Chapter 5
COOPER
“Well, I think you’d be a fantastic fit for Nexlytic, Cooper. Not to mention, I’d love working with you. And you’ll love the workspace.” Genevieve closes her laptop, flashing me a bright smile.
“Thanks, Genevieve. I truly appreciate the offer. Would it be alright if I take a few days to think it over? Talk to Brad?”
“Of course! Take your time.” She leans back in her chair. “Would you like a tour of Elemental before you go?”
“Oh, I’d love one!” I say, standing up from the booth near the café, which is connected to a cozy coffee shop.
We begin walking toward the elevator. “So… floors two through eight are all office space,” Genevieve explains. “Each floor has a slightly different design element. Some are dedicated to meeting and conference rooms, while others have private offices and more common areas. Floors six through eight are full-floor offices. We’re on the sixth floor, which Nexlytic shares with its parent company, VantageSphere.”
We step off the elevator onto the sixth floor and into a sleek, open common area. “This is super cool,” I say, looking around.
“I know, right? It’s a really fun concept,” Genevieve says as we walk into the common space. “We call this the lounge.” She moves through the middle, and I follow. “Everything to the left is VantageSphere—private offices and meeting rooms.” The walls are mostly glass, giving the entire space an open, expansive feel.
We turn down a hallway. “My office is the first one on the right.” She gestures toward it with a quick wave. “And this larger corner office belongs to our Vice President. Let’s see if he’s around—I’d love for you to meet him.”
We reach the corner office, but it’s empty. “Ah, shoot.” She glances at her watch. “He’s probably out grabbing lunch.”
Genevieve continues the tour, showing me the rest of the floor. Nexlytic occupies the right side of the common area, sharing the space with VantageSphere. Since VantageSphere is the larger company, they have the majority of the private offices, but both companies share the meeting and conference rooms, as well as the booths, open desk areas, and lounge.
“Each floor also has a fully stocked kitchen,” Genevieve adds as we pass one. “Free beverages, plus a fridge and microwave for everyone to use.”
“Now for the fun part,” Genevieve says as we walk toward the elevator.
We step inside, and she presses the button for the ninth floor. When the doors open, I’m greeted by a full-blown gym—not some cheap hotel fitness center, but a massive space with everything you could ever need.
“This floor has the gym, sauna, a meditation and wellness room, and even pickleball courts,” she explains.
“Are you serious? I love pickleball.”
Genevieve grins. “Yep, and anyone who works at Elemental has full access to all the facilities.”
“You’re convincing me to take this job with each passing minute,” I say.
She finishes showing me around the ninth floor and then takes me up to the tenth—the top floor.
“This floor houses our wet bar, and rooftop patio, as well as the cocktail lounge, which is open from 5:00 PM to 11:00 PM on weekdays, and stays open until 1:00 AM on the weekends,” Genevieve explains. “It can also be rented out for private parties and events. The owner of Elemental, Leo Weston, usually hosts holiday parties and regular events up here—anywhere from weekly to monthly—for the companies that rent space in the building. He’s really cool. And between you and me… he’s a total looker.” Her eyes go wide as she smiles, and I laugh.
“You’ll have a chance to meet him if you decide to take the job,” she adds with a playful grin. Then, she turns to me with mock seriousness. “Oh, and I forgot to mention, our VP is also very good-looking. But this is all hush-hush, okay? I wouldn’t be spilling workplace secrets if I didn’t know you. So let’s just pretend we didn’t talk about the hotties.”
I laugh again, shaking my head. “Got it. Your secret’s safe with me. Geez, you’re making it hard to say no. All these amenities and perks—plus, they come with a side of eye candy? Who wouldn’t want to work here?”
“I’m doing my best to convince you,” Genevieve says with a smile. “I know you’re engaged, but hey, no one said you couldn’t look.”
“True,” I say, grinning. “Are you still with Collin?”
“Yeah, we live together now. He actually works on the fourth floor at a software engineering company. After VantageSphere moved to this building about a year ago, Collin came to visit me at work and couldn’t believe how great it was. He pitched the idea to his boss, and five months later, when their lease was up, they moved here too.” She laughs. “I love teasing him about all the hot nerds I work with. He hates it.”
I could never joke about working with hot guys. Brad would get so jealous.
