The bass from the club floor vibrated through Serenity's heels before she even stepped past the velvet ropes. Friday night in the city meant money, temptation, and trouble—all three of which she was addicted to in her own way. Her body was wrapped in a skintight dress the color of red wine, deep enough to draw eyes but smooth enough to pass for effortless. She wasn't new to this world. She liked rich men, the ones who could turn her rent money into pocket change. But tonight felt different.
The club wasn't just another spot. This was Maddox Cross's playground.
They called him Mad on the streets—not just short for Maddox, but for the way his mind worked. He was brilliant, dangerous, and unpredictable. A gangster with money in nightclubs, labs, real estate, and things most people didn't even know about. Rumor was he invented things—machines, drugs, devices, all built out of a mind too sharp for his own good. He had patents sitting under dummy names, warehouses full of projects, and a body count nobody dared confirm.
And Serenity? She didn't have any business being there except the mysterious message she'd gotten that afternoon. A personal invite from Maddox Cross himself.
The man didn't do small talk.
She was led past the bar, past the VIP lounge, into an upstairs suite with black glass doors and guards on both sides. When she stepped in, the smell of expensive cigars and cologne hit her first. Maddox was there, sitting back in a leather chair with his legs spread wide like the throne belonged to him alone.
He looked at her the way a predator looks at prey—slow, deliberate, measuring. His suit jacket hung open, showing off tattooed skin and a chest that didn't need a gym membership to be intimidating. His eyes were darker than midnight, and Serenity felt them slide down her body like a hand she couldn't slap away.
"So you came," Maddox's voice was deep, gravel-rich, with a smirk that already promised trouble.
"I'm not in the habit of ignoring mysterious invites," Serenity replied, tossing her curls back. "Especially when they come with security guards and whispers."
Maddox's grin widened.
"Smart girl. You look better than I expected. Perfect, actually. Which means I was right about you."
"Right about what?"
He leaned forward, elbows on his knees, clasping his hands together.
"I need a tester. Not for my guns, not for my drugs. For something bigger. Something the streets and the boardrooms ain't ready for."
Serenity raised an eyebrow.
"Tester? Like what, sneakers?"
His laugh was low, dark, and wrong in all the right ways. He reached into a drawer at his side and pulled out a small black box. He slid it across the table between them. Serenity picked it up, flicked it open, and her jaw dropped.
Condoms. Sleek packaging, stamped with a silver logo she didn't recognize.
"You're joking." She chuckled, nervously.
"I don't joke." Maddox sat back again, watching her with hooded eyes. "These are mine. Not Trojan, not Magnum, not Durex. Mine. Designed different. Engineered better. I built a product that's gonna change the game. Stronger, thinner, freakier. They don't break. They don't slip. And they feel so real..." His voice dropped low, his gaze locked on her mouth. "...you'll forget they're even there."
Serenity's pulse kicked.
"So what—you want me to advertise them?"
"No," he said, licking his bottom lip slowly. "I want you to test them. Personally. On me."
Her breath hitched. "You can't be serious."
"I told you. I don't joke." His tone was sharp, final. Then softer: "You want money, right? I'll pay you more than you've ever made. Ten racks per test. Cash. Clean. All you gotta do is let me use them on you."
Her thighs pressed together. Ten racks. Ten thousand for one night? For one condom?
"That's insane," she whispered.
Maddox leaned forward, his voice wrapping around her like smoke.
"So am I. But think about it—your body, my product, my money. Nobody knows, nobody talks. You get to walk away richer than you ever dreamed." He tilted his head, eyes narrowing. "Or you get to walk away broke and curious."
Serenity's heart thudded against her ribs. The danger in his stare should've made her run. Instead, she found herself biting her lip, heat curling low in her belly.
"And if I say yes?" she asked.
Maddox stood, towering over her. He took the box back, slipping a condom out between his fingers. The foil crinkled as he tore it open with his teeth, then held it up like a promise.
"Then the first test starts tonight."
Serenity didn't even realize she was holding her breath until Maddox slid the torn condom wrapper back into his pocket and stepped closer. He didn't touch her. He didn't have to. The heat of his body, the danger in his eyes, it all pressed into her like invisible hands.
"You think I'd risk my empire on something small?" His voice was low, velvet with a razor edge. "This ain't about pleasure, baby. This is about legacy. My name stamped across the world."
Serenity crossed her arms, trying to play it cool even though her knees felt weak.
"Your legacy depends on... condoms?"
That earned a dark chuckle from him.
"You laugh now. But every empire started with something simple. Coke. Steel. Shoes. Everybody uses 'em, right? Everybody needs 'em. That's why I don't just own the streets. I'll own the sheets, too."
Her lips parted, but he cut her off with a raised finger. "And you—you're going to be the first name etched into my blueprints. My proof that it works."
Serenity shook her head. "That sounds crazy."
His grin sharpened. "That's why they call me Mad."
The silence stretched between them, thick and hot. She wanted to tell him no, to walk out and laugh about it later with her girls. But something about Maddox's energy had her rooted to the spot. He was rich. He was powerful. He was dangerous. And he was staring at her like she was already his.
"Why me?" she asked finally.
Maddox tilted his head, studying her curves with slow precision.
"Because you're reckless. You've been late on your rent. You like money but hate work. You chase thrills like they chase you back. You're hungry. I can smell it on you." He leaned down until his lips brushed her ear. "And you're beautiful enough to make even my science sweat."
Her breath shivered out of her chest. He was right. She did chase thrills. She did want money. And right now, she wanted something more—something dangerous.
"I need terms," she said, forcing herself to sound firm.
That seemed to amuse him. He pulled a manila envelope from the drawer, slid it across the table.
"Already drafted. Confidentiality clause. Payment plan. You get ten racks per test, upfront. No cameras, no witnesses. Just me, you, and the product."
Serenity flipped through the thick packet. His name was printed on every page. Maddox Cross. Black ink bold like his reputation. He wasn't joking.
She looked up. "What if I say no?"
His smile faded. For the first time, his eyes went flat, cold.
"Then you'll still walk out of here alive. But broke. And you'll always wonder what it would've been like."
The threat wasn't loud, but it was real. Serenity felt her chest tighten.
Maddox leaned back again, relaxing like he hadn't just reminded her who she was dealing with.
"I won't force you, Serenity. You've got a choice. Sign it, and you step into something bigger than you ever dreamed. Walk away, and you're just another pretty face with bills to pay."
She stared down at the contract, her heart racing. The smart thing was to leave. To laugh it off, forget the way his voice felt against her skin. But smart had never been her style.
"Do I get to see what I'm working with before I sign?" she asked, arching a brow.
Maddox's grin returned, slow and wicked.
"Clever girl." He unbuttoned his suit jacket, slid it off, and tossed it over the chair.
His tattoos flexed as he loosened his tie. His body was built from violence and discipline, and Serenity's throat went dry.
He didn't undress all the way. Just enough to show her that this wasn't a bluff. That he was serious. That when he said "test," he meant it. The massive cock in his pants strained against the fabric, looking like it wanted to jump out at her.
"Now you know," he murmured. "So... what's it gonna be?"
Serenity closed the folder. Her pulse pounded. "I'll think about it."
That earned a low laugh from him.
"Take your time, baby. But not too much. Opportunity don't wait forever."
He walked her to the door himself, standing so close her shoulder brushed his chest. As she stepped out, his fingers brushed her hand—barely a touch, but it sent a jolt all the way to her core.
"Sleep on it," Maddox said. "But when you dream tonight, it's gonna be about me."
The door clicked shut behind her, and Serenity realized her panties were damp. She hated it. She loved it. She was already hooked.