I dragged my ass to the office before the sun was fully up, fueled by three shots of espresso and pure stubbornness. Sleep had been a joke—just tossing and turning between nightmares of Daniel's smirking face. By 4AM, I'd given up and just sat in the shower until the hot water ran out, trying to wash away yesterday's humiliations.I liked the design floor when it was empty—no staring eyes, no whispers, no Sophie's fake-sweet smile. Just possibility in the quiet. I dumped my bag and spread out my sad collection of surviving sketches across the desk. So Daniel wanted to break me? Fuck him. I'd show everyone what accessory design could really be.My fingers flew across the tablet, sketching earring designs that complemented but didn't overshadow the main collection. Focusing on work helped quiet the chaos in my head. Each line, each curve, each decision felt like a small victory—proof that I still had control over something."You're here early."I looked up to find Emma watching me, coffe
I spent the next two hours refining my presentation, making sure every detail was perfect. The women's line would be elegant, distinctive, cohesive with the men's pieces Sophie was designing, but with its own clear identity.At ten-thirty, I headed to the conference room to set up. Sophie was already there, arranging her materials with precise movements."I heard Cartwright specifically requested you," she said without looking up. "That's quite a feat for someone who's barely been here five minutes.""My work speaks for itself."She laughed softly. "Does it? Or does having the CEO in your pocket speak louder?"The insinuation made my skin crawl. "You know, Sophie, it must be exhausting being this obsessed with me. Have you considered therapy?"That got her attention. She straightened, eyes flashing. "Don't flatter yourself. I'm just concerned about the company's reputation. We have standards here.""Yes, and stealing other designers' work probably isn't one of them. Or wait—is that sti
I made it through the rest of the morning on autopilot, fielding congratulations from colleagues who'd ignored me yesterday. Their sudden warmth felt hollow, conditional on success rather than genuine support.By lunch, Sophie's revenge campaign was in full swing. Every time I walked into a room, conversations died like I had some contagious disease. In the break room, two junior designers practically tripped over themselves getting out when I came in for water."I heard she fucked Cartwright in his hotel last night," someone whispered just loud enough for me to hear. "That's why he insisted on her.""Alex must be pissed. I thought she was his side piece?"I slammed my mug down so hard it cracked, water splashing across the counter. The whispers stopped instantly. Good. At least fear still worked when respect wasn't an option.But when I tried to access the revised project files and found my permissions blocked, something inside me snapped. This wasn't just gossip anymore—this was acti
By mid-afternoon, I'd reached my breaking point. Three days of whispering, blocked access, Sophie's venomous smiles, and now Alex was ghosting me like we were in some middle school drama? Fuck that.I marched toward his office like a woman possessed. Let them gossip about that. His assistant tried to do that little half-stand thing secretaries do when they're about to block you."He's on a call—""He can multitask," I said, not slowing down. I was done playing nice."I told you, it's handled." A pause. "No, she doesn't need to know... Because it would only complicate things."My ears burned. She. Me? Was he talking about me?"I'm aware of the risks," he continued, voice tight with tension. "But this is the best approach. Trust me on this."Unable to wait any longer, I knocked sharply."Come in," he called, though I was already halfway through the door.Alex stood by the window, phone pressed to his ear. When he saw me, his expression shifted—surprise, then something unreadable."I'll c
"Alex, I didn't—" I started, shock replacing anger.He moved before I could finish. His hand caught my wrist again, but this time he pulled me toward him, not away. In one fluid motion, his other hand was in my hair, and his mouth was on mine.The kiss wasn't gentle. It was hungry, desperate, months of tension exploding between us like a dam breaking. His lips were firm, demanding, his hand tightening in my hair as he angled my face up to his.For a heartbeat, I froze. Then something wild and reckless flared inside me, and I was kissing him back, my fingers digging into his shoulders. He tasted like coffee and anger and something uniquely him. His body was hard against mine, his heart hammering as fast as my own.He backed me against his desk, lifting me slightly so I was perched on the edge. My skirt rode up as his body pressed between my thighs. Some distant part of my brain screamed that this was insane—he was my boss, we were in his office, I had just slapped him—but then his teeth
