Page 1 of Sensual Games

1

LUCIAN

Aone-night stand had come back to haunt me.

Of all days.

Here I was, on the verge of taking my so-called rightful position in my family’s media empire, and a woman, who I would’ve been glad to see again under other circumstances, happened to be someone with her sights on my job.

While I wasn’t exactly thrilled over the idea of taking a leadership position in the family company, I didn’t want to fuck things up on the first day my entire team assembled, either. It was bad enough I had to deal with being my father’s only child. “The Diamond name is a legacy. It is your responsibility to carry the family name.”

Lucky me.

Granted, it was a good name, a respected one. I could’ve done a lot worse.

Today was supposed to be the first step in proving to the great Connor Diamond I had what it took to carry on in his footsteps one day. Most men his age would have been interested in retiring, at least partly, but he was as hands-on as ever and had led the way during the acquisition of a failing media company. One of those old, barely limping behemoths left behind in the wake of social media, digital imprints, and lessening subscriptions as more and more information became easily accessible online. They weren’t willing to pivot or weren’t able to. Either way, the result was the same, leading us to this moment. It was hardly the first time Dad had absorbed another company into ours, extending its reach, extending his influence and power.

But it was the first time I played a part, so naturally, a one-night stand had to show herself at this pivotal moment in my so-called career.

Not only a one-night stand. That alone, I could have handled. It was the fact we’d be working together. That was Dad’s code forI don’t want you fucking things up on your own. For twenty-five years, he had looked over my shoulder, always waiting for me to make a wrong move and tarnish his precious reputation. The stakes were higher now, with me sitting at the helm of the company’s digital division. Not that I had the first clue what it meant to run a division or be the vice president of anything, which he knew damn well. I still couldn’t understand why he had named me for the position with no experience to my name beyond a few summers interning with the company and nothing much else in between.

As far as he was concerned, all I needed was somebody to watch over me and make sure I didn’t blow up anything. No one had to say it out loud. I knew the way the man’s mind worked.

I should have known this was all too good to be true. I hadn’t asked for the job, and I didn’t want it. That didn’t mean my pride could handle a babysitter.

Especially not a babysitter I had fucked for hours until we were both drenched in sweat and exhausted to the point of passing out in a tangle of arms and legs on a half-striped bed. We hadn’t exactly been careful to keep the room in one piece. It was the kind of night I wouldn’t forget anytime soon.

Did that mean I had to remember every damn time I came to work? Talk about a productivity killer. At the moment, she was looking at me from the corner of her eye, seated at the end of the first row of chairs assembled in our conference room for this welcome meeting. Dad sat to my left, and somehow, he managed to make it look like he was paying attention to the orientation video playing on the screen in front of us. I had watched it a few times during its development and knew we were coming to the end, meaning it would soon be time for me to deliver my prepared address.

My attention shifted to my right, and her head snapped around until she was facing forward. Good thing she chose this profession instead of acting, considering she was shit at acting like my gaze didn’t shake her up. She had recognized me right away, though who could blame her after I’d given her an unforgettable night?

“Right here.” I swept the dresser free of cologne and the other toiletries I’d left out while getting ready for the wedding. Bottles and tubes hit the floor while I lifted her and placed her on the surface, tearing off my tie and jacket as she worked my shirt buttons. She looked up at me, and the animal hunger blazing behind her gray eyes left me claiming her mouth, thrusting my tongue inside while I stripped off everything to feel more of her touch.

I was no stranger to getting caught up in lust after finding somebody I clicked with, but this? This was downright baffling. Not that I wanted to think about it at the moment, especially with most of the blood in my brain having traveled south to harden my cock.

She leaned against me while opening my shirt, her mouth trailing across my chest and turning my blood to fire. I reached behind her to slide the zipper of her dress down to her waist. The creamy tits I’d admired for hours while we flirted during the reception were barely encased in lace, the material soft under my palms when I fondled her, burying my face between them, growling as I tasted and plundered.

“Oh, yes, please…” Her sweet, helpless whimpers were music to my ears— what man alive didn’t want to hear a woman like her falling apart because of them? Satisfaction swelled in me, demanded more. More touch, more taste, more everything.

Dad’s elbow to my side startled me out of my memory. The presentation was over, and somebody had flipped on the lights. It was my turn to get up and do a little dance for my father’s approval.

Thankfully, there was a podium to stand behind and a folder full of notes I could hold in front of me to hide the semi that started to grow, thanks to poor timing. What was I supposed to do? I’d been completely blindsided by the memories.

I wasn’t asking for this. I didn’t want her here, now.

The entire point of a one-night stand was for it to lastonenight.

“Good morning.” I offered a brief smile I hoped would cover up any awkwardness I was fighting to contain. Was it enough? My father peered up at me, wearing the sort of expression he saved for private, one-on-one moments.Do not fuck this up. Do not make me regret giving you this chance.He may as well have been holding up a sign with those words printed across the front, along with a few other unflattering additions. Yet, to an outsider, he was a respected businessman and philanthropist who had done a lot of good with his power and influence.

Determination injected energy into my voice. “As you heard in the presentation, which just wrapped up, we do take the concept of family seriously here.” Pitiful, corporate bullshit.Family.No matter how many times I told Dad to stop harping on the concept, trying to help him understand people didn’t buy that pandering bullshit anymore, he refused to listen. It was one of the only areas where he had insisted on getting his way during my speech.

“We understand there might be growing pains. We are here for you, day or night, and hope you will feel comfortable sharing any concerns with us. We respect the corporate culture you left and don’t expect a simple, overnight transition. These things take time, and I know you’ll find everyone here is reasonable, understanding, and more than willing to work together for the greater good. The way any family does.”

God, I wanted to gag. Why not have me up here in a pair of tap shoes while we were at it so I could add a little entertainment? I caught more than a few people rolling their eyes as I droned on, and I couldn’t blame them. It wasn’t their fault they were able to see through this ridiculous farce.

That almost platinum hair kept catching the light overhead, drawing my attention time and again. She sat upright, hands folded in her lap, her eyes trained squarely on me.“So big… so good…”I ground my molars, tearing my gaze from her when Dad softly cleared his throat. Whether he did it because he noticed me losing track of my thoughts or not, I had no idea.

“After final remarks offered by our CEO, you will be directed to your new workstations throughout the building, on your division’s respective floors,” I continued, deliberately looking anywhere but at her. Did she know who I was at the wedding? Was she on to me all the time? Was our night together her way of scoring points? Fucking me in hopes of getting a head start on the new job?

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