I woke up to sunlight streaming through unfamiliar windows and the realization that I was alone. I sat up, disoriented, my body pleasantly sore in places I'd forgotten could feel good. The bed beside me was empty, the sheets cool. A note sat on the pillow.
Had an early meeting. Stay as long as you want. Coffee's in the kitchen.
O
P.S. You snore. It's adorable.
I do not snore. I grabbed the note and was about to crumple it when I noticed something else—a small black box on the nightstand. I picked it up, heart racing. Inside was a phone. Sleek, expensive, definitely not the prepaid burner I'd been using. Another note was tucked under it.
Encrypted. Untraceable. Only I have the number. Keep it on you.
I stared at the phone, something warm and unsettling spreading through my chest. This wasn't just about sex. This wasn't just a transaction. Olek Sidorov was actually trying to keep me safe. And that was enlightening. A man who kept his word.
Katrina
Imade it back to my room without running into anyone, which felt like a minor miracle. The staff wing was busy with the morning routines—showers running, coffee brewing, the low hum of conversation. Normal. Like I hadn't just spent the night in my boss's bed having the best orgasms of my life. I locked my door and leaned against it, the new phone heavy in my hand.
‘Only I have the number.’
I should throw it away. Should maintain boundaries. Should remember that this was just an arrangement with an expiration date. Instead, I plugged it in to charge and got in the shower. The hot water felt amazing on my sore muscles. I hadn't realized how tense I'd been carrying myself until Olek made me unravel. Now I felt loose, liquid, like I might melt right down the drain.
I washed my hair, shaved my legs—something I hadn't bothered with in months—and took my time with the lotion after. Vanilla scented, because apparently I was already thinkingabout the next time his mouth would be on my skin. Jesus. One night and I was already a mess. The new phone buzzed while I was getting dressed.
Unknown number
Sleep well?
My heart kicked. I saved the number as "O" and texted back.
O
Better without your elbow in my ribs.
You sprawled across 75% of the bed. I had six inches of mattress.
Should've gotten a bigger bed.
Should've kept you pinned under me.
Heat flooded my face, and a thumping sensation began in my mound that made me squeeze my thighs together.
Don't you have work to do?
Ignoring Mikhail while I think about how you taste. Much more interesting.
I sat down hard on my bed.
Stop saying things like that.
Why? It's true. Already planning what I'm going to do to you tonight.
Confident.
Hungry. Wear the black dress again. I didn't get to take it off properly.
Before I could respond, another text came through.
And Katrina? No underwear.
