Per my husband's direct orders, I was to head to the office right after my workout. I didn't like the idea of being sweaty and gross, so I went home after to have a shower. I threw on a jumpsuit with a blazer over it, accessorizing only with my wedding ring and my apple watch. . I slicked my hair back into a low ponytail and decided to do very light make-up, trying to look professional as possible. I even opted for my flats instead of my usual heels.
I had a quick bite to eat before I left the house to go to the office. It wasn't far from our house, but I decided to take the long route instead. I was trying to calm my nerves before seeing Rafael because I was so nervous about working with him. I wondered if he would think I was a sub-par employee or if I was adequate enough. I knew he'd be biased either way, but I genuinely wanted to know.
I pulled in ten minutes before nine and gave myself a pep talk in my car. I could do this. I knew what I was doing and had already adjusted to the office life. I'm going to walk in, acknowledge everyone and take a seat at my desk, without engaging with Rafael. He's my boss, and I'm the employee. I took a deep breath in and breathed out my anxiety. Once I was no longer in panic mode, I got out of my car.
Everything looked normal walking in. I said hello to everyone and made small talk with a few people to kill some time. I even stopped by the mail room to check if anything had come in for me, although nothing ever did. When I realized I couldn't kill anymore time. I took the walk into the office Rafael and I shared.
He was seated at his desk with his head down, reading over a document. He hadn't looked up when I walked in, so I just went over to my desk and pulled out some materials. I had been working on a payment agreement between a boutique and Rafael's "company". I met with the woman in person and after seeing how well her business was doing, I lowered her interest rate with the hope that she'd pay her loan back sooner or else, we'd have to collect in full.
"Good morning, cara. You're late."
I looked up from the paperwork to look at him He was standing now, behind his desk, with his coffee mug in his hand. He was dressed in a tan suit, with a white undershirt that was unbuttoned at the top. No tie. He hadn't shaved this morning like I thought he would have, which made him more attractive. Something about the way he was looking at me made me want to role-play a boss and secretary scene.
I smirked after checking him out, "I couldn't come in all sweaty and gross, Rafe. I have a reputation to hold."
He chuckled and walked around his desk to the front of mine. His eyes scanned the paperwork in front of me before settling his knuckles on top of it to reach down and capture my lips in a sweet kiss. The taste of the coffee he was drinking lingered behind.
"Punctuality is important, Mrs. Boerio. Otherwise, I'll have to punish you and you know I'd enjoy that way too much."
I rolled my eyes but still kept the smile on my face, "Sorry, Mr. Boerio. It won't happen again." I winked at him to which he just shook his head and walked back to his desk, "I should also let you know I am taking the day off tomorrow to catch up with my school work before Monday. Between training and coming here, I'm falling behind in my classes."
He nodded his head, "That's fine. Just finish whatever you have on your desk before you leave today, and I'll assign whatever you had next to someone else."
I smiled and went back to the document in front of me. I wondered if he was giving me special treatment or if he treated everyone else like that. Either way, I was just happy I was able to get the time off. Ana had worked me like a slave sometimes, which in hindsight was preparing me for the amount of workload everyone usually handled, so this was a nice change.
We worked for the next two hours uninterrupted, occasionally making small talk. My stomach growled loudly, reminding me that it was my regular lunch time. I looked over at Rafe sheepishly. He didn't say anything. Instead, he picked up the phone, dialed a number, and spoke fast Italian into the line. I caught a few words to realize he was ordering food for us.
"Thank you." I murmured when he was off the phone. He smiled and got out of his seat. He opened the door and announced that everyone was free to go on their lunch and to return in an hours' time. I thought over the past few weeks and realized that neither me or Ana had done that. Had the staff taken their breaks?
"Do you usually send them to lunch?"
He closed the door and turned to face me, "Yeah, either Dom or I will tell them when it's time to take a break. Sometimes we're behind so it's not the same time every day."
I nodded my head, thankful for Dom, "You know, Dom deserves some kind of promotion. Sophia was right, he really is the backbone of the company." I watched his eyes turn to slits. "Other than you of course."
