With her heart in her throat, Bria went back to her desk and gathered up her purse. God she had screwed up bad. Lying on her resume had been a desperate decision to get a good paying job, a risk she’d taken out of necessity.

But she’d been caught because someone had ratted her out.

Bria didn’t even know anyone at the company except for Kassidy, but she’d seen the looks aimed her way. Jealousy, bright and loud, from the same women who wore low cut blouses in the weekly meetings trying to get Ashton’s attention. They saw her as a threat even though she had never done anything to warrant their animosity.

She needed to have a drink or five with Kassidy and try to figure out what she was going to do when Ashton told her she was fired tomorrow. She had lied on her resume and it was a fireable offense. He had every right to enforce that, and the fact that he was even still considering his decision meant she still had a sliver of a chance that he’d change his mind.

It was the reason for that change that still had her blood racing. When he asked for a truth she’d been so caught up in his stare and the way her body was reacting to it, and she had blurted out that she was a virgin.

Of all the truths she could have admitted, that had to be the most humiliating.

She was twenty-one. What modern twenty-one year old woman was still a virgin? He probably didn’t believe her, thought she was lying to him again. There was nothing she could do about it now. Her future was out of her hands at the moment.

With a sigh she made her way to the elevator and then hailed a cab to take her to see her sister.

The long term care facility where Shana had been moved after her accident was on the other side of the city and it gave Bria enough time to compartmentalize everything that had happened with her boss and focus on her visit with her sister. Trying to act cheerful when Shana could barely talk and had a hard time remembering their conversations from five minutes prior was mentally exhausting.

That was the agony of a brain injury. Shana had good days and bad days and the last time Bria had been to see her, it had been a very bad day. Shana had been combative and angry and kept forgetting who Bria was.

It was devastating to see her sister that way.

Maybe today would be better. The prognosis was complicated but the doctors believed that with extensive therapy and the help of meds, she could stabilize. But Shana might never come back to normal. The part of her brain that had been injured would likely never fully recover.

And it was all Bria’s fault.

The cab pulled up to rehab facility and she paid him, then got out. A quick inhale and she pushed through the doors. The cool air was lightly scented like lemons.

“Hi Bria,” Nancy said from behind the receptionist’s desk. “She’s having a good day today.” The smile on the nurse’s face reassured her a little bit.

Good days were all too rare.

“Thanks.” Bria signed in and then made her way down the hall to her sister’s room.

Shana sat in a chair by a large window that overlooked the gardens. Bria had paid a little extra to get this room for her sister, because when they were kids Shana had spent a lot of time in their mom’s garden, smelling the flowers.

“Hey Shan,” Bria said, setting down her purse and walking over to give her sister a hug.

Her sister’s dark hair had grown back over where they shaved it after the accident. It was still very short and a little fuzzy, but it was filling in and almost the same length as the rest that Shana had had cut off. She had lost weight too and was bordering on being too thin, and the sharpness of Shana’s cheekbones made Bria sick with worry.

But she didn't say anything out loud. Sometimes a concerned comment was all it took to set Shana into a mood. It was part of the brain injury, according to the doctor. Shana couldn’t regulate her emotions and they hit hard and fast sometimes.

So Bria put a smile on her face and pretended that everything was going to be alright. And just seeing her sister sitting there was enough sometimes.

“Bria!” Her sister hugged her back tightly then motioned to a seat next to her. “The flowers are so beautiful today. The red ones, the…” Her eyebrows dipped down and she bit her lip. Frustration caused her jaw to tighten. “I’ve been sitting here trying to remember what they are for hours. I hate this.” Her voice had gone soft and Bria could hear the devastation in her sister’s tone.

But she didn’t offer the word. Bria learned the hard way to wait until she was asked for help.

Shana sighed and met Bria’s gaze. “What are they again?”

Bria’s heart broke. “Roses. They are mom’s favorite.”

“Roses. Right.” A smile ghosted over Shana’s lips but Bria could see that she didn’t really remember that fact. “Well the roses are beautiful today aren’t they?”

“Yes they are.”

They sat for twenty minutes and Bria let Shana lead the conversation. Most of the talking was about mundane things until Shan asked about her job.

