~ASHLEY~

Coffee.

That was the only thing keeping me sane right now. If it weren't for this black coffee, I wouldn't have survived the series of mental breakdowns that were breathing down on my neck. I stuck my pen into my hair that was tied in its signature ponytail, my eyes skimming through the mail I had been trying to correct since I got to work this morning.

I yawned, struggling to keep my eyes open. My eyes left the computer in front of me, darting over to the sealed cup of coffee beside the stack of books on my table. I picked it up and opened it, chugging a generous amount down my throat. The black liquid rolled down my throat and I shuddered at its bitter taste.

I shook my head and groaned, dropping my head into my palms.

I was exhausted.

I barely had the chance to shut my eyes all night. I was so busy filing the paperwork that Genevieve ordered me to work yesterday. I couldn't finish it at work. I had to take it home and doing that occupied most of my time.

I can't even remember the last time I had a proper meal. My work was so demanding. It took nearly all my time, leaving me to have none for myself. It was all work, work, work for me. Sure, the pay was okay, but I didn't want something that left me drained each passing day. I honestly wouldn't mind a job with a small payment that allowed me to have quality time for myself.

But then, who was I kidding? I had bills to pay! A girl can only dream, right?

A soft exhale exited my lips as I did a final double-check on the mail before clicking on my mouse to send it in.

Thank God!

I sunk into my swivel chair, heavily, squeezing my eyes shut. I barely had the chance to breathe twice when the shrill familiar sound that belonged to the desk phone invaded my thoughts abruptly, causing me to jolt upwards.

I let out a low hiss and grabbed the phone, placing it on my ears.

"ASHLEY!" She screeched and I winced internally, my face scrunching in a frown. I removed the phone from my ear, taking a deep breath to calm myself down.

"Yes, Gen., I responded, keeping my voice as subtle as it could get. Genevieve was one to interpret your sentences into something else. She'd twist the whole thing and spin the table around in a blink of an eye.

"My office. Now." She said sternly and hung up on me. I got off my seat and smoothened the crease on my short skirt. My feet wobbled as I struggled to keep myself in place, a wave of dizziness washing over me.

I sauntered out of my office and took the elevator that led to the last floor upstairs, muttering profanities under my breath. I knocked gently on the large mahogany door that led into her office. The action elicited a gruff 'come in' from her.

I exhaled and stepped into the cold office.

It was almost freezing here. When I started this job, I was puzzled as to why someone would want to stay inside an office that was this cold. But then, as time went on, I began to realize that everything in this office aligned with her austere personality.

Genevieve, often referred to as Gen, by her workers, had the largest office in this company. The massive space was coated in light grey paint, coupled with the see-through glass at the rear end of the room on my left. The glass aided the beauty of the office, holding an impressive view of the whole building.

There was a large shelf at the right side of the room that housed various important files and a black couch and bean bags with a round glass table in the middle of it, forming a circular shape.

Her black mahogany desk had files stacked up against each other, alongside her computer and other necessities. There were two empty chairs, tucked in properly, opposite the table.

The bright chandelier hanging in the middle of the room, gave life to the dullness of the room, emitting a much brighter allure.

"What the hell is this?!" She queried, her voice rising an octave higher with every word she uttered. I swallowed, keeping my eyes trained on her tall frame that sat gracefully on her black swivel chair. Her obsidian black eyes beheld mine in intense eye contact, her signature bold red lips curled in a sneer.

Genevieve was the acting CEO of Allure, the clothing brand where I worked as a secretary. She wasn't exactly the CEO. I have never met the owner of the company for the past two years that I have been working here. Rumour has it that she was based in Australia.

I moved forward, picking up the files she had dropped on her table earlier. My eyes skimmed through it and my confused ones met her glaring ones.

"I…I don't understand, Gen," I told her quietly, resorting to choosing my next words carefully.

"You don't understand? Were you hard of hearing when I told you to sort these files out according to their dates?!" She bellowed, slamming her palms harshly on her table, causing me to flinch backwards. The action sent the paper flying out of my hands.

"You told me to sort it out according to how important they were!" I cried out and my eyes widened in shock when the realization of what I had just said dawned on me.

"How dare you?" Her voice was low, her words coming out through gritted teeth. Her dark eyes shot lava and laser beams at me from where she sat. She narrowed her eyes at me, peeking at me through her faux lashes.

I swallowed the spit that was starting to build up in my mouth.

"How dare you, a commoner, yell at me in my own office?" She scoffed. I opened my mouth to speak but she shut me up with a glare.

