Oops! I Sexted My Boss On New Year's Eve Free Preview

ALICE

Prior to this absolutely terrible, shitty, no-good day, I had it all.

The handsome and loving fiancé. A best friend I'd known for all my life who would do anything for me. A great position in one of the best firms in the country. A supportive family who stuck to my side no matter what.

But now? It was all over.

It all started with the New Year's Eve party our firm, Hawthorne Group, was hosting on New Year's Eve. This event was one I should've never attended to begin with, but my best friend, Emma Barkley, who worked in the same firm as me and actually organized the whole thing, convinced me to join her.

I could still remember her pleas days before the event. "Come on, Alice! It'll be so much fun!"

"No, I don't think it'll be fun at all," I argued, folding my arms across my chest. "Exactly how is spending New Year's in a company setting supposed to be fun? This is supposed to be our break from work!"

She put her hands together and batted her eyelashes at me. "Yeah, but you're not flying to Maryland to see your family and Benjamin's still out of the country. What else do you have lined up?"

"I can literally stay at home, Ems. I don't need to go out for New Year's."

Staying home would be a much better option for me. Spending unnecessary, unpaid time close to my boss, Theodore Linden-Hawthorne gave me the heebie-jeebies. I wish I'd paid attention to that instinct.

I wouldn't be where I was now if I had.

My boss was the proverbial pain in the ass, and I meant that in the most disrespectful way possible. I used to work for his father, that was, Theodore Hawthorne Sr., and he was the nicest man in the world. He promoted me from junior assistant to executive assistant in a year, and now, I was earning more than I could've ever dreamed.

But Mr. Hawthrone died six months ago, and his oldest son, Theodore Linden-Hawthorne, took over.

And ever since, I'd been living hell on earth.

Emma wanted me to spend extra time in the presence of that devil?

Nuh-uh. Nope. Not a chance in hell.

"Yeah, but your best friend in the whole world is asking you to come with her so she doesn't have to face the party she's organizing on her own," she claimed, taking my hand in hers and squeezing hard. "Oh, please, Alice. Do this for me? Please. This is the only thing I'll ever ask you!"

I gave in two days before the party. Emma asked so nicely, and anyway, I could do this for my best friend.

That was what I told myself even as I walked through the doors of the event, wearing a knee-length white dress with a flared skirt and a halter neckline.

A good choice for a professional setting like this one.

My hair was up, and I had diamond earrings my fiancé, Benjamin, gifted me for Christmas, which was when we last saw each other. I saw Emma from across the room and she waved at me. I started toward her, keeping my eyes just on her face, but someone stepped right in front of me, blocking my view of her.

Sure enough, it was the devil himself.

Theodore Linden-Hawthorne. Dressed in a white Armani suit that probably cost a fortune. His dark hair was slicked back, and the look on his chiseled face was sharp enough to cut through glass.

He gave me a once-over that made me feel out of place even though I knew I was dressed to kill, and I was forced to smile and greet him in a friendly way. "Mr. Linden-Hawthorne."

"Miss Rhodes," he said in his usual clipped tone before his cold blue eyes return to my face. "I see you showed up."

His statement made me falter, and he added quickly, "It's not an exam, Miss Rhodes. It was simply an observation. Your name wasn't on the final invitation list I received."

"I...yes. I decided to come last minute."

"Last minute," he echoed. "Like an afterthought."

I took note of the glass of champagne in his hand and asked myself if maybe he was drunk, because why was he saying this to me?

"Do you realize that a lot of people would've killed to be on that list?" he continued before sipping his champagne. "But to you, it was a disposable idea. How...fitting."

I tightened my hold on my clutch. Emma watched from a distance, her eyes a little wide. "I'm not sure what you mean, sir."

"What I mean," he said before stepping toward me, "is that you look like you'd rather be someplace else, and that's not a good look for the company. I want to see a smile on that face, Miss Rhodes. Understood?"

I stared back at him, questioning my sanity. He gulped the rest of his drink down, then turned away from me at once. I continued toward Emma, who immediately asked me, "Uhm, what was that about?"

"He lost it," I exclaimed before looking over my shoulder.

Sure enough, he was looking at me even though he was standing among a large group of people. He made a gesture with his hands for me to smile, and I looked away sharply because I didn't trust myself to keep a straight face.

"See? His dream is to find an excuse to get me fired! I don't think this is such a great idea, Emma. Maybe I should just—"

She grabbed my arm quickly. "No! Of course, not. You need to stand your ground, Alice! You can't let him crawl under your skin. Remember how hard you fought for this position. You deserve to be here, that's why he hasn't fired you yet. He knows you're the best executive assistant in the country!"