“It’s going great,” she lied. Shana didn’t need to know that there was a very real possibility she’d lost the job today and that Bria had no backup plan in place to take care of her sister.

Bria swallowed the lump in her throat. Shana needed this place if she was going to have a chance and there was no way their parents could afford it. Her father was on Social Security and her mother had her teacher’s pension. It gave them enough to live on but private rehab expenses were outrageously high.

And Bria refused to put her sister into a state run facility. It just wasn’t an option.

Tomorrow she’d beg Ashton not to fire her if it came down to it.

Shana stood and wrapped her arms around Bria. “Your visits are the best.”

“There is nowhere else I’d want to be,” Bria said. Except maybe seeing her sister somewhere that wasn’t a brain trauma rehab center. “See you next Thursday.” Bria wiped the tears from her eyes as she walked out the doors and back into the cooled night air.

Kassidy was waiting at the pub for her and Bria always needed a drink after her visits with Shana to help bury the guilt.

Bria sucked in a deep breath as guilt washed over her. It was too late to change the past but it was why she had to make sure from now on that Shana had the best to help her recover, cost be damned.

The cab pulled up outside the pub and Bria got out. Kassidy stood out front and waved when she saw her.

“Have you been waiting long?” Bria asked. Even though Kassidy was her best friend, she had never told her about Shana and her Thursday night visits. Kass probably figured she’d been working late. Again.

“Only a few minutes. Are you ready to get your drink on?” Kassidy linked their arms and they pushed inside. The familiar dim lighting and music from an old jukebox in the corner eased the tension from Bria’s shoulders.

“So what has our resident McHottie Bossman done to get our panties wet this week?” Kassidy asked as soon as they sat down with their first round of drinks.

It was how they started every girls night out, with Bria telling Kass anything sexy that Ashton had done during the week. Bria took a huge swallow of her vodka and cranberry but the sour taste stayed in her mouth.

“He’s been out in Cali all week. Just got back this afternoon.”

And almost fired me, she thought, but kept to herself.

Probably still going to fire me tomorrow.

“So you couldn’t meet at five cause you were having a quickie in his office, right?” Kass winked at Bria who tried to laugh.

When the sound came out more like someone strangling a cat, Kass gave her a sideways look.

Not so much a quickie, but what she felt when Ashton had looked at her, it was as close to sex as she’d ever come.

Kassidy’s eyes went wide. “I was only kidding.”

She hated to kill that excitement in her friend's eyes, but the truth wasn’t so glamorous and the sooner Kass knew, the sooner they could get on with her pity party for one drinkfest.

“I might have gotten fired today actually.” As soon as she said it she gulped down her entire drink. “I need another. Be right back”

Going to the bar to get a refill gave her a few minutes to let that sink into Kassidy’s head.

When she made her way back to the table, Kass still had her mouth hanging open. Bria set down a refill in front of Kass and then slid back into her seat.

“You drop that and then run? Keep your ass right there and tell me what the hell is going on, Bri.” The one thing Bria knew she could count on from Kass was that her friend wouldn't immediately jump on the what the hell were you thinking you idiot bandwagon.

“I lied about which college I attended on my resume. Mr. Carter found out and after a painfully awkward conversation where he tried to get me to stick my foot in my mouth and admit it, he pretty much fired me.”

“I can’t believe you lied on your resume,” Kassidy said, her eyes wide.

“The school I went to wasn’t good enough to make the cut. It was the only way to even get the interview.”

“You’re like the goodiest good girl I’ve ever known. I’m kind of blown away right now,” Kass said, shaking her head. “I mean, it’s kind of cool in a way. You’re like a subversive badass and I never even suspected.”

“I’m an idiot, is what I am.”

“So that’s it? Mr. Carter fired you?”

“I pretty much begged him not to. He said he’d think about it and let me know tomorrow.” She didn’t elaborate on the why he’d decided to reconsider. That part wasn’t important in the grand scheme of getting her drunk tonight.

“Shit, Bria. I hate to say it but it doesn’t look good. Carter has a reputation for demanding complete honesty from his employees. You probably could have killed the copier guy and hid his body in the break-room fridge and it would be less of an issue to the boss. But lying to his face?”

