scoffed slamming it down on the desk in front of me, and I looked up at her, brow furrowed.

“I have a date?” I replied, confused.

She was furious, her cheeks flushed red with rage as she gulped in deeps breaths to try and calm herself.

“You have a date,” she repeated for clarity, and I nodded.

“What’s the problem?” I asked gently, reaching out to touch her waist. She jerked away from me, looking down at me with such contempt, I actually felt my blood chill.

“But we’re together,” she shouted, and I widened my eyes at her in surprise.

I had to suppress a laugh. Not at her, but at the fact that she seriously thought there was something between the two of us beyond just fooling around.

“Jeannie, no.” I said softly, shaking my head. “I don’t want to be an ass, but this is just… it was just fun. I thought you knew that?”

“How can you say that?” she cried out and threw her hands in the air. “After everything we did, after everything you…?”

Her shoulders slumped and I felt a cold, creepy feeling sneak up my spine as I realized this problem wasn’t just going to go away.

Things unraveled from there. I knew it was going to be bad, but I didn't realize how bad until that day a week later when it all came to a head.

I assumed that we would just go on as normal. Sure, I knew things would, of course, be awkward for a while, but we had ended our sexual relationship, and she seemed to have accepted things.

I still caught her looking at me with these odd, wistful stares every once in a while, but it was nothing more than that.

I was out on the date with the model – I can’t even remember her name right now, because she never called me again after that night – at some fancy restaurant she’d insisted on taking me to, halfway across town.

I was tired, slightly bleary from work, and trying my best to turn on the charm, but I had been having an uneasy feeling at the back of my mind. Something was wrong. Then, I saw her.

She was standing outside the restaurant watching us, and as soon as our eyes connected, my stomach lurched with panic. The sounds around me became muffled. My date was halfway through a sentence that immediately vanished to nothing as it came out of her mouth. My jaw dropped, and to my horror, Jeannie went to the entrance and began to walk in.

“What’s going on?” the model asked nervously. She tried to follow my gaze but didn’t immediately spot Jeannie as she marched toward us. “You look like you just saw a ghost.”

“So, you actually went through with it?” Jeannie questioned me, gesturing angrily between the two of us. The model looked from her to me and back again, clearly confused.

“Who is this?” my date had asked, her voice clipped but polite, given the circumstances.

“Who is this?” Jeannie repeated in an aggressively mocking tone. “I’m his girlfriend, bitch.”

“No, you’re not,” I said firmly. I rose to my feet and looked around the room in an attempt to catch the attention of a staff member, but there was no one in sight. Maybe they had seen the bullshit that was about to unfold in front of them.

“Oliver, please,” Jeannie begged, desperately, and I took her arm lightly, steering her toward the exit, so I could get her the hell out of there. My date was ruined.

I got her out of the front door and on to the street, and she tried to reach up to put her arms around me. I pushed her away, placing my hands firmly on her shoulders to keep her at arm’s length.

Her face had sunk, and she finally understood. She looked up at me with her eyes as wide as I’d ever seen them. It was as though I’d delivered a blow straight to her chest, like I’d knocked the wind out of her.

“Don’t come in to the office on Monday,” I said, lowering my voice.

We were getting looks from people going by us on the street as her lip began to tremble, and I didn’t want any of them to overhear what our conversation was about.

“And I never want to hear from you again. This is over, do you hear me? It never even started.”

“Oliver, I love you,” she pleaded, but I cut her off before she could go any further.

I didn't want to hear it. It had been a long time since anyone had told me they loved me, and I had no idea how to react to the knowledge that Jeannie had felt that strongly about me. The last time I said it had been to my first, post-college girlfriend, and that was so long ago I was hardly able to remember it.

Since then, it was nothing but flings, one night stands, and fun, specifically designed to ensure that nobody would ever get too attached to me.

“No, you don’t,” I assured her, finding my voice again, as though I wanted everyone to hear it. “You don’t. You just think you do, and I need you to rid yourself of that delusion, sooner rather than later, and let me get on with my life.”

Tears streamed down her face, as though they had always been there waiting to be released, and her entire body collapsed against mine. I waved down a cab, not sure what else to do. I eased her into the back seat, and she slumped down against the leather. I closed the door and hoped to God it would be the last I ever saw of Jeannie.

She turned up at the office a few more times, but I hadn’t actually laid eyes on her, thank goodness. She kept coming, telling anyone who would listen what had happened between us and how I had forsaken and abandoned her when she had done nothing but care for me.

We had to get a restraining order against her, and it became official about three months ago, long enough now that I hadn’t seen her in what felt like forever. She never tried to violate the order, to my knowledge, and I had no interest in spending the rest of my life peering around every corner to make sure she wasn’t there. She was gone, and that was all that mattered.

I had no interest in seeing any of that go down again. I shuddered at the thought.

Still, it was a few days out of the country together, just Mona and me. No matter what, I had to remember the downsides to an affair with Mona, no matter how tempting she was, how gorgeous she looked, how much I wanted to wrap my arms around her, kiss her, and feel her tongue against mine. No matter how hot the thought of that was making me.

I reached for my laptop and went to book our tickets, banishing those thoughts from my mind. At least for now. While I still could.

Chapter 13

Mona

“I can’t believe we have a private jet,” I said, shaking my head as we approached the airport.

Oliver shrugged.

“Masterson insisted on it,” he said grinning in my direction. “And I’m not about to turn him down.”

I couldn’t believe this was actually happening. It had all gone down so fast. On Monday morning, Oliver was standing in my office with his eyebrows raised, asking if I wanted to come to Europe with him, and now, here we were, a few minutes away from getting on a ridiculously luxurious, private jet and flying out to London. To fucking London!

I crossed and uncrossed my legs and shot Oliver a look across the taxi. I knew this was just a business trip and that was all, but we were still spending the next four days alone together. Just us. How was that not exciting? Anything could happen, or at least, that’s what I kept telling myself.

We pulled up at the airport, and the driver who’d been sent to the office stepped out to open my door for me. I smiled at him appreciatively and wondered if people ever got used to taking this kind of treatment. I hoped I never did.

“Be my guest,” Oliver said as he gestured for me to ahead of him.

I could see a glint in his eye that gave away he was delighted to be able to give me this kind of experience. I made my way slowly toward the jet, putting one foot in front of the other, as though I expected the ground to vanish out from underneath me at any second. I couldn’t quite believe this was happening.

There was someone waiting for us at the bottom of the steps, a woman a little older than me. She beamed as I got closer, as though she couldn’t be more delighted to see me.

“Welcome,” she said, nodding and sweeping her hand up the steps. “I’m Gloria. I’ll be serving you today.”

She had a British accent, the kind you heard on stereotypical TV characters in British sitcoms, and I had to suppress an amused giggle.

I made my way up the steps and into the aircraft, gripping the handrail tightly to make sure the wind didn’t whip me out onto the runway.

It was warm inside, the lighting soft, and everything around me surely cost more than a month’s rent for my apartment. My mouth hung open as I looked around. This place was incredible. I had flown a couple of times before, but none of the aircraft I’d been on had looked anything close to this swanky.

The space was made up for maybe half a dozen people, at most, with a handful of luxurious, leather seats next to gleaming windows, and low tables that looked like they were plucked straight from an interior design magazine.

Another woman greeted me as I walked in, and handed me a glass of champagne. “Welcome, Mrs. Paulson,” she said and nodded with a professional smile.

“Oh, I’m not-” I tried to correct her, but she had already turned to greet Oliver, and I shrugged. Not that big a deal.

I made my way up the aisle and sat in one of the enormous seats near the back. Oliver joined me, planting himself directly opposite me and raising his glass.

“Mrs. Paulson.” he smirked, and I rolled my eyes, leaning over to clink my glass against his.

“What was that about?” I replied, taking a sip of my drink. God knows how expensive this champagne was, but it was damn good.

“I think the Masterson group are a pretty traditional company,” he explained. “They’d just assume that you were my partner, you know?”

“Should we tell them?” I asked, and he shrugged.

“Probably wouldn’t do any harm to let them keep thinking we’re married,” he replied. “If you wouldn’t mind.”

“If it helps you get the account.”

I grabbed the ring that usually lived on my index finger and switched it over to the ring finger of my left hand, waggling my fingers in front of my face to show him. “I do.”

“I’ve got to say, I’ve done pretty well for our honeymoon,” he said laughing as he gestured around, and I nodded.

“Yeah, this place is pretty amazing,” I admitted. “Not quite what I pictured for my honeymoon but…”

“Why, what did you have in mind?”

He grinned mischievously, and my stomach flipped. Here I was, talking about my fucking honeymoon with a guy I’d sworn I was going to keep things platonic with.

“I always liked the idea of a road trip,” I replied. “Go see both our families, explore. Just drive around and hang out.”

“I can’t imagine ever liking anyone enough to risk spending that much time with just the two of us on our own.”

He shook his head.

“No, I think I’d go out to Europe.”

“Just like this?” I asked.

“Maybe without the business meetings,” he admitted, “but yeah, something like this.”

“Sounds pretty perfect.” I cocked my head at him. “Though, you’d have to stop having your dates turn up at the office if you want to find a wife.”

“Oh, come on,” he protested playfully. “What kind of woman wouldn’t let me have my old dates hanging out at work all the time?”

“A much more understanding one than me.”

I raised my eyebrows at him and finished up my champagne. Almost without a pause, the hostess whisked my empty glass away and placed another one in my hand. I raised my eyebrows at her as she backed off, surprised at just how slick this entire operation was.

“You’ll be a great wife. You’re so organized. You’ll keep any guy on the right track.”

“I’m not going to marry anyone who needs to be kept on track,” I shot back.

“I don’t imagine you will, no,” he agreed, cocking his head. “Do you have a boyfriend?”

“No.” I said, shaking my head. “Not for a while. Not since high school.”

“Seriously?”

He sounded surprised.

“Why? You think I should have settled down by now?”

“No, it’s not that. I just, I don’t know, I assumed someone like you would have found someone by now. That’s all.”

“Just me and my roommate.” I shrugged.

The alcohol was loosening me up, and I knew it. I should have slowed down, but I was enjoying myself too much.

“No one in college?” he asked.

“No one worth mentioning,” I replied. “I was too busy studying to date.”

“Yeah, me neither,” he joked.

“I don’t even think I want to imagine you in college,” I teased.”

“Ha, I wasn’t that bad,” he protested. “I was busy, too. Didn’t get where I am today by dating too much.”

“So you’re catching up now?”

“Pretty much.” He nodded. “Feels that way.”

“That’s what I’ll do,” I replied with certainty. “When I’ve gotten to where I want to be in my career, I’ll start dating properly. I don’t have time for it now.”

“Where do you want to be in your career?” he asked, and I realized with a start what this felt like – a date. A first date. All the questions, the alcohol, the unfamiliar setting. It felt like we were testing the waters, getting to know each other for the first time. Which, well, maybe we were.

“I… I don’t know.” I looked down at my hands. “I’m only just out of college. I don’t know exactly where I want to be yet, but I know I want it to be good.”

“I’m certain you’ll get whatever it is you’re looking for,” he offered warmly, flashing me one of those devastatingly gorgeous smiles. I felt my heart flutter and averted my gaze down to my lap, forcing myself to take a deep breath.

I had a feeling this was going to be a long flight.

Chapter 14

Oliver

It was late by the time we arrived in the UK. The flight had taken hours, switching between time zones a few times, and I had no idea what hour it was.

Mona had fallen asleep on the plane, hand dangling over the edge of her seat as her breathing slowed and steadied. I watched her for a little while until I realized what I was doing and forced myself to look away. I didn’t want to be creepy.

When we arrived, Mona’s head snapped up and she looked around blearily.

“What time is it?” she asked.

“Local time, or our time?” I replied and gestured out the window. It was dark, and there was a light drizzle of rain.

“We should get to the hotel,” she yawned. “How far away is it?”

“I don’t know, but they’ll have sent a car for us.”

I stretched and got to my feet. I had spent the flight going over the details of the contract I was hoping to enter into with them, and I was way too excited to get any rest.

“Thank goodness.”

She brushed some sleep from her eyes and stood up, pressing her face to the window and cupping her hands around her eyes so she could get a better look out the glass. “I can’t believe we’re actually here.”

“We sure are,” I assured her, and the door to the cabin opened. “Come on, let’s get out of here. I need to get to the hotel and email Neil.”

We went outside and stepped into the car that was waiting for us. I held the door for Mona, but she was so tired, I wasn’t sure she even noticed.

She slumped into the back seat, her bag clutched on her lap, and her head hanging as we pulled away and made our way through the warm promise of the London night.

It wasn’t the first time I’d been to London. I’d come years ago when we first started making real money at the company, and I was determined to make the most of it while I still could. That was years ago, though, and the city had changed a lot since then. Even what little I could see out the dark windows, had changed big time, and I couldn’t wait for the meeting to be over with so I could enjoy myself a little and get a better look around.

I’d only have a day or two in town before I had to fly back out, but I intended to make the most of it, all the same.

We arrived at the hotel, and I reached over to wake Mona. She lifted her head, opened her eyes, and frowned at me, as though pissed she’d been dragged from her peaceful slumber.

“We’re here.” I nodded up at the hotel, and she peered out the window, raising her eyebrows.

“Holy cow, is this actually where we’re staying?”

She looked over at me as we climbed out of the vehicle. I nodded and shrugged.

“It’s pretty nice,” I agreed and it was an understatement.

The building towered over us, a twenties-style façade on the outside and an enormous entryway covered by a gold and red canopy that glowed in the light of the street.

Mona hooked her bag over her shoulder and we went inside.

“Good evening,” I said as I arrived at reception, which was manned by an immaculately well put together woman around the same age as me.

From the looks of this hotel, it was the kind of place that hired people when they were eighteen and trained them until they were experts at their jobs.

She offered me a tight smile in greeting as I leaned up on the counter.

“Paulson and Richards? We should have rooms booked with the Masterson account,” I explained as Mona yawned widely beside me, trying to cover her mouth with her hand.

“I have a room under Paulson here,” the woman replied. “But nothing under Richards.”

“What?”

“It’s a double room.”

She glanced over at Mona and caught a glimpse of the ring she’d jokingly moved to her wedding finger on the flight.

“For you and your wife?”

“No, we’re not-”

I shook my head, and looked over at Mona.

“Two beds?” Mona asked the receptionist, and she glanced down at the screen.

“Just one,” she replied.

Mona looked up at me.

“I need to get some sleep,” she murmured, her eyes bleary. “I don’t mind if you don’t.”

“Fine,” I replied, maybe a little too quickly. “Can we book in?”

“Of course.”

We quickly got our keys and climbed into the elevator to head up to our room. Mona swayed on her feet, obviously exhausted, and as soon as we got into the room, she dumped her bag, kicked off her shoes, and crawled into the enormous bed at the center. Then, she turned over and looked around the room.

“Holy hell, look at this place,” she said, pushing herself up on to her forearms to look around.

I had to admit, the place was stunning – luxurious in that understated way the British did so well. Lots of polished wood, heavy curtains, thick carpets, the kind of place that a couple might splurge on for a romantic weekend.

“I should have a shower,” she mumbled as she got to her feet, heading to the bathroom and grabbing her bag as she did so.

“I think I’m going to get some room service. You want something?” I asked.

I knew it was late and that I would have likely been better off just getting some sleep, but with the meeting late into the morning tomorrow, I knew I could take some time to relax and de-stress before I went to bed.

“Yes, I’d love that,” she called through. “Just get me something light.”

“Will do,” I replied, and grabbed my laptop out of my bag as she pulled the door shut behind her.

I reached for a room service menu as my computer booted up and called reception to order some salad and something sweet to celebrate the fact we were finally here.

I turned to work on my computer, to let Neil know we were here safely and ready to move forward. Before I knew it, there was a knock on the door to let me know my room service had arrived.

I got to my feet, made my way over to the door, and glanced over in the direction of the bathroom – freezing on the spot.

The door had swung open, and Mona hadn’t bothered to pull across the shower curtain. She had her back to me, but I could see more than I ever should have seen. She was washing her hair, arms up over her head, water cascading over her sexy, naked body as she absently hummed to herself.

My eyes widened, and I knew I should have looked away, but it was as if my eyes were pinned to her. And then, of course, she turned around.

“Shit,” I mumbled, slamming the door shut.

She caught me. There was no damn way she hadn’t seen me looking at her. I opened the room door, grabbed the food from the guy, and turned back into the room to dump it all on the bed.

My appetite had vanished. All I could think of was her in that shower, her looking back at me, her eyes wide and her mouth parted as the cool water teased her nipples to attention.

This was going to be a challenge.

Chapter 15

Mona

I climbed out of the shower slowly. Had he really seen me like this, totally naked? I hoped he didn’t think I left the door hanging open intentionally. I was sure I had closed it, but either I was wrong or it had swung open on its own.

My head spun as I dried myself and I quickly slipped into my pajamas. The fabric was thick flannel, cozy, and I was able to forget for a second that my boss had just seen me completely naked.

My stomach rumbled. I was starving, and I couldn’t stay in here forever. Placing my hand on the door handle, I felt as though I might explode with nervousness. I just needed to breeze by this. I was a professional, and nothing that happened would change that.

I opened the door and Oliver was waiting outside, standing at the opposite end of the room, as though placing as much distance between us as possible would somehow shield us from any more uncomfortable situations.

“The food’s here.”

He gestured to the food spread bountifully on the table in front of him. There were a couple of salads and a steaming plate of something.

As I approached, I caught a waft of sweet, heavenly cinnamon, and my mouth began to water. I tentatively approached him and realized that the lights around us were low, the soft glow softening his features and creating a romantic atmosphere.

I wanted to reach out and slip my arms around him, to let him know I didn’t mind him looking at me. In fact, I wanted more. But I knew that I had to remain professional. I was here because I had proven to be an invaluable part of the project and I couldn't jeopardize the deal when we were this close to signing the contract.

I took a seat, pulled one of the salads toward me and began to eat.

“What’s that?” I asked, pointing to the small ramekin in front of me. It was steaming, and the sweet, fruity scent was amazing.

“Apple crumble,” he replied as he took his seat opposite me and began to eat his own salad. “I had it in London before, and it’s really good. Just what we need on a night like tonight.”

“Sounds perfect,” I agreed.

We continued to eat in silence, and I wondered if we were going to acknowledge what had just happened. I certainly wasn’t going to be the one to bring it up.

“So, when’s the meeting tomorrow?”

I finally broke the silence, forcing the words out just to get rid of the awkwardness.

“Eleven, I think,” he replied, glancing at his watch and frowning. “I need to catch up to local time.”

“I’m surprised they didn’t put your watch forward on the plane,” I teased. “They had everything else covered.”

“Yeah, except getting the rooming arrangements right,” he grumbled. “I’m so sorry about this.”

“I mean, we did give them the impression that we were married,” I pointed out through a mouthful of food.

The salad was delicious, and I didn’t even want to think how much the meal in front of us cost.

“Good point,” he grinned. “I guess we should make the most of this place while we can, then.”

“Agreed.” I nodded, reaching for my dessert. “I suggest all room service, all the time.”

