~ Indiyah

A low rumble erupted from his mouth. Damn the universe for doing this to me. Thirty minutes ago, I was excited about starting a new job after graduation, but now I couldn’t say for sure what I felt. The CEO of Soar Tech Companies—my boss, my baby daddy—was staring at me.

Not just any stare. He was giving me that 'I want to sleep with you again' kind of look. When his thumb parted my lips, I could swear I felt strange sensations. My body tingled. It had been so long since I'd had sex, and my body knew it. I turned celibate after my breakup with Fred, so you could say I was sex-starved.

But I wasn’t about to let this man know that my body wanted him. If he threw caution to the wind and slipped those long fingers under my panties, he’d find me soaking wet.

"I don't mix business with pleasure, Mamacita," he said, regarding me closely and running his eyes down my body.

Mamacita. The word turned me on more than I already was. I had to take a step back, rubbing my thighs together to relieve the dull ache.

"But being celibate? That’s far from who I am." He finally looked away from me, and I could tell he was thinking. He seemed to carry the weight of the world on his shoulders just by looking into his brown eyes.

"Uhmm… People have different choices. There’s something I need to know. Do you want to sleep with me again?" I took a deep breath when the question slipped from my lips.

"Fuck yes. I want it more than anything," he replied, his eyes darkening like that night.

I chuckled slowly at the intensity of his voice.

"I mean no disrespect, Boss. I think we should let the past be the past. We wouldn't want anything to disrupt the work atmosphere, would we?"

He sighed and ran a hand through his tousled, impeccably styled hair. "I don't mind getting the whole company dirty."

"But I do. I'm new here, and the last thing I want is the scandal that comes with having an affair with my boss. Besides… any woman out there would jump at the opportunity to sleep with you. Why me?"

He hesitated, perhaps contemplating the answer to my rhetorical question.

"Let’s forget about three years ago, okay, Boss?" I raised an eyebrow, giving him a pointed look.

His lips curved into a sly smirk. "I’ll try."

Jesus. Who was this man? Here I was, worried about myself. I didn’t think I could work closely with him because just his presence caused a pool of desire between my legs. And him calling me 'Mamacita'? Damn. I was in for a ride.

I'd admit I loved the fact that I turned him on as well. I mean, I wasn’t the same Indiyah he had a one-night stand with. I had birthed a child, and my body was different now. Plus, that child had suckled at my breasts, and they looked a lot different than three years ago. So, I was glad he still wanted me.

"Personal assistant. Work resumes by 8 AM, so you have to be on time to get my morning coffee. I don't function properly during the day without coffee. If you're late, I'll punish you myself." He paused, an amused look on his face.

"I mean it when I say I’ll punish you," he finished, releasing a breathy moan.

Rolling my eyes, I giggled. "Do you usually punish all your staff, Boss?"

"No. But you are not just any staff member. You are my personal assistant."

With that, he turned and walked toward the big building. I had no choice but to follow.

•

"Mommy!" An ear-splitting scream filled the room.

I jerked up from my nap and glanced at the clock. It was past the time my daughter Jemaya's school dismissed. Oh no. I must have been so tired that I fell asleep when I returned from work.

"There she is," I grinned widely at my three-year-old daughter.

She scanned the room, and when her bright eyes found me, she broke into a run until she was in my arms.

"Oh, baby. I missed you so much." I hugged her close, as if she might disappear.

"I missed you too, Mommy," she replied after the hug.

Ramona entered the room, casting me furtive glances. I rose, my lips twitching as I thought of a suitable excuse to give.

"Thank you for picking her up from school, Mona. I had a hectic day and was so tired. But… I got a job!" I revealed, laughter escaping my mouth at Ramona's shocked, ecstatic expression.

"It's a lie," she countered while putting away Jemaya's backpack and lunch bag.

"Soar Tech Companies. Personal assistant to the CEO. Guess who is starting work on Monday? It’s me." I rushed my words, twirling around and giggling.

"Oh my God, Indiyah. I am so happy for you. Congratulations," Ramona exclaimed, pulling me into a tight hug. Gosh, I needed that hug. Or I just needed a friend to share in my joy.