Kassidy whistled and then took a long drink.

Bria groaned and dropped her head onto her arms. That wasn’t what she needed to hear. Although nothing Kass could say tonight would make any of that better. She’d been caught and that part wasn’t something she could change.

“Someone ratted me out, Kass. Why the hell would anyone take the time to even look into my background like that? I’m just an executive assistant, not some CEO wannabe.”

“Because those bitches hate that you get to get all up close and personal with the finest specimen of a man to grace Boston and they are fifty shades of jealous.” Kass leaned forward and pointed her finger to Bria. “I’ll just bet it was Jeanne who did it. She interviewed for the position you have. You should have seen the outfit she wore thinking she was going to interview directly with Mr. Carter. I swear her tits were almost ready to pop out of her two sizes too small suit jacket. Miles in accounting actually tripped and fell when she walked by. I think she had her sights on becoming Mrs. Ashton Carter.”

“You think?” Bria asked, pondering this possibility.

“Maybe,” Kass said, but her tone lacked conviction.

“It doesn’t matter—the damage has been done.” She sipped at her drink for a moment.

“I need to go to the little girl’s room, dahling,” Kass drawled, standing now and winking before heading off, slightly wobbly as she went. It seemed like the drinks must have been hitting her hard.

And that’s when Bria realized she was a little tipsy herself.

As soon as Kass disappeared in the crowd, Bria’s phone buzzed. She glanced at it, expecting a text from her father or maybe an alert about her phone bill or something.

But it wasn’t any of those.

In fact, the text was so shocking she pretty much stopped breathing as she read it.

What are you doing right now?

Bria’s mouth fell open as she stared at the words on her smart phone’s screen.

And don’t lie to me, Ms. Long.

Holy fuck. Ashton Carter was texting her. How the hell had he gotten her number? Her heart slammed against her chest.

And then she realized—he was the boss, of course he could get it. Oh crap. Would he fire her via text? God that would be a thousand times worse than getting dumped that way.

Having drinks with Kassidy, she wrote back quickly.

A few moments passed and her gaze didn’t move from her phone.

Come directly to my office at 7 tomorrow morning. Do not be late.

Her tongue stuck to the roof of her dry mouth. The suspense was killing her. She quickly texted back.

Am I fired?

An hour and a cab ride home later and Ashton still had not replied to her last question.

More than a little tipsy, she fell into bed and her dreams were filled with Ashton, but not like the usual sexy ones she had about him.

In these, he looked at her with contempt and told her to clean out her desk and leave because he didn’t want to look at the face of a liar for another second.

* * *

She woke, unrested and cotton mouthed. Today was the day.

Maybe it would have been better if he fired her over text message, then she wouldn’t have to get out of bed and get dressed with a headache hanging over her. Not even a hot shower helped ease the tension that had settled in her shoulders.

She pulled out her usual pencil skirt and blouse combo and pulled her hair up into a loose bun. Going through the motions seemed to help a little until she arrived at her desk an hour earlier than normal.

The building was quiet and most of the offices were still dark. Nobody was even at any of the desks or cubicles nearby.

She’d just put her purse away when Ashton’s door opened and he stepped out. Even this early he’d taken off his suit jacket and rolled his sleeves up. As he strode to her desk, she couldn’t fight the apprehension churning in her stomach. He wore his usual closed off expression that gave nothing away.

“I’ve decided not to fire you.”

She started to thank him but he held up his hand.

“In return, you have to agree to tell me the truth.” His stare intensified.

She started to give an affirmative response and he silenced her with his hand.

His tone grew lower now. “No matter what I ask you. The raw, unvarnished truth.”

“Of course,” she said. She’d promise to walk over hot coals barefoot if he didn’t fire her.

“Think about this carefully, Ms. Long. No matter how intimate or personal, you have to answer honestly.” He stared into her eyes and something in his expression darkened. It made her stomach tighten and her skin tingled. “If you ever lie to me, I will fire you and make sure that you never work in his city again. Am I clear?”

“Yes. I understand.” Her voice came out almost breathlessly and his jaw clenched as if he were fighting the urge to say something more. His gaze burned into hers.

Awareness seeped down into her bones. Her lips fell apart as his stare narrowed in on her mouth.