“Maybe we could swing dinner at the restaurant downstairs one night,” he suggested. “I read up on it, and it’s meant to be amazing.”

“As long as I get to eat fish and chips at least once while we are in London. I’ve heard it’s the best in the world.”

“I think it’s more a street food than the kind of thing you’d see served at a fancy restaurant,” he replied with a chuckle.

Things were beginning to feel normal again between us, the shower incident successfully blown over.

“Well, then, I’ll just have to roam the streets until I find some,” I replied loftily.

I took a bite of the dessert, and even though it was so hot it burned my mouth, my eyes practically rolled into the back of my head with pleasure.

“Mmm, that’s so good.”

I finished up and stacked the plates carefully on the cart and then wheeled it out into the hallway for housekeeping to take away.

“I should get some sleep,” I said through an exaggerated yawn.

Sliding into bed, I pulled the crisp, heavy comforter over me and closed my eyes. It was colder than I was used to here, and getting under the warm covers was really nice.

“I guess I’ll sleep on the couch, then?” Oliver remarked, and I realized what I’d just done.

Without meaning to, I’d more or less told him I was having the bed.

“I don’t mind,” I blurted out.

“Don’t mind…?”

“I don’t mind if you sleep in the bed with me,” I replied, eyes drifting shut. “I don’t want to get out, but you don’t have to sleep on the couch.”

I yawned again, and my eyes watered with sleepiness, but I felt a jolt of excitement dance through me as he sat down on the bed next to me.

“Are you sure?” he asked cautiously, and his voice was soft.

“I’m sure,” I promised. “Let’s get some sleep. Okay?.”

“Okay,” he agreed, and it was clear that either he was too tired to make a good case for why this might be a bad idea. Either that or he was just as happy as I was to be sleeping together in the same bed.

Yes, it was crossing the line, but I didn’t care. I wanted him near me, even if I couldn’t act on my feelings. It was a bittersweet torment.

He vanished into the bathroom, and I peeked one eye open when he returned to the bed. He was wearing nothing but a pair of pajama pants, and he was so hot I thought I might combust at the sight of him. I closed my eyes as he got closer, and smiled to myself as I felt him climb into bed next to me.

The bed dipped a little and he let out a small sigh, something between comfort and relief. I wanted to turn over, to look at him, and to let him know that if we were going to do this, there was no better time than now.

But I knew I shouldn’t. Not now. Not tonight.

Still, I could smell him, the aftershave that had driven me crazy only a few days before was filling my senses once again.

He was in bed with me. In bed with me! If anyone back at the office knew what was happening, they would have told me I was crazy. If his old assistant could see, she’d be furious. All I knew was I liked this. I could easily get used to it.

Even though I was exhausted when I climbed into bed just a few minutes earlier, I felt as though every muscle in my body had awakened the moment he laid down next to me.

We were so damn close to each other. I could just reached over and lay my hand across his chest.

I craved him. It was visceral, more powerful than any desire I’d had for anyone in my entire life. Maybe it was because I knew that I couldn’t have him that I was so obsessed. I was addicted to dancing around the edge of what was appropriate.

What would happen if we just went for it? Here, in London, so far from the scrutiny of the others at the office that we could almost pretend they didn’t exist. What was the worst that could happen? We could hook up, get it out of our systems, and then be done with it, once and for all.

Or… maybe it would blossom into something more. Maybe that chemistry that seemed to spark off of us at every turn would lift us through and carry us into a real and lasting relationship.

I couldn’t keep the smile off my face, at the thought of it. He could meet my family, my friends, and I could enter into his incredible world of success and reward. If I could just turn over now, just find the nerve to touch him…

I heard him snort and shift lightly, and I knew at once he was asleep. I let out a breath and wasn’t sure whether it was more disappointment or relief. Then, to my complete surprise, I felt him shift toward me in the bed.

Before I knew it, he was behind me, his arm snaking around my waist as he pulled me close. His breath was warm on the back of my neck, and his cock stirred against my ass. I stayed completely still, knowing that if I moved I would wake him up, and he would pull away and apologize for his transgression.

No, I would lie here for a little longer and let myself get lost in the comfort and excitement of his touch.

Chapter 16

Oliver

The sun peeked through the half-drawn curtains as I clung to the warm body next to mine. Mmm. Who was she? I couldn’t remember, and it didn’t matter. I pulled her closer, and she wriggled against me, her firm body tempting against mine.

I buried my nose in her hair and inhaled. She smelled familiar, but I couldn’t put my finger on who she was.

My hand traveled over her stomach and flattened against her skin as she hooked her legs back to intertwine them with mine. My cock was hard, and I could feel her tender little ass against my crotch. Was she too sleepy realize what was happening, or was she fully cognizant and enjoying my torment as I pressed against her?

I groaned softly, and she lifted her head. Suddenly and all at once, I remembered where I knew that scent from.

“Fuck,” I whispered, as I realized the enormous mistake I was about to make .

I rolled away from her on the bed, putting as much distance between us as I could, and she turned over. Thank God she was still asleep.

Gawd. I was grinding up on my unconscious secretary. Thank God she wasn’t awake enough to process it.

I forced myself to get up and out of bed. How could I ever have thought that sharing a bed with Mona could lead to anything but disaster? I should punch myself in the face for making such an irrational decision.

I was thinking with my dick, the image of her wet, naked body etched in my brain.

I moved quickly into the bathroom to shower, memories of Mona’s warm body against mine still fresh in my mind. My cock was rock hard in the shower, and I double-checked the door was locked before I wrapped my hand around it and grabbed it hard.

I wanted to cum while fantasizing about her deliciously sexy body, her beautiful face, her dazzling eyes. I knew if I didn’t, I’d be horny all day. I didn’t want to know how that might manifest itself, considering my defenses had already been weakened by the sight and sensation of her naked body next to mine.

What would have happened if I’d just kept going? Would she have stopped me? If she didn’t, would I? I would have liked to think that I had enough willpower to shut it down before it went too far, but I know myself well enough to know I wouldn't have have stopped if she was receptive to my advances.

I let my cock grow long and hard in my hand before I started to run my hand up and down along the length of it. I poured shampoo on my hand to act as a lubricant, and the silky smoothness of the shampoo felt so good. I slid my palm along the underside of my shaft, where it was most sensitive, and squeezed near the base. With my free hand, I reached down to my balls and gently massaged my sack.

With a clear picture of Mona’s perfect mouth in my mind, my cock exploded, sending jets of cum across the shower. I watched as my cum shot against the far wall of the shower.

God, I was so ready to fuck that woman!

I’d never had an orgasm so desperate and so powerful. My cum arced three feet in the air before hitting that far wall.

When I was fully dressed, I peered out around the door to see if she was up and found her with her back to the door pulling up the zip of her dress. She was breathtaking.

“Morning,” I greeted her, and she smiled at me nervously.

“Morning,” she replied. “What time’s the meeting?”

“I guess as soon as the car arrives here.” I shrugged. “I’m not sure how far away their offices are.”

“Sleep well?” she asked, changing the subject, and my stomach swirled.

I regarded her carefully. Was she referring to what happened in bed, or was it just an innocent question?

“Yeah, not bad.” I nodded, averting my gaze in case she could sense what was going on inside my head. “You?”

“Yeah, not bad,” she replied casually. “I kept waking in the night, though. Guess it must be the unfamiliar bed.”

“I’ll make sure they get the sleeping arrangements sorted by the time we get back tonight,” I promised, and she shrugged absently.

“No rush,” she replied, and then immediately flushed as she realized what she’d said. “I mean, not that I want to sleep with you. Share a bed with you, I mean.”

“I know, I know,” I assured her, grinning. I couldn’t help it. She was so damn cute.

She turned to the balcony, opening the doors and stepping outside. She shivered.

“It’s cold out here,” she gasped, just loud enough that I could hear, and then pulled the doors shut behind her, cutting herself off from me and the conversation we’d been having. My body relaxed at having survived the exchange.

My phone buzzed in my pocket. It was Neil calling me, not surprisingly. I lifted the phone to my ear.

“Hey, what’s going on?” I greeted him.

“Morning,” he said cheerily. “It’s still morning where you are, right?”

“Yeah, that’s right,” I said, knowing I sounded distracted and hoping to God Neil wouldn't pick up on it.

I should be so lucky. He knew me too well to skim past the uneasiness in my voice.

“What’s going on?” he asked, sounding suspicious. “Everything okay with you and Mona?”

“Yeah, it’s all fine,” I shot back, a little too defensively.

“I know you wouldn’t pull anything inappropriate.” Neil spoke slowly, as though making sure the words found their way deep into my head. “You know what the Masterson group are like, don’t you? If they find out you’re getting it on with your secretary…”

“I know what they’re like,” I replied tersely. “I’ve been the one working on this deal, remember?”

“Yeah, about that,” Neil said, “I got a call from their offices this morning. I’m not sure why, but they seemed to have it in their heads that it was me coming over to broker the deal, not you.”

“Okay.” I shrugged. “What difference does it make?”

“From what I could gather from the phone call, I don’t think they like all your publicity,” he replied bluntly. “You know, the kind you get from hooking up with a lot of different women.”

“Shit, really?”

“If you can, try and reference a wife or a fiancé back home. Give them the impression that your playboy lifestyle is behind you, alright?”

“I’ll do my best,” I agreed, massaging my temples. “Thanks for the heads-up.”

“No problem,” he replied, and then paused for a moment. “And Oliver?”

“Yeah?”

“You know the company can’t take it if you fuck Mona,” he said quietly, as though worried someone might overhear him.

“I know,” I shot back.

I knew he was right, that another scandal would be bad for us. I just had to hold that in my head, no matter how she tempting she looked standing out on that balcony.

“Good luck with it, by the way,” Neil finished up. “Not that I think you’ll need it.”

“Hell, no,” I agreed. “I’ve got this in the bag.”

“You better,” he teased. “Hey, I’ve got some stuff to take care of, but shoot me an email when you finish up, and let me know how it went, alright?”

“Will do,” I promised.

I wanted to make sense of everything he’d just said, but all I could do was stare at Mona. I would deal with the meeting later, and how to convince Masterson that I was a standup guy. In the meantime, I would pause and admire the woman who’d traveled halfway across the world with me to help me through it all.

If that wasn’t something to admire, I didn’t know what was.

Chapter 17

Mona

“So, what are you going to do about it?”

“I have no idea,” he admitted as he got ready to go out to dinner with the Masterson group. “I’ll come up with something. I’ll play it by ear, no big deal.”

“What did Neil tell you to do?” I asked, cocking my head and planting my hands on my hips.

I had to admit, this was a little funny, Oliver getting called out on his playboy ways by a company he was courting. I hadn’t realized how far that kind of news traveled, but then, I imagined a group as stringent as Masterson wouldn’t associate themselves with anyone who might jeopardize their impeccable reputation.

“He told me to make like I had a wife back home or something, but I don’t think they’d buy it,” he said. “I think they’d suspect I was playing them.”

“I’ll see if I can rustle you up a wife,” I joked. “Someone convincing.”

“They’re picking me up in ten minutes,” he said, glancing at his watch and frowning. “So you better be quick about it.”

“Do you think it would help?” I asked, positioning myself on the edge of the bed and crossing my legs. I glanced back at the covers and pillows and the memory of how natural it felt to wake up in his arms.

The hotel had organized another room for us, and I was doing my best to hide my disappointment every time I was reminded that I wouldn’t be sharing a bed with him for a second night.

“It wouldn’t hurt,” he shrugged.

Oliver looked incredibly handsome all dressed up to go out like that. He wore a dark gray suit with thin, white pinstripes, subtle but still undeniably there.

His hair was pushed back from his face, and he was freshly shaven, every bit the charming, successful businessman.

I had an idea of how he could handle his reputation with the Masterson people. I just had to get my nerve together to get the words out.

“I could come with you,” I blurted out.

He looked at me in the mirror, lifting his eyes as what I was suggesting dawned on him. I couldn’t believe I had just said that. I mean, we were talking about Oliver Paulson, here. God knew how many women he’d been with over the years, and here I was acting like he might consider taking me around on his arm and passing me off as his partner?

My heart flipped with excitement at the thought, and I did my best to ignore it. This was only business after all. At least, that’s what I kept telling myself.

“As my wife?” he asked to clarify.

“As your fiancee,” I suggested. “That way, if they ask about it again in the future, you can just say we called off the wedding.”

“Are you serious?”

He raised his eyebrows, a grin spreading across his face as he observed me with amusement.

“Feels like the premise of a sitcom episode.”

“Why not?” I shrugged, playing it cool but knowing my nervousness must have been visible on my face.

He was right, it did seem ridiculous, now that I thought of it. And that was the kind of thing that would have been in the news. If Masterson had been looking into Oliver’s private life, they would have heard about him getting engaged.

“I mean, it’d get all those tabloid stories out of their heads, wouldn’t it?”

“I guess you’re right,” he muttered, and I could see he was actually considering my idea. “You think you could do it? For the whole night? We’d need to get our story straight, make sure we were approaching it from the same angle and that we didn’t trip ourselves up in the details.”

“What, like I say we met at college and you say Neil introduced us, or something?” I teased. “I promise, I’ll keep my mouth shut. I won’t say anything that’s going to get in the way of the deal.”

“Sit still and look pretty?” he said, and he smiled at the thought. “Doesn’t seem like something you’d be good at.”

“I can pull it off for one night,” I assured him and I felt a little flutter at the knowledge that was how he saw me. Not as some ornament, but something more than that.

He paused for a moment, clearly considering the offer.

“You know, it might work.” he finally said, coming to terms with it. “It’s a crazy plan, but if we can pull it off, it might actually help land this deal, once and for all. I don’t want to fuck things up after we’ve come this far.”

“We should do this?” I asked, the uncertainty rife in my voice.

He looked up at me, his eyebrows raised.

“I need you confident,” he teased. “You’ll need to be the one to keep me grounded.”

“I’ll do my best.”

I grabbed my bag and ducked into the bathroom.

“Let me change – I’ll be out in five minutes.”

“Make it quick,” he ordered.

I closed the door behind me and looked at myself in the mirror. I couldn’t believe this was happening. I was going out tonight, sitting in on the Masterson meeting – one of the biggest meetings in Artemis’ history. It would be a huge boost for my career if I weren't going along as Oliver’s fiancée.

Oliver needed me to be elegant and charming tonight but also loyal and domestic. A perfect partner. My career could wait.

My stomach flipped back and forth at the thought of what I was about to do. How far would we go? Would we hold hands for show? Would he kiss me? Would he touch me, lay his hand on the small of my back to guide me through the restaurant?

The thought of it made my heart squirm, and I turned away from the mirror to unpack the dress I’d brought. It was a navy number, crisp and sleek – one of the first things I’d purchased when my very first pay check had come through.

I hadn’t thought to bring anything date appropriate, but hopefully, this would suffice. Not too sexy but not too old fashioned either.

I slid into the dress. It was just stylish enough to work with my hair down and my makeup done for evening. I slicked on some lipstick and fluffed my hair, raking my fingers through it so it fell down around my shoulders.

It would be the first time Oliver had really seen me in anything other than office wear. I hoped he would be pleased.

I rubbed a spot of dirt off my shoe, glanced at myself in the mirror one last time, and headed back out the door.

“They’re here,” Oliver announced as soon as he heard the bathroom door open. Then, he turned, and his eyes travelled up and down my body. “You look amazing…”

He trailed off, and the phone that sat on the table next to the bed sprang to life, making us both jump. I took a step toward him, as though silently prompting him to finish his sentence. My lips parted slightly and I looked up at him, not wanting the moment to end.

“Okay, I don’t think we can put them off any longer,” he said smiling and offered me his arm. “It’s show time.”

I stepped toward him and placed my hand on his outstretched arm. It felt good, natural, obvious, even. I wanted to lean my head against his shoulder and inhale the familiar scent of his aftershave, but I knew that would be going too far.

It seemed like the rest of the night was going to be an exercise in testing boundaries, of wondering if he was having the same feelings as I was, or if he was really just doing this to secure the account.

We stepped into the elevator and descended to the lobby. A driver stood waiting for us. He rolled his shoulders back as we approached and gestured to the door.

“We’re ready to go when you are,” he said.

Oliver and I exchanged mischievous looks and stepped outside into the lightly drizzling, London night.

I thought it was kind of odd, the way they were taking him out on the town to finalize the meeting, but maybe that was just the way things were done here. This was a way of getting to know Oliver the person and decide if he is a good fit for their company.

The car was fancy, just like everything else had been so far. We slid into the back seat, Oliver making room for me. I had to suppress the urge to giggle like a school girl.

“Hold yourself together,” Oliver said playfully, like the two of us were in a spy thriller, and the success of the mission relied on my ability to keep myself from bursting out laughing.

We sped through the city, and I peered outside at all the people getting ready to start their weekends. There were gangs of girls in short, bright dresses and heels, lifting their bags to shelter their hair, and guys in tight jeans clustering around the entrances of clubs, smoking cigarettes.

A few people tried to see in the window of our car as it edged by and I was proud to be there beside Oliver Paulson, his fiancee if only for one night.

We arrived at the restaurant, and Oliver helped me out of the car. His fingers grazed my waist and sent an flurry of tingles across my skin.

I had to fight the urge to lean into his touch, to silently beg for more, and then I realized I didn’t have to fight that urge. For tonight, I could go along with it. We were meant to do this. We needed to convince them that we were comfortable together. To sell the story I had convinced him to sell. I needed to lean into his touch as hard as I could.

Oliver looked down at me with softness in his eyes, and I smiled back, knowing we’d look like an adoring couple to anyone watching, and thoroughly enjoying the notion of it.

“Oliver Paulson?”

A voice came from beside us, and we turned to find a man a decade or so older than Oliver.

“Tom Masterson.” Oliver said, extending his hand to the man confidently. “Great to meet you.”

“You too,” the man said, smiling widely, and then his eyes moved over to me. “And this is?”

“This is Mona, my fiancée,” he replied, without even a hint of hesitation.

The words sounded so natural coming out of his mouth. It felt as though he’d been introducing me like that for years.

Tom extended his hand to me, and I shook it firmly but femininely.

“Nice to meet you,” I offered, bowing my head slightly in his direction. “I’ve heard so much about you.”

“Hilary and Nathan are waiting inside,” Tom said, motioning toward the restaurant. “Shall we?”

“Yes, please, lead the way.”

Oliver gestured for him to go ahead. We exchanged another playful look, and I could tell he was as surprised at how well things had gone so far.

The restaurant was one of those places that spend a lot of money on making things look as authentic as possible, clean lines, minimalist art, waiters and waitresses who seemed to have been created specifically to match the décor. I paused to look around,. I wanted to be sure to take everything in, but Oliver caught my hand and tugged me along gently.

I knew I should look as if I was used to this kind of evening, but I couldn’t quite manage it without a reminder. I lifted my chin and tried to arrange my features into an appropriately unaffected look, but I couldn’t get the smile off my face. Way to look natural, Mona.

We arrived at a table where a woman, Hilary, and a man about Tom’s age, Nathan, sat. Nathan got to his feet to shake our hands while Hilary simply nodded at us from her seat and smiled tightly, looking me up and down and glancing over at Oliver.