After my fallout with Janine, it had been hard to trust people. But I met Ramona one of those nights after I had just given birth to Jemaya, and I had to work night shifts. She worked as a nanny, helping me babysit my daughter. Now, we had come a long way past that. Ramona and I were best buddies.

"This calls for a celebration. Beer for me and fruit juice for Jemaya?" Ramona said, heading for the kitchen.

"How was school today, baby? Did you learn anything?" I turned my attention back to Jemaya.

"Rhymes," she replied absentmindedly, not looking at me.

I craned my neck to see what she was busy with. Sprawled out on her play mat, she was holding two of her toys, mumbling words I couldn't make out. Right. She was just playing.

Turning on the television, the reporter's voice blared while I stood back to listen to what had caught my attention.

*Wife of the CEO of Soar Tech Companies, Mrs. Rossi Graham, is celebrating her 25th birthday and hosting a party for children under the age of 6.*

*There will be gifts and cash prizes for the smartest child.*

Wife. CEO. Soar Tech?

Alexander Graham has a wife?

"Are you thinking of signing Jemaya up for it? I mean... she's smart," Ramona said, gazing at me.

I looked at my daughter, playing without a care in the world. If Mrs. Rossi knew that her husband had a daughter somewhere, how would she react to the news? My daughter's life could be in danger.

I knew what I had to do.

No one would ever know that I had given birth to Alexander Graham's daughter.

~ Indiyah

"Good morning, Mona." I yawned, stretching my arms behind me after getting up from bed. My head screamed one thing. Coffee. I threw the blankets off me and headed for the kitchen where Mona was wrapping things up.

"Did you sleep well?" She eyed me.

I nodded, grabbing my mug to prepare my coffee. Ramona didn't stop gazing at me. I knew what was going through her mind. I'd slept off yesterday without saying a word to her or providing an answer to her many questions.

I still didn't have an answer to her. So I avoided her gaze by leaving the kitchen to the living room where Jemaya sat on a sofa, her eyes on the television, her favourite animated cartoon playing.

I kissed her cheek, tickling her sock-cladded feet when I got to her.

"Good morning, Jemaya. Did you sleep well?" I held her tiny hands, watching her squeal as a result of the tickling. Damn. I birthed a happy baby.

"Did you have breakfast already? What did you eat?" I inquired.

"Pancake and honey." She replied.

"Did you say thank you to Nanny Ramona?" I raised a brow. Other mothers may take etiquette for granted, but not me. I made sure Jemaya did the right thing, always.

"Yes, mommy."

"Good girl. Mommy will get ready for work in a few minutes and I'll take you to school, okay?"

She nodded, eager to return to her cartoon.

First day of work. I had to look my best. Even if the silly voice within had whispered that I get dressed for my boss. I killed the thought as soon as it came. Fuck my boss for making me think about him this way. He was married, for Christ's sake. A fact that should have been a deterrent, a red flag. But somehow it only added to the allure. And yet, he flirted with me.

Men. They were all the same, weren't they?

I straightened out a red dress and a small tiny black belt. My hair was held in a tight bun, slicked back with gel as usual, and although I didn't bother with the lipstick, my lips stood out, matching the colour of my dress.

I called Uber, and when it arrived, Jemaya and I said goodbye to Ramona before getting in the car. While in the car, she kept singing rhymes I couldn't make out the lyrics. The driver stopped at the pre-school and I helped Jemaya with her backpack straps since she was always struggling to put it on herself. A familiar face took her lunch bag from me.

"Bye Mommy. Lub you," Jemaya grinned, waving her small hands.

I waved back at her. "Love you too, baby."

Getting back in the car, I gave the driver my location and he was there within an hour. I took a deep breath and walked inside the premises. I was a bit early so I made two cups of coffee. One for Alexander, and the other for myself.

Caffeine had a way of calming my nerves. Lots of it could keep me up for hours. It was my go-to whenever I needed to work night shifts. I raised the mug to my lips, shutting my eyes and relishing in the taste. This coffee was great. One of those expensive stuff. I hurriedly drowned down my coffee and began my work duties.