Being there alone with him only heightened the tension that had started building yesterday. She shifted in her chair and clenched her thighs together. A delicious ache spread from her center and she bit her lip to keep from making any sound.

She let her gaze move down until she suddenly noticed the bulge in his dress pants.

He was hard.

She could see the bulge clear as day, and he made no effort to hide it.

Had she made him that way? Was he possibly…could he be excited by her?

Bria couldn’t meet his gaze again, even though she wanted to. She knew he’d be staring at her, showing her that he was aware she’d seen his hard cock and that he wasn’t embarrassed in the least by it.

“I’ll need those reports I left on your desk finished by noon,” he said tightly, then turned away and went back into his office.

She sat there for a few minutes trying to get herself under control. Had she imagined that look in his eyes?

She might be able to discount the look, but there had been no mistaking that his cock had gotten hard just then.

That did all kinds of things to the achy parts of her body. No matter how she shifted or moved, it seemed that everything only added to the wired feeling holding her muscles tight.

A few hours later she’d gotten halfway through the papers Ashton had given her, and was finally able to push back the restlessness from her earlier meeting with him.

Her drinking from last night had caught up with her twenty minutes ago and she needed coffee. She also needed to get up and walk, so she went to the top floor break room. It was the one the executives used and had a sweet espresso machine.

There wasn’t anyone else around and it only took her a few minutes to pull a double shot into her cup. She moved over to add regular coffee too it, a trick she’d figured out in college, when she felt someone step very close behind her.

A familiar cologne filled the air around her and warmth seeped into her back. Despite the heat, her nipples tightened.

Her entire body buzzed with awareness.

Bria gripped her cup with two hands and stayed perfectly still, except for her heartbeat which slammed against her ribs. Ashton planted his hands on the counter on either side of her and she felt him shift closer to her back. His warm breath washed over the sensitive curve of her ear and goose bumps exploded down her neck.

“Are you attracted to me, Bria?” he whispered right next to her ear.

Hearing her name coming from his lips, in that sexy voice of his, sent her mind spinning. For a second she closed her eyes as the sensations of deep arousal coursed through her.

If she leaned back, even an inch, she knew that she’d be able to feel him against her. Would he be hard again?

God, did he know how many times she’d secretly watched him, ached for him to do things to her that she’d only ever imagined and daydreamed about? Was this his test then; to see if she really would tell him the truth about wanting him when he already knew it?

“The truth,” he said darkly. He moved his hands from the counter to her hips and held her in place. Not that she would even think of going anywhere. Not when his touch was doing such delicious things to her body.

Her knees weakened and a soft moan fell from her lips. He shifted just a little but it was enough to give her an answer to her question. If looking at the bulge in his pants made her mouth water, then actually feeling it there against her ass was a new kind of torture. It didn’t even matter that they were in the break room where anyone could walk in.

She swallowed and tried to answer, but her voice was stuck in her throat. “Yes,” she finally croaked.

“Good answer.” He dragged his lips down along the column of her throat, lightly nipping that spot where her neck and shoulder met before licking the same spot.

“Oh god.” It escaped before she could stop it and his dark chuckle sent ripples of desire straight between her legs. Bria had never been this turned on in her life and she was lost in a hazy fog of desire. Never in her wildest fantasy would she have imagined being touched by Ashton would feel this good.

“Come back to my office at six tonight,” he said against her skin.

Her mind started to race. She wanted to ask if he was going to finish what he started but didn’t dare. This was kind of crazy and what if this was just a really really sexy dream. One where she would wake up and remember that she actually got fired and was lying in bed next to six empty ice cream containers.

“Bria, six o’clock,” Ashton said again and she finally nodded.

His hands were gone and when she was able to take a full breath, she turned and found herself alone in the break room. What the hell just happened? Had Ashton Carter really just come on to her? She looked at her hands, covered in coffee where it had splashed over the sides of her cup. Cleaning it up and making another gave her the time she needed to get her thundering heartbeat under control.

Six o’clock.

She glanced at the wall. Nine-thirteen. This was going to be the longest day ever.