"

Have you forgotten who the boss is?" She queried, arching her brow at me. I shook my head sideways.

"I'm sorry, Gen." I apologized, looking down at my nude stiletto heels.

"Start over," She said curtly. I heard the rigorous tapping of her manicured fingers on the screen of her phone, signaling the end of this conversation.

"What?!" I cried out in shock, snapping my head in her direction. She stopped typing, her fingers hung in the air and she turned to me, cocking her brow.

"You heard me, Miss Miller. Start over. I want it on my desk in the next two hours." She said in a tone of finality.

My mouth hung open in shock, unable to process what I had just heard. A night's work in two hours? How was I supposed to do that?

"Get out of my office." She spat out venomously. I squatted on the floor and felt a teardrop on my arm. I gathered the papers as fast as I could and turned on my heels, heading out of the office.

"Two hours. Tick Tock." That was the last thing she said to me before I shut the door.

I hate this job.

✰✰✰✰✰✰

I glanced through the rearranged paperwork on my desk and sighed. I couldn't even comprehend how I had finished it on time. All I knew was that I could barely keep my eyes open by the time I was done.

Genevieve left for a meeting two hours ago. And yes, she expected the files to be on her desk by the time she gets back. I was done working on it, but I had no strength in me to get up from my chair, to go and drop it in her office.

"Ugh, I wish I had superpowers," I whined. My phone rang out sharply, the shrill ringtone resonating through my office. I grabbed my bag and unzipped it, easing out my phone.

Ivana was face-timing me.

I rolled my eyes before picking up.

"Hey," I muttered grouchy.

The pale-skinned twenty-four-year-old came into view. Her blonde hair was tied atop her head in a messy bun. She looked like she had just had a bath. Her skin was spotless and glowing. Ivana was never one to joke about her skincare routine.

I'm pretty sure I look like a bag of potatoes right now.

"Hey, girl! You look like shit." She responded, her scrutinizing gaze roaming every inch of my face.

"Yeah, tell that to Gen," I muttered sarcastically, earning a chuckle and a pout from her.

"Aww, I'm so sorry, girl. Have you had any meal?" She asked, peering at me with a motherly look with concern etched all over her face.

"I haven't moved my butt from this chair for the past three hours. I have been so busy sorting out this paperwork." I rolled my eyes at the end of my statement.

A worried look married her features.

"You didn't go to work today?" I questioned and she nodded, waving her hand dismissively in the air.

"Yeah, I'm on a break." She mumbled.

"Ugh, lucky you!" I whined, pouting my lips.

"Dawnie will be back from her trip tomorrow. I decided to inform you ahead of our girls' day out." She announced, grinning from ear to ear. My ears perked up at her revelation, a warm smile creeping onto my face.

"I miss her so much!" I was elated. I hadn't seen Dawn in months. She was on a work trip.

"Me too!"

"You should get some rest, baby girl." She said, smiling softly at me. I nodded my head at her.

"I have to go, Ivie. We'll talk later. I love you." I said softly.

"Love you too," She hung up and I sighed.

I arranged the papers and stood up from my seat, heading to Gen's office. I was lucky there was nothing left to do for the rest of the day. It's almost nightfall. I was going home to get some rest.

✰✰✰✰✰✰

The quietness of this area has always scared me. But then, the serenity and total concentration I got to have whenever I wanted to work, was worth it. There weren't many houses in this neighborhood. I could even count them, with how few they were.

I pulled over in the driveway and picked up my bag and the grocery bags in the backseat, stepping out of the car and slamming the door shut. I inputted the password and the automatic door that led into the penthouse opened, paving the way for me to step in.

I kicked my heels off my feet and moaned in relief, setting the grocery bags on the kitchen counter. I freed my hair from its ponytail and took out a bottle of water from the fridge.

Shutting it close, I felt firm hands come around my waist, eliciting a warm smile from me. He chuckled against the skin of my neck, leaving goosebumps to sprout all over my skin. His cold lips dropped on the hollow of my neck. I tilted my head to the side, giving him more access to my neck.

He assaulted my neck with his sinful feathery kisses.

"You are late." He stopped kissing me, twirling me around by the waist. My eyes settled on his melted chocolate orbs that gave away the littlest emotions. His copper-brown hair looked wet like he had just stepped out of the bathroom. The smell of his body wash and aftershave invaded my nostrils, driving me to the edge.

The black vest he wore clung to his frame, hugging his mouth-watering muscles firmly.

