All Chapters of Inappropriate Conduct : Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

POV: Julian---He told himself it was a mistake.That touching Jamie last night—pulling him close, watching his lips part in a gasp when Julian’s hands slid beneath his shirt—was just a momentary lapse. A punishment for coming into his world uninvited.But then morning came.And Jamie was still asleep in Julian’s bed.Bare chest rising and falling. Lips slightly parted. Hair a mess of curls on Julian’s pillow like he belonged there.Like he always had.Julian sat in the armchair, one ankle resting on his knee, a cup of untouched black coffee in his hand. His mind had already looped through half a dozen excuses—reasons why this didn’t matter, why it didn’t mean anything.None of them stuck.Because every time he looked at Jamie, every time he remembered the way Jamie moaned his name into the dark, logic crumbled.And all he could think about was how badly he wanted to do it again.Jamie stirred with a low groan, stretching languidly under the covers. The moment his eyes met Julian’s,

Chapter 14: Tell Me Something You Regret POV: Jamie “You’re stalling.” Julian’s voice was thick with amusement as he sprawled back against the headboard, sleeves rolled up, tie askew, watching Jamie with eyes that had no business being that damn pretty. “I’m not,” Jamie said, maybe a little too quickly. He took another sip of his drink to cover the flush in his throat. “I just think this is a terrible idea.” Julian arched a brow. “It’s Truth or Dare, not a binding contract. Unless you’re scared.” Jamie shot him a look. “Scared? Of you?” “I wouldn’t blame you,” Julian said smoothly, and something wicked gleamed in his gaze. “But I’d still win.” The rules had started innocent enough. No real stakes. Just two men stuck in a too-small room after a too-long night, shoulders brushing when they moved, breath mixing when they laughed. Somewhere between Jamie’s second dare and Julian’s third truth, the air had turned heavy—like something electric had slipped between them unnoticed and

Chapter 16: Like You Were Made for MePOV: JamieJamie had never felt so naked in his life.Not just stripped of clothes—but peeled open. Emotionally. Completely.Julian had seen every part of him. Had tasted him. Had touched him like he was fragile and fire all at once.And now, they lay tangled in the wreckage of that heat—limbs intertwined beneath hotel sheets that smelled like sweat and salt and something sweet he didn’t have the name for.Jamie’s head rested on Julian’s chest, listening to the slow, steady beat beneath his skin. A quiet, constant reminder that this was real. That they were real. That it wasn’t just a dream dredged up from years of impossible want.“You good?” Julian asked softly, voice thick with fatigue. His fingers moved in slow, idle circles across Jamie’s bare shoulder, tracing patterns that felt more intimate than anything else that had happened.Jamie made a sound between a sigh and a yes. He felt heavy. Boneless. Like his entire body had been unraveled and

Chapter 18: Collateral DamagePOV: JamieThe silence at Black + Lane was louder than shouting.It wasn’t the kind of silence that came from focus or professionalism—it was the kind that wrapped around you like smoke, thick with whispers no one wanted to say aloud.Jamie walked through the glass doors Monday morning with a coffee in one hand and dread clamped tight around his lungs. The heels of his boots clicked softly on the marble, but every time someone turned to look at him, it felt like a gavel slamming.Whispers trailed him to his desk.Someone cleared their throat too obviously. Someone else didn’t even pretend not to stare.And when he passed the Creative bullpen, Lauren—the intern with the pastel cardigans—paused mid-conversation and leaned in to whisper something to her cube mate.Jamie sat down too hard.His inbox was full of work, but his hands hovered over the keyboard. He felt… contaminated. Like he’d tracked something into the office on the soles of his shoes. Like ever

Chapter 20: Jamie Speaks POV: Jamie The projector hummed softly, casting a pale light across the wide conference room wall. Jamie stood in front of it, remote in hand, palms slightly damp. His heartbeat wasn’t racing—not quite—but it was heavy, deliberate. Like a war drum calling him forward whether he was ready or not. The room was full. Senior partners lined one side of the long, glossy table. The Franklin account team filled the other. The regional VP from New York sat at the head like some kind of judge. Even Marlene from HR had taken a seat near the back, scarf perfectly knotted, hands folded in her lap like she wasn’t there to measure the temperature in the room. Everyone who mattered was here. And every single one of them had heard the rumors. Jamie could feel it in the air—thick, heavy, buzzing with the weight of things unsaid. The whispers in the break room. The speculative Slack messages. The stares that lingered half a second too long. No one had said it to his face