FAZER LOGINMarissa POV His hands didn't pause. Sliding beneath the pool of silver fabric, his broad hands clamped firm over the curve of my waist, dragging me forward until the lip of the marble counter bit sharply into the back of my thighs. The icy stone beneath me was a brutal shock against the heat flooding my skin, making a sharp gasp catch in the back of my throat."Quiet, well unless you want the whole person on this block know what we are here which I definitely don't mind," he rasped into the dark, his voice lowered into a deep, masked rumble that sent a violent shiver down my spine."The room is soundproofed," I breathed, my hands darting out blind to slide inside his unbuttoned shirt. My bare palms flattened against the broad, rigid wall of his chest, feeling the fast, heavy thud of his heart beneath my touch. "I checked.""Good to know," he growled.He bent his head, trapping me against the counter as his mouth found the sensitive juncture where my neck met my shoulder. He bit down
Marissa POV A week had passed since the catastrophe at the gala, and the corporate tension had taken on a whole new shape. Cassandra’s father hadn't lost his seat at the table....men with his level of wealth and influence don't get erased overnight but Xav had publicly torched the engagement talk for good. Just like that, the multi million dollar merger between our companies was dead in the water. I heard Cassandra Vance has been fuming all week.As for Ethan, he still hadn't signed the divorce papers I’d sent weeks ago. His lawyer had delivered a polite, formal notice urging him to sign the initial drafts, but Ethan himself had gone completely radio silent.I knew him better than that, though. Ethan wasn't giving up. He was just playing a waiting game stupidly convinced that if he gave me enough rope, I’d stew alone and come running back home like I always used to.He couldn't have been more wrong.The front door to my apartment slammed open Friday evening. Hailey marched in holding
Marissa POV A week had passed since the catastrophe at the gala, and the corporate tension had taken on a whole new shape. Cassandra’s father hadn't lost his seat at the table....men with his level of wealth and influence don't get erased overnight but Xav had publicly torched the engagement talk for good. Just like that, the multi million dollar merger between our companies was dead in the water. I heard Cassandra Vance has been fuming all week.As for Ethan, he still hadn't signed the divorce papers I’d sent weeks ago. His lawyer had delivered a polite, formal notice urging him to sign the initial drafts, but Ethan himself had gone completely radio silent.I knew him better than that, though. Ethan wasn't giving up. He was just playing a waiting game stupidly convinced that if he gave me enough rope, I’d stew alone and come running back home like I always used to.He couldn't have been more wrong.The front door to my apartment slammed open Friday evening. Hailey marched in holding
Marissa POV The city lights blurred into long streaks of silver and gold as Xavier’s sleek sedan cut through the late night streets. My head was heavy against the soft leather headrest, the vodka humming through my veins like a sweet, persistent electric current. Every bump in the road sent a quiet wave of dizziness through me, but I didn't care. I felt ridiculously safe.Because right beside me was Xavier his broad shoulders relaxed, one hand gripping the steering wheel while his other restlessly hovered near the center console, close enough that I could feel the heat radiating off him."You are staring, Marissa," Xavier muttered, his voice a low, gravelly rumble in the quiet cabin of the car. He didn't turn his head, but a tiny, faint smirk pulled at the corner of his lips."I am allowed to stare," I slurred slightly, resting my chin against the leather strap of my seatbelt. "You are wearing my favourite suit. And you just carried me out of a bar like a damsel in distress. I think
Marissa POVWith my plush pink rabbit tucked firmly under my arm and my gold heels dangling from my fingers, I walked out of the arcade alongside Xavier, feeling lighter than I had in weeks. The cold midnight air hit us, but for once, I wasn't shivering...Xavier’s heavy tuxedo jacket was still wrapped around my shoulders, carrying his warm, woodsy scent."I still say that air hockey goal was offside," Xavier said, a rare, relaxed smile on his face as he pushed open the glass doors for me."There are no offsides in air hockey, Mr. CEO," I laughed, looking up at him. "You just need to admit that—""Marissa?"My voice died in my throat. My feet froze against the concrete.Standing right by the curb, illuminated under the harsh yellow streetlights, was Ethan.He was wearing his usual tailored coat, but his hair was slightly disheveled, and his posture was stiff. His eyes darted from my bare feet to the massive cheap plushie under my arm, then to Xavier’s jacket draped over my shoulders, b
Marissa POV Without waiting for him, I threw open the car door and stepped out onto the pavement. Xavier stared at me for a split second before letting out a helpless sigh, killing the engine, and hurrying out after me.The moment we walked through the arcade doors, the contrast was utterly hilarious. Here we were...a billionaire CEO in a crisp, tailored tuxedo and a lead architect in a sweeping, shimmering gold gown stepping into a noisy, neon lit arcade filled with retro music, flashing lights, and pop up game machines."Marissa, wait, we don't even have coins...." Xavier started, but I marched straight up to the digital token kiosk, slapped my card onto the reader, and traded for a giant plastic cup overflowing with game tokens.I turned around, holding the cup out to him with a deadpan glare. "Take some."Xavier looked at the plastic cup like it was an alien object. "What am I supposed to do with these?""We are playing," I said, grabbing his hand and dragging him straight towar
Marissa POVI twisted the doorknob, my palms slightly damp, not knowing what exactly to expect. Instead of a stiff panel of stone faced interviewers, I spotted a red haired woman, probably in her mid-thirties. She had popping blue eyes that seemed to vibrate with intelligence, and she was staring a
Xavier POVThe drive started with a sudden shift in the air. Marissa, who had been leaning into my side with a hazy smile, suddenly stiffened."Drop me at my house," she mumbled, her voice thick with the tequila. "I changed my mind. I want my own bed." She purred, her arms grabbing my chest and pre
Marissa POVMy stomach felt like it was eating itself. After the fifth rejection, I had finally given up on the corporate crawl and ducked into a small, dimly lit restaurant three blocks away from the Grand. I didn't care about the menu prices....I just needed something to stop the shaking in my ha
Marissa POV The air conditioning in the HR office was dialed down to a bone chilling temperature, but my palms were still damp. I sat on the edge of the designer chair, watching Mrs. Gable a woman whose glasses were perched so far down her nose they seemed to be defying gravity flip through my CV







