Serena felt a mix of relief and confusion as Jaxon retreated. She opened her eyes, slightly embarrassed by her reaction. "Sorry, I didn't mean to give that impression. I just thought..."Jaxon interrupted her with a soft laugh. "You thought I was going to kiss you just like that?""Well, I mean, it seemed like you were leaning in that direction," Serena stammered.Jaxon shook his head, a playful smile on his lips. "You really are something else, Serena." He returned to his seat by the desk, leaving Serena to gather her composure.She took a deep breath and tried to change the topic. "So what are you going to be doing with your time in Rhode Island apart from building webs?"Jaxon leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms. "I'd definitely be building webs mostly. There are some business matters I need to attend to here." He saw her raise her eyebrows and continued, "yes, I invest in other things with my web money. And, well, what I'd be doing when I'm not doing all that. I think we'l
Her body was craving for him to be faster, but she knew how these men could be, they would tease you and play around. That was Jaxon's typical behavior, so she didn't have to be surprised he would be an expert here.Jaxon stepped back and dropped the blouse on the settee. His footsteps were light as he moved to stand in front of her. Her eyes were closed, it was quite amusing how she could just mellow anytime he was this close to her, but for some reason, even though he knew he had kissed her before and maybe almost fucked her in the car, he still respected her and withheld from just engaging her in such activity.He was going to ask her if he could kiss her because god, he badly wanted to. Yet, he didn't see her as someone he could treat just anyhow. He could see she wanted it too, but to what extent. Serena was unpredictable. He inhaled and braced himself up for her reaction."Can I kiss you?" He said quietly, so softly, if not that the night seemed to be working in their accord, sh
Jaxon got off from the bed at once and she sat up on the bed. She looked around for the nearest piece of clothing she could find. The sheets on the bed were already scattered.Jaxon was already pulling up his cargo pants to his waist and she was just there in her underwear. "Serena!" Hadley called her name a little too loudly again while knocking on the door."Hold on, I'm coming," Serena replied as she pulled out one of Hadley's robes from the closet and threw it around her body. She took one glance at Jaxon who had his hoodie half way down his torso, then she unlocked the door."What took you so long were you…" Hadley kept mute immediately when she recognized the other presence in her room. "Oh," her eyes widened in realization, "I didn't know he was coming, you didn't tell me anything, I could have…""It's fine Hadley, he just stepped in for a moment, he's not staying the night." Serena assured her.Hadley shook her head as she entered the room and shut the door behind her, "my ba
Serena lay on her bed, her mind swirling with thoughts after Jaxon's unexpected visit. Hadley's knowing smile didn't help her unease. She propped herself up on her elbows and looked at her best friend."Nothing is going on, Hadley," Serena replied, trying to sound as nonchalant as possible.Hadley arched an eyebrow, clearly not convinced. "Serena, you can't expect me to believe that. The chemistry between you two is undeniable. What happened when I was gone?"Serena hesitated for a moment, contemplating how much to reveal. She trusted Hadley with her life, but some things were just too complicated to explain. "We talked, caught up on things, and... it's complicated, okay?"Hadley didn't press further, realizing that Serena needed time to sort through her feelings. "Alright, I won't push. But just remember, I'm here for you, no matter what."Serena managed a grateful smile. "Thanks, Hadley. I appreciate it."As the night wore on, Serena and Hadley continued to chat, sharing stories abo
Serena ended up wearing the black corset dress and white shirt Hadley had suggested. She paired it with black platforms and a small white clutch.She let her hair down and wore a cute minimalist jewelry set. "You look stunning!" Hadley clapped her hands excitedly."Thank you," Serena smiled. She loved the look, even though it was a bit extra, but she didn't mind being a fashionista sometimes.When she exited her building, she saw Jaxon leaning against his car. He looked up from his phone at the sound of her footsteps.A small smile appeared on his face and Serena rolled her eyes. "You're…really, really beautiful," he said. "Are you sure you're not taking me on a date or something or is there somewhere else you're going afterwards.""If you're going to compliment me, do it right." Serena chuckled."Naa, I give you flowers, you look amazing.""Yeah, I let Hadley do her thing," said Serena with a shrug."She's not just a chef but a stylist too? Man, you have the world's best best frien
A wave of silence remained between her and Jaxon as they were the only ones left at the table. She paused for a second and looked at him in disbelief and amazement. How had she not seen this coming?She finally opened her mouth to say something "Jaxon, I can't believe this! You got me a job? Just like that?" Serena's voice was filled with both joy and astonishment.Jaxon smiled, his brown eyes warm with satisfaction. "It's really nothing, Serena. You deserve this opportunity, and I wanted to help you out. You've been through a lot, and I thought this could be a fresh start for you."Tears welled up in Serena's eyes again, but this time they were tears of happiness. She reached out and hugged Jaxon tightly. "Thank you, thank you so much. You have no idea how much this means to me."Jaxon hugged her back, his embrace reassuring. "You don't have to thank me, Serena. Just make sure that you give it your all at Skymount . I have a feeling you'll excel there."Serena pulled back from the hu
Serena's excitement over her new job at Skymount Media was contagious. Hadley couldn't have been happier for her best friend. She spent the night conversing with Mrs Wright. Mrs Wright was so understanding and timely with her response, and she still managed to be very professional and keep boundaries.Serena was going to be one of the editors at Skymount, while she could work at home when her workload wasn't much, she was to report to the office at least three times a week.She got familiar with the company and prepared a few essays Mrs Wright advised her to make ready. Serena found some of them challenging but she remained calm, did her research and put her best into all of them. Hadley was also very supportive in her own hilarious way. She would bring up one of her high school medals and say things like, "employee of the month goes to Serena Cress!" Then she'd clap and beat the table like a drum.Serena would just shake her head and continue with her work. The next morning was a S
The HR manager, Ms. Crawford, guided Serena through the onboarding process with professionalism and warmth. Serena filled out the necessary forms, received her employee badge, and was introduced to her immediate team members.Her team consisted of three other editors: Mark, Sarah, and David. They all greeted her warmly, making Serena feel like she was already part of the Skymount family. Mark, the senior editor, took her under his wing and gave her an overview of their ongoing projects.The first day was filled with information overload as Serena learned about Skymount's values, culture, and expectations. She attended orientation sessions, met with her manager, and familiarized herself with the company's software tools.When she got back home, she fell on her bed exhausted. She had texted Hadley and she was going to be working late since the other chef at the restaurant wasn't around.She undressed and did her skincare routine for the night, before having dinner. She rested and soon d