Good news: I hooked up with a total stud, an absolute god in bed. Even better news: We successfully became friends with benefits. Bad news: He’s my new boss. My world is ending. 01 “Again.” The scorching body behind me pressed close, a silent demand. “Still?” I managed, my brow furrowed. My mouth said no, but my body was a shameless traitor. I turned my head and crushed my lips against his. … Adrian Thorne and I spent the entire weekend tangled up in each other, day and night a blur of skin and sweat. It wasn't until Sunday evening, with him still looking like a predator who’d gotten a taste of his favorite prey and was hungry for more, that I finally put my foot down. I scrambled around the chaotic mess of the floor, hunting for my clothes. “No way,” I said, my voice strained. “I have an early meeting tomorrow. I can’t be late.” I pulled on my pants, adding, “The new boss is starting. I need to make a good first impression.” He was sprawled on the bed, bare-chested and magnificent, a picture of lazy satisfaction. He sighed with genuine regret. “Fine. See you next week.” “Deal.” Monday morning, I walked into the office dressed to the nines in my suit, ID badge clipped neatly to my pocket. Jenna, my cubicle neighbor, immediately leaned in, her eyes sparkling with gossip. “Have you heard? The new CEO is supposed to be young and hot.” I couldn’t care less what he looked like. “I just hope he’s a decent human being,” I grumbled. Our last CEO was a real piece of work, treating us all like corporate drones to be worked to death. We’d all been praying for his transfer, hoping his replacement would be at least marginally better. In the conference room, the new CEO made his grand entrance to a wave of enthusiastic applause. As I looked up at the man standing at the head of the table, my world tilted on its axis. It was Adrian Thorne. My FWB. How could the world be this small? I wanted the floor to open up and swallow me whole. The room was packed, so I prayed he wouldn't spot me as I tried to shrink into my chair, my head bowed so low it was practically under the table. A sharp nudge to my wrist startled me. “Leo,” Jenna whispered, “Mr. Thorne is calling on you.” “Who’s Leo?” The words were out of my mouth before I realized my mistake. Then I heard Adrian’s voice, clear and commanding, call my name again. I sucked in a sharp breath and slowly, shakily, got to my feet. The moment he saw me, a flicker of undisguised shock crossed his face. I felt a hot flush of guilt creep up my neck. Because I’d told him my name was Finn. He stared at me for two long, meaningful seconds before his lips curved into a slow, knowing smile. “Leo,” he said, his voice smooth as silk, “this project is your team’s responsibility. Please, walk us through it.” 02 I gave the briefest report I could manage, and Adrian asked only two simple questions. The second the meeting ended, I bolted from the room as if the hounds of hell were on my heels. No joke, in that short one-hour meeting, I’d already drafted my resignation letter in my head. But then… the thought of the current economy, of my mortgage and car payments, hit me like a splash of cold water. I guess I could just plug my ears and pretend this wasn’t happening. For now. Jenna came back from the meeting completely star-struck. “Oh my god, Mr. Thorne is so handsome,” she gushed. “Having a hottie like that to look at makes being a wage slave almost bearable. I forgive the world for three seconds.” I chuckled. “Get a grip.” She continued her swooning. “Even in that dress shirt, you can just tell he has an amazing body. The testosterone is practically radiating off him.” Amazing was an understatement. It was phenomenal. And it felt even better than it looked. But the thought of the man who’d whispered an endless stream of dirty talk in my ear now being my big boss made me want to flee the planet. Just then, Adrian’s secretary clicked over in her heels. “Leo, Mr. Thorne wants to see you in his office.” I rose to my feet, feeling utterly dead inside. Couldn't the Earth just explode right now? Please? 