Maddison blinked once. Then slid off his lap gracefully, composed, annoyingly satisfied. She reached for her discarded clothes without urgency.
Lucas stood too, running a shaky hand through his hair. “I mean it.”
She raised an eyebrow as she pulled her shirt over her head. “Because you’re my boss?”
“Yes.”
“Because this is reckless?”
“Yes.”
“Because you’re terrified of how much you liked it?”
His silence was all the answer she needed.
Maddison turned to him fully, hands on her hips, lips curved into a slow, dangerous smile. “Well that’s adorable, sweetheart. But we are doing this again.”
Lucas clenched his jaw. “You don’t know what you’re messing with.”
“Oh, I do.” Maddison tilted her head. “And lucky for you, I like what I’m messing with.”
Lucas exhaled hard. “Bonnie and Logan will find out. They’ll suggest… removing you.”
Maddison didn’t even blink. “They won’t.”
“You don’t know them.”
“No,” she said with a small smirk. “But I know you. And you won’t let them touch me.” Lucas looked at her like she’d just called checkmate without touching the board.
She stepped back, finally calm, victorious. “Now clean up, CEO. You’ve got lipstick on your collar and a mess to pretend didn’t happen.”
She turned and walked away, heels clicking against the polished floor.
Lucas stood there alone.
Heart pounding. Mind spinning.
And one chilling thought echoing louder than anything else:
She’s more dangerous than I thought.
***
Later
He stayed in the basement long after she was gone. Shirt half buttoned. Lipstick smeared across his collar like a brand. His empire was built on discipline. Strategy. Ruthless control and in a single night, she had broken all of it.
Lucas braced both hands against the wall, chest heaving. Shame curdled in his stomach. He could still taste her. Smell her perfume in the air. Feel her body riding him like she owned him.
Because she did.
He told himself to end it. Fire her tomorrow. Cut her out. Protect the family. Protect the empire. But his hand was already pulling out his phone. Opening their chat. Scrolling back through every message, every photo, every voice note she had ever sent.
He swore he’d delete them. Swore he’d block her.
Instead, his thumbs moved on their own.
To @booklover69: