Chapter 6

Three thousand employees who thought they knew Elizabeth Stone—ruthless negotiator, calculated strategist, the woman who never blinked first. None of them would recognise me now, with my blouse hanging open and my pulse fluttering under a stranger’s gaze like a trapped bird. The absurdity of it hit me in a wave: board meetings and spreadsheets, and here I was, aching to be touched by men who saw my titles as nothing more than garnish.

Daniel’s eyes bored deep into me. I wondered if he was imagining my office—the glass walls, the sleek desk where I’d signed deals worth millions. Did he picture bending me over it? The thought sent a jolt through me, my thighs pressing together. Mr. X’s grip in my hair tightened approvingly, like he could read the filth spiralling through my mind. Of course he could. He’d always known the truth: that I craved this humiliation more than any deal.

My blouse hung open, the cool air teasing my nipples through the lace. The contrast was obscene—my tailored skirt still sharp, my heels still planted in the posture of a woman who commanded rooms. But my chest rose and fell too fast, my lips parted around shaky breaths. Daniel’s gaze dropped to my breasts, his tongue swiping over his lower lip. “Show me more,” he muttered, and the raw hunger in his voice made my knees weak. I’d reduced him to this: a man forgetting his manners, forgetting everything but the sight of me.

Mr. X’s fingers tightened in my hair, pulling just enough to make my scalp sting. “You heard him,” he murmured, breath hot against my ear. I swallowed, my fingers trembling as they reached for the clasp of my bra. The CEO of Stone Industries wouldn’t—couldn’t—be caught like this, would she? But yet, she did. She dreamt of this moment, of being stripped bare without the pretence of professionalism. The clasp gave way with a quiet click, the straps sliding down my arms. Daniel’s sharp inhale was all the applause I needed.