Madison
“Mr. Knight,” I kept my voice steady and professional. “I appreciate the alternative, but I’d prefer to continue as project manager.” I met his gaze. “The project won’t break ground for weeks, giving me time to study and prepare. Plus…” I allowed a small smile, “I have an excellent mentor to guide me, don’t I?”
His eyes darkened at my words that familiar heat returning to his expression. “Mentor?”
I gestured to the books. “You wouldn’t have assigned me if you didn’t think I could handle it.”
“True.” He moved closer, his cologne making my head swim. “But handling multiple positions can be challenging.”
I bit my lip to keep from smirking at his innuendo. “I’m becoming quite skilled at juggling different positions.”
His sharp intake of breath told me my words had hit their mark. Score one for the PA. E
“Some positions require extensive practice.”
“I’m a quick learner, Mr. Knight,” I kept my voice steady and professional, even as heat bloomed across my cheeks.
My mind raced with everything already on my plate–being his PA, maintaining our private arrangement, and now adding the project manager to the mix. The workload would be intense, but I refused to let him see me sweat. I needed to prove myself and show everyone I earned these positions through merit and hard work.
The whispers started the day I became his PA. “Did you hear? She’s only been here six months.” “You must be good at something to move up so fast.” Their snide comments and judgmental looks followed me everywhere.
But I wouldn’t give them the satisfaction of seeing me fail. Let them think what they wanted – I knew the truth. Every late night reviewing contracts, every early morning preparing reports, every detail I memorized about running his office- I’d earned this.
Yes, our arrangement complicated things. Yes, the memory of his hands on my body made it hard to focus sometimes. However, I was more than capable of handling multiple roles. I’d show them all that Madison Harper didn’t need to spread her legs to succeed.
“I have high expectations for this project.” Alexander’s voice dropped lower, sending shivers down my spine. “With your dedication to learning, I’m confident you’ll master everything quickly.”
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“Thank you for the vote of confidence, Mr. Knight.” I squared my shoulders, maintaining professionalism despite the heat building between us. “Will that be all for today?”
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“You can head home.” He paused, a wicked smile playing on his lips. “Keep your phone close tonight. “He moved closer, his presence overwhelming my senses. “I might need you for some urgent matters.”
Urgent matters. Right. Because urgent business definitely happened at midnight. In his penthouse. With significantly less clothing.
“Urgent matters like the other night? When Anthony called about you being drunk?”
“And you came running.” His fingers traced my jawline. “Such a dedicated assistant.”
Heat pooled between my legs at his touch. “That was manipulative.”
“But effective.” He leaned in, his breath hot against my car. “You looked so pretty on your knees. Even prettier handcuffed to my bed.”
My pussy throbbed at the memory – his rough hands, the cold metal of the cuffs, the way he’d taken me again and again until I couldn’t remember my own name.
“You’re blushing, Madison.” His thumb brushed my bottom lip. “Remembering how I made you scream?”
I stepped back, maintaining professional distance. “We’re at work, Mr. Knight.”
His eyes gleamed with dark amusement. “Just like this morning? When I bent you over this desk and made you scream into those pretty panties? Your mouth was so full you could barely make a sound.” He stepped closer, his voice dropping lower. “Remember how wet you were? How desperately you pushed back against me?”
Heat flooded my core at the memory. “I need to go. These books won’t read themselves.”
“You’re right. You have a lot of studying to do.”
“And I should start now.” I reached for the stack of books, but he caught my wrist.
“Clear your weekend schedule.”
My heart skipped. “Why?”
“Because I said so.” His thumb brushed over my pulse point. “And good girlfriends follow instructions, don’t they?”
I pulled my hand away. “You can’t just command my personal time.”
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“I can when it’s part of our arrangement.” His smile turned wicked.
My blood simmered beneath my skin. The nerve of this man. I’d signed up to be his girlfriend, not surrendering my entire existence. But the weight of my mother’s medical bills pressed against my chest, reminding me why I’d agreed to this deal in the first place.
“I planned to visit my mother this weekend.” I kept my voice steady and professional.
“Your mother has excellent care. The best nurses, doctors-”
“Thanks to you,” I cut in, “but she’s still my mother. I need to see her.‘
11
“You need my permission first.” His voice carried that infuriating mixture of authority and amusement, making my blood boil. He shifted closer, backing me against his desk. “That’s how this works now.”
I planted my hands on my hips. “Hold on. We never discussed weekends being part of this arrangement. The agreement was about being your girlfriend, not surrendering my entire schedule to your whims.”
His eyes darkened with something between desire and irritation. “The arrangement is for one year. Three hundred and sixty–five days. That includes weekends, holidays, and every moment in between.
“1
“That’s not-”
“Did you think I’d only want you Monday through Friday, nine to five?” He traced a finger down my arm, making my skin tingle. “That’s not how relationships work, even pretend ones.”
“This isn’t a real relationship,” I snapped, trying to ignore how his touch affected me. My body was a traitor, responding to him even when my mind rebelled.
“No?” His hand slid to my waist. “Tell that to your body. The way it responds to my touch suggests otherwise.”
I stepped away from his wandering hands. Damn him for being right. “We need boundaries.”
“I set the boundaries.” His smile turned predatory. “But since you mentioned your mother, I’ll be generous. You can visit her this weekend.”
“Generous?” I nearly choked on the word. “You’re not doing me a favor by ‘allowing‘ me to see my own mother.”
“Actually, I am.” He leaned back against his desk, completely at ease. “I could demand all your time, keep you in my bed all weekend. But I have a kind heart.”
I stared at him in disbelief. A kind heart? The arrogance of this man was astronomical. Here he was,
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acting like some benevolent ruler granting me permission to visit my mother. As if keeping me trapped in his bed all weekend was a realistic option. My inner voice screamed at the ridiculousness of it all.
His blue eyes studied me, waiting for a response. I bit my tongue, holding back the sarcastic remarks threatening to spill out. Getting into an argument with him would only make things worse. Plus, those same eyes made my body react in ways my brain didn’t approve of.
“Don’t you want to visit your mother?” He tilted his head, his expression amused. “Alright then.”
“Of course, I want to visit her. I’ll spend Saturday with her.”
“Go ahead, spend time with her.” His lips curved into that infuriating smirk. “But if I need you urgently, I’ll call. And if you’ve forgotten any of the rules…” He gestured toward his desk drawer, where I knew he had kept our agreement. “Feel free to review the document.”
My blood simmered. The document–that carefully worded contract that had seemed like my only option at the time–now felt like a collar around my neck, with Alexander holding the leash. But those medical bills weren’t going to pay themselves, and my mother’s care at Hallmark was worth every moment of dealing with his commanding attitude.
I wanted to remind him that I wasn’t some toy he could summon at will, that I had a life outside of his demands. But the memory of his hands on my body, the way he’d made me feel things I’d never experienced before… My traitorous body hummed at the thought.
No. Focus, Madison. This is business. A mutually beneficial arrangement. Even if his idea of “mutual “seemed to involve much more control than I’d anticipated.
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
