Madison
I trudged down the dimly lit street toward my apartment, my heels clicking against the concrete. My feet ached, but the
physical pain was nothing compared to the emotional exhaustion weighing me down.
I pulled out my phone and dialed Hazel’s number.
“Mads, where have you been?” Hazel’s voice burst through the speaker. “I’ve been trying to reach you all day!”
“Yeah, about that…” I dodged a guy walking his chihuahua. “Remember those side gigs you helped me get?”
“Yeah, what about them?”
I winced. “Mr. Knight found out.”
“WHAT?” Her shriek made me pull the phone away from my ear. “How? Please tell me you didn’t use the office computers.”
“Um…”
“Madison Harper, you did not.”
“Look, I was desperate and short on time!” I kicked a pebble, watching it skitter across the sidewalk. “And in my defense, I thought I’d cleared everything.”
“Honey, nothing is ever really cleared from a computer. Like, ever.” She sighed. “So what happened? Did he fire you?”
“My job’s safe. For now. But I had to drop all the side work.”
“Shit. What about your mom’s medical bills?”
I hesitated. “Mr. Knight… offered to help. With a loan.”
“A loan?” Hazel’s voice dripped with suspicion. “Just like that? What’s the catch?”
“There’s no catch. He’s just… being nice, I guess.”
“Alexander Knight doesn’t do ‘nice‘ unless there’s something in it for him. But hey, maybe I was wrong about him. All this time, I thought he was just another rich playboy with too much hair gel, but look at him now: he is offering loans to his struggling employees” She paused. “Oh my god, Mads. What if he likes you
“What?” I nearly dropped my phone. “No. No way.”
“Think about it! He caught you moonlighting, which is totally grounds for firing, but instead, he’s offering financial help? Girl, he’s got feelings.”
I crossed the street. “Trust me, Mr. Knight doesn’t do feelings. He does models and actresses, and whatever flavor of the month catches his eye, Not assistants who can barely afford their rent.”
“But-”
“No buts. He’s just…” I couldn’t exactly tell her about his real proposition. “Being professional.”
“Professional my ass.” Hazel’s laugh echoed through the phone. “Since when does he care about his employees‘ personal problems?”
*He mentioned something about company programs. You know, for employees dealing with medical issues or emergencies.” The lie tasted bitter on my tongue.
“Oh my god, that’s perfect!” Hazel’s enthusiasm made my stomach twist. “Take the loan, Madison You’ve been killing yourself with all these side gigs, and your mom needs you focused on her recovery, not scrambling for cash.”
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“I’ll think about it.”
“Think about what? Your mom needs those treatments Heloofdering help. What’s there to think about?”
“It’s not that simple-”
“It is that simple! Unless…” Her voice turned suspicious sagain.”1st theres something you’re not telling me?”
My stomach churned. “No, nothing. You’re right I just need timecoopprocess everything.”
“Process what? Either take the loan and get your mom betterpokkeepingggling And if he expects you to pay it back super- fast, then he’s an even bigger asshole than I thought. But at least typuunmoonwillbe okay.”
If she only knew the real terms of his “loan.” But I couldn’t tell heer Nootyget Maybe not ever.
“You’re right,” I said to end the conversation “Look, I’m home now Talkkommorrow?”
I hung up before she could protest, staring at my reflection in the lobby saggimmyynmrcorThe woman looking back at mere seemed different somehow older, more tired, more desperatee.
Maybe Hazel was right about one thing what choice did I have??
I trudged up the stairs to my apartment, each step feeling heavier than thedastt Theedator was broken again – probably plotting with the washing machines in the basement to drive all tenantssinsanee.
The guilt of lying to Hazel gnawed at me. Some best friend I was, féedingcher that loamstcoyywhen really, Alexander wanted to rent me like some girlfriend–for–hire. How would I explain that one??“OhhbyythleewayyHazzeremember that loan I mentioned? Funny story: I’m trading my body and girlfriend status for my mom’s medical bills’s Passsthleewim@?”
My key was stuck in the lock–another daily battle with my apartment’s stellànsecurityysysteem Afters some creative jiggling and a few choice words, I finally stumbled inside.
The contrast between my cramped one–bedroom and Alexander’s penthouse hit medikemas tapp Hisss bloween was probably bigger than my entire bathroom. Hell, his walk–in closet could house a small familyy.
I kicked off my heels, watching Madison’s problem
one bounce off the wall and land behind my sad excusedora couchh Whatever Future
The whole girlfriend–for–hire thing felt suspiciously like glorified prostitution with extra stepss What was met aacontract specifying how many times I had to fake orgasms per week? Required lingerie categories? Aminimumquodàæóf’Dh Alexander, you’re so amazing” declarations?
Hazel’s woods echoed: “What if he likes you?” Right. And maybe I’d wake up tomorrow as the Queem
But what of the wasn’t completely wrong? The way he’d looked at me that night in his penthouse even through his addugg- induced base. No Stop it, Madison. The man probably practiced those smoldering looks in the mirror
I flopped onto my bed the springs protesting loudly. Alexander Knight didn’t develop feelings he developed strategiess Mudd right now, his strategy involved using my financial desperation to get me into his bed–again..
Classic Playboy move fand vulnerable woman, exploit weakness, add to conquest list. I was probably “Desperate Assistant #83 * in his little black book.
