#eflr

He pulled his hand away then, stepping to the side and inviting you forward. You pulled your eyes away from him, shifting instead to the displayed equipment. “I’ve just never done anything like this before. I mean, of course I’ve seen harnesses and handcuffs, but…” your words trailed off.

Kicking off your shoes, you walked towards the dangling ropes and stepped up for a closer look. They looked thickly spun and a little dull, but smooth and forgiving. The ropes came together at the ceiling, a disc of metal at their apex with thick bolts securing them in place. You blinked when you noticed the circle of silver. Had that always been there?

Curious to know their feel, you reached out a hand towards the ropes then drew it back, remembering Seokjin's warning before you’d entered the door. Despite his tender touch, things were meant to be different now. You were expected to behave, to ask your dominant for permission to do most anything unless you planned to take some punishment. And your gut was still a little shaken at the prospect of his brand of discipline, unknown beyond the vague hints you'd gotten so far. You looked to Seokjin for instruction, unsure of whether you’d almost crossed a line in the first minute. He nodded at you, approval gracing his smile.

"You may touch them."

Your fingers stroked the material, finding the texture surprisingly soft. And there was a subtle smell emanating from them as well, grassy and wild.

“These are hemp,” Seokjin offered as though he had read your thoughts. "Strong and gets even better with time and use." He stepped up next to you, gripping a length of rope in both hands and giving a hard tug to demonstrate the power in the fibers. “These are really just for show tonight though. Suspension bondage can be dangerous. Too much for a first time."

Briefly, you wondered if these ropes had ever been used before. They did look as though they had some wear and your mind wanted to follow that trail, wondering with who and how and for what.

Seokjin dropped the rope then, causing a section to swing back and forth between you while his eyes roamed over your face. His gaze was weighted, eyes alert in the same problem-solving way you often saw.

You realized he was looking for a reaction, trying to gauge how you felt in the presence of his equipment, and likely decide whether you were still interested in the world he was inviting you to. Just like before, just as he had all week, Seokjin wanted to make sure you knew every step in this was your choice. It occurred to you that he was still worried you might want to back out and that display of doubt made you wonder if someone had done exactly that to him before.

Still stroking a length of rope between your fingers, you took one more look up at them as they swung. You were curious, but grateful you weren’t being thrown into anything you might not be able to handle just yet. Somehow it reminded you of the first time you'd stared up at a dance pole all those years ago. It had definitely been intimidating at first, but with time and practice, it had become a natural extension of your body, its use as easy as breathing. “Maybe one day…” you said quietly.

Whatever Seokjin found in your response seemed to give him the reassurance to continue. He looked away and down at the enormous leather trunk nearby. "I just wanted you to have a look at some of my playthings to see if anything sparked your interest. Or turned you off.”

You knelt down to the leather chest. Neatly laid out in the trunk were various sex toys, whips, and a few pieces of equipment you'd never seen before. Some items were wrapped carefully in what looked like crushed, black velvet. Looking closer, you could tell that the trunk went deeper, as though it was separated into layers of some kind of silicone trays, likely a medical grade to keep things clean. Maybe more intense equipment was settled on a layer or two beneath the top one, but nothing you saw left you wanting to run and hide. It all looked too interesting and truthfully you couldn't wait to explore each one with him. Your stomach was still doing nervous flips, but they were definitely the good kind.

Seokjin tossed his suit jacket onto the edge of his couch and knelt beside you. He didn’t say anything, only watched you silently while you picked through the chest, lifting things that clearly vibrated, handcuffs, whips, clamps of some kind, and more rope from inside.

"I'm willing to try anything here, Seokjin," you said. You stroked a finger across a small, black, leather paddle and gave him a suggestive smile. He returned it, unfolding his body to stand up straight and look down at you. You let him bask in it for a moment before standing up and sweeping your arms around the open area of the living room.

“So if we're not using any of this tonight then what's the plan? Do you have some sort of script of how you want this night to go or something?”

He chuckled. “Hm, you must’ve finished your reading.”

Seokjin placed his hands on his hips, fingers hooking into his belt loop while he gave you a look that felt like an appraisal. Still in his white button-up and black pants, the silver of his belt buckle faintly glinting in the low light of the room, he cut quite an intimidating figure. “This is technically our first session. I have some ideas, but no script. Just learning about each other. I think I have a lot to learn about you.”

"I want to know about you too," you said in a flirtatious tone, stepping a little closer to him. "I enjoy attention, that I can admit. But I want to know what lights your fire."

His half-smile went devious enough to show teeth. "Then come here and strike the match.”

As you eagerly closed the gap between you, you noticed something had changed about the room. Before, when you had been here in your maid role, the floor had been bare, a sheet of pristine, light colored tiles. You knew it well since you'd had to scrub the damn things. But now, a giant, cream-colored area rug had been laid out, plush and thick under your toes as you walked forward.

But thoughts of decor changes were quickly shoved aside as you drew up close to Seokjin, pressing your body against his chest while his arms closed around you. He didn't hesitate for a moment, a firm hand landing at the back of your neck and pulling you closer towards his waiting lips.

Seokjin had been wrong about one thing. This kiss couldn't be compared to any sort of match. It was much more like an earth-shaking lava eruption, the rough press of his mouth threatening to melt you entirely where you stood. His tongue met yours without pretense and the culmination of days of yearning seemed to pour out from between you in waves of unbridled heat. His opposite hand slid down your back, landing against your ass and tugging you impossibly closer.

After what must have been a decade of kissing, you broke away, gasping for air, your body trembling from the intensity. When was the last time you'd felt this way? Before things between you and your boss had changed for the carnal, you couldn't remember the last time simply kissing someone had gone to your head in the way it did with him. Seokjin's lips already looked puffy from your combined efforts, damp and parted slightly, and it was all you could do to hold yourself back, as though desperate for another hit of him.

“Have you ever had a sexual experience with your hands bound or cuffed?” His words were slow, voice heavy as though the fruit of his lust had finally fully ripened to a low hang. His hands still gripped your body close to his and you could feel the evidence of his eagerness between you as clearly as you could see it in his darkened eyes.

“Yes, sir,” you whispered.

“How about blindfolded?”

“No, sir,” you answered. You couldn't take your eyes off of him. As though possessed by a starved animal, Seokjin really looked at you like he was preparing to eat you whole. Your stomach did a few eager flips.

“Tell me which one of those you feel most comfortable with. Alternatively, which one makes you the most excited.”

You considered for only a moment. “A blindfold sounds kind of fun, though it’d be a shame not to look at you.”

His smile twitched up at this, as if the tiny morsel of praise had given him his first succulent bite.

“You know what I look like. Let’s try the blindfold.”

Though you didn't want him to and even while he looked like he loathed to do it, he peeled himself away from you, taking a few steps towards the trunk and, with practiced ease, extracted a simple, black blindfold from inside. He was back to you a moment later, stepping up close. You watched the fabric as it landed over your face, then closed your eyes as you felt the smooth press of silk against your skin, cool to the touch and deceptively thick. And when you reopened your eyes you saw nothing, your vision well and truly cut off.

"How do you feel?" he asked, sounding like a disembodied voice somewhere behind your head.

It occurred to you that, though things were apparently moving into full swing, you had yet to move beyond the carpet, still standing in the middle of his living room floor. You had seen that the windows on the far wall were covered in a thick curtain so it wasn't as though you had an audience. Still, if he was planning to fuck you blind he could at least have the decency to get you to a bed first.

“Are we playing here all night?" you asked. "In the living room?”

“Yes. Unless you can tell me what you’ve done to earn the use of my bedroom.” His voice had taken on that authoritative tone that melted you like butter in the sun. He was getting into character and you accepted you'd better do your part in the play as well.

“No, sir,” you said meekly.

His lips were back on yours, drinking from you in deep gulps. At one point you would swear he was going to lift you off the ground, his hands grabbed at your body so desperately. You matched his fervor, guided only by your hands now that you couldn't see. You roamed along his back, tracing his skin through the rich material of his shirt and desperately wishing it was off. With all the kissing, you needed some skin-to-skin contact before you fainted from the sheer passion passing between your mouths.

And then, abruptly, Seokjin pulled away from you. You caught yourself just before a whimper of disappointment could pass your lips.

“Tell me your safe word,” he growled.

You would’ve blinked had your eyes not already been closed. Growled?

“W-windex.”

“Good girl.”

For a moment, all was quiet and it left you with a sense of uncertainty. You strained your ears, trying to pick up anything you could without the use of your sight. You reached out a hand, testing the air in front of you and confirmed the space was empty. Then you pulled it back to your side, a little embarrassed at how silly you must look.

“I'm going to test your senses tonight." His voice sounded farther away now, your ears following as best they could. A moment later the room filled with the rich sound of music, quiet R&B drifting from the speakers and warming the space. Another moment and his voice was back, closer to you again. You cursed the rug, cutting off your chances of at least hearing any of his footsteps. "I want to work out what you can and can’t handle. If anything becomes too much for you, you know what to say. Don’t let the excitement of the experience hinder your safety.”

“Hm, my excitement, huh? Cocky.” You smiled, but it faltered when you felt a finger run along your throat. It trailed up along your neck and ended with what you guessed was a thumb pressed against your lips.

“Good thing you like cocky.” Your thighs clenched together without your permission.

This time kissing him was a brand new experience. Without the use of your eyes to take a peek at him, everything felt a bit more feral, driven by instincts you had neglected for too long. Every time your lips parted, you could tell he was simply looking at you. It felt strange to not be able to search those eyes. It was one thing to rely on your memory and another to have them staring you down. But these formless sensations were thrilling, if a little disorienting.

His hands cupped the flesh of your ass through your pants, giving each cheek a healthy squeeze. “Are you attached to any of these clothes?”

You thought for a moment, considering everything you wore. While they were nice quality clothing, you wouldn’t be too upset if they were ruined by various fluids, bodily or otherwise. But what exactly could he plan to do that would ruin them for good?

“Why?" you asked. "Are the stains going to be that bad? I have a very good dry cleaner.”

“Y/N, I know this is a quick transition, but I want you to remember our situation. I asked you a question.”

You stiffened a little, unprepared for the full switch of his character. This was the Seokjin you had seen glimpses of in your encounters, strict and demanding of your obedience. He had been slowly slipping into form and you chastised yourself for not joining him there sooner.

“No, sir. No attachment.”

“Good.”

You felt his hands grip your shirt and in a yank that had your entire body jerking forward, you heard the ripping sound of your blouse, threads and fabric shredding apart. This wasn't just buttons popping off that could be sewn back together. This was utter destruction, as though a wolf had appeared and gripped the garment in its jaws, separating silk and cotton blends until they hardly resembled fabric at all, irreparably ripping along the panels of cloth.

The cool of the room met the skin of your stomach as uneven strips of your now ruined shirt hung limply around you. Your mouth fell open, stunned at the sudden violence done to your wardrobe. You found yourself unable to speak, mind taking too long to process what had just happened.

A hand gripped you from behind, closing in around your throat just tight enough to make you tense. His thumb pressed against your chin, turning your face to the side until you could feel the smooth skin of Seokjin's face against your own. You smelled the sweetness of his breath as his mouth grazed along your jaw, the pressure from his lips a rough mix between kissing and bruising.

“You are my property tonight. Do you understand?”

You swallowed, feeling the flex of your throat against the palm of his hand. “Yes, sir.”

"See that you don't forget."

He slid off the remains of your shirt and for a second you worried about the fate of your expensive bra. But he was gentle in removing that garment, fingers grazing lightly against your back as he unhooked it and slid it from your arms. You heard a quiet puff sound as it landed somewhere on the carpet.

And then the room fell quiet again. Seokjin had stepped away from you, you could tell from the loss of his body heat. The room was temperature-controlled, so it wasn’t exactly that you felt cold. Only that the heat radiating from him was intense on a different level, a warmth you could feel all the way down to your bones.

“Hmm, interesting…”

His voice was so close again, just in front of your face. You sucked in a breath at the suddenness of it and you would swear you heard him laugh in response.

“Have your lovers ever just watched you? Not while you were dancing, but just intimately taken the time to absorb your body?” His voice drifted down as he moved, as if he might have been kneeling or bending over. “Have they watched your body react to their eyes on you?”

"Lots of people have watched my body. I quite enjoy it."

You heard him suck on his teeth for a second. “Look at you, you really do love it. You can’t even see me watching you and yet…” You felt his finger brush past your nipple, setting off sparks on the sensitive skin. You inhaled a sharp breath, already desperate for more.

His hands didn’t wait long to grant your wish, fingertips tracing light circles along the skin of your areolas. When they brushed your nipples again, a soft moan, barely there, escaped your lips.

The next moment you could tell from the angle of his hands that he was back in a standing position, palms cupping each of your breasts and squeezing them between his fingers. His touch started gentle, then his fingertips began making light pinches your at nipples, causing pleasant stings and drawing quiet gasps from you each time.

His fingers moved, along the bare skin of your torso, leaving behind a trail of warmth until they met your pants, slipping down to cup your ass through the material. You hoped, with him pressing his body closer, that his lips would find yours again, but no such relief came to you. Instead, you felt his face pressing into the crook of your neck, the tickle of his breath against your skin as his hands roughly squeezed and groped at your backside.

“Fuck,” he breathed, searing hot against your skin. “How can you have an ass this good? It’s not legal.”

You felt him shift, hands gripping roughly at the side seam of your pants. The force of his pull pressed your body even closer to his. You imagined the muscles in his arms, his chest flexing with the effort. And then he jerked your body forward with his effort, twice, three times, until the sound of ripping came and Seokjin followed the tear down until the panels of your pant’s fabric hung open around your legs.

He repeated the same at the other side, grunting a couple of times as he pulled, until the material gave way and his destruction of your clothing was complete. He ripped away the ruined pants from your legs, letting them fall at your feet. You heard another noise that might have been him kicking them away.

Before you could even be shocked, his hands were immediately at your hips, easily ripping the side of your lacy panties apart. His groan was quieter this time, but you could hear the satisfaction in it, and again when he ripped apart the other side.

A quiet moment passed where all you could hear beyond the soft music in the background was Seokjin’s heavy breath, feeling it brush your neck. With your body still pressed against his chest, your hands itched at your sides to reach for him, to pull him into a kiss and collapse together onto the rug.

His hand slid from your hip, landing between your legs and cupping your mound. Then he paused. You knew your panties were damp, knew his fingers would be able to feel how wet he’d already made you. His testing touches and this display of savagery had been coursing its way through your body and this was the result.