“I didn’t realize you were engaged,” she remarked, and I still had the ring on my finger from the day before.

He nodded without missing a beat.

“Yes, this is my fiancée Mona.”

He glanced over at me, smiling fondly and reaching out to lightly touch my waist. “It’s her first time in London.”

“I’m sorry you’ll have to spend at least some of your time in meetings with us,” Nathan joked, and I offered him a laugh that I hoped would display the perfect amount of charm.

“Not at all,” I assured him as I took my seat.

Oliver sat next to me and briefly reached under the table to squeeze my bare leg. I felt a zing of excitement shiver up my thigh and my pussy swelled.

He didn’t have to do that, but he did, and just like that, it felt as though the night had gotten a whole lot more promising.

Chapter 18

Oliver

Dinner with the Masterson partners had gone better than I ever could have hoped. I was relaxed enough not to read as desperate, but interested enough to let them know I sincerely wanted to get them on board. It had gone about as well as it could possibly have gone, and I had to attribute much of that to Mona’s presence at the table next to me.

I was kind of stunned when she suggested we play at being engaged for the course of the night, but her reasoning was unassailable. I could just explain that we called things off if they ever followed up on it. It was an excellent way to get them to overlook my less than flawless past.

They adored Mona and peppered her with questions about how we met and when we were planning to get married and she handled it expertly. She was utterly charming, sweet, funny, and knew exactly when to pull back and let someone else talk. If she wasn't my secretary, I might have proposed to her on the spot.

The night came to a close and we settled the check. I watched as Mona’s eyes widened at the cost of our evening, but she blinked away her surprise and sat back with the single glass of wine she’d been nursing all night.

“Oliver, it was great to meet you,” Hilary said, extending her hand warmly to me.

Tom and Nathan exchanged a look they probably didn’t want me to see. I could read it perfectly. I had successfully won them over. It was the look of people slightly surprised by the outcome, but more than happy to accept it at face value.

“You too.” I said, bowing my head in her direction and flashing her my most charming smile.

Mona said her goodbyes as well. “I look forward to seeing you again soon. Tonights dinner will be tough to beat.”

“We try our best,” Hilary said and smiled.

Before I knew it, we were in the back of a cab. As soon as the car door shut and cut us off from the three of them for the night, I took a deep cleansing breath and relaxed.

“That went so well,” Mona said as we pulled away.

“Yeah, it did,” I agreed. “Maybe I should have you come along as my fake fiancée more often.”

“It’s the humanizing factor. If you could actually land someone like me for real, it would really boost your game.”

“Think a lot of yourself, don’t you?” I teased.

“Shouldn’t I?” she shot back with a grin.

Our eyes met, and I was certain that if I leaned across and kissed her, we could have finally given in to how much we wanted each other, at last.

I looked away from her quickly. Just a few more minutes and we would be back at the hotel in separate rooms, safe from temptation.

All that this night had done was underline the fact that whatever feelings I had for this woman were far more than a sexual attraction. I could have forced that much out of my head eventually, if all it had been was her body. No, it was more than that. Much more than that.

I was falling for Mona. She was smart, funny, beautiful, and ballsy, and I couldn’t escape the fact my feelings for her were getting more and more intense with every minute we spent together.

I thought back to what Neil had said, but his advice dimmed in my head as I looked at her across the seat from me.

I liked Mona, more than I could remember liking anyone in a long while. I couldn’t deny it, no matter how bad an idea it was, and no matter what kind of shit it would bring into my life if I went for it. All she had proven tonight was that she was brilliant at the business stuff and even more appealing at the personal stuff. She would make an incredible partner in life, no matter what way I looked at it.

We arrived back at the hotel, and I cleared my throat as I got out the car.

“Thanks for letting me come along tonight,” Mona said immediately clearing the awkward tension. “Beats room service and local TV.”

“You were great,” I replied, keeping my eyes firmly fixed ahead.

I noticed Mona frown slightly as we approached the desk to pick up the key for the new room they should have assigned us by now. The man behind the desk glanced up and offered us a welcoming smile.

“Can I help you?”

“Yes, the Masterson account, we should have another room this evening.”

“Oh, yes!” the man exclaimed, sounding way more excited than the situation called for. “We actually got the call a few minutes ago. They’ve asked us to upgrade you to the honeymoon suite.”

“What?” I said, stunned.

“For the you and your partner,” he clarified, gesturing to Mona and me.

We looked at each other, and then back at him.

“There has to be some kind of mistake,” I said and shook my head. “We already have a room. We needed another one.”

“They were very insistent on the phone,” the receptionist replied, frowning slightly. “It’s already been paid for. They said they wanted to treat you, as you didn’t know when you’d be back in London.”

“Lovely.” I said and reached over to pluck the key from his hand.

I couldn’t back down now. What if the news got back to Masterson? If they found out I’d been lying to them, I’d be in even more trouble than if I’d just told them the truth up front.

I glanced down at Mona.

“You take this room, I’ll stay in the old one. Sound good?”

We headed toward the elevator and stepped in together. The doors slid shut, and she looked up at me. There we were again – the tension mounting and her body achingly close to mine.

I wanted to throw my arm around her waist and pull her tight against me. My skin was practically itching with the urge to run my hands all over her body. It would have been so damn easy.

I eyed the fabric of her dress, wondering how it would feel beneath my fingertips, She saw me staring and she didn’t even flinch.

“So, the honeymoon suite, huh?” she remarked with a soft smile.

I wondered if she was thinking the same thing I was thinking, if she was hoping I would touch her, that we could finally end the tension that had been building up between us for hours.

“Yep. The honeymoon suite.”

I managed a smile at the ridiculousness of the situation.

“I didn’t want to blow our cover, so I had to go along with it. Our little performance must have been convincing.”

“You’ll have a hard time outdoing this for the actual honeymoon,” she teased as we got out at the floor for our room. She followed me down the corridor.

“Where are you going?” I asked, and she cocked an eyebrow at me.

“I need to get my things,” she pointed out, and I shook my head, feeling stupid.

I hadn’t had that much to drink, but all the blood had rushed to my cock, and there wasn’t any left for my brain.

“Of course.”

I held open the door and she drifted past me. If I didn’t know any better, I’d have thought she deliberately brushed her body against mine, even if for a split second. I fought the urge to lean down and press my face into her hair, to inhale the sweet scent of her shampoo, but instead, I cleared my throat and shifted to let her by.

Nothing happening here. Or at least, that’s what I would keep telling myself as long as it took her to get out of here.

She grabbed her things and stuffed them into her bag, then threw it over her shoulder. She turned to face me, but didn’t look up, as though she was worried if she did, she might have to let go of the resolve she’d been clinging to all evening. Or maybe I was just projecting how I felt on to her. At this point, the lines were so blurred I couldn’t make sense of them.

“You want me to help you with that?” I asked.

“Sure,” she said and smiled up at me. There was a coyness in her that told me she too was sorry to see the evening end.

I reached down to take her bag, and my fingers grazed her neck. She closed her eyes, ever-so-briefly, as though she were savoring my touch. I took a deep breath and forced myself to look away.

This was torturous in the best possible way. The two of us, assigned to the honeymoon suite, far away from anyone who would ever find out. It was a night built for sin.

We got into the elevator again, this time soaring to the top of the building. We were so far away from everyone and everything that it was as if we were the only two people on Earth. We didn’t say a word. We didn’t have to.

At some point, I must have handed the key to Mona, and when we arrived outside the room, she unlocked the door. I stayed behind her, and my eyes drifted down at her ass in that dress as it swayed back and forth in front of me.

God, she was sexy.

The room was built for sex. The bed was enormous, and I could see the corner of a hot tub through the open door of the bathroom. The lights, when she flicked them on, were dimmed, and the room had a regal but insular feel with its deep, red walls and dark, wooden trim.

I placed the bag down at the side of the bed, and she continued walking through the room toward the enormous picture window that looked out over London’s impressive buildings below. She peered out, cupping her hands around her face to block out the light, and let out a long, satisfied sigh.

“It’s gorgeous,” she said and shot a look at me over her shoulder.

“So are you,” I replied before I could stop myself, and her eyes widened and she opened her mouth in surprise.

But she didn’t scold me or ask me to leave. Instead, she slowly stepped out of her shoes and started toward me, moving across the room, closing the space between us, her hips swaying seductively as she walked.

Her bare feet padded on the carpet and my eyes traveled from the tip of her bright red toenails all the way up to the hem of her skirt. Was she wearing panties?

I swallowed heavily, my head spinning. I couldn’t do this. I wanted to. I needed to. But I couldn’t…

Before I knew it, she was standing in front of me, and there was no doubt in my mind about what her eyes were telling me. I reached down and tucked a strand of her silky hair behind her ear, and she let out the smallest sigh, closing her eyes. I cupped her face in my hands, and she tilted her head down to press her face closer into my touch. My heart was pounding.

Suddenly, all the logic that had been keeping me from kissing her vanished. None of the excuses made sense anymore. None of the reasoning was solid. I just wanted her, and she wanted me, and I refused to deprive myself any longer.

I leaned down and pressed my lips to hers, and all at once, it was like a dam had burst inside me. She wrapped her arms around my neck, and I leaned down to scoop her up, lifting her off the floor and kissing her hard and deliberately. Our tongues were quick and hungry as I carried her quickly toward the bed. I placed her carefully on the mattress below us and climbed on top of her.

She was delicious, her soft lips a mixture of red wine and sweet, lip balm, and her scent was intoxicating as her hands ran up and down my back almost frantically.

I tore off my jacket and tossed it aside. We had waited long enough for this, and even the time spent getting undressed felt like a waste of our precious time.

“Turn over,” I groaned into her ear, and she did as she was told, flipping over beneath me.

I caught the zip of her dress and pulled it down before sliding the sleeves off her arms. She wriggled loose, and I tossed it aside. She lay there now, in nothing but a pair of black, lacy panties, looking up at me with her eyes bright with anticipation and her mouth slightly parted, as though there was something she needed to say but couldn’t verbalize. I leaned down to kiss her neck, her soft skin pressed against mine.

“Fuck,” she gasped as I moved down her throat, toward her perfect breasts.

I cupped them in my greedy hands, and I had to fight the urge not to squeeze them too tight. I wanted to consume her, to claim her, to secure this deal that I had waited so long to land. But I knew I had to take my time. I didn’t know if we’d ever get the chance again, and I wasn’t going to rush a moment of it.

I lowered my head to one of her nipples and drew it mercilessly into my mouth, baring my teeth and letting them graze against her sensitive flesh.

She grabbed my head, raking her fingers through my hair, her hips lifting off the bed slightly and grinding with desire. I moved down, kissing her stomach, her hips, that sensitive spot between her belly button and the top of her panties, and looked up at her. Her eyes were closed, her head tilted back, her lips pressed together as though trying to hold back a cry of pleasure.

I was between her legs all at once, and I planted a gentle kiss on the outside of her panties, inhaling deeply. God, she smelled incredible. I couldn’t wait to taste her.

She let out a helpless moan and opened her eyes, finally making eye contact, and there was a darkness to her gaze I hadn’t seen before, not in her or in anyone else.

I hooked my fingers around the lace fabric and pulled her panties down in one swift motion, shifting myself so she could kick them off. She parted her legs , allowing me a clear view of her pussy, and I had to close my eyes to steady myself from the sight of her, all spread out for me like that.

She had a small triangle of pubic hair above her pussy, like an arrow pointing down, and I leaned forward to kiss it lightly. She moaned and lifted her hips off the bed, pressing herself into my face, reminding me just how badly she wanted this.

I tucked my hands beneath her ass, pulled her up toward me, and pressed my mouth against her pussy. She tasted incredible – sweet and musky beneath my tongue. I started at her clit, kissing lightly, teasing out her sensitive nub until I could feel it beneath my tongue.

She wriggled back and forth, as though my touch was too much for her, and I eased up a little, sealing my lips around her and sucking just a little.

Shifting my hand, I slipped a finger inside her, her pussy clenching tightly as I slowly pushed it in and out of her in a corkscrew motion. She was soaked, and I lifted my eyes to see her mouth opening and closing in unspoken pleasure as she squirmed on the bed above me.

I felt a surge of desire. I had to have her. I couldn’t wait any longer. I climbed back on top of her and kissed her again, the taste of her mouth and her pussy making my cock even stiffer.

She slid her hand between my legs and gripped me through my pants, and I bit her lip lightly to let her know just how crazy this was making me.

“I want to fuck you,” I growled into her ear, my voice dropping lower than before. “I need to fuck you.”

She kissed me hard, pushing her tongue aggressively into my mouth. I could feel her heart pounding against mine, and wondered how in the hell we’d managed to hold out for so long.

“Fuck me,” she breathed into my ear, desperately. “Please. I want you.”

I tucked my hand into the pocket of my pants and pulled out a condom before I sat myself up on top of her and quickly stripped myself down.

Her eyes traveled down my body hungrily as I took off my clothes, tossing aside my shirt and kicking off my pants until there was nothing between us at all. I leaned down to kiss her as I sheathed myself, unable to resist the taste of her.

“I’ve wanted this from the first time I saw you,” I whispered as I leaned back, grabbed her leg, and draped her ankle over my shoulder.

She ran her hands across her body, and let out a moan as I positioned myself at her slit. I admired her for a moment more, how beautiful she looked underneath me, the way her hair splayed out on the pillow like a sunset in negative, and then, finally, I pushed myself deep inside her.

She gasped and let out a groan. I couldn’t make any noise at all, every bit of my energy focused on how her pussy felt around my cock. God, did it feel good. She was so soft and wet and warm. I gripped the leg that was on my shoulder with one hand, the headboard with the other, and slowly began to fuck her.

We continued in that position for what seemed like an eternity. I couldn’t imagine anything feeling even close to as good as this did. Every thrust inside her seemed to go a little deeper than before, and I was obsessed with the expressions on her face as I moved in and out of her. The way her teeth grazed her lip, the way she twisted her head back and forth on the pillow, and the way her hands strayed down to her breasts to play with her nipples every once in a while.

She was a vision, – responsive, sultry, playful, and sexy, all wrapped up in this one, perfect package. I could have watched her all day, watched the way she reacted when I went deep and slow and when I went hard and fast. I could feel her pussy tightening around my cock, and I knew she couldn’t be far away from cumming.

“Touch yourself,” I murmured, and without hesitation, she slipped a hand between her legs and found her clit.

I looked down, and the sight of my cock buried to the hilt in her pussy just inches away from where she was playing with her clit was almost enough to push me over the edge. I took a deep breath and slowed, matching the pace of my thrusts to that of her fingers.

Her breath became short, sharp gasps, each one laced with a moan. I leaned down to kiss her, and she grabbed my head with her other hand, pulling my hair, feeling me, touching me, tasting me.

When she came, I felt it. I felt it with every fiber of my being. It ricocheted through me, her pussy clenching tight around my cock and her body shivering and shaking as it finally gave out beneath me.

I held myself inside her, letting her pussy massage my erection, and moments later, my own climax rocked through my body. I was filled with waves of sheer pleasure, and we continued kissing, even as our breaths returned to normal and our orgasms subsided.

Reluctantly, and after a long while, I pulled myself from her and disposed of the condom. I lay back down in bed next to her, and she propped herself up on one elbow and looked into my eyes. She was still totally naked and in no hurry to cover up her body like so many of the women I’d been with before. Was there anything this girl did that wasn’t totally hot?

“I’ve wanted to do that for a long time,” she admitted, softly, her eyes searching my face for a reaction.

“Me too,” I replied, leaning forward to brush my lips against her temple.

“What now?” she asked, eyes wide, as though she was worried I might climb out of bed and walk out of there, now that we had hooked up.

“We sleep,” I answered, pulling her against my chest.

Truthfully, I didn't know where to go from here, but it felt so good lying next to her that I wanted to stay as long as possible.

Chapter 19

Mona

Talk about getting swept off my feet. I remembered thinking that as Oliver spoke to the woman behind the counter of the coffee shop we’d stopped in to.

This was no ordinary coffee shop. It was beautiful, set on the ground floor of an old-school shopping mall. It delivered creamy, rich coffee I could have sipped all day, especially if that had meant I got to spend time with Oliver.

We only had a few hours left in London, but the last couple of days had been beyond incredible. After we’d hooked up in the honeymoon suite of the hotel, any time he wasn't working on the Masterson deal was spent making sure I knew just how much he wanted me.

He took me out to dinner, for drinks, even dancing. He bought me a dress for the occasion and put his hands on my hips and pulled me close so that I could feel his breath on my skin. I loved every second of it.

He was putting so much time and effort into what was happening between us, and I couldn’t help but fall a little harder with every gesture he made. I had never dated like this before, never had someone pour this much time, energy, and effort into making sure I felt wanted, needed, and romanced. I had no idea how I would ever go back to dating like a normal person again.

But, as I watched him paying at the cafe, I couldn’t fight the nagging feeling that something was wrong. Maybe it was because he had been avoiding the subject of what was going to happen when we got back to the US.

This was amazing. It really was. I couldn’t have asked for anything more. Being treated like this was like a dream, and knowing after all this time that Oliver felt the same attraction and adoration as I had been feeling all this time was one of the most validating things that had ever happened to me. The thought of all this being over and behaving like it never happened the minute we stepped off the jet, made my stomach crumple up and my heart sink.

But there was no way this level of romance could keep going back at the office, right? This was special, over-the-top, and removed from reality.

It was easy for him to be with me now in London. He could take me out and show me off with out worrying about the wrong people spotting us. There was no way it could get back to Neil or anyone else in the company. But once we got back to America, at the very least, things would have to be kept on the down-low. We couldn’t keep up this level of public dating and affection. Someone would figure it out eventually, and given Oliver’s past, it may not go over well.

So what options did that leave us, realistically? We would have to keep things strictly under the radar when we returned to the office, at least until we were ready to come out and admit we were seeing each other. Goodness knew how long it would be before the both of us were actually confident enough to do that. Or we would call things off before going home and chalk this whole experience up to a good time.

That option made my heart sink. I was falling for Oliver as hard as it was possible to fall for anyone, and the thought of him bringing an end to things before they even had a chance to get started was eating me up inside.

He returned from the counter, sat down opposite me, and drained the last of his delicious coffee from his mug.

“Mmm, that’s so good,” he sighed. “Think we can convince them to open a branch down the street from the office?”

“I don’t see why not.” I shrugged. “I mean, if you can get the Masterson account, I’d say you can do anything.”

“Hey, don’t jinx it.”

He held up his hand, stopping me from going on. “I haven’t signed the contracts yet, and I don’t want to count our chickens before they’re hatched.”

“Okay, I take it back.” I held my hands up. “I’m sure it’s all going to go terribly wrong. Is that better? Are you un-jinxed now?”

“I hope so.”

He flashed me one of his famously charming smiles. “I guess we’ll have to see how things go tonight.”

“I can’t believe you actually got this far with them.” I shook my head. “I mean, only six weeks ago, they seemed like an impossible dream.”

“Yeah, well, that’s what hard work will bring you,” he replied proudly. “And an amazing secretary to play the part of your fiancée, of course.”

