Chapter 21

I don't know what to expect when I return to work on Monday, but I feel electric. I spent my Sunday reliving our quick but intense kiss. Over and over and over.

There's no more hiding. Our desires are out.

Lex is already on his computer when I enter the office, as always, but my eyes are quickly drawn to an unfamiliar shape in the corner of the room. There's a desk set up there with a computer on it. My own computer is still next to Lex's, so what is that for? I'm about to ask when someone arrives behind me.

"Hey, Andy," Brian very enthusiastically says. He passes by me, his bag hanging on his shoulder, and sits at the newly added desk.

"Hi… Brian." Confused, I look at Lex, not understanding why he would set up Brian in here. Is it out of necessity, or is it to cockblock us? I need to know. Lex has to explain this abrupt change, or else I'll dwell on it endlessly. "Why is Brian here?" I ask once I'm at the desk.

"It's Brian this morning, but the others will take turns working here, depending on the tasks we need to complete. It's either that or we'll never finish on time," Lex explains, finally meeting my eyes.

I decide to believe his answer is honest. We're far from being done, and it makes sense we have to do everything we can to finish by Wednesday. Our kiss doesn't have to be the reason for it.

Having someone else with us only highlights how silent Lex and I usually are. It's nice to work with the guys again, even though it's one at a time. Brian helps on Monday morning. Then Mason is here in the afternoon. Having them nearby is undeniably helpful. On Tuesday, it's Steven and then Joseph. The closer we are to D-day, the more intense the pressure gets .

With every passing hour, I grow more certain we won't make it. The one thing actually ready for the demonstration is the double phone holder, which was 3D printed after a few prototypes were built. But as Kevin said, this gives the app a nice boost.

On Wednesday, I'm delighted to hear that Oliver will spend the afternoon with us. Even if I see him less and less as a romantic interest, he's still a dear friend, and I miss goofing around with him.

Most of the afternoon is spent testing the app's latest version and trying to correct some remaining errors. Oli and I are settled at the coffee table in Lex's office with the proper configuration and our testing phones. We're both signing without nail polish and trying to edit the code as we go. Although it's terrible for our self-esteem work-wise, it quickly turns out to be a fun endeavor. We've been doing this for about thirty minutes, but the amusement isn't fading.

The recognition tool struggles, so the sentence-formulating AI barely has anything to work its magic.

"The milk boy is in my garden?" I ask, confused.

"That's what it says?" Oli turns the device to read it himself. "That's hilarious. It was supposed to be that line from Milkshake by Kelis."

I can't help but giggle at the absurd translation. "Oli, you know your classics."

It's my turn to sign, and I follow his little game.

"Done," I say. He reads it with attention, and a smile stretches his lips.

"That's too easy. It's Eminem, Lose Yourself ."

"What did it write exactly?" I ask, twisting it to see for myself. "There's spaghetti vomit on Mom." I chortle and return the phones to their proper positions. After a few more quotes from rap classics, we decide to do some actual work.

Oli's with me the whole afternoon, and if we bother Lex with our antics, he doesn't let it show. In no time, the end of the workday arrives. Oliver leaves at five-thirty while I stay, waiting for the last build to be over. We have officially accepted that the app isn't the one we'll show during the convention. Thanks to Lex's foresight, Brian and Steven are ready to present their work. Although the failure hurts a little, I see it as a win. This past week was worth an entire month of work, at least.

"You should go home and get some rest for tomorrow," Lex suggests after a while.

"The results might come in any time now. I'm good."

"There's no need for us both to stay late," he insists. I'm too tired to argue with him, and I desperately need a shower and my bed .

Leaving my computer on, I gather my things, ready to go. He stands up at the same time I do, and I give him a sheepish smile. "I'm sorry this was all for nothing."

"It wasn't a complete waste of time," he says. Something about the way he looks at me leads me to believe he means me, us , even though the thought is ludicrous. There is no "us". There's him, there's me, and there's a steamy night. It doesn't make an "us".

As if to prove me right, he adds, "The alpha version will certainly be ready by Thanksgiving now, and we'll be able to seek out investors."

It stings, but that's on me for being so foolish. "And when we return, you'll finally get back downstairs," he bluntly continues.

The ache under my ribs intensifies, as well as an overwhelming sense of confusion. Why does it have to be this way with him? One step forward, two steps back? He kissed me, and now he's rejecting me. He goes from hot to cold all the time, and I can't keep up with his mood swings.

"Where did that come from?" I ask, trying to conceal my hurt feelings.

