Simone watched Alexandra’s walls rebuild while she gathered the portfolio then stood, keeping every movement unhurried. “I'll be in touch,“ she said, and left.
The hallway was dim as she walked to the elevator and rode it down. She crossed the empty lobby and pushed through the glass door to the street, then stopped. The rain was still coming down in sheets, and she stood under the building's overhang with the portfolio under her arm and the cold working its way through her coat.
She had been turned down before. She knew the feeling—or at least, shehadknown it, back when it still registered in a deep part of herself that still sought approval and external validation. This wasn't that.
She went back inside. The conference room on the third floor would be unlocked. Simone took the elevator back up, let herself in, and opened her laptop. The room was quiet, the lighting reduced to a single panel above the table, and Simone had three tabs open. She read the same analyst paragraph four times while her coffee went cold.
She had always known the difference between what she wanted and what a deal required, and she had never confused the two—not in Antwerp, not in Edinburgh, not in any of the cities she had been in before this one.
Twenty-nine years, and the line had always been clear, but somewhere in the last three weeks, she had stopped being able to find it.
That was the thing she kept circling back to. It wasn’t necessarily the rejection itself but the fact that she hadn't seen it coming. Simone, who read people for a living, had somehow failed to notice that Alexandra was never going to say yes.
Her anger sharpened into something with more definition. Every time she pulled her attention to the screen, it went straight back to Alexandra. The heat that had been sitting in her chest since two o'clock wasn't cooling. Eventually, Simone closed the laptop and slipped it in her bag.
She was going to make Alexandra look at her and explain it to her face, and some part of her, the part of her that had been coiled tight for the last forty minutes in this dim, quiet room, wanted something more than an explanation.
The elevator took her to the sixth floor, and the line of warm light was still visible under Alexandra's door. She stood in the hallway for a moment then knocked.
“Come in.“ Alexandra’s voice was muffled through the door, but she sounded distracted.
Simone turned the handle and let the door swing open. Alexandra’s blazer was off and her shirt sleeves were rolled to her elbows, the look of someone who had settled in for the afternoon. Her expression moved through several emotions before it steadied into something cautious.
“Simone.“ Alexandra's voice was even, a warning and a question at once.
Simone crossed the threshold and let the door click shut behind her. The sound hung in the air, resonant and final. Alexandra's office felt smaller now, the warm glow from thedesk lamp carving shadows across the leather books on the bookshelves and the polished wood of the desk. Rain pattered against the window, a steady rhythm that matched the pulse in Simone's veins. She didn't stop at the edge of the rug or pause by the guest chair. Her steps carried her straight across the room, her heels sinking into the thick weave, until she stood inches from Alexandra's chair.
Alexandra leaned back slightly in her chair, her elbows resting on the armrests and fingers steepled under her chin. Her eyes, sharp and assessing, tracked Simone's approach. There was no surprise there, just that infuriating steadiness, the same look she'd worn when she'd slid the proposal back across the desk hours earlier. The heat from that moment of rejection still simmered in her chest. It wasn’t directed at Alexandra—not entirely—but at the hollow space it had carved out inside her. She needed to fill it, to claw something back, to feel like herself again.
Without a word, Simone reached down and gripped the arms of Alexandra's chair, her knuckles whitening against the leather. She leaned in close, close enough to feel the warmth radiating from Alexandra's skin and to catch the faint trace of her perfume mixed with the dry, familiar scent of ink and paper. Alexandra's breath hitched, just once, but she didn't pull away. Her gaze held Simone's, unblinking, a silent acknowledgment of the storm building between them.
Simone's hand shot out, fingers tangling in the collar of Alexandra's shirt. She yanked her forward, hard enough to close the last sliver of distance between them. Their mouths crashed together with no gentleness. Simone's lips pressed against Alexandra's with bruising force, teeth grazing the soft flesh as she demanded entry. Alexandra yielded almost immediately, her mouth opening, her tongue meeting Simone's in a fierce tangle. Somewhere deep within Simone, she knew this was nothing likethe exploratory heat of their first time together, that raw stumble into each other, nor the calculated push and pull of the second. This was completely different. Simone’s anger was twisting into something urgent and more insistent.
She tasted salt and the faint bitterness of coffee on Alexandra's tongue. Her free hand slid up, cupping the back of Alexandra's neck, her nails digging in just enough to sting. Alexandra's pulse jumped under her thumb, a rapid thrum that betrayed the calm she projected. Simone pulled back for a breath, her eyes locking onto Alexandra's, searching for resistance, but there was none. Alexandra's pupils were widened, and her chest was rising and falling in shallow, controlled bursts.
Simone's grip tightened, and she hauled Alexandra up from the chair. The movement was abrupt, and a few papers skittered off the desk like fallen leaves. Alexandra stood without protest, her body aligning with Simone's, their hips brushing in a way that sent a jolt straight to Simone's core. She shoved Alexandra back against the desk, the edge biting into her thighs and would leave a mark on her tomorrow. Alexandra's hands came up, her palms flat against Simone's shoulders.
