7: The Vixen

SOPHIA LANCASTER

The moment I opened my eyes, I felt Daniel’s hand around me and I almost gagged. How had I ever found comfort in this?

"Mmm..." Daniel groaned, his arm tightening around me as he nuzzled into my shoulder. My skin crawled. It took every ounce of willpower not to recoil violently. I shoved his arm away and rolled off the bed, putting distance between us immediately.

I marched into the en-suite bathroom, locking the door behind me. I turned the shower on as hot as I could stand it. I scrubbed my skin raw, trying to wash away the lingering taint of this house, of him.

By the time I stepped out of the shower, the disgust was gone, and I felt awake for the first time in years. I dried my hair and applied my makeup. I dressed in a tailored white blouse, leaving the top two buttons undone, and a pencil skirt that hugged my curves tighter than my usual office attire.

I grabbed my phone and dialed. "Tell me you didn't cave," Lola answered on the first ring, her voice thick with sleep.“Is everything okay?”

"Brunch in the next thirty minutes at the Patio."

"You did something. Tell me everything, did you slap him again? Did you burn his clothes?"

"Thirty minutes, Lola," I repeated checking my reflection one last time.

An hour later, I was three sips into a mimosa, watching Lola's jaw practically unhinge as I recounted the events of the previous night. "...you walked in on them?" Lola whispered, "Actually in the act? In your bed?"

"Mid-thrust," I confirmed dryly, spearing a piece of melon with my fork. "He barely even stopped, he just looked annoyed."

Lola slammed her hand down on the table, making the spoon rattle. "That pig! That absolute degenerate bastard! Sophia, please tell me you grabbed a golf club. Tell me you did some damage."

"I did damage," I said calmly. "I wrote him a contract, I agreed to the open marriage."

Lola narrowed her eyes, studying me. "What aren't you telling me?"

A slow smile curved my lips. "After he went to sleep... I called Ethan Calder."

Lola's eyes widened to the size of saucers. A slow, wicked grin spread across her face. "Shut up. You called the billionaire?"

"I called him," I murmured, feeling heat flush my skin just thinking about his voice. "I told him I was done being conflicted, I told him I was willing."

Lola let out a squeal that turned several heads in the restaurant. "Yes! Oh my God, Sophia, finally! Welcome to the dark side, honey. We have better cookies and way hotter men." She leaned across the table, her voice dropping to a whisper. "So? What did he say? Is he going to... You know?"

"He said to come to his office this morning," I said, my voice dropping. "He said if I want him, I can have him and anything else I want."

"God, that is so hot," Lola fanned herself with a napkin. "The man is literally a king and you're going to be his queen. Forget Daniel. Daniel is a Honda Civic, Ethan is a private jet."

“You’re mean.” I replied and burst into laughter. We both laughed.

She checked her watch. "It's already ten. Why aren't you there? Go get him, tiger," Lola cheered, raising her glass. "And do not come back to me until you have thoroughly sinned!"

Standing in the lobby of Calder Enterprises twenty minutes later, my confidence wavered slightly, but I forced my spine to remain straight. The building was intimidating, and I approached the reception desk. "Can I help you?" The receptionist asked politely.

"I'm here to see Ethan Calder," I said, keeping my voice level.

She didn't even blink. "Do you have an appointment?"

"No but he's expecting me today. Tell him Sophia Lancaster is here."

Her brows flicked up slightly at the name. "One moment." She made a quick call, speaking in hushed tones. When she hung up, her demeanor had shifted subtly. "Mr. Calder is currently in a meeting, but his assistant said you may wait near his office on the top floor. The elevator is to your right."

The ride up was swift and silent. The doors opened onto a corridor that smelled of expensive leather. I waited for thirty minutes, my heart was hammering against my ribs. I sat on a bench near his door, crossing and uncrossing my legs, fixing my skirt, checking my lipstick in my compact mirror.

