Corrupted Chaos (Tarnished Empire)(55)

“Oh! Thank you.” I hopped up to grab it and search for the sugar.

“Already added the sugar, Izzy. I bet it’ll taste as good as Rodney’s.”

So, he’d been listening to everything I said the night before. I took a sip and let him have this one. “Tastes even better.”

He couldn’t hide the way the corners of his mouth lifted a bit as I sat back down. Then, he sent me a file to work on, and we typed away for the next hour in silence. At some point, my back started to hurt from sitting on the wooden bench, so I grabbed my laptop to go work in bed.

First, I changed into some jean shorts and a blouse for team building later. I wasn’t sure if they’d have me talk about JUNIPER, and I wanted to appear semi-professional.

After a minute or two of diving into more emails, I got a message on my computer screen.

Cade: Why did you leave the table?

Me: I had to change, and it’s more comfortable in bed.

Cade: You’re going to fall asleep instead of work.

Me: I’m not. I work in bed sometimes. I feel like it gives me a different perspective.

Cade: Seems like a dangerous place to be.

Me: Why?

Cade: Because it only takes a second for your cabin partner to slide between your legs or for your hand to wander where it shouldn’t.

Me: Don’t start. We have work to do.

Cade: I stopped working the moment you told me you were in our bed.

Me: Technically, one half of the bed is yours. The other half is mine. It’s very clear from the spray-painted line.

Cade: Line seems a bit blurry to me.

Me: Leave me alone.

Cade: Why did you change?

Me: Because we have a team-building event in ONE hour.

Cade: What are you wearing?

Me: Just a blouse and shorts.

Cade: Can your hand slip into those shorts easily?

Cade: If it can, be sure to let me know how wet that pussy is for me.





Sexting and digital play was something I thought would never turn me on but having Cade message me from the other room had me pretty much soaked. Especially when I pictured him sitting at that table with those strong fingers typing away, black ink under his rolled-up sleeves, and the veins protruding from his forearms.

I pressed the ignore button on my messenger app and tried to stay on task. But I couldn’t help myself once he’d put the idea there. My hand roved over my jean shorts, and I pushed the seam of the fabric back and forth between my legs.

He caught me like that, my eyes closed and a soft gasp escaping my lips. I jumped, and my laptop almost went flying. Cade had padded quietly down the hallway and leaned on the doorframe with those fucking glasses. “No need to stay quiet, Izzy. I like the sound you make when your pussy is being played with.”

“Jesus, I was not doing that!” When I chanced a look at him, he was smiling at me like we were breaking all the rules and he was going to bask in every second of it.

“Did you check your daily tasks yet?”

I chewed on my cheek and went to the daily tasks. There were a few left—one of which was to call Stonewood Enterprises and update the owner on our progress, and the last was what he wanted me to see.

Task: Unbutton your shorts.





“Hand in the shorts is going to feel better anyway, right?” He lifted a brow, not letting go of the fact that he’d caught me in the act.

“Unfortunately, I have to call the freaking owner of Stonewood Enterprises to tell him we are minutes away from finishing up JUNIPER for testing with the team. So I guess I won’t be doing that.”

“Izzy, the call can wait. Your orgasm can’t. Play with yourself for me,” he commanded, the last words low, an unspoken threat.

I waited, like I was going to defy him. I wanted to know my punishment.

“You wait another minute, and I’ll corrupt your whole computer, dollface. Then you won’t be able to work at all.”

Shit, he was good. It was the only thing I didn’t want. I would have taken him smacking my ass or getting his belt. It meant he wanted this; he was practically begging for it by actually threatening me with something.

That had my heart galloping with the rush of pleasing him, of seeing his desire for me, of him at my mercy.

Taking my time, I closed my laptop and set it aside. “Fine. You want this so bad, Mr. Armanelli. Let’s give you what you came for. Tell me what you want.”

He didn’t even hesitate. “Unbutton your shorts and push them down.”

I slowly pulled the button open on my shorts but stopped there. I wasn’t about to give him all of me by discarding my clothing simply because he asked. “This will have to do, Cade,” I snarked, and then I shoved my hand into my panties and moaned, feeling the nerves on my clit singing from receiving attention so quickly. This was me. I wanted it fast, raw, and with my clothes still on, like I could get it anywhere just thinking about it. He’d see how fast I could barrel into an emotion, into an orgasm, how fast I could be consumed. My eyes rolled back as I rolled my hips, but Cade didn’t let me get lost that quickly.

“Open your eyes, Izzy. And slow down.”

My eyes shot open, but I didn’t slow down. I went faster, my breath, my heartbeat, the heat rising on my body. “I’m taking it how I want it, Cade.”

I worked my clit, rolling it between my fingertips, and I watched as he fisted his hands at his sides, as his neck tensed, as he licked his lips. He was holding back, not coming to me, leaving me to chase the orgasm on my own. I loved how he stared at me with desire, how he wore those glasses still—like he was researching me, analyzing me, decoding me.