I'd never worked as a personal assistant before so, I wasn't sure of what my job entailed. Alexander mentioned that I had to go through rigorous training sessions to be qualified for the post. A part of me knew he wouldn't subject me to training anyway. He gave me this post to get into my pants. Which would never happen again.

"This seat looks comfy," I murmured, running my hands on the black leather swivel chair behind the huge mahogany desk. Glancing around the empty office, I stifled a giggle and sat on the chair. Damn! It felt... too good to sit here. The bosses' chair. I felt in control for a moment. A moment until I heard a deep chuckle and a feminine gasp. I froze.

Standing at the door of the office was Alexander, clad in a black, fitted, tuxedo. And beside him, was a lady that looked like she was my age. Fuck! Was she his wife? I jumped up like the seat was made of larva, and it burnt my butt.

My gaze snapped to the linoleum, cheeks a rosy pink. Embarrassment burnt through me. I'd been so absorbed in the moment that I forgot the door was ajar and anyone could walk in.

"I see you were enjoying yourself, Mamacita." Alexander's deeply amused voice came and I wished the ground would open and swallow me. He had just randomly called me that... nickname in the presence of another person.

"Uhm... Naomi, this is Indiyah... You'll train her on what she needs to know to be my assistant."

I raised my gaze and my eyes met with Naomi's. Her smile was friendly and not judgy like I thought she would be considering her boss had just called me a petname.

"I think we'll get along so well. Nice to meet you, Indiyah."

"Uhmm, yeah... yeah. It's mutual," I stuttered. I wasn't much of a social person since the incident with Janine. I'd become closed off, and not even Naomi's friendly smile could make us friends. I flashed her a small grin.

"If you'd excuse us, Naomi. I have to punish Indiyah here for getting too comfortable in my office," Alexander's hooded gaze fell on me and I felt exposed, bare. A choking sound escaped my mouth as Naomi stalked out of the office leaving me alone with Alexander.

I found my voice once we were alone. "What are you going to do? Spank me?" I challenged, my feral gaze matching his.

"How about you strip for starters,"

My jaw dropped.

~ Indiyah

The day was coming to an end, and all I could say was… Phew. Aside from Alexander's constant interruptions with my tasks, it went pretty well. My job was much more than I had imagined. I used to think personal assistants simply scheduled meetings, but I learned that any meeting the boss would attend had to be scheduled a month in advance. No visitors were allowed unless the boss had an appointment, and emails had to be sorted promptly. I also discovered that Alexander could get cranky in the mornings without his go-to coffee.

As I sorted through the emails on my computer, Naomi stood beside my chair, chattering away. I could barely make out what she was saying; my mind was focused solely on my task.

Then, the door to my office creaked open. Naomi and I looked up to see who it was. At the doorway stood Alexander, clutching a laptop to his chest.

"Did you get in touch with Miss Forbes?" he asked, walking into the room.

"Who is Miss Forbes?" I blurted out, my eyes shifting from Naomi to Alexander.

Naomi gasped as if she remembered something. "My bad. I forgot to tell her about the new project. I'll fill her in on all the details quickly. Do you need anything, Boss?"

Alexander's brows furrowed as he ran a hand through his hair, looking visibly unsettled. He glanced briefly at me, assessed me for a moment, then looked away, muttering something I couldn't catch.

"It's fine. You can leave, Naomi. I'll tell her all she needs to know about Miss Forbes," he said, waving her off with a slight gesture.

Naomi nodded and excused herself. The moment she left the room, Alexander approached me, his hands deep in his pockets.

"Miss Forbes is, uh... She’s a business partner. We're working on a top-secret project together. Can you, um... arrange for me to meet her tomorrow?"

I bit my lip and nodded. Meeting with Miss Forbes tomorrow, done. I pressed send on my phone and exhaled. When I glanced up, I found Alexander's intense gaze still fixed on me.

"Do you need something, Boss?" I asked.

"Yes. I mean... no. Have you scheduled my meeting with Miss Forbes?" He began pacing the small office, his gaze wandering everywhere except at me.

I scowled; I couldn't keep my mouth shut any longer. I needed my space to work. But it was hard to focus with my restless boss pacing around.

"Do you need something else, sir?"

