Page 6

Erica

“Do you want to cum, Erica?”

A simple enough question, with an incredibly straightforward answer. The only problem was Erica was struggling to speak. Trying to form words around the gag in her mouth, she mumbled one sound.

“Yes!”

Alex laughed cruelly, his fingers teasing over the sensitive nub of her clit as he thrust inside her body. “I can’t hear you, baby, what did you say?”

“Yes!” Tears sprung to her eyes as pleasure overwhelmed her, desperate for the sweet release of her orgasm. All it would take would be a fraction more pressure from his fingers. She was so close.

So. Very. Close.

“If I didn’t have such a busy day, I’d make you beg for me.” Alex raked an approving gaze over her body laid across his desk.

Her arms ached from the way he had restrained them against the legs of his desk, but she didn’t care. Every inch of her body felt incredible. Every fibre of her being was ready for release. “You can cum this time, baby. But you better let me hear you.”

Gripping her hip tighter, Alex picked up his speed, his hips pounding into hers. Her eyes rolled back into her head as she did nothing to control the volume of her moans. She knew that just beyond the door of his office, anyone could hear her.

The thought just made her wetter.

“That’s it, baby. Let me feel your pussy tighten. ”

Closing her eyes, Erica zoned in on the pleasure radiating through her body, feeling herself racing towards her climax. If she could move, she’d be squirming with the intensity of the sensations. Instead, all she could do was lay there and take it.

Feel it.

When the moment came, the gag did nothing to muffle her screams as wave after wave of pleasure radiated through her entire being. Her toes curled as her back arched off the desk, her arms and legs stretched to their limit as she fought against her restraints.

Alex slammed into her, focused on his own climax, and prolonging hers in a way that forced the tears from her eyes.

Holy fucking shit!

She relished the deep groan of satisfaction as he came, holding himself inside her as his body collapsed against hers. She could feel him twitch and shudder as his body rode through the euphoria.

Their heavy breathing, almost in sync, was the only sound in the otherwise silent room, and as they lay there, too consumed in one another to care about anything else, Erica felt perfect contentment.

And then, all too soon, it was over.

Alex lifted himself, staring down at her and cupping her jaw. His smirk still made her tummy flip, his eyes holding a promise of more to come. “You’re so fucking beautiful.” He released the gag from her mouth. “Are you okay?”

“I’m okay,” she whispered, her mouth incredibly dry from the gag. “Thirsty.” Alex chuckled and set about releasing her restraints.

“There’s water in the fridge.” With one arm free, she worked the ache from her joints. What felt good in the moment was a killer in the aftermath. She sat up as soon as she was able, watching Alex dress with purposeful movements.

That was the first thing she noticed about him all those years ago. The way he moved as though he never second-guessed himself. And he never did.

Not when he asked her out and subsequently proposed on their first date. Not when he opened his business, sinking their entire savings into it. Even when they nearly lost everything after his mother’s death, Alex knew what to do and how to fix it.

He never faltered, and she loved him for it.

Finally free of her restraints, she stood and kissed his cheek before dressing. Beyond the door of his office, she could hear the hustle and bustle of his employees as they arrived for the day. No longer in the throes of passion, her cheeks tinted pink.

She hoped nobody heard her.

“I’ve invited Josh and Liv for drinks this evening,” Alex said, fastening the button on his sleeve. She resisted the urge to pout, hiding her face behind her hair as she smoothed down the front of her skirt. Alex always said he could read her like a book, and sure enough, he was there in front of her within seconds, tilting her chin towards him.

“What’s that?” He asked, amusement flickering in his eyes. “What’s that irritation?”

“Not irritated, darling,” she insisted. “It just means longer before we can be intimate again.” Alex chuckled, the sound rich and warm.

“I don’t know about that. We managed alright last time, didn’t we?”

Erica flushed at the memory of Alex pinning her to the kitchen counter, hand covering her mouth as he fucked her with his fingers, their guests drinking mere meters away.

“You’re right,” she said, moving her hands over his chest. “We do alright.”

His head swooped, capturing her lips in a searing kiss. Her heart leapt at the passion of his lips and the strength of his hands as he grabbed her behind.

Eight years of marriage and their passion for one another had never waned. Alex only had to look at her a certain way to get her excited, and she knew beyond a doubt it wasn’t just her who would wait anxiously for their guests to leave tonight.

“Mr Carr, I—” Erica pulled away from the kiss, looking over Alex’s shoulder where Sophie stood lingering awkwardly by the door. “My apologies, I didn’t realise you had company. ”

“No apologies needed, Sophie,” Alex said, turning to face her. He slipped an arm around Erica’s back, his hand patting her butt.

