by Jess Jolie
All the employees were dressed in their yoga gear, supplied by the company. Even though some people looked amazing in their outfits, some did not. Like the men with beer bellies and the people who’ve seen better days. The yoga outfits left very little to the imagination, despite not being revealing, in a sense that lots of skin were showing. I wondered why on earth they would allow the bosses to force them to wear that and not their own attire.
Everyone was in the downward dog position, and I just couldn’t help but stifle a giggle. I had never seen anything so ridiculous in my life. Who keeps letting off gas? Eew?! It looks like somebody here is a little too relaxed. Butts in the air and farts…what the..!
“Looking good there, Becky,” I heard beside me, and as I looked over my shoulder, my cheeks immediately flushed when Ace winked at me, in the same position as I was. I bet he’s a dirty downward dog.
What I wouldn’t give to …
No. Don’t go there, Rebecca. He’s your boss, and even if there was a small, minuscule chance that anything could happen, it’s highly inappropriate.
Everything about this is inappropriate.
Luckily, it was over much quicker than I thought, and as everyone began to leave the chill outdone, I pulled myself up from my yoga mat. Searing pain ripped through my calf muscle, and I let out a cry.
“Are you okay?” Ace asked, suddenly beside me on the mat.
“I, uh..” I stuttered like a foolish girl and looked into his warm brown eyes. “I have a cramp in my calf. I don’t think my muscles are used to doing this.”
“I think you did pretty well,” he pointed out, and a grin formed on his gorgeous mouth and dazzling teeth.
“Were you watching me or something?” I was coy.
“I was.
I lowered my gaze to his strong hands, lightly massaging my calf muscle. I had to admit, it felt incredible and in more ways than one. The warmth of his hands raised my temperature instantly, and even breathing became difficult to do.
“Ace, are you coming?”
I looked over my shoulder at the door where one of the executives stood, and Ace shook his head. “Not tonight, Jack, but I’ll catch up with you tomorrow.”
“Okay, then. Have a good night, you two.”
“You too,” Ace said.
“You don’t have to stay,” I pretest, but he shakes his head.
“It’s my chance to be alone with you. I’ve been hoping for it the whole day.”
“Really?” I scoffed.
“Yes.”
His eyes swirled like a freshly brewed cup of coffee, and the scent of him was intoxicating. Even his mere presence was making me feel dizzy.
“I hope you don’t find it too forward of me.”
He leaned in closer to me and lightly touched my bare shoulder, causing my skin to burn.
“Not at all,” I whispered.
His lips were only inches from mine, and I couldn’t help myself. I leaned in, closing the distance between our lips, and kissed him. I had always wished I had the guts to do something like that, and with him, it just felt right, and it’s been one hell of a long time since I felt like this. His hands reached for my face, my neck, and my breasts, and I did not attempt to stop him. This was exactly what I wanted, what I needed, and I wasn’t going to ruin it because of my overthinking mind.
The kiss grew more intense and passionate with every second that passed, and I moaned against his lips as his hand found its way to the front of my yoga pants. He was rubbing me just the right way, and pretty soon, I was wetter than I had ever been in my life. His fingers curled around the waistband of my pants, and he slowly slid it down. I watched him as his eyes sparkled, removing my pants and discarding them to the side. It was not needed at that moment. Much to my surprise, he did not remove his pants but lowered his face down to my crotch, and his lips tenderly kissed my pussy.
A pleasantly surprised gasp escaped my throat as his tongue swept across my clit, making me grab at his thick dark brown hair. Fires ignited in my body as he sucked on my pussy, and slid his tongue deep into me.
“Oh my god,” I panted.
He didn’t stop, though, and I didn’t want him to either. His tongue and fingers were magic, and I thought of nothing else but the pleasure this incredible man was giving me, right there on the floor of the chill-out zone, at work.
Surrounded by candles and the air filled with the sweet smell of divine and intoxicating essential oils, I moaned loudly as a powerful orgasm ripped through my body, and Ace kissed my wet pussy a few more times.