His fingers flexed against you, pressing softly against your wetness. Then he pulled away your last destroyed garment in one swift motion. You were finally completely naked to him, all your clothes torn away by his hands. You felt oddly exposed, but it was a good feeling. You wanted him to see your body and you could guess from his actions that he wanted to see it.

He stepped away from you then and the quiet returned. You couldn’t hear anything beyond music, obviously couldn’t see. Was he just staring at you? Your nipples stiffened more, heart racing a little at the thought of him just watching you. You were still fuzzy on the rules. You were his property. Here only to follow orders. But did that mean you couldn’t speak? Couldn’t reach out to touch him as you pleased? And why had he stopped kissing you? You’d relished every time his pillow-soft lips met yours, found yourself craving the touch, the taste of his mouth.

“Tell me.” You heard his voice behind you now, felt a hand slip around your waist and pull you back against his broad chest. “Exactly what part of that made your pussy already drip for me?”

“All of it,” you panted. He didn’t turn your head this time, instead planting wet kisses along the back of your neck, painting his tongue across your skin as though you were a blank canvas.

One hand still resting at your hip, the other slid up the bare skin of your stomach, cupping one of your breasts. His fingers closed onto your nipple, giving it a soft pinch.

“So this pain?” he asked. He rolled your nipple between his fingers, lips barely leaving your skin as he spoke. He gave your nipple another pinch, a little harder this time, and a moan escaped your lips without your permission.

“I see,” he purred.

What were words? You only knew the sound of Seokjin’s breathing, the sounds of your own moaning as his hands toyed with your breasts. He squeezed the soft flesh of them, gently, roughly, gently again. And your nipples, oh god your nipples. You felt like an instrument, fine-tuned to the strokes of his fingers, squeezes that would’ve stung too much if done by anyone else. But by Seokjin, they only made pleasure hum through your body and ecstasy spill from your lips. He accompanied his hands with his mouth, leaving love bites all across your neck and shoulders.

With your body pressed so close to his you could feel you weren’t the only one enjoying themselves in this scenario. You ground your ass into his erection more than once, silently begging for his pants to disappear so you could savor everything underneath.

You slipped your hands behind you at some point, only meaning to touch. But he stopped you before you could reach your goal, a rough hand grabbing your wrist and wrenching it back to your side.

“Did I give you permission to put your hands on me?” His voice was so stern you could feel shameful heat flooding your cheeks.

“No, sir. I’m so sorry, sir.”

You heard a quick swipe of fabric, and then Seokjin’s hands were at your arms, adjusting your hands so that they lay clasped together against your chest. You felt a series of concentrated tugs, Seokjin’s hands moving quickly, but his moves delicate as he bound whatever the fabric was around your wrists.

And then he let go.

“How does that feel?”

You lowered your arms and found your wrists firmly pressed together. The position wasn’t uncomfortable, but with a little flex you could tell you weren’t getting out of whatever knot he had bound.

“It feels alright. Were you hiding rope in your back pocket?”

“It’s my tie, smartass. Since you can’t keep your hands to yourself, I’m taking them away from you. Touch me without my express permission again and you’ll regret it, angel.”

You winced, cursing your mouth for the millionth time. “Yes, sir. I’m sorry, sir.”

“You’re such an eager thing,” he said, body still pressed against you from behind. “The way you’ve been squirming, pressing those thighs together at the slightest touch.”

“Of course I’m eager,” you said, your voice a touch whinier than you meant. In your defense, you had been going mad for days and your capacity to resist any orgasmic relief was understandably small. “I want you. I want to come with you.”

“Oh?” he asked, and it felt as though you were a misbehaving student, his condescension clear. “You want release? Already? We’re only getting started.”

His hands were back at your breasts then, re-igniting your pleasure.

"Tell me more about what you want tonight, Y/N."

"You. I want you, sir." The press of his excitement against your ass was still driving you mad and, though he’d taken care of your hands, he didn’t stop your hips from pressing back desperately to meet him.

"Mm, and what do you want from me?"

"I want to please you. Feel your cock on my tongue. I want to feel you inside me."

A lone finger traced the curve of your breast and wound its way to the hollow of your throat. "How long has it been, hm? Your body's wound so tight."

"Too long. Please say that'll change."

Seokjin only hummed to himself. His hands were on your shoulders then and you felt a light downward pressure.

“On your knees for me, angel.”

With his hands guiding your movements you slowly lowered yourself to your knees. Now you were more than grateful for the addition of the carpet, soft fabric keeping the position from being uncomfortable.

You felt his hands leave you and a few moments later, the quiet tinkle of metal. You guessed he was back at his trunk, choosing whatever tool he planned to drive you mad with next.

“I’m going to try these on you and I want you to tell me if it’s too much, alright?” You lifted your head towards his voice as he reappeared in front of you. You wondered what he was planning, but nodded at his question all the same. Then yelped as a sharp sting hit your flank.

“Answer me when I ask you a question.”

“Yes, sir.” Why was it so arousing when he spoke to you that way? You bit your lip as if you could chase away the surge of heat shooting through you with the pain.

“Now, I don’t want you to move. If you’re a good girl for me, I’ll give you a reward. But if you can’t obey, I’ll have to punish you. Do you understand?”

You had so many questions. Were you meant to want the punishment? Did he really expect you not to move and for how long? And how difficult was he going to make the effort? But you bit back each one, determined to rein in some control over your tongue. “Yes, sir.”

You felt a hand cup your breast, Seokjin’s thumb circling your nipple in that agonizing tease that you loved and hated at the same time. Then you felt a much tighter pressure circling the tender nub of flesh. Your other breast was met with the same pressure, not uncomfortable, but definitely a squeeze. You couldn’t tell what material was causing the feeling.

“These are called tweezer clamps. They’re best for beginners because they’re easy to adjust and not too uncomfortable. I’ll go slow and you tell me when the pain crosses from enjoyable to too much.”

You heard the quiet scrape of metal against metal and the pressure on your nipple changed dramatically, from a gentle squeeze to a much tighter pinch. Your lips fell open at the pain, but you didn’t make a sound.

“Too much?”

“No," you swallowed. "I just wasn’t expecting it.”

He matched each nipple together, tightening them in subtle increments and pausing to gauge your reaction. Slowly, the pressure continued, the pinch of each slipping more and more to a slow burning pain. But it was more satisfying than anything. You caved at some point, moaning something incomprehensible, and felt his hands stop their adjustments.

“There good?”

You nodded, then before he could strike you again, you forced out the words. “Yes, sir. Yes.”

Seokjin’s hand brushed the top of your thigh.

“You really like these, hm? Look at your pussy, just drooling at the pain.”

You shuddered when his hand slipped between your thighs. You felt a single finger slipping along the lips of your wetness. He stroked it back and forth a few times, as if testing the feel of you. You wanted to squirm, to ground your over-sensitive nub against his hand. But you had a feeling if you moved even so much as an inch, he would make you regret it. You held firm, even as he added a second finger to run along your soaking skin.

When he grazed your clit you inhaled audibly.

“Yes?” His fingers stroked you again there and you swallowed a moan. God, could he please just fuck you already? You’d never met a man with whatever steadfast control Seokjin had. Anyone else would’ve already been buried in you to the hilt by now, but somehow the frenzy he made you feel wasn’t enough to push him to that step just yet and it drove you mad. You bit down on your tongue.

“No, no, pet," he cooed. "Let me hear you.”

His fingers focused on you then, swirling around at your sensitive clit. Your thighs shuddered, the clamps at your nipples swaying just enough to bring fresh swells of pain to marry the white hot heat he was generating between your legs. Your mouth betrayed you, moans spilling past your lips as he continued.

“That’s it, angel. Tell me how much you wanted this.”

“So much, sir. I’ve wanted your hands on my pussy all week.”

His fingers slid further between your legs then, circling your entrance lightly. Your body tensed, anticipating the relief of finally feeling him inside you. But the teasing went on, penetration just outside your reach. You wanted to scream.

“Please,” you whined instead.

“Mm. How desperate you look, my angel. Will you beg for it?” His finger dipped at your entrance, barely and only for a moment before he went back to his teasing circles. Your mind was shouting.

“Please put your fingers in me, sir. Please let me feel them inside me, I need it more than anything. Please.”

“And once they’re inside?” he challenged. He really was going to make you work for this the entire way. You flexed your bound fingers, desperate to grab hold of him, but knowing it would be a bad idea. But if Seokjin thought you were too demure to tell him exactly what you wanted, he had chosen the wrong woman.

“I want you to fuck me with your fingers, sir.”

Two of Seokjin’s fingers plunged into your depths. Your mind spun as he obliged your request, his movements slow at first while his thumb traced circles around your swollen bud. It was heaven, ecstasy that built steadily. Your thighs were shaking, partially from holding yourself up on your knees, but mostly because it was so hard not to grind yourself into his hand. You had to keep reminding yourself not to move, to let his hand do all the work.

But as his fingers sped, curling into you and grazing you in perfect places, sensibility was quickly leaving your mind. His other hand toyed with the clamps on your breasts, jolts of sweet pain quickening your quickly approaching release.

“Close?”

“Soclosesoclose.” The words came out a slur, your hips jerking forward into his hand, guiding his fingers deeper as the relief you have been denied for days finally came into view. Just a second more, just another stroke against your desperate clit.

Seokjin’s hand disappeared from between your legs.

“No, please,” you cried out. Your body sagged sideways, pussy aching as the swell of your orgasm receded.

“No? You asked me to fuck you with my fingers. You didn’t mention anything about coming.”

“You bastard,” you spat, then bit your lip, suddenly remembering your position in this play. “Sorry, sir. I just…you haven’t let me come for days.”

“You haven’t earned it, angel. And look at you now, still breaking my simple rules.” You felt warm, wet fingers at your neck, Seokjin smearing your own slick against your skin as he forced your body upright. The motion abruptly changed the angle of your nipple clamps, the sting radiating across your breasts.

“Now, I have to learn where your limit is. So be a good girl and don’t come until I say you can, alright? Can you understand that simple request, hm?”

You hesitated for a moment. What limit? But of course you knew you needed to comply.

“Yes, sir.”

And so you surrendered any last shred of your control, surrendered yourself to his whims. And Seokjin took full advantage of your surrender, burying his fingers into you over and over. His other hand took up your clamps, teasing out more pain little by little while his lips and teeth revisited their marked spots all along your neck.

And it was all scary and liberating and, oh god, your body was going to fall apart. You couldn’t take much more.

“You’re clenching so hard you’re going to take my fingers off, angel.”

“Pleaseletmecome.” The words drained out of you like an untapped faucet.

“Not yet,” he answered simply, and continued pulling you in the opposite direction, closer and closer to your end. His thumb circled your clit furiously and you knew there was no way you could stop it, your orgasm was right there, kicking down the door.

“Si..sir, please. Please, I can’t, please.” Your mind was split into two versions of yourself: the one that hated how pathetic you sounded and the other that loved that it was all for Seokjin.

“You will.”

But only a second later, just as the heat began to bubble over, his hand pulled away again. This time when your body slumped, it was against his chest. You didn’t care about any rules, couldn’t. Twice now you had been dragged to heaven, only to have the golden gates shut right in your face at the last second. Beyond frustrated, you screamed into his shirt and heard Seokjin’s chuckle in return.

“You have such a pretty scream,” he mused. You wanted to curse him. To tell him to go fuck himself. Instead, you only whimpered.

You felt wet fingers again, this time at your chin. Though you couldn’t see him, you knew he was lifting your face to his. You waited for his lips to meet yours, but this desire too he didn’t seem interested in indulging.

“If you’ll recall, you were quite adamant that you could handle any punishment I could dole out. You practically begged me to show you real pain. Is that still what you want?”

Moderately distracted from your dissatisfaction, your already sore nipples were more than enough confirmation for you. “Yes. Hurt me.”

“Careful,” he warned.

“Please punish me, sir.”

You heard him move from in front of you, but lost track of him for a few moments. Then his hand was beneath your bound wrists, helping you up from the carpet. Your legs felt weak, but you followed his guidance as he led you forward a few steps. You heard the sound of his couch, the leather-covered cushion deflating slightly as Seokjin sat on it.

His hands guided you down onto your stomach, your arms laid out in front of you and your backside up while you lay stretched across his lap. Your nipple clamps dangled just above the couch, gravity aiding the faint draw of pain.

A smooth hand slid across one of the cheeks of your ass.

“Tell me about what you like to be called,” Seokjin said. His fingers continued soothing strokes against your ass, the lull of his gentility soothing even as your folds ached for attention.

“I like angel,” you said.

“Pet?”

You hummed in agreement. If Seokjin was upset at your lack of verbal response, he didn't let on.

“Baby girl?”

Namjoon flashed across your mind’s eye with the use of that particular pet name. Seokjin must have sensed something uncomfortable in your reaction.

“But you're no girl. You're all woman, brilliant and sexy. And mine.”

“Yes, sir,” you obliged. “All yours, sir.”

“Whore?” It was a word you had never heard him say before. It sounded so dirty in his voice and you meant to tell him as much. And then his hand clapped down onto your ass with enough force to choke off your words. You yelped instead.

“Slut?” Another slap, though less shocking this time since you could expect it. You moaned instead, enjoying the sting of his hand.

“Mmm, you like those.” His hand returned to its gentle rubbing. “How about me? What do you want to call me?”

“Master?” you asked quietly, panting through the word. It had stuck out to you in his little book, traditional, but sexy.

“I don't know that I want to make a slave out of you. You might have to earn that one, angel.”

A few more swats against your cheeks were followed by gentle rubs. And then, suddenly and without warning, his fingers were back inside you, exploring your swollen cunt like an expert diver. Your hips bucked involuntarily, and then again when you felt pressure return to your clit. He was back to fingering you, pulling you towards the edge with speed like no other lover you’d ever had.

Your nipple clamps grazed against the couch with your squirming, pain and pleasure once against melting together as Seokjin built your orgasm stone by stone.

Then the pressure was gone, instead replaced by his wet hand slapping down hard onto your ass. Once. Twice. So many times you lost count and your body squirmed at the pain, at the loss of yet another orgasm. You were sure you were moaning, losing yourself in the heat of it.

Then it stopped, fingers slipping back into you as though they never left.

“Do you know how many hard-ons I had to hide this week because of you, angel? Because of this body and that filthy mouth of yours, hm?”