* * *

“Ms. Long, I have a conference call with the west coast office and I need you to take notes.” Ashton’s deep voice caught her off guard and her gaze flew to his face. She looked at the clock. Six.

He stood in front of her desk and with his arms crossed, looking down at her. His eyes were hooded and she wished for just a second that she could see them; to know if he was thinking about earlier in the break room.

It had been all she could think about as the hours trickled by at a snail’s pace. About what he was going to do at six o’clock. Her imagination had been her best friend and worst enemy. And now it seemed all he needed her for was to take notes? A conference call wasn’t what she’d been thinking about all day. Maybe she had misinterpreted everything that happened.

Embarrassment made her look away.

“Two minutes.” He turned and walked back into his office and she let out the air that had lodged in her throat the second he stepped from his office. Her hands shook as she gathered the small recorder and her notepad.

There were always a million details that she had to remember and accuracy was very important to her. Especially now that she had a tenuous hold on a second chance. If this was really what he needed her for, then she’d comply. She would prove to Ashton that he hadn’t made a mistake by giving it to her.

She’d be the best assistant in the history of assistants.

Bria brewed a quick cup of coffee at her one cup Kauri pot and took it in with her. She knew that Ashton, no she had to stop calling him that in her head, Mr. Carter, liked the dark roast blend, black.

It was the start to her apology and she had a lot to make up to him for.

She knocked softly and then went in. Ashton sat behind his desk and he barely looked up when she walked in. Bria set the coffee next to him, then moved to the couch and set her things on the coffee table before sitting down.

After a few moments of silence, she shifted her position and crossed her ankles. Ashton still didn’t look up from whatever it was that had his attention. How long would she have to sit and wonder what he was doing?

Was this some kind of power play?

Just when she couldn’t take it any longer his phone rang.

“Carter,” he answered sharply. “I don’t want excuses Bruce; I want to know what the hell happened. I’m putting you on speaker so my assistant can take notes.”

The phone cracked and Carter Media’s West Coast VP’s voice filled the room. As he made his points, Bria scribbled furiously. Ashton moved from behind the desk and sat down on the couch next to her, bringing his phone with him to set on the coffee table.

“Explain how we had the deal almost wrapped up and why Mogley is now dragging his damned feet about severance packages for the employees who want out after the buyout. The offer was more than generous.” The anger in Ashton’s voice was clear. When he wasn’t happy the tone dropped to a deep rumble that should not sound so sexy. She focused on what Bruce was saying and not on the way her skin tingled because he was so close.

Bria had her head bent and all her concentration on the words on her page when she felt a slight touch on her shoulder. She sucked in a quick breath and glanced over. Ashton’s focus was still on the phone, but he had one arm draped over the back of the couch and a single finger traced along her arm.

Goose bumps trailed where he touched and it took everything she had to concentrate on what she was supposed to be doing.

“I don’t want to counter his demand,” Ashton growled. “My offer was more than generous and he ought to count himself lucky that we didn’t low ball and come into this deal hostile. He’s mortgaged up to his damned eyeballs and he knows it.”

The pen skipped across her notepad when his fingers brushed the side of her breast. He still was not looking at her, but damn him if it didn’t make her ache all the more for it. Her handwriting grew choppier as she pretended Ashton wasn’t touching her.

Which became extremely difficult when the back of his hand slid down over her breast and across her hardened nipple. A sharp gasp escaped her lips and Bruce paused.

“Is everything okay?”

Ashton flicked his thumb over the tight peak again and she bit back a groan. This was so inappropriate and yet, her body was on edge waiting for more.

“It’s fine. Continue,” Ashton said. His voice had a laid back vibe to it, but Bria could see tension creeping into him. His jaw clenched and he shifted closer. Finally he looked at her.

The pen stopped moving and she was caught in his predatory stare. Her pulse fluttered wildly.

“I’d like you to go over all the points on this again so I am crystal clear,” Ashton said into the phone. “Don’t leave anything out.” His darkening stare never left her face. Once Bruce sighed and started over again, Ashton muted the phone and set it down. He sat back, his arms spread over the back of the couch and watched her. The voice on the phone continued, but Bria barely heard it.

“Come closer,” Ashton said.

She swallowed and scooted even closer to him.