“Yeah, you really couldn’t have done any of this without me,” I teased with faux-smugness. “What’s my cut of the deal?”

“Uh, why don’t we head back to the hotel, and I’ll show you?” he suggested, leaning forward, lowering his voice, and making it very clear exactly what he was talking about.

“Do we have time?”

My heart fluttered at the thought of another encounter with him before we left. There was no doubt the sex had been the best of my life, and I found myself craving it if we went too long between sessions.

“We’ve got to pick up our bags, anyway.” He glanced at his watch. “If we leave now?”

“Yes, I think it’s important we do.”

I tried to keep up a veneer of professionalism, but there was a grin playing at the corner of my lips that I couldn’t suppress.

He offered me a hand, pulled me to my feet, and before I knew it, the two of us were power-walking back to the hotel, shooting each other those playful, knowing looks every now and then to confirm what we were about to do.

Maybe it was the caffeine we’d just consumed, or maybe it was the knowledge we’d have to return to our real lives soon enough, but my heart was pounding in my chest with anticipation.

Before we even got to the room, as soon as the door of the elevator closed, he was on me. He lifted me up off my feet and I threw my legs around his waist, gripping him tightly. He pressed me against the back wall of the elevator and kissed me passionately, madly, his tongue exploring every inch of my mouth.

I felt him reach down and start opening the zipper on his pants and I was afraid someone might join us in the elevator.

“Oliver! What if someone comes in?”

“I can’t wait another second, Mona. I’m desperate for you, baby.”

Thankfully, the elevator dinged and came to a halt on our floor before anyone else could join us, and he put me on the ground. We practically ran to our door, making out passionately as he tried to unlock our room. There was an older couple at the far end of the corridor but they quickly looked away when they saw how naughty we were being.

Eventually, after what felt like forever, he managed to get the door unlocked, and still kissing me furiously, he pushed open the door.

We stumbled into the room and knocked over a lamp on our way to the bed.

“They’ll have to add that to the bill,” Oliver laughed.

I barely even noticed it fall. I tore off my clothes and hopped on the bed, laying on my back, looking up at him.

He pulled off his own clothes and climbed down over me. Having his huge, muscular body hang so powerfully over mine, just a few inches above me, took my breath away. It was heaven to be there beneath him, waiting to see what he’d do with me.

I was his for the taking. Completely and utterly his. Whatever he wanted to do with me, he could.

He started by leaning down and kissing my mouth. Then he broke off our kiss as his lips moved down over my neck and over each of my rock hard nipples. The sensation as he kissed my breasts and sucked on my nipples, taking no care not to be rough, was overwhelming. I squirmed under his power and he ran his tongue from my nipples, down over my navel, and then to the very top of my clit. He paused there and looked up at me mischievously.

“Do it,” I whispered.

He began passionately making out with my clit, and then with the mouth of my pussy, stretching his tongue deep inside me and swallowing my juices like I was the most delicious thing he’d ever put his mouth on.

He continued to tease and pleasure my pussy with his mouth until I couldn’t take it another second. As I felt the orgasm building up inside me, he reached up and slid two fingers into my pussy as he continued to suck on my clit powerfully. The sensation was too much and a wave of orgasms rushed through my body like a hurricane. It was heaven! It was ecstasy!

No sooner had I recovered from the orgasm than he flipped me over.

I wondered what he had in store for me next when he spoke.

“Up on your hands and knees,” he commanded.

I did as I was told and shuddered with pleasure and excitement as he reached for my hair and wrapped it tightly around his fist.

Pulling back my hair, he forced me to arch my back and give him the best possible position for fucking me as hard and as deeply as he wanted.

I was powerless.

I was completely his.

He pulled back my hair, gently but firmly, and at the same time, slid his long, thick, powerful cock deep into my soaking wet pussy.

The sensation was paradise.

He felt so big and thick inside me, stretching me to his desire, and as he fucked me, harder and harder with every thrust of his powerful thighs, he pulled my hair and kept his complete control over my body.

He was completely dominating me. Pleasure and pain coursed through my scalp in a glorious mesh that left me practically crying out for more.

It felt so good that when the orgasms began to explode inside me, I screamed his name.

Then I felt his cock grow, one final time, throb powerfully, and then begin shooting thick, powerful jets of cum deep into my pussy.

“Mona,” he cried out.

I shuddered from wave after wave of orgasm as his cock kept pouring itself so deep inside me.

“Oh, god,” I sighed as I collapsed under his weight.

I couldn’t believe what had just happened.

My body was still tingling from pleasure.

We grabbed our bags when we were done, dressed fast, and hurried out the door to meet the cab driver who’d already been waiting ten minutes by the time we got downstairs.

“Sorry we’re late,” Oliver said and flashed him a smile.

I noticed his hair was standing up at the back. I reached over to pat it down without thinking, and then drew my hand back. I would have to get used to being more discreet when we got back to the US.

Oliver opened the car door for me, and we made our way to the airport, where the jet was waiting for us. It was raining lightly, just as it had been for the last few days, and part of me was looking forward to getting home to warmth of the city.

We took our seats on the plane, both of us trying to keep straight faces as the air hostess greeted us and offered us something to drink. Oliver had dropped hints about us hooking up on the plane, and while I was pretty sure he was kidding, it was clear now that he seriously was not.

As soon as she left us alone, he switched seats to be next to me, draped an arm around my shoulder, and smiled wickedly.

“So,” he began, running his fingers up the side of my neck and causing me to shiver. “Come here often?”

“Intercontinental plane travel on a private jet?” I cocked an eyebrow. “Oh, yeah, all the time. You’ll never find me out of the air.”

“Sounds fascinating.”

He shifted closer to me, his hand slipping down my front a little so that his fingers rested just above the hemline of my t-shirt. “I’d love to hear about it.”

“I might need it bribed out of me,” I murmured in response, my gaze moving down to his lips.

God, that mouth. He had proven beyond doubt there was a reason why every woman he’d been with seemed so hung up on him. It was all to do with that incredible mouth and the way he used it when he got me naked.

“I’ll see what I can do,” he replied, and the last word blurred into a kiss as the plane began to move beneath us.

Our tongues met, and he slipped a hand around the back of my neck and pulled me close so he could kiss me more passionately. I felt something melt inside me, all the paranoia and over thinking of the last few hours leaking out of my brain as his hand traveled up my thigh and beneath my skirt.

I shifted in my seat as his fingers found my panties, and he began to massage my pussy lightly through the fabric. His touch was electric, enough to make the bottom of my feet tingle and my body crumple. He pulled his fingers from between my legs and pushed them into my mouth.

“Suck on them,” he murmured, and I didn’t need to be told twice.

I flicked my tongue out over his fingers, tasting my own musk on his skin, and grazed my teeth along the pads to let him know I wasn’t messing around. A smile slowly formed on his face, and he suddenly pulled his hand away, picked me up, and lay me down on the bar that sat a few feet from us.

I pushed myself up so I was perched on the edge, crossing my legs chastely, and he immediately took them and uncrossed them again, spreading them lewdly apart and cocking an eyebrow at me.

“Any closer to telling me your secrets?” he asked, leaning in to brush his lips up my neck.

I shivered but kept my hands planted firmly on the bar next to me. He pulled back, and I shrugged, feigning nonchalance.

“You’ll have to do better than that,” I replied, looking up at him, my breath coming quicker.

His eyes flashed at my insolence, and he pulled me off the bar, spun me around, and pushed on the small of my back so I was bent over a little.

“You asked for it,” he growled in my ear, one hand on my belly and the other shoving up my skirt, as though he couldn’t wait any longer.

I gasped as I felt him kneel and pull my panties down and then I felt his mouth on my pussy. He couldn’t seem to get enough of me, and I loved it so much when he ate me out. He always went at it like he had been starved for days. It was like no pleasure I had ever felt before.

I closed my eyes, losing myself in the moment, and then I felt him moving back. My eyes flashed open again as I felt his tongue probing my ass, and my legs began to buckle underneath me at the striking, new sensation.

“Fuck,” I gasped, gripping the bar for support, as he slid a finger inside my pussy and continued to tease my asshole with his tongue.

I never had anyone do anything like that to me before, and it felt… fuck, it felt amazing. But I didn’t know how long it would be until the hostess returned, and I didn’t want to waste any time.

“Fuck me,” I demanded, as forcefully as I could.

He continued on his task, as though he hadn’t heard me.

“Fuck me,” I repeated again, louder, and he pulled back for a moment.

“You’re going to come like this first,” he replied, his voice a growl, and I bit my lip.

I wanted his cock inside me, but at the same time, what he was doing felt so damned good.

“Please,” I begged as he licked slowly across my ass again, his thumb stretching up to find my clit. I groaned loudly, and he gripped my ass with his free hand to keep me upright.

“Come for me,” he replied, and I could feel the warmth of his breath on my skin as he spoke. I squeezed my eyes shut, every inch of my skin prickling as he went to town on me, but I needed him inside me, needed him now.

“Please, fuck me,” I begged, but it was with less conviction this time as he massaged my clit harder, his tongue dipping inside me ever-so-slightly.

God, that felt good. My body was tensing, my pussy tightening around his fingers.

Suddenly, he stopped dead. My mouth dropped open, and I half-turned to look at him, panting slightly as I waited for him to continue.

“You’re right,” he explained as he got to his feet, pushing me back down on the bar. “I want to feel you come around my cock. Put your ass in the air.”

“Jesus, Oliver,” I groaned. It was all I could manage given the circumstances.

He sheathed himself quickly, wrapped one arm around my neck to hold me in place, and thrust into me without another second’s wait. I bit my lip, hard.

“So, you want to come?” he muttered in my ear, biting the lobe.

I nodded.

“You know, I think I’m going to institute a new rule,” he growled. “You can only come when I’m inside you. How does that sound?”

“Depends if you’re going to make that hard for me,” I replied.

He slowed his thrusts, teasing me, wanting this to last.

“I will,” he promised. “I’ll make you beg for my dick, and maybe sometimes, I’ll just leave you hanging.”

He moved faster again, leaning back and landing a couple of hard slaps to my ass as he slammed me bent over the bar like that. I could only mew with pleasure, my body shuddering with every thrust as he buried himself deep and hard inside me, again and again.

“Come for me,” he ordered. “I want to feel you come, Mona.”

The sound of my name coming out of his mouth was enough to tip me over the edge, and just like that, I felt my pussy tighten sharply as the orgasm hit in full force. I let out a gritted-teeth groan, the sensation sweeping across my body like someone had lit a match to me.

“Ah!” I cried out, uninhibited.

With Oliver, I never seemed to give a damn about how I looked or how I sounded because the pleasure he lavished on me was always so intense. It was impossible not to get lost in it..

He held me up, thrusting into me a few more times before he came himself, holding me up as he reached his own climax before he slowly pulled out of me. I was still trying to catch my breath as he swiftly knelt down to pull my panties back up and roll my skirt down for me, ever the gentleman.

Once my breathing had returned to normal, I turned around and looked at him. He grinned and ran his tongue across his teeth, looking at me like a shark might look at his prey just before he ate it.

“Good?” he asked.

I nodded, staggering over to the seat closest to us and slumping into it in relief.

“Good,” I murmured, my voice almost comically hoarse.

He laughed. “That good, huh? Maybe you’ll tell me your secrets now,” he teased, and I waved my hand, dismissing him, as I strapped in. The plane was almost ready for take-off.

“There is… uh, there’s one thing I actually do want to talk about,” I began awkwardly, deciding that now was as good a time as any.

His brow furrowed and he placed his elbows on his knees, leaning forward and gesturing for me to go on.

“I… I’ve had a really good time the last couple of days,” I began hesitantly, “and I don’t want them to end.”

“Me neither,” he replied, cocking his head at me like he couldn’t figure out what I was getting at.

“So… are we going to keep this going when we get back to work?” I asked, glad the question was out, but at once seized by panic that I might not get the answer I truly wanted to hear.

“I thought we were, yeah.”

He shrugged, playing it cool, but I could see the flash of panic in his eyes.

“Do you want to?”

“Yeah, I do,” I agreed, a wave of relief moving over me. “I really, really do.”

“We’re going to have to keep it quiet for a while,” he warned. “Like, a long time. If Neil or any of the others get wind of this…”

He trailed off, and I realized he had never addressed the subject of what had happened with his last secretary. Did he think I didn’t know? I sure as hell wasn’t going to bring her up, now that I had him to myself, but that had to be what he was thinking about.

I knew the other the partners at the company were not particularly impressed when he’d hooked up with Jeannie. Now that I thought of it, I didn’t know the details exactly, but from what I could gather, it hadn’t been good for either party.

“We’re just going to have to be careful,” he finished up. “Very careful. You can’t talk about this to anyone, and neither can I. Can you live with that?”

“Of course.” I furrowed my brow as though it should have been obvious. “How long do we have to keep it quiet?”

He threw his hands in the air as we began to take off. “I honestly have no idea,” he admitted carefully. “It could be a while. I don’t want anyone to think that this is just a fling, that’s all.”

“Which it is right now,” I pointed out, and he nodded.

“I’m aware,” he assured me. “We’ll just have to play it safe for a while. Until we’re both… sure.”

“I get that,” I agreed, trying to keep my face neutral but knowing I was doing a terrible job of it.

“For now, I want this to keep going,” he grinned. “There’s so much we haven’t done yet.”

“Is there?” I cocked my head at him. “Because I was pretty sure we’d done it all.”

“Not even close.”

He flashed me that shark-like grin again and let his eyes drift down over my body.

“Not even close.”

I shifted in my seat excitedly, but before he could say anymore, the hostess appeared with champagne for us. She was doing her best to ignore the obvious tension in the room as she walked in.

I took my glass, savored a sip, and watched as she made her way out again. Oliver leaned over to me, lifting his glass to mine, and touched them gently together.

“This has been an amazing few days,” he said warmly. “I can’t wait to see where it goes from here.”

“Me neither,” I replied, sipping as though to seal the toast and grinning to myself as I looked out the window to the ground below.

At that moment, everything felt blissfully perfect, but little did I know, it wasn’t going to stay that way for long.

Chapter 20

Oliver

The first few weeks after getting back were easy. Of course they were. We were together at last and neither of us was distracted with keeping our desire secret from one another any longer. It was liberating, a freedom I hadn’t known I’d been lacking until now.

We landed the Masterson deal, of course, so when we arrived back, that was the main point of conversation. Neil appeared in my office the day after I got in, giddy with excitement.

“I can’t believe you actually pulled this off,” he said, shaking his head and drumming his fingers on the doorframe, excitedly. “When you came to me and told me that’s what you were going to do…”

“Oh, ye of little faith,” I teased. “Yeah, we nailed it. Mona had a lot to do with it.”

“She did?”

“She was brilliant, she really charmed them,” I said, nodding.

“When did she meet them?”

Neil furrowed his brow.

“Oh, she was with me at a couple of the meetings,” I replied, vaguely. “Record-keeping, you know that kind of thing.”

“Right,” he said, nodding, not caring to investigate further. “But she was a big part of it?”

“Very.”

I nodded and glanced over at the screen of my laptop.

“Shit, I have to make a call. We’ll catch up properly later?”

“Agreed.” Neil said, getting to his feet. I noticed a thoughtful expression on his face as he drifted out of the office and back down to his wing of the building.

Mona stuck her head out of her room and glanced around to make sure he was gone.

“Did it go okay?” she asked, cocking her head at me nervously.

“Yeah, he’s too wrapped up in the new business deal we just landed to think about anything else. Trust me,” I assured her.

She bit her lip and smiled back.

“Good,” she said in response and vanished back into her office.

I smiled as she ducked away again, and that nagging voice at the back of my head was quick to remind me this was how things had started with Jeannie.

It had all been fun and games, and then they’d devolved into something dark and unsettling. The difference this time was that Mona meant something to me, even if I was not yet certain what it was. I wanted her, desired her desperately, and I knew I had to be with her, no matter what. It might have been cheesy, but now that I had her, I wasn’t going to let her go for anything.

So, we spent the month after our arrival back playing it as straight as we could in front of the rest of the staff and getting down to ridiculously hot sex as soon as the doors to our office were closed.

Every time we hooked up, it actually got better. I was used to growing bored of my sexual partners pretty quickly, but with her, it was different. She was adventurous, open, and always seemed to have a new trick up her sleeve.

I was trying hard not to let her proximity derail me from my day-to-day. It was difficult, knowing she would be waiting for me back at my apartment when I was finished with the day’s work.

One day, she threw open her office door, and her face shone with excitement. I glanced up at her in surprise and gestured for her to explain to me exactly what it was that had gotten her so excited.

“I just got a promotion!” she exclaimed, her voice higher than I’d heard it before.

I raised my eyebrows.

“Really?” I grinned, happy for her but also trying to figure out how my assistant had landed a promotion without me knowing anything about it.

“Oh, come on, you must have known about this,” she chided. “It’s your company.”

“I didn’t know anything.” I assured her, throwing up my hands. “Honestly, this is as much news to me as it is to you.”

“No way!” she said, shaking her head. “I thought it was just you pulling strings.”

“No, this is all you, trust me,” I assured her, and her face lit up all over again.

“I can’t believe this is happening,” she exclaimed. “This is incredible!”

“It really is,” I agreed. “What position did they offer you?”

I couldn’t help wondering if this was some plan of Neil’s to get her out of my office, once and for all, and that’s why I hadn’t heard anything about it. It seemed like the kind of thing he might try to pull.

“I think it’s more symbolic than anything else,” she said, shrugging. “I’m ‘executive assistant’ now, and I think that means I get to sit in on a few more meetings and get a pay raise.”

“Oh, cool!” I replied, a little too enthusiastically.

I couldn’t say I was that shocked at her earning a bump up the corporate ladder. She was damned good, a competent professional, and that couldn’t have gone unnoticed.

“Congratulations, Mona.”

“We should celebrate,” she said excitedly.

Her eyes flashed, and I felt my cock stirring below my desk at the sight of it.

“Oh yeah?” I got to my feet, rolling up my sleeves, slowly.

Her eyes darted to my hands as they dealt with the fabric of my shirt. I always did this before we fucked, and it wasn't lost on her now.

“Yeah,” she breathed in response.

I remembered, way back before we’d so much as laid a finger on each other, I’d fantasized about the two of us at the office, hooking up. I knew we’d agreed that was off the table, but the circumstances were special, right?

“Knees,” I ordered, and she knelt down in front of me without a moment’s thought.

I had to suppress a grin. She’d gotten so good at obeying my orders, and she seemed to enjoy it as much as I did. I had never met a woman as dominant as her outside the bedroom, and as utterly and completely submissive within it. It was a smoking hot mix, and one I couldn’t wait to truly test the boundaries of.

I unzipped my pants, put my hand on the door to keep anyone from busting through it, and stood before her. She looked up at me for a moment before reaching forward, pulling down my pants, and wrapping her hand around the base of my swiftly-growing erection.

“Mmm,” she sighed as she leaned toward me, pulling me into her mouth, letting her tongue dance on the underside of my cock as she swallowed as much of me as she could manage in one go.

I let my head tilt back. A gorgeous woman was on her knees, blowing me in the middle of the work day, right there in my office. It didn’t get much better than that.

