Disoriented, thirsty, and hot, I regain consciousness with a startle. Those aren't my sheets, this isn't my room, and the massive body pressed against me is confusing as fuck.
All at once, the memory of the evening hit me. I'm in Lex's apartment, in his bed, and we had sex for a substantial part of the night. Shit, I fell asleep.
Still foggy, I do a quick assessment of the situation. The moon's faint glow is the only thing lighting up the room, so it's still night. My whole body feels sticky, like I need about two showers to clean all of this off. I discarded the robe during the night—the belt was uncomfortable—so I'm naked. Lex is also in the nude, despite the shorts he slipped on last night. Did he expect more sex?
I remain unmoving for a few seconds, secretly enjoying the moment. I'm half-turned on my stomach, and he's pressed on my back, part of his weight resting on me.
The deed is finally done. I fucked Alexander, and now I'll be free to resume my life without the constant lust and tension.
Careful not to wake him up, I rotate around to face him, which feels like a game of body mikado. He looks so serene, so calm, almost like a different person. Awake, he's always tense or severe, but right now, the perpetual crest between his brows is gone, and the line of his mouth is relaxed. His hair is messy, and I'm almost tempted to brush it with my fingers. But I can't take the risk of waking him up.
I fucked my boss, and not I need to go. I'm not staying for breakfast and cuddles.
Slow but steady, I maneuver my way out of his embrace. As I untangle myself from his hold, he barely moves, his sleep particularly heavy. I quietly wriggle to the edge of the bed to sit up with my feet on the floor.
Ouch, I'll feel him there for a while. My core is sore and overworked, and the tendons on the inside of my thighs are tender, not used to being stretched for that long.
I notice a tall glass of water on the nightstand on my side of the bed, and I immediately quench my thirst with it. When I'm done, I glimpse at the sleeping form behind me, thankful he left the glass for me.
Just as I stand, I hear him move under the sheets behind me. Very slowly, I spin around, worried he woke up. To my great relief, he's still deeply asleep, now lying on his back. He seems more tanned in the darkness. The duvet is low on his abdomen, and I can admire the shapes of his shoulders, arms, and torso. A shallow and superficial wave of pride invades me. I, Andrea Walker, was the center of such a man's attention. Lucky, lucky me...
On my way to the kitchen, I feel out of place, naked and walking around in an apartment I barely know. My things aren't on the kitchen floor anymore, folded on the dinner table. It's ridiculous, but knowing he picked my things and arranged them feels more intimate than him eating me out. Especially when I find my underwear neatly folded too.
I dress up and check the time on my phone, 5:47 am. Shit, I have a bunch of notifications from Tammy, Kate, and Oli. I told Tammy I would get back late, not that I'd be away all night. Then I was too distracted to form a coherent thought.
It isn't like me to do this kind of thing, so I understand why Tammy worried about me.
It's tempting to disappear in the middle of the night like a thief, but it doesn't feel right. At this point, Lex deserves a standing ovation. He deserves to be praised and worshiped after his performance. So, I open a few drawers from the commode near the entrance to find a notepad and a ballpoint pen. I detach a sheet and lay it on the wooden surface. What should it say?
Thank you for the best night of my life.
As true as it might be, it's way too pathetic. Thank you, will have to suffice.
I leave the note on the dinner table, orienting it from where I think he'll come to find it. Then, after one last look toward the corridor that leads to his room, I vanish into the night.
It's early, but there's already some activity outside. I order an Uber since I can't be bothered with bus routes so early in the day. Four minutes until it gets here.
As I wait for it, the gravity of my actions slowly sinks in. Jesus fucking Christ. I'll have to share an office with the best lay of my life and pretend it never happened.
Somehow, it's even worse than everything I had to endure until now.
How could I be so stupid!? Why did I trust Kate with this? Even now, I know perfectly well that my lust-filled thoughts for Lex aren't gone. I'll still drool over him as soon as I see him at work in three hours.
Except that now, I won't have to wonder how it would be because I know exactly what sex with Alexander Coleman is. It's a cataclysmic experience I'll never forget. Once you try slex, you can never go back to sex.
