Page 94 of Seal My Fate

People say that it’s ambition, or love, or rage that makes the world turn. That sends armies to wage war, and brings empires crashing into dust. But desire… Desire is a force greater than anything.

The craving deep inside that demands satisfaction—no matter what the cost. It doesn’t matter if you’re begging for surrender or aching for control. Dreaming of the hot slide of friction, lips parted in a desperate gasp of pleasure.

Desire will make a fool of you.

You feel it now, don’t you? Your heart beating faster, that shiver of lust curling down your spine. Your nipples tighten into stiff peaks, aching, as that tell-tale rush of heat spirals lower, slick between your thighs.

What will it take to satisfy you now?

A soft touch? A firm grip?

A hard, unyielding fuck?

Facedown in the bedsheets, sobbing with need. A fist in your hair, unfamiliar weight bearing down. You never thought you’d go this far, but still, desire will urge you on. Past reason. Beyond pride.

And it will never let you go.

Because desire is never truly satisfied. Even as you lay claim to everything you’ve wanted; even as the thick waves of pleasure ebb away, you feel it. Calling again.

Wanting more.

It’s how my family built its luxury jewelry empire. Under my control, Sterling Cross has made desire into an art form. Turned craving into a billion-dollar brand that spans the globe.

The glitter of jewels, tempting in the darkness. The cold press of platinum on hot, flushed skin.

I thought I was above the fray. I knew how to keep my needs in check: nameless women in dark rooms, pretty little things on my arm, as much an ornament as the exquisite jewels caressing their skin. Never getting close. Never once threatening my control. Always unravelling under my expert touch, until they begged for more.

I was the master of desire.

Untilher.

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CHAPTER ONE: JULIET

Do you ever wake up in the morning and feel like today, everything could change?

Maybe it’s wishful thinking, but the moment I open my eyes on Friday morning,somethingfeels different. The grey New York skies are gleaming a bright blue outside the windows, my alarm is playing my favorite song, and my roommate hasn’t made it home from her latest walk of shame, so there’s plenty of hot water still left in the shower. By the time I’ve dressed in my smartest pencil skirt and blouse, aka, the Interview outfit, and headed on the subway downtown, I’m just about ready to believe that fate—or the subway—is on my side this time.

And after the year I’ve had, I could use the break.

But today, I’m determined to change my luck. I even make it to Tribeca with twenty minutes to spare, so I duck into the nearest Starbucks for a pre-interview caffeine jolt. Taking my place in the line, I try to give myself a pep talk for the battle ahead. An assistant position at a luxury jewelry company like Sterling Cross isn’t like answering the phones at the local dry cleaner, so I’m going to need to polish up my experience as bright as the diamonds they sell. Sure, I’ve been stringing along basic admin jobs for the past few years, but that just means I’m good at multitasking. I’mscrappy.Resourceful.

Or dead broke and at the very end of my rope.

My phone buzzes with a call, and I wince when I see the number. Meadow View Residential Home doesn’t have a view of a meadow, but it’s the nicest facility I could afford.

I let it go to voicemail, then brace myself to listen to the latest ‘concerned’ message from the billing department.

“Miss Nichols? We’ve been trying to reach you. If you can call me back as soon as possible, we need to discuss your late payments that are past due.”

Payments. As in, more than one. My mom’s Alzheimer’s is advancing fast, and she needs round-the-clock care. Expensive care. The proceeds from selling our house lasted a couple of years, but now, I know the latest bills are piling up—and the facility won’t be patient for long.

Which is why I need this job… Not because an executive assistant salary can even come close to covering the cost. No, once I’m in the door, there’s a whole different payday on the table.

One that could solve all my problems.

Just thinking about the shady mess I’ve gotten into gives me butterflies in my stomach and shaking hands. Hmm… Maybe I should get decaf this time.

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