The kiss reignited, hungrier now. Simone's teeth caught Alexandra's lower lip, biting down hard enough to draw a muffled sound from her throat. Alexandra's hands slid down, grabbing fistfuls of Simone's blouse, pulling her closer. Simone felt the tremor in Alexandra’s fingers, the same hunger from before when they'd fumbled across this desk in a haze of desperation. But this time, Simone wouldn't let herself slip. She was the one in control, and she needed to redirect the frustration that had gnawed at her all afternoon into Alexandra's body yielding under her touch.
Her hands roamed, rough and possessive, shoving up the hem of Alexandra's shirt. Their bare skin rubbed against eachother, warm and smooth, and Simone groaned into the kiss as her palms cupped Alexandra's breasts through the lace of her bra. She squeezed, her thumbs circling the hardening peaks, feeling them pebble under the friction. Alexandra arched into it, her head tipping back slightly, exposing the line of her throat. Simone didn't hesitate. She latched on, her mouth hot and open against the pulse point, sucking hard enough to leave a mark. Alexandra's breath stuttered, her fingers digging into Simone's arms, but she didn't stop her. If anything, she pressed closer, thighs parting just enough to let Simone slot between them.
The desk lamp cast a golden pool over them, highlighting the flush creeping up Alexandra's neck, the way her lips parted on silent exhales. Simone's anger fueled her, a burning need to unravel this woman who had dismissed her work so casually. She wanted to see Alexandra fracture and feel that composure crack under her hands. Her fingers worked the buttons of Alexandra's shirt open, one by one, exposing the pale expanse of her stomach, the black lace cradling her breasts. Simone pushed the fabric aside, her mouth following, her teeth scraping over the swell of flesh before she bit down on the curve, not breaking skin but branding all the same.
Alexandra's hand came up to Simone's hair, tugging to guide her lower. The urgent demand made Simone's core clench at the feel of it as heat pooled between her legs. She hooked her fingers into the waistband of Alexandra's pants, yanking them down along with her underwear in one swift motion. The fabric puddled at Alexandra's ankles, and Simone kicked it aside, her eyes raking over the newly bared skin. Alexandra's thighs were toned, a faint sheen of anticipation glistening on her pussy.
Simone dropped to her knees then, the rug rough against her skin, but she didn't care. Her hands gripped Alexandra's hips, her nails biting into the soft flesh as she pulled her forward. Simone looked up, meeting those dark eyes and seeing the wayAlexandra's brows pinched and her lips were swollen and red from their kisses. She didn't speak, and neither did Simone. The silence stretched between them, heavy with everything left unsaid.
Her mouth found Alexandra's inner thigh first, her teeth grazing the sensitive skin, biting just hard enough to make Alexandra's muscles tense. A low sound escaped her that was not quite a moan but was enough to spur Simone on. She licked a stripe up between her folds, tasting salt and heat, before burying her face between Alexandra's legs. Her tongue dove in without mercy, lapping at the slick folds and circling the swollen clit with firm, insistent strokes. Alexandra's hips bucked, her hand tightening in Simone's hair, pulling her closer. Simone felt the tremor in her thighs, the way her body opened up, wet and wanting.
She sucked hard on her clit, her fingers joining as she slid two inside with ease. Alexandra was fully soaked, her walls clenching around her as Simone curled her fingers, seeking that spot that made her gasp. It came quickly, that sharp intake of breath, and Alexandra's free hand slammed down on the desk, scattering a pen holder. Simone didn't let up, thrusting deeper, her mouth working in tandem as her tongue flicked relentlessly against Alexandra. The taste of her, musky and addictive, flooded Simone's senses, drowning out everything but the present moment.
Alexandra's composure was slipping, her breaths coming in ragged bursts and her thighs quivering around Simone's shoulders. Simone's own arousal throbbed, and she ignored it for now, her focus laser-sharp on taking this woman apart. She added a third finger, stretching her and feeling the heat and pulse inside. Alexandra's hips rolled, chasing the pressure, and Simone bit the inside of her thigh again, drawing a choked sound from Alexandra’s lips.
“Simone,“ Alexandra whispered, the name barely audible and fractured.
It was all Simone needed. She redoubled her efforts, pumping her fingers faster as her mouth sealed over her clit as she sucked harder. Alexandra shattered then, her body arching off the desk, a silent cry twisting her face. Her pussy walls spasmed around Simone's fingers, slickness coating her hand as she rode out the waves. Simone didn't stop until Alexandra slumped back, chest heaving, her eyes half-lidded and dazed.
But Simone wasn't done. The anger still coiled in her gut, unsatisfied and needing somewhere to go. She rose, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand, and grabbed Alexandra's chin, tilting her face up. Their eyes met, Alexandra's still hazy from her orgasm. Simone kissed her then, hard and claiming, letting her taste herself on her tongue. Alexandra responded, her hands roaming over Simone’s body now, unbuttoning Simone's blouse with deliberate pulls and shoving it off her shoulders.
