Untamed secret

Exposure

📖 Untamed Secrets

Chapter 16 – Exposure

The photo burned into Serena’s vision. Grainy, yes — but clear enough. Jeremy’s mouth on hers, his hand under her skirt, her head thrown back against the elevator wall.

Anyone who saw it wouldn’t need an explanation.

Her stomach dropped.

Jeremy’s jaw flexed as he slammed the folder shut. “Who gave this to you?”

Vanessa only smiled, lips curved like she was tasting victory. “PR. It was flagged as potential scandal material. I thought it best to bring it to you directly before it… spreads.”

“Spreads?” Serena’s voice cracked despite her best effort to sound composed. “You mean people have seen this?”

Vanessa tilted her head. “Not yet. But it’s only a matter of time. These things rarely stay quiet.”

Jeremy stepped forward, eyes blazing. “Cut to the chase. What do you want?”

The smirk on Vanessa’s lips widened. “Smart man.” She slid her gaze toward Serena, deliberately slow, like a predator circling prey. “Let’s just say… I have ambitions here. And it would be very convenient if the next PR director role came with Mr. Hale’s personal recommendation.”

Serena’s heart stopped. It wasn’t gossip. It wasn’t jealousy. It was blackmail.

“You’re threatening me?” Jeremy’s voice dropped low, dangerous.

Vanessa’s heels clicked as she moved toward the door, calm as ever. “I’m offering a solution. You make sure my name lands on the shortlist, and this little… elevator encounter never sees the light of day.” She paused, glancing back at Serena. “Otherwise, I’m sure the board — and the press — would love such a passionate story.”

She slipped out, leaving the weight of her words behind.

Silence.

Jeremy’s fist slammed against the desk, the sound sharp, violent. Serena jumped.

“I’ll ruin her,” he growled. “I’ll bury her so deep she’ll regret even saying your name—”

“Jeremy.” Serena caught his arm, forcing him to look at her. His rage was terrifying — not because she thought he’d hurt her, but because she knew he could destroy anyone who crossed him. “That’s exactly what she wants. If you fight her openly, she’ll leak it out of spite. And then it won’t matter what position she gets — the damage will already be done.”

His chest heaved, his jaw rigid. But her words slowed him.

Serena sank into the chair, pressing her hands over her face. “God… I’ll lose my job. My career. My reputation. All because I…” She trailed off, the truth too raw to say aloud: all because I couldn’t stop myself from wanting you.

Jeremy knelt in front of her, prying her hands away. His voice softened, but his eyes still burned. “You won’t lose anything. Do you hear me? I won’t let them touch you.”

Her throat tightened. “You can’t control this. Not everything. People are already whispering. If that picture spreads—”

“They’ll know I wanted you so badly I couldn’t wait. That’s all they’ll see. And if anyone dares to shame you, I’ll make sure they regret it.”

The conviction in his tone shook her. He wasn’t hiding anymore. Not behind rules, not behind his company’s image.

Her lips trembled. “This is going to ruin us, Jeremy.”

He leaned closer, his hand sliding into her hair, tilting her face toward his. “No. This is going to prove we’re real. And nothing—no board, no jealous associate, no photograph—can change that.”

And then his mouth was on hers again, fierce, desperate. Serena clung to him, half in fear, half in need, the chaos outside melting into the background.

He lifted her from the chair, setting her on the desk again. His kisses were rough, claiming, each one a vow. His hands slid over her thighs, pulling her closer until there was no space left between them.

“Jeremy,” she whispered against his lips, torn between panic and desire. “We shouldn’t—”

“Say stop,” he breathed, forehead pressed to hers. “Say it and I’ll walk away. But if you don’t, I’m going to remind you why you’ll never doubt me again.”

She couldn’t. God help her, she couldn’t.

Her answer came in the way her legs wrapped around his waist, pulling him closer. His growl vibrated against her chest as his hands moved under her skirt, dragging her panties aside with rough urgency.

The world outside didn’t exist. Not Vanessa. Not the photo. Not the danger.

Just him. Just them. Heat. Need. The sharp, unrelenting hunger that always pulled them back to each other no matter how much sense warned otherwise.

When he pushed into her, Serena bit back a cry, nails digging into his back. Each thrust was fierce, claiming, a battle and a surrender all at once. His mouth devoured her gasps, his name falling from her lips like a prayer.

“Mine,” he groaned into her neck. “Always mine.”

She shattered around him, body trembling, his arms the only thing holding her up as he followed with a guttural sound that was half rage, half devotion.

They stayed there, tangled, breathless, as if the world couldn’t touch them in that moment.

But the knock on the door reminded them otherwise.

Jeremy stiffened, withdrawing reluctantly, his hand steadying Serena as she smoothed her skirt. His voice when he spoke was ice. “What is it?”

It was his assistant. “Sir, PR sent another message. The photo…”

Serena’s blood chilled.

The assistant’s voice lowered. “It’s already been sent to an external email. Someone else has it.”

Jeremy’s face darkened, a storm in human form. Serena’s heart sank.

Vanessa wasn’t the only threat.

They weren’t fighting whispers anymore.

They were fighting exposure.