Chapter 22 Orchid
TWENTY-TWO
ORCHID
Fucking neighbors. I remember now why I never wanted to live in suburbia. It’s not that I hate people… okay, maybe a little… but it’s more like I want my privacy. Maybe Poe is right. There’s something off about them.
Poe’s still in the kitchen, sipping his coffee like nothing’s wrong. He looks calm, almost relaxed, but I can see the tension in his shoulders. He knows something is off too.
I turn to him, voice low. “We’re not going over there. You need to finish the hack today. Serafina is expecting results, and I’m not letting those two distract us any longer.”
He nods, setting his mug down. “Yeah. I know. I’ll get back on it.”
But neither of us moves right away. The silence stretches between us, heavy with everything that happened last night and everything we’re not saying.
I can still feel the ghost of his hands on my skin, the way he obeyed every command I gave him, the filthy praise that fell from his lips while I rode him.
My body warms at the memory, but I push it down hard.
We cannot afford to get distracted. Not today.
I head upstairs to my room, needing space to think.
The moment the door closes behind me, I pull out the encrypted phone and dial Marlo.
The line rings. Once. Twice. Three times.
No answer. I hang up and try again, pacing the small space between the bed and the window.
Still nothing. Frustration coils in my chest. Marlo always answers. Always. Like fucking always.
I try one more time, pressing the phone harder to my ear as if that will make her pick up. The party noise outside grows louder, someone shouting about another round of shots, kids screaming with laughter. It grates on my nerves. I disconnect the call.
The other phone rings in my hand before I can do anything else. Serafina. I answer on the second ring, keeping my voice steady and professional. “Yes?”
“Orchid.” Serafina’s tone is smooth, almost too smooth, like honey poured over broken glass. “How’s our little project progressing?”
“The hack is moving forward,” I reply, walking to the window and looking down at the backyard. Poe is visible through the office window, hunched over the monitors. “He’s working on it now. We should have usable data within the next twenty-four hours.”
“Good. Very good.” She pauses. The silence stretches just long enough to make the hairs on the back of my neck prickle. “And how is our guest behaving? No unexpected complications? No… distractions?”
My pulse kicks up. “No complications. The neighbors have been persistent, but we’re handling it. Playing the part as instructed.”
Another pause. When she speaks again her voice drops, low and intimate, almost affectionate in a way that feels wrong. “I’m always watching, Orchid. Remember that. Everything. Everyone. I see it all.”
The tiny hairs on the back of my neck stand straight up.
The way she says it, the slight emphasis on “always,” sends a cold shiver racing down my spine.
Does she suspect something? Has she seen the way Poe looks at me?
The way I look at him? Or is this just her usual power play, the constant reminder that she owns every corner of this operation, every breath I take?
I’ve double checked the house for cameras, so I know she can’t technically watch everything. But still.
“I understand,” I say, forcing my voice to stay even. “We won’t disappoint you.”
“See that you don’t.” The line clicks dead.
I lower the phone slowly, heart hammering against my ribs.
The party noise outside suddenly feels too loud, too close, like it’s pressing in on the house from all sides.
I stand there staring at the blank screen, trying to shake the feeling that Serafina’s eyes are on me right now, watching from some hidden camera I haven’t found yet, cataloging every glance, every touch, every moment I let my guard slip.
A soft knock sounds on my door.
I turn as Poe steps inside, still shirtless, sweatpants riding low on his hips. He looks concerned, eyes scanning my face like he can read the tension rolling off me in waves.
“You okay?” he asks quietly, closing the door behind him. “I heard you on the phone. Sounded tense.”
I should tell him to go back downstairs. I should keep my distance, rebuild the walls I let crumble last night. Instead I cross the room, close the distance between us, and lock the door with a soft click.
If Serafina is always watching, then let her watch this.
I step right up to him until our bodies are nearly touching. “Take off your pants,” I tell him, voice low and commanding.
Poe’s eyes darken instantly, pupils blowing wide with heat.
He hooks his thumbs in the waistband and shoves the sweatpants down his legs, kicking them aside.
He’s already half-hard, cock thickening under my gaze.
I let myself look, slow and deliberate, enjoying the way his abs tighten and his breathing quickens.
“On the bed,” I say. “Lie back. Hands above your head. Don’t move them until I say so.”
