85
The boardroom might've been humming outside, but inside Ericka Mathews' office, the energy simmered like something volatile — something dangerous and waiting.
After that elevator ride, after the heat of Amanda's lips and the teasing dominance she'd taken with her — Ericka hadn't quite returned to neutral. She stood by her desk, fingers adjusting her cufflinks, pretending like her pulse wasn't racing.
Amanda hadn't said a word when they'd entered the office. Not at first.
But now she stood across the room, watching.
Calculating.
Her jacket was off — draped neatly over the arm of the leather chair — leaving her in that tailored satin blouse that caught the morning light just enough to make Ericka forget how to breathe. Her heels clicked against the hardwood as she moved around the desk, slow, deliberate.
Ericka turned as Amanda approached, only to find herself gently but firmly pressed backward, seated in her own leather desk chair. Amanda didn't ask. She just... placed her.
The air between them stretched tight.
"Pull up the proposal deck," Amanda said softly, voice low and dangerous. "I want to go over something before the board sees it."
Ericka blinked. "The final slide?"
Amanda nodded. "That one. Show me."
Ericka turned toward the laptop, pulling it up with a few quick clicks. But Amanda didn't move away.
She came around behind the chair, slowly leaned over Ericka, one hand braced on the armrest, the other resting gently on Ericka's shoulder. Her breath was warm against the side of Ericka's neck.
Ericka stilled, muscles coiled.
Amanda's fingers slid from her shoulder, down her collarbone, pausing there. Her lips hovered beside Ericka's ear.
"I like this version of you," Amanda murmured. "Focused. Nervous."
Ericka's breath hitched.
"Submissive."
The word sliced through the quiet like a blade wrapped in silk.
Amanda stood slowly, deliberately walking around the desk until she stood in front of her — between Ericka's parted knees. The tension was almost unbearable, like gravity itself was bending the room around them.
"I like when you let me lead," Amanda continued, her voice honeyed, laced with command. "I like when that sharp mouth of yours goes quiet."
Ericka's eyes flared, but she didn't interrupt.
Amanda leaned in, placing both hands on the arms of the chair, caging her in without touching her.
"I like knowing that the woman who runs this empire... listens to me. Craves me."
The breath between them grew shorter.
Ericka looked up at her, trying to hold her composure, trying not to give in too quickly. But Amanda could see it — the slip in control. The way her lips parted, the flicker in her pupils.
"Say something," Amanda murmured.
Ericka swallowed. "What do you want me to say?"
Amanda's smirk was wicked.
"Nothing. That's the part I like."
She leaned in then — closer — close enough for her lips to barely graze Ericka's. But she didn't kiss her yet. She let the moment stretch. Let the tension pull tighter like a taut thread ready to snap.
"You make the rules in the boardroom," Amanda whispered, her voice low and burning. "But in here? With me?"
She pressed her lips fully to Ericka's now — slow, deep, but controlled.
Her fingers curled lightly around Ericka's jaw, guiding the kiss, keeping the pace.
Ericka let her. She melted beneath her. The kiss turned greedy.
Amanda bit her bottom lip gently, tugging, before deepening it again — their breath hot, their bodies barely touching but still charged.
Ericka moaned softly into Amanda's mouth, hands clutching the edge of the desk now, desperate for something to ground her.
Amanda pulled back, brushing her thumb over Ericka's lips — now kissed pink and slightly swollen.
"Just like that," Amanda said, gaze flicking over Ericka's face. "You're perfect when you let go."
A knock came at the door.
Amanda stood tall again, smoothing her blouse like nothing had happened. "That'll be your 9:15."
Ericka's eyes were wild, lips parted, chest rising.
Amanda turned to the door, then paused. She looked back over her shoulder with a knowing smile.
"I'll walk you in," she added calmly. "Wouldn't want the board to forget who really runs this place."
And with that, she opened the door, stepping out into the hallway like the composed assistant everyone knew — cool, collected, devastating in a way no one else in that building could quite touch.
Ericka took a deep breath, wiped her lipstick with the back of her hand, and stood.
The meeting could wait one more minute.
She needed to recover from Amanda.
Department heads, legal, marketing leads, and creative liaisons were all filtering in, balancing coffee cups and notepads, murmuring greetings as they took their seats around the polished table.
Amanda was already inside—standing at the front of the room in a dark tailored suit, hands clasped behind her back, her tablet resting on the podium. Calm. Collected. Fully in command.
Ericka entered last.
She wore the same fitted slate-gray suit Amanda had helped her straighten earlier, but now it looked even sharper—like armor. Her gaze was laser-focused, her expression unreadable. No one in the room would've guessed she'd been breathless in an elevator just twenty minutes earlier.
