Chapter 2

The air in Leo’s lungs turned to ice. It was a physical sensation, a sudden, paralyzing cold that seized his chest and stole his breath. He stared, his mind refusing to process the image in front of him, trying to reject it as a hallucination, a product of his overwrought nerves.

 

But it was unmistakably him. Adrian Sterling. The man who ruled their firm with an iron fist, a predator in a world of sharks. He was even more intimidating in person than he was from across a boardroom table. He was in his late forties, with silver threading his dark hair at the temples, and sharp, intelligent eyes that seemed to see right through people. Tonight, those eyes, the color of a stormy sea, were fixed on him with an unnerving, predatory intensity.

 

Adrian held a phone in his hand, its screen glowing, illuminating the sharp, cruel line of his smile. On the screen, Leo could just make out the familiar interface of the chat app. Their chat app.

 

A wave of vertigo washed over Leo. He felt the room tilt, the plush carpet seeming to fall away beneath him. He was going to be sick. This wasn’t happening. It couldn’t be. M was… M was supposed to be his escape. M was the one person who saw the real him, the person he hid from the world, from men like Adrian Sterling. The irony was so bitter, so perfect, it was like a punch to the gut.

 

Adrian took a slow step closer, the polished toe of his shoe almost touching Leo’s knee. He tilted his head, his gaze sweeping over Leo, from his bowed head to the ridiculous gray hoodie, down to his bare feet on the carpet. It wasn’t a look of desire. It was a look of appraisal, of ownership, like a farmer inspecting his livestock.

 

“Stand up,” Adrian said. His voice was the same, but now it was laced with a new, terrifying layer of reality. This wasn’t a fantasy voice coming through a phone. This was his boss’s voice. The voice that fired people. The voice that commanded multi-million dollar deals.

 

Leo’s body obeyed before his mind could catch up. His legs, stiff and uncooperative, pushed him up from the floor. He stood there, swaying slightly, his hands clenching and unclenching at his sides. He felt exposed, foolish, and trapped. The lingerie, which had felt thrilling and secret just moments ago, now felt like a brand of shame against his skin.

 

Adrian’s eyes flicked down to the phone in his hand. He swiped a thumb across the screen, his expression unreadable. “I have to admit, Leo, you were even more entertaining than I anticipated.”

 

He knew his name. Of course, he knew his name. But hearing it from those lips, in this context, was a violation.

 

“When you first messaged me, I almost blocked you,” Adrian continued, his tone conversational, as if they were discussing a project at the office. “Another needy little submissive looking for a quick thrill. But there was something in your writing. A desperation. A… quality. So I decided to play.”

 

He looked up from the phone, his eyes pinning Leo in place. “And what a fun game it’s been. All those late nights. Listening to you whimper on the other end of the line. Did you have any idea who you were talking to?”

 

Leo shook his head, a mute, pathetic gesture. He couldn’t speak. His throat was tight, his vocal cords paralyzed.

 

“No, of course not,” Adrian mused. “You just thought you’d found some random Dom to fulfill your little fantasies. You told me everything, didn’t you? All your secret, dirty thoughts.” He took another step forward, closing the distance between them until they were barely a foot apart. He was taller than Leo, broader, his presence filling the room, suffocating him. “You told me how much you hate your job. How you pretend to be the good little employee, but you dream of being put in your place.”

 

He raised the phone, the screen bright in Leo’s face. He began to read. His voice was a low, mocking purr.

 

“‘I want to be used,’” Adrian read, his eyes never leaving Leo’s. “‘I want someone to see how weak I am and take advantage of it. I want to be so full of them I can’t think straight.’”

 

Leo flinched as if he’d been struck. He remembered writing that. He remembered the feverish, desperate state of mind he’d been in, the way the words had poured out of him, fueled by M’s encouraging, commanding texts.

 

Adrian’s smile widened. “That’s one of my favorites. But I think this one is more… relevant to our current situation.” He scrolled, his thumb moving with practiced ease. He found what he was looking for and held the phone up again.

 

“‘I want to be on my knees for you in a place where I could be caught,’” Adrian recited, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. “‘The risk makes it hotter. Maybe in your office, after everyone else has gone home. Under your desk.’”

