Contracted to Deceive

PROLOGUE

(Gloria)

I move behind him slowly, making sure he hears the click of my heels before I press my fingers into his tense shoulders to massage them. He’s stiff at first like he always is but he doesn’t shrug me off, so I take that as permission.

“You know,” I murmured into his ear, “normal people would be out celebrating right now… not still buried in emails and numbers.” I slide my hands down a little, massaging the stress out of his muscles. “Especially after closing a deal like that.”

He doesn’t say anything, but his breathing shifts. I can feel it, and I know he feels me too.

“Are you staying here because you’re scared you’ll actually have fun if you leave?” I tease, leaning closer until my lips almost graze his ear. “Or are you just glued to this office chair?”

“Gloria,” he says in warning.

I walked around to face him, tilting my head as I perched on the edge of his desk in front of him. His eyes move to my legs, then my shirt, just for a second. I undo another button.

“We never really talked about what happened in that elevator,” I say, my voice sweet and soaked in honey. “You know, the part where your hands were all over me and you didn’t seem so… CEO about it.”

His jaw clenches, and I swear he looked away just to stop himself from doing something reckless.

“That shouldn’t have happened,” he mutters.

“Maybe not,” I shrugged slowly. “But it did.”

He rose from his chair, towering over me, the energy between us tightening like a wire pulled too taut. “You’re playing a dangerous game, woman.”

I lean in, my smile tugging at the corner of my lips. “Only if you don’t play back.”

He doesn’t move away or stop me when I reach up and slide my fingers into his hair. Doesn’t stop me when I pull him toward me and whisper, “Or maybe you’re scared that if you kiss me again… you won’t stop.”

And just like that, his mouth crashes into mine.

Hot. Possessive. Starved.

His hands grabb my waist, lifting me onto the desk like I weigh nothing. The next second, his lips trail down my neck, and I’m gasping, clinging to him like I’ll fall through the floor without him. I arch against him, buttons popping as fabric drags down my arms. The desk shakes under us as my legs wrap around his hips and I moan into his mouth when he grinds into me.

He pulls back just long enough to whisper, “Will you ever stop, Gloria.”

I stare at him, my chest rising and lips swollen, heart pounding with desire.

“I won’t,” I breathe.

His lips find mine again, his hands sliding down my thighs like he’s finally let go of whatever leash he keeps on himself. I feel him between my legs, solid and hard, pressing right where I need him, but he doesn’t go there yet. He teases, grazes, and grips me like he’s fighting himself even now.

My shirt’s hanging off my shoulders, my bra pushed down, and his mouth is everywhere, on my throat, breasts, collarbone. When his fingers slip between my thighs, I gasp, rocking into him without shame.

“You’ve been thinking about this, haven’t you?” he growls, his voice low and filthy. “Coming into my office dressed like this, trying to break me.”

“I’m not trying,” I pant, my head falling back. “I already did.”

That earns me a deep kiss and the next second, his fingers push my panties aside and slide into me. One, then two. I cry out, digging my nails into his shoulders, my legs tightening around his waist. His thumb circles the bundle of nerves above, slow and maddening. He watches me unravel with that same cold intensity, except now it’s heavy with hunger.

“You’re soaked,” he mutters like it drives him crazy. “You came in here dripping for me, didn’t you?”

“Gabriel… God… don’t stop,” I choke out, my hips grinding into his hand, chasing it shamelessly.

But just when I’m right there, seconds from falling apart, he pulls his fingers out of me.

I whimper, confused and aching. “Gabriel…”

He doesn’t answer, he just spins me around, bends me over his desk, and my heart skips as I hear the sound of the zip of his pants.

Oh my God.

My heart is pounding in my ears, the cool surface of the desk biting into my skin. His hand presses into the small of my back, keeping me down, and I brace myself.

*****

You must be wondering why I was two seconds away from getting rammed, bent over my boss’s desk like a reckless intern in a bad office romance.

Yeah?

Well… the answer is messy, complicated… and it starts with a heartbreak.

*****

Chapter 1 Broke and bougie

(Gloria)

The bank smelled like desperation and stale coffee, but maybe it was just me, and the fluorescent lights hummed softly above as I waited in line, awkwardly shifting my weight from one foot to the other. It had been a very long day, and all I wanted was to check my balance, withdraw enough money to pay my overdue rent and bills, and then head the hell home.

When it was finally my turn at the counter, I stepped up to the teller with a bright but tired smile on my face.

“Hiii, I’d like to check my account balance.”

The woman behind the glass barely spared me a glance as she furiously typed on her keyboard. I drummed my fingers on the counter, already calculating how much I could spend on groceries after rent, not much.

“May I have your account number and a valid ID for verification?”

I handed them to her.

