Chapter 23

Mala: " comon Ivy, you are letting him take control of the whole situation"

me: "I think so too, I am so scared"

Mala: "It's ok to be scared, but don't loose your control, see you when you get back"

me: " Ok, see you soon"

I hang up and looked out the large office glass windows into the city.

I felt more than heard Kyl's approach, a measured, confident stride, I knew the sound of his footsteps now, living rent free in my head. Then suddenly he was behind me, warm breath at the back of my neck, the deepest part of him resting just beneath my skin.

He touched me, gentle fingers over my spine, drawing a soft moan from my throat. My heart pounded in my ears. I barely noticed my heels slipping off, clothes loosening into shadows. This was no longer about creativity or power dynamics, or even staying in control like Mala advised me to, it was about this: our bodies merging in the stillness before everyone arrived the office.

Soft office carpet pressed against my knees as I bent over the edge of the boardroom desk. Kyl's fingers threaded through my hair, a silent anchor. I arched back around him, his warm hardness pressing into me, grounding me in his control. The desk felt cool beneath my knees, the weight of his desire heavy in my core.

His mouth curved into my neck. "Good morning," he murmured, low and commanding as he continued pounding into me, I answered with a broken whimper mixed with moan of pleasure my breath hitching.

He eased inside me with slow intention, as though pulling truth from my body. Each glide was a brushstroke in our secret mural painted under the cloak of pre-dawn stillness.

fuck me!! we started the morning with sex.

We moved together, hush falling around us like a veil, friction and heat collided with paper edges and leather chairs. I pivoted my hips against him, fingers clenching the desk's edge. He leaned in, pressing his chest to my back.

"You drive me crazy," he whispered. "So bold."

I bit back something raw, wanting more than praise. Wanting him evident. "With you, I'm braver than I thought."

His response was a satisfied sigh. He halted camouflage the stutters above us, the rise and fall of anonymous footsteps beyond the tinted glass walls, we were so busy fucking we didnt hear her footsteps; the clicking of her heels.

And then the click, it was not the desk sliding, not his belt undone, not the rustle of my own breath, but the door, unlocking, swinging open so quietly you might've missed it.

Ava stood there, framed in the doorway. Silence froze us both.

"Oh." That was all she said.

She took in the scene, my skirt draped around my waist, my blouse jutting forward, Kyl's slacks still undone. She didn't avert her eyes. She didn't gasp. She didn't look away. She simply moored herself there, measuring, dispassionate.

Then she turned. And she walked away.

"Oh my God, oh...."

The adrenaline hit me like an avalanche. I froze, still bent forward, breath stuck in my throat. His grip steadied me, but I felt naked and ridiculous. "Ava saw us," I mouthed, voice brittle.

His breath stroked my ear. "And?"

I whimpered. "What if she tells the board?" Panic. My pulse erupted in shame and fear.

Kyl straightened, adjusting his shirt. "She won't."

"But—" My voice cracked. "What if…"

He walked around me, fingertips brushing over my spine. "She's loyal."

I turned slowly to face him, this man who claimed allegiance from every angle. His certainty… unnerved me. "Loyal," I whispered. "To whom?"

He cupped my chin, lifted my face and said

"To us, to what we're building."

My breath shuddered. I wasn't sure if I believed him. The office would remember this. Someone would whisper. Someone would smile. Someone would see, they will tag me as the CEOs slut.

He kissed me lightly, asking forgiveness or "We'll deal with it," he said. "But right now—" He slid back in, my moan swallowed by the height of the desk.

We finished and slipped on our clothes,

We didn't speak on the elevator. We didn't meet in the lobby. Our silence was a pact and also a ticking bomb.

Hours later, I found Ava in the break room, coffee cup in hand, our eyes met across the counter, she looked at me with the eyes of one who knew, I swallowed beneath her gaze.

"Quiet morning?" she said softly. But she didn't sound amused. Or even curious, only measured.

"Quiet," I replied, voice small.

Back at my desk, drafting edits to Chapter Six, I could feel her eyes on me. I wanted to ask: What are you thinking? But I didn't, I was afraid.

By midday, a brief email arrived subject: "Good morning." From her.

"I haven't filed any notes," it said. "Your secret's safe."

I exhaled, thank goodness for that.

Then another message from Kyl landed with a ping.

"Chapter edit: delete the last sentence," he ordered.

Two messages, life had shifted just as it always did after we have had our steamy sessions.

The day ended quietly. I lingered a little longer in the office, laptop closed, edits paused. Just as I exected he walked in again lingering in the threshold.

"You did well," he murmured. "The office is a minefield, but they back you."

"Is that—good?" My voice shook.

He traced my jawline with the tip of a pen. "Yes." Then he leaned close, so close I could feel his breath again. "As long as you stay by me."

He didn't need to say more. I unders

When I left the office it was already dark outside. The elevator ride was slow. My suitcase in my hand felt heavier with the knowledge that they all knew, and Ava has seen..

Outside in the street, cool wind brushed my bare skin. I took a deep breath, grounded myself.

The game had begun and I wasn't sure who was winning.