"I don't know, Emma," I sighed. "I just...I don't know."

She rubbed my arm and stared at me intently. "It's going to be alright. I know why you're upset. You miss Benjamin, don't you?"

I smiled at her words, shoving my interaction with my boss to the back of my mind. "Yeah. I do. I really miss him."

He'd been gone for about a week now, and he should be coming back in the first week of January. But since we got together two years ago, we haven't been away from each other for this long.

"Want a drink?" Emma asked before winking and grabbing my hand. "I know I need one."

"No," I said quickly, digging my heels on the marble floor of the office's lobby. "I don't think that's such a good idea."

"Why? Everyone's drinking. Just relax."

Drinking while in the same room with Mr. Linden-Hawthorne? I didn't think so. But Emma wasn't listening to me. She never did. She dragged me to the long table in the corner where a bunch of filled champagne glasses were lined up, and handed me one.

"Just one drink. Here. Let me take this from you." She took my clutch and forced me to hold the glass with both hands. "Relax. Take a sip. That's it. Just one drink. That's all you need to—oh, good evening, Mr. Landon!"

She whizzed right past me to greet the company's COO, and I focused on taking another sip of the bubbly champagne. I looked up and suddenly saw Mr. Linden-Hawthorne staring directly at me, and for a moment, I froze, unsure of what else to do. Behind me, I heard Emma and our COO chatting, and for some reason, I couldn't seem to take my eyes off my infuriating boss.

Maybe I wanted to show him that I was not intimidated by him. Or maybe I just wanted him to take a good look at my face and see how I was not smiling.

Emma returned to my side and handed me my clutch. "Sorry. I didn't realize I had it with me."

"It's fine," I assured her as I took it back.

"I felt your phone vibrating. I think you got a text or something." She winked. "Maybe it's from Benjamin."

"Yeah. Maybe."

"You should send him a selfie," she suggested before reaching for a glass of champagne herself. "Show him how good you look. If you know what I mean."

I smirked, knowing exactly what she meant, and headed to the bathroom.

I locked myself in a stall, feeling a lot better after the glass of champagne, and took a selfie by holding the phone up. Then, I raised the hem of my dress, pushed my lace panties to the side, and stuck my tongue out before sharing the photos with him via text. I also sent him a text saying:

I know you're dying for some of this. xo

This should make up for the distance between us.

Satisfied, I walked back out of the bathroom, feeling a lot better. I made eye contact with Emma, and she waved me over.

I could do with another glass of champagne, I decided as I walked up to her, already feeling better.

What harm could it do?

ALICE

I had about four glasses of champagne and my head was spinning, but I felt good. Really good.

Emma stuck to my side, and when I foolishly reached for the fifth glass, she slapped my hand. "You told me to warn you not to drink too much, remember? You really wanna get drunk here?"

"Oops, I guess you're right," I agreed with her. Her arm was linked with mine, and we were talking away from the group. I made a mental note to stay away from Theodore Linden-Fuckthorne and I was going to keep that promise.

Bastard. Arrogant bastard. Why did he have to tell me to smile? What was the need for that?

To humiliate me? Remind me that I would always be beneath him?

Prick.

I should've forgotten the interaction, but I was only getting angrier with each passing minute. Thankfully, I didn't see him after the stare down earlier.

"Happy you came?"

"Yeah," I smiled. "I am, actually. You know I love spending time with you, Ems. You're my best friend in the whole world."

I saw guilt flash across her eyes. I was pretty sure it was that. She then said, "I know you didn't want to come, and I kinda feel bad for forcing you, you know?"

"No, you didn't force me. At the end of the day, I'm still here because I wanted to. Okay? Don't feel bad about it."

I was interrupted by the feel of my phone vibrating in my clutch. I bit my lip and reached for it right away. I'd been dying to receive a reply from Benjamin. He usually replied right away, but I gathered he was busy or something, so I didn't try to call him.

His text both confused me and turned me on.

Benjamin: I knew that good girl facade was all an act.

Ooh...were we roleplaying now? He knew damn well that this wasn't the first nude I sent him. We sent each other nudes all the time. Sometimes, I'd even send him photos and videos of me with my fingers deep in my cunt, just to see his reaction.

It was a game we always played.

Me: Of course, it was all an act. I'm a real slut, always have been. I've been thinking about you nonstop tonight. I wish you were here with me.

His reply was instantaneous.

Benjamin: Where are you?

Me: Still at the party.

Benjamin: What would you do if I walked up to you right now?

Me: I'd get on my knees and swallow your cock.

He took some time to respond. I was so distracted by my texting that I hadn't realized that Ems was talking to me until she tapped my arm. "Hello!? Earth to Alice?"