He obeys without hesitation, stretching out on the mattress, arms raised, gripping the headboard.
The position makes every muscle in his torso stand out, the lines of his abs and the sharp cut of his hips on full display.
His cock is fully hard now, resting heavy against his stomach, the tip already glistening.
I peel off my tank top and leggings, standing completely naked in front of him. His gaze rakes over me, hungry and open, but he keeps his hands exactly where I told him.
“You’re so fucking beautiful,” he murmurs, voice rough. “I could look at you all day.”
I climb onto the bed and straddle his thighs, my bare pussy brushing against his skin. He groans low in his throat but stays perfectly still.
“You don’t get to touch until I say so,” I tell him, leaning down to brush my lips against his ear. “You’re going to be my good boy today. You’re going to let me use you however I want. Understand?”
“Yes, ma’am,” he breathes, already sounding wrecked.
I kiss him hard, claiming his mouth, tongue sliding against his in a filthy, demanding kiss. He kisses me back with equal hunger, but he keeps his hands locked on the headboard, obeying without being told. I reward him by nipping his bottom lip before pulling away.
“Keep those hands right there,” I order, then trail my mouth down his neck, sucking a mark just below his collarbone. I move lower, licking across his chest and abs, nipping at his hipbone until I reach his cock.
I wrap my hand around the base and stroke him slowly, watching his abs tense. “Look at you,” I murmur. “Already leaking for me. So eager. Such a good boy.”
He groans, hips twitching up into my fist. “Fuck, Orchid. Your hand feels so good. Please, I need more.”
I squeeze a little tighter, stroking faster. “You’ll get what I give you. And right now I want to taste you.”
I take him into my mouth in one smooth motion, swallowing him deep. Poe’s head falls back, a low, filthy moan escaping him.
“Shit, baby, your mouth is so hot. So wet. You look so pretty with my cock between your lips.”
I pull off with a wet pop and glare up at him. “I said quiet.”
He swallows hard, eyes blazing. “Sorry, ma’am.”
I take him deep again, working him with my tongue and hand, taking him deeper until he hits the back of my throat. His thighs tremble beneath me. I pull off completely and crawl back up his body.
I straddle his hips, lining him up with my entrance. “You’re going to stay still while I fuck you. You don’t move until I tell you to. Got it?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
I sink down onto him slowly, taking every thick inch until he’s buried to the hilt. We both moan at the same time. He stretches me perfectly, filling me so deep I feel it in my chest.
“God, you feel incredible,” I breathe, rolling my hips in a slow grind. “So big and hard inside me. I love how you fill me up.”
Poe’s eyes are locked on where we’re joined, watching himself disappear inside me. “Fuck, Orchid. You’re so tight. So wet. Ride me, baby. Use my cock. Take what you need.”
I brace my hands on his chest and start moving faster, bouncing on him, grinding down hard on every stroke. My breasts bounce with the rhythm and Poe’s gaze is glued to them, dark and desperate.
“Touch them,” I command. “Squeeze them while I fuck you.”
His hands fly down, cupping my breasts, thumbs brushing my nipples in tight circles. The added sensation pushes me closer to the edge.
“I’m going to come,” I tell him, voice shaking. “You’re going to stay right there and let me use you until I do. Do not come yet.”
He nods frantically, jaw clenched. “I’ll be good. I’ll hold it for you. Come on my cock, Orchid. Let me feel you squeeze me when you fall apart.”
The orgasm crashes over me hard and fast. I cry out, grinding down deep as my walls clamp around him, pulsing again and again. Poe groans loud, hands tightening on my breasts, but he holds back like I told him to.
When I finally stop shaking I lean down and kiss him, slow and deep. “Good boy,” I whisper against his mouth. “Such a good boy for me.”
I sit up and start moving again, slower this time, drawing it out. Poe’s hands slide to my hips, gripping but not directing, still letting me lead.
“Tell me how it feels,” I order.
“So fucking good,” he rasps. “Your pussy is milking me. So hot and tight. I’m so close, baby. Please let me come inside you. I need to fill you up.”
The orgasm is still rippling through me when I lean forward, brushing my lips against his ear. My voice comes out low, commanding, and a little breathless. “Not yet. You come when I say. Right now you’re going to obey me.”
Poe’s eyes flash with heat.
“I want you to take me from behind. Doggy style. Now,” I whisper.