"It will be better that way." The topic definitely shifted, and we aren't talking about work anymore. "Whatever this is," he says, his hand going back and forth between us, "this chemistry won't lead to anything good. I don't do relationships, Andrea. And you don't seem like someone who does what I do."

I don't know exactly what he means, but I still feel insulted. Who am I? Laura from Little House on the Prairie ? I'm not some naive girl who can't make her own choices.

"How do you know what I do or don't do?" I ask, holding myself straight and my chin up.

"I spent the afternoon watching you interact with Oliver. That's what you do. Cute relationships with someone who shares your interests."

Is that resentment in his voice? Is he jealous of Oliver? The afternoon was friendly and nothing more—I made sure of that. Did Lex imagine something that wasn't there between my colleague and me?

"It's not Oli that I want," I boldly state. His gaze darkens, and I know I got to him.

"I'm sorry if I gave you the wrong impression, but I'm not interested in you, Andrea," he says cruelly. I might have believed him, but I see the way his fists are clenched with restraint. Out of pride, I refuse to let him do this, so I step closer. "You'll end up hurt, no matter what," he insists.

The fact that I was hurt moments ago proves he's right. Even if all I want for now is cataclysmic slex, my needs will evolve until I'm in too deep. But who knows? Maybe I'll be great at this no-strings-attached thing. Maybe I'll ace it and get out of it unharmed. The urge to prove myself floods me. I have to show him he's wrong about me.

And anyhow, we both know what happens when we try not to fuck each other. We fail miserably.

"We'll have to make the hurt worth it, then," I utter, taking him by surprise.

Before he can react, I'm bringing his face to mine because this is what we both want. He doesn't ravish me, but he doesn't push me away either, so I take it as a good sign.

Persevering, I press my body against his. When his hands come to rest on my hips, I lasciviously lick the sealed line of his lips. It always works when he does that to me. To my great relief, a low groan rolls in his throat.

But then, he rips his mouth away from mine to mutter, "Andrea, it isn't a good idea."

"I think it's a brilliant idea."

The taste of his skin is addictive as I trace a line of heated kisses down his neck. A vein's pulsing there, so I lick it. He swallows uneasily when I kiss his Adam's apple, making it bob under my lips, and I can't help but smile. I mirror my ministrations on the other side of his neck, coming back up, and rip another groan from him when I nibble on his earlobe. I can't get enough of this man, and he feels the same way about me.

He's getting hard against my lower stomach, so I'm doing something right, but not right enough. I let go of his ear to whisper, "I can't stop thinking about that night."

His hands slide from my hips to my lower back, and he presses me harder against him, making me feel that he wants this, too. My insides clench at the blunt contact, and a veil of lust clouds my thoughts. I move back to meet his eyes, and the want in them traps my breath in my lungs.

"I've been dreaming of you, Lex. I wake up panting, trembling, and wet. So fucking wet…" I tilt my head to the side, my lips parted, ready to administer the final blow. "Do you ever dream of me?" My hand slithers between us, down the plane of his torso, and I mold it over the hardness of his erection. "Do you wake up hard, aching to be inside me?"

He bends slowly, stopping only when his lips graze mine, his warm breath mixing with my own. "You have no fucking idea."

This time, he doesn't resist and lowers to take possession of my mouth. Our tongues dart out simultaneously, and I can't hold back a moan at the electrifying sensation. My knees are already growing weak under the intensity of our embrace. We kiss, standing in the middle of his office, the magnitude of it ever-growing.

Only the sounds of our ragged breaths and the wet noises of our kiss break the silence surrounding us. He's hungrily devouring me while his hands move up and down my body, greedily wanting to touch every accessible part of me. Because I want the same thing, my hand slips underneath his T-shirt to graze the rippled muscles of his stomach, my palm teased by the thin line of hair that runs up to his torso. When both his hands knead the soft mounds of my ass, lifting me up on his impressive erection, I get impossibly wet.

Oh, we aren't just kissing. We're going to fuck again.

"Take me to your place," I demand as he kisses the slope of my neck, getting a husky moan out of me. I shiver when he licks the spot where my throat meets my shoulder right before gently biting it.

"I'm not waiting ten minutes to be inside you again."

I wrap my legs around his hips when he lifts me, and a wave of pure, raw lust roams through my frame when my core settles against his hardened dick. My tongue is shoved into his mouth as he carries me across the room, kissing him with ardor.