The blue in his eyes was almost lost to the shadowy blackness and so intense she had to look away.

“Eyes on me, Ms. Long.” The deep timbre of his voice sent shivers along her skin. “Remember our agreement.” It wasn’t a question so much as a command. He reached out, dragged his fingers up her arm, and stroked along the column of her neck with his thumb. Air lodged in her throat. His gaze kept her captured so she saw every deeper shade as his eyes went darker.

In the background, the voice droned on, but she barely heard a word of it. The notebook was forgotten in her grasp. Ashton held all of her attention. Her gaze dropped to his lips for just a moment but it was all he needed.

“Do you want my lips there?” He pressed his thumb against the pulse beating frantically in her throat.

God she did, but this wasn’t really…

“The truth. Remember the agreement.” He held her there, his fingers holding her around the back of her neck, his thumb caressing her heartbeat.

“Yes,” she whispered. All thought of what they were doing fell away and all that mattered to her was this moment.

Approval shone in his eyes and he leaned forward, tilted her head to the side and ran his lips up the side of her neck. So soft, barely touching, but the effect was more powerful than anything she’d ever felt.

A low groan slipped past her lips. Electricity seemed to jolt out from where he touched her. He pulled away and she made a sound of disapproval in her throat. She wanted more.

“And here?” he asked softly, running his thumb along her jaw.

“Yes,” answered immediately. Nothing else mattered except the way Ashton was making her feel. She wanted more of the touches that were sending her mind into a tailspin. He ran his lips over chin, crept along taking light nibbled until her reached her ear, where he stopped and hovered. She felt his hot breath wash over the sensitive flesh and shivered.

Her fingers had curled around her note pad and pen as she held onto them in a desperate attempt not to reach out and grab his shirt and pull him onto her.

“Wet your lips,” he said in her ear.

He pulled back enough so that he could watch as she tentatively ran her tongue over the bottom then her top lip. His gaze focused on her mouth and his fingers tightened on her neck.

“Do you want me to kiss you here?” he asked as he ran his thumb over the slickness.

“God yes,” she said on an exhale. If he didn’t she might die from wanting.

His lips crashed down over hers, strong and hot and demanding. His tongue snaked into her mouth and boldly stroked every inch as if he owned it, urging her to open wider under his unspoken command. Fire exploded in her gut and she dropped her notebook and pen and grabbed a hold of his forearms to anchor herself.

A long low groan left her throat and he swallowed the sound.

No one had ever kissed her like this. She felt consumed by his mouth and never wanted him to stop. As if he knew exactly what she was thinking he pulled his lips away and stared into her eyes. They were only inches apart and his breath came out in short exhales, matching her own breathlessness.

She leaned back toward him, her lips seeking more before her mind could catch up. His fingers dug into the back of her neck and held her still.

“Are you wet?” he asked harshly. His free hand rested on the inside of her bare thigh and slowly slid upwards, toward the junction of her legs.

All the breath in her lungs froze. His hand seared her leg and she clenched her knees together on instinct. No one had ever touched her there.

“I...I don’t know,” she answered honestly. She ached between her legs and squeezing her knees together had only made the need worse.

“Do you want me to find out?”

All the sound in the room silenced except for the thud of her heartbeat in her ears. Ever so slowly, she inched her knees apart and held her breath when his hand started to slide up. When his finger brushed the outside of her panties and she tensed, on edge and ready for more.

A low growl came from him and he nudged the silk aside and drew that finger up her center, parting her folds and sinking the tip inside her. Her body jerked and she cried out at the flood of sensation rippling through her. He moved slowly in and out, sinking a little deeper each time.

“So wet,” he murmured, burying his face in the crook of her neck.

Her stomach clenched when he ran his finger up and over the swollen nub throbbing between her legs, making slow circles until her mouth fell open. He nipped his way to her ear and took her lobe between his teeth.

“Tell me the truth. You like it when I touch you there…”

She nodded. “Yes. God, yes,” she admitted softly.

“Do you want me to taste you?” The deep rumble of his voice sank down into her bones and they went liquid when he slipped his finger back inside. “I’ll bet you're so fucking sweet.”

