Page 146 of Corrupted By You

I backed into the office and he followed suit, slamming the door on his bodyguards to grant us privacy.

I sauntered to my desk and perched on the edge. “Good afternoon,MonsieurDe la Croix. What brings you here today?”

Zeno removed his aviators and sank into a chair before me. “My wife, who seems to be in a sour mood because I left without saying good morning. Now she’s conveniently ignoring my text messages.”

My new morning alarm was an orgasm à la Zeno Gianni De la Croix. I was annoyed he left before waking me up in my favourite way. So I didn’t reply to his texts, wanting to be an unreasonable brat.

I covered my mouth in mock surprise. “You texted? I didn’t even realize.”

“I can see that you read them all, Darla.”

I chucked off my pink blazer. “Essentially, you came here because I was ignoring you?”

His hungry gaze riveted to my chest as I undid the buttons of my white blouse. “I’d have come for a lot less. I just need an excuse to be in your vicinity, Principal Hill.”

I unclasped the front closure of my bra but remained clothed for the most part.

Zeno groaned.

“And now you want to make amends?” I balanced my heels on either side of his chair’s armrests. “How do you plan to do that?”

His hands smoothed over my calves as I hiked my pink skirt up to my hips, revealing my naked pussy. “By bending you over this desk and fucking the attitude out of you.”

I clicked my tongue, feigning nonchalance. “I don’t think that’s going to cut it, Zeno. You see, you really upset me this morning. I thinkyouneed to be punished for a change.”

Zeno stopped mid-rise, my heel pressed against the lapel of his suit. “Oh?” Stormy eyes skated over my breasts and his nostrils flared. “And how exactly will youpunishme, Principal Hill?”

I gave him my sexiest look and trickled my foot down to his tented bulge, pressing for emphasis. “By putting you in the corner as timeout for your bad behaviour.”

He blinked.

I burst out laughing, picturing this hulking man facing the wall with a surly expression pinching his face.

“You’re a menace,” he deadpanned. “And now my erection is gone.”

“Well, bring it back.” I kept chuckling while he glowered. “I have forty-five minutes left in my lunch hour and I want to milk every second.”

His mouth twitched and he shook his head, acting exasperated. Zeno liked my bad jokes, even though he pretended otherwise. “I came here for a reason, Darla.”

I sobered instantly when I noticed the seriousness etched in the lines of his face. “What’s wrong?”

His knuckles grazed down the slope of my cheek. “You’ve been stressed ever since the school burnt. I know you haven’t been able to get all the money you need to start rebuilding, so I wanted to gift you something.”

Speechless, I watched my self-assured husband fumble as he pulled out a signed check from his suit pocket. He stared at it grimly. “It’s not a bribe. I don’t want you to think I’m buying you or—”

I placed a finger over his lips and took the check. My eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets when I saw the price. Twenty-five million dollars signed by Zeno Gianni De la Croix.

“Is it not enough?” he hushed worriedly. “I can give you more—”

“This is crazy, Zeno—”

“Please, don’t fight me on this and just take it.” He cupped my chin and dragged my gaze to his vivid one. “This school is your pride and joy. I hate knowing that a fire nearly took away your legacy. You’ve worked so hard to be where you are. Everything from the Girls in Leadership project to the extra hours you put in every day to ensure St. Victoria remains the best high school in the city. I just…I just want to take care of you the way you take care of everyone else. There’s no ulterior motive behind the check. It’s just money. Nothing more. Nothing less.”

I’d always struggled with compliments and gifts, but I was getting better at it. I also knew Zeno’s heart was in the right place. I could not deny him. Not when he stood before me so humbly, his Adam’s apple rifling up and down with his nervous swallow.

I relented and smiled. “I will accept it because you wrote it with my well-being in mind. I promise you the students at St. Victoria will greatly appreciate this gesture. Thank you for thinking about me.”

He whispered, “I always think of you.”