Like a thank-you-and-goodbye kiss.
That was amazing, and I thought to myself as I lay on the yoga mat.
“How that muscle spasm doing now?” he asked.
“What muscle spasm,” I asked with hoarseness in my voice, and he chuckled.
I definitely had to quit after tonight.
Chapter Four
Rebecca
I’m going to give that dirtbag a piece of my mind.
Drake Technologies is exactly how I imagined it would be. Edgy, modern, and professional. The waiting area was meticulously and stylishly decorated in couches that were comfortable and esthetically pleasing. Everything about this place screams money and power.
I had to admit that I was a little nervous when Mr. Cole’s lawyer, Kevin Scott, called me to schedule a meeting, although nothing Mr. Cole could say would make me reconsider selling my company to him. It was the only thing I had left of my dad, and I was not willing to let it go just yet. I realized that the company needed a drastic injection of funds, but I wasn’t sure how to secure something like that. Maybe I could find an investor willing to…
“Ms. Fadden,” the young woman behind the front desk said to me, and I looked at her. “Mr. Cole will see you now.”
I rose to my feet and followed the directions the receptionist gave me. Making my way down the long hallway, passing the offices with glass panes for walls. Inside were technicians, managers, and sales reps, who were all busy with their jobs and doing what they did best.
I reach Axel Cole’s door and lightly knock on the door.
“Come in,” he answered from inside, and I opened the door, taking a deep breath before stepping inside.
It’s a good thing I did because when the man behind the desk turned to me, I froze on the spot.
“Holy crap,” he said, and his eyes widened.
No way. It couldn’t be.
“I think I have the wrong office,” I mutter. “I’m looking for Axel Cole, the CEO of Drake Technologies.”
“That’s me. And I’m supposed to be meeting with Rebecca Fadden.”
“Guilty,” I said with a sigh. “I didn’t realize that you were Mr. Ace.”
“And I didn’t realize that you used a different name,” he pointed out.
“It’s a long story,” I said, feeling embarrassed and mortified with the situation I was in. When I quit my job at Harmony Wellness, I had been convinced I would never see Ace again, especially after what had happened between us in the staff chill-out zone. I’d never done anything like that before, and I wouldn’t be able to ever look him or any of the others in the eyes again. Now I stood in the office of Drake Technologies’ CEO, and he was Ace all along. Was that a trick, or did he simply do it to conceal his identity, just like I had done? I wanted the ground to swallow me up.
“I honestly thought I’d never see you again,” he told me.
Averting my thoughts away from the things he made me feel that night, I cleared my throat and brushed it aside. “Well, after what happened, it didn’t seem right to carry on working there as if nothing happened, you know,” I shrugged. “But that is not what I am here to talk about with you, and I am pretty sure that’s not why you wanted this meeting with me.”
“Right,” he said with a nod, picking up on the dismissive tone in my voice. “As I am sure Kevin has told you quite a few times, I want to buy your company-”
“And I’ve said no several times, as per my las
t email to you.” Scum bag, low-life rat!
Axel chuckled and looked at me, his brown eyes intently focused on me. “Yes, that email.”
I narrowed my eyes as I noticed the amusement on his face and cock my head. “Did my email amuse you?”
“I just think that it was ballsy and very brave” Listen, lady, I always get what I want.
“You’re probably not used to people telling you the truth, right? Or saying no to you?” I asked.
My feelings of desire quickly turned to those of anger and annoyance, remembering his patronizing email to me. I had forgotten that he had been the one who wrote that email, and I cannot simply overlook it because he gave me one of the best orgasms of my life.
Nope, that was not going to fly, Axel Cole.
“You didn’t,” he said with a sly smile.
I rose to my feet angrily and shook my head at this arrogant man. He made my skin crawl. I truly hate his guts, despite him being infuriatingly charming and gorgeous. What was even more infuriating was that I allowed him to affect me.
