Cousin!

The office was silent, save for the soft hum of the air conditioning and the occasional click of my keyboard. Most of the staff had left hours ago, but Damian and I remained, the glow of his desk lamp casting shadows across the room.

The clock on the wall read 10:32 p.m., but neither of us seemed in a hurry to leave. I was focused on finalizing the quarterly report, though my awareness of his presence—his sharp profile illuminated in the dim light—was impossible to ignore.

“Secretary Williams,” he said, his deep voice cutting through the quiet.

I looked up, my breath hitching at the intensity of his gaze.

“Yes, Mr. Xavier?”

“You’ve been at that for hours,” he said, leaning back in his chair. “Take a break.”

I hesitated, the unspoken tension between us thickening. His tie was loosened, his sleeves rolled up, and there was something about the way he looked at me that sent a shiver down my spine.

“I’m almost done,” I managed to say, though my voice came out softer than I intended.

He stood and crossed the room, his movements deliberate. My pulse quickened as he stopped beside me, leaning down just enough for his proximity to make my head spin.

“You’re too diligent for your own good,” he murmured, his tone carrying a hint of something more.

The air between us crackled, and for a moment, I forgot where we were, forgot the boundaries we’d so recklessly crossed before. My heart pounded in anticipation, my gaze flicking to his lips as his hand rested lightly on the edge of my desk.

And then the elevator dinged.

The sound shattered the moment, and we both turned to see Dave strolling into the office like he owned the place.

“Cousin!” Dave called out, his voice far too cheerful for the hour.

Damian straightened immediately, his usual composed demeanor snapping back into place. I quickly averted my gaze, my cheeks burning as Yeo approached.

“What are you doing here?” Damian asked, his tone sharp.

Dave grinned, shoving his hands into his pockets. “What do you think? I came to wait for you. I didn’t bring a car today, so I figured you could drop me off on your way home.”

Damian’s jaw tightened, but before he could respond, Dave’s attention shifted to me.

“And who better to keep you company than Secretary Williams?” Dave said, his eyes sweeping over me with a grin that made my skin crawl. “Late nights in the office must be tough. You’re a real trooper.”

I forced a polite smile, though the way his gaze lingered made my stomach twist. “Just doing my job, Mr. Morrison.”

“Please, call me Dave,” he said, leaning casually against my desk. “No need to be so formal, especially when you’re working this hard. Do you always stay this late?”

“She’s here because I need her,” Damian interjected, his voice cold enough to make even Dave glance at him. “And she has work to finish.”

Dave raised an eyebrow, clearly amused by his cousin’s tone. “Relax, Cousin. I’m just making conversation. No harm in that, right?”

Damian’s expression darkened. “You don’t belong here, Dave. I suggest you wait downstairs if you’re so desperate for a ride.”

Dave smirked, unfazed. “Why so tense? You act like I’m interrupting something.”

I swallowed hard, my heart pounding as I stole a glance at Damian. His eyes were fixed on Dave, his jaw clenched tightly.

“You’re not interrupting anything,” Damian said, his voice dangerously calm. “But I’m not leaving yet. If you don’t want to wait, I’ll call a driver to take you home.”

Dave tilted his head, clearly enjoying the power play. “Fine, suit yourself. But don’t work her too hard,” he added, throwing me a wink that made my skin crawl all over again.

Damian didn’t even wait for Dave to leave the room. He pulled out his phone, dialing the driver with a sharp efficiency that left no room for argument.

“Take him home,” Damian said curtly when the driver answered. “Now.”

Dave sighed dramatically but didn’t protest, sauntering back toward the elevator. “See you around, Secretary Williams,” he said, his tone dripping with playful charm.

The elevator doors closed behind him, and the silence that followed was deafening.

I looked at Damian, my pulse still racing from the encounter. His expression was unreadable as he set his phone down, but the tension in his shoulders spoke volumes.

“Are you all right?” he asked, his voice softer now.

“Yes,” I said quickly, though the truth was far more complicated.

He stepped closer, his hand brushing against mine as he leaned down, his eyes searching mine with an intensity that left me breathless.

“If he ever makes you uncomfortable,” he said, his voice low and dangerous, “you tell me.”

The possessiveness in his tone sent a shiver through me, and despite everything, I couldn’t help the way my body responded to him.

“I will,” I promised, my voice barely a whisper.

For a moment, we stayed like that, the unspoken heat between us reigniting, stronger than ever.

And this time, there was no one to interrupt us.

For a moment, we stayed like that, the unspoken heat between us reigniting, stronger than ever. His fingers brushed mine again, deliberate this time, sending a jolt of electricity straight through me.

“You’ve been good tonight,” he murmured, his tone softer but no less commanding. “So focused. So obedient.”

My breath caught as his words wrapped around me, teasing, daring.

“Mr. Xavier…” I whispered, my voice trembling with something I couldn’t contain.

“Secretary Williams,” he countered, his lips curving into a faint smirk, “you’re not done yet.”

The words hung in the air, heavy with promise. Before I could think, his hand reached out, curling around the back of my chair. He spun me gently to face him, and I found myself trapped between him and the desk, his imposing figure stealing my every thought.

“I told you,” he said, his voice dropping an octave as he leaned closer, “if you need a break, you’ll take one when I say so.”

His lips were inches from mine now, his breath warm against my skin. My hands gripped the armrests of the chair, my body taut with anticipation as his fingers slid along the edge of the desk behind me.

“Do you want to stop?” he asked, his voice a velvet whisper.

“No,” I admitted, the single word leaving my lips before I could stop it.

A low growl rumbled in his throat, and the next moment, his lips were on mine—hot, demanding, claiming me in a way that made my knees weak even though I was sitting. His hand slid to the nape of my neck, holding me in place as his tongue swept into my mouth, coaxing and taking all at once.

I melted into him, my hands abandoning the chair to clutch at his shirt, the soft fabric bunching beneath my fingers as he deepened the kiss. He pulled back just enough to catch his breath, his forehead resting against mine.

“You drive me insane, Secretary Williams,” he rasped, his voice raw with need. “Do you know how hard it is to keep my hands off you?”

“Then don’t,” I whispered, emboldened by the fire coursing through me.

His eyes darkened, and without another word, he swept everything off the desk in a single motion. Papers and pens clattered to the floor, and before I could blink, he’d lifted me from the chair and set me on the edge of the desk.

His hands were everywhere—sliding up my thighs, over my hips, tugging at the hem of my skirt. His lips trailed down my neck, his teeth grazing the sensitive skin there and drawing a gasp from my lips.

“Look at me,” he commanded, his voice sharp but laced with desire. I obeyed, my eyes locking with his as he pushed my legs apart and stepped between them.

“This,” he said, his hands gripping my waist as he pressed himself against me, “is mine. Every inch of you, every sound you make—it’s all for me.”

My heart raced as his words washed over me, and when his lips found mine again, it was like drowning in a storm I never wanted to escape. His hands worked with practiced precision, undoing buttons, peeling away fabric until there was nothing between us but heat and skin.

And when he finally claimed me, it was like the world stopped. There was only him—his touch, his voice, the way he moved against me, leaving no part of me untouched by his fire.

“Secretary Williams,” he growled into my ear, his voice thick with possession. “You’re not going anywhere tonight.”

I clung to him, my body arching into his as waves of pleasure built and crashed, over and over, until I was completely undone in his arms.

And in that moment, there was no office, no rules, no boundaries—only us.