OUR LIPS AREN'T SEALED (#2 STEAMY CEO ROMANCE)

☼ nineteen ☼🔥

The bachelorette party arrived much faster than I'd anticipated. I spent an entire week planning only for it. I oversaw the venue set-up, talked to bartenders, waiters, caterers, even local liquor distributors. I interviewed and watched the drag queen hired for the event—and loved them—and handed out checks to secure time-slots and schedule deliveries and decorate.

We postponed the wedding preparations to accommodate for the amount of energy I'd need to direct towards this event alone.

It'd be spectacular, over-the-top, and unforgettable; Estelle's words, echoed by Axel. He'd spare no expense for the double bachelorette party and wanted everything to be perfect.

The rooftop club we'd reserved for the night was exquisite. Part speak-easy, part hook-up space, with low lighting in some spots, and flaring neons in others. Heart-shaped booths occupied corners, private balconies reached out to show the skyline, and they'd constructed a high-tech DJ area with massive speakers and a sleek dancefloor that looked like dancing on glass.

I'd never been there, never even heard of this location until Axel sent me the coordinates the week before. When I showed up, my jaw dropped, and every time I turned around, I noticed a new detail. From the emerald-colored walls to the deep wood flooring to the fun-themed bathrooms, the light-up counters and barstools, and the extensive seating—perfect for a bunch of chicks to party in celebration of a wedding.

Not only women, of course—a few of the bridesmaids were bridesmen, without forgetting an enby—but for the most part, it'd be a very estrogen-filled event.

Among those other invited genders? Axel. I hadn't seen him since he swung by my apartment to ravish me, what felt like forever ago. He'd texted, he'd emailed, but without a hint of the affection he'd expressed while we lay in bed. As if I'd imagined it all, and in fairness...that was for the best.

No matter what he said, I wouldn't hold on to any hope regarding a relationship between us. The wedding would happen soon, but once it was over, I had no guarantee Axel would still be interested in me. Maybe he thrived on the thrill, the risk; maybe he liked the forbidden aspect of it all, and without it, he wouldn't crave me as much.

Worst of all—maybe I craved it, and I would lose interest.

But as I watched him enter the nightclub from across the room, fifteen minutes before the beginning of the party, I knew that was impossible. I would never lose interest.

He was gorgeous. Stunning. A vision in a beige suit, with a burgundy shirt underneath, hair brushed back, a bit of dark ginger scruff over his sturdy jaw. He didn't see me, standing in the corner going over my last-minute checklist; and I didn't want him to see me. It'd be best if I blended in, disappeared for the night. I was only there to coordinate, after all.

The lights lowered over him like a halo, and I pressed myself against the wall, wishing to be invisible.

He was my boss. More my boss than Brent, at the moment; his money paid me, he gave the instructions, he oversaw my schedule.

Lusting over him grew more and more dangerous. And lusting over him here, in public, was much too risky.

Guests poured in before I could melt to the floor and forget my purpose. If he had seen me, he'd be too busy greeting everyone, and I could continue my job without interruption.

The guest list was exclusive, but extensive. It didn't take long for the place to load up with people in sparkly dresses, heels so high they made me dizzy, and bedazzling jewelry to show off their wealth.

I paled in comparison, with my lightly shimmering black dress and my modest shoes meant for comfort. But I didn't want to be seen tonight; especially not by Axel, Estelle, or Olivia.