She moved her head down, meeting her lips with the top of her hand as she formed a seal around the length of my cock. I groaned loudly, not caring who heard, and her eyes flicked up to mine with a panicked expression that told me she was worried about someone overhearing.

I ran my hand down her head, cupping her neck lightly to hold her in place, and she obliged, taking as much of me as she could into her mouth, sucking and licking every inch of my cock. I tipped my head back and closed my eyes, pulling my hand away, trusting her to take it from there, and she didn’t fail me.

Many of the women I’d been with seemed to suck cock out of necessity or habit rather than actual enjoyment, but Mona was different. The small moans and sighs as she went down on me told me she was getting as much out of this as I was, and that was pretty much the hottest thing I could imagine.

She pulled her head from my cock and leaned down to pay attention to my balls, sucking lightly on the loose skin before pulling them one at a time into her mouth, all the while slowly jerking off my cock. I watched her as she pleasured me, and she flicked her eyes up to meet my voyeuristic gaze and smiled back, wickedly, knowing what she was doing was making me woozy with desire.

I wanted her, needed her, but didn’t want the moment to end just yet. Then I heard footsteps outside my office door, a reminder that time was of the essence.

I leaned down, tucked my hands beneath her arms, and pulled her to her feet, kissing her hard. She moaned softly into my mouth, and the feel of it made me shiver with need.

“What now?” she asked, softly, leaning up to my ear.

“How do you want this?” I asked, needing to hear her say it.

“Get in your chair,” she suggested, her voice firmer than I’d heard it before.

I pulled back and raised my eyebrows.

“Oh, so you’re in charge now?” I said as I made my way toward the high-backed, leather seat I’d been working in all these years.

“Just for now,” she assured me as she reached under her skirt to pull down her panties. She climbed on top of me. “Condom?”

I reached into my drawer, pulled one out, and pressed it into her hand. She tore it open, slightly clumsily, and reached down to secure it over my erection. Even her touch like this was tantalizing.

She wrapped her arms around my waist as I hiked her skirt up. She closed her eyes as she lowered herself slowly down onto my cock. Both of us groaned as I entered her, our need finally satisfied, and I placed my hands on her hips to guide her up and down on top of me.

She moved slowly at first, getting used to the new angles, but soon enough, she began to rock her hips back and forth and ride me with the speed and skill of a woman who wanted to come, right this instant.

“Fuck, you feel so good like that,” I growled into her ear, and she did.

Her pussy was tight, warm, and soft. It felt unbelievable as she rolled up and down my cock. And as she pumped up and down on my dick, my face pressed into her tits.

She began to move her hips back and forth in an aggressive figure-eight, grinding on me, her breath coming fast and hard in my ear as her pussy massaged my cock from every angle. I kissed her neck ever-so-lightly, and she let out a helpless moan of pleasure.

She groaned, pressing her head into my shoulder in an attempt to muffle herself and failing.

“Are you going to come?”

I traced my tongue over the arch of her ear as she rode me hard, placing her hands against the back of the seat for leverage. She nodded.

“Say it,” I murmured, running my hands up her back. “Tell me.”

“I’m going to come,” she finally managed. “I’m coming.”

Then I felt her pussy contracting relentlessly around my cock. She bit the shoulder of my jacket to keep from making any noise, but it was in vain. A small moan escaped from between her lips, and I twisted my head so I could kiss her, hoping that would help in quieting her down.

She groaned against my mouth, our tongues meeting once more as the contractions in her cunt slowed and steadied. I thrust up to meet her, holding her hips tight as I plowed into her, hard, and soon enough, found my cock twitching inside her as I came with a long groan released through gritted teeth.

We stayed like that for a second, breathing heavily, until she quickly hopped off me and grabbed her panties. She glanced over at me bashfully as she slipped them back on.

“I thought we weren’t going to do that in the office,” she pointed out, but she didn’t seem put out by the revelation.

“We said that,” I agreed. “We did.”

“We could have gotten caught,” she mumbled, mostly to herself, glancing at the door as though someone was going to bust in at any moment.

“Yeah, we could have,” I agreed, “but we didn’t.”

“Fuck, that was good,” she giggled, lifting her gaze to meet mine. “But we can’t do that again.”

“Until next time,” I teased.

“Oliver!”

She rolled down her skirt and checked herself in the reflection in the window.

“You look good,” I assured her. “Go, back to your office before someone figures us out.”

“Good idea.”

She ducked away, and I watched as she closed the door behind her. I needed to talk her up more often if this was the kind of reaction a promotion drew out of her.

I leaned back in my seat, placing both hands on top of my head, savoring the moment while I had the chance. She really was something special, there was no doubt about it. There was no one else I could imagine being with right now, and maybe I needed to prove that to her, once and for all.

Reaching for my computer, I pulled up a list of contacts and, one by one, starting emailing them. This was going to be a long, hard task, but it would be worth it.

Chapter 21

Mona

Six weeks since we returned from London, things with Oliver and I were going better than ever. Apart from that one small slip-up on the day I’d gotten my promotion, we’d managed to keep things out of the office, just as we both wanted. Outside of work, it felt like things were going better than I ever could have dreamed.

Yes, things had been slowing down a little, but that was to be expected. We were spending more time together at work now that I had to sit in on most of his meetings, and I was throwing myself into my new position with gusto.

It wasn’t a lot more work, but it was a good bump in pay, and it seemed to come with the built in promise that I would be sticking around after my initial, six-month contract was up, which was a relief.

For those two weeks, it really felt like everything was going about as well as it could. Oliver and I were engaged in what had to be the most romantic, sexy, intoxicatingly fun relationship I’d ever found myself a part of, and work was panning out in front of me, dripping with promise. It didn’t get much better.

“Honestly, though,” Katya said, catching me heading out the door to head down to Oliver’s late one Thursday evening. “What’s going on with you?”

“I told you, my boss called me in at the last minute,” I replied, and it was the truth, or at least a version of it.

“Yeah?” she said and cocked an eyebrow. “Seems to me like you’re seeing someone.”

“It’s not that at all,” I lied, but she must have seen the smirk on my face as I replied. She went on.

“Come on, you can tell me,” she chided.

I stood there, one foot out the door, and considered it. I had sat on the secret for six weeks, and it wasn’t like she was going to tell anyone who mattered.

“Oliver and I,” I admitted at last. “We’ve been…”

“No fucking way!” she exclaimed, cutting me off. “How long?”

“About a month.”

“Did it start while you were away?” she pressed, sitting down on the sofa, as though the weight of the reveal had knocked her off her feet.

“Yeah, I guess so. It’s still a secret, but it’s going well. Or at least, I think it is.”

“Is that why you got the promotion?” she said suspiciously.

I waved my hand.

“Way to have faith in me,” I grumbled in response. “And no, I got it on my own merits. Oliver doesn’t get a say in that kind of thing.”

“I believe you,” she said, eyeing me for a moment, before she went on.

“You’re being careful though, aren’t you?” she pressed. “You’re looking after yourself?”

“Of course.” I crinkled my face up at her. “Why would you think I wasn’t?”

“Because I’ve seen how things like this can go down,” she replied, enigmatically. “With someone like Oliver. You’ve got to put yourself first, you know that?”

“I am, I am,” I assured her. “Really. This is just…it’s just fun.”

“Is that where you’re going right now?”

She gestured to the door, and I nodded.

“Yeah.”

“Then it’s not just fun,” she sighed. “If you’re getting dressed up at ten in the evening to head over to his place because he snapped his fingers and asked you to, that’s not fun. Trust me.”

“I’ll bear that in mind,” I replied, fighting the urge to roll my eyes, but knowing deep down that she only had my best interests at heart.

“Good,” she seemed satisfied.

“You’re not going to tell anyone, are you?” I asked, suddenly panicked, and she rolled her eyes and grinned.

“I suppose I’ll cancel the skywriter I had booked out for tomorrow morning,” she replied. “Go, get out. Have some fun. I’ll catch you later.”

“See you tomorrow!” I replied and hurried out the door and into the cab I had waiting downstairs.

As I rode over, I couldn’t help but think about what Katya had just said to me. Was she right? Was I just deluding myself into thinking there was actually something real blossoming between us? If anyone else had come to me with the story I’d just spouted to her, I would have rolled my eyes and stocked up on the wine for when the relationship inevitably went down the tubes.

With us, though, it was different. Right? It had to be. Surely. If I was wrong about this, about the warmth that crackled in my stomach every time I thought about him, then I wasn’t sure I could trust myself with anything at all.

I went to work the next morning after staying the night with Oliver. He left before me, and I was there alone for a little bit as we waited the appropriate amount of time for me to slip into a cab and make my way down to the office without anyone putting the pieces together.

His apartment was gorgeous, but it felt cold and a little distant in some ways, too. The art was there as a status symbol, not because it looked pretty. It just fit the décor. Yes, it looked amazing, but it felt like a show home more than it did someone’s actual house.

Maybe this was a reflection of how he truly was, all handsome, clean-cut, and striking on the outside but cold within. I felt a shiver run down my spine and pulled on my jacket as I waited for the cab to arrive.

I arrived at the office with plenty of time to spare, and lingered about in the coffee room, slowly pouring and drinking a steaming hot mug. Oliver had kept me up late the night before, and I would need the caffeine if I was going to get through this day.

Also, maybe there was a small chance I was avoiding heading up to my office because I was worried Oliver might notice I was out of sorts. I didn’t want him knowing I was feeling insecure about what was happening between us.

It wasn’t that I wanted it to stop. Far from it. It was just that I wanted to know, needed to know, if this actually meant anything to him. Was I just another Jeannie, another one of his women to sweep off her feet and then leave behind when he got bored? Surely, our connection went deeper than that.

Screw it. I knew all this overthinking wasn’t going to get me anywhere. It was so easy to let my mind run away with itself and send myself into a panic. With everything kept under wraps so carefully up until that moment, it felt as though Katya’s words were a pinprick in my carefully inflated balloon, and I was losing air.

I made it to my office. Oliver was off with Neil, probably catching up on the weekend’s plans. Did Neil know about the two of us? I assumed not, since he had dropped some pretty strong hints in emails to Oliver that he should keep the hell away from me, and God knows what he was saying to him in person.

Was he sitting there right now, across from Oliver, cracking jokes about the last secretary and making Oliver promise never to get involved like that again? It was a distinct possibility.

I pulled up Oliver’s schedule and set to work. I had to admit, it was weird working for the guy I was sleeping with, but I was just about managing to balance my duties and my attraction to him without letting one overwhelm the other.

It seemed as well like I was making some strides in other departments, as I was now sitting in on most of his meetings and even offered my opinion a couple of times. Who knew where I might end up at Artemis some day.

Scanning over his schedule for the day, nothing seemed out of place – until my eyes fell on a name I recognized. Kyra Tan. Where did I know that from? I wracked my brain as I tried to place it, and as soon as I did, my stomach dropped to my shoes. That was the woman I had to chase away from reception that time, the one who he’d been sleeping with.

It sure seemed like they were still together when I saw her last. Maybe it was a business meeting? I felt a creeping dread settle in as I looked forward in his schedule for any names I didn’t recognize.

To my horror, I found a dozen women’s names scheduled over the next week or two. I Googled them all along with Oliver’s name and found pictures. Some were pictures of them out together, some just articles noting where and when they’d been seen. These were women Oliver was dating or had dated, and he was seeing them again, their names sitting brazenly on his schedule for all to see. He must have added the appointments the night before. Otherwise, I’d have known about them.

Did he have no idea how this looked? How it made me feel? I felt as though I’d been punched straight in the stomach, my brain reeling from the shock of the blow. I got to my feet. This couldn’t be happening. It just couldn’t.

But then, why did I expect anything different? I had seen the women he spent time with, and they were so different from me. They were smart, successful, beautiful, powerful, and I was just a college graduate who had landed a job as his secretary. I was no one. I was convenient for him, willing to drop what I was doing and scamper off halfway across the city just to spend the evening with him. I had made it all too easy for him to fuck me and had convinced myself his willingness to do so was an indicator that he actually had feelings for me.

All these names and all these appointments told me the direct opposite. He was still seeing these women, and he was doing so publicly, going out with them and parading them around while he kept his encounters with me private. He had convinced me it would be best for both of us if no one knew about our little dalliances.

How in the name of holy hell could I have been so fucking stupid? I wanted to kick myself, furious that I had let myself believe that he actually liked me as anything more than an easy fuck.

I closed down my computer and stared at the blank screen. I put my head in my hands and took a few deep breaths, trying to steady myself. A wave of nausea hit me and I had to swallow a couple of times to keep myself from throwing up at my desk. I got to my feet as soon as the wave passed, and went for the door. My heart sank when I saw Oliver sitting at his desk. He looked over at me and smiled widely.

“Hey,” he greeted me, cocking an eyebrow suggestively, though his flirtation dropped when he saw the look on my face. “Are you okay?”

“I just need…” I scrambled to get out of his office. “I’m just sick. I think I need to go home.”

“Is everything okay?” he asked, concerned. Then he got to his feet, his brow furrowing, and I stepped away from him out of instinct, needing as much space between us as possible at that moment.

“Yeah, it is,” I replied, firmly. “I’ll be back in tomorrow.”

“You want me to call you a cab to take you home? You really don’t look good,” he remarked, shaking his head.

“I’ll be fine, honestly.”

I turned down his offer and headed for the door. As soon as I was out, I felt the tears forming in my eyes and did my best to hold them back before they became apparent to everyone in the elevator alongside me.

I caught a couple of funny looks, but I ignored them, focusing on breathing – in and out, in and out. I could get through this. I could get through this. I just had to make it out of the office, onto the street, and find the train, so I could get back to my apartment and crawl into bed.

And then? What happened then? Did I just try and forget all about Oliver, put him to the back of my mind where he wouldn’t disturb me anymore? Did I tell him outright what I saw and why I didn’t want to hook up with him again, or should I leave it up to him to put the pieces together?

Would he even care? Would he be relieved he didn’t have to break the news to me in person?

Questions danced around my head and made me feel even sicker than I already was. As soon as the fresh air of the street outside hit me, I took a deep lung full and pressed my hand to the wall to gather myself.

I was still getting funny looks from people passing by on their way into the building, but frankly, I couldn’t have given less of a fuck. I felt as though someone had just drop-kicked my heart halfway across the room. What did they expect?

I would take the day to rearrange myself, and then I would walk back in there like I owned the place and remind myself why I got this job in the first place. It wasn’t for Oliver. It was for me. For me.

I kept repeating those words to myself, over and over again, and I finally allowed the tears to fall as I climbed onto the train.

Chapter 22

Oliver

“Are you serious?” Kyra cocked her eyebrow at me, running her finger around the rim of her water glass. She was on some new fitness regimen and had turned down the wine.

I nodded.

“Yeah, I am,” I replied with a shrug. “Is it that much of a surprise?”

“Does this poor, unsuspecting woman know you want to settle down with her?” she teased.

She was taking this better than I expected, but then, after Mona had practically chased her out of the office for me, this couldn’t have come as that much of a surprise.

“I think so,” I replied, relaxing. “And look, you know, I had a great time.”

“Save it.” She held her hand up. “No hard feelings, seriously. As long as you pick up the check.”

“Oh, I see how it is.” I said, laughing and finished up the scotch I’d ordered myself to take the edge off.

It was never easy breaking up with somebody, and I was more inclined to just let the relationship burn out on its own, but this time it was different. This time, I needed to tie up all my loose ends. This time, there was someone to end all the relationships for.

I waved the waiter over to pay, glad that this meeting had been relatively painless. Kyra was last on my list, and now that I had finished things with her, I felt a weight lift off my shoulders. Almost there.

“Can I ask who she is?” she asked as I handed the waiter my credit card.

“I can’t tell you,” I admitted.

“Well, just invite me to the wedding then.”

She got to her feet, and I did the same. She planted a quick kiss on my cheek.

“Thanks for making this easy,” I said into her ear.

“Thanks for paying for the drinks,” she said into mine, and with that, we parted ways.

I gave her a little time to get ahead of me before I followed her out of the bar where we’d agreed to meet and inhaled deeply the cool air outside. I felt free. Well, almost.

It had been two weeks since I set about ending all the friends-with-benefits and semi-dating situations I had going on with women across the city. I wanted to be with Mona and no one else, once and for all, and the only way I could do that was to make sure there was nothing that could get in the way of it.

All the women I had split with seemed to have taken things relatively well. I didn’t get any martinis tossed in my face, which I had to admit was a relief. Now, I was officially free and single, except for Mona.

She’d been a little distant in the last couple of weeks, now that I thought of it. I hadn’t put it down to much, considering her responsibilities had stepped up at work, but she was spending less time at my place and we spent most of our time together at the office these days. It wasn’t the most romantic setting, but at least I still got to see her.

She had been ill lately, dashing off to the bathroom fairly often. We hadn’t really had sex, apart from fooling around a few times. The two times she’d slept at my place, she’d flipped over and put her back to me, a far cry from the way she usually draped herself over my body while we were in bed together.

Maybe she was just feeling a little distant because we had less time to spend together? Well, when she found out what I’d done for her, that was going to change. I just had one more person to tell about us before I went to Mona and let her know what I’d done, so that we could be together publicly and officially.

I made my way back to the office, glad I’d had the scotch, even though it was barely past two. I knew meeting with Neil was going to be a nightmare, and I probably could have used another couple of drinks to get up the nerve to explain all of this to him.

Although, a slurring, hammered me wandering into that office to tell him that all the suspicions he’d had about me and Mona were true was hardly going to make things more palatable. I would just have to face up to what was happening like a man.

I arrived back at the office, walking from the bar nearby so I could sober up a little and go over in my head everything I wanted to say. The last thing I needed was to walk in there and trip over my words, coming across as a fool.

I needed to be calm, collected, and deliver the news to Neil in the least confrontational way possible. I knew that whatever I said, it was going to end in a fight, so I might as well at least approach the situation with a calm disposition.

I took the stairs up to Neil’s office, a decision that proved to be a mistake, as I wound up out of breath and red-faced as I waited outside his office while he finished up a phone call. I paced back and forth in an attempt to release all the nervous energy.

This was hellish. Of all the people to tell, I knew Neil was going to be the least understanding, and I was dreading his reaction.

The door opened, and Neil smiled at me warmly and gestured for me to come in.

“Sorry to keep you waiting.”

He sat down behind his desk and clasped his hands in front of him, looking at me expectantly.

“Now, what can I do for you? Is it about the Masterson thing? Are they having second thoughts? Because I thought about this, and-”

“No, it’s not about them,” I interrupted before he could get too far. “It’s something personal.”

“Okay. You need my advice?”

He cocked his head at me curiously and I shook my head.

“Your blessing.”

His face indicated he’d figured out what I was going to say next.

“It’s about her, isn’t it?”

He leaned forward, his voice dropping to a low, venomous tone that made me jerk back in surprise.

“Mona?”

“Yeah, it’s about her,” I admitted, ignoring my natural urge to deny it. “I want to be with her.”

“Oh, you do?”