03 The spacious office offered a breathtaking panoramic view of the city through its floor-to-ceiling windows. “Mr. Thorne, you wanted to see me?” Adrian looked up from his computer, his eyes raking over me. “Leo?” “Yes, Mr. Thorne.” He arched an eyebrow. “Finn?” I played dumb. “I’m sorry, Mr. Thorne, who’s Finn?” A slow, dangerous smile spread across his face. “Cut the act,” he said, leaning back in his chair. “There aren't two people in the world who not only look identical but also have a mole in the exact same spot.” I blurted out, “A mole where?” He playfully tugged on his earlobe. Shit. I have a mole on my earlobe. A mole that this very man, now sitting before me in a crisp suit, was kissing just yesterday. My expression hardened into a mask. Adrian’s smile was pure mischief. “And Adrian Thorne is my real name, by the way.” …Was he throwing shade at me for giving him a fake name? Seeing there was no way out, I threw in the towel. “Well, Mr. Thorne,” I said with a strained laugh, “what a coincidence.” His eyes gleamed. “So, I’m the ‘new boss’ you were talking about.” He leaned forward, his voice dropping to a low purr. “If I’d known, I wouldn’t have let you leave yesterday…” I held up my hands in surrender. “Mr. Thorne, please. At the office, let’s just pretend we don’t know each other. Strictly business, no personal stuff.” He nodded, though he looked a little disappointed. I fled his office like I was escaping a fire. 04 Adrian and I had a purely physical relationship. To put it bluntly, we were friends with benefits. It started six months ago. The straight guy I’d been crushing on for years finally got a girlfriend, and I went to a bar to drown my sorrows. I ended up sharing a table with Adrian. He seemed to be in a foul mood too, and some creep slipped something into his drink. Being the good Samaritan I am, I helped him out of the bar. But he wasn't such a good Samaritan. He started getting handsy. Lost in the moment, seduced by his ridiculously handsome face, I found myself in bed with him. As I stared at that face, I figured, what the hell, and kissed him back. The first time was a bit clumsy, both of us fumbling in the dark. But we slowly found our rhythm, and we didn't stop until the first light of dawn painted the sky. After that, we reached a mutual understanding. No feelings, just bodies. We’d meet up once a week. We were surprisingly compatible in bed. Every time we met, it was like we were trying to break the mattress. It was a welcome relief from my soul-crushing corporate drone life. We knew nothing about each other’s personal lives. I’d assumed he was just another working stiff like me—slaving away on weekdays and blowing off steam on weekends. I never imagined he was secretly moonlighting as a CEO. And a CEO was one thing, but the CEO of my company? Damn it! 05 For the first time in my life, I wasn't looking forward to the weekend. Which, of course, meant it arrived at lightning speed. Adrian was swamped with work all week. The only time I saw him was a brief encounter at the coffee shop downstairs. I pretended to be on a call and avoided his gaze. On Friday, during my lunch break, I got a text from him. [Where are we meeting this week?] We usually mixed it up—sometimes a hotel, sometimes his car. Once, for a thrill, we even did it outdoors. I typed out the excuse I’d prepared. [Sorry, Mr. Thorne. I have to go home for my mom’s birthday this weekend.] Adrian: [Alright.] Adrian: [Didn’t we agree to keep work and life separate? Just call me by my name when we’re talking about personal stuff.] Oh, God. There was no way I could separate them. Not after seeing him tear into the lead of the adjacent team in a meeting that morning. “Did you come up with this proposal with your feet?” he’d asked, his voice dripping with ice. The atmosphere in the conference room had been cold enough to freeze hell over. The other team lead could only stand there, fuming silently. When it was my turn to present, I felt like I was walking a tightrope over a volcano. After I finished, Adrian’s only comment was, “The proposal is flashy, but have you considered if it’s even feasible?” … Does anyone understand my pain? Now I’m supposed to get into bed with this guy? I’d rather choose celibacy. 