Chapter 1: The Desk

It was a rare occasion for Harper to find herself sleeping in the office. The looming board meeting and the habitual tardiness of their CEO had burdened her boss and close friend, Lucas, with extra responsibilities. As a result, Harper had been toiling relentlessly, both at the office and in the confines of her home. The mounting workload had caused her to fall behind on report writing and paperwork, with scarce opportunities during the day to catch up. The CEO's neglectful behavior had thrust upon Lucas and Harper the burden of attending phone calls, client meetings, and departmental gatherings.

On that fateful Thursday night, Harper found herself working late at the office to complete a report due the following week. Exhaustion consumed her as she drifted into sleep at her desk, while in the midst of finalizing the presentation deck for the quarter. Unbeknownst to her, nobody remained to rouse her from her slumber.

When Harper eventually roused from her unintended rest, the office was deserted. A mighty yawn escaped her lips, accompanied by a throbbing ache in her neck. She stretched her fatigued limbs and squinted at the time displayed on her computer screen—it read 11:15 P.M. She had unknowingly slept for two hours. She rotated her neck, seeking relief, then adorned her glasses and gathered her belongings. Her rumbling stomach demanded attention.

As Harper retrieved her bag from the carpeted floor, she noticed her phone vibrating. She unlocked the screen to find a message from her boss.

Lucas: Where are you, Harper? I have been trying to call you. Did you get my first message?

Harper's forehead furrowed as she whispered to herself, "What first message?" She quickly scrolled up, searching for any unread message from Lucas.

Lucas: Are you still at the office? Could you quickly run up to the eighteenth floor and check if Alex has signed the leasing agreement Beth prepared this morning? I left it on his desk. He’s promised to sign it before he leaves the office. I need it first thing tomorrow, and you know how late he comes into work every Friday. Please check!!!

Alex, her irresponsible CEO, elicited a grunt from Harper. She had never liked the young CEO since the day they met, and her dislike for Alex had only intensified over time. The mere thought of stepping onto Alexander Carmichael's floor, even at eleven in the evening when it was deserted, irritated her to no end.

Cursing under her breath, she walked towards the elevator, pressing the button. The doors slid open swiftly, and she entered, punching the number 18. As she reached the eighteenth floor, she stopped her complaints, crossing her arms and huffing.

The elevator doors parted, revealing a massive glass door. She entered the code into the keypad, unlocking and opening the door before stepping inside. The expansive floor lay dimly lit, still, and quiet.

As she traversed the shadowy floor, she noticed a faint glow emanating from the partially cracked door of Alex's office. Could Alex still be there? Harper's heart sank. Or was it merely the night-light that some managers left on?

Unaware due to her groggy state from waking up, Harper failed to notice the loud moans emanating from inside Alex's office. She continued towards the door, about to grasp the knob, when finally, she heard Alex's deep and gravelly voice.

"Fuck, you taste so fucking good..."

Then a soft cry that was distinctly coming from a woman soon followed.

Harper, fully awake now, was unable to move for a moment. And to figure out what was going on and what she had heard, she proceeded to lean closer to the door crack to visually assess the situation.

"Spread your legs wide open for me." A butt-naked Alex was standing in front of a naked woman on his desk, with long legs closed around his shoulders.

"Fuck, Alex… That is so fucking good…" The woman moaned, Harper could see her hands clawing at the opposite sides, and her legs tensed, shuddering.

Then another sharp moan filled the room.

Harper stood shocked. Though she couldn’t see the entirety of what was going on from her vantage point, her heart momentarily stopped as she put it together. And she might not have had enough experience with men considering that she’d only ever been with one, but she absolutely knew what was going on. Or what was Alex doing standing there between the woman’s spread-out legs.

"Fuck me now, Alex. Quit playing with your tongue and fuck me already…" the woman panted and stopped as Alex gripped her hips tightly.

Alex looked up. "Shh…remember who’s the boss here, Mira. You will have my fucking cock when I give it to you."

Mira? Harper tried to recall if she’d ever encountered a woman by that name. Nothing.

"Please…" Mira begged, writhing on the desk like she was feeling hot and could no longer take the heat.

Harper looked down at her shaking hands and questioned herself about why she hadn’t walked out on this scandalous act between Alex and Mira.

Alex grabbed Mira by the hip and lifted her roughly a little over the edge of the desk, hefting her legs higher on his shoulders as he stood tall, knocking off some pens and sending a pile of folders across the floor.

Harper let out a small gasp of surprise upon impact but quickly covered her mouth.

Alex stood still for a moment while Harper froze, staring at his broad, stark-naked back. Her heartbeat was pounding loudly in her chest.

"What are you doing? Quit teasing me, Alex…" Mira moaned loudly.

The muscles in Alex’s back soon relaxed. "Nothing. Now be a good slut and suck on my fingers." Then he pushed, and Harper saw Mira’s hands scrabble on the desk, trying to find something to grab onto. The woman ended up gripping Alex’s upper arms.

Are they having sex on his desk? In his office? What is wrong with him? Harper thought to herself, and her face burned with shame for somewhat witnessing such a private show and for listening to Alex and the woman, whoever she was, growling loudly on his desk. And every second she stood there, gawking, was a horrible violation of her professional ethics.

Mira screamed in pleasure as Alex continued to push and pull into her, faster and harder that the large wooden desk creaked; their rough actions sent the things that had remained on the desk flying across, with one particular file knocking on the door.

Harper gasped, a little louder this time.

"Is anyone there?!" Alex's voice reverberated through the expansive floor, jolting Harper and causing her to nearly choke. Panic seized her for a moment, propelling her backward from the other side of the door. In a rush, she pivoted on her heel, moving faster than she probably should have, and all but sprinted out of the room. She urgently pressed the elevator button and hastened inside, repeatedly pushing the ground floor button. As the elevator descended, sweat began to drench her entire body. Harper pressed the heels of her hands into her eyes, questioning the reality of what she had just witnessed.

Leaving the building with trembling hands, Harper wasn't merely angry—she was furious and utterly mortified. The plan had been to clock out at five, indulge in her favorite TV shows on Netflix, and eventually doze off on her cozy sofa. However, thanks to their insensitive and irresponsible CEO, she had been forced to work late, only to fall asleep at her desk and inadvertently witness her boss's boss engaging in an intimate act on his own desk. She believed she didn't deserve to witness such a despicable scene.

Once safely inside her car, still in a state of shock, Harper received a call from Lucas.

"Did you see it?" her boss inquired from the other end of the line.

Catching her breath, she grunted and cast wary glances around, fearful that Alex might be following her.

"Where are you? You sound out of breath. Are you okay, Harper?"

"I... I'm not okay," she finally managed to speak.

"What happened? Are you injured? Tell me which hospital you're at right now, and I'll be there in an instant," Lucas replied, his worry palpable.

Harper blushed at the sudden surge of concern from him. "I'm not hurt. It's just..." She sniffed and ran a hand through her hair. "I don't think I can continue like this, Lucas."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm quitting.