He threw his hands in the air in frustration, the movement sudden enough to make me jerk back with surprise. “I thought you promised me nothing was going to happen with the two of you.”

I pressed my hands together, trying to center myself.

“Yeah, I did, and I’m sorry I lied to you,” I said as I met his gaze steadily. “But things change. Things changed between us.”

“When did this start? Was it London?” he asked me angrily. “I knew something was different, but I didn’t want to make assumptions, not when you told me on the fucking phone that nothing was going to happen.”

“Yeah, it started in London,” I admitted firmly. “We slept together, and we kept doing it when we came back.”

“I’m surprised you were able to keep it quiet for so long.”

“We wanted to make sure it was sustainable,” I replied, choosing my words carefully.

“Oh, same as it was with Jeannie?” he shot back. “You do remember what happened with her, don’t you?”

“Of course I do,” I assured him, “but it’s different.”

“Yeah, I don’t see how it is.” he spat, getting to his feet and pacing back and forth. “Because to me, it looks like you just fucked your secretary again, after promising me you wouldn’t.”

“I know, I know.”

I ran my hands over my face, hiding briefly before I dove back into it.

I wasn’t used to arguing with Neil. We usually found ourselves on the same team, and being set against him was awkward and uncomfortable.

“So what’s different this time?” he demanded, regarding me with incredulity. “Explain it to me, because I can’t figure it out.”

“Jeannie wanted something more than I could give her,” I explained, as calmly as I could. “You know I wasn’t looking for that with her. That’s why she got obsessed, because she thought I was.”

“And you’re looking for that now? With Mona?” Neil raised his eyebrows.

“I know how it sounds,” I admitted.

“Yeah, you should,” he shot back, sharply. “Do you remember we had to practically bribe her to convince her not to file a harassment suit against us? Do you remember? Because I sure as fuck do. Do you have any idea how bad it could be if Mona decides she wants to pull the same thing?”

“She isn’t going to, Neil, I promise.”

I tried to assure him, but I knew I wasn’t being as forthright as I needed to be.

“And how exactly are you so sure of that? We had to get a restraining order against Jeannie, lest you forget. I had a hard enough time keeping that out of the papers. If you try and pull this shit again-”

“I’m not pulling any shit,” I finally snapped back at him. “I’m…I’m in love with her, alright?”

The words hung in the air between us, heavy and thick with meaning. Neil stared at me for a moment, his mouth hanging slightly open.

“Are you kidding me?” he asked, and I wasn’t sure if it was resignation or indignation in his voice.

“No, I’m not,” I replied, shaking my head.

I was as surprised as he was at the words coming out of my mouth. I hadn’t even thought about that before now, but there it was. I’d said it aloud, and it felt right. Of course I was in love with her.

I swallowed and got to my feet so I could look Neil in the eye.

“I want to be with her, Neil, and I’m doing you the favor of letting you know before someone else does, okay? We’re together now. That’s the end of it.”

“Holy shit, Oliver.”

He shook his head and took a seat, as though he couldn’t believe the words coming out of my mouth.

“You’re sure you are in love with her?”

“I think so.” I nodded, then swiftly corrected myself. “I know so.”

“Fuck.” He shook his head. “Well… I can’t do much to stop you then, can I?”

“Nope,” I agreed, and he looked to the wedding band on his finger.

He’d been married for what felt like forever now, and I wondered if he was thinking back to when he had first fallen for Jennifer, how certain he’d been.

He sighed heavily.

“Get out of here,” he said, waving his hand. “Out! I need some time to think.”

“About what?”

“About how we’re going to spin this in the press.”

He looked up at me out of the corner of his eye and I could see the beginnings of a grin appearing on his lips.

“Thanks, Neil,” I said, and I knew that was all that needed to be said on the matter.

I headed down the corridor and back into the elevator. If it hadn’t been full of people, I would have pulled a freeze-frame air-punch, because all of this felt unreal.

I made my way back to my office and glanced at the door that divided Mona’s office from mine, smiling fondly.

Now that Neil was out of the way, there was nothing keeping us from being together for real, at last.

Chapter 23

Mona

I sat in my living room, staring at the package I’d picked up from the drugstore a few minutes earlier. I couldn’t believe I was actually doing this. It felt ridiculous. It felt impossible. It felt so unlikely, but there was no getting out from under the fact that my period was several days late when, normally, I was as regular as they came. That could only mean one thing.

I tried to calm myself. There were lots of reasons my period could be running late. It could be hormonal, or it could be that I’d been stressed lately and not getting as much sleep or food as I perhaps should have been. It could have been any of those things, and yet, ever since I’d got the idea in my head, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was, in fact, pregnant.

It was the kind of story they deliver as a cautionary tale to people getting into the business. Recent graduate who doesn’t know any better lands a low-level job at a prestigious firm. She hooks up with the boss, multiple times. She lets herself fall for him, despite telling herself over and over again that there’s nothing serious going on between them. She gets pregnant and has to give up her career for the baby she will undoubtedly raise by herself.

Ugh, it all felt like such a mess, and I couldn’t believe I’d allowed myself to wander so blindly into this predicament.

When I arrived home, Katya was there, dawdling around before she headed off for her shift for the day. She eyed me with suspicion, and it was clear she could see there was something wrong.

“What’s up?” she demanded, and I looked up at her with my finest, innocent expression.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, look at you.”

She waved her hand in my general direction.

“You look like hell.”

“Well, thanks,” I teased, my voice a little shaky.

She was right. If anyone got up close to me, they could see the bags under my eyes from all those nights spent tossing and turning in my bed and the rumpled state of my clothes. I’d failed to keep on top of my cleaning because it had just seemed like way too much, on top of everything else. But the way I looked was the last thing on my mind.

“You know what I mean.”

She took a step forward, examining me.

“Are you alright?”

“Don’t you have a shift to get to?” I pointed out, hoping she would take the hint, but she had never been good at that.

“I can be a little late,” she said. “Seriously, is there something you want to talk about?”

I’d opened and closed my mouth, trying to form the words, but I just couldn’t do it. What would I say to her? That she was right about Oliver, that I ended up with nothing but a broken heart to show for my troubles, and now maybe a baby too?

“Oh, honey.”

She leaned over and gave me a quick hug.

“If you don’t want to talk about it now, how about when I get back from work? I’ll bring us some beers and we can relax and catch up.”

“No beers,” I replied quickly. “Uh, thanks, but I think I’m going to get an early night tonight, so I won’t be up when you get back.”

“Okay.” She looked me up and down again. “But try and relax, right? Actually, get some rest. You’ve been spending far too much time at work lately.”

“I guess,” I offered weakly in response.

“Though, with good reason, huh?”

She nudged me playfully, and I managed a half smile. It seemed to be good enough for her.

“Okay,” she announced. “I’m out of here, but I’ll see you soon.”

She pecked a quick kiss on my cheek and ducked out the door. I crumpled to the floor as soon as she was gone. It felt as though my legs had been ripped out from beneath me, my entire body just giving in to gravity.

I couldn’t handle this. I couldn’t handle any of it. I hated feeling this way, so helpless and pathetic. I spent my whole life building myself up to be this powerful, in-control woman. Now, here I was, sitting on the floor of my apartment, trying to psyche myself into taking a pregnancy test. I was lying to my roommate about how heartbroken hooking up with my boss had left me because I was still too stubborn to let her know she was right.

I felt tears begin to fill my eyes and dashed them away angrily with the back of my hand. No, I didn’t get to feel sorry for myself like that. I was a grown woman with a life and decisions I had to make, and besides, I didn’t even know for sure if I was pregnant yet.

I knew one thing, though, and that was even if I turned out not to be pregnant, I would still have to deal with the fact Oliver was seeing his other women. I was just one in a rotation, a meaningless distraction that he could smuggle into work, right underneath everyone’s noses.

No wonder he wanted to keep things quiet. If he’d let me talk about it openly, it might have gotten back to one of the fancy women who he actually took out on dates.

I could see why he wouldn’t want to fuck that up. He would probably go on to settle down with a woman like that, and I’d be nothing more than a notch on his belt, one of his secretaries who he’d fucked because he could.

Maybe I’d be the one desperately calling his new assistant, warning her of him while she did her best not to let her incredulity show through the phone. How many had there been before me and Jeannie? Were we both just part of a long line of women who had worked for Oliver who he liked to lord his power over and fuck?

The thought made me physically ill – unless it was just morning sickness. Fuck.

I grabbed the bag that contained all the stuff I’d picked up from the drugstore. I didn’t want to look too obvious, so I picked up some other items too. Overturning the paper bag, some q-tips, tampons, and the big, pinkish box containing the pregnancy test fell out onto my lap.

I brushed everything else aside and picked up the box. I took a deep breath, and closed my eyes, forcing myself to my feet and making my way to the bathroom slowly, as though I could somehow put this off if I just prolonged the inevitable.

I stepped into the bathroom, took a deep breath, and did what I had to do. I perched myself on the edge of the tub and stared intently at the small strip of plastic in my hands, the one that would determine what my future was going to look like.

I had never even thought about having a baby before this. I was pretty sure I wanted kids, but I didn’t know if I wanted them now, and I knew for certain I didn’t want to be raising them without knowing their father was at least going to be a part of their life, even if he wasn’t with me.

With Oliver so invested in the business and all the women he had in his orbit, why would he bother doing more than the bare minimum when it came to this child? But maybe…

As I waited for the pregnancy test to declare my fate, one way or the other, I allowed my mind to wander a little bit. What if it was different? What if we were actually… together? Would he want this baby?

He was so much older than me. Surely, if he’d wanted to settle down, he would have done it by now. Nothing I could do was going to change that, but maybe he’d just been waiting for the right time and the right person. Maybe he would want the baby. It was possible, wasn’t it?

I flipped the pregnancy test back and forth in my hand. The sound it made as it slapped against my hand distracted me a little. I tilted my head back and stared at the ceiling, the bright light burning my eyes and blurring my vision. I didn’t want to see the results. Did I want it to be negative or would I be disappointed that I wasn’t having Oliver’s baby.

We’d been so careful. We’d never once not used a condom, and I couldn’t remember ever feeling it break. If I had, I would have picked up the morning after pill. He’d always been insistent on using protection. If this had happened, it was just a fluke.

It would be different if I didn't cared for him so much. I could have dealt with it myself. But I did care for him, desperately and deeply. There was no getting away from that. I had fallen for him. It was impossible not to.

I reminded myself that he didn’t feel the same way. If he did, he wouldn’t be going out with those women, all those appointments laid out his schedule. It was a miracle he had time for it all.

How long before he grew tired of me? Weeks, months? And what then? Would I be fired? Would he keep me on and force me to go back to being his assistant?

The thought of that was brutal after what we’d shared. I’d have to just put aside all the memories of the time we’d spent together, and pretend none of it had mattered to me.

I looked down at the pregnancy test in my hand and inhaled deeply through my nose as I waited for my eyes to focus. And when they did, my heart skipped and dropped at the same time.

I was pregnant.

Chapter 24

Oliver

“Dinner?” she said looking up at me with exhaustion in her face.

“Yeah, dinner,” I replied with a grin. “Why not?”

“I’m pretty tired,” she sighed, turning away. “I think I could do with a night to myself.”

“Please, I’ve barely seen you the last couple of weeks,” I protested. “It’ll be fun, I promise.”

She looked up at me, brow furrowed.

“Why?” she demanded.

I cocked an eyebrow at her.

“Do I have to have a reason?”

“I thought we were keeping this quiet,” she reminded me, waving her hand between the two of us. “Just between us.”

“Well, there hasn’t been a whole lot between us the last month,” I pointed out, trying my best not to sound like an asshole but fearing I’d failed. “I want a chance to remedy that.”

“Sure you’re not busy?” she shot back, and there was an edge to her voice that told me there was something to the question that I was missing out on.

“Yeah, I’m sure,” I nodded. “I’ll book us a table somewhere quiet. I’ll have you back to your place by ten. I promise.”

She paused for a moment, eyeing me slowly. Then she shrugged.

“Yeah, sure, why not,” she finally responded. “Shall we go straight from work?”

“Um, maybe not.” I shook my head “Not sure if I want the whole office seeing us together.”

“Of course,” she muttered under her breath. “Whatever. Just send me the address.”

“Perfect,” I said happily, and she finally managed a smile back in my direction. “I can’t wait.”

I went to place a hand on her waist and steal a quick kiss before we went back to work, but she turned and headed through the door before I had a chance.

I frowned. I had no idea what was going on with her, but it was beginning to get under my skin. It had started a couple of weeks before like someone had flicked a switch that turned off the passion we had been feeling up to that point.

I wanted to catch her, to tell her she didn’t have to be like this, and that we could actually be open and public about what was happening between the two of us, but I didn’t want to dump all that on her before she was ready. Besides, it was a big deal, and I was a man for spectacle. This dinner would be the perfect time to let her know my intentions and tell her I was ready to announce our relationship to the entire world.

The thought made my heart flip with excitement. Even though she’d been distant, I knew my feelings for her were more potent than ever, and I couldn’t wait to see what would happen when we came out publicly.

Neil knew, of course, and while it had taken him a little while beyond that initial meeting to come to terms with things, he supported Mona and me. I had asked him not to drop hints to her about it, so I could break the news myself, and he had kept his mouth shut. That didn’t absolve me from the odd, teasing comment from him every once in a while, but I didn’t mind. I liked being reminded of Mona, of what we shared, even if things had cooled a little recently.

Maybe she was just getting frustrated with our arrangement to keep things under wraps. If she felt the same way I did, she was anxious to get on with a real and lasting relationship. I found myself thinking about taking that road trip she had always wanted to take for her honeymoon, meeting my family and her’s, going to dinner with Jennifer and Neil, and laughing together over a bottle of wine, my hand on her leg beneath the table.

I busied myself with work during the day and booked a table at a cool Italian bistro across town for later that evening. I’d been there plenty of times before. It was the kind of place I would bring my family when they were in town, a place you brought people you weren’t trying to impress because you didn’t have to.

It was a perfect place to reveal what I had done over the last couple of weeks. I wanted to blurt it out to her, just to get it out there, but I knew that wasn’t going to work. I wanted to show her how much she meant to me, that I wanted everyone to know we were together, once and for all.

She offered me a tight smile as she left her office to go home, and I smiled broadly back. Her new position had been stressful for her, and I knew a night out, just the two of us, would put the pieces back together for us.

I sent a car to pick her up from her apartment. I wanted to make everything about this night perfect.

I sat in the restaurant, waiting for her to arrive, and drummed my fingers on the table, glancing around. The waitresses were shooting me looks that suggested they thought I had been stood up. They were wrong. She would be coming. She wouldn’t stand me up. Would she?

Suddenly, the door opened, and I got to my feet. The place was small. There were only a handful of other diners there, and a few of them looked up to see what the commotion was about. Mona looked gorgeous. She wore a floaty, turquoise dress I had never seen before, and it skimmed over her perfect body in ways that made me want to run my hands all over her.

She smiled nervously when she saw me and tucked a stray wave of hair behind her ear as she made her way over to our table. I pulled out her chair for her, and she sat down, glancing up at me in thanks.

“This place is nice,” she said, glancing around. “Not your usual kind of place, though.”

“Why not?” I asked as a waitress arrived to hand us our menus.

She waved her hand around, searching for the right words.

“I don’t know. Not grand enough for you.”

“I’m not all about big spectacles, you know.”

I cocked my head to the side and smiled.

“There’s something I do need to tell you.”

She held her hand up as she examined her menu.

“Let me get some food in me first.”

She glanced up at me, and I saw that smile that I realized I’d been missing in the last few weeks.

“You’ll need a full stomach,” I teased.

“Sure what you want to tell me won’t turn it?” she shot back. “Everything looks so good. What do you usually have?”

“As much as I can fit,” I replied. “Shall we get a selection of dishes so you can try a bunch?”

“That sounds perfect,” she agreed.

“And a bottle of wine?” I asked, gesturing for the waitress to come over.

Mona shifted uncomfortable in her seat.

“No, no wine for me, thanks,” she said, shaking her head. “I’m not drinking at the moment.

“Whatever you want,” I said. “You mind if I have a glass?”

“Of course not, go ahead.”

I ordered, and a short while later, the food was sitting out in front of us, a spread fit for a king.

She looked down at it, closed her eyes, and inhaled deeply.

“Wow, it smells so good,” she sighed as she began to dig in. “I’m starving.”

I watched her for a moment, the woman I loved, and I was so pleased that I had good news to share with her. It felt as though everything up until this point had been leading to this very moment.

I took a deep breath and she looked up at me, curiously.

“So,” she began, sensing that this was the moment. “What is it you brought me here to tell me?”

“I wanted to make sure everything was perfect.” I grinned at her. “I wanted everything to be in place when I told you.”

“Told me what?”

She cocked her head at me and I took a deep breath, smiling at the news I was about to deliver.

“I don’t know where to start,” I said and shook my head. “I broke everything off with all the women I was seeing, every single one. Not that I was really with any of them in the first place, at least not when we got together, but I closed off those doors, once and for all.”

“Is that what…” she began, a look of understanding dawning on her face. “Is that what those appointments were in your schedule? You were just meeting with them to break things off?”

“Of course,” I replied, furrowing my brow. “What did you think they were?”

“I thought…I thought you were still seeing them. I thought you were dating them at the same time you were dating me.”

“Oh no! Of course I wasn’t.” I reached across the table to take her hand. “As soon as we got together, I knew you were the only one for me. I was certain.”

“Whew,” she breathed, shaking her head and looking down at the table.

I squeezed her hand, looking for a reaction, and she squeezed back after a moment’s pause. I smiled and went on.

“And I told Neil.”

Her eyes bugged out of her head, and her mouth opened in surprise.

“You told him?” she gasped, as though she couldn’t quite believe it herself.

“Of course I did,” I nodded. “After what happened with Jeannie…”

“She called me, you know,” Mona interrupted, and my stomach flipped. “She called me before we got together, and she told me that no matter what, I shouldn’t fall for you.”

“Seriously?” I widened my eyes. “She should never have been able to get a hold of you. There’s a restraining order.”

“And I knew I should have listened to her, but I couldn’t resist.” she said, half-chuckling to herself.

“It was different with her,” I assured her. “It was never like it was with you. That’s why Neil was so against us being together, because he thought I’d just be repeating what happened last time.”

“And are you?”

She looked at me, eyes nervous.

“No, never,” I replied at once. “Jeannie and I never got this far. I never felt for her the way I do for you, not even close. I regret everything that happened between her and me, and that’s why I held off on going after you for so long.”

“You didn’t want to do it again,” she finished for me. “And what did Neil have to say about it?”

“Neil…” I trailed off, not sure how to finish the sentence. “Neil wasn’t happy about it at first, but he’s turned around. No one else at the company knows, but he does, and he’s fine with it, and that’s all that matters.”

“I guess if both the owners approve…”

She shot me one of her irresistible, mischievous smiles.

“Yeah, basically,” I laughed.

“How did you convince Neil?” she asked, running her finger around the rim of her glass. “He doesn’t strike me as the kind of guy who’d be easily swayed.”

“I told him that I loved you,” I replied, bluntly, and her finger came to a complete halt.

