My Babysitter

FirstDay, First Rule

Flora stood in the lobby of Hale Robotics, the cool air conditioning brushing against her skin like a gentle warning. The summer heat outside had been thick and heavy, but inside the building everything felt sharp and controlled. Her blouse was silk, the fabric soft against her arms, and the skirt she had chosen hugged her hips in a way that felt professional yet aware of the way Matt’s eyes had lingered on her before. Today was her first day, and the internship her father had pushed for felt like a trap she had willingly stepped into.

Matt was waiting by the reception desk, his tall frame filling the space, his stormy gray eyes sweeping over her with a look that made her pulse quicken. He wore a dark suit that accentuated the broad line of his shoulders, the leather band in his hair catching the light. The memory of his body in that towel lingered in her mind, the eagle tattoo, the infinity symbol, the way his presence had made the air feel charged.

“Flora,” he said, his voice low and velvet smooth. “Right on time. I see you followed the dress code. Though that skirt might be a little too... distracting for the staff.”

She met his glance, her sarcasm ready. “Distracting? I thought this was professional. Or are you worried your employees might get ideas from a simple skirt?”

Matt’s smile was slow, teasing. “Ideas are one thing. Breaking rules is another. Today, you learn the first rule. No eye contact unless I permit it. Look at me only when I say. Understand?”

The rule landed like a touch, intimate and commanding. She nodded, but already her mind was planning ways to break it, the way his voice made her skin tingle with the memory of his hand on her waist during the prank.

The tour began, his private office tour. The hallways were lined with glass walls, the scent of leather and technology filling the air. He showed her the conference rooms, the labs where robots hummed with quiet power, his hand brushing her back as he guided her, the touch sending sparks through her.

“Pay attention,” he said, his voice close to her ear. “This is where the real work happens. No distractions, Flora. Especially not from those glances you keep giving me.”

She broke the rule then, her eyes lifting to meet his, the defiance sparking. “Glances? I thought you liked the challenge. Or is the rule just an excuse to keep me in line?”

Matt’s laugh was dark, intimate. “The rule is for your own good. But if you break it, there are consequences. Teasing ones. Like now.”

By lunch, she had broken it again, her eyes meeting his across the table in the private dining area, the scent of grilled fish and herbs filling the space. The conversation turned teasing, his words laced with sarcasm and heat.

“You are already testing me,” he said, his voice low. “The rule was simple. No eye contact unless I permit it. Yet here you are, looking at me like you want to see what happens next.”

She leaned in, her sarcasm sharp. “Maybe I do. The tour was boring without a little rebellion. Or are you going to punish me right here?”

The punishment came in a whispered promise, his breath hot against her ear as he leaned close, the scent of his cologne wrapping around her. “Later, Flora. When you least expect it. I will make you ache for breaking the rule. A promise that will leave you wanting more, until you learn to obey.”

The words left her aching, the heat pooling low, the promise of the punishment making her body hum with anticipation. The first day had begun with velvet cruelty, and she was already hooked on the game.

Matt stood by the window of his office, the city skyline stretching out below like a chessboard he had already mastered. The morning light filtered through the glass walls, casting sharp angles across the sleek desk where Flora would soon sit. Five minutes late. He checked his watch again, the leather band on his wrist a reminder of the control he maintained in every aspect of his life. Flora Reyes had no idea how thin the line was between punishment and pleasure in his world.

The door opened with a soft click, and she stepped in, her cheeks flushed from the rush. Her skirt was the one he had implicitly approved through the dress code, hugging her curves in a way that made his pulse quicken. The scent of her perfume—vanilla and something sharper—reached him across the room, mixing with the faint aroma of fresh coffee from the executive lounge down the hall.

“Five minutes,” Matt said, his voice low and even, the velvet edge of command threading through it. “I expected better on your second day, little terror.”

Flora met his gaze for a moment, her hazel eyes sparking with that familiar defiance. “Traffic. Or maybe I was testing how serious you were about punctuality.”

He gestured to the chair beside his desk, the one positioned just out of direct view from the glass wall that separated his office from the main floor. “Sit. The rule from yesterday still stands. No eye contact unless I permit it. But today, we add another layer.”

She obeyed, settling into the chair, her skirt riding up just enough to expose the smooth skin of her thigh. Matt moved behind her, his hand resting on the back of the chair for a moment before sliding down. The touch was deliberate, possessive. His fingers brushed the edge of her skirt, then slipped beneath it, finding the warmth of her skin. She stiffened, but did not pull away.

“Hands on the desk,” he murmured, his breath close to her ear. “We have work to do. Reports to review. But you will stay exactly like this until I say otherwise.”

Flora’s inner thoughts raced, the heat of his hand sending a jolt through her. The punishment was filthy in its intimacy, the way his fingers traced lazy patterns on her thigh while the rest of the office hummed with activity beyond the glass. She could feel the tension building, the way his touch promised more without a single word spoken aloud.

Through the glass wall, Ethan Vale, the HR director, passed by on his way to the break room. His tousled chestnut hair caught the light, his piercing gray-blue eyes scanning the floor with that easy, charming smile that hid his ambition. He paused for a moment, glancing into Matt’s office, his gaze lingering on Flora with a flicker of interest. The smile he offered was polite, professional, but there was something in the way his eyes traced her form that made Matt’s jaw tighten.

Matt’s darker jealousy stirred for the first time, a low burn in his chest. Ethan had no idea of the game being played, the way Flora sat with Matt’s hand under her skirt, her body responding in ways only he could sense. The HR director’s interest sparked something possessive in Matt, a flicker of the obsession that had been building since the night she knocked on his door with that lasagna. He wanted to claim her completely, to make sure no other man looked at her with even a hint of curiosity.

“Focus,” Matt whispered, his fingers pressing a little higher, the touch intimate and filthy in its secrecy. “Ethan is watching. But he does not know what he is seeing. Keep your eyes on the report in front of you.”

Flora’s breath caught, the sensation of his hand making it hard to concentrate. The morning stretched on, the work a thin veil over the tension. She broke the eye contact rule once, glancing up at him through her lashes, and his response was a soft squeeze, a promise of what was to come.

By mid-morning, the air in the office felt thicker, the scent of his cologne mixing with the warmth of her skin. Ethan passed by again, his smile directed at Flora this time, a nod of acknowledgment that made Matt’s grip tighten. The jealousy was new, a darker edge to his obsession, the way another man’s interest made him want to mark her as his in ways that went beyond the rules.

“Five minutes late,” Matt said again, his voice a low taunt. “This is how we fix that. You stay here, with me, until I decide you have learned.”