I'm still wallowing in self-pity when the black sedan arrives, and after a quick confirmation, I slip inside the car.
On my way home, I read my missed notifications.
Tamtam—7:26 pm: Hi girl. I'm wondering if you know when you'll get home. I want to order some pizza.
Tamtam—8:43 pm: So, I ordered anyway. You'll reheat your slices if you want some.
Tamtam—9:34pm: Are you with Oliver?
Tamtam—9:57 pm: He just told me you weren't. Where are you?
Tamtam—10:48 pm: Answer me. Even if it's just a 'k.'
Tamtam—11:31 pm: Is everything okay?
Tamtam—0:14 am: I'm legit worried now. Call me whenever you can!
Shit. Shit, shit, shit... Tamika thinks I'm into Oli, which I kind of am, but now I spent the night with another man. With our boss.
Feeling like the worst friend in the history of mankind, I check Kate's messages.
Butthead—10:04 pm: Tamika texted me. She's worried about you. Where are you?
Butthead—10:32 pm: She told me you're not with Oliver. Are you with you-know-who?
Butthead—10:51 pm: Babe, if this is happening, I'm going to need ALL the details.
Butthead—11:48 pm: Still at it?
Butthead—00:33 am: Okay, it has to be some sexathon record by now...
Butthead—01:12 am: Omg, are you guys seriously still fucking, or did you pass out?
Butthead—01:15 am: I bet you passed out, you lightweight.
Well, at least someone is pleased about this... I take a deep breath and force my thumb down to open Oliver's messages.
Mr. Garden—09:55 pm: Hey, Dora. Tamika told me she couldn't find you. I hope everything is alright.
Mr. Garden—11:27 pm: Starting to worry a bit here. Text me when you get home.
Welp, I'm not winning any friend-of-the-year award this time around.
As amazing as the night was, now that I have to deal with the consequences, it almost isn't worth it. Almost.
The experience will definitely outweigh whatever aftermath I have to handle. And the memories of it will warm me when I lie alone in my cold bed.
As expected, Tamika doesn't take my nocturnal activities very well. It's still somewhat tense between us when we arrive at work.
She can't understand why I'm not taking Oli seriously, to the point where I slept with someone else. Since I can't tell her about my overwhelming attraction to our boss, we're at an impasse. All she knows is that it was a one-night stand.
One I'm seconds away from seeing again.
A massive lump is clogging my throat as I stand before the door, and swallowing it away does nothing. "Everything's going to be fine," I whisper to myself.
We're adults who shared a night of passion and lust, and now we'll move on. Shit, this is going to be so fucking awkward.
The sooner I'm done with it, the better, so I knock twice and open the door. I spot Lex instantly, standing in the middle of the room, and then I notice Kevin. They stop talking as soon as I enter, and Lex's eyes find mine with the acuity of a hawk. I barely notice his dark mood and irked glare, prone to a surge of unwanted memories and feelings. I hold his gaze for a moment, feeling my face and body heat up under his intensity.
Flashes and images of last night flood my brain. His grunts of pleasure, the touch of his strong hands over my skin, the deep and rough ramming of his dick in my pussy, the warmth of his tongue, the filthy words it uttered in the throes of passion...
Tell me, Andrea... Tell me how much that tight little pussy of yours wanted my cock.
Fuck, I can't do this.
He knows too much about me. My taste, my naked body, the sounds I make when I come, that I've masturbated with him in mind, that I get so fucking wet for him... Fuck, I also know way too much. His grunts when he finds his release, how his cock feels when it throbs inside of me, how his muscular body looks when he is undulating against mine...
Two seconds in, and sensual hunger is already overtaking me. Before Kevin can grow suspicious, I force a smile on my face.
"Hi, boss," I tell Kev on my way to the desk. Lex gets a small "Hello," from me before I sit down. The ache the pressure caused on my overworked center has me wincing.
"You were the one who wanted the slot. And now you're telling me you won't be coming?" Lex says with irritation, resuming their talk.