His thumb was circling your clit so slow, it was agonizing. But your mouth couldn’t form words to respond. You could feel the press of his current hard-on beneath your belly, but it was easily drowned out by the feel of his fingers and the burning heat of your abused bottom.

“I’ll be punishing you for each one.”

“I’ll be good,” you breathed, barely coherent. “I swear. Please.” He didn’t bother to ask what you were begging for.

You didn’t know how long he alternated between smacking your bottom to hell and dragging your orgasm back and forth. When his hand pulled away and he didn’t continue, your head lolled to the side. You licked your lips, finding a string of drool that had collected at the corner of your mouth.

“How do your hands feel?” he asked, voice more gentle than you’d heard it for the past…how long had it been?

You wiggled your fingers. “Fine. They don’t hurt or anything.”

“Good.” You felt something cool against your butt cheeks, hissing at the sting of the foreign object.

You felt it slap against your ass, back arching at this new texture of pain. His hands were one thing, but whatever he had switched to was stiffer and had more bite. You bit your lip, and hummed as he brought it down again.

And again.

And again.

And, dear god, it hurt so good.

“My filthy slut, you’re loving this aren’t you?” Seokjin’s rough voice felt like a satisfying scratch deep inside you. “Your dripping pussy clenches every time the paddle hits you.”

“Yesplease.”

Seokjin obliged your unspoken request and your world started to blur, mind dimming to only the points of pain at your body. Your breasts were aching, the clamps shaking with each burning hit of leather. And it was the most euphoric thing you had ever felt. Again and again, striking forces that bled together against your ass cheeks in blissful heat.

“You’re taking your discipline so well, angel,” he purred. His voice sounded muffled, drifting in from some far away plane. His swats never stopped and you realized you never wanted them to.

“Harder.” You couldn’t recognize your own voice, if words were even something that existed right now. You felt yourself teetering on the edge of some great discovery, some unknown force poised to pull you out of yourself and ascend your perception of pleasure to places unknown. You made another plea, the words garbled like a strangled noise, waiting for his paddle to strike your aching flesh, the burn of each sting like an electric charge inside you.

Instead you felt his hand, soft and so gentle, fingers brushing against your stinging skin. His strokes were comforting, though whatever new sensation you had been stumbling upon receded at this tender touch, scattering like sand in the wind.

Seokjin’s fingers grazed your dripping slit and his voice slowly drifted in. He spoke in gentle whispers, cooing words that sounded as though he had been speaking for a while, but unable to reach your ears. You strained your ears, felt the intense throbbing in your chest recede as his soft touch drifted back and forth.

“Seokjin…”

Saying his name felt like whistling into a breeze at the edge of a dream, one drawing you closer, calling you back to its embrace. His hands paused for a moment, then slowly he adjusted your body, repositioning you so that you sat up on his lap. He placed a hand at the side of your head, cradling you to his chest.

“I’m here, Y/N. Hey, how are you feeling?”

“Fucking great,” you breathed. You felt a light pressure at the back of your head and then the dim light of the room faded in as the silk of the blindfold was removed. Seokjin lifted your chin, staring at your eyes like he was studying them. You felt yourself smile, accepting that your memory was shit compared to the real thing. It was so good to see his face, to fall into those gorgeous eyes, like dipping into a mineral hot spring and coming out healed.

“Wow,” you said. It was all you could get out. God, he was so beautiful you wanted to cry.

“I’m going to go to the kitchen for just a moment, alright? Don’t try to move, just stay here. I'll be right back. Do you understand?”

“Yes, sir.”

He extricated himself from beneath you, carefully leaning you back against the couch cushions and adjusting your bound wrists to lay comfortably in your lap. He worked with delicate fingers, likely trying not to irritate the soreness you felt on your backside. But the pain was numb at best and you felt comfortable where you sat. You watched as he headed to another area of the apartment you’d never seen. The living room was quiet after that, save for the barely audible thrumming of Seokjin’s R&B playlist.

He returned a moment later as promised, slipping back beneath you and holding you in his lap.

“Drink for me.”

Cool water spilled in your mouth as he tipped the glass to your lips. Seokjin’s hand began stroking your hair, his cooing continuing while you drank. “Good girl, that’s my angel.”

When the glass was emptied he leaned across you and sat it on an end table, returning to holding you, his tenderness such a change from before that it left you a bit speechless.

“Y/N, you’ve never had anyone spank you like that before, have you?

“Never,” you shook your head then regretted it, a wave of dizziness settling between your eyes. “Uh, smack my ass during sex, yes. But not like that, nothing like that. That was incredible.”

“Are you sure you want to continue?”

“Yes, of course.” His concerns made the worries you had before the session suddenly resurface. “Did I do something wrong?”

“No, pet,” he said, pressing a soft kiss to your forehead. “It’s my job to take care of you and make sure you’re alright.”

You grinned at that. “I think kissing would help take care of me. Lots and lots of kisses.”

The half-smile that made your chest grow tight replaced the worry on his face. “Ah, there’s that smart mouth.”

His hand slipped from your head and down your side to grip your ass. You sucked in a breath at the sting of pain, eyelids fluttering at how good it felt.

Seokjin laid you back onto the couch carefully, hovering just above your body. His knee pressed between your legs, spreading them slightly as he focused on you, watching your reaction. Your eyes fell to the massive impression of his length beneath his pants. And you realized he was still fully clothed, shirt still buttoned, pants still on. You huffed, but didn’t bother to clarify the source of your frustration.

He leaned down, planting a soft kiss on your forehead, your cheek. But passed your mouth, kissing your throat instead.

“Kisses,” you whined petulantly.

“I like to think I treat my property well. You asked me for kisses, I’m giving you kisses.”

“On my lips!” you pouted.

“Yes, angel. I’m getting there.”

His mouth continued its trek down your body, until he was pressing a soft kiss against the inside of your thigh. Then he paused and you looked down to see him staring between your legs, that faraway look of hunger passing across his stare.

“Quite a mess down here,” he said, then laughed quietly. You huffed. As if it wasn’t completely his fault.

Seokjin lowered his head then and you felt the softest kiss against your lower lips, then another. He kissed up and down, the quietest wet noises meeting each one. You squirmed, anxious for more contact.

His head nudged your legs further apart and then you felt a jolt as his lips met your swollen bud. You breathed out heavy. He kissed it just a few more times, then down your slit, until you felt his tongue dart out at your entrance.

Once his tongue slipped inside you, you knew it was over. His nose brushed your clit every few seconds as his tongue drew slow circles inside you and your hips jerked at the touch each time. Each swipe drew that searing heat back down between your legs and you wanted to cry at the thought of him not letting it consume you.

When you supposed he had his fill of drinking you, you felt his tongue make its way back to your clit. He made agonizingly slow kitten licks and you were panting, whimpering at the stimulation. More, you needed more and he just wouldn’t let you go. You wanted so badly to reach down and put your hands in his hair, to shove his face forward and let him know how badly you needed him to continue.

You felt his hands against your thighs, pressing them further apart as if he was preparing for a feast. His tongue mercifully sped up then and you cried out in kind.

“Yesyesyes.”

Finally. You wished he would slip his fingers inside you, but this was enough. The pressure of his speeding tongue against your clit was enough and you were right back where he’d pulled you all night, right at the edge. You raised your hips to meet him, mouth hanging open as his tongue promised you release.

Seokjin took in a deep breath when he pulled away from you, as if he hadn’t breathed the entire time his mouth had been between your legs.

You collapsed back onto the couch, frustrated. You were angry and horny and this man was playing you like a battered violin, toying with each string at his leisure.

“Please…”

“Please what, my pretty angel?”

“Please let me come. Please put your fingers in me, your cock, anything, please, and let me fucking come.”

He had the nerve to only sound amused. “Is that still what you want? Release?”

“You know it is, you motherfucker,” you hissed.

His tongue was back on your clit, fingers teasingly spreading your folds. But no finger met your aching hole, only circling the wetness just outside your entrance.

Oh god, that tongue. You were going to come with his tongue swirling against your clit while you clenched around nothing. It didn’t matter. This time, this time.

He pulled away and the scream that ripped from your throat was inhuman.

“Your body is so easy to read,” he said and you could hear the smile in it.

“Please,” your voice was hoarse, body shaking. “I can’t take anymore, dear god, please.”

At the edge of your vision you saw him move, felt his pressure on the couch shift him from between your legs. His hands were at your bound ones then, pulling you up into a sitting position. He stroked a gentle hand across your forehead and had the nerve to smile at you. And suddenly you were reminded of the last time you’d been at his apartment, when he’d been about to slip his fingers into you and then sent you home.

You whined, pouting your lips in a desperate attempt at garnering his pity. You wouldn’t be able to obey if he sent you home this way. You would go mad if you didn't come.

After being forced to touch yourself for half the week, no release in sight, you were ready to burst. If this was it. After all this cruel teasing, if he had the audacity to make you go home again with no satisfaction. Well, that must be a fate worse than death.

His hands adjusted your body, pulling you onto his lap and straddling your knees over one of his thighs. The clamps on your nipples shook with your movements, and the pain they caused only made your ache even deeper. He stared at you, looking so pleased with himself that you wanted to hit him. Your hands may have still been bound with his tie, but you believed you could still find the strength to knock him into next week.

“So you want to come?”

“Yes…please…” You leaned forward, pressing your face against his shoulder and bringing your lips closer to his ear. “Please, sir. Please be kind to me, I’ve been so good, please,” you begged. You would do anything he asked, anything, if he would just let you.

“Go on then. Come.”

You sat up, thoroughly confused. “What?”

Seokjin’s grin was a little unkind, showing more of his teeth as he leaned his forehead against yours, eyes challenging you to look away. “Grind that pussy into my thigh and make yourself come.”

You blinked. There was no way he was serious.

“Is that what would please you, sir? Watching me get off on your leg?” He didn’t respond, expression still smug. “Maybe you’d rather-”

You yelped a little when his hands were suddenly in your hair, pulling you aside roughly, his mouth placing a not-so-tender bite against your neck. His words felt like steam as he spoke them against your skin, hot and sticky.

“What would please me is if you’d do exactly as I’ve asked, angel.”

He let go of your hair, hands slipping down to rest on either side of your hips.

“You’re still not allowed to touch me without permission," he said coldly. "And no kissing.”

You whined, leaning forward against him again. “Please,” you whimpered into his neck. “Pleasepleaseplease. I’ve been a good girl, I’ve been so good for you, sir.”

“Yes, baby. And this is your reward. Now you’re going to roll that pretty pussy against me so you can finally come like you’ve been begging to all night.”

Baby? That one definitely hadn’t been on his list of names from earlier.

It felt a little demeaning, being forced to make yourself come this way. But the way he watched you. The way he held his tongue between his teeth. Here you were, used to drawing the desire out of others, teasing them without any promise of release. And now, as if in retaliation for all the unsatisfied hard-ons you’d caused, here was Seokjin, denying you your own longing every step of the way in the most satisfying way possible.

You rolled your hips forward without hesitation. Your wetness met the soft cloth of his pants, the smooth glide surprising. And stimulating. And you supposed the firm pressure of his thick thigh helped a bit as well. You pressed forward again and then again, savoring the feel of his body between your legs. You closed your eyes, concentrating on the sensation. If he was really going to make you come this way, you were going to take it for all it was worth.

“Tell me what you're thinking," he says, voice quiet.

“About you.” His fingers gripped your chin firmly, jerking your head up. You opened your eyes, met his own just inches away. They looked so dark behind the soft line of his eyelashes, the coffee brown deepened to an almost inky black.

“Look at me when I’m talking to you.” You didn’t look away, holding his eyes this time.

“About you watching me while I get off on your thigh.”

“I already know you love being watched.”

“About how I wish you were touching me. I'd give anything to feel your hands.” You'd meant his cock. You could feel it against your thigh each time you rolled forward. Fuck, you would give anything to feel it buried between your legs right now.

“Even if it was more of me punishing you?”

“God, yes,” you moaned and kept up your grind.

“You enjoy being treated like that, like a toy strictly for my pleasure. Like my rag doll.”

“Yes.” The heat was already coiling just below your stomach.

“You want that from me? To fuck you raw and toss your body around until you’re bruised and whimpering?”

Your eyes rolled shut. “Yes, yes, please.”

You yelped when his leg bounced between your thighs, the sweet pressure making your thighs squeeze closer together.

“Beg for it. Beg me to fuck you while you rub that dirty pussy on my leg like the needy little slut you are.”

You were starting to feel a little light-headed and his words weren’t helping at all. You slid forward a little more, pressing your body closer to his. You wanted to be as close as possible, dragging your clit back and forth across him like this.

“I want you to be rough with me, sir, please. Please use my body however you want. I want to feel your cock deep inside me.”

“You want to be my cock whore, hm?” His hands slipped to your hips, drawing your body even closer. The clamps on your breasts brushed against his chest and you moaned at the stimulation.

“I want you to fuck me so hard I forget my name.”

“You know what was hottest for me? Watching you come all over my hand. That pussy of yours can’t resist being controlled, can it? You get wet just at the thought of doing what I say, hm?”

You bit your lip. You wanted him to kiss you so badly. You clenched against the firm muscle of his thigh, trying desperately to hold yourself back from nudging up his chin and just taking up those lips. You wanted to, god you wanted to. But then he might not let you come and that fate would be so much worse.

“Kiss me,” you plead instead. You knew the mess between you was growing worse and worse. Yet another pair of his pants stained by you. But maybe that was one of his kinks too.

“You heard my rules,” he said simply.

You leaned forward, the height of your orgasm mounting. You were so close to the plump of those lips, just a little more and you could have them. It was so hard to hold back, your mouth was desperate for the connection. Just one kiss and you knew that would be enough to drag you over.

“Oww!”

You cried out in pain as his hand yanked you by your hair, pulling you sideways away from his mouth. The force as he tugged your hair threw off your movement, shifting your body slightly. Without your arms to help, you lost your balance and slid across his lap. Just enough, you found, to leave your soaking heat poised just against the curve of his thick cock.

You didn’t move your hips, instead looking up into Seokjin’s eyes. He gave away nothing, a stone wall that he was daring you to knock down. But the feel of him pressed against you gave you courage to rise to the challenge.

You rolled your hips, grinding your clit against his still clothed erection. You didn’t take your eyes away from his, silently bracing yourself for another sudden, punishing pain. You ground in again. But no pain came. Seokjin stared back into your eyes, unreadable. But he didn't stop your movements.