 

He lowered the phone, his eyes gleaming with a triumphant, cruel light. “Well, Leo. You’re on your knees. And while this isn’t my office, I think the principle is the same. Isn’t it?”

 

The reality of his situation crashed down on Leo like a physical weight. This wasn’t a misunderstanding. This wasn’t a coincidence. This was a hunt. Adrian had hunted him. He had identified his prey, lured him into a trap, and now he was going to enjoy the kill. Every intimate, vulnerable moment he had shared over the past three months had been a data point for his boss’s sick game.

 

Rage, hot and sharp, cut through the paralyzing fear. This was a violation. This was an abuse of power so profound it made his head spin. He wasn’t just a submissive; he was an employee. This was harassment. This was blackmail.

 

He took a step back, his hands coming up to push Adrian away. “Don’t touch me,” he choked out, the words scraping his throat.

 

Adrian’s laugh was a low, rumbling sound. It was devoid of any real humor. It was the sound of a man who knew he had already won. “Oh, Leo. You’re not in a position to be making demands. You gave up that right the moment you sent that first message.”

 

He took a step forward, crowding Leo again, backing him up towards the large window. The city lights twinkled behind him, a beautiful, indifferent backdrop to his personal nightmare.

 

“Do you have any idea what I could do with this?” Adrian asked, waving the phone casually. “This little chat log. I could forward it to the entire company. To our clients. To your parents. How long do you think you’d last in this town, let alone this firm, after that?”

 

Leo’s back hit the cold glass of the window. He was trapped. The rage inside him curdled into a cold, hard knot of despair. Adrian was right. His career, his reputation, his entire life would be over. He would be a joke. A pervert.

 

“Please,” he whispered, the word tasting like ash in his mouth. “Please, Mr. Sterling. Don’t.”

 

“Mr. Sterling?” Adrian’s eyebrow arched. “I don’t think so. Not tonight.” He leaned in closer, his face just inches from Leo’s, his cologne a suffocating cloud. “You had a name for me. I want to hear it.”

 

Leo squeezed his eyes shut. He couldn’t. He couldn’t say that word. Not to him. Not to this man.

 

A hand shot out, gripping his chin, forcing his head up. Adrian’s fingers were like a vise, digging into his skin. “Look at me,” he commanded, his voice losing its casual tone and taking on the hard edge of steel. “I said, look at me.”

 

Leo’s eyes flew open. He saw no mercy in Adrian’s face, only a cold, terrifying hunger.

 

“You will call me by the name you gave me,” Adrian said, his voice a low growl. “You will do everything you promised me. Every single, filthy thing you wrote in those messages. You wanted to be put in your place? Congratulations, Leo. You’re about to get everything you ever wished for.”

 

He let go of Leo’s chin with a little shove, and Leo stumbled back against the glass. For a split second, a primal, instinctual part of his brain took over. Run. The thought was a lightning bolt. He saw the path to the door, a clear, unobstructed line. It was his only chance.

 

He bolted.

 

He ducked under Adrian’s arm, his bare feet slapping against the carpet as he sprinted for the door. Freedom was ten feet away. Five. His hand shot out, his fingers reaching for the cool metal of the doorknob.

 

He never made it.

 

A hand grabbed the back of his hoodie, yanking him back with such force that the air was driven from his lungs. He stumbled backward, losing his balance, and crashed to the floor. He landed hard, his elbow hitting the carpet with a sickening thud.

 

Before he could even think to scramble away, a foot planted itself firmly in the center of his back, pinning him to the ground. The pressure was immense, undeniable. He was trapped, a bug under a boot.

 

Adrian crouched down beside him, his voice a low, dangerous murmur in Leo’s ear. “Did you really think you could run from me?” He leaned closer, his breath hot against Leo’s neck. “I’ve been watching you for a long time, Leo. At the office. Watching you put on that good-little-employee act every day. So polite. So eager to please. I’ve wanted to shut that smart mouth of yours for a long time.”

 

He shifted his weight, the pressure on Leo’s back increasing. “Now, I’m going to. You’re going to do everything you promised me. One by one. We’re going to start with something simple.” He paused, letting the anticipation build, stretching the moment into an eternity of dread.

 

“Take off your clothes,” Adrian said, his voice soft and utterly terrifying. “All of them. I want to see what’s mine.”