She laughs and leads me around to the other side, where there’s an entrance to a cocktail lounge roped off, called Viv’s Cocktail Lounge. “Leo’s girlfriend is Vivian,” Genevieve explains. “She’s really great—gorgeous too. You’ll get to know her. She’s pretty involved, and helps Leo out with the business.”
“Gosh, this all seems amazing,” I say. “I’ll talk to Brad about everything tonight and get back to you by Monday. Does that work?”
“Absolutely, Coop,” she says, smiling. “Like I said, you’d be a valuable asset to Nexlytic and the team.”
We ride the elevator down to the first floor, and Genevieve gives me a hug before I leave, filling me with an overwhelming sense of belonging. I want this so much, but the thought of talking to Brad about it makes me nauseous.
I just want him to be happy for me—it’s really not a lot to ask for.
On the walk home, I go over every scenario in my head, trying to figure out the best way to bring it up. I’ll for sure do it naked. Make him dinner, have sex, and then slip it into the conversation. That always works with him. Feed him, tell him he’s amazing, stroke his ego, please him in bed—then ask for what I want. Hell, it’s worked my whole life with men. I call it the P.O.P.—power of the pussy.
* * * * * ? * * * * *
“God, that was great!” I sigh, rolling my sweaty self next to Brad and resting my head on his chest, my leg wrapping around him, determined to keep him pinned here for a while longer. I trail my fingertips lightly across his pecs and down his abs.
Brad lets out a long exhale. “Yeah, it was. I love watching you suck my cock—the way I can push you deeper, and you take it like you’re made for me.”
His comment grates a little, but I’m used to it. I shove my irritation down. No point in derailing things now. I gave him really great head, then finished him off in reverse cowgirl. Now, it’s time to make my play.
“I’m glad you got home a little earlier tonight so we could spend some time together,” I say, splaying my hand flat on his chest. My fingers glide over the hard lines of his muscles. “Those gym hours are paying off.” I look up at him, flashing a playful smile. “You look real sexy… You need to come home early more often.”
He caresses my back with his fingers, his touch light and casual. “Thanks, baby. You know I always think you’re sexy. I’ll try harder to get home sooner more often… especially when you make it so damn worth it.”
We lay there in comfortable silence for a minute, his fingers tracing lazy patterns on my skin, while I try to gather the courage to bring up the job. The words are sitting on the tip of my tongue, but I hesitate. I know I can take the job, it’s not like he won’t let me. I’m just afraid he’ll suck the joy out of my excitement.
“How was that interview?” Brad asks suddenly, breaking the silence, catching me off guard.
I turn, propping myself up on my elbow. My long hair spills over my shoulders and gathers on the bed, my breasts peeking through. “It was so great.” I kiss him on the mouth, lingering for a moment before pulling away slowly. “She offered me the job, and it’s a really great offer. The workspace is amazing, and I’m really excited about it.” I can’t help grinning as wide as my cheeks will allow. “I want the job—it just feels right, you know?”
I kiss him again, this time softer, trying to gauge where his head is. I press gentle kisses along his cheek and neck, searching for any sign of how he’s feeling. My stomach knots. I hate that this has always been my go-to move to get what I want—it feels gross. “What do you think about that?” I ask, threading my fingers through his hair.
He grunts low and deep, his expression thoughtful. “Hmm. I think… it’s a good thing your tits are in my face because I don’t love the idea of it.” He pauses, a teasing smile tugs on his lip. “But… I can see that you’re happy about it, and I want you to be happy, so if that’s what you want to do, I support it.”
“Really?” I kiss him hard, excitement bubbling up inside me.
He chuckles. “Yes, really.”
“Ah! Thank you!” I grin, kissing him again. “I’d much rather take the job with your support than without it.”
“Right. Just please tell Mike right away, and promise you’ll stay until he finds a replacement. He values you a lot at the company.”
“I know. I will, I promise.” I’m completely elated. I straddle him, pressing my lips to his, playfully. His strong arms wrap around my back, pulling me closer. “You’re a smart man, Brad Sterling,” I whisper in his ear, teasingly. “You know exactly how to play your cards to get what you want in bed.”
He chuckles, his grip tightening around me. “And I’d say you played your hand just as well, Coop—getting what you want.”
I pull back, grinning at him, biting my bottom lip. Just when I’m ready to give up, Brad surprises me with a response like that. Maybe we’ll be okay for a while. But deep down, I can’t shake the feeling that his ‘support’ has strings attached—it always does.