I refused to give him that satisfaction, and I said simply, “It was nice to meet you, Mr. Cole.”
“Rebecca, wait,” he said, rising to his feet as well. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to be disrespectful. Just because of my lack of taking things seriously, would you consider my last offer? I am even willing to double it if you want.”
“No,” I said simply.
“Okay,” he said, clearly not fazed with my stubbornness. “Then how about we discuss this further over dinner tonight?”
I crossed my arms and glared at him for a moment. “You have a problem with taking ‘NO’ for an answer, don’t you?”
“I’ve been known to be intolerable and persistent,” he admitted.
“Fine,” I said with a sigh, dropping my hands to my sides. “But on the condition that it needs to be at my house.”
“You don’t want to be seen in public with me?” he asked.
“Something like that,” I answered simply. “Here is my address.”
I reached for the pen on his desk and scribbled my address on a notepad next to his office phone. “Dinner is at seven, so don’t be late.”
“Yes, ma’am,” he said. “As always, it’s been a pleasure.”
The remark made me stop for a second, and the mischievous spark in his eyes made me realize that his words were intentional, but I refused to act on them.
“Goodbye, Mr. Cole,” I said as I left his office.
In a way, I was relieved that we would be having dinner at my house, but also, I was a little nervous for him to meet Katelyn. Hopefully, my feisty little ten-year-old can make him realize that family is more important than money.
Chapter Five
Axel
I clutch the bouquet in my hand as I walk up to the front door of Rebecca’s house. I rang the doorbell and drew in a deep breath. I was confident that if I said all the right things and did all the right things, I could have Rebecca eating out of the palm of my hand.
The door opened, and my brow instantly furrowed when a little girl, looking like an exact copy of Rebecca, stone in the door.
“Hello,” she said.
“Hey. I think I am at the wrong house. I’m looking for Rebecca Fadden’s house,” I said.
“This is the Fadden residence,” she nodded and looked back over her shoulder. “Mom, there’s a strange man at the door.”
“Mom?” I mouthed in shock.
“And he’s got flowers.”
I lowered my gaze and pursed my lips as I looked at the flowers in my hand.
“Can you let him in, please?” I heard Rebecca from the kitchen.
She stepped to the side and held her hand out to me, motioning to the flowers. “I’ll take that.”
“Thank you.”
As she led me through the lounge and into the kitchen, she looked at me with a frown. “Wait a second. I know you.”
“You do?”
“Yeah. You’re Axel Cole. You’re the coder that changed the way companies stored their data.”
My jaw dropped, and I nodded. “Indeed, I am.”
“My name’s Katelyn.”
“Nice to meet you, Katelyn.”
“My mom’s in the kitchen.”
As we rounded the corner, I saw Rebecca in the kitchen, and the delicious aroma of roast chicken filled the air. She was dressed in the same clothes as before, a black pencil skirt and a sleeveless white shirt, but without her jacket and no shoes. Her hair was loose and tumbled down her bare shoulders, and she was gorgeous, especially in such a casual atmosphere. It was still weird with her having a kid.
Katelyn placed the flowers in the jug and filled it up a bit with water. “So, you’re joining us for dinner?” she asked.
“Yes, I am.” Although I only thought it would be me and Rebecca. She didn’t mention anything about having a child, but then again, I didn’t ask.
Don’t assume, Axel. For god’s sake.
“Dinner will be done in about twenty minutes,” Rebecca said and looked at me.
Her eyes lingered on me for a bit longer than they should have, but it was fine by me.
“Axel,” Katelyn said, and I turned to her. “Do you want to see my lab?”
“Your lab?” I asked and shot a glance at Rebecca, who nodded while stifling a laugh. “You have a lab?”
“Yeah, in the basement. You want to come see?”
I turned to Rebecca and asked in a low tone, “She’s not going to murder me or anything, is she?”
“Your guess is as good as mine,” she shrugged and let out a giggle.