"It's a great marketing opportunity, and you know it," Kevin replies patiently. Okay, so this is about the upcoming convention.
"You were responsible for it. It was your idea to take care of it with whatever my team would come up with."
"And now I'm telling you I can't come. Just get over it." Kevin is now growing annoyed as well. "Michelle might have the baby any day now, and I won't be eight hundred miles away when it happens."
"So, what do we do? Do we cancel the slot you booked?"
"No. Absolutely not. You can do the presentation with whoever you want from your team."
There's a moment of silence, and I remember I'm not supposed to listen so avidly. I open a random script to pretend I'm working.
"You know perfectly well I'm not doing this," Lex resentfully answers.
"Well, then your guys will have to manage on their own. Who were you thinking of?"
"Brian and Steven, for the braille phone case. The prototype works perfectly, and the app is polished and ready to be shown."
Oh, that's my favorite one from Kelex. They developed a case designed for people with visual impairment, with an embossed front and a back that automatically modulates to display braille. It's Steven and Brian's pride and joy, and I completely get why.
Since there's a deafening silence all of a sudden, I click and scroll randomly to give the illusion that I'm actually doing something.
"Andy, how long until your app is ready?" Kevin asks.
At the mention of my name, I let go of my mouse and slowly spin my chair around. They are both focused on me, and I strategically avoid looking at Lex.
"Uh... We're on schedule for Thanksgiving, for now, as intended. But we have three to four weeks of work on it before we can even consider showing it around," I explain. Lex nods in confirmation, agreeing with my prognostics.
"What's the biggest task you guys have to work on to make it presentable?" Kevin insists.
"We're trying to improve the hand recognition algorithm to get rid of the nail polish. As long as the app needs flashy nails to work, it can't be taken seriously. Oh, and we're still waiting on NAD's data. We're currently using something Oli got for me, so it's not very legal. But they agreed to send us the files anyway, so it's technically fine. We just don't know when we'll officially get them."
"Can it be done in the ten days we have before the convention?"
I'm tempted to look at Lex to see what he thinks of this. Ten days is tricky but possible. "Hypothetically, it can be done," I venture. "But we're looking at some serious overtime and more coders from the dev team."
"Lex, do you think you and your team can make it?"
"Facial and voice recognition took decades to reach where it's at now, and that was just the face. We're talking about ten digits, two palms, wrists, upper body position, and a face. Mannerism can also be as potent an issue as an accent. The multiple ways the same sentence can be expressed also makes it all complicated."
"Ok, bear with me here, guys. I'm not asking for the app to be finished and polished. I'm asking if it can be good enough for a demonstration. There will be investors there, people who matter. This could be a springboard for Kelex to become international."
"Kev, the only thing I can tell you right now is we'll try and do our best to make it work," Lex proposes. "But it's safer to keep the braille tool in mind. We can't humiliate ourselves with an unfinished product."
Kevin's reasonable enough to acknowledge Lex is right. Sourly, the man nods. "Andy, I know you've already worked a lot for this, but would you be willing to do extra hours?"
"I...guess I can? But I can't promise it'll be ready."
"It's alright. If it's ready by then, it's great. If not, it'll give the project a nice boost," he suggests. As I nod, I'm already trying to organize all this, determine the priorities, what can be left out... "Lex, are you fine with working overtime too?" Kevin then asks.
I can't help it. My eyes go straight to Lex, eager to know his reaction. As compelled as I am, his gaze finds mine, and we stare at each other for a moment. Overtime means we'll be the only ones left in the building every night. It means we'll spend more time together.
This is terrible. I can't spend evenings with Lex alone in his office. I can't handle my cravings during the daytime, and it certainly won't be better at night or on weekends.
I can't be trusted near him, knowing I'll fantasize about being bent over the desk and fucked. He could also lift me against a wall or a window, hoist me up on the furniture, ravish me on the floor... Damn, I'm so hooked that even the uncomfortable couch seems like a good spot for some slex.
He catches up with my chain of thoughts, his eyes darkening. His jaw clenches before he turns to Kevin.
"It's nothing I haven't done before. I'm good with the overtime," he answers.