Finally, the double doors down the hall burst open. Voices spilled out and then Ethan appeared. He looked furious, his suit jacket was off, slung over his arm. His tie was loosened, and the sleeves of his white shirt were rolled up to his elbows, revealing thick, corded forearms. His hair was slightly messy, as if he'd been running his hands through it in frustration.

He was mid-sentence, barking an order at a terrified-looking executive trailing behind him.

"...I don't care about the projections! Fix it, or I'll find someone who can!"

He stopped dead.

His eyes had found me sitting on the bench. The anger on his face didn't vanish, shock registered first followed immediately by a predatory intensity that made my breath hitch in my throat. He dismissed the executive with a sharp jerk of his head without ever taking his eyes off me. The man scurried away towards the elevators, sensing the sudden shift in the air.

Ethan walked toward me. He didn't smile, he looked like a storm cloud that had just found its lightning rod. He looked tired, stressed, and incredibly dangerous. "You didn't call," he said.

I stood up, smoothing my skirt, meeting his intense gaze head-on. "I decided I didn't want to wait for an invitation."

His jaw tightened. He dropped his jacket on a nearby chair and reached out, his hand wrapping around my upper arm. His grip was firm, possessive, and searing through the thin fabric of my blouse. "Inside," he commanded.

He led me into his massive office and kicked the heavy door shut behind us.. Before I could take in the panoramic view of the city skyline, he pressed a button on the wall, and the electronic blinds whirred down, he turned to me, crowding my space, backing me up until my shoulder blades hit the wall next to a bookshelf. He placed a hand on the wall beside my head, leaning in close, his scent enveloping me completely.

"What game are you playing, Sophia?" he growled, his eyes burning into mine. "You show up here, unannounced, sitting outside my door..." His eyes raked down my body, taking in the tight skirt, the high heels, the hint of cleavage at my neckline. "...looking like that."

My heart pounded against my ribs, "Looking like what, Ethan?" I challenged softly, tilting my chin up.

"Like trouble," he murmured, leaning closer so his lips brushed my ear. "Like a vixen who knows exactly what she's doing. You enjoy this, don't you? Messing with my control? Keeping me off balance?"

A seductive smile curled my lips. I felt powerful and wanted. "I haven't done a thing, Mr. Calder," I whispered innocently, my voice dropping. "I just came to surprise you."

"Surprise me?" He let out a dark chuckle that vibrated against my chest. "You're playing with fire, Maami. You come here, into my territory, looking this edible..."

He shifted, his knee pressing between my legs, the hard ridge of his erection nudging against my thigh through the layers of our clothing. A jolt of pure electricity shot straight to my core, making my knees weak. "You think you can just walk in here and tease me?" he warned, his voice rough.

"I'm not teasing," I whispered. My hands moved slowly to the buttons of my blouse. I held his gaze, my eyes locked on his, as I undid the first one.

Ethan's breath hitched. He watched my fingers, his pupils dilating until his eyes were almost black.

I undid the second button then the third. I pulled the white fabric apart.

Beneath the blouse, I was wearing a black lace bra, which pushed my breasts up, offering them to him, my nipples already hard peaks visible through the delicate netting.

Ethan let out a groan that sounded almost painful. "Jesus Christ."

He didn't hesitate. He lowered his head, his hot mouth finding the swell of my breast above the lace. He kissed the soft skin there, his tongue tracing the edge of the bra, sending shivers cascading down my spine.

"You are a vixen," he muttered against my skin, his voice thick with lust. "You're trying to ruin me."

"Maybe," I breathed, my head falling back against the wall, my hands tangling in his hair. He pulled back, his eyes blazing, and he looked at me disheveled, exposed, and utterly his.

"I am going to take you," he pressed his hips harder against mine, letting me feel exactly how ready he was. "Right here on this desk against this wall."

I reached up, grabbing his tie and pulling him down until our lips were inches apart. "Challenge accepted," I whispered.