"Mona, there's a lot you don't understand about the business yet." He crossed his arms in front of his chest, "Contrary to what you women believe, we're not in competition with each other. Dominic understands his role as a second. Think of it as the government. Every decision must be made and approved by me, the president. But, let's say I'm not thinking rationally, or I'm unable to make the decision that's where Dom comes in, he's like the vice president or the congress. He has the power to make decisions or changes that he sees necessary. He's just as important as I am."
"But Sophia..."
"...Want's to be in your position, like many wives of men in the business. None of what she said had much to do with Dominic, it had more to do with how she feels."
I replayed the conversation between her and I in my mind. How upset she was that Ana and I had been in the office more since Rafael wasn't around. How she didn't care that I was stressed even though I was practically ambushed with the idea of working in the office. It didn't even occur to me that it was her ugly green-eyed monster rearing its head. She was jealous. Somehow that made me feel bad for her rather than still being mad about what she said.
"Don't think too much into it." Rafael's teasing voice interrupted my thoughts. "No matter how inexperienced you may have been, the business would have been yours or our sons, if something were to happen to me."
I felt something jolt in me when he mentioned our hypothetical son. I hadn't mentioned it to him but lately my baby fever was at an all time high. I liked to blame it on going to the birthing center for my clinicals sometimes, but the thought and idea carried itself home with me where it felt so in reach. I knew if I said something about it, we'd start trying right away and I knew our relationship wasn't where it should be to introduce a baby into the equation.
I didn't say anything back to him. Instead, I focused on working through my workload. The food came shortly after. Rafael ordered Greek food which made me happy. I hardly ate it because Rafael enjoyed a more Italian cuisine and since my father died my mom didn't care to prepare Greek cuisine. The last time I had it was last year at thanksgiving. He sat Pastitsio and Revani dessert square in front of me with a water to go with it. I dug in without so much as a thank you.
I finally finished all my work around 9. Rafael left me in the office earlier to go to an off-site meeting. I probed him into dishing what kind of meeting it was, but he just said I wasn't ready to know about those things. He promised he would be home no later than 10, and while I wanted to believe him, I knew that might not have been possible. I neatly organized my desk and even organized Rafael's desk before grabbing my purse to leave.
I said goodbye to the remaining people in the building and was about to walk out when I heard someone call my name. I turned to find Tony with a box in his hand, "I'm sorry to bother you and I know you're on your way out." He held the box out to me, and I took it. It wasn't too heavy which probably meant that whatever was in it was fragile. "It came for you about ten minutes ago. I thought you had already left so I didn't bring it in."
I smiled at how nervous he was. He was Rafael's messenger which probably made him think I was a hardball by association. I patted his shoulder to let him know he wasn't in any trouble, "It's okay, Tony. I'm sure whatever it is isn't urgent."
He gave me a lopsided smile and visibly relaxed, "Uh, yeah. Well, you have a good night, Mrs, B."
I nodded my head and walked out of the warehouse. I wondered what was in the box and who could be sending me a package. I usually didn't receive any mail so to get a package was odd to say the least. Deciding I could open it later, I tucked it in the passenger's seat of my car before getting in the driver's side and taking off.
----
Rafael didn't come home until after 11:30. I could hear him downstairs, looking through the refrigerator. I knew he hadn't had any dinner because he left for the meeting before the Chinese food could come. I made my way down the stairs, trying to make as little noise as possible. I crept up behind him while his head was still buried in the back of the fridge. I wrapped my arms around him from behind, hugging his back to my chest.
I felt him stiffen under my arms. I could tell I startled him. I reached up on my tippy toes and placed a kiss to the back of his neck.
"You're late, Mr. Boerio. I guess I have to punish you now."
He chuckled and turned so that he was facing me. His eyes widened at the sight of me. They drank every inch of me in, hungrily. The lingerie left little to the imagination, which I'm sure he appreciated. The red number consisted of a bra that really only covered my nipple and crotchless panties that clung to my hips. The girdle that hugged my waist clasped onto my see-through thigh high socks. It made me feel sexy just being in it.
He bit his lip and groaned. "Merda!(Shit)" He hugged me to him tighter and tucked his head in my neck. He placed a single kiss there before coming up and kissing me on my lips. "Stai cercando di uccidermi, cara. (You're trying to kill me darling.)"
I laughed softly before stepping out of his embrace. "Uh uh uh, Mr. Boerio. I call the shots tonight. Remember?"