She looked up at me, her jaw slowly dropping, as though a thousand words were hanging at the opening of her luscious lips. It seemed as though everything around us had come to a sudden and complete halt, the waitresses slowing, the other diners quieting, even the flicker of the candles suddenly growing distant and muted.

The entire world held its breath as I waited for her to answer, and then, at last, she did.

“I love you too,” she murmured, as though it was a revelation. She looked up at me and repeated herself. “I love you too.”

I leaned across the table, unable to restrain myself any longer, and planted a firm kiss on the corner of her mouth. She squeezed my hand again, as though she never wanted to let go, and when I pulled back, I saw her eyes sparkling with tears.

“Is everything all right?” I asked, frowning as she quickly swiped her hand along her face to dash the tears away.

“Yeah, it’s fine, it’s perfect,” she assured me, looking down at her food as though eating it was the last thing on her mind at that moment.

She inhaled a long, shaky breath, as though she was about to deliver some disturbing news.

“There’s something I have to tell you.”

She forced herself to look up into my eyes, and I felt my stomach flip.

What was it? Was there someone else? Did she have a secret life she had neglected to tell me about? Was everything about to change, just as I’d arrived at the place I wanted to be?

“What is it?” I asked, my grip tightening on her hand as though I was afraid she might slip away if I let go.

“I’m pregnant.”

Chapter 25

Mona

All I could feel as the words escaped from my mouth were two things, complete panic and the grip of his hand on mine.

He stared at me for a moment, his face blank. Then shock passed over his face, followed by fear, followed by a series of emotions I wasn’t skilled enough to decipher.

He looked away from me, the food in front of us forgotten, and I realized I was holding my breath as I waited for him to respond.

Oh, please don’t let this be the end of us. Not after everything. Not after all you’ve done.

“Pregnant,” he repeated the word, as though testing out how it sounded on his lips. “You’re pregnant?”

“Yes,” I whispered, hoping no one around us was privy to our conversation. This was too personal, too much for anyone else to hear.

“But we…”

He shook his head.

“We always used condoms. I was always safe.”

“I know, that’s what I thought,” I sighed. “But they’re not one hundred percent effective. Nothing is. It can happen.”

“I know that, I just…”

He shook his head again like he was trying to reboot his brain so he could better make sense of what was going on.

Are you sure it’s mine?”

“It couldn’t have been anyone else’s,” I replied. “You’re the only guy I’ve been with since I started work for you.”

“How far are you along?” he asked, as he tried to give shape to the rest of the questions he knew he had to ask.

“A few weeks, at most,” I replied. “I only found out a couple of weeks ago.”

“Why didn’t you tell me before?” he asked, his voice dropping slightly. “Why didn’t you tell me as soon as you found out?”

“I didn’t know how,” I replied, truthfully, and then paused, wondering if I should tell him the next bit.

“And I thought you were still dating all those women,” I admitted. “I thought I was just… I thought you were just keeping me around for fun. And I didn’t want you to think I was pushing you to commit to me by making this up.”

“My mind would never have gone there,” he replied, stoically, but I could see the panic in his eyes. “So what do we do?”

“What do you want to do?” I asked nervously.

“Have you thought about it?” he asked, cocking his head. “Have you decided what you want to do with the baby?”

“Yes,” I nodded, breathless. “But I want your answer. Before I give you mine. Just tell me.”

He stared at me for a long while, and I shifted in my seat, laying my hand on my stomach as I did so. I knew it was way too early to feel the baby move, but in my head, I pretended I could, pretended it was reaching out its hand to comfort me in this time of need.

“I want it,” he replied, slowly lifting his gaze to meet mine.

I let out a long breath I didn’t realize I’d been holding, and it felt as though my entire body was relaxing after spending two weeks wound up like a top.

I thought back to sitting alone on that bathroom floor, staring at the pregnancy test, knowing my life had changed forever.

I remembered wanting to unwrap time to make it not so, and I remembered slowly, but surely, coming to terms with the fact I wanted this baby, no matter how he felt about it.

Now, I would remember this moment as part of that. The moment Oliver told me he wanted the baby, that he wanted me, and that he loved me. That he had gone out on a limb and risked his business and his relationship with Neil, just to make sure we could be together.

As dates went, it was one of the better ones. I laughed out loud, and he managed to crack a smile, although he still looked a little shaky on his feet.

“What is it?” he asked, and I shook my head and covered my mouth.

“I know it’s…” I trailed off, searching for the words. “This has just been a lot, that’s all. I guess the hormones are making me emotional.”

“Or the… emotions are?” he teased gently, nudging his knees against mine beneath the table. “Is that why you were so off the last couple of weeks? Because you knew about this and didn’t want to tell me about it?”

“Partly, yeah,” I nodded, the giggles settling down at last. “I thought you were inviting me out tonight so you could dump me for good.”

“You think I’d spring for a table here just so I could dump you?” he shot back playfully. “I’d have picked somewhere much less fancy than this.”

“Noted,” I managed with an enormous grin breaking over my face. “So, if we ever end up in a crappy, roadside diner…”

“Then you’ll know what’s coming,” he replied. “Unless we are on that road trip that you always wanted to go on.”

“The one I wanted for my honeymoon?” I confirmed, and he nodded.

“Well, we’ve got plenty of time for that.”

He laced his fingers through mine across the table, and suddenly I felt a very different kind of appetite wake up somewhere deep inside me. I saw a flash in his eyes that told me he felt it too. It had been a long time since we’d last hooked up, and I had to admit, I missed it a whole lot more than I thought I would.

“Shall we get out of here?” he asked, and I looked over the array of food we had barely touched.

“Let’s eat first,” I suggested. “Make sure we’ve got all the energy we need.”

“Sounds good.”

He grinned, releasing my hand and turning his attention to the pile of food in front of us.

“We’re going to need it.”

We ate quickly and spent the whole time talking about the food, the restaurant, the business, and things that all normal couples shared with each other on a regular basis.

It felt so good, I could have burst into tears with joy. I had never realized just how comforting and wonderful a normal life could be when I gave it a chance. This felt so, so right.

We finished up, and he paid. He rang for a cab before we headed outside. He asked that it take us to his place, just like I was hoping.

“It’s been so long since I was at your apartment,” I said as he snaked his arms around me from behind.

He let his hands rest on my belly, and for a moment, all carnal thought dropped out of my head as I considered the depth of it. Our baby, the baby we were going to have and raise together.

He kissed my neck gently, and it sent the most delicious shiver up my spine. He still knew exactly how I liked to be touched.

I tilted my head back to look up at him, and he stared back down at me, and finally, after what felt like a lifetime, he leaned down to kiss me. I turned around to press my body full-on against his, to feel his strong chest against mine. It had been so long since we’d kissed like this, with intention, and I loved the way it felt.

He slipped his tongue into my mouth and met mine, and it was like we were talking without words, exchanging all the things we’d wanted to say so badly over the last few weeks but hadn’t been able to.

I’m not sure how long we stood out on that street kissing, but it felt like the stars and moon had vanished, and the sun had risen a thousand times by the time we pulled apart. He leaned down to kiss me lightly one last time on the lips, and then looked up to see the car coming.

“Let’s get you home,” he murmured, pulling open the door for me as the car came to a stop next to us.

“Ever the gentleman,” I teased.

“Not for long, if I can help it,” he breathed in response, quiet enough that only I could hear him.

He leaned forward to give the driver the address and reached over to tuck a hand between my thighs. There was something possessive about the gesture, but I didn’t mind that one bit. It was what I had wanted all along.

It didn’t matter who saw him touch me like that because he was allowed. No one could stop us now, and the thought was invigorating. No hiding from everyone, no ducking all the people we knew for fear that our secret might get out. Now, the only thing we had to discuss was when we were going to tell people I was pregnant.

We arrived back at his apartment, and he helped me out of the car.

“I’m perfectly capable of moving by myself, you know,” I grumbled, good-naturedly, and he shrugged.

“Just practicing for when you’re the size of a house,” he teased, and I brushed his hand away.

“If you say anything like that to me again,” I warned playfully, “I’m going to head up to my parents’ house for the length of this pregnancy, and that’ll be that.”

“Suits me,” he teased, and we stepped into the elevator that led to his penthouse apartment.

We exchanged a little look, our expectant, excited expressions reflected dozens of times in the glass that surrounded us. I wanted to kiss him again, but before I knew it, we’d arrived in his apartment, the elevator doors opening onto the sleek space.

He leaned down and scooped me up, making me squeal, and I wrapped my arms around his neck for support. It felt appropriate, him carrying me like this, because since we’d hooked up in London, it felt as though my feet hadn’t hit the ground once.

He carried me to the bedroom and lay me down carefully on the bed. This time felt different from the rough, hard sex we’d indulged in since London, and the softness of his touch was making my heart beat almost painfully hard against my chest. Something about the gentleness was just as tantalizing as the rough times.

He grabbed me by the hips and pulled me forward, down the bed, so that my legs were dangling off the edge. He placed his hands on either side of me so he could kiss me once more. It was an almost chaste kiss. As our lips met, he slipped his hand between my thighs and under my panties, finding my clit in one swift motion and making me gasp and lift my head from the covers, pressing into the kiss even further.

He let his hand trail down slightly and pushed his fingers inside me. I was already wet, and he entered me with ease. I lifted my hips to make the penetration easier and let my head fall back so he could kiss my neck, kiss down my throat, kiss toward my breasts until his face was buried in my cleavage.

With his other hand, he pulled down the top of my dress and pulled each one of my nipples into his mouth in turn, going slow and steady but making me squirm with pleasure as he grazed his teeth across my swollen, aching flesh.

I wasn’t sure if it was the pregnancy or just the fact we hadn’t done this in a while, but it felt like every touch was twice as sensitive as it had ever been.

“I want to taste your pussy,” he murmured in my ear. “It’s all I’ve been able to think about, ever since you walked into the restaurant in this dress”

He skimmed his hand over the fabric that was still clinging to my waist, and I moaned at his words. The thought of his obscenely talented tongue between my legs was almost too much to take, but I knew that’s what I needed.

He bit lightly on my right breast one last time, shooting me a playful look as he did so, and then slid down, down, pushing up my skirt and pulling off my panties in what had to be a well-practiced motion. He knelt between my legs on the floor and pushed my knees back, looking at me, from my face to my pussy, then back to my face again, before he finally leaned in and kissed my clit.

“Mmm…”

I wriggled on the bed, closing my eyes and reaching down to touch him.

“Not yet.”

He brushed my hands away lightly, and I could feel the cool touch of his breath against my pussy as he spoke. “Don’t move. No hands. I want this to be all about you…”

I balled my hands into fists at my sides, doing as I was told at once. When it came to the bedroom, he always seemed to know exactly what to do, and I wasn’t going to argue with that.

He sealed his lips around my clit once more, and I let out a sudden, sharp breath that shuddered through my whole system. He sucked lightly, flicking his tongue against my sensitive nub, over and over again, before suddenly releasing the pressure and pulling back. He flattened his tongue to deliver quick, soft, strokes to every inch of my pussy – over my clit, my slit, my lips. He tilted his head from side to side to lightly suck on the outside, the newness of the sensation rippling through my body before he returned his attentions to my clit.

It was all I could do not to reach down to touch him, but I knew this would only get more intense. I had to trust him and myself and let the feelings wash over and through me without trying to take control.

“You taste so good,” he groaned and flicked his gaze up to meet mine.

His eyes were hot with desire, and just the sight of them burning into mine was enough to make me want to lean down and grab him and get him to fuck me right then and there.

But he wasn’t done with me yet.

As he focused back in on my clit once more, I couldn’t help but find myself reminded of the very first time we’d had sex back in London, and how similar this was – him between my legs, me on my back on a bed that wasn’t my own, panting and squirming and desperately needing him.

Except for this time, there was none of the uncertainty, none of the worry or fear of what would happen when it was over and we returned to our real lives back in the US. This was pure, good, and safe, without any doubt occupying space in my mind.

I knew I had picked the right man, and suddenly, that feeling overwhelmed me. The combination of the physical stimulation and that knowledge rendered me useless as I came hard, all at once against his mouth. I let out a cry of pleasure, wriggling against the sheets, and he slowed his tongue until it was still against my clit.

I could feel myself pulsing against him and looked down to find him regarding me with something close to amusement.

“What is it?” I asked, panting slightly as I came down from the high of the orgasm.

“I just love seeing you come,” he replied, softly, moving from between my legs and climbing on top of me once more. “Come on, let’s get this dress off.”

“Agreed,” I replied, and he leaned down to pull the fabric up and off over my head, dumping it on the floor next to us.

“Can I use my hands now?” I asked as I watched him begin to unbutton his shirt.

He grinned that wolfish smile that I knew all too well.

“Not yet,” he replied, and I was forced to run my hands along my own legs, just to feel the comfort of some skin under my fingers.

He tossed his shirt on the floor to join my dress, and I gazed up at him on top of me, This confident, powerful man, a man who wanted to be with me, a man who had put everything at risk to make sure I was a part of his life. It was one of the sweetest and the hottest moments of my life, and I had to dig my fingernails into my palms to keep from grabbing him, pushing him down on the bed, and mounting him right there and then.

“What is this for?” I asked as he pulled off his pants and underwear. “Not being able to touch you like this?”

“Because I want this to be all about you,” he replied, catching my chin between his thumb and forefinger and tilting it up toward me.

“But it’s painful not being able to touch you,” she begged.

“We’ll soon put an end to that,” he replied softly, and he reached to get a condom out of his drawer – and then stopped.

“Can we… go without?” he asked, looking down at me with one eyebrow raised.

I bit my lip and nodded.

“I want you to,” I replied, my voice barely a whisper.

I let my eyes drift down his body, from his broad shoulders to his strong chest to his rock-hard cock. I had to fight every natural instinct in my body not to reach down and grab him already. He saw where my eyes were lingering, and didn’t need any more encouragement. He slid up and between my legs, gripping himself with one hand and catching my wrists in the other.

I loved how much bigger he was than me, how he bore down on me until every part of me was buried in his shadow. I felt him pressing against my slit, and then all at once, he was inside me.

I groaned and lifted my back off the bed below me, his cock feeling almost painfully good inside me. Is this what all pregnancy sex felt like? Because if it did, I was going to have a pretty hard time keeping my head in the game, knowing this kind of pleasure was pretty much on tap for me for the next nine months.

He held my hands down, and I clasped my fingers around what little skin of his I could actually reach. It wasn’t much, but it was enough, and he had been right – the fact that I couldn’t touch him made every motion feel that much deeper and more intimate.

He pushed himself up with one hand, looking down at me, and I committed every shift in his expression to memory.

His gaze fell to my lips and he leaned down to kiss me again, his tongue flicking into my mouth so fast, I almost didn’t notice it was happening. He pulled back, smiling wickedly, and pulled out of me all at once.

“Wha-” I began, but he brushed his thumb over my lips to silence me as he moved behind me, pulled me against him in a spooning position, and entered me again like that.

“Ah!” I cried out, and I reached behind me without thinking, to cradle his head in my hands, but he caught them and held them above my head, his other hand on my hip as he fucked me from behind.

The feeling was almost too much. His hand traveled up and over my body, across my stomach, over my breasts, briefly running up my throat. Every touch felt explosive, and I wasn’t sure how much longer I could hold out. I could already feel another orgasm building inside me, my body buckling beneath his slow thrusts and gentle touch.

“I’ve wanted to be with you for so long,” he murmured into my ear. “You have no idea…”

I could only let out a soft groan in response, and he pulled my hair away from my skin for a moment, so he could kiss my neck unencumbered.

That was it. As his lips brushed my throat, I felt something inside me burst, the orgasm spreading out like warmth from between my legs and enveloping my entire body. I shivered against him, my pussy pulsing around his cock, my mouth opening and closing as I tried to give sound to what I was feeling.

He released my hands at last, and I reached back to touch him, running my hands greedily over every bit of him that I could reach as he tucked his arm beneath me and pulled me close so he could fuck me deeper and harder than before. A few moments later, he bottomed out inside me, pressing his forehead against the back of my shoulder and letting out a long, soft groan.

We held ourselves there for a moment before he slowly released himself and pulled away. He unwrapped me from his arms, and I rolled to my side, turning so I could shoot him a coy look from the corner of my eye.

He ran his hand up my bare back and smiled at me, almost shyly. It was a strikingly vulnerable expression, maybe the most down-to-earth I’d ever seen him.

“What is it?” he asked, wrapping a strand of hair around his finger.

“I just…” I trailed off, searching for the words. “I’m just happy, that’s all.”

“Me too,” he sighed and flipped onto his back, pulling me against his chest.

I closed my eyes and listened to the beat of his heart through his chest, letting it comfort me as my breathing slowed and my body returned to normal.

“You know I’m going to be here for you, right?” He pressed his face against my hair, inhaling briefly. “I was always going to be. No matter what decision you made about the baby or what happened between us.”

“I didn’t know that,” I admitted. “But I do now, and I’m never going to forget it.”

“Damn straight,” he teased, and then fell silent for a moment.

“What’s up?” I asked. It wasn’t like him to shut up so suddenly.

“I’m just thinking about everything that’s still to come,” he said softly, running his hand over the small of my back. “Don’t worry about it.”

“You know, we’re a team now,” I reminded him. “Anything that you’re worrying about, I’m worrying about.”

“Fair point,” he admitted. “I’m just wondering if you should move in here. You know, it’s closer to the office, and it’s got enough room for a child. If we turned the study into a nursery…”

“You really want me to move in with you?” I propped myself up on his chest so I could look him in the eye.

“I guess I do,” he said and grinned nervously. It was the first time I’d seen him express any vulnerability.

I looked back at him for a moment, at this man who I’d invested so much of my life in. Not only was he my boss, but he was my boyfriend, and he was going to be the father of my child.

“Then, I guess I’ll say yes,” I replied with a small smile.

He leaned in to kiss me, his grip tightening on the small of my back. I took his face in my hands, kissing him back indulgently, but I pulled away before things could go any further, holding a finger up in front of his face.

“I get some say in decoration, though,” I clarified.

“What’s wrong with this place?” he protested.

“It’s just a little… billionaire bachelor pad,” I explained, furrowing my brow “That’s not exactly my style.”

“I’ll accept that,” he sighed. “God, you’re going to change everything, aren’t you?”

“As though I haven’t already,” I pointed out with a cocked head and a grin.

“Fair point.” He kissed the top of my head and closed his eyes. “I don’t mind one bit. Change everything.”

“I love you,” I replied, and felt myself drifting off into a deep, warm, comforting sleep.

Chapter 26

Oliver

“So, we’ll be there at around seven?” I suggested, and Neil nodded.

“We’re looking forward to having you,” he agreed. “It better not best not go down like last time.”

“Hey, I can’t promise anything.” I held my hands up defensively. “Talk to Jennifer, not me.”

He shook his head and stretched.

“See the two of you on Saturday?”

“Yeah, you will.”

I nodded and ducked out, glancing down the corridor to check that no one followed me. Then, I headed down to Mona’s office. It was still felt strange to be visiting her there, even though it had been months now.

