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We’re still in Eden, surrounded by others, and there are rules we have to follow. No matter how much I want to take this further, to push her even more, I know there’s a time and place for everything. And right now, we’ve reached the limit of what we can do here.
I release her chin, sinking back into the couch, my eyes never leaving hers.
“Thank you, sir.”
I dip my head, acknowledging her submission. This is just the beginning, and we both know it.
“Go,” I say. “Before I decide to break any more rules tonight.”
She stands slowly, her body still trembling. For a moment, she hesitates, as if she’s waiting for me to call her back, to pull her into something more. But I don’t.
She nods once, her cheeks still flushed, then turns and walks away. The sway of her hips as she moves has my jaw clenching, my body thrumming with desire. I watch her until she disappears through the employee door behind the bar, and even then, my eyes stay fixed on the space she occupied.
Cora Rossi.
I thought coming to Eden tonight would help me regain control, but all it’s done is stir a deeper need inside me.
This isn’t just about power.
This is abouther.
Dameon and Zac settle into the couches beside me, shattering the hold my thoughts had over me. Zac raises his eyebrows, taking a slow sip from his drink. “Well, that was… intense.”
I don’t respond, my mind still lingering on Cora’s flushed face, the way her body reacted to me, the way she looked at me afterwards.
“You’re playing a dangerous game,” Zac says quietly. “She’s not like the others, and you know it.”
Dameon leans back with that easy smile, but his gaze is sharp, like he’s watching me more closely than usual. We’ve been through years of this—shared women, shared power—but Cora has made him curious. “She’s different,” he agrees.
I shoot him a look. I know exactly what he means, but I’m not in the mood to discuss it.
He chuckles. “Man, you’re in for it now.”
I already know that. And yet, I can’t stop myself.
I don’t want to.
My eyes drift back to where Cora disappeared, my pulse still racing. This is far from over.
Not by a long shot.
Chapter nineteen
Cora
The soft whirr ofthe projector fills the boardroom as I fumble with the laptop, trying to get my presentation to sync. Nathan hovers beside me, hands in his pockets, offering the occasional useless suggestion with his trademark grin.
“Did you try turning it off and on again?” he offers.
I shoot him a dry look. “Thanks for that high-level tech advice, Nathan. I’m sure IT will be thrilled to know they can retire.”
He snorts, leaning casually against the table. “Hey, just trying to help.”
My fingers fumble over the keys, a fine tremor I can’t control. The damn projector isn’t the problem—it’s my heartbeat pounding in my ears. My mind keeps drifting back to Eden, to James—the way his eyes bored into mine, the power in his voice as he called me hissweet slut. It’s been impossible to forget.
I can still feel the touch of his foot between my legs, the way my body responded to his every command. And then, as if that weren’t enough,Dameon freaking Haywardwasright there,watching everything unfold.
A flush creeps up my neck. I’ve spent the entire morning trying not to think about it, but it’s impossible. Every time my mind drifts back to James, to the way his voice enveloped me like velvet, I feel that same rush of heat. And then mortification follows. Because let’s face it—Dameondefinitelysaw everything. And now I’m about to stand in front of both him and James, pretending that Saturday night didn’t happen, pretending that I’m just another competent employee giving a presentation to senior management.