“Your 9 o’clock arrived early, sir. And they seem pretty impatient.”

“I have a meeting?” He asked with a frown. Erica glanced up at him, arching a brow. It wasn’t like him to forget something so important.”

“It’s the London group,” Sophie said with a shrug, her eyes glued to Alex. She was probably imagining it, but Erica was sure she was being deliberately vague to keep her out of the loop. “They called an urgent meeting first thing this—”

“Right. Right, yes. Of course.” Alex cleared his throat and squeezed Erica’s side. “I remember now. Give us a minute please, Soph.”

“Of course, Sir.” With a stilted smile, she looked between them before leaving the room as quickly as she came.

“Does she always call you sir?” Erica asked, running her fingers through her hair to tidy it. “Or is that for my benefit?”

“She’s more formal in front of people, I suppose,” Alex replied, straightening his tie. Already, it was the London group that had his focus.

“What’s got you worried?” She asked, tilting her head. Now she was looking, she could see the telltale signs of stress lingering over him like a dark cloud. “I’ve not seen you this agitated in a while.”

He stared at her without really seeing her, and for one horrible moment, she thought he wasn’t going to say anything.

Sophie would love that.

“It’s the fucking London group,” he said, leaning back against his desk. “Something has got them spooked and they’re suddenly scheduling urgent meetings.”

“And you don’t know why?”

“I have no idea. We’re in the best position we’ve ever been in. But something has rattled them.”

“Can I do anything?” She asked, glancing around the room as though the solution was staring her in the face.

“Not this time, love,” he said with a shrug. “Not when I don’t know what the issue is. ”

“Then I suppose that’s my cue to leave,” she said, pulling away from him to gather her bag. “And to think I only came to bring you coffee.”

“What’s a man to do when his wife looks so delicious when bringing him coffee?” He asked, his tone playful, but his expression stony. This was Alex in business mode, the flirtatious man from five minutes ago long gone.

“What time are Josh and Liv arriving?”

“Seven, I believe,” he said absent mindlessly, running his hand through his hair once again. Erica observed him for a moment before taking a step towards him and placing a soothing hand on his chest.

“Hey, you’re gonna smash it,” she said, fixing his tie. “You’ve never lost a client you really wanted, and you won’t be starting today.” She kissed him once. “You’ve got this.”

His hand covered hers, holding her tight against his chest. “Thank you for your unwavering belief in me.”

“Always,” she promised, kissing him once. “I’ll see you tonight, yeah?”

She pulled away one last time, shrugging on her coat and straightening out her hair. Alex moved behind his desk that she had been naked on not too long ago and set to work, their escapades clearly long forgotten.

Barely glancing up at her, he nodded. “Yeah, I’ll be home as soon as I’m done. Don’t wait for me if I’m running late.”

She watched him for a moment before opening the door. “Okay, well. I love you.” She thought she heard a muttered reply before the door closed behind her, but she couldn’t be sure.

Smiling at Sophie as she passed, she made her way through the building, trying to put Alex’s change in mood out of her mind. It wasn’t the first time he had switched to business mode on her, after all. But something was leaving a sour taste in her mouth.

He wasn’t usually so rattled. Especially not by a client, no matter how lucrative the contract was. But the hand through his hair, the tight-lipped smiles and the way his eyes avoided hers.

Something was definitely amiss .

She couldn’t help but remember the look on Sophie’s face, and the way the woman seemed to relish knowing something Erica didn’t.

As she reached her car, she glanced up at his window, debating heading back inside to check on him. If something were wrong, she wanted to do what she could to help.

Everything inside her was telling her to stay away from that office. The feeling was so overwhelming that she clung to the car door to catch her breath.

She always believed in trusting her gut feeling and something was telling her she wasn’t ready to know what was happening up on the top floor of the building.

Forcing herself to get into the car, she started the engine and spared one last glance towards Alex’s floor.

Realistically, what good could she do?

She couldn’t think of any solid reason the London Group had the jitters, and as such, no idea how to fix them.

She pulled out of the parking lot and signalled for home. Joining the early morning traffic, she switched the radio on to her favourite station and let the music wash over her.

With Cyndi Lauper belting out a banger, Erica forced Alex and his company from her mind and cast it instead to the evening festivities.

Despite her earlier reluctance, she was looking forward to seeing her brother and his wife tonight. It had been a while since they last had a get-together, after the two of them swanned off on their honeymoon.

They had been neighbours for five of the seven years she and Alex had lived at their current address, and while most people couldn’t stand living so close to a sibling, Erica and Josh were close enough that it worked.

And she loved him even more for giving her such an awesome sister-in-law.