"Sorry, what was that?"

"See the bitch who just walked in right now?"

I laughed at her choice of words. "Why're you calling her that? Anyway, who is she?"

"Her name is Carmella Westenberg. She's Mr. Linden-Hawthorne's on-again, off-again girlfriend. That blonde over there. See her?"

Emma pointed at a stunning woman with platinum blonde hair and sparkling blue eyes. She was dressed in a sequined, long white dress with a slit on the side that exposed her perfectly toned and tanned leg. She was standing beside a man I'd seen before on meetings—Mr. Carl Westenberg.

I hadn't known that my boss was dating his daughter.

"Well, this week's scandal was insane!" Emma continued. "They were photographed on a yacht together, making out. And of course, most tabloids are starting to circulate all these articles about when they'll get married, since it's clear that they can't keep their hands off each other."

"Wow," was all I said. I wasn't really up to date with what happened outside of the office, but Emma? She was informed. She knew everyone. She knew about the lives of people I'd never heard of before. She had fake social media accounts and followed everyone. Hell, she could've been a perfect detective, or a private investigator.

"Yeah. Wow."

I received another text from Benjamin and gave it my full attention. This time, I had to squeeze my thighs together because of how my pussy throbbed with need.

Benjamin: Well, then, I guess this is the perfect time to tell you that I've wanted to fuck you from the moment I first saw you. Your ass looked so fucking good in that skirt. I can't get you out of my mind.

What skirt? I had no idea what he was talking about, but I was enjoying where all of this was going.

Me: Yeah? And will you fuck me hard and fast, or slow?

Benjamin: Hard. I'll sink my cock into you so deep you'll taste my cum in your mouth.

Me: You know I love a challenge. You're sure you can keep your promise, big boy?

I was blushing at this point. Benjamin certainly never texted me this way before. He was usually sweet with it, claiming he wanted me. He was more poetic.

This...this I liked.

A little too much.

"Look at her, hanging around his neck," Emma claimed. "It's so obvious that he doesn't like her."

"Who?" I asked distractedly.

"Mr. Linden-Hawthorne, of course."

It took a while for Benjamin's next text to come, but when I did, it set me on fire.

Benjamin: I'll put my money where my mouth is any day of the week. But first, I'll put my mouth on you. I want to know how your cunt tastes. I bet it's as sweet as your mouth, isn't it? I've been fantasizing about you nonstop. You're the one I see when I stroke my cock every morning in the shower. Wanna bet I can't fuck you senseless?

Me: You bet your ass I do. Just give me a few minutes while I head into the bathroom to rub my clit. I'm so fucking horny. You have no idea how much I need you. I can practically feel my arousal dripping down my legs.

Benjamin: Why rub your clit when I can do it for you?

Me: You're not here, silly. I have to make do with what I have.

Benjamin: Who says I'm not here?

I made a face and Ems asked me right away, "What's wrong?"

"Oh. Nothing. It's just Benjamin."

She tensed. When I met her gaze, I saw that her eyes were wide with alarm. "Something wrong?"

"I just...we're playing around and he told me he was here. I don't know. He said in a way..."

Emma smiled mischievously, and I had to ask her what was wrong. "Why're you smiling like that?"

"Maybe because he isn't lying?"

I gasped. "What do you mean?"

"Well, we figured we'd surprise you," she claimed. "I hope that's okay with you. I knew you wanted to spend the night with him, and well, I called him some days ago and asked when he was coming, and he told me he'd be on time, so we just...pranked you."

"You and him?"

"Yeah. I mean, is that okay? You're not mad, right? I just thought it'd be a nice gesture."

"Of course, I'm not mad," I assure her before throwing my arms around her. "You're the best, Ems. You know that? My night is complete. Is that why you were so insistent that I come here?"

"Yep."

"Oh, Ems."

I looked around for him and didn't see him. So, I shot him a quick text, since he had to be here somewhere.

Me: Meet me in my office. You know where it is? My name's on the door.

His reply made me wetter, somehow.

Benjamin: Of course, I know where it is.

I looked up at Ems and said, "I'll be in my office, alright? I'm telling you just in case you end up wondering where I disappeared off to."

She smirked. "And what will you be doing there, ma'am."

I winked at her and she laughed before I scurried away, but not before having one last glass of champagne. Just for good luck,

The function was being held on the very first floor of the building, and I made my way to the elevator, where the offices were. Benjamin picked me up once, so maybe he still remembered where my office was. It was a pretty small one right close to Mr. Linden-Hawthorne's one, so it was easy to find.