Once the door is locked, he kneels in front of the couch to lay me down on it, his massive body pressing me into the cushioned seat. I marvel at the rigid muscles of his back that I can feel under the thin layer of his T-shirt. I pull on the fabric, and he lets go of our kiss to remove it, dumping it on the floor behind him. Within half a second, he's already back on me, reuniting our lips.

His hands move down my ribcage, waist, and hips before coming back up, lifting my top—an oversized red sweater with "Bazinga!" written in yellow letters. He pushes it up until my bra is revealed. I observe him back with hooded eyes for a moment, and then he lifts my bra up as well. To make things simpler, I help him remove it, along with my sweater.

Once my small mounds are freed, he covers each with a hand, his eyes dark with hunger. When I'm lying down like this, they become practically nonexistent, flattening on my chest and giving my upper body a boyish look. But he doesn't seem to mind, given how he intently fondles them. He pinches both my nipples, sending an electric jolt all the way to my clit, which makes me moan and press myself on his crotch.

A trembling breath welcomes his next enterprise as he takes one of my brown tips into his mouth. He bites, just enough to make me cry with pleasure and pain, and then soothes the attack with a soft lick. After a thorough treatment of my left breast that leaves me panting and begging, he moves on to the right one and gives it the same torturous attention.

I'm so turned on that I suspect I'm drenching my jeans as well as my underwear. His licks, bites, and kisses bring me a ridiculous amount of pleasure. I can't help but grind against him, rubbing my aching intimacy against his hard length. It's all too much, and I'm about to come just from him teasing my nipples. But I don't want to find my release like this. I want him to be buried deep inside of me when it happens.

"Fuck me… Please," I breathe out.

My lustful demand gets him to groan, and he pulls on my pebbled nipple between his teeth one last time before straightening up. He's quick to lower my jeans, throwing my Vans behind him with his shirt.

"No themed socks today?" he teases when he sees the plain white cotton.

"No. I relocated my funny socks to the bottom of my drawer."

He let out a small laugh. "A shame; I was eager to discover the surprise of the day."

"I'll keep it in mind for the future."

That is, if there's a future. I hope this second time means our sexual escapades will become a recurring thing, but until we talk about it, I genuinely have no idea what the future holds for our illicit affair.

I lie here, wearing only my underwear while he gets naked. It's like a little show just for me, and I revel in his perfection, sensing myself growing wetter with every inch of skin he unveils.

I'm so affected by his magnetism that it takes a moment for my brain to process what I just saw. "Why did you have a condom in your back pocket?"

He doesn't answer right away, embarrassed—an unusual sight coming from him. "I wanted to be prepared, just in case."

"You expected this to happen?"

"Not expected, no. But part of me hoped it would."

And he tried to pretend he wasn't into me…

Once the protection is on, he grasps my hips and bends to lay a kiss on my cotton-covered intimacy, right on my demanding clit. The hunger of the gesture has me shivering from head to toe. Then he pulls my panties down my legs, revealing my intimate folds. When his eyes settle on my dripping slit, he smirks with pride and cockiness.

"Andrea, how are you always so wet for me?" Without any warning, he shoves his middle finger inside me, making me arch with a moan. Fuck, it feels so good. He pumps it in and out, bending it so it rubs on my front wall, knowing precisely what he's doing. I cry when he adds another finger .

"Come for me, Andrea. Come on my finger so I can fuck you properly."

Given his impressive size, I understand why he wants to do it that way. I consider arguing, but I can already sense my orgasm building up. It won't be long before he's buried inside me to the hilt. Especially with the way his thumb rubs my clit. With his other hand, he plays with my nipples, adding to the delight.

Absolutely helpless, I yield to the pleasure. It's growing so quickly that it's almost unbearable. The drenched sounds of his fingers fucking me hard and fast are almost embarrassing, but they're covered by my moans and whimpers. Before I can even understand what's happening, I come apart with a confused cry, crawling up on my elbows to escape the overwhelming stimulation. Mercilessly, his hand follows me to push my orgasm further, making me quiver and tremble.

"Aah, Lex…" I whimper, hoping he'll stop his torturous ministrations.

When he finally removes his hand, the relief is short-lived. He pulls me back to him at the edge of the couch, and the round head of his cock takes its position at my pulsing opening.

He pushes himself inside of me with a careful yet firm thrust until he's all the way in. Despite the orgasm, some discomfort lingers, but the ridiculous amount of pleasure makes it barely noticeable. Is there a better sensation in this world?

"I can't wait until I've fucked you enough to mold you to my cock," he says with a low voice.