So you spread your legs a little further and committed, rubbing your swollen nub against him. And somehow it was more intoxicating, the feel of his cock against your sensitive labia, the rub against the soft cloth of his pants somehow more stimulating just knowing that the hardness you’d dreamt of all night was just beneath. You heard your breathing rising in your chest, felt the knot inside you tighten more and more.

And after a few moments, you saw his nostrils flare and you would swear you felt his cock twitch against you.

He was harder than stone. Leaning back comfortably into the couch cushions, he had a full view of you rubbing yourself against him. His hands slid down the sides of your thighs and around, grabbing rough fistfuls of your sore backside and pulling you back and forth, enhancing the ardency of your movements.

Some shred of obedience still within you as you lost your mind in all other aspects, you followed his rules. Though you wanted to grip his shirt, you didn’t touch. Though you wanted to devour his mouth, you didn’t lean into his lips. Instead you leaned forward against his chest, pressing your face into his neck. And you moaned, dear god you moaned. You wanted him to hear your desperation, your need as close as possible. You wanted him to know exactly when you would come apart on his cock.

He honed in a few slaps against your ass, the clamps on your nipples registering as they rubbed against his shirt. You licked your lips at some point, realizing you had been drooling against his skin, his neck damp with it. And you listened as Seokjin’s breath hitched up, almost imperceptible at first, then louder, more labored as he guided your hips to move faster, made your stroke deeper.

Your brain was so far gone you almost didn’t hear it. But being so close to his mouth, your ear picked up the sound. Quietly, a moan escaped Seokjin’s lips. You felt a blazing surge of heat shoot through to your core, your grinding hips spurred on by the sound.

"Seo-"

His name disappeared in your throat, swallowed by the intense pain of his hands gripping your tender ass. He was helping to drive the movements of your hips, speeding your ride in his lap. His cock twitched beneath your folds, his lips parted.

He seemed to realize you were looking at him and bent forward, sinking his teeth into your neck hard. It made you yelp, made the sweet press of pain against you draw your body closer to the edge. You were going to snap. Your body was going to break.

“You’re close.”

“Yes.” Your voice sounded so far away, the bubble between your legs just moments from bursting.

“I want to watch you fall apart for me,” he purred into your ear, biting the earlobe before leaning back. His pupils were blown so wide you saw yourself in them, drowning in the warm sea of his desire. With one hand still gripping your rocking hips, the other reached down to one of the clamps on your nipple. He gave it a hard tug and the pain shot through you like a lightning bolt. You felt yourself on the precipice, seconds from toppling over the side.

“Soak my cock, angel,” he said, whisper-quiet and punctuated by one more tug on the clamp.

And so you fell.

Your moans came out staccato, your body shuddering as the force of your orgasm careened into you. And Seokjin hadn’t let go of the clamp, in fact his hand had let go of your hip and grabbed the other one, tugging them both just enough to add a satisfying burn of pain to your pleasure.

“Good girl, you're my good girl, beautiful,” he cooed.

Your body trembled against his chest as pleasure rolled over you in waves, slowly receding. You whimpered as it subsided, the burn that had been building in you for days finally sated, though not completely satisfied. You could still feel him between your legs, the solid impression of his still-clothed stiff cock pressed against your absurdly wet folds. And the desire for more, to bury his length deep inside you still lingered at the edge of your temporarily appeased hunger.

“You're going to be so sore in the morning.”

You were sore now, you thought, but didn’t have the drive to say the words. You leaned forward against his chest and heard the wet noises of your release, smiling to yourself.

He’d asked you to soak his cock and you’d drowned it. You made a deep mental note to get him the number to your dry cleaner.

Seokjin’s hands slid around your waist, holding you close against him. He kissed the top of your head, your forehead, and finally, after all your yearning, your lips. You drank him in like spring water, the sweet attention refreshing.

“You feel alright?” He asked, barely parting from your lips to speak.

You gave a weak nod and pressed forward, taking another deep gulp from his lips. He didn’t argue, didn’t pull away. Just returned your kiss like he was just as parched. Perhaps not kissing you all night had been as much of a denial for him as it had for you.

Still, they weren’t the hungry kisses you had been indulging in all week. These felt different, like a soothing salve to the burn between you. You weren’t sure how long you both sat there, your legs still spread across his lap, his hands cradling the back of your head, just kissing.

When he finally pulled away, it felt like an age had passed. You stared up into eyes that looked as disappointed about stopping as you felt. But his hands went between you to your wrists, quickly unknotting the tie around then until it fell off onto the couch beside you both. Then he took a moment to unfasten the little clamps from your nipples. They felt sore even with the little bits of metal off, but you were a little relieved for the pressure to be gone now that you'd had your fill.

Seokjin leaned your body up, adjusting your legs so that he could scoop an arm underneath them. With easy strength, he lifted your body and stood from the couch. Holding you like a princess, he began crossing the room.

He carried you down the apartment's hallway and into what could only be a bedroom. You could make out the bed, the room only lit by a small bedside table lamp. But before you could tilt your head to look past him to see more you were in a different room, all white tiles and pale wooden cabinets.

He stood you upright, but held you leaning against his body. Taking your hand he bent you forward, dipping your fingers into the steaming water of an enormous bathtub.

“Too hot?”

“No," you mumbled because it was all you could manage. "It feels nice.”

You watched him reach past you and toss something into the water. It began to fizz and you realized it was a bath bomb as deep notes of lavender and sweet musk began to fill the room.

“Can you stand?”

You leaned away from him. Your body ached, but you felt just fine. Not that you were complaining about the way he was spoiling you, but you were a big girl.

You nodded and Seokjin’s hands went to his pants. You finally noticed the enormous stain at his lap, turning the pants an impossibly deeper, shiny black. He stripped them off and then his hands reached for his shirt. You watched as his fingers paused at the top button, his eyes flicking to you for a brief moment.

What was that about? Was there really any cause for either of you to be shy now? You had just dry humped him into oblivion.

If he’d had any reservations they were gone quickly. He tossed his shirt on top of his discarded pants, leaving him bare save for his logo-emblazoned boxer-briefs. But apparently he planned to leave those on. You tried to burn the image of him wearing barely anything into your mind, the dark color of his nipples, the outlines of his ab muscles. But it seemed to fall through like so much water through open hands. He stepped into the enormous tub, holding out a hand for yours to follow.

You stepped into the warm water and Seokjin lowered you both into the tub, sitting behind you and placing you between his legs. He leaned you back against his chest, pressing a kiss against the top of your head.

“You were great tonight, beautiful. You listened so well.”

His hands slid up your arms to your shoulders and began making gentle massaging motions.

“Did I hurt you at all? Was anything overwhelming?”

“You were…phenomenal, Seokjin,” you breathed, relaxing into his hands.

You felt the rise of his chest pause just long enough for you to notice before it resumed. He kissed the top of your head.

“Beautiful.”

He held you there for a long while, hands moving about your body and massaging your muscles as though he could keep any ache at bay with his hands. At least he made an amazing effort at it, working out knots from your shoulders, arms, and thighs.

“You know I won’t do anything you’re uncomfortable with. Any time you use your safe word, I’ll stop.”

“I know. I trust you.” It had become more intimate each time you said the words.

“You're absolutely breathtaking.” Another kiss, this time just below your ear.

“And what about you? Did you enjoy yourself?” you asked. It buzzed in the back of your mind that, yet again, he hadn’t come himself. You were beginning to think he never wanted to.

You could feel Seokjin’s lips land against the back of your head.

“I couldn’t have asked for anything more.”

You wondered at that. At this point you knew you wouldn’t trade the events of the evening for anything else. It had been exciting and sensual in ways you had never known and, as you predicted, Seokjin had been wonderful throughout, guiding you and taking care of you at every step.

But that still didn’t explain the lack of sex. You chewed a little at your bottom lip. It was a dangling tease for you, considering he knew how badly you wanted him. And clearly his plan was to keep it from you as long as he liked, perhaps with your needy desire in mind. But instead of bothering you or leaving you unsatisfied, his withholding only increased your desire to continue this exploration. Sex was great, but the levels of pleasure he had been able to take you to while remaining fully clothed were on another plane of passion. You could be patient over a cock.

But what about Seokjin? You wanted to touch him, to bring him pleasure just as much. And he wasn’t devoid of desire either. Not only had he been ready to bury his cock in you earlier that very day, but you knew he was affected by the evening. Even now you could feel his swollen cock pressing against the base of your spine. But you considered. He was clearly after something else. The power and control he exercised over you, perhaps that was pleasure enough for him. For now.

His fingers continued working magic on your body, releasing tension from your head you had no idea was there. He peppered kisses to your head, your temples as he worked. At one point you felt your eyes opening, catching yourself right at the edge of drifting to sleep. Soon after you heard Seokjin’s gentle voice shake you from whatever trance you had been drifting into.

“It’s definitely been over three hours, angel. Where’s your alarm?”

“Oops. Guess I forgot.”

“Come on, let's get you home.”

He helped you up out of the bath. Your body still felt sore, a dull ache in your muscles and the skin of your ass still tender. But the hot soak and the massage had definitely helped. He reached up into a cabinet and pulled out some towels, helping you dry off and wrapping one around his waist.

You watched him reach elsewhere and then cup your cheek in his hand, wiping at your face with a damp, soft cloth.

A makeup wipe, you realized, suddenly embarrassed. He’d been calling you beautiful this whole time when you probably looked an absolute mess, makeup smudged and eyeliner run. His hands were careful as they worked, his lips pursed in concentration until he was satisfied.

Taking your hand he walked you out into the bedroom you’d passed before. The bed was enormous, but beyond that, in the low light, you couldn’t make out too many details of decor.

“Here,” he said, handing you a t-shirt and a pair of shorts with a drawstring. Right, you suddenly remembered. You had no clothes. He had torn yours to shreds like a wild animal.

You laughed to yourself while you took the clothes from his hands, then focused on slipping them on without falling over. Part of you wanted to talk about his apparent kink of destruction. But it was too difficult to form words for now, so that too you tucked into the back of your mind.

Seokjin had pulled on a t-shirt and shorts of his own. He made his way back to you and put a hand at your hip, gently guiding you out of the room. You gave it one last glance, wondering exactly what all you’d need to do to earn the right to be in there. Though you supposed, in time, you’d find out.

“It’s late and I know you've got to feel drained,” he said once you were back in the living room, though his hand never left your hip. “Do you want me to call you a ride?” His eyes softened. “Want me to drive you?”

“No, no, I'll be fine. I’m not super far.”

“Alright,” he said, stepping away from you. “Hang on, before you go…” His words trailed off and he held up a finger before heading off to what you now knew was the kitchen. He returned a second later with a full glass of orange juice, holding it up to you.

“Go on,” he urged. “The simple sugars will be good for you.”

You knocked back the glass under his watchful eye until it was empty. He nodded, looking pleased before taking it from you and sitting it on a side table and then returning to you.

“Still so good at taking orders,” he chuckled. You smiled, carding through your mind for a retort. But your thoughts felt slow for some reason, so you said nothing.

He pressed a gentle kiss against your forehead, then one against your lips. Then another, this time longer. Unable to resist the temptation you met his kisses, taking long, deep draws on his lips. It was uncanny the way you both seemed drawn to each other’s mouths, as though you’d never kissed before. Though, you’d certainly never been kissed the way Kim Seokjin kissed you, like he drew his very life force from your mouth. It was intoxicating.

Eventually he had you pressed against the wall at the mouth of his entryway, just like so many times before. As though he were making up for a night full of missed kisses, he was unrelenting on your mouth. You would swear by the end you would know the shape of his tongue.

His body pressed into yours and you felt it then, his unsatisfied erection returned against your thigh. But this time your hands acted before you could caution them to behave. You cupped his cock between your fingers, enjoying the feel of his impressive length, the thickness of it under your hand. Need rekindled inside you, roaring from a low flame to a raging fire in a second.

“Mmm.” Seokjin groaned into your mouth, pressing you further back against the wall. A moan followed, his hips pressing forward and grinding into your hand.

“Ah,” he said suddenly, hand circling your wrist to stop you while he pulled away. Pinning your hand to your side, he pressed his forehead against yours, "Shit, you make me crazy."

You wanted him to give in to the crazy. You wanted to tell him as much, but your mouth wouldn’t form the words. You smiled instead, wiggling the fingers of your trapped hand to show they were willing to continue.

"Listen, I went easy on you tonight, but there's always a danger of your hormones screwing with you after a session. I want you checking in with me, alright? Keep texting me after you get home until you fall asleep. Video call me if you start to feel sad or strange in general."

You nodded at his instructions, suddenly feeling a little overwhelmed. Your eyelids fluttered, an abrupt wave of exhaustion hitting you.

Before you could blink it away, Seokjin had already reached forward, pulling you to his chest.

“Alright, I’m driving you home.”

You didn’t remember much of the car ride to your place, only the comforting feel of Seokjin’s arm around your waist and your body molded against his chest. It was a comfortable fit in his little, blue sports car, the interior lending itself to closeness.

You drifted to sleep a couple of times, lulled by the quiet purr of the engine and the scent drifting from Seokjin. The mingled smell of his cologne and the fragrance of the bath bomb made you feel warmer, comfortable.

"Y/N, we're here."

You sat up at Seokjin's voice, eyes flying open. You had slipped back into the passenger seat somehow and he was standing at your door, holding out a hand to help you out of the car.

"Thank you, boss," you mumbled, reaching for him and pulling yourself out of the car.

“Let me walk you up?” he asked, a steadying hand on your shoulder.

“I’m fine, I promise," you said, trying to be reassuring. Instead, your voice just sounded tired. "Just need sleep.”

“Alright," he said, though it sounded like he didn't want to agree. "Promise me you’ll eat something first, even if it’s just a cereal bar or something, okay?”

You nodded, unable to find the energy to speak anymore. He held you for just a moment longer, studying your face. Then leaned down and pressed a soft kiss against your temple.

A bud of a thought sprang up somewhere deep in your mind, but it was all you could do to keep standing, exhausted as you were. Seokjin let you go, stepping back next to his car and lifting his chin in the direction of your building, urging you to head inside.

You stared at him, trying to get whatever thoughts were hiding to come forward, but your mind was too slow. Instead, you turned away from him and headed inside your apartment building, spacing out for the entire elevator ride up before finally making it through your front door.

Food, you thought. Seokjin had made you promise to eat food. Tossing your purse onto your couch, you wandered into your kitchen and scooped out a palmful from a bag of granola in the first cabinet you reached and tipping half of it into your mouth.