Alex"I'm afraid the board has concerns, Alex."Richard Whitmore's voice was mild but pointed. I kept my face impassive as I surveyed the boardroom. Eight board members, eight potential obstacles."Concerns about what, exactly?" I knew, but I wanted them to say it.Whitmore straightened his tie. "About hiring Maya Russo. The optics are... problematic.""The optics," I repeated. "Of hiring one of the most talented designers in the industry?""Of hiring Daniel Russo's wife in the middle of a messy divorce," Victoria Reynolds interjected from my left. "A divorce that's becoming increasingly public.""Soon-to-be ex-wife," I corrected. "And her talent isn't in question.""Her stability is." James Porter, our general counsel, tapped his pen against the table. "Her recent behavior at the industry gala, the public confrontation with her sister, now the break-in at her apartment... It raises questions, Alex."I shouldn't have mentioned the break-in to Bernard. That was a mistake. The informatio
MayaI stared through the Uber window at Saint Joseph's Medical Center as we pulled up. Fucking hospitals. Same antiseptic smell, same fluorescent despair, same shitty memories. I'd spent too many nights in places like this—sitting beside Mami Lulu as she deteriorated, or my own visits after Daniel's "accidental" shoves down the stairs. And now Grandfather."Hope everything's okay," my driver said, eyeing me in the rearview.I managed something resembling a smile. "Yeah, thanks."The hospital smell hit me like a slap—bleach trying to cover up sickness and fear. I breathed through my mouth as I approached the information desk, where a tired-looking woman tapped at her computer."I'm here for Giuseppe Russo," I said, trying not to sound as frayed as I felt.Her fingers clicked across the keyboard. "Ah, yes. Mr. Russo. Cardiac care unit, sixth floor." She gave me a practiced once-over. "Family only at this time.""I'm his granddaughter-in-law." The words tasted weird. Was I still that? Wi
The apology—so unexpected, so genuine—left me momentarily speechless. How long had I waited for someone in the Russo family to acknowledge what was happening? To see me?Before I could respond, a nurse entered to check Grandfather's vitals. I used the interruption to compose myself, blinking back unexpected tears."Your numbers are looking good, Mr. Russo," the nurse said cheerfully. "But don't overdo it with visitors, okay? Your heart needs rest.""My heart has been resting for too long," Grandfather grumbled, but there was no heat in it.When the nurse left, Grandfather turned back to me, his expression serious. "Maya, I need to ask you something important.""What is it?" I leaned closer, concerned by his sudden intensity."Are you truly happy at Thorne Designs?"The question seemed oddly specific. "I... yes, I think so. It's been an adjustment, but the work is challenging, and I'm learning a lot.""And Alex Thorne? How is he as an employer?"I hesitated, our argument from earlier fl
“Come here.”"I've been thinking about this for the last hour," he admitted, fingers already working at the button of my jeans. "You, just like this."I rocked against his hardened cock already evident beneath me. "You were supposed to be working.""Not with you biting your lip every time you read something challenging." His hands slipped inside my jeans, panties giving way, immediately finding my pussy like it was normal. "It's distracting.""Sorry," I said, with a slight shiver, but I wasn’t sorry at all."No, you're not." He squeezed, fingers digging into flesh in a way that made me gasp. "But you will be. Maya"The Mention of my name made something break loos
The rest of the morning passed in a strangely comfortable rhythm. I showered while he took calls in the living room. When I came out, hair still damp, he was back in full CEO mode—laptop open, phone pressed to his ear, focused and professional.I settled at the dining table with my own laptop, diving into the foundation emails. Across from me, Alex argued with someone about supply chain issues, his voice firm but reasonable. It should have been awkward, this domesticity. Instead, it felt oddly natural.Around noon, he closed his laptop and stretched. I tried not to stare at the strip of skin exposed as his shirt rode up, but failed miserably. He caught me looking and smiled, slow and deliberate."Are you hungry?" he asked."Starving." I hadn't eaten since Troy&rsqu
I woke to the smell of coffee and unfamiliar sounds in my kitchen. For a disorienting second, panic flared—someone was in my house—until the memory returned. Alex. Beach. Car. Couch. Bed. Floor at some point. Then bed again.My body ached in ways both foreign and familiar. My pussy was raw and swollen from fucking all night. It felt good. We had fucked again even after Alex came in me. I stopped at that thought. Alex had cummed in me multiple times last night. The thought of it somehow made my pussy ache again, I could feel it getting moist again. I snapped. Shit. I would need to sort that out later —getting backup.I stretched, taking inventory of what Alex had done to me. Purple marks dotted my inner thighs. Finger-shaped bruises colored my hips w
He pushed inside, one long, slow thrust that made me gasp. The sensation was different without the condom—It was warm. The feeling of his warm cock against the wall of my pussy made me squirm. I wrapped my legs around his waist, pulling him deeper, urging him on."Fuck, Maya," he groaned, holding still for a moment. "You feel—""I know," I cut him off. "Move."“Fuck me!”He did, setting a pace that had me digging my nails into his shoulders. He wasn’t holding back this time like he had done initially on the beach. Each thrust hit somehow hit that sweet spot inside me that made the pleasure build up.“Go harder Alex!” I moaned, “Please don’t stop. Fuck me!”