She’d never heard words like that, spoken in a voice like that, and it made her want things she didn’t even know how to ask for. She leaned back against the couch and let her legs fall open as much as they could with her skirt in the way.

It was hard to look into his eyes but she forced herself to meet his gaze. She wanted to see his eyes, needed to know he felt as out of control as she did. A different kind of heat climbed into her cheeks as he just sat there, watching her reactions while his finger kept moving inside her, deeper with each stroke.

“Well?”

Bria blinked her confusion. What had he asked her? “Well?” she asked breathlessly.

“Do you want me to taste that sweet pussy of yours Ms. Long?”

His gaze went dark for a few seconds when he buried his finger inside her wet warmth and swiped her clit with his thumb.

“Yes,” she whimpered, lifting her hips against his touch.

A burning satisfaction filled his eyes and he pulled free from her. She cried out at the loss of contact. When he sat up she saw the sizeable bulge in his dress pants and for second, her mouth went dry. She wanted to see it. Feel it. Taste it. Would he lay her back against the couch and fuck her? But before she could think about that, he pushed her skirt up to her waist and pulled her panties down over her legs.

She sat on his leather couch open and exposed to him. Heat climbed into her cheeks when he didn’t make any move to get closer. The longer he stared, the more she shifted. No man had ever seen her like this before.

What if there was something wrong with her? What if he didn't like how neatly trimmed she was. What if he preferred the smooth skin she’d never had the guts to try?

After several more long seconds of staring Ashton got up off the couch and went to his desk where he picked up the phone. Confusion filled her and she started to close her legs.

“No.” His sharp voice took her by surprise. Her gaze jerked to his and she was pinned in place by his commanding stare. “Don’t move.”

His demand made her body burn and she wanted to close her legs now just for the relief that friction would give her. She didn’t have a lot of experience with any of this, hell who was she kidding, she’d never done anything like this with a man before and she had no idea if her reactions were the right ones or not.

Lying on his couch spread open to his stare while he talked on the phone was a strange mix of self consciousness and anticipation. He already knew she was wet for him and there would be no doubt about it at all now.

“Bruce, give me five minutes but stay on the line.” He muted the phone again and then he was back in front of her. He sank to his knees and grabbed her around each thigh, jolting her body forward until she was perched on the edge of the couch.

He trailed his fingers up the inside of her legs and washes of goose bumps followed his touch. When his thumbs lid along the sides of her lips, holding her open so that he could lean down and tap her clit with his tongue, Bria’s hips jerked in reaction.

Stars danced in her vision. Nothing had ever felt like that before. Her legs shook and currents were zipping from her center. It was almost too much and she tried to shimmy backwards, but he held her in his tight grip and dragged his tongue up and down, lavishing her center with velvety heat.

Each stroke made her stomach tighten and something inside ignited. Air lodged in her lungs and her exhale stuttered from her lips. It was too much. Not enough. She rocked her hips mindlessly, caught up in the building pleasure he drew from her.

His pace was maddening, slow and steady, but she wanted, no needed him to move faster. Instead he kept the same maddening pace until every nerve ending in her body had been stretched to its limit.

He looked up from between her legs, eyes burning with intense hunger.

“Your pussy tastes even better than I thought it would. Amazing,” he told her.

There was nothing indifferent or cold in his gaze now. His eyes were almost completely black and full of dark promises.

“Oh, fuck,” she whispered.

“Ashton,” he ground out. “I want to hear you say my name when you come.” He went back to stroking along her swollen clit and the tension coiled higher, tighter.

The few times she’d managed to have an orgasm on her own ended up feeling unsatisfying. She thought maybe she was broken or abnormal. Ashton slid a finger into her pussy and slowly moved it in and out while his tongue continued the toe curling assault on her clit.

“Oh god,” she moaned when he added a second finger.

She reached down and threaded her fingers into his hair, tightening her grip and urging him to go faster. The tension was spiraling higher and higher and she strained to lift her hips against his mouth.

Ashton lifted one of her legs over his shoulder and pinned the other against the couch, holding her spread open so that his fingers hit a spot inside that made her clench against them with every thrust.

Blood pounded in her head. Every muscle in her body tensed and she teetered right on the edge of something huge. He drove his fingers into her and pressed against that spot and sucked her clit into his mouth.

