Chapter 1 ♡

Layla

I smoothed the hem of my skirt as he zipped up his pants. His fingers raked through his dark hair, and he drew up the blinds. I watched him intently while he was backing me. I guessed Ethan didn't know how domineering he was whenever we made love, but it was something I had known and lived with since our marriage two years ago. Not only that, but I wondered if other couples came off together because we never did.

He was less concerned about giving me an orgasm and always tends to satisfy his dick first as he pleases.

He walked over to where I was seated on his desk and pinned his arms on both sides of the table. He slowly kissed my lower lip, and then he nibbled on my earlobe.

"I'll see you at home." His soft breath tickled my ear.

"Don't you want to have lunch with me?" I questioned, staring into his formidable sepia eyes, tilting my head slightly at him, a warm smile creeping its way slowly on my lips.

"I need to sort out some things. You can have lunch without me." He said, moving away from me and going around his desk to seat in his swivel chair.

He pissed me off all the time that I craved to spend quality time with him, but if we were not having sex, he was kissing the life out of me. I wanted more than physical intimacy, but Ethan wouldn't understand. He always desired to satisfy his libido first.

"But you promised me lunch today, remember? We could order in..."

"Try to understand Layla, the position I hold in this company requires undiluted concern and, besides, you can have lunch with Chloe. She'd be more than happy to have you around." He cut me off before I could finish my sentence.

I got down from his desk and turned to him. Undiluted concern? He preferred sex during the lunch hour to having lunch with me, and he claimed it meant his attention was undiluted. I shouldn't be surprised.

"I'm leaving," I spoke, deciding to drop what was on my mind to say. It was of no use, no matter how hard I tried to make him feel affectionate towards me, and turned towards the exit.

"Have a nice day." His voice came after. I realized he wasn't the type to re-consider, and he won't.

He doesn't know how hurts me with his nonchalant attitude.

I was upset, but I was helpless. I knew I was going to see him at home after closing hour, but I was going to have my panties down, eventually. We wouldn't do anything together.

As I closed the door behind me, I remembered my father used to be in that same position Ethan now prided himself on. Time had changed!

I utterly missed my father, and it made me recollect the day he passed away.

He owed his life to an illness and death that took him away. A tear trickled down my cheek. I used to be the Princess who would hop into this same office and do as I liked. It was no longer the same.

My phone chimed.

It was a text from Mrs. Carter. I wiped my face immediately.

'Come to the penthouse right away.' That was what the text read.

I imagined what my stepmother could have for me this time. It couldn't be a blind date with a businessman she was targeting in the industry, she had married me off already.

It also couldn't be my signature on one of the company's documents, she and Ethan were in total control.

I doubted if I was even a latent partner. I couldn't guess the surprise she had for me.

My stomach grumbled, I was seriously hungry... I glared at Ethan's door, he was the cause of it all. He often withdrew his words to suit himself, and I didn't think it was fair enough.

Anyway, maybe Mrs. Carter might have lunch prepared at the penthouse.

The penthouse was right on top of the building and Mrs. Carter sometimes lounged there with her bevy of friends, entertained by several bottles of wine, food, and masseurs.

She was the kind of woman who knew what she wanted and always hit right on it.

She had been my guardian since I was seven, and she had trained me to be the woman I was.

Likewise, she was the most elegant and practical woman I ever knew.

My father had gotten engaged to her in Laos when he went on a business trip. As I had accompanied him, from what I could remember, I knew she had been hired to babysit me for a day or two. I never really knew where and when my father met her, although I had happened to come across some peculiar photos of her and her colleagues in waitresses' uniforms.

When I reached the room where she especially liked to stay, I knocked on the door.

"Come in." Her voice came from the other side. It was a sharp voice, one could never spot humor in it. However, once or twice I heard her laugh among her peers. Everyone knew she loved to have fun, despite the fierceness she evinced.

She was calmly seated on the velvet sofa that was mounted in the middle of the room, and a wine glass was dangling between her fingers.

"Your lipstick is smeared all over." Her eyes were fixed on me as arched an eyebrow at me.

She quietly watched as I took out my compact mirror from my purse quickly. I felt silly for not having fixed my make-up after I left Ethan's office. My face was usually distorted after his French kisses.

"So you both still do it in his office?" She sipped carefully. I took my seat, remembering the awkward moment when she had once walked in on us.

"Actually, Ethan is like that." I flushed.

She nodded.

"I am pleased to know you are being a wonderful wife to him." She said and I nodded.

'And he's being a dickhead as a husband to me,' I thought.

"Why have you called me here? Do you need me to do something for you?" I inquired, I wanted to know whatever scheme she had for me and I hoped I wouldn't be leaving the country forever this time.

"Georgina's daughter would like someone to go shopping with her and, as it is, no one else is available but you. Do you mind?" She gazed at me.

"No, I don't." Georgina was Mrs. Carter's best friend, who had a naughty ten-year-old daughter called Sofia. Many times, I have babysat her, and she was really difficult to handle, but I couldn't tell this to my stepmother, it was not something she'd like to hear. Not when she was having Sherry.

"All right, go on...lest I forget to call the laundromat, I need to speak with the manager." She mentioned. It was always like this and I had to do this and that.

She has her kids for crying out loud, why must I be the one to do everything?

"Sure, ma'am... I have a feeling a secretary would be more efficient at these things... and they would get paid and--" I paused in my speech, trying to see if she could get my message, but her sharp gaze was almost tearing my flesh and I shrank.

"I'm sorry." I quietly apologized and looked away.

She rose to her feet.

"You have been a good daughter since I became your guardian," she caressed my face.

"Are you backsliding on your duties, darling?" She raised my chin and forced me to look at her in the face.

"No ma'am. I just feel like a secretary will..." I tried to say.

"That's enough. Be nice and shop with Sofia, she's waiting." She said, finally, and excused herself while I cussed under my breath.

As I stepped out of the elevator, I saw Ethan talking to one of the employees. I tried waving at him but felt he didn't see me, so I tried to get his attention, but soon more employees gathered around him, and I wasn't able to see him at all.

It was often like that. Ethan was suffocated with work and everything about the company, I even felt underutilized.

And as for my stepmother, she was usually uptight about duties and responsibilities. I was getting bored by it, but I was quite helpless.

Perhaps I would be relieved a little when I had kids of my own to look after. Talking of kids, I yearned for one, and I couldn't believe I was still without a child despite Ethan's efforts at a passionate sex life.

Ethan and I lived in a luxurious house in LA. It had everything, but I still felt it was lacking in some ways.

~~~

It was a long day after shopping with a naughty girl like Sofia, I slumped on the sofa. I pray I don't have a stubborn kid like her in the future.

I didn't even bother to switch on the lights, apart from the one in the lobby. Likewise, I shut my eyes and I didn't know when I would doze off.

Moments later, however, I thought I felt someone hovering around me, I thought I was in a dream until I was startled by a slow, sensuous stroke across my upper thigh.

My eyes flung wide open.

The lights were still off, but I knew it was my husband who was with me. I knew his scent.

"Are you awake?" He asked softly.

"Yeah. What's the time?" I yawned and sat upright. Ethan gave his hands a clap and the lights came on.

"9:15," he responded.

"When did you come home? You just disappeared after lunch."

"You mean after 'lunch'?"

He chuckled.

"It's okay, laugh as much as you want. I'll be in the room." I stood up to leave, but he grasped my wrist.

"Are you going to shower?"

"Yeah?"

I knew what he was driving at.

"Let's shower together." He gave his dash and slammed his lips on mine.