The drive back to my apartment was torture. Good torture, but torture nonetheless. Every red light felt like it lasted an hour. Alex's hand rested high on my thigh, his thumb tracing small circles that made it nearly impossible to focus on the road."You're going to make me crash," I muttered as his fingers inched higher, slipping beneath the edge of my underwear."Then drive faster," he replied, voice rough in a way I'd never heard from him before.He didn't stop. His fingers slid lower, finding me still wet from the beach. I gasped, my foot instinctively pressing harder on the accelerator as he stroked me."Alex," I warned, gripping the steering wheel so tight my knuckles went white. "This isn't—""Keep your eyes on the road," he instructed, his other hand moving to my breast, thumb circling my nipple through my shirt.The speedometer crept higher as his fingers moved faster between my legs. My vision blurred at the edges, body torn between focusing on driving and surrendering to th
He kissed me with an urgency that matched my own, hands moving beneath my t-shirt to find skin. His palms were callused and warm against my ribs as they moved upward, thumbs brushing the undersides of my breasts. I arched into the touch, impatient for more.We were still awkwardly positioned against the post, and my shoulder blade dug painfully into the weathered wood. "Not here," I said against his mouth.He immediately stepped back, misunderstanding. "We can go—""No, I mean, not against this post. It's digging into my back." I took his hand, led him away from the post to where a dune created some shelter from the wind. I pulled him down with me onto the sand.The cold immediately seeped through my jeans, but the discomfort seemed irrelevant compared to the heat
I drove until the highway signs thinned out and the lights from the city faded in my rearview mirror. Alex didn't ask where we were going. He just sat silently, occasionally glancing at my profile, his fingers tapping a pattern on his knee that I couldn't decode.The turnoff appeared sooner than I'd expected—a narrow road that curved toward the coast. I'd passed it hundreds of times over the years, always thinking vaguely about stopping someday. Tonight, I finally did."We're trespassing," Alex said as I pulled into the darkened parking lot and cut the engine. A faded sign near the entrance clearly stated "Beach Closed After Sunset.""Are you going to report me?" I grabbed my jacket from the back seat."Just making an observation." There was something in his voice
The conversation drifted to other aspects of the launch—the press coverage, the surprising industry connections, the unexpected support from Giuseppe."I still can't believe he showed up in person," Olivia said. "His assistant told me last week he wasn't leaving the mansion.""The Kingstons' arrival seemed to energize him." I remembered Giuseppe's face when my mother approached him, the cold smile he'd given her. "I think he enjoyed watching them squirm.""Speaking of watching people squirm," Troy said, a mischievous glint in his eye, "let's talk about that moment at the glass station.""Let's not," I replied immediately."What moment?" Olivia asked."Oh you certainly haven't been paying attention. Design Weekly captured Maya giving Alex a very... hands-on demonstration." Troy pulled out his phone, scrolling through photos. "Look at this."He held up his screen, showing a photo of me standing behind Alex at the workbench, my arms wrapped around him. The picture looked like soft-core p
MayaI kicked my heels off the second my apartment door closed behind me. My aching feet sank into the carpet, and I let out an involuntary groan of relief. After twelve hours at the foundation launch, even breathing without a smile plastered on my face felt like luxury.The apartment was dark and quiet. I didn't bother with the lights, just dropped my bag on the counter and stood for a moment in the stillness. My place still had boxes stacked in corners and bare walls I hadn't gotten around to decorating. After Daniel had trashed my place, I had barely done anything with it. And now with everything going, I barely had the time.I peeled off my earrings and headed for the shower when my phone buzzed. Sarah's face appeared on the screen, and I flopped onto the couch to answer."I look like hell, just warning you," I said.Sarah's face appeared, hair piled messily on top of her head, glasses sliding down her nose. "You're alive! How was it?""Exhausting. Just got home.""Shit, sorry. I