Harper
Shitshow.
Colloquially used to express a situation marked with chaos and controversy. And honestly? I couldn’t think of a betterfuckingword right now.
I have made many poor decisions in my life. So much so, that Harper somehow became a synonym for ‘seriously?’, within my family with the way they would drag out my name through their exasperated sighs.
But this?
Oh yeah. This will create a whole new level of “Harper.”
And yet, here I was, answering his text once again. Giving him power over me.
Giving him control, not because I needed to—I didn’t—but because Iwantedto. Because there’s a part of myself that only he was able to draw out, the way he could work me as if it were as easy as breathing.
I swallowed as I walked towards the heavy panting that sounded almost painful, my heels clicking on the marble stone of the hallway floor.
My boss, Ambrose, a demon who founded the very company I have always dreamed of working at, sat in front of me, shirtlesswith every inch of sculpted gray chest on display. Writhing in the large plush chair, he bared his fangs, as a sickly-sweet scent filled the open living room. His blindfold had been tied in a tight knot behind his head, his muscles coiling as he fought against the iron cuffs that kept his hands behind his back.
“I know you are there,” he bit out past the growl that was rumbling through his sweat-beaded throat. “I can smell your desire, Flower.”
Sneaking up beside him, my fingers dancing along his shoulder. The tips of my nails traced up his neck, coaxing a shiver from his body before raking under his chin, tilting his head up to meet me.
My heart thundered in my chest as the smell of his mating pheromones drew out my own desires. They were stronger than usual, thick and heavy in the air, perfuming off every inch of his body.
He doesn’t even realize how difficult it is to be around him when this happens.
Demon pheromones were something I learned about in college. They taught us about all of the different classes of demons and what their characteristics were, and bargaining demons were the best at drawing out desires, using their pheromones to relax whoever it was they made a deal with.
But, there were laws in place to ensure that monsters and demons did not use their secondary characteristics or abilities to coax humans into things they otherwise wouldn’t do. Some cities even going as far as to have muzzles and collars for any demon or monster who was caught breaking these rules, signaling to everyone that they would bite.
What we never learned, however, was what happened when their pheromones were defective—something they could not control.
If I reported that his were this bad to the authorities, would he get into trouble?
“Still not speaking,Flower?”
His voice caressed my ears, sending a shiver down my spine, pulling me out of my thoughts as I swallowed passed the dryness in my throat.
This was not our first session, but it was the first time his pheromones had ever been this out of control. This suffocating.
My heart raced as I breathed in his sweet scent.
I knew why he was like this. I knew it was my fault.
What would he do if he found out?
How would he react if he knew it wasme?
And why did I want to hear him callmyname?
Harper
TWO MONTHS AGO
“Psychopath! You’re a complete psychopath!” my now ex-fiancé screamed as he paced the inside of our condo. “Do you know how much that ring cost?”
I arched an eyebrow, my lips curling in a mock smile. “Yeah, well, maybe you should’ve thought about that before you decided toscrewyourassistant! By now, the ring is probably buried knee deep in the river! Besides, you didn’t seem to care how much things cost when you went on yourbusiness trips,” I threw air quotes around ‘business trips,’ making sure he got the full effect. “You gonna marry her now? I bet your family willlovethat. She’ll fit right in at the kids’ table. Maybe she can share some stories about her prom night while they pass the mashed potatoes.”
