The Boss’s Bargain

CHAPTER 4

The rest of the workweek was a masterclass in torture.

Elias seemed to have made it his personal mission to break my resolve. He didn't touch me again not properly. Instead, he used proximity as a weapon. He would walk past my desk in the bullpen, his hand grazing the back of my chair, the scent of his cologne lingering long after he'd passed. He would call me into his office for trivial things—dictating a letter, checking a font size—only to stare at me with those dark, hungry eyes while I stood there, trembling, trying to remember how to breathe.

He knew exactly what he was doing. He was the cat, and I was the mouse, and he was taking his sweet time playing with his food.

By Friday evening, I was a wreck. My nerves were frayed, my skin felt too tight, and a constant, low thrum of arousal had settled deep in my belly. I needed release. I needed him. But I was determined not to crack first. I wanted him to snap. I wanted to see that controlled, composed CEO lose his mind the way he had in the hotel room.

It was 6:00 PM. The office was emptying out. The janitorial staff was making their rounds in the distance, the hum of vacuum cleaners a dull white noise. I was packing up my bag, ready to go home and take a very long, very cold shower.

"Miss Evans."

My head snapped up. Elias was standing at the entrance of the bullpen. He had his suit jacket slung over one arm, his tie loosened just enough to give him a rugged, end-of-the-week look. His shirt sleeves were rolled up, exposing those forearms that made my knees weak.

"Yes, Mr. Vance?" I asked, cursing the slight waver in my voice.

"My office. Now. I need to discuss your performance review."

My heart hammered against my ribs. Performance review? It had been four days. Surely that was a little soon?

I followed him silently. He held the door open for me, and as I passed, his chest brushed against my back. A shiver raced down my spine. He closed the door behind us. Then, with a deliberate, ominous *click*, he locked it.

The sound echoed in the large space. I turned to face him, clutching my bag to my chest like a shield.

"Locked?" I whispered.

Elias walked past me, tossing his jacket onto the leather sofa. He moved to the windows, looking out over the darkening city. "Privacy is a commodity in this building, Chloe. I assumed you wouldn't want an audience for this."

"For what?" I asked, though the heat in his gaze made the answer pretty clear.

He turned to me. "For your punishment."

My breath hitched. "Punishment?"

"You've been distracted all week," he said, his voice low and smooth as velvet. "Making mistakes in the Anderson file. Spelling errors in the memo. Your mind hasn't been on your work."

I bristled, though the effect was probably ruined by the blush creeping up my neck. "I have not been distracted. I've been working hard."

He chuckled, a dark, rich sound. He walked toward me, slowly, stalking me like a predator. "Don't lie to me, Chloe. I can see it. Your pupils are dilated right now. Your breathing is shallow. You've been squirming in that chair all day."

He stopped inches from me. I could feel the heat radiating from his body.

"You've been teasing me," he murmured, reaching out to tuck a stray strand of hair behind my ear. "Sending those bratty little emails. Wearing those tight skirts. Do you think I don't know what you're doing?"

I looked up at him, defiant. "Maybe I just like dressing professionally."

"No," he growled. "You like driving me crazy. You like knowing that I can't focus on my spreadsheets because I'm too busy remembering how you taste."

His words sent a jolt of electricity straight between my thighs. I dropped my bag onto the floor. It landed with a heavy thud.

"And now," he said, his hand sliding from my ear to the nape of my neck, tangling in my hair and giving a sharp, possessive tug. "You're going to pay for it."

He kissed me. It wasn't a gentle kiss. It was claiming, bruising. His tongue swept into my mouth, tasting, devouring. I moaned against his lips, my hands coming up to clutch the lapels of his shirt. I melted into him, a week of tension finally snapping.

He backed me up until my legs hit the edge of his massive mahogany desk. Without breaking the kiss, he lifted me effortlessly and set me down on the polished surface. I wrapped my legs around his waist, pulling him into the cradle of my hips. I could feel his hardness pressing against me, thick and insistent through his tailored trousers.

"God, I've wanted this," I gasped, tearing my mouth away to breathe.

"Show me," he commanded. "Take off the blouse."

My fingers flew to the buttons. I was clumsy, fumbling with the small pearls in my haste. He watched me, his chest heaving, his eyes black with desire. Finally, I pushed the silk fabric off my shoulders, letting it fall to the floor.

I reached back to unclasp my bra, but he stopped me.

"Leave it," he said, his voice rough. "I like the lace. It contrasts nicely with the wood of my desk."

He reached out and cupped my breasts through the lace, his thumbs brushing over my n*****s until they pebbled and ached. I arched into his touch, my head falling back.

"Elias, please," I whimpered.

"Please what?" he teased, pinching my n*****s gently through the fabric. The sharp sting made me cry out.

"Touch me. I need you to touch me."

"I am touching you," he pointed out, his hands sliding down my ribs, over my stomach, to the button of my trousers. "But I know what you want."

He unbuttoned my pants and I lifted my hips so he could slide them down my legs. He tossed them onto the floor, leaving me in just my bra, panties, and heels.

He stepped back for a moment, just to look at me. I felt exposed, sitting on his desk like an offering. But the way he looked at me—with such raw, unadulterated hunger—made me feel powerful.

"You are the most beautiful thing I've ever seen," he murmured. "But you look even better when you're falling apart."

He dropped to his knees in front of me.

I gasped. The CEO of Vance Enterprises, the man who commanded boardrooms and struck fear into the hearts of competitors, was on his knees for me.

