Chapter 2 Dark Desires

• Nora Bonner tucked her tablet under her arm and glanced at Damien Thorne with a hint of curiosity. "Is there anything else you need, Mr. Thorne?"
• He briefly considered asking her about Briar, but the thought slipped away as he replied, "Ask the comptroller to send me a prelim for the third quarter international earnings. Thank you, Nora."
• Once Nora left, Damien lingered in the atrium, his gaze drawn to Briar Hollis, engrossed in conversation with one of the accounting secretaries. Unlike her companion, Briar had opted for minimal makeup and jewelry. Clad in a simple navy skirt and a crisp white blouse, her attire was straightforward, but she somehow exuded an air of striking elegance. Her fiery hair contrasted beautifully with her alabaster skin, the combination catching Damien's attention from the moment he first laid eyes on her.
• Today, a few wisps of hair had escaped her neatly arranged updo, framing her delicate features and making her look even more enchanting. The way her eyes lit up when she laughed at something the other woman said was captivating, holding Damien's focus completely.
• He found himself wondering, Do her eyes sparkle like that in different moments? The thought brought to mind images of Briar naked and trembling with pleasure beneath him, and he felt his arousal deepen - again. Since she had started working at the company, merely glancing at her had ignited a fire in him that wouldn't go out. No woman had held his attention this way since his teens when he'd been seduced by a housemaid whose desires mirrored his own.
• Briar seemed blissfully unaware of her own allure. The way she kept her hair styled simply for convenience only fueled Damien's imagination. He often wondered how long her hair was and how it would feel brushing against his skin. While she rarely wore more than a subtle tint on her full lips, their natural color stirred a deep yearning within him. He found himself lost in thoughts of those lips - rosy and inviting, capable of wrapping around him in ways that sent heat coursing through him.
• Her conservative outfit might have been intended to downplay her curves, but every time his gaze drifted below her collarbones, he was dizzy with thoughts of her hidden beauty. Were her nipples pink, brown, or red - he couldn't help but speculate. Red like her lips, he mused. Rosy and enticing, eager to be explored.
• As the two women began to gather their things, Briar looked up and caught his gaze for a split second. Damien noticed the slight falter in her smile before she turned back, carrying her tray to the return bin. Yes, run away, my sweet little Red, he silently urged. He admired the way she walked, the subtle hints of her enticing figure showing through her sober clothing. There was a thrill in the idea that she could be a little frightened of him, of what he represented.
• Damien made his way to the elevator, the pressure in his pants was a constant reminder of the hold Briar had on him. The ride to his penthouse office felt longer than usual. John Parker, his security chief, awaited him, ready to deliver an update.
• "I ran the background on Hollis. She's clean." Parker handed over a copy of his report, and Damien skimmed it quickly. "She's worked for her agency for seven years, solid references, no complaints. No unusual financial activity."
• In his company, it was protocol to conduct thorough checks on new hires, even temporary ones. However, this time it was personal. Damien studied the report, lingering over a glossy headshot of Briar before setting it aside. "What about her personal life?" he prompted.
• "Born and raised in Colorado Springs, only child. Her parents retired to Florida a few years back. No criminal record, never been married, no boyfriend or dependents. Lives alone in a small apartment," Parker summarized. "Her landlady says she's a nice girl who dates now and then but never has any overnight visitors. Your basic girl-next-door."
• With the exception of Parker, Damien kept his private life a well-guarded secret. Belonging to an exclusive society of wealthy individuals with alternative lifestyles required discretion. His activities were hidden away from the world - only those who had shown the right invitation were permitted into his circle. After all, if anyone discovered his penchant for bondage and control role-play with submissive partners, it could ruin him, damaging both his image and business irrevocably.
• If Briar had been the kind of woman who explored more adventurous avenues, Damien might have pursued her, once her temp assignment concluded. However, he had witnessed the fallout from his father's numerous entanglements with secretaries - five marriages ending in bitterness and revenge. Thus, he had vowed never to entangle himself with an employee.
• His inner circle had their own code, referring to submissives with phrases like "melting honey" and "extra spicy" to denote their sexual sensibilities. Yet, Briar, with her unassuming charm, seemed too vanilla to be involved in a dynamic like his.
• As his thoughts wandered, the intercom flashed. He tapped it, and Nora's voice crackled through. "You have a call on your private line, Mr. Thorne."
• "Ask them to hold for a moment, Nora." He muted the speaker and handed the report back to Parker. "I won't need anything more on Hollis. Thank you."
• As he settled back in his chair, Damien thought about Briar again. How she seemed oblivious to the spell she cast on him. He longed to unravel the layers of her character, to explore the passions she hid beneath her composed exterior.
• Imagining how it would feel to pull down that navy skirt, to discover what lay beneath, consumed him. He envisioned tracing his fingers along her soft skin, inching closer to her most intimate secrets. Would she gasp at his touch? Would she yield to his dominant nature, or would she shy away in unexpected shyness?
• His thoughts spiraled, oscillating between curiosity and caution. Briar was elusive in more ways than one, a mystery waiting to unfold. Yet, with each passing day, with each interaction, the possibilities of what could be seemed to grow. There was a stark contrast between the very ordinary life she seemed to lead and the thrilling world he inhabited.
• The phone rang, snapping him from his reverie. He took a deep breath to center himself before answering. He could not allow Briar, or the thoughts of what could happen between them, to disrupt his carefully controlled existence. Yet the anticipation of what could be, the tantalizing intrigue of what lay beneath that reserved exterior, was a flame he couldn't seem to extinguish.