He nodded his head slowly while putting his hands up. I slid his coat jacket off and threw it on the kitchen island. A sudden idea popped into my head. "Let's go to your office."
I didn't wait for him to say anything before I was already walking away. I could feel his eyes staring at my ass. I think I was going to let him spank me tonight.
When we got into the office I sat on the desk while I motioned for him to have a seat on the chair in front of me. He looked so entranced even though he had already seen my body before. I think it was the idea that he could do this to me at the office and vice versa. I put both of my legs on either side of him so that they were on the arm rests. I slowly opened my legs, allowing him the view of how wet I was. I was completely exposed to him.
"Fuck, Mona!" He leaned forward, his hands grabbing a hold of my thighs. I put my foot on his chest to keep him from coming any closer. I wanted to play with him a little longer and I knew if I let him taste me, there would be a quick end to this..
"Not yet." I teased. I leaned my palms back on the desk, "I thought we talked about being punctual, Rafael."
I could see the giant bulge in the front of his pants. He unbuttoned his pants to free the monster, involuntarily, turning me on. The tip of him glistened, like I liked it, making my mouth water. Tonight, I was supposed to be punishing him, but suddenly I wanted to be punished.
He kissed my ankle softly. I could see his hand moving against his member. His eyes were trained on mine, awaiting my instruction.
"You like to keep me waiting, boss?" I replaced my palms with my elbows so that I was lower on the table. "You see what you miss out on when you come hom-Oh!"
I didn't have time to finish before I felt his tongue on me. His hands pushed my thighs to my chest forcing me to lay flat on my back. He licked the entirety of me once, then twice, successfully having me tremble underneath him. I could feel him smile as he came back up to caress his lips on my clit.
"Oh, Rafael.." I moaned, "What are you doing to me?"
His response was to stick two fingers inside of me and plunge in and out like his fingers were a drill. I bit my bottom lip to keep from screaming because of how good it felt. My hands found their way into his hair, pulling him closer while whispering words of encouragement to him. His movements became furious like he had a point to prove. Whatever it was, point proven.
I felt his breath hovering over my asshole, which could have finished me off all on its own. He placed a kiss and then a lick there, making my legs go completely weak. I wasn't even sure I had legs at this point. "When are you gonna let me in there, Mona?" Another lick, "She's blowing kisses at me."
I wasn't sure what or how it happened but the next thing I knew I was opening my eyes to a completely soaked Rafael. Somewhere in the midst of talking about my asshole like it was a person, I squirted all over his face. It didn't phase him, instead, he took his hands out of me, turned me over on all fours, and slammed into me from behind.
We breathed out together, both feeling the high of being joined. Our bodies were in complete synch with one another. He reached around to pull me up by my throat being careful not to choke me. We made eye contact while he pounded into me with no mercy. The intimacy of it all had my emotions all over the place.
I closed my eyes feeling myself getting close again. Rafe curved his body, going deeper than I remembered ever being explored. His grunt told me we both felt that. I held onto his hand at my waist while he kept going, puncturing my cervix. I tried to hold onto the feeling a little longer so he could enjoy the position he had me in, but it was all too much for me. I came just then, my body convulsing violently against his chest. I felt him pump a few times more before he was coming.
I winced when he slid out of me. I could feel the remnants of him dripping out of me onto his desk. He picked me up and carried me over to the couch so that we could lay down comfortably. I was still trying to catch my breath when I felt him toying with my nipples. It was amazing how quickly he could want me again.
His hands toyed with the lingerie, sliding it against his skin. "Where have you been hiding this one, baby?" He placed a soft kiss above my belly button, "Had I known you had it sooner, I would have been asked you to put this on."
I sat up confused, "What do you mean? You got it for me today..."
"I would remember getting this for you." He mumbled. He kissed the spot between my breasts, taking the focus away from the conversation.
I pushed his head away, needing the both of us to be tuned in, "Rafael this came for me today at the office. It had a note with it. I thought it was from you."
When I got home earlier, I opened the box to find the lingerie set and a note that said, 'Can't wait to see you in this. Xoxo'. I figured Rafael had it delivered after he left so I would get it in time to put it on for him.