We have been together for almost two years now, and frankly, I don't see myself getting married to someone else. He was an endgame for me. He loves me so much, as I did him. Irrevocably.

"Yeah, work was stressful. I had to stay back and help with some paperwork." I answered softly, running my arms across his back in a soothing manner.

"We have talked about this, Ash. I don't want you staying out late at work." He said gruffly and I sighed.

"I still don't see any reason for you to be working. I can take care of us. Just stay at home and let me work for us. Let me provide for us." His voice was low, breathy even.

This conversation.

Again.

"Adam, as much as I don't like my job. I don't want to resign yet. Until I get another paying job, at least." I said in a bid to convince him. His face scrunched in a deep frown, a look akin to disgust clouded his features.

"Another job where you have to work your ass off like a slave every day?"

"Can you hear how dumb you sound right now?" He asked me. He wasn't raising his voice yet, his words stung badly. I felt my eyes water at his stinging words. I sighed and got out of his grip.

I was going to walk away. I don't have the energy to deal with this right now.

"Ashley, do not walk out on me!" He growled and I flinched at the harshness of his tone. I stood, frozen in my spot, staring at him.

I was only a few feet away from him.

"Get back here," he beckoned, audaciously, waving me over with his index finger. I blinked and walked over to meet him. He grabbed me a little roughly by the waist, hoisting me onto the kitchen counter.

He pressed a kiss to my forehead and his fingers grazed my neck, down to my cleavage. I squirmed at his touch. Then, he leaned in, whispering into my ear, while keeping me in place with his arms around my waist.

I swallowed.

"Have I ever told you how gorgeous you look in red?" He whispered into my ear and I felt the air on my nape erecting, strand by strand. I bit my lip softly. His lips met my neck again, eliciting a moan from me.

My knees buckled and my toes curled.

"It makes me want to bend you over this counter and fuck you so hard till you can't walk properly." His voice was hoarse as he squeezed my waist roughly. I felt a searing heat pool between my legs.

"Babe," I called slowly, and he chuckled.

"I just want to touch you, Ash." He responded. I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding. For some weird reason I couldn't decipher, I have been holding back from having sex with Adam. I just wasn't ready. Yet.

His lips didn't leave my ear. He wouldn't stop whispering dirty words into my ears, placing feathery kisses across my neck.

"Spread your legs," he instructed. I chewed on my lips, obeying his instructions. His fingers grazed my thigh and I shivered in anticipation of what he was about to do to me. He grabbed the fleshy part of my thigh and I moaned.

I was dripping wet.

"Good girl. You aren't wearing panties." He chuckled and before I could bring myself to respond, he slid a finger into my warm opening and I threw my head backwards in pleasure.

"Adam!" I cried out.

I could feel my eyes roll back in their sockets, my knees wobbled and my eyes brimmed with tears, unable to contain the pleasure that threatened to overwhelm me.

"Have you been thinking about me all day? You dirty, dirty girl, look how wet you are." He breathed into my ears. He captured my lips, suppressing my moans.

He added one more finger into my opening, occasionally grazing my clitoris as his fingers pumped in and out of me.

I kissed him back, matching his pace and writhing in pleasure. His large arm that was wrapped around my waist to keep me in place, left my waist and his fingers worked their way to the button of my blazers, popping a few buttons open.

I whimpered.

He shrugged the blazer off my body, pulling the strap of my bra downwards. My nipples strained against the soft material of my brassiere, aching to be touched.

His hands brushed my nipples and I moaned. He tugged at one of my aching buds, leaving an overwhelming wave of pure ecstasy to watch over me.

"Fuck! Adam!" I moaned, my eyes were wet with tears that streamed down my face.

I squirmed in his arms, rocking my hips to get more of what he was offering. His fingers tormented my clitoris endlessly and I could feel myself getting closer with each searing touch.

"Adam," I moaned.

"Cum for me, my darling." He instructed, twirling my aching bud between his fingers.

My body grew tense and my breathing took a faster pace, my knees wobbled and my hips buckled. I convulsed with pleasure in his arms, throwing my head backwards as I felt my orgasm build up. My arms tightened around his strong back.

"Fuck!" I screamed.

My tummy knotted and clenched and I screamed out in pleasure, releasing all over his fingers.

"That was amazing," he told me, pressing a long kiss on my forehead. I chuckled in his arms, burying my face in his chest.

I loved this man. To bits.

He wasn't perfect, but he was the only person I wanted to be with.