06 Another week passed. Adrian's text arrived right on schedule. [Where to this weekend?] Me: [A friend’s getting married. I have to go to the next city over to be his best man.] Adrian: [No free time at all?] Was he that desperate? Me: [Yeah, the round trip alone is seven or eight hours.] In reality, there was no wedding. I was just a coward. Two weeks of celibacy was starting to take its toll. The craving was a constant, dull ache. On Saturday, I resorted to using some… toys at home. It helped, a little, but not much. My thoughts inevitably drifted to Adrian. The more I thought, the more heated I became. To cool off, I took a cab to the office to get some work done. Making money makes me happy, I told myself. But the moment I swiped my ID badge and the door clicked open, my soul shattered. Dear God, you really have it out for me. Why was Adrian also working overtime? He emerged from the breakroom, a cup of coffee in hand, and arched an eyebrow at me. “The next city over? Best man?” I forced a dry laugh. “The wedding was… uh, cancelled. Last minute.” Adrian let out a short, humorless laugh. He stated it as a fact, not a question. “Leo. You’re avoiding me.” 07 I sat frozen at my desk, plotting my escape. But Adrian, as if reading my mind, called my office line. “Come to my office. I want to go over the proposal with you.” Clutching a folder like a shield, I knocked on his door. It swung open from the inside, and a strong arm yanked me in. Adrian slammed me against the door and kissed me, fierce and demanding. At first, I struggled, pushing against his chest. But then, that familiar, intoxicating feeling washed over me. I became the aggressor, my hands tangling in his hair as the folder fell to the floor with a soft thud. Adrian lifted me into his arms and kicked open the door to the private lounge inside his office. White shirts and tailored trousers were soon discarded on the floor. Adrian’s seductive voice whispered from behind me, “I never thought I’d get to unlock the ‘office play’ achievement.” … I don’t think I’ll ever be able to look at his floor-to-ceiling windows or his desk the same way again. The neon lights of the city twinkled outside. Without us noticing, the sky had turned dark. Damn you, Adrian Thorne. I came here to work! When he emerged from the shower, his chest was still glistening with water, dotted with marks I’d left behind. “The bistro downstairs is pretty good. My treat.” I picked up the crumpled folder from the floor. “I’m not hungry.” Just then, my stomach let out a traitorous growl. Adrian chuckled, a low, rumbling sound. “Come on. We both worked hard today.” “…” Redefining the term “overtime.” 08 In the private room at the bistro, I ordered a feast. This place was expensive; Jenna and I only ever came here on payday. Adrian barely ate, placing pieces of food on my plate from time to time. “Mr. Thorne, please, you eat. Don’t worry about me,” I said, flustered. He paused, chopsticks hovering. “It’s after work hours. Just call me Adrian.” I couldn’t. It felt too weird. In the past six months, we’d occasionally eaten together, but it was always a quick bite in the middle of… other activities. This was the first time we were sitting down for a proper meal. It was just so, so strange. I buried my head in my food, eating ferociously to cover my awkwardness. After dinner, it started to rain. Adrian dangled his car keys. “I’ll drive you home.” I pulled out my phone and opened the ride-share app. “I’ll just get a cab.” Great. 100 people in the queue ahead of me. “It’s raining, you won’t get a ride,” Adrian insisted. “Let me take you.” I found myself sitting in Adrian’s Bentley. I’d opened the back door. He raised an eyebrow. “Am I your chauffeur?” I wouldn’t dare. I walked around to the front. “Let me drive.” Adrian laughed. “Get in the passenger seat.” The whole way, I was lost in thought. Choosing to become friends with benefits with Adrian was probably the most rebellious thing I’d ever done. I’ve always been someone who keeps my work and personal life strictly separate. Adrian only knew me in one context. He knew nothing else about my life. That’s why I could always relax with him. But now he was my boss. Could I ever be as uninhibited with him as I was before? What if our colleagues found out? I hated the unknown. Before getting out of the car, I mustered my courage and looked at him. “Mr. Thorne, let’s end this. We don’t need to see each other on weekends anymore.” He looked confused. “Why? Just because I’m your boss now?” Of course, I couldn't say yes. I still had to work under him. “I just feel like it’s time to end this kind of relationship. It was never a long-term plan.” His expression darkened. I unbuckled my seatbelt and scrambled out of the car. To be honest, a part of me felt a pang of regret. I shook my head, forcing myself not to overthink it. It’s just my body, I told myself. It just misses his.
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