Pleasure coiled so tight that it stole her breath. Then he gently grazed his teeth over the hardened nub and everything crashed over her in waves of brilliant lights and sensation, completely undoing her. She bowed off the couch, her back arched and frozen as the climax washed through her body.

“Ashton.” His name fell from her lips in a deep groan and she lifted her hips, rocking against his mouth and fingers. His hot tongue pressed against her clit drawing out the orgasm until she didn’t think she could take any more.

Bria sucked in ragged breaths. Her entire body trembled and jerked with mini bursts of pleasure. Ashton slipped his fingers free but ran his tongue over her slit, sinking inside and then back out before covering her pussy with open mouthed kisses.

The room swam in hazy circles around her and it took everything she had to try and focus. Holy shit. That was the most intense thing she had ever felt in her life.

Satisfaction sank down into her bones and she wanted to burrow down into a bed of feathers like a contented cat. Ashton shifted and she let her fingers loosen from his hair. Her hands fell weak at her side.

She should say something to him. Was thank you too formal? Apparently orgasming that hard caused slight mental incapacity. Maybe they should test that theory just to be sure.

Bria looked between her legs where Ashton kneeled and her breath caught at the sight of him, his hair a tousled mess, his chin slick with her release. Would he take his pants off now? She wanted to see his cock. She wanted to wrap her fingers around it and see what it felt like. And she really wanted to know what it would feel like inside her.

Her heated skin pebbled under his stare.

When he stood, she held her breath, anxious to find out what else he wanted her to do. He bent down and picked up her panties then held them out to her. She slid her feet to the floor and took them. Heat climbed her neck as she slid them on and stood up on wobbly legs to straighten her skirt.

Confusion painted her insides with ice as she watched him move back behind his desk. A glance had shown her that he was hard. Wasn’t his release the next logical step?

When he met her gaze, her stomach flipped. The heat was gone. The mask of indifference was back. What the hell was going on? Bria stood there, her hands clasped in front of her, waiting. He looked like he might say something, but then his eyebrows drew down.

“I’d like these notes on my desk by eight tomorrow morning. That will be all Ms. Long.” Ashton reached forward and picked up the phone. “Bruce? Good, now tell me again what the hell went wrong again…”

And just like that, Bria was dismissed. It was as if he hadn’t just used his tongue to get her off on his leather couch, demanded she cry out his name. Her mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water. She wanted to ask him what the hell just happened but no words would come out. There she stood, her skin still damp from the insane orgasm he had wrung from her minutes ago, burning with humiliation.

“Bruce hold on a sec.” He looked up at her and exhaled. “Is there something else you need, Ms. Long?”

There was nothing of the man she’d seen when he’d been between her legs. Tears burned the back of her eyes. This had been nothing more than a show of power to him. How stupid she’d been to think that a man like him would actually want her.

She grabbed her notepad and recorder and straightened her spine.

“I don’t need a single thing from you, Mr. Carter,” she all but spat, then spun around and left his office with her head held high. She gathered her things with an almost indifferent precision and shut off her computer. It wasn’t until she was safely in the elevator that she let the facade crumble.

For a few moments, there had been something in Ashton’s eyes that made her feel like he wanted her more than anything else, and it had reached out and wrapped around her. He drew her in and played her body to perfection, giving her a glimpse of a different Ashton Carter, one that made her blood hot and filled her with want.

Except that man wasn’t real. He was an illusion used to make her feel things she'd never ever thought possible. It was a horrible ugly facade.

The real Ashton Carter was sitting in his office not giving one damn that he had completely rocked her world off its axis and now Bria had no idea how to right herself again.

And she had to go back to work on Monday and act as if nothing had ever happened between them. She wiped away the tears of humiliation. It might have been better if he fired her after all because it she was sure that it would hurt a whole hell of a lot less than what he’d done to her tonight.

And the worst part of it all, was that she’d do just about anything to feel those feelings again, to look into his eyes again, to be near him once more.

She knew then what she’d done when she’d agreed to tell him anything he asked in order to keep her job.

She’d made a deal with the devil.

And worst of all, was that she wouldn’t have taken it back even if she could.