(The imposter)
Caid Ryan sat on the edge of his massive desk, looking utterly at home while everyone else in the room fell apart in shock.
His second in command, James Kinsley was pacing. The new secretary Trey was trying to become one with the wall. His personal assistant stared at anything but Caid Ryan himself or James.
All the while Caid held a glass of his strongest scotch looking like he was discussing the most normal thing in the world.
Across from him, James, his COO and oldest friend, tried to wrap his head around the bomb Caid just dropped. He finally stopped pacing, running a hand over his face.
"So, let me get this straight," James said, his voice tight. "Your father sent you to make peace with your half-brother, Kincade Essex. A move that would have finally solidify your claim on your father's Essex group. And you… you slept with the bride? Your brother's bride?"
Caid took a slow sip of his drink. "Yes," he replied, his voice calm. Too calm for James's liking.
James stared at him, waiting for more. When nothing came, he threw his hands up.
"Hmm, okay. You couldn't resist. For the sake of every penny in your name. You know how fucked up it is to accept an invitation to your half brother's engagement party and then proceed to fuck the fucking bride! CAID!"
"I did resist," Caid said, setting his glass down with a soft click.
A flicker of hope crossed James's face. Good. Maybe his friend wasn't completely bonkers
"Good. Okay, good. Maybe she seduced you? I can work with that. How long did you resist for?"
Caid looked him dead in the eye, his face utterly serious. "Five minutes, fifteen seconds. I counted."
The hope on James's face died a sudden, painful death. "Five…" he sputtered. "Five minutes? Like one, two, three, four, five minutes?"
"And fifteen seconds," Caid clarified "I like the fifteen seconds noted. Yes. That was about how long I lasted before I succumbed. And we fucked"
James turned around on his heel, pointing a frantic finger at the young man nervously hovering by the door. "Trey! Secretary Trey! We need to draft an apology letter to Kincade Essex. Now! Claim temporary insanity. Or amnesia! Claim Alien abduction for all I know! Anything to salvage this situation!" He glared back at Caid. "Caid here will sign it. Won't you, Caid?"
"I will. I'm not a monster. Of course I will apologize," Caid answered, his tone agreeable.
Trey, the new secretary, pulled out a tablet, his fingers trembling. "H-how many pages do you think it will take, sir? One?"
"A page, right Caid?" James prompted, his voice pleading.
"Yeah," Caid said, nodding thoughtfully. "And 19,999 pages more."
The room went silent. James's jaw went slack. Trey's finger froze over his screen.
"Twenty thous— Why would we need so many?" James finally managed to ask, his voice a whisper.
Caid pushed off the desk and stood to his full height, his presence suddenly filling the room. "I figured I'd write my apologies in advance. Make the job easier on poor Trey."
"In… in advance?" James stammered.
"Yes," Caid said, his voice dropping to a low, determined rumble. "That's how many more times I plan on watching her cum on my cock." He paused, seeing the sheer horror on James's face. "Don't worry, I accounted for the times she would be with my babies. I'm thinking four. So, 20,000 pages ought to do it." He raised an eyebrow. "Any more questions?"
James just stared at him, his professional composure completely shattered. He found his voice, weak and disbelieving.
"Just one. Have you gone completely mad?"
"Calm down, James or your poor heart is going to give out when I inform you we got engaged last night."
James found a chair to sit down. It was confirmed. Something has gone terribly wrong with his boss.
***
(Noah's POV)
I know. I KNOW, OKAY! I should be thinking of ways to raise hell and tracked down the son of a bitch who spent better part of last night in between my legs. To make him pay for turning my world upside down in ways I couldn't even fathom. I know I should be doing that. Except I wasn't.
Somehow, I found myself back in his bedroom.
I don't know what I was expecting... maybe fake Kincade tied up with silk rope and a gag in his mouth, waiting patiently for me to show him how bad he's been, to spank him and watch him shake as I pressed down my heels on his – Woah!!!
Jeez Noah, you horny slut! Focus on revenge!
I pushed the bedroom door and it was empty. Of course it was empty.
He was really gone. I mean, why would he stick around after he tricked me into having the best sex of my life and signing my death warrant.
The bed was made, the table we'd..we'd christened was wiped clean. It was like it never happened. Like he never happened. A beautiful, devastating ghost who ruined my life in the best and worst ways.
Then I saw it.
Draped over the back of the chair, a splash of white in the room. His shirt.
The one he'd been buttoning when I first stumbled in here. The one I'd pulled off him later. The one I'd worn after, when the sweat had cooled on our skin and he'd pulled me against his chest, making me feel safe for the first time in forever.
The one I'd slipped off and left here this morning, fleeing before the sun could expose my shame.
That shirt!
My feet moved on their own. I picked it up. It was soft, still holding the shape of his shoulder.
I brought it to my face and I did the worst thing one could possibly do in a situation like this. It was hopeless, albeit, asylum- worthy impulse. I inhaled it. Him.
Good mother of fuck!, he smelled good. Not like cologne and perfume scent but something faintly spicy, and just...fuck!
The scent went straight to my head. It was the smell of his skin under my lips, the smell of his neck when I buried my face there, the smell on my own skin when I finally crept back to my room.
I should burn it. I should tear it to shreds.I should-
I inhaled again, deeper this time, closing my eyes I savoured the scent. Got weak knees for my effort.
It's decided . I BELONG IN A MENTAL HOSPITAL.
I'm deranged if I'm pinning after my attacker.
Before I knew what I was doing I inhaled again, deeper this time, closing my eyes.
My knees felt weak. Before I knew what I was doing, I was falling back onto the bed, clutching the stupid shirt to my chest like it was a lifeline.
I curled around it, pressing my face into the fabric, breathing him in like a deranged, love-sick teenager who'd just had her mind blown by her first real taste of sex.
Oh my God, I'm pussy whipped! Is it possible for a girl to be pussy whipped?!
I was lost in it. In the memory of his hands, of his mouth, of his low groans in my ear. I was so lost I didn't hear the door.
But I felt it. The shift in the air. The presence.
My eyes flew open. If it is Eva Belle, I am committing murder. She would never let be live it down but it wasn't her.
It was him.
I looked up—
And there he was.