When his attention returns to me, I don't know how to interpret the dangerous promises I discern on his face. The abundant hunger with which he demanded more of me last night isn't debatable. He enjoyed fucking me so much that he got hard again mere minutes after blowing his load. Twice.
I'm not inactive in bed, but I'm not very enterprising, either. With Lex, however, I ended up begging and thrusting back with each of his shoves. I demanded more, begged, endured, enjoyed... Sex was never like this for me. Not even close.
At the memory of last night, my skin warms up, my cheeks flushing. I avert my eyes when I remember we aren't alone in the room.
Thankfully, Kevin isn't paying attention to me. His eyes are locked on his friend, his brows slightly frowned. "Lex, can I see you in my office?" he asks bluntly.
Alexander looks away from me. "Sure." They exit the room without another word, leaving me alone with my paranoia.
We're so busted. It lasted barely ten minutes before boss number two realized I fucked boss number one. Maybe now is a good time to go herd those llamas in Peru.
Focusing on work is hard, especially since Lex can be back any second. I'll have to face him alone and keep a straight head.
I'm distractedly reading the same line for the tenth time when someone knocks. For a brief moment, I freeze, worried the time has come. But Lex doesn't knock, so my shoulders relax.
"Come in."
To my surprise, it is Aditya, our IT guy. I met him a few times, as he likes hanging out with the guys in the Lair. He's shy, especially with women, but we spoke a few times.
"Hi, Adi," I greet him with a smile. "What brings you up here?"
"Good morning, Andy. I got an email from Alexander earlier, saying I have to move your computer back downstairs."
My heart sinks down to my stomach. So, that's it? Lex had what he wanted from me, and now he's getting rid of me?
I never expected much from him, but maybe a little more consideration. I feel so...used.
Fuck the man. Seriously.
But it's what I've wanted since he forced me to be up here, so I ought to see the positives of this change. I'm slowly getting over it when the door opens behind Adi. Lex is back. He pauses and looks at Adi with confusion for half a second before finding back his usual assertiveness.
"I'm afraid I've wasted your time, Aditya," he says. "Things have just changed, and Andrea will remain up here for the time being."
Shit, I'm stuck with Lex again. "Alright, no problem," Adi shrugs before leaving us.
Ignoring me, Lex goes to his computer. Before I can say something I'll regret, I also return to work. He just tried to get rid of me. After the evening we shared, after cuddling for most of the night, the bare minimum would be to ask me what I want.
"Alright. I can tell you're angry from the way you bash in each key. What is it?" Lex asks with annoyance after a few minutes. Halting my movements, I try to clear my thoughts, wondering what I should say.
"You wanted to move me back downstairs," I say impulsively, safely hidden behind my screen. Okay, that is absolutely not what I should have said. He looks over our screen, unimpressed by my temper.
"Is it your Stockholm Syndrome talking? Are you enjoying being 'kept hostage' up here?"
The words I uttered during our argument yesterday come back to me, and I feel like an imbecile.
"I didn't realize it was such a traumatic experience for you, so yes, I messaged Aditya," he continues, still somehow annoyed. He stands from his chair and walks around the desk to stand next to me. "You'll return downstairs as soon as we're back from the convention."
His hand flattens on the desk before me as he bends forward, his face dangerously close to mine. I stay unmoving, spellbound by his closeness. "Now, since we took care of your little problem last night, things should be fine until then, right?"
I'm speechless, my body tingling with arousal, wanting nothing more than to take what he's so freely offering. Because, yes, he's testing me. He's daring me to lie and say I'm over him.
My mouth opens, wanting to answer, but the way his gaze quickly glimpses at my parted lips robs my words. Swallowing the lump in my throat, I nod instead.
"Yes, of course," I manage to say, my voice barely trembling. "I'll move back to the Lair then."
In all truth, I'm in deep shit. My "little problem" is nowhere near fixed—my damp underwear is proof of it.
Without a single emotion passing through his face, Lex moves back and returns to his seat.
Ten days until the convention. Ten fucking days.
I'll never make it.