Bath. It felt like so long ago, but you remembered you were planning to take a long, hot bath at the end of the day. And the bath with Seokjin, though relaxing, hadn’t exactly been one focused on scrubbing yourself clean.

You bargained with yourself, shoving the rest of the handful of granola into your mouth and dragging your exhausted body to your bedroom. A hot shower when you woke up would work just as well.

As you slid into your sheets and used your last bit of energy to click off your bedside lamp, you heard the chime of your phone. With effort you didn't have, you pulled it next to you and swiped open your messages.

Seokjin: Did you eat something?

You fought against your eyes as they threatened to fall shut even as your brain slowly translated the meaning of the words.

Y/N: grnla

Seokjin: How are you feeling?

Y/N: sleep

Seokjin: Sweet dreams, beautiful. I’ll call you in the morning.

Had you responded at all? Feelings bubbled just out of your reach, urging you to say something more, though you couldn’t grasp onto any words. The bud in your brain slowly began to flower, a vague regret for not asking him to stay and keep holding you like he had in the bath, to press you into his chest the way he had in the car. The memory of his arms felt strangely comfortable, like a home you had never known, but longed to return to. Your emotions rocked in a steady wave as a heavy blanket of sleep cocooned its way around you. And deep in your subconscious you would swear you felt your phone slipping from your fingers, forgotten somewhere between the tangle of your sheets.

“I was right!” Jihye said, leaning against your desk and looking quite smug, as though she’d sleuthed some great mystery. “Who the hell are you seeing that you won’t even tell us?”

“Oh my gosh, Y/N,” Ara said, joining Jihye in her excitement. “How long have you been seeing them? Oh, these are so pretty!”

“You guys, it’s not exactly…” What could you say? Nothing, really. It’s not as if you were actually dating someone. And as much as you didn’t mind sharing with your other friends, you couldn’t exactly explain your complicated situation to your co-workers. “Listen, I’ll talk about it when I’m ready, alright?”

“Uggh, get ready quick, girl,” Jihye groaned. “You've been single so long I'm starting to miss the gossip about your ex.”

“Morning all.” You looked towards the front of your desk to see Seokjin walking up, iced coffee in hand. He caught your eyes, holding them for a moment before smiling at your co-workers and launching into conversation. Quickly their attention was diverted away from you and your flowers. You sat the card on your desk and took a seat, staring at Seokjin’s back while he leaned against the divider between Jihye and Ara’s desks. The two of them were laughing at some joke you’d missed, but you couldn’t pull your focus away from your manager, brain still absorbing what had happened. Your eyes traced over him, the deep black of his suit stretching on forever across his endless shoulders and cutting in just right to enhance his narrow waist.

Jihye's signature snorting laugh finally broke your gaze. You took another look at the card and flowers, biting your lip to keep yourself from smiling. It was adorable. Almost…romantic? And though they clearly represented his regret more than his love of timeless poetry, you felt yourself a little charmed by the gesture.

“We should do one-on-ones this morning, yeah? Jihye, you want to come on in first and catch me up?” Off at full speed, Seokjin didn’t miss a beat in getting the morning started. Thankfully your flowers seemed to be forgotten by both ladies, the subtle, sweet, floral scent of them brushing against your senses as you settled into your desk and brought up your day's tasks.

You waited as one-by-one your co-workers shuffled into Seokjin's office, with Ara going next, and Yoongi asking to go ahead of you so he could get to an appointment on time. Seokjin’s door remained open throughout as it always did, though his desk was placed far enough inside that any discussion was indiscernible.

Every two weeks or so, Seokjin made sure to spend a few minutes with each of you, longer if any of you needed. It helped him get a status on your assignments and assist you with anything you might be struggling with, as well as offer his expertise in your strategies and do a general check-in to make sure his employees had everything they needed to be productive and happy. It had always furthered your impression of him as the blueprint for a great manager, and as you added a few reminders to your calendar and appreciated the faint perfume of rose and tulip, you wondered if he worked so hard to make everyone in his life feel valued and cared for, employees, sexual partners, and all.

When it was your turn at last, you scooped up your tablet and headed inside his office. Floor-to-ceiling windows filled the room with morning sunlight, illuminating Seokjin like a character from a movie. It highlighted the sheen of his dark hair and cast a perfect shadow on the faint dimple at the edge of his half-smile as he watched you approach.

“Anything in particular you need to talk about?” he asked as soon as you sat down. It seemed Seokjin was in full business mode by the time you reached him. He was already peering through his wire-rimmed glasses at his computer screen, quickly scrolling through one of your recent reports.

“No, things have been going well from my perspective,” you said, making yourself comfortable in your chair. “Did you have any notes?”

Despite recent distractions, the prior day had allowed you plenty of time and concentration to catch up on your to-do list and you felt confident in what you’d produced. Jieun was right; you’d never professed your love for accounting. But it came to you too naturally to downplay your skill at it.

“I have to say, I’m impressed with what you’ve done for Toro Han Inc.," he said. “They’ve been one of my team’s most difficult clients for years.” You realized then that the file he had pulled up was the project you’d pored over for weeks and finally ironed out only a fortnight ago. You were proud of the work and Seokjin’s praise would certainly lend to your preening over a job well done.

“Their portfolio is usually a disaster by the time I get eyes on it.” He pointed a finger at the screen, shaking it as if almost in disbelief. “And this is one of the best allocation plans you’ve ever come up with. You’ll save Mrs. Han at least 12% on her operating costs alone.”

You nodded. “It did take me a while to unravel, but I think she’ll be pleased at our next quarterly.”

Seokjin slipped off his glasses, laying them against the lacquered wood of his desk. His eyes softened into that genuine look he sometimes gave, like he was the proudest father at a spelling bee.

"I wasn't joking about employee of the year, you know. I can only fill out one managerial ballot, but I'll press real hard on the pen when I sign,” he finished with a chuckle.

You returned a polite laugh of your own, though your heart wasn’t really into the thought. The title didn’t really mean much to you, just another thing to pad your resume with. Still, if he insisted, you'd gratefully accept the recognition.

“Thank you for the flowers, by the way,” you said quietly, leaning forward a little in your seat. You didn’t want Sooyoung or anyone to overhear, but you thought it best to mention it now before the workday inevitably got away from you both. He leaned forward slightly to join your conspiratorial posture, laying his arms against the top of his desk.

“You don’t need to thank me for apology flowers,” he said, lowering his voice to an almost whisper. “I still have a huge deficit to recoup. Eighty percent is hardly up to my standards.”

“Hm,” you considered, making a show of pressing a thoughtful finger to your chin. “Eighty-one percent."

“Oh, already? Boy, I’m moving fast. Nineteen more bouquets then?” He winked.

"It's more for the poem than the flowers. It was…" You trailed off, stopping yourself from saying any of the words that crossed your mind: Romantic. Sweet. Attentive. And lucky.

"I took a Shakespeare course in college for an elective. His sonnets are some of my favorite writing."

"Accountant extraordinaire and a poetry buff besides. What else can you do, Wonder Woman?"

You bit your lip, thoughts shifting forward to the night ahead of you. You had no idea what Seokjin had prepared for your first official session in your new roles, but clearly both of you had been looking forward to it all week. Part of you wondered what would be the harm in continuing the build-up between you. And another part, likely the much more sensible employee part, knew you should be up and back to your desk as soon as you could.

"Like I said before, I have many skills,” you said, sensibility be damned. “I'm open to give you a demonstration, if you’d like.” You were more than ready to show him what you could do, if he would let you.

Seokjin quirked an eyebrow, as if he hadn’t been prepared for anything suggestive. But he went along with you, his voice still a hushed whisper when he asked, "Like what exactly?"

You glanced cautiously back at the door, shifting your weight forward to make sure your body blocked the space between you from any prying eyes. You lifted his hand from where it rested on his desk and pulled it forward until you had raised a finger to your lips. He leaned toward you with the effort, still looking a little surprised, but made no move to stop you. You gave his fingertip a gentle kiss, meeting his eyes for a moment before darting out your tongue and wetting it. Using the moisture, you slid his innocent finger past your lips. Your tongue glided along the bottom, caressing the bend of each knuckle. You gave him a light, playful bite before continuing until his entire finger rested inside your mouth, massaging the flesh with your tongue, sucking with a firm but gentle pressure.

You watched the skin of his neck flush a gentle pink before going a little redder, the color gliding its way up his skin like slowly shifting watercolor paint.

Slowly, you slid the finger from your mouth, letting your tongue flick against the tip one more time before setting it back onto the top of his desk. He didn’t seem eager to pull it back just yet, eyes still heavily focused on you. Your lips in particular.

You grinned, nodding at his hand. There was a damning smudge of your lipstick at the base of his finger that you didn't want him to miss. His eyes followed yours down and then looked back up at you, back to your mouth. His own lips twitched, slightly parted as though he was fighting against what he wanted to say.

"It’s even more effective on a sensitive target." You held his eyes, punctuating the sentiment with a quick lick of your lips. “Maybe sometime soon I can give you that experience. If you'll let me.”

“Has your mouth always been so desperate?” There was a ragged weight to his tone and a darkness in his eyes that hadn't been there before, as though your teasing had been enough to pull him down to a baser level.

“Only for big things.” You watched the corner of his mouth twitch, his smirk deepening a little more. You wondered how quickly you could shut his door, how fast he could have your pants on the floor. Fuck waiting for tonight, you thought. He swallowed thickly, looking like he might just give in this time.

“You and I need to…” Seokjin paused for an uncomfortable beat, his tone entirely changed when he continued, face quickly smoothing into a much more neutral expression. “…call Mrs. Han’s lawyer today. I still have a couple of questions about the estate contract that I’d rather we clarify now before you finish and submit her portfolio.”

Seokjin cleared his throat, eyes darting behind you. You leaned back in your chair, trying your best to look casual to whoever was standing in his doorway.

“Sorry to interrupt,” a distinguished voice you recognized as CEO Min spoke behind you. You tensed for a moment, unsure of what he might've heard, might've seen. But quickly composing yourself, you turned in your seat and greeted him with a polite nod and a smile.

“Not at all, we were just finishing up,” Seokjin said. CEO Min remained in the doorway, daylight glinting across silver strands in his dark hair. You turned back to face Seokjin, not sure whether you should excuse yourself. He didn't give you any social cues, his eyes focused on the company head. But you could still see the hint of red as it slowly faded from his neck. You suppressed a smile.

“No need to cut things short. I couldn’t get through to your secretary and decided I needed to get away from my desk for a little while. Just wanted to let you know that you’re joining my meeting with the Shibuya office at two and I’ll need to brief you about some changes during lunch.”

As you watched, a subtle tension crept into Seokjin’s shoulders, the flex in his neck muscles so slight you thought you might’ve imagined it. But his face didn’t betray the reaction.

“Aye, aye, captain. I'll be there.”

That seemed to be it for their conversation as you listened to the CEO’s footsteps head away. Guiltily you met Seokjin’s eyes, offering him a smile you hoped showed your apology. Once again your hormones had gotten the best of you. Even though there was something about Seokjin that ratcheted up your daring, you promised yourself you would rein things in like he’d asked. If you couldn’t respect not only the general workplace, but also the rules Seokjin had set in place, it was only going to be a matter of time before the two of you were caught. A quick fuck couldn’t be worth the loss of everything you’d worked for, even for a man like Seokjin.

Determined to make good on your thoughts, you rose from your seat. “Done with me, boss?”

Seokjin hesitated, his eyes coming back from somewhere far off. But as his gaze refocused, his smile returned and he nodded. “For now.”

You glanced down at his still stained hand one more time and then turned and headed back to your desk.

Once you reached your seat, you closed your eyes for a moment and took a few deep breaths. This was getting ridiculous. You were an adult with self-control and patience. In less than twelve hours you and Seokjin could indulge in whatever sordid affairs you chose to. And yet the temptation was too great, the taste of the forbidden too strong to resist. You opened your eyes but took a few more calming gulps of air. Then you settled back into your cubicle and defiantly clicked on your computer screen, determined to smother your hormones by drowning them in spreadsheets.

What was it about this man that had driven you so far? A month ago you couldn't have imagined risking so much, teetering on such a dangerous line that might cost you everything you'd worked for. So why were you so willing to throw caution to the wind for him? You imagined how many times you both should've been caught by now.

You chanced a glance towards his office. He was still at his desk, glasses back on his face as he blinked at his monitor, fingers at his lip. One look at that perfect profile and you knew exactly why. Because it was fun. Because you were bored, and he was so goddamn beautiful. Because no one had made you feel this engaged, this desired, this kind of smoldering heat in as long as you could remember.

As usual, you threw yourself into your work, shutting out your personal thoughts and focusing on what needed to be done. The time for self-indulgence would come soon enough, you consoled inside your head.

But not long passed until you were confronted with your desire once more. Seokjin was in front of your desk again, though standing a reasonable distance away.

“Y/N, if you're not in the middle of something else, let's head to Delta and get this conference call out of the way. As you heard, I won’t have time this afternoon and the sooner you can finish the Han file, the sooner we’ll all breathe easier for the quarter.”

Hardly anyone used Delta. The projector was broken, the chairs were mismatched. But it would do for a quick conference call. You wondered why Seokjin was making this client a priority right now, but she had been with the firm for ages and you supposed he wanted to make sure her company and its massive fortunes were happy.

Your little area was much quieter than usual. Ara and Jihye had both gone to a meeting with the actuaries at some point while you’d been busy demonstrating your expertise. Yoongi had disappeared immediately before you went into Seokjin's office and apparently Sooyoung had wandered off as well.

He turned and took off towards the row of conference rooms, so you gathered your tablet and headed in the same direction. Delta was one of the smallest rooms, tucked into a narrow corner at the end of a hall of meeting suites. It seemed that, despite your efforts, Seokjin had been able to stick to business mode after all. So you re-confirmed to yourself that it would be best to stay focused on accounting. When you headed to his place tonight, he’d hopefully let out his playful side.

As you turned into the corner with the entrance to Delta you felt yourself being pulled forward by the waist.

“I should cancel on you tonight, you know that?” Seokjin’s soft voice was a warm, wet whisper on your ear. Any response died in your throat as his tongue traced a searing line against your skin. He moved to place a string of delicate kisses along your neck while his hands slid down your hips and around to your ass, squeezing the soft flesh. You felt all your carefully built resolve to behave yourself topple like a house of cards in the heat between you. You cursed yourself for wearing pants, wishing you could feel the heat of his hands against your skin. This went against everything you'd been trying to convince yourself of since you'd left his office. It was wrong, it would be so easy for both of you to get caught. But the exhibitionist in you was reveling in all those risks.