When I looked back at Rafael, I could see the gears working in his head. "What did the note say, Mona?" He sat up visibly upset. At that point we both knew who it was from.
"It said 'Can't wait to see you in this'. That's why I thought it was from you."
He stood up from the couch, alarmed. "Take it off and go put something else on."
I nodded my head, not wanting to further escalate the situation. Somehow Levi got someone to deliver the package to the warehouse which made us vulnerable. It was mocking in a sense that he was that accessible to me. He wanted Rafael and me to see how close he could get to me, even if it was just gifts.
Once upstairs, I changed into a nightgown. I threw the lingerie back in the box as well as the note and carried it downstairs with me. Rafael was on the phone with someone, telling them to come to the house. He only had his pants on which told me he wouldn't be leaving to go anywhere. I sat the box on the table in front of him so that he could see it. He took the box and walked to the fireplace. He threw it in and started the fire.
"Quel figlio di puttana vuole morire stanotte. Gli daro quello che vuole (That motherfucker wants to die tonight. I'll give him what he wants)." He threw a punch in wall next to the fireplace, leaving behind a hole.
"Rafael!"
He shook his fingers out, trying to lessen the pain. I could see blood dripping from his knuckles where the skin broke. I rushed to action grabbing the first aid kit from under the sink and some paper towels. I went over to him and went about cleaning the wound. He watched me while talking to the person on the phone. I guess this was the side of him Ana told me about. Never in my life had I seen Rafael lose his cool, so this was an unwelcome surprise. He was usually precise and so sure about everything.
I was startled to feel a kiss at the top of my head, when I was wrapping his fingers. I looked up into his eyes. They were softer now. Apologetic. "I'm sorry if I scared you, baby. Thank you for doing this for me."
I nodded my head but didn't say anything. I understood now. I knew why he wanted to kill Levi. He wasn't going to stop. He was blatantly disrespecting Rafael by continuing his courting with me. It was personal for me now. Now I wanted him dead.
-----
Neither of us slept that night. Four men in total came to the house. Two of them were keeping watch while the rest of them worked to find his location. I made everyone coffee to keep us all awake and alert. Rafael tried to get me to go to sleep but I couldn't knowing that Levi was out there somewhere trying to get to me.
Rafael had allowed me to stay in the room but urged me to do some kind of school work so that I could get my mind off of Levi. It worked for the first twenty minutes but after that my mind was full of what if's and ideas.
"Rafel?"
All three men turned to look at me. I held eye contact with my husband, wanting to talk to him in private. He urged the other men to keep working and come over to where I sat.
I took a deep breath and set my laptop on the table in front of me, "What if I contact Alejandro?"
"No."
The answer was immediate like he hadn't even thought about it. I grabbed his hands and forced him to look into my eyes, "Do you trust me?"
He shook his head, "It doesn't matter because you're not doing whatever you're trying to do."
"But Rafael, Alejandro has nothing to do with this. It's our best shot," I sighed, "He's been trying to reach out and apologize to me since that night at the gallery. He's not in on whatever Levi is trying to do. I can call him and tell him-"
"Tell him what? That we're trying to kill his son? You think he'll be okay with that? You think he'll give us access to his only son, Mona?"
I shook my head defeated. He was right. It was no use, "I was just trying to help."
Rafael sighed and lifted my chin up to place a kiss on my lips, "I know and I'm sorry. The best way you can help is to let us figure it out from here. And I know you don't want them, but I'm going to have someone with you 24/7. Even to the bathroom of they need to."
I made a face. "Rafael, you can't be serious."
"Please don't fight me on this. I have half a mind to keep you under surveillance in the house, but I know you need to go to school so this is the only way I know how to keep you safe." He kissed my forehead, "Please go get some sleep, cara."
This time I didn't protest. I shut my laptop and wished everyone a good night before heading upstairs. My phone sat on my bed tempting me to reach out to Alejandro against my husbands wishes. There had to be a way to get Levi to stop this mess.
I bit my lip, contemplating if my actions would be worth the consequence. Rafael would be upset with me, but he would get over it, eventually. I shut the door behind me and locked it. I grabbed my phone from the bed and went into the contacts. I hovered over the call button, too nervous to press it. What if he really was in on it?
I took a deep breathand before I could chicken out again, I pressed the call button.