There it is… The confirmation that there'll be more of this. Like me, he accepted we'll reiterate in the future.

His hands travel up from my parted knees, finding their place at my waist, circling it. "Should we count how many times I can make you come before I do?" he suggests.

My eyes widen. I should refuse because I'm no match for his stamina. But some combative part of me is curious. Boldly, I look up to meet his eyes, and after a moment of us studying each other, I nod.

He shakes his head, a ghost of a smile lingering on his mouth, and pulls out slowly before thrusting back with a deep shove. My confidence already wavers as I involuntarily moan. He does it again and again, and I quickly lose my ability to think. Adding to the physical satisfaction of being so perfectly filled and having the base of his shaft hit my clit with each thrust, I'm also overwhelmed by the meaning of the moment.

I'm having sex with Lex again. He's right there, all magnificent and intense, the muscles of his arms and upper torso flexing every time he pulls me onto his hammering cock. His abs also contract each time he moves forward, making me salivate with need. He's so fucking attractive.

Keeping one hand against the armrest to make sure I won't slide up, I lose control of my body. My hips are now moving in harmony with his, my fingers digging into the solid muscles of his arm, my back arching of its own will…

"Are you going to come for me already?" he rasps.

Something inside me rebels at the thought. I don't want to be such a lightweight, but I can't help how intense it all is. I stubbornly shake my head and close my eyes to focus on not orgasming. For fuck's sake, it hasn't even been five minutes.

Lex takes it as a challenge, his rhythm intensifying and his thumb teasing my swollen clit, rubbing it with just the right pressure. As much as I try to hold back, the double assault of his thumb and shaft is too much for me to resist. My legs twitch on each side of him, and my eyes whip open.

"Aah, fuck!" I cry out as I tilt over the edge. Anticipating that I'll shake uncontrollably, he pins me firmly on the couch's seat, never stopping his maddening thrusts.

My pleasure explodes as I desperately moan his name, my back arching until only my ass and the back of my head are left on the cushion. Endless ripples of intense ecstasy make my body tremble, my cries filling the empty office. He's still ramming into me, expertly dragging out my climax, but at least he slowed down, showing mercy to some extent. It takes forever for bliss to settle down, and by the end of it, I'm feeling weak and helpless. My nails are planted into his forearm, and I'm glad they aren't long or sharp. One by one, I lift my fingers to release him, revealing small crescent-shaped dents.

Lex is now unmoving, seemingly very proud of himself. "That's two."

Fuck, I'm so losing this game…

A ndrea welcomes my lips when I bend down to kiss her. I can't believe this is happening again. And I can't believe how good she feels—even better than I remembered.

I guess we were fooling ourselves, thinking we'd manage to keep things platonic and professional. This was always bound to happen. I want her too much .

After a few more seconds of intensely making out, I rearrange myself with a knee on the couch so I can push deeper, and thrust again. The slow pace quickly increases, and she rips her mouth away to take a deep breath before she moans.

"I can feel you clench around me already," I say, inches from her ear. "Tell me you're not about to come again so soon."

Fire ignites behind her brown irises, and she lowers a hand between us to make a tight ring around my cock with her index and thumb. The added pressure has me buckling with the need to come.

Before she can take it further, I grip her wrist and force her hand over her head, giving her a warning frown. She immediately tries to do it again with her free hand, but I intercept it before it reaches my cock.

Seeing her restrained like this, with her slim wrists imprisoned in my hold, brings out something primal in me. She's at my mercy now, and there's nothing she can do to stop me from making her come again. And again. And again.

"What will you do now?" I ask, rolling my hips sinuously to make her feel helpless.

Her rebellious smile isn't the answer I expected. Nor is the way her walls suddenly clamp around my cock.

"Ah, fuck," I mutter, hips jerking.

Victorious, she playfully bites my chin. "What is it? Are you scared you'll lose?"

"You seem pretty confident for someone who came twice in barely five minutes."

"If you're so sure of yourself, just keep fucking me, Alexander."

I accept the challenge, adjusting my position over her, and resume the fucking. My confidence wanes as she clenches again.

"You're so fucking tight already. It feels fucking insane when you do that." That only makes her clench harder, so I curse. "I'm going to relentlessly fuck you for hours one day, Andrea, and you'll only have yourself to blame for it."

I see the way her pupils dilate at the threat, so I make a mental note of actually enforcing it. With my face less than an inch from hers, I keep up with the merciless pace, rubbing the base of me on her clit with each deep thrust. When the first signs of her pending orgasm arrive, I can't even rejoice. I'll be coming with her, there's no doubt about that.