You didn't really believe he would cancel, wanted to think he desired every inch of you the way you wanted him. But part of you wanted to cry out at the thought of waiting any longer.

“You’ve been a little cocktease all week. But that show you just put on in my office? It’s a low blow, angel. You’re trying to make me impatient, but I can make it so much worse for you." His hands pressed your body closer to his, his breath tickling your damp skin as he whispered. "Why don’t we see how you feel in another week or two? A month? How desperate will your mouth be by then, hm? How about your unsatisfied cunt?” A shiver raced up your spine.

“I’ve behaved well, haven't I? I've done everything you've asked, sir, right?” Your voice came out in a desperate whine. The scent of him this close again was intoxicating, your desire for him bubbling to the surface and making your head spin a little. “Please don’t make me wait any longer, sir,” you played along.

“I will if you don’t start fucking behaving,” he threatened.

The words were out before your brain could catch them. “I’d like to start fucking. Can we try that?”

He gave an enthusiastic growl in response, lips meeting yours, hands sliding down to your thighs and giving them a healthy squeeze. You jumped into his strong arms, taking to his lips like a woman starved. You heard him shoving open the Delta conference room door behind him, felt him backing you both into the room and kicking the door shut behind him. It looked like Nana had been right too; neither of you could make it to tonight.

His kisses were wet and sloppy, tongue dancing with yours, fighting for control. His hands roughly cupped and squeezed your backside, pawing at your body like a hungry animal. He turned and sat you onto the small table inside, breaking away for a second to give you a dangerous smile. You tossed your tablet onto the table somewhere behind you, fingers grazing something soft along the way, but it didn’t register. All you could absorb was Seokjin’s lips, his tongue, the dark hunger in his eyes.

And then he froze, lust replaced by a look of horror rippling across his face.

“What…?” you whined, tugging at his jacket. And he had the nerve to claim you were the cocktease.

When he didn’t answer, you noticed his gaze, no longer focused on you but somewhere behind you. You froze.

Scrambling up from the table and joining Seokjin’s stare, you found your co-workers staring back, their faces mirroring Seokjin’s horrified expression. Yoongi’s hands were clasped over his bare privates and Sooyoung’s mouth hung open, her skirt pooled around her ankles, her bare backside facing Yoongi. The pair of wadded panties on the table gave away enough.

The silence was deafening, all of you exchanging confused, silent stares for what must’ve lasted a century.

You straightened, some sense flooding back to your brain. "An appointment, huh?" you quipped to Yoongi, though you clearly didn't have any space to talk.

“Do all your one-on-one’s end with you sucking dick?” Yoongi shot back. This smug bastard, you thought. As if he wasn’t the one with no pants on.

“Quiet, both of you," Seokjin interjected. He paused another moment, then grabbed your wrist and pulled you back a slow step. “This never happened,” he said, other hand raised and pointing at the both of them. Sooyoung looked like she wanted to cry, hands tugging down on her blouse in delayed embarrassment. You snatched up your abandoned tablet and Seokjin tugged on you again, backing you both out of the room slowly, nodding at the second clandestine pair. After a moment's hesitation, they both began to nod back and then in a few more tense steps, you and Seokjin were outside the door, him closing it behind you.

“Back to your desk, Y/N,” he said, voice pitched higher and clearly tense. If you hadn’t felt bad about dragging him down this path with you before, you certainly did now.

"Lipstick," you said quietly before clutching your tablet tighter and heading off to the bathroom to straighten yourself out.

Jihye was back at her desk when you returned, making you all the more grateful for your grooming side trip. You didn't look too worse for wear aside from a few hairs out of place. But a quick glance in the mirror let you know your smudged lipstick would've been a dead giveaway to anyone you happened by. She looked up at your approach and finding nothing out of sorts, returned her attention to her computer, popping her gum in the way she did when her mind was working overtime.

Your face felt like it was on fire, but if there was anywhere you didn’t need to look, it was at Seokjin. You had a sneaking suspicion that if he was in his office, his eyes would meet your own, and at the moment it wasn’t something you could handle.

Only a few minutes later, a much more put-together Yoongi came sidling past, the biggest shit-eating grin plastered across his face.

“It’s all starting to make sense now,” he said, not even bothering to lower his voice. You glanced back, but Jihye apparently hadn’t bothered looking up. You wondered exactly what was making sense to him, but before you could ask you heard the quiet ring of his desk phone.

“Min.”

A short silence followed.

“Of course.”

Then he was up and heading into Seokjin's office, closing the door behind him.

Well that couldn’t be good. What was Seokjin going to do, bargain with his own employee? At least he had the leverage that Yoongi was pants down with his secretary. Still, the thought of what might happen was chewing a hole through your chest. You had to settle your nerves. You headed to the break room for tea and a long talk with yourself about possibly becoming celibate.

Determined not to crack any cups this time, you carefully made yourself some green tea in one of the company canteen’s reusable mugs. Though at this point you would’ve paid a lot for a flask of something with more strength to add to it.

“Y/N.”

Your shoulders tensed when you recognized the voice. Sooyoung walked up next to you, dipping her head towards you in a respectful nod. She glanced around the break room and you wondered where all your nosy, dallying co-workers were when you needed them. The very moment you wanted to avoid a private conversation and their eavesdropping ears and slow feet were nowhere to be seen. You gripped your mug a little tighter, cursing your luck.

“We should uh…we should go have a drink tonight or something.” Sooyoung’s voice was quiet and soothing, a discreet skill she’d picked up over countless strained phone calls with angry business partners, banking management, and anyone else who looked to stir up trouble in Seokjin’s area. She was a skilled gatekeeper, the kind usually able to de-escalate even the most volatile situation. And it seemed the skill had made its way to her personal habits.

You glanced back behind the both of you to make sure no one had wandered in, then gave her what you hoped was a considerate shake of your head.

“I’d love to, Sooyoung, but I have plans after work.”

There were a few awkward beats of silence in which you took a sip of your tea and Sooyoung looked as though she might be on the edge of tearing up at your rejection.

“Listen, about today-” she started quietly.

“Don’t worry about it, Sooyoung,” you said, cutting her off, softening your own tone to mirror hers. Truthfully you felt bad. It might’ve been a good idea for the two of you to use this as a bonding moment, to learn more about each other. Or, if your past full of co-workers out for blood had taught you anything, at least a conversation with her might prepare you if you needed to be on your guard. Still, you couldn’t tonight. “You heard Seokjin. Nothing happened, alright?”

“We’re not children, Y/N. Something happened. All of us were wrong for being in the office, but…” She took a breath and leaned a little closer, her voice only just audible. “Well, I didn’t know you two were dating.” She shook her head to herself. “I should've realized it when he closed his door the other night. He never does that.”

She had always had a look about her, fresh-faced and innocent. Sooyoung wasn’t soft-spoken, not in the same gentle, almost timid way Ara was. But she still had the air of someone who had a lot of mistakes to make before life made her a bit more callous or jaded in the way it did most.

Something had happened to you during your time in the corporate world to make you feel soft for people like her. Your days being backstabbed and grifted out of money by women with that exact face had somehow been forgotten. You took another slow sip, eyeing her quietly through the waving steam of your mug.

“We’re…” you started, then trailed off. You were what? What could you possibly explain about your sexual business deal? “It’s extremely complicated and I’d really appreciate if we could just move on. It’s really for me and Seokjin to sort out.”

“I know you don’t know me that well, Y/N, but I promise I won’t say a word.” You felt a pang of guilt at her obvious sincerity. Though you’d always liked Sooyoung, she hadn’t seemed to mesh into the friendship you’d formed with Ara and Jihye. She’d never joined the three of you for a night out and now that you were looking at her through fresh eyes, you regretted not pushing a relationship outside of work a little more.

“Just please don’t tell anyone about me and Yoongi, I’m really begging you. H-he could get in so much trouble.” The last part she mumbled more to herself than to you. You took in her body language, the way she wrung her fingers together, the worry as she chewed the inside of her cheek. It confused you more than anything. Yoongi certainly didn’t seem concerned when he’d strolled into Seokjin’s office.

“Sooyoung, please don’t worry so much. You’ve known Seokjin for much longer than I have. He’s not the type of manager to punish you or Yoongi for something like this, especially when he’s not exactly innocent either. As long as you keep your activities off the property or at least find a room with a lock on it, I’m sure you’ll be fine.”

“I meant please don’t tell anyone about us dating.”

“Oh,” you said, surprised at her real concern. “Sure, I won’t say anything. But you know there’s nothing wrong with the two of you dating.” Not like he’s your boss or anything, you thought to yourself, but didn’t chance giving her the reminder.

She winced. “…His family…wouldn’t approve of it.”

“Oh. Don’t worry, Sooyoung, your secret is safe with me. I didn’t meet Yoongi until I started working here. I don’t even know his family.”

You placed a hand on hers, pausing them in their wringing and meeting her eyes. “I can’t tonight, but let’s plan on hanging out, alright? This whole thing is kind of crazy, but I’d love to get to know you outside these four walls.”

The smile that stretched across her face was a little blinding. “I’d hug you if you weren’t holding something scalding hot.”

The knot of anxiety that had formed in your chest loosened just a little. You only hoped whatever conversation Seokjin and Yoongi had would work out just as peacefully for all four of you.

The work day continued without another hitch, everyone moving along with their assignments as though nothing had happened. Seokjin had gone off to meet with the CEO just before lunch and Yoongi didn’t even make any more smart remarks, a fact that threatened to make you more suspicious, but you decided to wave it off as charity. Likely, you were all embarrassed and hopefully would just put the entire thing behind you. Perhaps even laugh about it one day. At least you could dream.

Near the end of the day, you saw Yoongi rushing back to his desk, slamming down a notebook and typing furiously. A few frantic curses followed, along with more abuse to his keyboard. You exchanged a subtle look with Ara before turning back to look at him.

His face was in his hands. Then he was up, rushing into Seokjin’s office even as Sooyoung protested the interruption. Only moments later, a flustered looking Seokjin was hurriedly following Yoongi to his desk, glasses on, squinting over the blond’s shoulder.

“Oh boy.” A few moments of silence passed.

“What’s going on?” Jihye asked, breaking the tension.

“Don’t panic, Yoongi,” Seokjin said. “It must be some formulaic error, we just have to find it.”

“A coding error in one of two-thousand formulas and about a hundred-thousand transactions,” Yoongi said, an edge of fear tingeing his voice. “An error that all our software has glossed over for weeks. An error with massive investments riding on its outcome. And the day of the submission deadline is when we catch it.”

You stood from your desk after Yoongi’s end of the world speech, looking over his screen and recognizing the account. Suddenly, you understood his fear. Anything having to do with that company meant billions of dollars were on the line at all times. It struck you as odd that Yoongi was working on it alone, when usually Seokjin would have paired him with someone else.

“Send me a copy of the file,” you said. “I’ve worked on their accounts before, I’ll help you look.”

Yoongi’s mouth dropped open, shock at your offer of assistance rippling across his face. He ran a tongue along the inside of his cheek and nodded, mumbling something that sounded vaguely like gratitude.

You spent the next hour scrolling through spreadsheets and reports, reviewing file after file in your internal and brokerage software, looking for the most common mistakes and coming up with nothing. The evening stretched on past closing time while you scratched your head, with Ara, Jihye, and Sooyoung all wishing the three of you luck and taking off for the night.

Seokjin seemed particularly out of sorts over the whole ordeal, repeating questions, checking the same information multiple times. He was clearly frazzled. The three of you pored over the files on your computers, printed pages, and complicated calculators. At some point you heard Yoongi groan noisily, slamming his phone back onto his desk and ending a call you hadn’t even heard him pick up.

"The bank’s emergency lines close at six. If we don’t fix this in fifteen minutes it’ll be too late."

Seokjin had taken up station beside Yoongi, his laptop open on Yoongi’s desk. He had pulled off his dark suit jacket, loosened the heather gray of his tie, and rolled up the sleeves of his crisp, white shirt to his elbows. It was a sight you’d revel in any other time, but your focus had been drawn to this case. Unable to resist cracking it like a stubborn nut, a puzzle to solve seemed the perfect remedy for your rampant libido.

Just before six, Seokjin was able to call in a solid with a banking friend to buy you all an extra hour. Still, things were looking pretty grim as the minutes ticked by.

There were two reports you couldn’t reconcile. You thought back to your master’s courses, every obscure scrap of advice your professors had drilled into your head. You mulled over your internships and those early days at your first company where your mind was pushed to the limits with on-site tests and problems to solve. It just didn’t make sense to you that a case like this could fall prey to human error. Your company’s software took so much of the legwork out of your day-to-day that a mistake like this could have implications on accounts across the board. What else might not have been caught?

“Wait!” you shouted, jumping up from your chair. You ran back to Yoongi’s desk, leaning between him and Seokjin and taking control of Yoongi’s mouse. You clicked around a few of the software’s settings, checking and unchecking boxes until at last the system flagged a congruency error.

“Here! It’s here!” With a few corrections to an overly complicated set of formulas, the numbers finally registered correctly.

Yoongi’s groan of relief was elated. "Thank fuck, you over-achieving goddess.”

Seokjin was up from his chair, rushing into his office to get the data files sent to whoever he’d called earlier. You helped Yoongi crosscheck the rest of the code’s output, making sure that nothing else was out of balance.

“Listen,” he said when you both finally tore away from the screen. “I know you and Seokjin are fucking, but I swear not to rat you out.”

“Oh gee, thanks. You know, you’re too gracious.”

“I mean it, I swear I won’t say a word.” He sighed. “I really owe you for this.”

“Sooyoung asked me not to say anything about you guys either. That your family wouldn’t want you with her. Are you guys having a Romeo and Juliet scenario?”

Yoongi clenched his jaw then made an irritated grunt. “I wish she wouldn’t worry so much. It’s not as serious as all that. But if you wouldn’t mind keeping it to yourself.”

“And you’re serious about her?” You crossed your arms. Not that it was any of your business, but Yoongi had always seemed the aloof, rich boy type who might toss away a partner at a moment’s notice. If you were hoping to build a friendship with Sooyoung, you didn’t want to start off knowing she’d get her heart broken by some spoiled playboy.

But Yoongi held your eyes and with the most sincerity you’d ever seen him muster said, “I love her.”