Before I could respond, Katelyn grabbed my arm and dragged me to the basement. She switched on the lights, and I was stunned. This night was certainly full of surprise. The entire basement was set up as a little robotics lab, with a workshop area where a robot stood, boxes of different bits and pieces, all labeled neatly, and a purple toolkit. A laptop with the latest coding software was beside the robot, and I just couldn’t believe what I was seeing.
“Wow,” I finally said.
“Do you like it?”
“It’s amazing. I would have never pegged you for…”
“What? Someone who’s into all this stuff? Because I’m a girl?” she asked and placed her hands on her hips and gave me a cold, hard glare.
“How old are you?” I asked.
“You’re dodging the question,” she said. “But I’m ten.”
“I just didn’t expect a ten year old to be so into robots.”
“Oh,” she said, and her hands dropped to her side.
“What is all this for, anyway?”
“It’s for a competition. Have you ever heard of RoboCon?”
“Are you kidding?” I exclaim and turn to her. “I love RoboCon. I go every year.”
“I came second last year, so I’m determined to win. But I’m having a little trouble,” she sighed.
“Is there anything I can help with?”
“Sure, there is.”
We started working on the code for her robot, which is very advanced for someone of her age. It only takes me a few minutes to realize the problem, and I turn to her.
“The voltage on the circuits is too high.”
I watch as she makes a few adjustments, and I am in complete awe of her. Rebecca sure has an amazing daughter, even though she didn’t tell me about her. Frankly, it had nothing to do with me, but still.
“Try it now,” she says to me with a cheeky smile.
“Are you sure you turned it down to still give power to the mainframe?” I ask.
“Do I look like I’ve been doing this since yesterday?” she retorts, and I laugh at her wit.
“My apologies,” I said.
As I lightly touched the circuit board, a sharp electric shock ran from the tip of my finger and traveled through my arm in a burning sensation. An uncontrollable groan escaped my throat, although it’s not the first time a circuit board electrocuted me.
�
��Ouch! Oh my god. Shut it off,” I exclaimed.
She killed the switch, but the pain remained, and I looked down at my hand. A giant blister already formed on my finger, and a distinct red line made my skin feel tight and fried, to be honest.
“I’m sorry, Axel. I didn’t think that…” Katelyn whispered insincerely.
“What is going on down there?” Rebecca’s voice sounded from the stairs, and her footsteps grew louder as she descended.
“Mom, something happened,” Katelyn called out and turned the voltage down. Yeah, I did not zap this creep enough! You better stay away from my mom.
“Oh my god. Are you two okay?” Rebecca asked, and as soon as she approached us, she saw my hand and stared at me and Katelyn with wide eyes. “What the hell did you two do?”
Chapter Six
Rebecca
Axel winced as I gently dabbed the cold compress against the burn mark on his hand.
Not so tough now, are you?
“Easy,’ I said and looked up at him. “It’s not so bad.”
“Says the one without a burnt hand.”
His handsome face was a little paler than usual, although there was still a playful hint of mischief in his brown eyes.
“How on Earth did you manage to electrocute yourself?” I asked him.
“I think the voltage was too high or something. That’s why Katelyn’s robot didn’t operate optimally. It kept overheating a few minutes after it booted up.”
Look, I didn't know much about robotics and everything that goes along with it, but I know Katelyn, and she wouldn’t have made such a rookie mistake. Something was up, and I wonder if it had anything to do with Axel being here tonight. Was she trying to send him a message that he couldn’t just prance in here and woo her mother?
Oh my god. Was that what she thought?
Did Katelyn think this was a date? That I was introducing her to Axel because we want a relationship? I had to talk to her before she got the wrong idea, which was a little too late, considering the burn mark on Axel’s hand.
“I’m sorry about this,” I said, feeling the sudden need to apologize.
“Don’t be. You have an amazing kid,” he told me. “Where did she learn all that stuff. I am guessing it wasn’t from you.”