He hooked his fingers into the waistband of my panties and pulled them down agonizingly slowly. He tossed them aside, then grabbed my ankles, placing my heels on the edge of the desk, spreading me wide open before him.

"Elias!" I squeaked, trying to close my legs, suddenly shy.

"Don't," he growled, his hands clamping onto my thighs, holding them open. "Don't hide from me. I want to see all of you."

He leaned in. The first touch of his tongue was electric. He licked a long, slow stripe through my folds, groaning as if I were the most delicious thing he'd ever tasted.

"Oh my god," I moaned, my hands flying to his hair, gripping the silver-streaked strands.

He didn't tease. He went straight for my c**t, sucking the sensitive bundle of nerves into his mouth while his fingers dug into my thighs. He worked me with expert precision, alternating between long, languid strokes and hard, fast flicks that had me seeing stars.

The pleasure was overwhelming. I could hear how wet I was, the obscene sounds of his mouth on me filling the quiet office. I writhed on the desk, pens and a paperweight scattering to the floor as I thrashed.

"Look at me," he commanded against my flesh.

I looked down. His dark eyes were locked on my face, watching me lose control. He slid two fingers inside me, curling them upward, finding that spot that made my vision blur.

"Oh! Right there. Don't stop!"

He didn't stop. He increased the pressure, his fingers pistoning in and out, his tongue relentless. The coil in my belly wound tighter and tighter.

"Elias, I'm close! I'm going to—"

"Come for me, Chloe," he growled, the vibration of his voice sending me over the edge.

My orgasm crashed over me like a wave. I screamed his name, not caring who might hear. My body convulsed, my inner walls clenching around his fingers as wave after wave of pleasure washed through me. He worked me through it, easing me down gently, lapping up my release until I was a trembling, boneless mess on his desk.

He stood up, his chin glistening, his chest heaving. He unbuckled his belt with shaking hands, the metal clinking loudly in the aftermath of my cries.

"My turn," he said, his voice strained.

He shoved his pants and boxers down just enough to free himself. He was magnificent—hard, thick, and jutting out from his body. He rolled a condom on quickly, his movements jerky and urgent.

He grabbed my hips and pulled me to the edge of the desk. He positioned himself at my entrance, the tip of him nudging against my slick opening.

"Tell me you want this," he demanded, his eyes boring into mine.

"I want it," I begged, reaching for him. "I want you. Please, Elias. f**k me."

He didn't need to be told twice.

With one powerful thrust, he buried himself inside me to the hilt.

I cried out, my back arching off the desk. He filled me completely, stretching me in a way that was almost too much but exactly what I needed. He paused for a moment, letting me adjust, his forehead resting against mine.

"You feel so good," he groaned, his voice guttural. "So tight. So wet."

Then he started to move.

He wasn't gentle. He grabbed my hips hard enough to leave bruises, using his grip for leverage as he pounded into me. The desk shook with every thrust, the heavy wood scraping against the floor.

This wasn't the slow, deliberate lovemaking from the hotel. This was primal. Raw. It was a claiming. He was marking his territory, reminding me who I belonged to.

"You think you can tease me all week?" he grunted, snapping his hips forward. "You think you can walk around in those heels and not expect consequences?"

"Yes! Yes, I did!" I cried out, meeting his thrusts. The pleasure was building again, fast and furious.

"Brat," he growled. He leaned down and captured my n****e in his mouth through the lace of my bra, biting down just hard enough to make me scream.

"Harder!" I begged. "Please, harder!"

He stood up straight, grabbing my legs and hooking them over his shoulders. The new angle allowed him to go deeper, hitting that spot inside me that made white lights flash behind my eyes.

He pounded into me relentlessly, his breath coming in ragged gasps, sweat beading on his forehead. I could feel him getting close, his rhythm becoming erratic.

"Chloe," he groaned, my name a prayer on his lips. "Come with me. I need to feel you come again."

He reached between us, his thumb finding my c**t and rubbing frantic circles.

It was all I needed. The pressure snapped. I came undone a second time, my vision going black as I screamed. My walls clamped down on him, milking him.

With a guttural roar, he buried himself deep one last time, his body seizing as he found his release. He shuddered above me, his hands gripping my hips so hard I knew I'd have marks tomorrow.

He collapsed forward, catching himself on his elbows before he crushed me. We lay there on the desk, a tangle of limbs and heavy breathing, the silence of the office only broken by the sound of our racing hearts.

After a long moment, he lifted his head. He brushed a damp strand of hair from my forehead, his expression tender.

"Hi," he whispered, a small, satisfied smile playing on his lips.

"Hi," I breathed back, a lazy smile spreading across my face. "I think my performance review went well."

He laughed, a low, rumbling sound that vibrated through my chest. "I think you exceeded expectations, Miss Evans."

He helped me sit up, my legs like jelly. We straightened our clothes in silence, a comfortable, intimate quiet settling between us. I found my blouse and slipped it back on, my fingers still trembling slightly.

Elias fixed his tie and belt, looking every bit the composed CEO again, save for the satisfied glint in his eyes.

"I'll drive you home," he said, picking up my bag for me.

"You don't have to do that," I said. "I can take the train."

"I insist," he said, his hand finding the small of my back. "I need to make sure you get home safe. And besides..."

He leaned in close, his lips brushing my ear.

"I'm not done with you yet. I have a very big house. And a very comfortable bed. And I believe I still have your scarf."

I shivered, anticipation curling in my stomach all over again.

"Okay," I whispered.

We walked out of the office together, into the cool night air. As I climbed into his black sedan, I knew one thing for sure.

This was going to be the best and most dangerous job I had ever had.

To be continued…….