Page 53 of The Boss

But he gripped my chin and forced me to look at him again. His eyes burned into mine, oceanic and endless.

“Who do you belong to?”

“You,” I choked out. “Only you.”

His smirk was pure sin. He rammed his cock deep, burying himself to the hilt, and I felt it—I felt everything. Pushing past my second hole, his cock pulsed inside me, and then I was full, his cum flooding my colon, claiming me. “Good boy.”

That was enough to push me over the edge. I came with a strangled cry, my release spilling into the bubbling water, untouched, my whole body shuddering in ecstasy.

For a long moment, we stayed like that, tangled together, breathing hard, our bodies still fused as the water lapped at our skin. And then, slowly, Zac leaned in and kissed me again—soft this time, lingering.

When we finally made it to bed, I collapsed onto the mattress beside him, spent and boneless, my ass thrumming with warmth, his seed still inside me. He pulled me into his arms without hesitation, tucking me against his chest like a dragon hoarding his treasure. I fell asleep fast, feeling warm, safe, and utterly content.

24. Zac

The second day of the conference unfolded in a seamless rhythm—back-to-back presentations, handshakes, strategy discussions over coffee, the constant hum of money and ambition filling the ballroom. Chris kept up well, his sharp mind soaking in every lesson I offered, his natural charm glossing over any gaps in experience. I could see the confidence settling into him, the way he squared his shoulders when introducing himself, the way his eyes sparkled with understanding when I broke down the nuances of a negotiation.

It was fucking sexy.

More than once, I caught myself watching him when I should have been listening to a keynote speaker. The way he pressed his lips together in concentration, the occasional flick of his tongue against his lower lip. The way his fingers tapped absently against his notepad, long and elegant, the same fingers that had clutched at my back last night, dug into my arms as I—

I let out a slow breath, forcing my focus back to the discussion at hand.

At intermission, Chris excused himself to find the restroom, and I made my way to the bar at the edge of the ballroom, in desperate need of a whiskey to take the edge off. The bartender had just slid my drink across the counter when I heard someone call my name.

“Isaac Steele.” I turned to find Kurt Spencer approaching with his usual smirk, his gaze sweeping over me like he was sizing me up. “So itwasyou. I’d come to say hi yesterday, but I thought you were one of the security guys.”

I took a slow sip of my whiskey before acknowledging him. “Spencer.” He hadn’t changed. Still lean, blond, sharp-featured, wearing his self-satisfaction like expensive cologne. He enjoyedgetting under people’s skin, stirring the pot just to watch the ripples. “So they finally invited you here?” I asked coolly.

He tried to mask it, but my taunt hit its mark. “I’m not exactly small-time these days.” He motioned loosely toward the ballroom, where the logos of a dozen rival companies flashed across the screen. “Apex Solutions is the number one tech company in Concord. We’re making waves.”

We exchanged the usual pleasantries and work-related news—expansion plans, industry trends, a few thinly veiled jabs at each other’s companies. The same game as always. Kurt and I had never been close, but we’d crossed paths enough in the industry to keep up the façade of professional respect.

“Melissa couldn’t come?” he asked after a moment, swirling the last of his drink.

“She had a baby recently,” I said. “She’s on maternity leave for the next year.”

Kurt’s eyebrows shot up. “A year? Paid?”

I took a slow sip of whiskey. “Of course.”

He let out a sharp laugh, shaking his head. “Christ, Steele. No wonder you’re bleeding money. A year of fully paid leave for a mid-level exec? That’s charity work, not business.”

I set my glass down deliberately. “It’s called investing in talent, Spencer. The kind of talent you clearly can’t afford to lose.”

He scoffed. “Please. You think she’s coming back after a year of free money? She’ll take the payout and leave you hanging.”

“No, she won’t,” I said flatly. “Because she knows she’s valued. She’s not just a cog in a machine.”

Kurt’s smirk didn’t waver, but there was a glint in his eyes, like he was enjoying watching me dig in my heels. “That’s a cute little philosophy, but let’s be real. People don’t stay loyal to a company because you treat them ‘humanely.’ They stay becausethey need the paycheck. Period. You start handing out year-long vacations, and you’ll be bankrupt before the next fiscal quarter.”

I leaned in slightly, enough that he had to tilt his chin up to meet my gaze. “And yet, Nova Systems is still leading in three markets, with the highest retention rate in the industry. Strange how that works, isn’t it?”

Kurt’s smirk faltered for half a second before he covered it with a chuckle. “You’ve always had a soft streak. A little misplaced nobility. Thought you’d have outgrown it by now.”

I exhaled through my nose, my lips twisting. “And you’ve always been short-sighted. Someday, that will be your downfall.”

He only snorted, waving his hand dismissively. His interest in business ethics lasted all of five seconds before his gaze drifted past me, his attention already shifting. “So, who’s your new assistant? He seems so young.”

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