Our floor was completely empty. Everyone else was downstairs. The lights in the main area were on, but my office was immersed in darkness. I opened my door, since it was always unlocked, and headed inside. I sat in the dark, quiet space of my office for a handful of minutes, waiting for him. My heart was beating fast, and my cunt? It was throbbing in the best way possible.

I could feel how wet I was. I was pulsing with need. Sure, having sex with my fiancé in my office was kind of risky, but nobody was here, and we needed privacy without leaving the building.

I sat on the edge of my desk and fiddled distractedly with my clutch. I looked up quickly when the door opened but I didn't even have time to see his face. My office was still dark and he didn't turn the lights on. He was upon me in seconds, grabbing me and crashing his lips against mine.

I threw my arms around him and kissed him back, wrapping my arms around his hips and grinding against him until I moaned and he grunted.

Even his kiss was different tonight. And I could taste champagne on his tongue.

Or was it my tongue I was tasting?

His hand found my aching center and he rubbed me through my drenched lace panties. I moaned in his mouth and he swallowed the sound. My nipples were hard and pushing against the material of my dress. They were rubbing against his hard chest. It felt so good.

I was blinded by lust. Even the way he was kissing me was different. His fingers were rubbing teasing circles around my clit and I was so close to coming. So darned close. He broke the kiss and dropped his head to my neck. I moaned loudly while his fingers worked my clit, and my hand drifted down between our bodies and I cupped his erection.

"Benjamin," I moaned. "Oh, fuck me now, baby. I need you now."

He tensed and drew back to stare at my face in the dark. "Who the fuck is Benjamin?"

A horrified sound left my lips, but I didn't have a chance to say anything because the door opened, flooding my office with light, and staring back at me from the doorway was Benjamin, eyes wide with shock and horror.

And the man with his hands in my panties?

Theodore Linden-Hawthorne.

ALICE

I ran after Benjamin, despair clawing away at my heart.

My head was spinning and my legs were shaky. It genuinely felt like I was going to fall at any moment. He was walking way ahead of me, desperate to get away from me. After the shit he saw upstairs, I didn't blame him.

Oh, what have I done!?

How could such a mistake have happened?

"Benjamin, please," I begged. "Please, listen to me. It was all a misunderstanding. I didn't...I never would've..."

He whirled around suddenly and I nearly crashed into him. He pushed me away immediately, like the thought of me being so close to him disgusted him.

Anger flashed across his eyes and spittle flew from his mouth when he yelled, "Stay the fuck away from me! I come all the way here from Vegas to surprise you on New Fucking Year's, and this is what I find?"

"N-No, no, n-no," I said quickly, wishing I wasn't stammering so badly. "It w-wasn't like that, Benjamin. Please, listen to me. You texted me! It was you I was s-supposed to meet up there!"

"What?" he spat. "What the fuck are you talking about? You never texted me! This whole thing was meant to be a surprise!"

I reached for my phone quickly. "You did! I sent you that selfie! Here, look. Please."

I showed him our texts. He was reluctant to take my phone from me, but he eventually scanned through the texts while I said, "It was dark. I d-didn't see it wasn't you. Emma will confirm it. She knows I went up there to meet you!"

Benjamin shook his hand and practically threw the phone at me. "I don't recognize these texts. You never sent them to me!"

"But this number is registered under your name!" I exclaimed desperately as I pointed at the screen to show him. "See? I'm not making this up, Benjamin!"

His expression hardened. "You know what, Alice? I do think you're making this up. Not only that, but you're trying to make a fool out of me. You're telling me you saved your lover's phone number under my name? Just in case I caught you?"

"What lover!?" I asked hysterically. "There's no lover, Benjamin! I swear to God! What you saw up there was a cruel misunderstanding. I don't have an affair with my boss!"

His eyes lit up, and he stepped even closer to me. I saw hatred in his warm brown eyes. I'd never seen him look at me this way before. "Oh, you mean the same boss you're always shit-talking? That one?"

I didn't know what to reply to that, so I grabbed his arm and said, "Please, baby. I need you to believe me. I—"

He brushed my hand away so quickly that it hurt my feelings. "Don't touch me! You fucking disgust me, Alice! This engagement? It's over. I'm not going to marry a skank like you!"

Every word he said was a stab to my chest. I started crying. I couldn't control myself at all. "Benjamin, please! You have to believe me!"

He started walking away from me again. I ran after him, and didn't stop even when we reached the party. I didn't care that people could be watching. My heart was broken and I needed to fix this. He couldn't leave this way.

Oh, God, what had I done?

What the fuck happened? How could such a mistake happen!?

I was too tipsy to think straight. I bumped into someone and didn't even apologize. I raced toward the exit, hoping to catch him, but he was already standing next to his car.

"Benjamin!"

