Igniting desire

Chapter5: cheap audacity

At his corporate desk, Stefan barked orders into his phone. “Just do your job properly and I will fund the project. No mistakes,” he instructed sharply before ending the call, grinding his teeth in pure frustration. He was entirely drained by the sham they called a marriage. Massaging his temples, he picked up the office line. “Put a call through to Lawyer James. Make an appointment.”

Back at the house, the doorbell rang. Micah stood up to answer it, knowing exactly who it was.

"What's up, baby girl?" Micah greeted with a smile.

Angela walked straight past her to the kitchen, opening the fridge to grab a chilled bottle of water. "The sun is absolutely burning out there, that's what's up."

Micah chuckled, stepping into the pantry to retrieve the specific cookies her friend loved. "Bless you," Angela said as Micah handed them over. She took a bite before looking around. "Is Stefan home?"

"Nope, he traveled," Micah answered casually.

"He traveled?!" Angela’s voice pitched with sudden, uncharacteristic agitation.

Micah blinked, taken aback. "Why are you so hyper about it?"

Realizing she had completely overreacted, Angela quickly forced a composed expression back onto her face and adjusted her tone. "I just mean... he only just got back, and you guys didn't even get to spend any real time together."

Micah, completely blind to any hidden meaning behind the slip, simply assumed her best friend was looking out for her well-being. "I know, right? Let's just forget about it." She didn't want to ruin the mood.

"Get dressed then. Let's go shopping," Angela insisted, wanting to cheer her font up.

At the mall, the two women picked out a handful of designer dresses and began trying them on. As Micah stood near the mirrors, Angela nudged her sharply.

"Hey, look at three o'clock," Angela muttered.

Micah followed her gaze and spotted Jane, her husband's personal secretary.

"Wait, didn't Jane go on the business trip with him?" Angela asked, her brow furrowing.

Jane was loaded down with luxury shopping bags, strutting up to the checkout counter to pay. She was already starting to cause an unnecessary scene.

"Hey, be careful with those items. They're incredibly expensive," Jane snapped pompously at the boutique staff.

"Yes, ma'am," the sales representative answered politely

.

"Will it be cash, transfer, or card, ma'am?" the cashier asked.

"Card," Jane said with an aura of immense pride. She pulled a sleek black card from her designer purse. But just as she handed it over, she let go too early, and the card clattered onto the floor.

Jane instantly burst into a rage. "Are you mad? Have you ever even seen a black card before? I give you the rare opportunity to handle one, and you just let it drop to the floor?!"

"I'm so sorry, ma'am. Truly sorry," the cashier stammered, repeatedly apologizing.

Micah and Angela stepped up behind her. "Hey, calm down," Micah said firmly.

"And who the hell are you to tell me to—" Jane snapped, spinning around. The words died in her throat, her face draining of color when she realized she was staring directly at Micah.

Micah’s eyes instantly dropped to the black card Jane had just snatched off the floor. It was Stefan’s exclusive corporate black card. Why on earth does Jane have his personal corporate card?

"Mrs. Micah," Jane said, quickly recovering her composure and slipping the card securely into her handbag.

"What's going on here, Jane?" Micah asked, her voice laced with suspicion.

"Nothing. The workers here are just incredibly annoying," Jane forced a tight, artificial smile.

"You certainly did quite a lot of shopping," Angela added sarcastically, sensing the raw disrespect rolling off the secretary. "Aren't you supposed to be traveling with your boss right now?" She intentionally left out the destination.

Jane caught on instantly, her eyes flashing, but she smoothly recovered. "Yes, I am. Mr. Stefan asked me to run an errand to pick up a few essential items and bring over some secondary contracts. The client he’s meeting with delayed the schedule by three days, so he is extending his stay." She explained it with absolute calm.

Micah felt her suspicion melt away. Jane was his executive assistant, after all. It wasn't unusual for Stefan to hand over his card for company expenses or travel arrangements.

"Alright, Mrs. Micah," Jane said, drawing out the title with a subtle hint of mockery. "I have to head out now." She turned back to the cashier, completed her transaction, and walked out of the store.

"The absolute audacity of that secretary," Angela scoffed, crossing her arms.

"It's fine, Angela. That's just how her personality is," Micah sighed.

Stefan hadn't called Micah once since he left, and his line had been completely disconnected. Feeling an intense wave of loneliness later that evening, she dialed his number again. To her surprise, it finally connected.

"Hello, my love," Micah said, softening her voice to sound as sweet and seductive as possible.

"Hey, baby. I'm so sorry I haven't called you in a while. I've been drowning in work, and things didn't go as planned," Stefan spoke smoothly over the line.

Hearing his gentle tone instantly warmed her heart. "I know, love. Jane told me."

"You saw Jane?" Stefan’s voice hitched slightly. In the hotel suite, his eyes snapped toward the secretary lying on the bed beside him.

"Yeah, we ran into each other at the mall while she was shopping," Micah explained.

Meanwhile, Jane smirked, shifting her body and crawling down the mattress until she was right in front of Stefan. She slowly parted his silk bathrobe and began to touch him intimately.

Stefan let out a sharp, ragged breath. Micah heard the sudden hitch over the line.

"Baby, are you okay?" Micah asked with immediate concern.

It took Stefan a few agonizing seconds to steady his voice. "I'm okay, love... just exhausted," he managed to say in a deep, husky strain.

"Okay, I'll let you go so you can get some rest," Micah murmured, entirely understanding of how punishing corporate negotiations could be.

"Thank you for being so understanding, love. I miss you. Take care of yourself, okay?" he said quickly, ending the call before she could even say goodbye.

Stefan threw his phone onto the nightstand, immediately driving his hands into Jane's hair. "Why didn't you tell me you ran into her?" he growled through his groans.

Jane lifted her head, a wicked smirk playing on her lips. "Who? Oh, Mrs. Micah? It was just a brief encounter at the mall." She smiled up at him. "She saw the corporate card, but calm down, big boy. I told her you ordered me to pick up some personal items to bring to your meeting. There's absolutely nothing to worry about."

Jane resumed what she was doing. Stefan let out a long sigh, his body finally relaxing back into the pillows.

"You're incredibly reckless for that," Stefan growled, his voice dropping into a dark, commanding tone. "And for that, you're going to get punished."

"Please, daddy, punish me," Jane whispered seductively. She crawled up his body, positioning herself directly over him.

Stefan didn't need another invitation. He gripped her hips securely and drove himself into her in one swift motion. Jane cried out as he spanked her waist, demanding a faster rhythm as their heavy breaths filled the room. He rolled her over, making her lean forward, and took complete control, driving them both to the absolute edge until they collapsed against the sheets in a tangled, breathless mess.

At home, Micah stared blankly at the television screen. But her thoughts weren't on the movie; they were wandering back to her morning at the gym. She replayed the memory of her squats, the distinct feeling of her lower body brushing against her trainer, and the striking image of Logan smiling down at her.

"No, no... this is entirely wrong. I'm married," Micah whispered to herself, shaking her head to clear the thoughts. "Even just thinking about this counts as betrayal."

But deep down, the sudden rush of heat wouldn't fade. Her body was starting to develop a mind of its own, and sh

e knew it was going to lead her straight into trouble.