4

Perhaps the thought of waking up $50,000 richer caused Shine to oversleep.

The sunlight pouring through the curtains was the first thing Shine felt, followed immediately by the cold, empty space on the bed next to her.

She bolted upright, her skin stinging where the dried milk and sweat had crusted over.

"Oh, no. No, no, no," she hissed, glancing at the bedside clock. 7:45 AM.

Her phone buzzed violently on the nightstand. It was Betty.

"Shine! Where are you?" Betty’s voice was practically singing through the receiver. "You need to get here right now. Sir Gilbert is in the most incredible mood. He is handing out mid-quarter bonuses! I just got enough to finally pay off my car!"

"I am on my way, Betty. I... I had a late night," Shine stammered, her eyes scanning the room.

"Well, hurry! He is asking for you specifically. Get your butt in here!"

Shine hung up, her heart hammering.

She swung her legs off the bed, and that’s when she saw it.

Something glinted on the dark carpet near the foot of the bed. She leaned down and picked it up.

It was a silver cufflink.

It was shaped like a stylized 'V' with a small, sapphire stone embedded in the center.

Her breath hitched.

She had seen that exact cufflink somewhere but she could not place where.

Just then she remembered it had been peeking out from the sleeve of Gilbert Vicente’s suit as he leaned over Betty’s desk.

"It can't be," she whispered. "The voice. The hair. And now this?"

She gripped the cold metal so hard it bit into her palm.

The way he had handled her with such familiar authority. The thought of her boss being her benefactor sent a wave of terror through her, but right behind it was a sickeningly sweet rush of excitement.

If it was him, damn he was playing a nasty game.

Shine strutted into the office an hour later.

She had swapped her usual modest blouse for a black shirt, leaving the top three buttons undone.

She hadn't put on a bra.

She didn't need to. Her breasts were already starting to feel the familiar pressure, and she wanted him to see the silhouettes.

She walked straight past Betty, ignoring the frantic hand signals, and marched into Gilbert’s private office without knocking.

Gilbert was sitting behind his desk, a glass of water in front of him. He looked perfectly composed, his sleeves rolled up to his forearms. His wrists were bare.

"You’re late, Rossman," he said. His voice was disciplined and restrained, the coldness txture of his voice was back. "Again."

In that moment, Shine assumed her guess was wrong.

"I am," Shine said, leaning over his desk so the fabric of her shirt pulled taut. "But I heard you were in a giving mood today, Sir. I didn't want to miss my... bonus."

Gilbert’s eyes dropped to the opening of her shirt. He didn't blink. "You have a lot of nerve coming in here at noon dressed like a cocktail waitress."

"Is that a problem?" Shine reached into her pocket and pulled out the sapphire cufflink. She rolled it between her thumb and forefinger. "I found this. It looks expensive. I thought to get it for you."

The silence in the room became intense enough to drown in. Gilbert’s gaze fixed on the silver 'V'. A small muscle jumped in his jaw.

"Where did you find that?" he asked, his voice dropping into that low, vibrating register that made Shine’s chest ache.

"Please accept," she whispered. "My humble gift."

She hoped he got the memo.

She hoped Sir Gilbert was the wild savage that ravished her the previous night.

Gilbert stood up slowly.

He walked around the desk, his movements fluid.

He stopped inches from her, his shadow towering over her.

"Is that so?"

"Yes, Sir," Shine teased, her voice breathy.

She felt the first drop of milk escape, a warm prickle against the white cotton of her shirt. "In fact, I found your kindness early this morning so inspiring that I decided to get you a gift"

She reached out and traced the line of his tie with the cufflink.

"This is inappropriate. You’re pushing your luck, Shine," he growled.

"What are you going to do? Fire me?" She laughed. "Or are you going to show me what else you have in your private collection?"

Gilbert’s hand shot out, grabbing her waist and pulling her flush against his hard frame. Shine let out a sharp gasp, her breasts crushing against his chest.

"You think you’re so clever," he hissed into her ear. "Where did you get that cufflink"

"I told you… it’s a gift," she countered, squirming against him.

"And now I have to be in your debt until I get you a gift."

He gripped the back of her neck, his fingers tangling in her hair, forcing her to look up at him.

"What makes you think you can test me in my own office?"

"I want you to admit it was you," she challenged, her nipples peaking visibly through the black shirt as the milk began to flow in earnest. "Tell me you liked the taste. Tell me you want more."

Gilbert leaned down, his lips brushing against hers but not quite kissing her.

"I don't admit anything," he whispered.

He looked down at the growing damp spots on her chest. The black fabric was becoming translucent, clinging to her curves.

"Look at you," he mocked. "Disgusting. Unprofessional. Slut."

"Then fix it," she snapped, her defiance masking the overwhelming lust. "Discipline me, Sir."

"You look so familiar," he said, his hand sliding down to her hip and squeezing hard. "You like this? This kind of discipline."

He shoved her back toward the large armchair in the corner of the office.

"Sit. Don't move. Don't speak."

"Make me," she dared him, her heart thudding against her ribs.

Gilbert’s eyes turned dark with an insatiable hunger finally breaking through the professional mask.

He didn't say a word.

He walked to the door, turned the deadbolt with a resounding click, and closed the blinds.

The office plunged into a dim glow.

"You want to be a naughty girl, Shine? Fine," he said, unbuckling his belt. The sound of the leather sliding through the loops was like a whip crack in the quiet room. "But remember... once we start this, I don't stop until you’re begging for mercy."

Shine swallowed hard, her body vibrating with fear and an agonizing fleur of pleasure. She watched him approach, the sapphire cufflink still clutched in her hand like a trophy she wasn't sure she wanted to keep.

"I’m waiting, Sir," she whispered.

"Good," he replied, reaching for the buttons of her shirt. "Because I’ve been thinking about this since the moment for the longest."

He ripped the shirt open, sending buttons flying across the carpet. Shine screamed as he lunged for her, his mouth catching her nipple with a ferocity that made her entire world go blank.

"Yes! Oh, Sir! Yes!" she wailed, her head hitting the leather of the chair.

“Shine Rossman!” Betty called her back to reality, “You have been starring at nothing since you came in”

Apparently she had been lost in her own thoughts.

“I greeted you, when you came in and you just walked past” Betty started, “Only to come back looking like you got some sort of nerve wrecking bad news”

“Huh?” Shine asked.

“You have been standing beside the printer, lost in thoughts.” Betty said with a bit of playful concern, “Are you fully recovered”

“Recovered?” Shine asked, trying to pace and put herself together.

“Oh Girl, never mind, seen Mr Gilbert yet?”

“No…No…I did not meet him, I think he stepped out because when I got to his office, it was empty” Shine replied, motioning herself to her desk.

She could not believe that she had spent the last few minutes lost in her thoughts, she was crazy about satisfying her suspicions, there was only way to find out if Sir Gilbert was User9982, and she was not sure her plan would work but she hoped it did. She hoped User9982 was Sir Gilbert.