Page 37 of Shifting Hearts

FOUR

Jas

A fucking angel! The glass in his hand cracked as he squeezed it. He threw the shards against the wall, causing them to shatter, but one piece was already embedded in his palm. He pulled the jagged shard out, which had dug at least two centimeters into his skin, yet he didn’t feel any pain.

Darkness ruled his world for centuries and now, this creature breathed new life into him, and all he could think of was ways to corrupt her. What the fuck was wrong with him? He wanted to show the angel who was in charge, but he’d pushed too far.

Summoning Amanda to his office had been a mistake.

One look at her half-naked body on his desk and his cock couldn’t get hard.

Shit like that never happened to him before.

However, once Seraphina entered the room, he became painfully erect.

She was everything he never needed before and wanting her drove him mad.

In the shower, Jas worked his cock imagining those full lips stretched around him. He came so hard his vision turned white. And then he punched the tile wall with veracity, cracking several until his knuckles bled.

Jas stared at himself in the mirror for a long time before brushing oil through his beard to soften and condition it.

Being in close proximity to Seraphina awakened the demons of his past. He saw the monster he truly was in the mirror.

Jasper Conrad didn’t fool anyone. He yanked the towel bar from the wall and struck the glass several times as it cracked and littered the counter top.

He’d earned his fortune and eternal life by sacrificing an innocent. Was Seraphina another sacrifice? There was no other explanation for her sudden appearance.

The blood pulsing through her veins lured him in like a siren as his cock stiffened again. He would possess her at any cost. And unluckily for her, it would happen soon.

After staring at the ceiling all night, he arrived at work early. He called his house manager and told him to hire someone to fix up the bathroom he’d destroyed. The next call was to his personal shopper.

If Seraphina were to be his assistant, he would ensure she outshone every other woman in the city. His circle would understand the prize belonged to him. He didn’t stop at office apparel, he’d ordered gowns and even lingerie.

He ordered new toys and accessories as nothing that touched another woman was worthy of the angel’s pure body. The last thing he did was contact a jeweler to discuss a custom order.

By the time he was finished, he’d charged thousands to his black card.

Though money was no object, he’d never spent a dime on an assistant before.

Jas didn’t have relationships. He indulged in sex with hundreds, possibly thousands of women over two hundred years.

He could pass them all on the sidewalk and not recall a name or face.

Even if women didn’t flock to him, he could easily compel them, pulling them in as his mentor taught him. It was the law of the beast. Many met death at his hand with a smile on their face.

The whir of the elevator grabbed his attention. When the doors opened, the honeysuckle scent wafted around once more.

“Seraphina,” he barked.

Her heart sped up, making the corner of his lip rise in amusement. She could deny everything, but her body betrayed her. Her footsteps were muffled as she walked, clearly forgoing heels.

“Come in,” he called as she timidly knocked.

“You wanted to see me, sir?”

Her appearance that morning wouldn’t do. Her plum-colored hair was pulled back in a low ponytail, while an oversized blouse hung from her shoulders. Ballet flats peeked out from beneath her black trousers.

A growl rumbled from deep in his chest. If she thought that would squash his interest, she was wrong. It would be the last fucking day she arrived to work that way.

“Sit down. We have paperwork to go over.”

He placed a stack of stapled papers in front of her. She didn’t move.

“We’ll discuss every point before you sign. But before you read them, we have company.”

A confident knock sounded at the door.

“Enter,” he permissed.

“Thank you for the invitation, Mr. Conrad. I was excited to receive your message. I’ve been looking forward to meeting the lucky lady.”

He gestured toward Seraphina. “Meet my new assistant.”

Seraphina jumped out of her seat and spun to meet their guest.

“It’s wonderful to meet you!” she enthused. “I’m Roberta, but everyone calls me Bobbie. I’ve been styling Mr. Conrad for years.”

“It’s nice to meet you,” Seraphina replied.

Bobbie was a robust stylish woman in her mid-forties. Her colorful hair fell into an asymmetrical bob, and her massive bosom shook with every belly-busting laugh. She pulled Seraphina to her feet and walked around the young woman, taking her measurements as she went.

“You should wear clothes that highlight your figure, not hide them. I promise by the time we’re done, you will look fabulous.”

Once Bobbie was finished writing things down in a notebook, she whipped out her phone. Her fingers moved rapidly across the screen.

Within the hour, a team arrived, laden with garment bags and boxes. The assistants flapped and twittered like birds, as they surrounded Seraphina in a flurry. The angel on the other hand, sunk into herself. He’d set all this up for her, and the fact that she wasn’t enjoying herself niggled at him.