The thought twisted may stomach, but I couldn’t deny the allure of his offer. It wasn’t just the money–it was the chance too breathe and focus on my BROOK Without feeling like I was drowning every day,
I rolled over on my bed, staring at the ceiling with a suspicious water stain resembling a squashed rabbit How poetic. My lifes had come to contemplating questionable ceiling art while debating becoming my boss’s pretend girlfriend.
But I couldn’t keep living like the Mom’s health was serious, and no amount of overtime or extra gigs could solve all my problems Every night, I juggled spreadsheets and invoices while Mom’s medical bills piled up like some never ending
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nightmare. Even if I worked around the clock, I’d still be barely scraping by y
What was worse? My pride or my mother’s health? It felt like a cruel joke ethe universes throwing me a lifeline wrapped in
bbarbed wire.
“I’Loan’t believe I’m even considering this,” I muttered.d
The man had called me Katherine during what was supposed to be an intimate moment If thatavasha agreon sign flashing” BAADI IDEA“, “then I didn’t know what was. But every time I pictured Mom in that hospital bet paleleni fragile, it felt like my optioosssshrank into nothingness.
I groaned and buried my face in my pillow. The ceiling stain kept morphing from a squashed rahbibintato Alexander’s
sparkling face Even my water damage was mocking me.
Sleep canmaemffits and starts, filled with dreams of Alexander calling me Katherine while throwing Moipollymoney at me: It
was reahkubbidessubconscious.
Myjalannblaneed too early and dragged myself through my morning routine. The bruise on my neck hach faftete totorangigly
yellow–abidaatti that was one less thing to hide.
The office buzzeddwinhits.usual morning energy as I settled at my desk. My inbox alreadyloverflowed with urgenteraquests
marked with too many exclamation points: Someone needed to teach these executives about punctuation restraint.
“Morning, Mádiscon “Adexander’s voice made me jump. He leaned against my desk, coffee in hand, looking fresh as a dalaisy,
whiled felt likes comethhmagsscraped off the bottom of a shoe. “Sleep well?”
The memory of his shamoldsome flashed through my mind. “Fine,” I squeaked, then cleared my throatat Just finelë.”
“Excellent“. His eyes dinggeredbomyrmeck where the bruise had been. “The Thompson contract needs reviewingby noomh ”
Right. Apparentlyywe werequssygoing to pretend everything was normal. Nothing to see here, folks. Just your average bosses- assistant relationship withhaasiddeó findecent proposals. 1
I shuffled papers across myydeekkppretending to be deeply engrossed in work while sneaking glances at Alexander throughh the glass wall of his officee Heesattheereimpperfect posture and in his perfect suit, probably making perfect business s
decisionss Show–offf
Yesterday’s events replayed in myymindd Heerd was contemplating becoming his fake girlfriend while he typed away like:e nothing had changed. It must be niceberggabbillionaire just casually proposing relationship arrangements between n
conference calls..
“Stop staring at him,” I muttered, focusinggoonmyy computersscreen. The cursor blinked back at me mockingly
Alexander stood up to take a call, pacing neaahhissdoortoe ceiling windows. Even his walking was annoyingly perfect. Did he e practice that too? “How to Walk Like a CEO 100!? Hiзsmoovements were fluid, each step deliberate, like he knew every eye inn
the office followed his every moves.
I tried to refocus on my screen, but my eyes kept lasting boke to him. His tailored suit hugged his broad shoulders and d tapered down to a slim waist
My mind wandered to what lay beneath that exponatred abbiecluddelthose solid and warm muscles under my fingers before. I shifted in my seat, crossing my legs as the memory of in handwormsenta shiver down my spine.
He ran a hand through his hair, a gesture so casual yet scambrahmatlysexyi bit my lip, trying to shake off the image of
those fingers tangling in my hair instead.
What the fuck was wrong with me? I was at work, for god taldeancom thathy romance novel The thought of him. made my blood rush south, my pussy dampening with the armoryyoff his touch
Try as I might, I couldn’t ignore the way his body had felt agaistme They busted abs had pressed into my softer stomach, or how hus cock had felt so impossibly hard and this cabermentfetthlung me to my limits
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God, the things he’d done to me. Like some primal beast, he’d taken me and claimed my body with relentless determination
His hands had roamed my curves, squeezing my breasts, thumbs flicking my nipples until they were aching pebbles. My skin still tingled where he’d bitten and sucked, marking me as his.
My heart raced as I thought about his mouth, hot and demanding, claiming every inch of me. His lips had trailed from my neck down to my clit, tongue flicking out to tease the sensitive nub before he’d sucked it into his mouth, making me see
stars.
etonin
Fuck. I crossed my legs tightly, trying to stave off the throbbing between them. The office wasn’t the best place to be dripping with arousal, especially not when your boss was the one causing it.
I glanced over at him again. He looked up, catching my eye. A smirk spread across his lips like he knew what was running through my mind. Asshole.
Alexander returned to his call. I turned back to my computer screen, attempting to focus. But all I could think about was how he’d felt pounding into me, his cock hitting deep as his name
me tore
from my lips again and again. His growls of “fuck, Madison, you’re so goddamned tight” echoed in my ears.
I squirmed in my chair, my panties damp with arousal. Every time I blinked, flashes of that night played behind my eyelids like a private porno – his hands gripping my hips, teeth grazing my neck, cock stretching me wide…
“Madison?”
I jumped so hard that my knee nearly slammed into my desk. “Jesus!”
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