Liv was a beautiful girl with the most stunning green eyes. She worked in the beauty industry and always looked immaculate. They were the epitome of opposites attract as Josh spent all his time in sports, enjoying his job as a PE teacher .

It was the first time she’d be seeing them since their return from their honeymoon, and now she was excited to get the evening started.

By the time she pulled into the driveway, muttering to herself about the potential menu for the evening’s meal, the London Group was far from her mind.

She let herself into the house, grabbing the mail from the table as she padded down to the kitchen to boil the kettle.

Flicking the kettle on, she dumped her mail on the counter, and opened the fridge doors, inspecting the contents inside.

“Lamb perhaps,” she muttered, her eyes lingering on the artichokes. “Or perhaps beef.”

“I’d go with the chicken.”

Erica jumped at the feminine voice, looking over her shoulder to see their maid standing in the doorway.

“Sorry, Miss Erica,” Gloria said. “I frightened you.”

“No. Well, I mean yes . But it’s okay.” Erica chuckled and turned to face the older lady. “I’m sorry Gloria, you move around so silently, you startled me.”

“Then I shall wear a bell,” she said, rushing forward to prepare Erica’s coffee.

“Oh, please. You don’t have to do that—”

“Nonsense. It’s what I’m paid for.” Perhaps. But it always made Erica extremely uncomfortable to have someone waiting on her hand and foot. It was all just too much.

“The chicken is your best bet. It has a shorter use-by date than the other two,” Gloria said, as she ignored the kettle in favour of the coffee machine.

Erica opened her mouth to protest before shutting it again. There was no point. “Chicken it is then,” she agreed, offering Gloria a small smile. “It looks great in here, by the way.”

Gloria beamed, her eyes brightening as she flushed with pleasure at Erica’s words. “Thank you, Miss Erica.”

Truth be told, the kitchen looked no different from it had when Erica had left this morning.

Everything was immaculate, the way it always had been. But that was a testament to Gloria’s work ethic, she supposed. And the woman took such pride in her job .

“Why don’t you join me for a beverage?” Erica asked, gesturing to the table.

“Thank you, Miss Erica,” Gloria replied, bringing a steaming mug towards her. “But I must get on.”

Predictable.

Smiling, Erica took the coffee and murmured her thanks, taking her seat at the breakfast bar. With a view spanning the entirety of their garden, Erica sat and enjoyed a peaceful moment, watching the birds bathe in the stone bath, while others helped themselves to the food she had left out earlier this morning.

With a happy sigh, Erica settled with her coffee and reached over for the mail, leafing through the envelopes.

Bill. Junk. Pushy sales pitch. Bill.

More junk, another bill, and…

Her fingers paused over the handwritten envelope. No stamp or address, just her name. It may have got mixed up with her regular mail, but this was clearly not a normal letter.

Whoever sent it had delivered it by hand.

Trying to place the handwriting, she opened the letter with a touch of excitement. She loved receiving mail. Even if most of it was bullshit.

Tearing the contents from the envelope, her smile froze in place as she unfolded the sheets and read the first few lines.

Tears blurred her eyes before she could even process that she was crying, a rushing sound in her ears, drowning out the rest of the world. Her hands shook as she tried to make sense of the scribbled words.

The pages fell from her frozen fingers, floating to the kitchen floor, as her entire body shivered as though she had submerged herself in ice.

She took a breath.

And then another.

She felt it rattle in her chest as she heard a gasping sound in the distance. It was only when she felt the tightness in her heart that she realised the rasping was coming from inside of her and she was hurtling her way towards a panic attack .

Resting her head on the kitchen counter, letting the coolness soothe her clammy forehead, she forced herself to count slowly to ten.

One, two, three, four…

It couldn’t be. She must have misread.

Five, six, seven…

Someone was fucking with her. They had to be. It was just a cruel prank.

Eight, nine…

Once she finally had control of herself, she straightened up, her hands firm on the counter to steady herself.

There had to be a mistake. No way she was the intended recipient of this letter. No fucking way. Because if she was, it meant her entire life was a lie. That everything she believed in and trusted was nothing but a facade.

A sham.

She reached for the envelope, turning it over in her hands.

Mrs Erica Carr .

Whoever had sent this not only knew her name, but where she lived. It had to be someone she knew personally, and she couldn’t think of one person who would try to hurt her in this way.

She had to read it again. Maybe everything would be okay, and she was overreacting.

Or maybe, just maybe, every single word was true, and Erica’s world was about to implode.

Taking a breath, she unfolded the sheets of paper and smoothed them over the counter.

Whispering as she read, Erica forced herself to finish the entire thing.

“You don’t know me, and I’m sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but your husband is sleeping with my wife.”