“I’m not sure about this,” she stammered.

They needed to work on her confidence. Did she not realize how stunning she was? Or was it simply a pious view against vanity. Any man would be proud to have her on his arm. She awakened emotions in him that had long been dead or never existed in his soul.

Seraphina crossed her arms to hide the scalloped bra that pushed her breasts up. The embroidered lace matched her hair.

“Everyone out,” he growled. “I require a moment alone with my assistant.”

He was ready to strip her bare and feast. The chattering stopped as a dangerous glint flashed in his eyes. They scurried out and the door thudded behind them.

Her heart fluttered in her chest as they found themselves alone once more. Was the vixen insistent on taunting him forever?

“Is there something I can do, Mr. Conrad?” She swallowed nervously as the predator stalked up to her.

He placed his hands on her shoulders and caressed her smooth skin for a moment before stepping back. “Turn around.” As she moved, he growled, “Slowly.”

Her eyes dropped to the floor as she complied with his demands.

“Look at me,” he commanded. “Your eyes shouldn’t lower in shame or embarrassment. The only time you should drop your gaze is when you are in a submissive position to me.”

“Submissive position?”

He stepped against her, and pulled the band from her hair, allowing the tendrils to fall naturally. He swept them aside and spoke against the shell of her ear.

“It’s in your contract, angel.”

She shivered as he traced her collarbone before gripping her chin and turning her head. His lips ghosted her neck and she tilted slightly, offering him more.

“The way I want you to present yourself is down on your knees with your legs parted slightly. You will rest your hands with your palms facing up like a good little angel. Why don’t you try it now.”

He caressed the soft skin of her belly before walking back to his desk. He leaned against it and crossed his arms, waiting for her to comply.

She gracefully lowered to her knees and blinked up at him from beneath her lashes.

“A little wider,” he directed as he tapped his foot between her knees.

She spread more and sank a little lower. He adjusted her hands. He reached for a piece of her hair and twirled it around his finger. Aside from honeysuckle, he smelled lemongrass.

He grasped her chin. “Lower your chin toward your chest. Now drop your eyes, angel. While in this position, don’t look up unless I tell you to. Kneeling is a physical demonstration of submission and respect.”

An odd feeling crept into his chest as her eyes became hidden.

“Good, angel. When I ask you to kneel, this is what I mean. Understand?”

“Yes, sir,” she replied.

“Lesson number two. Do not speak unless permitted. Nod if you understand.”

She nodded without lifting her eyes. She was a natural. He cupped her cheek.

“You’ll have dinner with me tonight, and we’ll discuss your contract.”

She nuzzled his palm in response. He helped her back on her feet and led her over to the full-length mirror inside his closet. She lowered her eyes.

He grasped her chin and forced her to look up. “I want you to see yourself for who you are.”

She struggled to look away, but he wouldn’t allow it. “Vanity is a sin,” she said matter-of-factly.

“Fuck your vanity,” he growled in frustration, though he hadn’t expected a different answer.

His hands remained glued to her body as their eyes met in the mirror. He grasped a fistful of her hair and tugged, causing her to expose her neck and wrapped the other hand around her throat. He pressed his clothed cock against the small of her back.

“How do you think people would perceive us if they saw us together?”

“You’re my boss,” she replied.

“People will look at me with envy in their hearts while they lust after you, because you’re on my arm.”

“I’m not on your arm,” she hissed.

“Make no mistake, little angel, you are mine.”

“Let me go,” she demanded.

“Your next lesson will help you understand power dynamics. In the office, I’m the boss and you are my subordinate. I’m a demanding boss.”

“Is that all?” she huffed.

“Watch your tone.”

“Honorifics are earned. And you—” She trailed off as he caressed her breast and teased her nipple with his thumb, rolling it back and forth until it as he rolled it back and forth until it puckered.

“I want you on your knees like I taught you.”

The fire in her soul was admirable as she glared at him through the mirror. How far could he push her? Her state of undress while he was fully clothed was a visual representation of their dynamic.

“If I sank to my knees and promised to worship you, would you show me the jewel you’re hiding? Would you let me taste your sweet nectar? I will make you scream with ecstasy. And after you gush over my beard, I’m going to split your pussy open with my cock.”

He nuzzled her neck, becoming emboldened as she trembled. She bit back a moan and he pinched her nipple as he brushed his fingers over the waistband of her panties.

She jerked away. “I quit.”

Jasper growled. “You might be a goddess, but my patience isn’t boundless.”