He didn't even look up at me. He got in, started the car, and sped off before I reached him. I was running so far that I broke my heel and landed hard on the ground, scraping my knee.

"Dammit!" I hissed at the pain.

I watched desperately as his car drove off, and then, silence filled my ears. More tears ran down my face, and I lay on the ground, not knowing what to do. My heart was broken. Crushed. I couldn't even breathe.

I heard footsteps approaching me, and when I whipped my head around, I saw Emma approaching me.

"Alice? What happened?"

I tried to stand up and she helped me. She was looking at me with pure concern in my eyes while I struggled through the tears to explain what happened. "Benjamin...I don't know. He walked in on me and Mr. Linden-Hawthorne."

"Whoa! Back up. What!?"

"It was a misunderstanding!" I yelled, clawing at my hair. "I don't know what he was doing there! It was supposed to be Benjamin!"

"You're having an affair with Mr. Linden-Hawthorne? Oh my God, Alice! Is that who you were texting all night?"

"What? No!" I said almost angrily. "Jesus, Emma. Are you listening to me?"

She folded her arms. "I'm the one who told Benjamin where to find you when he showed up. He didn't know you were in your office. I asked him about the texts and he said he didn't know anything about it."

"I...yeah. He told me he didn't receive the texts. I don't know how." With shaky hands, I reached for my phone again. Yes, the number was registered under Benjamin's name, but for some reason, the number wasn't his.

In fact, all the texts I had with Benjamin were nowhere to be found under this number.

It wasn't his, so why would they be there?

"I don't understand," I muttered. My head started hurting all of a sudden. "How can...I never saved this number...I don't know who this is!"

I looked up at Emma, but saw no sympathy in her eyes.

"Ems, come on, you can't possibly believe that...?"

"I don't know what to believe," she said dryly. "You've been acting weird all night."

"No, I haven't!"

"Yes, you have!" She started stepping away from me, and her expression was the same one Benjamin had on his face. "What's wrong with you?"

"Me? Nothing's wrong with me! I don't know what happened!"

She started heading inside and I followed her, limping because of my broken heel. I called her name but she didn't turn around. Didn't even look at me.

"Emma!"

Before I could reach the main area where the party was being held, someone grabbed my arm and yanked it hard. I crashed into a solid body, and then I was dragged to a more secluded part of the building, where we were hidden by shadows.

My mouth dried up when I saw that it was Mr. Linden-Hawthorne.

"Are you playing with me?" he asked tightly, tilting his head to the side. "Is this a game, Miss Rhodes? Are you pranking me?"

"No!" I said quickly, horrified by the whole situation and how close he was standing. Everything was so wrong. His grip on my arm was unforgiving. His cologne...why didn't I realize that he wasn't Benjamin? Though they were both tall, Benjamin was bulkier. Benjamin's hair was also shorter.

After this thought crossed my mind, a more terrible one replaced it.

I kissed my boss.

His hand was down my...oh God.

"No?" he echoed. He inched closer to me until his lips nearly touched mine and said, "You send me a nude and we proceed to text each other. You agree to meet me in your office and then you...go after your boyfriend? What was that about?"

He was the one I was texting?

Horror washed over me. I must be truly slow because I didn't connect the dots quickly enough. Oh. My. Fuck. There was no way this was happening to me.

Impatiently, he said, "I was hoping to get an answer from you today, Miss Rhodes."

"I...I didn't mean to send you those texts or that photo. I...it was intended for my fiancé. I don't know what happened. I don't even have your number!"

"Well, somehow you did," he claimed in a much lower voice. "And you know what, Miss Rhodes? I don't believe you for a second."

I was stunned. "What?"

"You told your little boyfriend that it was a misunderstanding," he stated, "but I don't think that's true at all. I think you knew exactly who you were texting. Or should I say, sexting?"

It only took me a few moments to realize what was happening here. I gave him a hard shove and said, "You're wrong! Look, I don't know what happened upstairs, and I can't explain what happened with the texts...But I never would've sent them to you! Ever! And he's not my boyfriend—he's my fiancé."

A cold look crossed his eyes. "Not anymore, he's not."

As I stared at his face, the countdown for the new year started. I shook my head and tried to distance myself from him, but he kept me pressed against the wall.

"Why don't you stop pretending?"

"I'm not."

"No?"

"I love my fiancé," I said desperately. "I'm loyal to him. I never would have cheated on him. Ever. I didn't know it was you. I thought you were him!"

Slowly, he brings up his fingers to his nose, and I watch as he sniffs them. "Is that so, Miss Rhodes? Then why can I smell you on my fingers?"

