LOGINI arrived at the hotel shortly after receiving the message. The moment I stepped out of the taxi, every instinct inside me screamed for me to turn around, but I had made a determined effort to ignore that feeling. I walked through the lobby with quick strides, avoiding the reception desk as I followed two suited men toward a private elevator. I had worried that the guards standing beside it would stop me, but they didn't even spare me a second glance. As the two men approached, they presented special access cards. Before I stepped inside, one of them spoke so quickly that I almost missed it. "Welcome, ma'am." Rather than questioning it, I slipped into the elevator before the doors could close. "So Charlie had actually—" The two men continued discussing matters that were none of my business, but the moment I entered, one of them abruptly cut himself off before finishing his sentence. They stood behind me, and although I couldn't see them, I could feel their eyes lingering
I hadn't known things could get this awkward.At noon, Laney was supposed to have lunch at the hotel he'd insisted I arrange. I couldn't bring myself to look up as we walked through the office and out of the building. Curious eyes followed us from every direction, while I struggled to keep pace with his confident, unhurried stride.Behind the reception desk, Doris caught sight of me and flashed a teasing wink, her amusement impossible to miss. I quickly averted my gaze before she could make one of her usual ridiculous comments.I was now his private assistant.Unbelievable.We had lunch at the hotel, though I barely tasted any of it. The atmosphere between us remained strangely formal, as if we were both determined to pretend this new arrangement was perfectly normal.Not long afterward, we headed back to the office.Before we arrived, however, we found ourselves alone in Laney's car—a sleek black Mercedes-Benz S-Class that carried the faint scent of leather and expensive cologne.The
How foolish have I been? I’ve given away all my bras, panties, and thongs—so much so that the ones I’m wearing now are the last I have left. And Derrick realized that too.I'd to come up with a solid lie that would keep him from suspecting anything strange.“Oh, those?” I forced out a small laugh while quickly folding the remaining laundry into the basket. “Most of them got old, so I threw them away.”Derrick leaned against the doorway with his arms crossed, one eyebrow slowly rising in disbelief.“All of them?”My stomach tightened.Why was he even paying attention to this?“Yes,” I replied quickly. “Women do that a lot... you see, we prefer new things that remain new and brandy.”His eyes narrowed slightly, studying me in that quiet way he always did whenever he knew I wasn't being fully honest. Derrick had always been observant. Too observant.For a second, I thought he would press further.Instead, his lips curled into a faint smirk.“I guess I’ll have to give myself some work tod
It must’d been a dream, I thought the moment sunlight flooded my vision, only to realize it was Derrick pulling the curtains open. “Hi,” I greeted him with my morning raspy voice. “Hello,” he replied, analytical as usual. He hadn’t been home when I returned last night, since he often worked later than I did. “You’re still here,” I said with yawning as I sat up on the bed. “Are you finally having a day off, my big rider?” I asked playfully. “Not really,” he answered, drawing the last of the curtain. “My boss gave me a two-week break. After how tough my last job was, he thinks I need some kind of rest.” I made a beeline to him and wrapped my arms around his waist as he finished with the curtains, burying my face against his muscular back. “But that’s not fair,” I complained, my voice muffled in his back. “It should be at least two and a half months. Two weeks are barely enough for me.” “But they’re enough to spoil you properly.”He turned abruptly, unwinding my arms before lockin
My marriage had already started rotting long before I admitted it to myself—but not in the way people usually imagine. It wasn’t because I was some careless, promiscuous wife looking for excitement outside her vows.No.Everything I did was for survival.For Derrick.For us.Being with Laney wasn’t something I dreamed about at night or fantasized over like some guilty romance novel. It was something I had to do because bills never stopped arriving, rent never waited, and love alone certainly didn’t keep the lights on.Derrick worked hard—harder than most men I knew. He was a logistics supervisor for a small distribution company, constantly traveling from one warehouse project to another. Some assignments kept him away for weeks. Others dragged into months. The pay was decent enough to keep us from drowning, but not enough to give us the kind of life we were living.Yet somehow, everyone around us believed we were comfortable.A beautiful apartment downtown.A clean black SUV Derrick p
Sitting on his lap, I moved my waist slowly and deliberately, every measured motion pulling us deeper into the dangerous warmth between us. His hands rested firmly on my hips, possessive yet controlled, before sliding upward with unhurried intent.My breath caught as his fingers brushed against my skin, carefully unfastening the buttons of my shirt one by one. The look in his eyes never left mine—steady, heated, and impossible to ignore.“You keep testing my patience,” he murmured, his voice rough enough to send a shiver through me.A faint smile touched my lips as I leaned closer, my hands settling against his shoulders. “And yet,” I whispered, “you still let me.”I held his hands against me, my breath hitching as his touch lingered, while I kept moving slowly in his lap—playful, teasing motions meant to test the last of his restraint.A sharp exhale left him as he pulled me closer, his grip tightening just enough to make my pulse race. The tension between us thickened with every sec