Amanda glanced up briefly and locked eyes with her.
That was all it took.
A flicker of a smirk tugged at Amanda's lips—just enough for Ericka to catch.
"Let's begin," Amanda said, her voice crisp and controlled as she tapped the screen and brought up the morning's slide deck. "Today we're reviewing the capsule campaign rollout and discussing projected expansion for the Q4 fashion showcase."
As the presentation unfolded, Amanda commanded the room effortlessly—passing the mic between departments, answering technical questions, and pacing slowly between the rows like a conductor guiding an orchestra.
And through it all, Ericka watched her.
She leaned back in her chair, legs crossed, fingers steepled beneath her chin—but she wasn't just analyzing the data. She was studying Amanda. Every shift in tone, every assertive glance, every smooth transition that left the room trailing in her wake.
Midway through the meeting, a junior exec from creative dared to challenge a timeline slide Amanda had presented. Ericka opened her mouth to speak, but Amanda held up a hand—graceful, but firm.
"I've already adjusted for the manufacturing delays from the Milan distributor," Amanda said smoothly, tapping twice on her tablet. "If you look at slide fifteen, you'll see that I revised the target date based on the new delivery estimate. We're still ahead of schedule."
A few murmurs of impressed agreement followed.
Ericka couldn't stop the proud smirk that slipped through.
When Amanda turned to continue the presentation, her eyes met Ericka's briefly—just for a breath.
Ericka mouthed the words: You're dangerous.
Amanda blinked slowly. Then smirked.
You like when I'm in charge, her expression said.
By the time the final slide concluded and Amanda opened the floor to questions, the team was more energized than ever. Even the finance director, who rarely offered praise, gave a small nod and said, "This is probably the cleanest proposal we've had all year."
As the room began to clear and people shuffled out to prep for their next meetings, Amanda turned to Ericka, closing the laptop with a soft click.
"I told you I'd make today easy," Amanda said quietly.
Ericka rose from her chair, coming close enough that only Amanda could hear her.
"And yet," she murmured, eyes hooded, "I'm somehow still completely undone."
Amanda chuckled softly, brushing a speck of lint from Ericka's lapel. "Good. Let's keep it that way."
The buzz from the meeting still lingered as Ericka stepped back into her office, jaw tight with focus. She barely set her tablet down before she reached for the intercom button.
"Amanda," she said, her voice low and smooth. "Come to my office. And close the door behind you."
The line clicked off.
Thirty seconds later, Amanda stepped in—heels precise, posture perfect, every inch the capable assistant the board had just watched orchestrate an entire meeting like a maestro.
She shut the door softly. Click.
Ericka's eyes never left her.
"Lock it," she added.
Amanda's brow lifted, amused—but she obeyed. The subtle snick of the lock echoed across the room like a match being struck.
"Something else you needed, Miss Mathews?" Amanda asked, voice airy as she crossed the space between them.
Ericka didn't answer at first. She just stood slowly, the energy between them stretching taut.
"You're dangerous in that suit," Ericka said, her gaze dark as it traced Amanda's silhouette. "You knew exactly what you were doing this morning."
Amanda smiled, stepping even closer until the desk pressed against Ericka's thighs. "I did."
Ericka tilted her head, eyes sharp. "You've been testing me all day."
"Maybe," Amanda whispered, placing both hands on Ericka's desk and leaning in, crowding her space. "Maybe I like watching you unravel... just a little."
Ericka grabbed her by the waist, pulling her in so fast Amanda let out a soft gasp. But she didn't resist. She leaned forward, and their lips met in a kiss that was all heat and unsaid words. Ericka's hands ran down Amanda's back before one slid firmly beneath her jaw, tilting her head just right.
Not forceful—just intentional.
Amanda moaned against her mouth, melting into the kiss, her hands tangling in the lapels of Ericka's blazer.
Then Ericka deepened the kiss, her hand still under Amanda's chin, steadying her. The taste of control and surrender danced between them—Amanda gave in, but she never gave up the tension she knew Ericka craved. That back-and-forth, that undeniable push and pull.
When they finally pulled apart, Amanda's lipstick was slightly smudged, her eyes heavy-lidded and amused.
"You're getting bold, Miss Mathews," she murmured, breathless.
Ericka smirked. "You're the one who told me this morning you liked when I was submissive."
Amanda licked her lips slowly. "And I meant it. But right now... I think I like this version too."
Ericka leaned in once more, her voice like silk. "Then let me keep going."
Amanda grinned, stepping back just enough to adjust her blouse, catching her breath. "Five minutes. Then we're back to work."
Ericka's smirk didn't falter. "That's all I need."