I wasn't sure if it was exhaustion or anger or just an overall feeling of being done with life and not caring what happened next, but I raised my hand and slapped him across the face, as hard as I could, then walked away from him just as the crowd screamed, "HAPPY NEW YEAR!"

I didn't stop walking until I reached my car.

Then, I sat inside and cried.

THEODORE

As I returned to the party, I couldn't stop myself from looking over my shoulder at Alice's receding form.

What the hell was that?

The only thing that convinced me that this craziness even happened was my stinging cheek. It burned from her slap and it honestly made me strain against my pants. Not that I wasn't hard from our...little encounter earlier.

From the minute I laid my eyes on Alice Rhodes, with that dimpled chin pointing at the ceiling and that sharp hazel gaze giving me a once-over, I've wanted her. I couldn't remember desiring a woman like I did her.

It was bordering on an obsession at this point, but I didn't care. It gave me an excuse to get up in the morning and stride into the office. The finance part of my family's empire was the last place in the world where I wanted to be, but my father's death gave me limited options. My brother had his hands full. My sister...she wasn't cut out for this kind of environment. She was delicate. Artistic.

But Alice Rhodes made it all worthwhile, as crazy as it seemed. It started as something so meaningless. She strode into my office one morning with a bunch of files in her hands, and she set them down. "This is everything Mr. Hawthorne wanted me to do. Do you need me to explain what's in them?"

The way she spoke to me aroused me. She used an authoritative tone that I hadn't heard anyone use around me before. I narrowed my eyes at her and replied, "I've got eyes, Miss..."

"Rhodes."

"Rhodes. I have eyes. I don't need you to explain anything to me."

She stood upright, her gaze hardened, and she said, "Of course. Suit yourself."

Without even waiting to be dismissed, she walked toward the door, swaying her hips and giving me a view of her perfect ass. At first, I made the mistake of thinking it was all part of her seduction game. I worked in many areas of Hawthorne Group, and there wasn't a single assistant I hadn't fucked. Not one.

I thought I was dealing with an expert. A woman who knew there was a lot of power in acting disinterested. Over the weeks, I started realizing that it wasn't an act at all—Alice Rhodes seemed to hate me for reasons I couldn't comprehend. She wasn't interested in me.

I pushed her. Taunted her. Did anything possible to get a reaction out of her.

Nothing worked. She treated me with cold detachment and that made me lose my mind with anger. On one hand, I wondered who the hell she thought she was.

On the other...I was impressed.

I wasn't expecting her to show up tonight. Her name wasn't on the invitation list. Seeing her here...disrupted my peace in a way I couldn't describe. In my office, behind my desk, it was alright for me to be distracted. Here, surrounded by hundreds of people who looked up to my family and me, I had to be alert.

People were watching. A small mistake could cost us. A lot. At the end of the day, our company's police prohibited any sort of inappropriate relationship between employees, and though I broke those rules occasionally, it was easy to do because nobody ever found out.

But in such a public event, well, if I approached my executive assistant in any way, people would notice, and that would make them talk.

That was the funny thing about people...They just knew shit. I learned that from interacting with countless people over the course of my career. It was stupid to assume that they wouldn't be able to read the room.

I knew I had to stay away from Alice Rhodes. I didn't want people to talk. A sexual relationship between an executive assistant and her boss was...painfully stereotypical. People would be watching. They'd be paying attention.

Especially because of how everyone was expecting an engagement announcement from me.

But then she sent that selfie...

My cock was still rock hard.

I returned to my family, and my mother gave me a look. One thing about my mother was that it was impossible to keep things from her. She just knew things. She could read me like a book, like no one else, so I stepped away from her and faced Carl, Carmella's father, even though the last place in the world where I wanted to be was here.

He expected me to marry his daughter because I was fucking her.

For me, she was just a warm pussy.

It was the only warm thing about her. Carmella Westenberg was the coldest woman who ever walked the earth. She didn't care about anyone but herself, and we had nothing in common apart from the fact that she let me fuck her ass whenever I wanted to.

But marry her? Nope. I would never marry anyone. I grew up watching my parents fight. It was a war-zone, our family home. Fights on top of fights. Both my parents cheated on each other. Every scandal was concealed by a perfect story. An illusion of peace and wealth and happiness.

Only my siblings and I knew just how our family home reeked of shit. And I didn't want that for myself.

"Where were you?" Carmella asked in my ear as she looped her arm around mine. Her breath reeked of champagne. "I was hoping to give you a New Year's kiss. We even called reporters to snap photos of the moment."

I turned to her, jaw clenched. "I told you I didn't want the paparazzi here."

"Mom allowed it."

I hated how she referred to my mother as 'mom' as if she were already part of the family. She wasn't, and I'd never given her any hopes. Her manipulation tactics didn't work on me.