"I have a favour to ask of you. I know I'm your boss, and you're expected to do these things, but I won't make you do it without your willingness. There's a function—more like a dinner—I have to attend. Would you like to, uh... go with me?"

I blinked, taken aback by his straightforwardness. "Are you asking me on a date, sir?"

He stopped pacing, his gaze locking onto mine. Rubbing the back of his neck, he nodded sheepishly. "I know it's out of place. I'm your boss, and it's not appropriate, so..."

I rolled my eyes, annoyed by his flimsy excuse. "It's a date. Yes or no?"

Alexander shrugged. "Call it whatever. I just need a woman by my side for the function. Are you in or out, Indiyah?"

I bit my lip, running through a mental list of pros and cons about the offer. The idea of going out again... with my attractive boss. It had been a while since I let myself have some fun.

Fun? Indiyah? Are you having fun when you have a child? What example will you set if your daughter wakes up and sees her mommy home late and dressed up?

Wasn’t that the case? Single mothers are allowed to go out, as long as they come home at a reasonable hour and don't let their children question...

"It's a yes," I finally said, flashing Alexander a genuine smile.

He sighed in relief, his shoulders slumping. "That's perfect. I'll pick you up at... seven. Will that work for you?"

My lips parted and closed almost immediately. I was trying to think of a good excuse. I couldn't let him pick me up, not with Jemayah in the apartment. Alexander wasn't foolish; he would connect the dots.

"Why don't you send the driver to pick me up instead?" I suggested meekly.

He hesitated but then shrugged. "So, seven?"

"Seven," I confirmed.

***

Six.

Six-thirty.

A few minutes until seven, and I was far from ready. A black dress I had steamed earlier lay on the bed, strappy heels were on the floor, and a purse was thrown carelessly on the sofa. I dashed around the apartment in a frantic rush, a towel wrapped around my chest.

And my three-year-old was right on my tail, talking away. I had lost count of how many times I heard "Mommy" since I returned from work. My head was spinning. I desperately needed a break from Jemaya and her relentless questions and complaints.

"Mommy, where are you going?"

"Mommy, the water is running."

"Mommy, I'm hungry."

"Mommy, come over and look at my drawing of you."

"Baby, hold on. I'm fixing you something to eat. Ramona is supposed to be here right now..." I frowned when I glanced down to see Jemaya her lips blue with jam smeared all around her mouth.

"Broken," she pouted while I bit my tongue, my gaze drifting to the living room where she had been playing. I could see the huge mess on the floor: blueberry jam smeared all across the ground and broken glass. Her little feet had tracked some of the mess over to the kitchen.

I sighed, glancing at the clock. It was six forty-five—could I juggle getting ready and taking care of my daughter? I had handled worse before, back when I was working three jobs. But she was so little then and easier to manage. Now, I had a restless toddler who wouldn't leave me alone.

"What happened?" I gave her a cold stare.

"I don't know," she shrugged, infuriating me even more.

"Can you sit in one spot for a little while, Jemaya? Can you be good for Mommy? You're giving me so much work to do, baby, and I'm... I'm tired." My voice cracked on the last word, and I sighed, ignoring the lump in my throat.

"Be good," Jemaya repeated with a nod.

"Don't just say it. Be a good girl so I can think, okay?" I lifted her and set her on the counter so she wouldn't move while I cleaned up the broken glass.

As I finished cleaning, the last trace of blue stain left on my linoleum floor, a familiar voice came from the door. I opened the door and threw myself at Ramona.

"Hey... Easy," she giggled.

"You are a lifesaver. I have a date in less than five minutes." I sighed in relief, watching Ramona laugh and toss Jemaya up in the air, just like she usually does when she sees her after a long time.

When I heard giggles and a stern voice coming from the living room, I knew my daughter was in safe hands. I rushed through curling my hair and getting dressed.

At exactly seven, I heard a light rattle at the door, and I jumped up to walk over. Before opening it, I glanced back and whispered to Ramona, "How do I look?"

She smiled and said I looked amazing. I sighed again, then pushed the door open. When my eyes locked with Alexander's, I gasped and abruptly shut the door behind me.

"What the hell are you doing here?"