Then she frowned.

“Ms. Williams, your account balance is… zero.”

I let out a short, confused laugh, and people turned to look in my direction. “That can’t be right. Could you check again please?”

She did. And when her frown deepened, creasing her already creased forehead, an icy dread slithered down my spine.

“There’s nothing here,” she said, looking at me with pity. “All your funds were withdrawn earlier today.”

The room blurred at the edges of my vision, my breath catching in my throat as I gripped the counter tight for balance.

“That’s not possible.”

But it was, and I already knew who was behind it.

Ethan.

I barely remember mumbling a quick thank you before I stumbled out of the bank. My heart pounding as I pulled out my phone and called him. The line rang twice before going straight to voicemail. I tried again, and again. Nothing.

By the time I reached our apartment, I was running on pure adrenaline and panic. I shoved the key into the lock with shaky hands, my pulse hammering in my ears like drums. And the second I pushed the door open, I knew.

Clothes were scattered across the living room floor and a woman’s jacket was thrown over the couch. The faint scent of cheap perfume hung in the air, mixing with the rage boiling in my chest.

I stormed toward the bedroom, shoving the door open with enough force to bring the house down.

And there he was, in bed, tangled in the sheets with a busty blonde woman.

For a second, the world froze.

Then, everything crashed down on me at once.

“You son of a bitch!” I screeched.

Ethan woke up, his eyes wide as he scrambled to sit up. “Gloria, wait, I can explain…”

The woman let out a high pitched shriek, grabbing the sheets to cover herself, but I didn’t care about her right now. My eyes were locked on Ethan, the man I had trusted, the man I had loved, the man who had stolen EVERYTHING from me.

“You emptied my bank account?” My voice trembled, not with fear, but with fury. “You stole my money and spent it on… on this?” I gestured wildly to the half naked woman, the expensive watch on his wrist, and the discarded champagne bottle on the nightstand.

Ethan ran a hand through his hair, sighing dramatically. “It’s not what you think…”

“Not what I think?” I let out a bitter laugh, my hands curling into fists by my side. “Then what is it, Ethan? Because it looks like you drained my savings and spent it on another woman!”

To my absolute surprise, his expression hardened. “I needed the money.”

“For what?” My voice cracked. “For drugs? For this… this lifestyle?”

“Gloria…”

My palm connected with his face before he could say another word.

“You bastard!” My voice cracked, anger and betrayal clogging my throat. My hands trembled, my entire body shaking as I stared at him, the man I had trusted… caught in the act.

“I can explain… will you just listen?”

“Explain?” A laugh burst from my lips. “What exactly is there to explain, Ethan? The fact that you emptied my account, stole my money, and cheated on me? Or were you planning on lying about that too?”

He groaned, rubbing his jaw where I’d slapped him. “It’s not what it looks like.”

I scoffed, tears burning behind my eyes. “That’s exactly what guilty men say.”

The woman beside him had the audacity to smirk. “Maybe if you satisfied him, he wouldn’t have come to me.”

The second slap came fast.

She yelped, clutching her cheek tightly, and I turned my glare back to Ethan, who was already scrambling out of bed and reaching for his jeans.

“You’re insane,” he muttered.

“No, YOU are insane if you think I’m staying here another second.”

*****

On the way to Elena’s apartment, I tried to steady myself. My hands were still trembling when she opened the door, her face immediately twisting in concern.

“Gloria? What happened?”

That was all it took. The second she pulled me inside, the dam broke and the words spilled out, Ethan, my money, the blonde, the betrayal. By the time I finished, my throat was raw, and my eyes were burning.

Elena cursed under her breath. “That worthless piece of trash. I never liked him anyway.”

Jordan, her older brother, leaned against the kitchen counter with his arms crossed. “Want me to break his face?”

A choked laugh slipped out before I could stop it. “Tempting.”

Elena grabbed my hands, squeezing them. “Listen, we are not sitting here crying over that loser. You need a distraction. And I know exactly what to do.”

I sighed, tired. “If you say tequila, I swear…”

“Club night.” She said with a wicked grin. “Come on, you need this. One night to forget all about that cheating bastard.”

I hesitated. The last thing I wanted was to be surrounded by loud music and sweaty gyrating bodies. But sitting here, drowning in my misery, wasn’t exactly helping me either.

Jordan nudged me with a smirk. “A night out won’t kill you.”

Maybe he was right, maybe I needed this.

I exhaled slowly. “Fine. But if I regret this, I’m blaming both of you.”

Elena clapped her hands in excitement. “Perfect! Let’s get you something hot to wear. We’re making Ethan regret every damn thing tonight.”

As she dragged me toward her closet, I let myself smile for the first time that day. Maybe, just maybe, I could forget, for just one night.