Well. You swallowed any threats you’d prepared in Sooyoung’s defense. Clearly you didn’t know him at all.

Once Seokjin was satisfied that any problems with the case were resolved, Yoongi gathered up his things to leave for the night. You followed his lead, wondering if you would have enough time to get home, shower, change, and get to Seokjin's for your session. The day had left you with enough tension in your muscles that you knew a hot bath and a good night's sleep would be the only remedy. You'd just have to rush to make it on time.

Seokjin was making his way towards the door of his office as you looked up, suit jacket draped across the expanse of his shoulders like a princely cape. He caught your eyes just before Yoongi came cutting by between the two of you.

"Happy fucking," he said with a cheerful grin and a wave before hurrying off towards the elevators. That rat bastard. You heard Seokjin groan, an uncharacteristic vein vaguely flexing on his neck. He turned to you, eyebrows knitting together and looking almost worried.

“Are you still comfortable to continue tonight?” he said, voice hushed. It was true, you were still in the office and more people than you cared for already knew too much about your relationship. A little discretion might go a long way at this point.

You nodded your head to confirm and he set off down the hall, leaving you to follow him to the elevators. You were both quiet on your way down, Seokjin only speaking as you both approached your car.

“We should go somewhere for a bit of dinner first.”

You must've looked confused at his words. He pursed his lips a little, face turning a little more serious.

“If you still want to have the session, you need to eat something first. You’ll need the energy.”

You drove your cars separately since it couldn't be helped, ending up at a small restaurant about halfway to Seokjin's apartment. Once you were settled in at your table and the waiter had taken your dinner orders, Seokjin swallowed half his wine glass in one go. He sat the drink down and ran his other hand through his dark locks, eyes taking on that faraway quality you remembered from the morning.

"Rough day, huh?" you asked, taking a sip from your own glass.

"In more ways than you know," he said with a sigh. He was eyeing the rest of his wine glass as if he wanted to continue, but was holding himself back and if you didn’t both have to drive to his place, you might’ve encouraged him to let loose and have more. You loved spending time with this Seokjin, the one who felt like he could let his guard down a little and relax. Not that you doubted that his work persona was genuine, but no one was so cheerful all the time. You wondered what, besides almost getting caught cock-deep in you on company property and almost having his employee fuck over a billion-dollar account, had added to his stress today.

“Y/N, I feel like I owe you another massive apology. Please don't let me make a habit of this."

You tilted your head a little at the words. "Apology for what?"

He breathed out another sigh and went quiet for a moment, eyes roaming over your face as if searching for something. "I find myself a little addicted to you and I admit I got carried away with that this week.”

“Keep your apology. You weren’t the only one," you assured him. “We both lost our minds a little, Seokjin.”

“I enjoy flirting with you, at work or otherwise. But if we could keep our urges in check a little better and show some restraint, it’ll be a much less dangerous affair.” His hand went to his tie, tugging on the knot and loosening it completely, the straps of deep gray falling loosely against his shirt.

"After today, I think we can both agree on that. I mean, not that I didn't want anything to happen, but…"

"I was going to lay you out on that table and fuck you raw," he said bluntly. "And you were going to let me. We were like crazed, hormonal teenagers.”

You made a pleasant hum, taking another sip of your wine. “Feels good, doesn't it?” Truthfully, you found yourself in two parts. On the one hand, you knew you were being reckless, following this forbidden fruit and jeopardizing your career for a few tastes of it. But on the other hand, you were reveling in that same danger. It was like some drugged high that you needed to get your fill of before you could return to your senses, even if you knew it'd be best to stop now.

“Yeah,” Seokjin agreed with you. “But I’d like to have more control than that. I intend to.”

"Control is your thing, after all," you said with a deferring sweep of your hand.

He smiled, but you saw something sad in it. “You know, what I said the other night.”

“Oh, when you were telling me about how you’re Mr. Perfect?” you teased.

“I really was trying to say that I’m not that. I think people only see one side of me usually and I was afraid you’d gotten that impression. When in reality, I have an impressive repertoire of flaws.”

“I’d be shocked if you didn’t. We’re human at the end of the day, what else would I expect? You don’t have to worry about any pretense with me, Seokjin. I promise I’m not blinded by your godlike exterior.”

He leaned forward as if wanting to hear more. “Hmm, godlike you say?”

"Perhaps. But Yoongi did call me a goddess today, so we're basically on the same playing field, you and I."

That drew out a genuine laugh, like silver bells in a gentle breeze, and you felt the tension of the day fading away from the table along with it.

Once your meals were served, the conversation took on a more flirtatious air. Seokjin ran through a few BDSM basics with you, including both of your hard no's in the bedroom. You were grateful the table chosen for you was quite secluded, sparing anyone nearby from hearing you both going on about bloodplay and non-consensual scenarios.

“So why not just sex?” you asked. “Why BDSM?”

“I could ask you that same question. And yet you didn’t say no when I said I wanted a submissive. You wanted to explore something more dynamic than just sex, even after reading my book. I’m the same.”

After taking a napkin to dab across his lips, Seokjin tossed it onto his plate, a clear signal that your meal was drawing to a close.

“Let’s save our deeper talks for later, hm? If we both enjoy tonight, we’ll learn more about each other’s motivations soon enough.”

Satiated, you both drove to his apartment after Seokjin insisted you didn't need to change. You headed up to his apartment together, and once you reached the door Seokjin paused, turning to face you, his mouth in a stern line.

“When we walk through this door, Y/N, the rules change. ”

You wanted to smile at the gentle reminder, but didn’t. “I know what I signed up for, sir.”

The door to his apartment swung open, automatic lights clicking on. And there, in the middle of Seokjin's living room you could see a sleek black trunk, leather oiled so well it had a deep sheen to it that could be seen all the way from the entrance. Movement near it caught your eye, drawing your attention to what you could only guess were thick, black ropes, dangling idly from the ceiling.

Seokjin slid his jacket from his shoulders, draping it across his arm before extending a hand out to you, inviting you to cross the threshold. You had seen him smirk a million times before, but never as mischievous as the one now gracing his plump lips and spreading up to his eyes, making them shimmer like decadent hot chocolate. Clearly the ropes swinging gently beyond his shoulders were something he had been looking forward to sharing with you all week.

“So why on earth would a man like you need to drink himself into a lonely stupor?” you asked, genuinely curious as to what he was doing here all on his own. You sat forward in your chair, leaning your head against your hand.

“Alright, maybe I was exaggerating. Maybe I just have an appreciation for a good bar with good brandy," Seokjin backpedaled, half-smile growing just enough to be adorable.

“Oh no," you protested. "You just watched me get dumped in public and offered to care for me with a good drinking session. We’re now officially bonding and you're gonna spill the truth.”

Both your new drinks arrived then and Seokjin took a deep swig before answering. You downed half of your own drink alongside him, feeling like it was more than needed at this point.

“I haven't dated in a while. Got a little burned from my last relationship and learned to appreciate a good drink alone,” he said.

“I don't mean this to sound like I'm coming on to you," you said, throwing caution and pretense to the wind. "But you’re goddamn good looking, boss. I can't imagine you having trouble finding the next person in line to date you. What the hell happened?” You hoped it wasn't a dangerous gamble to speak to your relatively new boss so casually. But Seokjin seemed like the kind of man that would appreciate your blunt honesty. You hoped you were reading him right.

“Guess my face wasn't enough," he said after another drink, looking almost incredulous. "Can you believe that?” You snickered at the expression.

“To be honest, she was pretty controlling.” His eyes softened with his words, falling down to the drink in front of him. “But then again, I let her be. It was a two-way failure, I'll admit that.”

"It usually is. Relationships aren't my strong point, but I'll admit it takes both sides," you said, polishing off your drink. The waiter was already bringing you both another and you settled back into your seat, tucking one leg beneath you comfortably.

“She wanted to bring someone else into the relationship, with or without me," he said. "I was wholly against the idea, but she said she wanted to experiment before settling down with me. Unfortunately, the ‘without’ part happened outside of my choice.”

You nodded understandingly. It was one thing for a couple to mutually agree to have someone else in bed. But blatant cheating was never excusable. You bit your lip, painfully thinking over your own past experiences. You'd had it happen to you as recently as Sehun.

“I wasn’t even really angry to find out she was cheating," he said. "I wasn’t treating her right."

“You?" you asked, a little surprised at the admission. "Your reputation is spotless, Seokjin.”

“There’s more to love than a good reputation. At least, that was my takeaway.”

You traced your finger around the rim of your once again near empty glass. “Did you love her?”

“Such a simple question, you’d think it’d be easy to answer.” He took a pause, holding your eyes and you could feel some kind of connection forming in the words floating between you. Two people that had been hurt too many times by others were sitting at this table tonight. “Did you love that guy that walked away from you tonight?”

“Point taken,” you said with a nod.

“I cared for her, but whether it was really love, I couldn’t say. To this day I can’t really say I know what love feels like. I just know I decided she wasn't what I wanted.”

“I know that feeling,” you said quietly, twisting a napkin between your fingers. Sehun definitely wasn't what you wanted or needed, he’d made that more than clear tonight. “So, now what are you looking for? Lonely drinks at nice bars can't be the end.”

His smile finally spread across the rest of his plump lips and the visual of seeing him grinning at you this widely was slowly warming your heart. “See, this is why I hired you. Sharp mind, inquisitive, empathetic…”

You hadn't even noticed the new set of drinks, or when you had finished your last one. You just knew you didn't want this conversation to end. Getting to know Seokjin at this personal level just felt good, as if a rare friendship was beginning. And at the very least, he was helping you not to feel as lonely as you could've after tonight.

“I want what everyone wants," he continued. "Someone who’ll be as happy with me as I am with them." He paused, raising an eyebrow. "And an occasional blowjob never hurt.”

Your eyes widened and Seokjin sat up a little at his own words. You could see the panic flash across his face, worry that he’d suddenly crossed a line. But it was the opposite for you, the honesty from your boss so refreshing. You fell into giggles and his laughter followed suit. You lifted your almost empty glass in toast.

“To happiness and blowjobs,” you said.

He snorted and clinked his glass against yours, signaling to a waiter that it was time for another refill.

You lost track of the drinks while your conversation drifted beyond relationships, to work and family, to life and terrible, terrible humor.

In between Seokjin making the lamest joke about a cat and a rocket you think you’d ever heard and your story about getting locked outside your college dorm in only your underwear, you lost the evening. Your chairs had moved closer and the din of the bar around you had faded away. You found yourself drawn to Seokjin’s pink cheeks and sparkling eyes. His hand had settled on yours after he was done flailing about with some wild story, a dream about running from zombies with his friends.

At some point he had ordered dessert, confessing to a sweet tooth and offering to share with you to help soak up some of the liquor. And as you were much too out of it to decline, you gladly accepted the bite of chocolate drizzled cake when he held up the fork to your lips.

You ate another bite or two with him and he mumbled something, apparently pondering over the recipe.

“You bake?” you asked, a little surprised at his interest.

“Oh, yes. If I wasn't in finance, I'd most certainly own a bakery. Or maybe a restaurant. Sadly, I barely have time to be in my own kitchen.”

"Not a secondary career choice I would've guessed for you," you slurred, then opened your mouth for another bite. He laughed and tipped another forkful past your lips.

“What about you?” he asked. "I'm sure it's irresistible working for me, but if not accounting, then what?"

“Oh, I'd definitely be stripping.” The words fell out of your mouth and it took a few moments for you to register the secret you'd spilled. Seokjin had caught on, both eyebrows raising in surprise. He took a suggestive look, leaning a little to the side to give you a once over. You suddenly realized how close you'd moved to one another, could feel the heat off his body as he leaned in.

"Now -that- I could see," he smirked, then leaned back in feigned innocence, taking another bite.

You moved towards him, reaching up a thumb and wiping a stray bit of chocolate sauce from the corner of his mouth. Without thinking, you slipped it between your lips, sucking off the sweet topping and letting go of your thumb with a soft pop. Seokjin's eyes held yours the entire time.

Neither of your memories were clear on who made the first move. You only knew that the taste of him had been everything you wanted in that moment, sweet and deep, like warm, fresh brownies and baked fruit. He kissed you with a fervent hunger that you returned just as strongly, fingers threading through his hair in an attempt to bring him as close to you as possible. You wanted him, all of him in that moment.

At some point you'd made it into his lap, until a bartender came by and suggested you both take your party home. Seokjin threw a wad of cash onto the table and soon you were outside, climbing into a taxi and mumbling out your address. But it was his lips that held your attention for most of the ride. You hadn't kissed someone so passionately in what felt like forever. Like teenagers beneath the bleachers, you sloppily made out in the backseat of this poor driver's car.

And then you were in the hallway of your apartment, his hands digging into the flesh of your thighs, squeezing your rear beneath your dress. You pawed at your door, trying to remember the code between delicious drags on his lips.

But suddenly Seokjin was pulling away from you, denying you the blazing warmth that you so craved. He was gently stroking your face instead, his alcohol-reddened cheeks and swollen lips now much too far away from you as he whispered words you didn't care to hear and ignored your needy tugs on his shirt.

Y/N | Present Day

Seokjin’s hands were on your hips rubbing circles into the fabric of your skirt with his thumbs as you leaned back against his desk.

“I think I’d sobered up a little by the time we got to your door. I told you I should go, that we should forget all of it. I remember trying so hard to think in my right mind, to ignore just how tempting you looked staring up at me like a starving gazelle. But you-”

Seokjin let go a throaty groan of frustration, pressing his head forward, forehead resting against your stomach.

“You whined my name. You said please, begged me while you pulled me inside your place, please, please, please . And I needed to hear that so bad," he said, followed by a deep swallow. "I’ve never wanted to get someone out of their slutty little dress so fast.”

You put a hand to your lips in surprise. Had you really been so riled up? It wasn't uncommon for you, a playful amount of pleading added to the satisfaction. But to your own boss? How far gone must you have been to think it was alright? You couldn't have been thinking at all.

“It was so stupid of me really. You had just ended your relationship and here I was taking advantage of you, forgetting that as your boss I should've been protecting you instead of making out with you in public where we could’ve easily been spotted. Then going to your place…” he trailed off, and you could hear the guilt hanging onto his words.

“I…I really thought I had just dreamed all that,” you said quietly, still in disbelief that your fantasies of that night had been more real than you knew.