I glanced at my mother and found her staring at me through narrowed slits. I wanted to leave. I drank a little too much, and I was disoriented by what happened between us in her office. I could still smell her perfume all around me, and it excited and frustrated me in equal measure.

God, that mouth...she kissed so fucking well. I couldn't stop thinking about how those succulent lips would feel around my cock. It was all I saw in my mind. When I got that text from her, I was so fucking giddy. Like a schoolboy, really. I was so excited to fuck her. I thought my Christmas present arrived a little too late, but hey, I'd still take it.

I wasn't sure about what happened tonight, but I knew that this definitely wasn't the end. Alice Rhodes was playing a dangerous game and I was intrigued.

If I thought I needed her before, there were no words for what the situation was right now.

Carmella became pushy. She asked me, "You're coming to mine's after? There's a party there, remember?"

I had no intention of spending time with her coke-addicted friends. "No. I gotta go home."

Her eyes were wide as she stared back at me. "Seriously?"

"When have I ever not been serious, Carmella?"

"You literally never have time to spend with me, and now it's the holidays and you'd rather stay home?"

She drank a little too much, so her voice is a little too loud. I tighten my hold around her arm in warning and ask her rudely, "What, were you expecting a proposal? Don't worry. It's not happening tonight."

Her anger was stamped all over her perfectly made-up face. My guess was that she really thought I'd propose to her, which was why she called photographers to come here. Did she think the pap photos from last week would influence me?

She was dead wrong.

Carmella walked away from me swiftly, and her father looked back and forth between us before following his daughter, the one he spoiled rotten. Mom approached me and asked in a low voice, "What's gotten into you tonight?"

"Nothing. I'm leaving."

"Theodore, your brother hasn't even arrived yet. And your sister—"

I kissed her cheek. "They'll be just fine without me. I'll see you later today."

I walked away from her, heading toward the exit. I was frustrated. I drank too much. My head was a little full. I wouldn't even mention that I had to take care of the fucking hard-on in my pants, and this time, I had a photo of her I could beat to.

A photo of Alice Rhode's perfect little pussy.

She ran away from me tonight, but I now knew this was all part of her game. No matter. I'd play by her rules. I'd bide my time.

I was sure of one thing, though.

I'd fuck that woman. I'd have her all for myself.

Even if it was the last thing in the world I ever did.

ALICE

Words couldn't describe how shitty I felt.

It was the shittiest feeling in the world. Shittier than shit. Ever since I left that New Year's Eve bullshit party, I hadn't felt like myself. I was so down. So, so down. I didn't want to eat. Work out. Nothing.

All I could do was stay in bed and wallow in my misery.

Of course, I wouldn't even add how embarrassed and ashamed I was now that I had been sober for some days. The photo I sent...the sexts...oh my God. I died on the inside every time I opened my phone and went through them like the sadist I was. I knew I was only bringing myself pain, but I kept reading them to figure out if they were salvageable or something.

If maybe I could get away with something I did.

But noooo.

They were bad. Really bad. And his replies were worse. If I were sober, I would've realized my mistake right away. Benjamin never spoke to me that way, not even in texts. I would've realized something was wrong. But I had way too many glasses of champagne, and I wasn't in the right state of mind.

I still didn't know how such a mistake happened. Why was Theodore Linden-Hawthorne's number in my phone? I never had it before. I couldn't understand what happened. Did I have it and just...forgot? Even if I did, how the fuck did I save it under Benjamin's name?

It was all so messed up that it felt supernatural. Maybe Theodore Linden-Hawthorne was so demonic that he sent one of his little minions to do that, just to have me fired. He'd been wanting to do that for so long.

He gave me a shit ton of work for no reason, work that other people could do. He talked down to me. He hated me. I could tell even by how he looked at me.

Yet, he walked into that office and kissed me. He knew who I was. I didn't know who he was.

Why did he do that? Just to fire me?

He truly was evil.

I took a deep breath and walked into the building. It was the first Monday of the new year, and I was supposed to be excited to come in to work.

But it was one of the saddest days for me.

Because I was handing in my resignation letter.

I preferred doing this because I wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of firing me. Fuck. Him. I would be the bigger person here, not him. I knew that a dismissal was the only thing that awaited me. I kissed my boss. No, wait. First, I sent him a nude. Then I told him the most inappropriate things through text. Then, I slapped him.

I wasn't crazy enough to think that I'd keep my job after that.

I was too ashamed to even look at my work colleagues. I had this crazy idea that maybe they'd all give me dirty looks, then throw stones at me. I didn't know why, but I really thought everyone would know what happened.

But nobody looked at me in a funny way. In fact, everyone looked at me normally, and they even greeted me.