It had been a while since I was last down here. She didn’t like to remind people at work we were together, as she felt it took away some of her legitimacy. Though, it didn’t bother her enough to keep her from accepting a promotion to a higher up position than anyone could have expected so soon after starting at the company.

It had nothing to do with me, even though she still didn’t believe it. After coming out about our relationship, it had been executively decided that her continuing to work as my assistant would be something of a liability, so she was moved to cover the maternity leave for the assistant of Tanya Grey, our head of marketing. Soon enough, she had worked her way up the system and impressed everyone enough that she landed a position of her own.

She was an executive advertising assistant, which basically meant she helped put together most of our ad campaigns and chose the companies and artists we worked with. She was killing it so far, and I made sure the position would be open to her when she was returned from her own maternity leave, which she always seemed to be putting off no matter how many times I suggested she take it easy already.

She was reluctant, and I couldn’t say I blamed her. She was doing so well, soaring so high, why would she want to take a step back now when this was everything she’d worked so hard for?

I knocked on her door and stuck my head inside. She glanced up from what she was doing and smiled when she laid eyes on me. I loved being the focus of her smile, the center of her universe.

“Mind if I disturb you?” I asked, leaning half way in the door.

“Not at all,” she said gesturing for me to come in. “I could use a break.”

I sat down, and she got to her feet to close the door behind me. I sprang up to take care of it for her, brushing her back in the direction of her seat.

“I don’t want you standing up when you don’t have to,” I fussed. “Relax. Take the weight off your feet. It won’t kill you.”

“Neither will closing a door,” she remarked, laughing, but she did as I asked.

I knew she was perfectly capable of looking after herself, but that didn’t matter. Every time she did anything even vaguely strenuous, all I could think about was the stress it must be putting on the baby.

She was getting big, too. Five months gone and her stomach pushed straight out from her torso like a watermelon.

“You know, I didn’t think the first office clothes I was going to treat myself to would be maternity wear,” she remarked as she saw where my eyes were dawdling.

I grinned and shook my head.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to stare,” I apologized. “Can I…?”

I reached my hands out, and she swung her chair around so I could reach her bump. I placed my hands on it lightly, remembering the very first time I’d done it, standing outside the restaurant all those months ago, just minutes after she’d told me she was pregnant and we decided we wanted to go ahead with it.

It felt like so long ago now. So much had happened since then, but I still treasured that memory. Just like I treasured all my memories with her, and would treasure the memories we made with the baby as well.

“You ready for tonight?” she asked.

I nodded.

“Ready as I’ll ever be,” I sighed. “I’m not good at this kind of stuff. You know that.”

“I do, but you’re going to have to learn to be,” she teased. “When I’m running this department-”

“If,” I reminded her. “It’s not set in stone yet.”

“Oh, yeah?”

She cocked an eyebrow and gestured around.

“I got this far, didn’t I?”

“Yeah, but you’ll have to take at least a little time off for the baby,” I teased.

“Just to have him or her, and then I’m back at work,” she reminded me, covering my hands with her’s. “You’re house-husbanding, remember?”

“I know, I know,” I faux-sighed as if it hadn’t been all my idea in the first place.

It had taken a couple months of wrangling to figure it out, but we finally decided on me staying at home to look after the baby the first few months. It wasn’t like we were short on money, and besides, I could do with the time off. She was the one building her career from the ground up, and that wouldn’t jive too well if she took time off now to raise our child.

I knew a few people at the office who thought I was crazy for agreeing to something like that but fuck it. It was none of their business in the first place, and honestly, at my age, the thought of taking some time away from work to do nothing but spend time with my new baby was pretty damn attractive.

“You know, Mom called again today.” She rolled her eyes, good-naturedly. “I know she means well, but damn, can that woman talk.”

“You still think she’s going to be on the phone to me every day about the baby?”

“Not even about the baby,” she said. “Just in general. You know how much she loves you.”

“How could she not?” I shot back.

“You’re lucky. I can’t imagine there are many other forty-something dudes who could knock up her daughter and still stay in her good books.”

“Yeah, I’m not sure how we pulled that one off,” I admitted, and I was telling the truth.

I’d dreaded meeting Mona’s family, given the circumstances of how we’d gotten together and the accelerated pace of our relationship, but when we drove down there a couple months ago, I found her whole family to be kind and welcoming.

Yes, it had taken her father a little while to get over the fact I was nearly the same age as him, but soon enough, he had given up on the jokes and seemed to get over it. Her mother, though she got me to swear I would never tell Mona, told me if I hadn’t made her daughter so happy, she would have kicked me to the curb so fast my head would have been spinning. She also let me know she’d be keeping an eye on me as long as Mona and I were together. She had to admit, though, that anyone dating her daughter would have faced the same treatment, so I didn’t think too much of it.

Eventually, her mother and I became good friends, thanks to our shared love of classic cars and old movies, and Mona had a hard time having a conversation with her without being asked if she could talk to me, too. Honestly, I was open to hearing any tips and tricks on parenting because I had no clue where to begin.

Mona met my family, too, though that went a little less smoothly. They were aware of the Jeannie affair, and I guess they saw this relationship as nothing more than an extension of that. She was about three months into the pregnancy when she met them and already starting to show, so it wasn't as if we could pretend like it was nothing serious.

There was no arguing that both of us were in this for the long haul, like it or not, and I suspected that maybe my family thought she was trying to pin me down with a baby to get a hold of my money. And I was too doe-eyed and in love to see what she was doing. It took a lot of convincing to assure them that wasn’t the case, but we got there in the end.

My family was a lot less expressive than hers, so the most we saw from any of them indicating their approval was a tight smile or a pat on the back every now and then. I would take it, though, as long as they would agree to be a part of my our child’s life when the time came.

While they might not have approved of Mona and me, they were beyond excited at the thought of having a little one in the family. It would be my parents’ first grandchild, and I knew no matter how much they disapproved, they were ridiculously excited at the thought of having a baby in the family.

“I should probably get back to work,” sighed Mona. “I’ve got so much to put together for the launch tonight, I don’t want to get distracted.”

“I’ll see you at home?” I suggested, leaning over to plant a kiss on her temple.

She closed her eyes and leaned into the kiss, smiling softly, and nodded.

“Yeah, that sounds good,” she agreed and fluttered her fingers at me as I made my way out the door.

I closed it behind me and paused for a moment. It seemed absurd to me that I could be this happy, this content. I spent my whole life chasing down this business, chasing down women, chasing down anything I thought would make me happy, even if only for a split second. I poured all my time and effort into hunting down a lifestyle I convinced myself suited the kind of person I was – booze, women, and success, success, success.

All of that left me feeling empty, as though there was something fundamentally missing in my life, something I had never been able to put my finger on, because who wouldn’t want to live the life I had built? Who wouldn’t want to have a half-dozen gorgeous, successful, brilliant women on speed-dial at any given time? Who wouldn’t want to run an enormous business like this one that came with all the perks and rewards that Artemis offered? Who wouldn’t want to spend their days working alongside their best friend?

I convinced myself that I was happy like that, but looking back, I knew I wasn’t. I had never truly been happy before Mona. Everything was a façade.

A warmth, deep in my soul, started as soon as we settled down together. I spent so long chasing after the life I thought I should have instead of taking the time to think about what kind of life I really wanted. Now, it seemed like this one with Mona, where I would get to spend as much time as possible at home with our child, was about the best one I could think of.

I headed back to my office and finished off my work for the day. I wanted to have plenty of time to get ready for the launch tonight. Truth be told, I was finding it harder and harder to find the motivation to stay late in the office these days.

Before, I had myself convinced that was the best thing for me to do because time at the office translated into financial success. None of that was as important anymore, though, and I found myself craving the comfort of the apartment I shared with Mona.

She moved into my old place briefly, but it soon became clear that it wasn’t a practical place to raise a baby. So, I took my savings and spent a good chunk of it on a stunning townhouse for the three of us, not far from the city center.

It was close enough to work that the commute wasn’t too terrible for Mona, but far enough away that I felt I was actually putting some space between me and the office when I returned to it in the evening. I had to admit, it was beyond fun putting the place together, finding ways our personal styles jived with each other’s to create something that was utterly and completely our own.

We set up the nursery in bright, gender-neutral yellow, as we didn’t know the sex of the baby yet and didn’t want to. We decorated the walls with a mixture of my minimalist art and her quirky, modern paintings.

We weren’t far from Neil and Jennifer, and we found ourselves around at their place at least once a week for dinner. I knew Neil was glad I’d finally settled down, as it meant we actually saw a little more of each other. We were no longer squeezing in time between the many women I had on the go.

Neil and I met back in college, where we got on so well because we were at similar points in our lives, and had similar goals. Now the same thing was happening again. It made me happy we were becoming close again.

I turned off my computer after sending out the last of my emails and took a step away from the desk to look out the window. It would be strange not coming here every day, but it was exciting. I never thought I would be able to say that and mean it.

I couldn’t believe how much my life had changed since she walked into it, barely ten months ago now. The nights were getting shorter, and I was reminded that only a year ago, I’d been dealing with the Jeannie fiasco. After all that I swore to myself and anyone who would listen that I would never, ever, ever date someone who worked for me again.

And now here I was.

I grinned to myself as I left the office to walk back to our place. I was getting a lot more exercise these days in preparation for the amount of time, effort, and energy I was going to have to devote to raising our baby. I had already committed myself to the late-night feedings so Mona would be rested for work, and I figured now was as good a time as any to get fit. After all I’d been saying I would for years. As an added bonus, it made our sex life that much better, as I was more flexible and could bend into unlikely positions, as well as picking her up so I could fuck her standing up.

In fact, only a few days before, we’d had a pre-work quickie against the refrigerator, and even now, I could hear her desperate little moans in my ear. Yeah, that was a good one, but then again, they were all good.

I arrived back at our place and went to the fridge to grab some leftovers, then upstairs to choose a suit for tonight.

I looked forward to a time when I would be able to hang up my suit jackets and wear more casual outfits., even though I knew Mona loved me in my suits.

Not that I would have a whole lot of time to think about fashion while I was running around after a little one. At least, that’s what Mona’s mom kept warning me.

I got dressed slowly, taking my time, doing up the buttons carefully, one-by-one, and pulling out a jacket I knew would go perfectly with the gray shirt I’d chosen for the occasion.

I always put the effort in when it came to stuff like this because I knew it meant a lot to Mona. She carefully planned every detail of these events to make them seem effortless and run smoothly, and the least I could do in return was put my glad rags on.

Besides, she liked me in a suit. It brought us back to the days when she was my assistant. I had been her boss, and we came up with some very enticing role play, when the urge to relive those days struck.

I looked at myself in the mirror. I had never felt this content in my life before. Even though the Masterson group signing on with the company led to more work than I’d ever had before, it didn’t matter because we had laid all the groundwork for the future of the company ahead of time.

I didn’t know why I waited this long to take some time off. The place wouldn’t fall apart without me. We had a great team. It was a strong ship.

Besides I wouldn’t be far away. That’s what I kept telling myself and my family – Mona, Neil, anyone who thought I was sacrificing an enormous part of myself to do this.

I couldn’t believe, at this time in human history, that a man leaving work to look after a baby was such a big deal, but it was. I couldn’t have given less of a damn. I was finally going after what made me truly happy.

I rolled my shoulders back, ran my fingers through my hair, and grinned at myself. Yeah, I was looking pretty good, and I was looking forward to going out tonight with Mona on my arm. She was the start of it all, my true beginning, and I would never forget that.

I pulled open the top drawer of my wardrobe and rummaged under my socks to pull out a small, square box.

Popping it open, I looked at the diamond ring glittering inside and felt my stomach flip with nervousness and excitement.

Suddenly, I heard the door open downstairs.

“Oli?” Mona called from the bottom of the stairs and I quickly closed up the box and stuffed it back in the drawer.

“Up here!” I called back and smiled as I heard her footsteps hurrying their way up the stairs.

Chapter 27

Mona

“How long has it been since we were last here?” I asked as I ran my finger along the rim of my glass.

It was only sparkling water, but they served it in fine crystal, which made me feel at least a little like I was having a grown-up drink. It had been months since I had so much as sniffed a beer, and I actually didn’t miss it nearly as much as I had thought I would.

“I don’t know,” he admitted, cocking his head and furrowing his brow as he tried to put his finger on it. “Maybe… was it when you told me?”

“It couldn’t be that long ago, could it?” I widened my eyes.

“I know, it doesn’t feel like that long ago,” he admitted.

“Jeepers, so much has happened since then.”

I leaned back and closed my eyes, thinking over everything that had transpired – the job, the townhouse, meeting each other’s families, moving in together.

“Definitely,” he replied, and there was a flicker in his eyes that I couldn’t explain.

“Come on, let’s get the bill and get out of here.” He called the waiter over, and soon enough, we had paid up, and he was helping me to my feet.

“I’m not an invalid, you know,” I grumbled, but honestly, I didn’t mind the attention. I was getting so big now that sometimes, I had trouble getting up in a hurry, and the hand on my elbow was comforting.

He wrapped an arm around my waist as we stepped out onto the street, and instead of flagging down a taxi, he turned a corner and started in a direction I didn’t recognize.

“Where are we going?” I asked, but I suspected that he wasn’t going to give me an answer.

“You’ll see.”

He flashed me a smile and raised his eyebrows playfully.

“Don’t worry, it’s not far.”

“Thank goodness,” I sighed.

My feet were already beginning to ache, but I didn’t care. I had a sneaking feeling about what was about to go down, and there was no way in hell sore feet were going to get in the way of it.

After a few minutes, we arrived outside a park. He glanced at me with a wide grin and gestured for me to go in. I did as he asked, moving in front of him, placing my hands on my stomach and sighing slightly into the cool evening air.

It was a nice night, the light from the street lamps surrounding us, bathing us in a warm, romantic glow.

The park was gorgeous. In front of us stretched a long, meandering path that led to an enormous fountain quietly babbling with water a few dozen feet away. The place was lined with trees from top to bottom.

I turned to find Oliver catching up with me, and he quickly found my hand.

“What’s going on?” I asked suspiciously, and he shrugged, playing at being casual.

“I just thought it might be nice to take a stroll after dinner,” he replied.

I rolled my eyes.

“Sure thing, Oliver,” I muttered, letting him know I knew there was something going on. I glanced around. “It’s really quiet here,” I remarked.

He looked at me with such adoration and I felt something flare up inside me. Maybe it was just the pregnancy hormones, but the urge to have him right then and there overwhelmed me in a way that I never would have expected.

“Shall we?”

He grinned, playfully, and I raised my eyebrows, questioning his seriousness.

I could have said no, but it would have been denying myself. Besides, the baby would be here in a matter of weeks. Why shouldn’t I indulge while I still had the time?

“We’ll have to be quick,” I giggled as he pulled me into the small thicket of trees that surrounded us. “Someone could come along any minute.”

“I know that,” he assured me and flipped me around, pressing me carefully against one of the thicker trunks around us, so as not to put too much pressure on my belly.

He leaned across and kissed the back of my neck, and I melted at his touch. It hardly seemed possible considering how good the sex was when we first started hooking up, but it had just gotten better and better since then.

He slipped his hand between my legs, and I parted them at once, welcoming him, needing him.

“Mmm, you’re so wet,” he purred into my ear.

I moaned softly. I didn’t care if someone walked by and heard us because, at that moment, all I wanted in the world was him inside me.

“Stand on your tip-toes,” he ordered and I did what I was told at once, lifting myself slightly out of my flats and biting my lip as he stroked my clit while he unzipped himself.

His fingers were soft and light, teasing, a precursor to the main event. Then, I felt him press himself against my opening. I cried out in pleasure, my body already sensitized by the air on my bare skin. He quickly pushed two fingers into my mouth to quiet me, and I tasted myself on his skin and sucked hard.

“Fuck,” he gasped as he entered me, and had his fingers not been keeping me quiet, I would have let out a moan that would surely have alerted the entire neighborhood.

He moved slowly, his strokes deep and long, and I flattened my hands against the trunk of the tree so I could brace myself and push back against him. I needed him deep, and I needed him now.

“I love it when you get this wet,” he moaned into my ear, the contrast of his hot breath and the cool air a fantastic sensation.

“I always want you,” I managed in response.

I had been getting better at dirty talk these days, gaining my nerve, and I knew he loved it when I talked back to him while he was taking me like this.

“Your pussy feels so good on my cock,” he groaned, leaning back and holding my hips so he could move a little faster. “Fuck, Mona…”

I closed my eyes and let myself get lost in feeling of him inside me. Something about being out here, knowing we were doing something so deviant, made it all the more hotter.

His breath was coming fast, and I could feel his fingertips digging into my sides, the pressure telling me he wasn’t far from coming. A flicker of fear passed over me as I realized that anyone could walk past, anyone could stroll by and see us, and the panic mixed with the passion of feeling him inside me formed a potent combination. Just like that, I came.

“Ah!” I yelped as the feeling tore through me.

My pussy clenched and released over and over again around his cock, the sensation rippling out over my body like aftershocks from an earthquake, and I found myself slumping up against the tree for support as my legs threatened to buckle out from beneath me.

He made three more long, deep thrusts, and then his cock exploded, buried up to the hilt in my pussy. I felt his body release, and he slowly pulled himself out of me.

I reached down to quickly pull my panties up and glanced around to make sure no one had been watching. It seemed as though we’d gotten away with it. I turned to find Oliver regarding me, all doe-eyed.

“Is that what you brought me here for?” I cocked my head in faux-scolding mode.

“Actually, no,” he admitted, shaking his head. “Thanks for reminding me.”

And just like that, he got down on one knee in front of me, in this quiet park, a slice of paradise in the middle of the city.

He reached into his pocket, and I felt my breath catch in my throat.

Oh my God, it was actually happening.

“I know it’s been a crazy year,” he began, shaking his head with that silly grin I still couldn’t resist, even after all this time. “And I know that the immediate future is going to be just as crazy. But I don’t want any of it without you. Will you marry me?”

“Of course,” I replied without thinking.

I didn’t need to think. Oliver made everything feel utterly effortless. Being with him wasn’t just natural, it was obvious. He was the one for me. There was no denying it.

As he got to his feet and slipped the ring on my finger, I felt as though my heart might explode with love for him, for our baby, for the life we had built together and the one we would build in the future.

I didn’t expect any of this when I walked into that office all those months ago. Not in a million years. I still remembered reading all those articles about him, spying those grainy back-page photos of him with other women and wondering how they could fall for someone like Oliver, how they could be so taken in by him. But then…I met him. And I understood it. More than that, I lived it. I would have appeared on a thousand back covers on a thousand papers if it meant I could be with him. Everything in my life had changed for the better since I’d been with him – my career, my love life, my future.

He’d given up so much to take on his new role as a father to our child, more than I ever expected from him, more than I ever dreamed he could give me. A year ago, Oliver was the kind of guy I’d have tried to talk myself out of a fling with. Now, he was a dedicated partner in business and in life, and was ready and eager to be the amazing father of our child. Everyone had noticed a big difference in him. It was impossible not to.

I was excited for what was to come and grateful that I had been given the chance to start a family with someone as loving, as kind, as intelligent and as incredibly sexy as Oliver Paulson. My dreams had finally come true.