"Tori," James said quietly, his voice carrying a warning tone. "We're in your office. This isn't appropriate."
"Continue your presentation," she replied, her hand remaining on his chest as her fingers began tracing small patterns across the fabric.
James attempted to refocus on his materials, though his voice had developed a slight tremor that hadn't been present earlier. "The competitive analysis indicates that our primary rivals are struggling to match our innovation pace, particularly in the mobile application sector."
Victoria moved closer, her body now mere inches from his. She could feel the heat radiating from his skin, could sense the tension building in his muscles as he fought to maintain professional composure. Her thumb found his lower lip, tracing the curve with feather light pressure.
The tablet in James's hands was trembling slightly now, though he continued attempting to read from his notes. "Market research suggests that consumer preferences are shifting toward more intuitive user interfaces, which positions our recent design updates favorably against..."
His words trailed off as Victoria's ministrations became more bold, more insistent. The professional mask he had been wearing was beginning to crack, revealing glimpses of the passionate man beneath the corporate exterior.
Victoria knew what she was doing was entirely inappropriate for their workplace setting. As CEO, she should have been modeling professional behavior, maintaining clear boundaries between personal relationships and business operations. The rational part of her mind recognized that her current actions could create complications, could potentially compromise their working relationship.
None of that seemed to matter in the moment. The restless energy that had been building inside her for days demanded expression, demanded some form of physical connection with the man she loved. The urge to touch him, to break through the professional barriers that separated them during office hours, was too powerful to resist.
James had been employing what could only be described as a deliberate strategy with her since their return from the island retreat. He would initiate intimate moments, building her arousal with skilled touches and heated kisses, only to pull away at the crucial moment. The pattern had repeated itself multiple times over the past week, leaving Victoria in a constant state of unfulfilled needs.
She understood on some level that this was his way of asserting control in their relationship, her punishment, of balancing the power dynamic that had previously favored her completely. The anticipation he created was intoxicating, the delayed gratification more intense than anything she had experienced before.
At the same time, the constant state of arousal was becoming increasingly difficult to manage. Victoria found herself distracted during important meetings, unable to focus on critical business decisions because her mind kept wandering to memories of James's hands on her skin, his lips against her neck.
"James," she said softly, her voice carrying undertones of frustration and desire. "I need your attention."
"You have my attention," he replied, though his eyes remained fixed on the presentation materials. "I'm giving you a comprehensive overview of our most successful project to date."
Victoria scowled at his deliberate obtuseness. She knew he was perfectly aware of what she was really asking for, knew he was choosing to ignore the signals she was sending. The game he was playing was driving her to distraction, making it impossible for her to think about anything other than the physical connection she craved.
Victoria had maintained her reputation as a focused, decisive leader throughout this period of personal turmoil. Her professional performance remained sharp and productive, though the internal struggle was becoming increasingly exhausting.
The solution seemed obvious: she needed to confess her feelings to James, needed to establish a new equilibrium in their relationship that would allow her to regain her professional focus. The words were right there, waiting to be spoken, yet something held her back every time she tried to voice them.
Perhaps it was the fear of vulnerability, the terror of exposing her heart completely to another person. Perhaps it was the uncertainty about how such a confession might change their dynamic, both personally and professionally. Whatever the reason, the inability to speak her truth was becoming its own form of torture.
Victoria moved even closer to James, pressing her body against his side as she continued her attempts to distract him from his presentation. Her hand slid lower on his chest, her fingers finding the spaces between the half zipper shirt where she could feel the warmth of his skin.
"The user retention rates," James continued doggedly, though his voice had become noticeably strained, "indicate that our platform improvements are creating more engaging experiences for end users."
Frustrated by his continued focus on work matters, Victoria decided to escalate her tactics. She leaned down, bringing her face close to his neck, and bit down on the exposed skin just above his collar.
The reaction was immediate and dramatic. James let out a sharp cry of surprise and pain, his free hand flying up to cover his mouth as he tried to muffle the sound. The tablet he had been holding clattered to the floor as he reached for the spot where Victoria's teeth had broken the skin.
"Victoria!" he gasped, his professional composure finally cracking completely. "What are you doing?"
She could taste copper on her tongue, could see the small trickle of blood where her teeth had pressed too firmly against his skin. The sight should have alarmed her, should have triggered guilt or concern about her actions.
Instead, Victoria felt a surge of satisfaction, a primal pleasure at having finally provoked a genuine reaction from him. She licked the small wound clean, her tongue gentle against the damaged skin, before pulling back with a satisfied grin.
James held his hand against his neck, his eyes wide with shock and something that might have been disbelief. The carefully maintained professional distance between them had evaporated completely, replaced by something raw and immediate.
"You bit me," he said, his voice mixing surprise with accusation as he stared at her.
Victoria's grin widened, showing no remorse for her actions. The taste of him lingered on her lips, metallic and intimate in a way that sent shivers through her entire body.
James glared at her, his hand still pressed against the bruised skin of his neck, his chest rising and falling with rapid breaths that had nothing to do with his abandoned presentation.