Novels by Jackie Roux

Chapter 8: SuspicionPOV: Alex I walked into the house just after midnight with Elena's scent still on my skin. The confessions we had shared in her office sat heavy in my chest. I had told her the truth about Sophia and she had given me back something I thought was gone. The living room light was on. Sophia sat on the couch in a thin robe, hair messy, eyes red from crying or lack of sleep or both."You came back," she said.I set my keys on the table. "I live here."She stood up and came straight at me. Her hands went to my shirt before I could step away. She pulled it open and stared at the fresh marks on my chest."More of them," she said. "Every night now. You do not even try to hide it anymore."I buttoned the shirt back up. "I am not hiding anything."She laughed once, sharp and broken. "Who is she, Alex? Really? You said someone from before me. But this is not some old flame. This is every day. Every single night you come home like this."I walked to the kitchen for water. She

Chapter 7: ConfessionsPOV: AlexI stepped off the elevator into the dark floor. Only Elena’s corner office had the lights on. I walked straight there and pushed the door open. She stood by the window with a glass in her hand, city lights spread out behind her like a backdrop she owned.“Lock it,” she said.I turned the bolt. She set the glass down and crossed the room in three steps. Her hands were on my belt before I could speak. She shoved my jacket off my shoulders and pulled my shirt over my head. I grabbed her hips and walked her backward until her back hit the desk.We did not waste time. She hiked her skirt up and I pushed inside her right there on the edge. She wrapped her legs around me and dug her nails into my back. Every thrust made the desk creak. She bit my shoulder to keep quiet and I kept going harder. Her breath came fast against my neck.“Tell me you need this,” she said between moans.“I need this.”She came first, clenching around me, and I followed right after. W

Chapter 6: TouchesPOV: Alex I pushed Elena back against the wall inside her apartment and kissed her like I had been waiting all day for it. She laughed low against my mouth and yanked my shirt open. Buttons hit the floor. Her robe fell away and I ran my hands over her bare skin. She grabbed my belt and pulled me toward the bedroom without a word.We did not make it to the bed. She turned and bent over the dresser, looking back at me with that same boss look she gave me in the office. “Now, Alex.”I took her hard from behind. Her hands gripped the wood and she moaned every time I drove in. No talking. Just the sound of our bodies and her telling me deeper. I reached around and touched her until she came first, shaking against me. Then I let go and finished inside her. We stayed like that for a minute, breathing hard.She straightened up and turned around. “Rule eleven. You sleep here when I say so.”I nodded and pulled my pants back on. “Yes, Ms. Voss.”She smiled and kissed me once

Chapter 5: OfficePOV: AlexI arrived at the office early the next morning like Elena ordered. The floor was still quiet, most desks empty. I set my bag down at my new workstation and checked the watch she gave me. Seven fifteen. My phone showed no new messages from Sophia. She had not texted or called since I left last night. Part of me wondered if she had finally given up. Another part did not care.Elena’s office door stood open. I walked over and knocked on the frame.She looked up from her laptop, hair pulled back, fresh suit on. “Come in and close the door.”I stepped inside and shut it behind me. She pointed to the chair in front of her desk.“Sit. We have work to do before the team arrives.”I sat. She slid a thick folder across the desk.“This is the Harrison account. You will lead the analysis. Full report due in three days. I want projections, risk assessment, everything. And I want it perfect.”I opened the folder and scanned the first page. The numbers looked solid but co

Chapter 4: RulesPOV: Alex I spent the rest of the day trying to focus on the onboarding paperwork and team introductions, but my mind kept drifting back to Elena at the head of that conference table. She had looked every bit the boss, cool and in charge, while I sat there with her marks still burning under my shirt. By five o'clock my nerves felt stretched tight.I waited until the floor cleared out a little before I walked to her corner office. The door stood slightly open. I knocked once and stepped inside.Elena sat behind a wide desk, jacket off, sleeves rolled up. She looked up from her screen and leaned back in her chair."Close the door, Alex."I did. The click sounded loud in the quiet room. She pointed to the chair across from her."Sit."I sat. The air felt thick between us. She studied me for a moment, eyes moving over my face, then lower to where my collar hid the hickey."You made it through your first day without falling apart," she said. "Impressive.""I kept my head

Chapter 3: MarksPOV: AlexI woke up in the hotel bed with the sheets tangled around my legs. Sunlight cut through the half-open curtains and landed on Elena’s side of the bed. Empty. She had slipped out sometime before dawn, just like the first night. Only the faint smell of her perfume and the ache in my muscles told me it had been real.I sat up and ran a hand over my chest. Fresh scratches joined the old ones. A dark hickey sat right below my collarbone. Another one on the inside of my thigh. Proof that last night had happened. We had barely made it past the door before she pushed me against the wall and dropped to her knees. After that it was a blur of skin, sweat, and her voice saying my name like she owned it.I dressed slowly, checking my phone. Two missed calls from Sophia and a text that read, “Come home. We need to talk.” I deleted it without answering.When I walked through the front door the house smelled like fresh coffee. Sophia stood in the kitchen wearing one of my ol