I yearn for Her—Gosh!

My hands were still trembling when I ran into the executive restroom after the meeting. I locked myself inside a stall and collapsed against the cold tile wall. My stomach was in tight knots, my body still hot and slimy between my thighs

What is happening to me?

I pressed my cold shaky palms against my face as tears of confusion leaked through my fingers. I was twenty-two and I was straight.

I had spent my whole life expecting to marry a nice man, buy a suburban house and live a normal quiet life. Now in less than forty-eight hours, a woman had turned my entire world upside down.

The worst part wasn't even Erica’s dominance. It was how completely my own body betrayed me by totally submitting to her. I hated that I hadn't pushed her hand away under that table. I hated that every time her raspy voice whispered in my ear, a desperate craving opened up inside me. I was terrified of her, yet I yearn her touch so badly and that made me feel sick with guilt.

Then there was Marcus. Acting like he knew about the bracelet just waiting for the right moment to strike and if that happens, my career would be over before it even started. I couldn't risk it.

I wiped my face, straightened my skirt and walked over to the mirror to fix my hair. Before I could take out my brush the restroom door swung open. Chloe walked in carrying her makeup bag. She gasped when she caught sight of my pale face in the glass.

"Tiana! Oh my gosh, are you okay?" Chloe asked rushing to my side. "You looked like you were going to faint during Marcus’s presentation”

"I... I just felt a little dizzy” I lied, forcing a weak smile. "The pressure of the first week, I guess”

Chloe leaned against the counter, lowering her voice and whispering like she had some conspiracy to tell “Well, try to hold it together. Marcus was glaring at you the whole time. Between you and me, he’s on a rampage today. I heard him on the phone near the breakroom ten minutes ago”

My thoughts scattered instantly “On the phone? With who?"

"HR or someone on the Board” Chloe murmured, leaning closer. "He kept saying he found 'irrefutable proof' that Erica is abusing her power and favoring new hires. Tiana, if Marcus brings a scandal to light, the whole department is going to get dragged into an investigation. People could lose their jobs”

I heard my pulse banging at my ear, i couldn’t process the words in my head. Marcus wasn't just going to blackmail me privately—he was going to use me to take down Erica publicly.

"I have to check some reports” I squeaked out, rushing past a surprised Chloe and exiting the restroom.

I couldn't sit at my desk any longer. The walls of the 40th floor felt like they were closing in on me. I needed answers. I needed to know if Erica was just using me as a pawn in her war against Marcus or if what happened between us meant anything to her at all or whats Marcus doing, just tell me anything

I marched up to the heavy double doors of Erica's office. Julian wasn't at his station so it was an easy pass and the floor was eerily quiet as the lunch hour settled in.

I didn't knock, I just pushed the door open and stepped inside.

Erica was standing by the floor-to-ceiling windows with her back to me. Her blazer was draped over an armchair leaving her in a thin white silk blouse that was nearly transparent, her dark hair was slightly messy as she looked out over the sprawling city view.

The door closed behind me with a soft click and still Erica didn't even turn around.

"You should learn to knock, Tiana” her raspy voice purred through the quiet room itching my brain In a good way

"Is this a game to you?" I said in a cracked hushed tone

Erica slowly turned to me, her eyes locked onto mine, carefully reading my red-rimmed eyes, my trembling lips and the defensive way I held my arms across my chest. The arrogant smirk she had before vanished from her face and was replaced by intense focus.

"What did you say?" she asked softly, stepping away from the window.

"Is this just a game to you?" I repeated, taking a shaky step forward. "You corner me. You touch me. You make me feel things I’ve never felt in my life, and then you act like nothing happened! Marcus saw my bracelet on your desk, Erica! He knows! He’s calling HR right now to destroy you, and he's going to use me to do it!"

Tears finally spilled over my cheeks, and I wiped them away furiously with the back of my hand.

"I worked so hard to get here” I sobbed, my chest feeling heavy i continued “I'm confused, I'm scared and I feel guilty every time I look at you. I don't know who I am anymore. If you're just doing this to mess with me... if I'm just a toy to you... please, just fire me and let me go”

The office became dead silent for a good minute

Erica stared at me intently and for the first time since I met her, the ruthless, untouchable CEO looked genuinely stunned. She crossed the room, closing the distance between us before I could even draw a breath. She didn't grab me aggressively. Instead, her large warm hands came up to gently cup both sides of my face and wiped the tears of my skin with incredible tenderness.

"Look at me” Erica commanded, her tone laced with an emotion I had never heard from her before so I couldn’t tell if it was guilt or she genuinely cared but I forced my eyes up to meet hers.

"Marcus Vance cannot touch you” Erica growled. "He cannot touch your job, he cannot touch your reputation, and he sure as hell cannot touch you. I run this company, Tiana. Not him”

"Erica—"

"And as for this being a game?" Erica leaned down, resting her forehead gently against mine as her warm breath fanned over my lips. "I haven't thought about anything else since the moment you ran out of my bed at four in the morning. You think you're the only one losing your mind? You're driving me insane, my sweet girl”

I locked eyes with her effortlessly and intensely this time. The sincerity in her voice hit me straight in the chest, melting my panic into a warm, heavy desire I had no business feeling.

"Now” Erica whispered, her thumb tracing my bottom lip. "Lock the door”