Just as the first spasm of her cunt chokes my dick, she begs, "Kiss me."

I let go of her hands and grab her jaw instead, pulling her in as I comply. Her cries vibrate against my tongue as her hands grip my ass to pull me closer .

Her involuntary twitching, the way she screams my name, and how she spasms around me bring my stamina to its knees. With a savage roar, I follow her in bliss, cum jetting out of me with so much force I can feel it in my bones. Her walls milk it out of me, compelling more rope of cum to surge out until I feel empty and satiated.

We're still like this long after the last shivers ran through our overheated frames, our bodies still joined. Again, the pleasure she brings is beyond anything I've known before. After a few minutes, though, she softly mumbles, "Lex, I can't breathe."

I maneuver us around, dislodging my semi-hard dick from her warmth. In the process, I tug at the condom and throw it on the coffee table. Within a few seconds, I'm the one lying on the couch, and she's sprawled on top of me. My fingers move on their own to draw mindless patterns on her back, which is veiled with a thin film of perspiration.

She did this to me last time, and the shivers it triggered were among the most pleasant sensations I've ever experienced. When she practically melts onto me with a sigh, her temple on my chest and her legs entwined with mine, I gather she likes it as much as I do.

"You cheated," I say after a while of this.

"You never mentioned any rules."

I grunt my disapproval and hold her tighter against me. "It wasn't very fair play of you."

"It was survival instinct." That makes me chuckle.

Although I wish we could stay like this for hours, basking in the moment, the couch underneath me becomes uncomfortable. I wriggle under her, trying to find a better position. "This couch is horrible."

She looks up and meets my eyes to ask, "You didn't know?"

I shake my head. "I've never spent enough time on it to notice before."

"Well, now you're aware," she says, kissing my chest before resting her head on it again.

"Come on. You'll be in your bed in half an hour," I encouragingly say. "We have a plane to catch tomorrow morning and things to prepare before that."

She reluctantly cooperates to stand on wobbly legs. Like the greedy little woman she is, she turns around to look down at me, sprawled naked on the sofa. I don't work out to look good for women, but my rigorous way of life seems to have that effect. I never really cared what my sex partners thought of my body, but Andrea's appreciation makes all the hours of lifting weights, swimming, and playing basketball worth it.

"Like what you see?" I arrogantly ask.

Because she can't help being a brat, she shrugs and says, "Meh… "

I'm not fooled, though, and her grin confirms my suspicions. I'm very much to her liking.

Twenty-five minutes later, after getting dressed and leaving the building, I'm parking in front of her place. I'm still not over what happened in my office, almost lightheaded from it.

"Lex?" she softly calls.

"Hmm?"

"What are we doing?" The question surprises me, even though it's to be expected. "I mean, it's pretty obvious we're amazing at this sex thing. And I'm definitely up for more of it. But is it a thing now? Are we, like, sex buddies, or whatever it's called?"

There's no point in saying we'll keep our distance anymore. We've been shit at it so far, and it only worsens the tension and angst. That's why I say, "I'm not opposed to it. It seems I can't stay away from you anyway. But the situation is delicate, so we should take a moment to establish some ground rules. I doubt we'll find the time during the convention, but we can work on that when we get back."

"Okay, I'm good with that. Anyhow, I'll see you tomorrow at the airport. Also, Lex?"

"Yes?"

"Thank you."

"For the sex or for driving you home?"

She laughs. "For both, I guess. And for the kiss, too."

"Which ki—" I don't even have the time to finish my sentence as she traps my mouth under a hungry kiss. It's as intense as it is short, and she moves back, licking her lips like she can't get enough of my taste—a sentiment I share.

Hm, maybe we can have a quick fuck in my car before she goes. God knows I'd be up for that.

"One of these days, we're going to fuck in your car," she promises, making me think she might be a mind reader. "In the meantime, sleep tight."

She's out before I can stop her, and she disappears behind her building's entrance after one last look back. When my phone vibrates, I rip my eyes from the door to check on it. It's a random news notification, but I then see several missed texts from Kevin.

He-Man

It's happening again, isn't it?

Next time you two give it a go at work, maybe make sure no one's doing overtime in the adjacent office ;)

Just a one-time thing, eh?

Okay, this feels like I'm cheating on my wife. I'm leaving.

I suppose we're lucky he was the one doing overtime and not someone from HR.

Next time, I'm driving her to my place. That way, she can stay the night, and we'll get more time to ourselves.