I didn't see Emma around, and I was grateful for that. I was too ashamed to face her, too. Anyway, I had to concentrate now. I stopped in front of Mr. Linden-Hawthorne's office, breathed in deeply, and knocked quickly before I could change my mind.

"Come in."

I almost gave up. Maybe I should just slip the resignation letter under his door and run away as fast as my legs could carry me.

What was I expecting? Why did I want to face this man after that happened?

It was like I was begging to be humiliated, the same way my parents humiliated me when I tried to call them and learned that they already knew what happened. Benjamin probably called them before I had a chance to, and the words they spat at me were engraved into my memory.

I would never forget them.

I opened the door, and he looked up. When we made eye contact, my stomach churned and nervousness bubbled up my throat and filled my mouth with this nasty bitter taste.

He sat back in his chair. Those devious eyes never left my face. "Yes, Miss Rhodes?"

Shame crept up my neck and tinted my cheeks red. I closed the door and walked up to him, holding out the letter. I set it in front of him, then said, "This is to save you the trouble of having to fire me. Excuse me."

"One moment, Miss Rhodes."

I was already heading toward the door.

He stood up as fast as lightning, it seemed, because he put his hand on the door handle before I even touched it, and stood between me and the door. My face was burning at this point.

"What resignation letter? What's that about?"

His question irritated me. Without looking at him, I gritted out, "Don't taunt me! You don't have to do that anymore. I quit. You won't have to see my face again!"

"I'm being perfectly serious, Miss Rhodes."

I met his gaze. A crazy, untamed part of me whispered in my mind that he wasn't my boss anymore, so I could tell him whatever the hell I wanted. "No, you're not. You're just trying to humiliate me!"

The smug look on his face really made me want to slap him again, but I kept my arm fixed to my side. I was more in control of myself. I wouldn't give him another chance to put his hands on me, or worse, have me arrested for battery. "Humiliate you? Why would I do that?"

I lost my patience. "Excuse me!"

"You're not going anywhere until we talk about what happened."

"I don't want to. There's nothing to talk about!"

"No?" He arched one of his thick brows. "Your tongue was down my throat last Wednesday, Miss Rhodes. I can still smell you on my fingers."

I screwed my eyes shut and stepped away from him. "Stop! It was an accident!"

"I don't believe in accidents. In my world, everything happens for a reason."

I met his age again. "It wasn't premeditated, if that's what you're thinking. I thought you were my fiancé, you...you prick, and that cost me everything, but you could never know! No, to you this is all so entertaining. My life's falling apart!"

"And whose fault is that supposed to be? Mine? You're the one who sent me that photo. All I did was play along."

"Why?" I spat. "Why didn't you put a stop to it? Why did you reply to all those things?"

His eyes filled with intent and a look that sent shivers down my spine. "Why? You know why, Miss Rhodes. Until that kiss, I didn't think you did, but you do, and I have to give it to you—you know how to play the part of a clueless woman."

"What are you even talking about?"

A smirk curved his lips. He was still blocking the door or I would have left a long ass time ago. "I'm curious to know where this goes from here. You've handed me your resignation...quite creative, I admit...and now what?"

"Now what? I look for another job."

He folded his arms. "You know I can't let that happen."

I tensed. "You can't stop me from doing anything. It's my life. Please, step away from the door."

"You called me a prick just now. Now you're saying please?"

I threw my hands in the air. This situation was ridiculous and I couldn't believe it was happening. "What do you want from me!?"

"You know what I want," he retorted. He stepped toward me suddenly and I backed away so quickly that I almost tripped. He held my arm to keep me on my feet. The sudden contact was...I didn't even have words for it. "What do you want? What will it get you to stay? Money? Tell me."

I ripped my arm from his grip. "What!? Are you offering me money to fuck you?"

"A salary raise, yes."

I scoffed. "I don't want anything from you."

"That's not what you were saying in those texts. Or when you kissed me and let me touch you."

"I didn't know it was you! How many times do I have to say that!?"

"I find that very hard to believe."

I took the opportunity and headed toward the door before throwing it open. I heard him say, loud and clear, "If you ever change your mind, you know what to do."

I headed outside angrily. I was fuming. I wanted to stab him with his ridiculously expensive pen. Bastard. Who did he think he was? Seriously?

He repulsed me!

I stepped outside and started toward my car while searching for my keys in my bag. It was freezing, but I was sweating. I wasn't sure why, but I looked up and froze right in the middle of the sidewalk.

I saw Emma inside a car, a car I knew too well, and she leaned over and kissed the driver right on the mouth.

Who was the driver, you might ask?

Benjamin.

My fucking fiancé, Benjamin.