Page 14 of Ascension

Some folks chuckled.

Amiyah smiled like she loved that joke.

I didn’t.

“And this,” he gestured to the rest of his team, “is our instrumentation and monitoring crew. We’re excited to be working with BlackSphere Technologies on this phase.”

Then his eyes landed on me.

“Calla, would you like to introduce your team?”

My smile was cold and clean. The kind that made men think twice before underestimating me.

“I’m Calla Black, CEO of BlackSphere Technologies,” I said, my voice steady and silk. “We specialize in advancedinstrumentation, data analytics, and field performance systems for infrastructure and deep foundation monitoring. To my left is Malik Jameson, our lead geotech. If you want an honest answer, with zero sugar, talk to him. Preferably after he’s had his coffee.”

More laughter.

“And this is Zoey Albright, our senior systems analyst. She knows everything, and somehow, she never forgets anything. So proceed with caution.”

Zoey gave her signature smirk and nod, and people chuckled again. But I didn’t miss James watching me, not just observing—seeing. Like he remembered what it felt like to have my hands around his throat and my mouth at his ear.

But when Amiyah leaned in to whisper something to him—and his smile tipped just slightly in her direction—it took everything in me not to toss my pen across the table.

I didn’t break my stare. Didn’t shift a damn muscle.

Let her talk close.

Let her smile wide.

She didn’t know him the way I did.

She didn’t own him.

Not like I did, and she never fucking would. I knew I was being irrational, moving out of fear and insecurity of losing a man I’d given my ass to kiss until a week ago. Still, now everything was different; the one thing I’d tried to avoid happened, and now James Carter Jr. was mine, embedded deeply in my soul, and I refused to let the curly-haired cocoa Goddess have him without a fight.

I hadn’t expected to be so affected by his presence this morning but the juxtaposition of James in this meeting, powerful and dominant, eyes on him, clinging to everyword that flowed from his full lips, respect and trust evident in the way his team responded, while memories of him submitting to me, his body beneath me taking every inch of me made my thighs clinch, my nipples go taut, and my mouth water. I needed a release, I needed space from him before I fucked him in this conference room and made Amiyah watch, confirming who the boss was when it came to him. I owned his body, mind, and soul. I was charged mentally and sexually, and the only way to ease the currents washing over my body was to use James’ body to my absolute satisfaction.

“Calla?”

His voice slid through my thoughts like a blade dipped in honey.

I blinked. “Sorry, what?”

He arched one brow, lips tugging into a smirk that made my stomach tighten in the worst and best way. His eyes lingered on mine just a second longer than necessary; he knew. I’d been gone, entirely out of it.

Zoned all the way out like some love-struck intern instead of the CEO in the damn room.

“I said,” James repeated slowly, “we were planning a walkdown this afternoon with our monitoring crew, Amiyah’s coordinating it. I wanted to see if you and your team have time for a quick site visit with us today? Nothing too deep, want you and your team to get a feel for the space, walk the alignment, talk through sensor locations and ground access.”

His tone was polite. Professional. But his eyes still held that flicker of heat, of memory.

I cleared my throat, then sat up straighter like that would help clear the haze he’d pulled me into.

“Uh, yes, of course. We’ve got our high-vis vests and hard hats in the vehicles,” I said, smoothing my voice into its usual confident cadence. “We’re always ready.”

He nodded, that damn smirk still hanging on the edge of his mouth. “Good. Then we’ll head over after we wrap this up.”

Amiyah gave him a soft smile, then turned to her tablet to make a note.