“I shouldn't have let it happen," he continued. "I should've taken you home after one drink. But I couldn't resist staying there with you. You got me to open up and I just felt so comfortable getting to know you. Plus, you're really cute when you smile. It’s hard to resist kissing those lips when you’re giggling inches away from me.”

“But I still don’t understand," you said. "I woke up alone, in my clothes…” You felt Seokjin's head nodding against you, hands pausing on your waist.

“I made it to your bed. I had that little dress up over your hips.” A pause. “But you called me ‘Boss’ and I guess I had a long enough moment of clarity to come to my senses. I realized it was so wrong, that you weren't all there and I needed to get out of there before we both made a terrible mistake. Looks like I made the right decision since you weren’t able to remember any of it. I tucked you in bed and I left.”

“I expected some reaction the next day. But you were just warmer, sweeter towards me. I knew you couldn’t have remembered much beyond our conversation. You didn’t ask what happened so I didn’t say. I felt terrible that I’d let it go so far and you didn’t even know.”

His thumbs were back to rubbing circles against your hips, though whether it was to soothe you or him more you couldn't say.

“So I just focused on being professional. I pushed that night out of my mind and concentrated on nurturing our work relationship. And that worked really well…until I opened my door to you in that maid outfit.”

He let out a deep sigh and you knew this must have been a confession he'd wanted to make for a while.

“I told you last night that I wanted you to think about whether you really wanted to do this with me. But I needed to think too, Y/N. I don't want to jeopardize either of our jobs, and more importantly, I don't want to jeopardize our relationship. No matter the sexual attraction, I'm still your boss. I still respect you and your work. And I like you, kid.”

You exhaled a breath you hadn't realized you'd been holding in the midst of your absorption and Seokjin echoed the sentiment. He had been holding onto these thoughts that you couldn't remember for so long and you'd had no clue this whole time. You wanted to go back, to review every joke, every wink, every sidelong glance he'd given you, knowing now that it had an entirely different meaning.

You slid your fingers through the strands of his thick, dark hair, hoping the touch would ease his guilt. Seokjin tilted his head in response, leaning into your hand.

“I like you too,” you said in a whisper. “And I'm sure I want this with you.”

He lifted his head to meet your eyes with a guilt-ridden gaze, hands still settled on your waist. Here he was, vulnerable and raw, giving you the choice to continue or not. He was asking for permission to control you, but giving you every opportunity to turn him down, to let you know that he cared more about your comfort, more about preserving the relationship between you than anything else.

“Seokjin, I trust you. As a boss. As a friend. I trust giving you control over me because I know you'll treat me with dignity. You’ve already proven it. Will you trust me? Will you accept that I have no regrets about exploring things between us?”

The hesitation was back in his eyes, the same look he had given while you’d sat perched in his lap the night before. He wanted this, that much was clear. But some part of him was still unsure, still disbelieving that you were as interested as you’d said.

You leaned forward, forcing him to sit back into his chair. You pressed a soft kiss onto his lips. “Please.” Another, this time for a few moments longer. “Please, sir.” You wet your lips, eyes meeting his. “ Please ,” you breathed then leaned in for another kiss.

His lips met yours this time as he sat forward, hands again on your hips. You could've drowned there in the depths of his kiss, his pressure eager, yet gentle. And when he pulled away and you opened your eyes, you saw his flutter open only a second later, a smirk appearing at the corners of his mouth.

“Clever woman,” he growled beneath his breath. “Cruel, clever thing.” His eyes were narrowed, lids growing heavy with want.

“If it worked once,” you said with a satisfied smile.

“I like a pet who likes to beg.”

You chuckled softly. “Oh, I'm a pet now? I thought I was an angel.”

“From where I'm sitting, you’re whatever I say you are.”

He tilted his chair forward, knocking you off your balance and making it easy for him to spin your body to face his desk instead. His hands were on your thighs instantly, keeping you steady.

Seokjin's fingertips roamed up the sensitive skin at the back of your legs, sliding up your thighs and pressing up your skirt until it was out of his way, pooling at your waist.

“Lean forward,” he ordered, the dark color of authority back in his voice just like the night before.

You obliged, knowing that the thin, sheer panties you wore were giving him a clear view of your bare behind. A hand came smacking down onto your right cheek causing you to yelp, thighs clenching together at the sting.

“You like that, don't you?” Seokjin asked smoothly. You could hear his chair roll back a bit, as if he was repositioning to admire the view before him. “You like a little pain, hm?”

His hand smacked down on your opposite cheek before you could answer and you bit back a cry, remembering somewhere inside that you were still in your office building, that others could be nearby. His fingers made a tender swipe across your stinging skin.

“I thought so, from last night. I could feel your body react every time.” A hiss leaked from his lips as his hands caressed the naked flesh of your ass.

“I want to find out just how much you can take,” he said, landing another sharp smack onto one of your rear cheeks.

“I want this with you, Y/N. I want to test the limits of your body. To learn every little thing that makes your breath hitch and your toes curl. So that when I control you, you enjoy it just as much as I do.”

Another smack had you gritting your teeth. You looked back at him over your shoulder, seeing his gaze intently focused on your behind. Well, at least you had confirmed where his interests lay.

“Is that all you’ve got?” you taunted, wetting your lips as he looked up to meet your face.

He chuckled darkly. “I'll show you what else I've got when we're somewhere that you don't have to hold back your screams. For now, get on my desk. On your back.”

Intrigued, you did as he ordered, turning and laying back on the desk in front of him.

“Spread,” he commanded and you followed, legs slipping across the surface of the smooth wood, baring yourself to the man sat in front of you.

“Now touch yourself for me,” Seokjin ordered, broad shoulders leaning back into his chair, the glimmering amber of his eyes narrowed between your thighs.

Your fingers went between your legs as he asked, and you began rubbing slow, smooth circles onto yourself, your sensitive clit begging for more immediately.

He watched you for a while, the look of his concentrated focus adding pleasure to your display. He sat forward, pressing his fingers against your inner thigh, mimicking his teasing swirls from the morning.

“You take direction so well,” he purred, voice deepening with the words. You were already dripping, feeling wetness sticking to you through your panties. Just the sight of him like this, the satisfaction of following his orders and having him watch you like this had set your body ablaze.

“How are you already so wet for me again, angel?” he asked quietly.

“You’re just picking me back up where you left me last night,” you admitted. You were panting now, desperately waiting for him to put his hands where you wanted them most. His fingers instead paused on your skin.

“You didn’t finish yourself off last night?” he asked in surprise.

“No…no, sir. I didn't have a chance.”

“Fuck," he breathed, the curse sending shivers along your back. "You’ve been such a good girl and I didn’t even have to ask.” He was on his feet then, looking down into your eyes so intensely. Your fingers slowed, finding it difficult to focus on anything but the presence of him.

“Will you give me that power over you?" he asked, a hunger in his voice that you'd never heard before. "You won't come unless I say so?” You could feel his hands pressing into your thighs, gripping your flesh tighter in his eagerness.

“Yes,” you breathed without hesitation, ready to promise him anything.

Seokjin’s hands were at your chest then, clutching the fabric of your blouse in bundled fists. You watched the corner of his mouth tighten for a moment. Then his fingers relaxed and began slowly unbuttoning your top until it was fully open. He slid you forward, lifting you up and deftly undoing your bra.

He leaned over you as he laid you back across the desk, planting a gentle kiss on your neck before biting down softly. You whimpered at the feeling and felt his tongue slide across the mark before he bit down again. You moaned out, savoring the sweet sting.

“Hm, you changed my plans tonight. Now I want to devour you whole," he breathed into your neck. His words dropped straight to your core and a faint whimper escaped your mouth.

His kisses and bites made their way down your chest, landing on your breasts and pulling a nipple into his mouth, then the other. Involuntary moans fell from your lips as his tongue flicked the sensitive surface. He met them with more gentle bites.

As your voice grew louder, Seokjin leaned up, hovering over your body for a moment.

“You're my good girl," he said in a hushed voice. "Quiet now.” He leaned up, quickly tugging the tie from around his neck. He wadded up the expensive looking material and pressed it to your lips, poking it into your mouth when you obediently parted them.

"Try not to be so noisy, hm?"

You tried your best as his mouth made its way down your body, retracing your breasts before traveling down and between your legs. Brushing your hands away, he lowered himself back into his chair and leaned forward, pressing teasing nips along your inner thighs.

You choked back a moan, squirming at the feeling, and his hands gripped your legs, holding you steady.

“Do you like that? You want me to leave reminders between your thighs like this?” He pressed another soft bite into the sensitive flesh and your moan came out softly muffled around the rich material of his tie. “Every time you look between your legs, I want you to remember me here. Remember that I control this body now.”

If this was going where you thought it was, it comforted you to know already that you were both safe. Jimin was no fool. Though it was against the policy, he knew his maids would do as they saw fit. So all of his staff and clients submitted to getting tested. It was perfect, because you didn't want any reason for this to stop.

Seokjin's breath was ghosting over your dripping mound and you whimpered, lifting your hips, silently begging him not to stop.

"Y/N, if we're going to continue this, I need to know that you're not seeing anyone else. I want to be your only Luxe client and sexual partner from now on. Nod if you agree."

You nodded fervently, already having made that decision. All you'd needed to know was that he wanted this as badly as you did.

His lips were on you then, tongue gently lapping at your sensitive button through your horribly soaked underwear. It took everything you had not to moan as you lifted your hips to meet his mouth. You were ready to explode at just this stimulation, everything you'd been holding back for the day rushing to the forefront.

You squirmed on his desk as he expertly massaged your sensitive clit with sure, slow strokes, breaking away occasionally to press teasing kisses everywhere else between your thighs. At some point you had begun drooling around his tie, unable to control your body’s urges as your mind unraveled with his touch. Your hands found their way into his hair, dragging your nails along his scalp in quiet praise of his movements.

You found yourself clenching at nothing, desperately wishing he would put something inside your hollow for you to grab, but still enjoying the burn as his tongue sped along your wetness.

Finally, you felt him tug your panties aside, eyes rolling back as he slid a finger deep into your dampness, then another, at an agonizingly slow pace. His tongue met his movements, draping across your clit while his fingers spread and rolled inside you.

His movements were calculated, driving you to an aching insanity while revving up the fire inside you tenfold. You wanted to moan his name, reduced to quiet whimpers as his fingers curled and uncurled inside you, dragging you closer and closer to the edge.

"You've behaved so well for me," he whispered at last. "Come for me, angel.” At those words, he pressed his mouth against you, his tongue speeding across you just enough to have your hips quaking. You lifted up in response, wave after wave of your release rolling over you. His tongue pulled away, but his fingers kept up through your orgasm, gently rolling inside of you and prolonging the pleasurable spasms between your thighs.

Seokjin stood from his chair, tugging the now spit-soaked tie from your mouth. “I'll have to get you a proper ball gag, hm?”

His fingers were still buried inside you and a mischievous, half-smile was at his lips when you opened your eyes to look up at him hazily.

“Please," you whined. "I want to feel you inside me.” Though not unsatisfied with the work of his fingers and tongue, you wanted nothing more than to feel the stretch of his length buried deep inside you already.

Seokjin chuckled and it didn’t sound kind. “Good thing this isn’t about what you want.”

His fingers picked up pace again inside you, rubbing against your still swollen patch of roughness inside you and sending surprising electric pulses through your body. It was almost too much and you squirmed against his desk, bucking more at the oversensitivity as his thumb met your clit. You whined as he stroked it, reaching between your legs and pressing weakly against his hand in a quiet plea to stop.

He tugged your wrists away, gently pressing them back against your chest and continuing, speeding his fingers even more.

“Sensitive?" he asked, a bit smug considering he clearly knew the answer. You whimpered in response.

"Ah, ah, quiet, pet,” he urged and you bit down on one of your fingers, only letting an occasional whimper slip through. “That’s it. Does it hurt? But it feels good too, right?”

Your head was spinning. His fingers were relentless and something was welling up inside you that you couldn't place. You needed him to stop, but he just kept going, the lewd, wet sound of his hand slapping against your pussy echoing around the office. You lay your head back against his desk, closing your eyes and focusing on trying not to cry out.

“Pl…ple…” You couldn't finish your words, the rising ache between your thighs reaching an unbearable height.

“Please what?” He breathed, his voice a husky purr. “You’re really liking this, aren't you? I wonder, will this pussy come for me again? That's what I want. You're going to come again for me, angel, all over my hand.”

“Pl…Seo…” Your head was starting to spin, the persistence of stimulation drawing everything down your body to the white-hot point between your legs. A gentle tingling stirred within you. Seokjin pressed a hand to your stomach, holding you down, fingers stroking lightly in silent request.

“Relax, sweetheart. Just relax for me.”

You realized you had been clenching tight, muscles in your abdomen loosening beneath his fingers. An unfamiliar ripple was creeping down between your thighs and you did your best to relax, melting into his hand, now expertly pounding into the immense wetness between your legs.

Seokjin remained quiet and you opened your eyes to look up at where he hovered over your body. There was a fire in his gaze, pupils blown wide as he stared at your body like a starved man, as if you fed him with the searing hot pleasure rolling off your body. His tongue met his lips as he watched you, licking away some of the wetness of you that was still plastered across his face. It was enough to drag you over an unknown edge and you felt yourself clenching around his fingers again.

You exhaled a tense breath as another orgasm swept along your body, raging much stronger than the last. Your moans were raspy, barely escaping your throat as your body shook through the intense waves of your climax coupled with quiet, wet sounds coming from between your legs.

“Yes…” Seokjin hissed, voice shaking. “Such a good girl.” You heard a satisfied, throaty groan rumble from him backed by the noise of his hand against your wetness as his fingers rode with you through your sloppy release.

His fingers slipped from between your thighs and you heard him let out another satisfied groan. As your vision refocused you looked up and saw him staring down at himself. Propping yourself up onto your elbows, you spotted the stains on the thigh and a little down the leg of his deep, blue trousers. A spray of stains you were no doubt responsible for.

He noticed you looking on and smirked. “I really should be sending you a dry cleaning bill at this point.”

“Shit…” you panted, chest still heaving from the intensity.

“Is that usual for you?” he asked, fingers running across the mess that had splashed out onto your thighs.

“No. I mean, it’s happened before, but only once or twice. Shit,” you said again, your body reeling.

Seokjin stared at you for a while longer, as if trying to burn the image of you in your current state into his mind, then broke his gaze to offer you his dry hand.

“What, not even a tissue?” you asked as you took it and leaned forward to sit up, feeling the puddle that had formed beneath you.

“You have no idea how much you being a mess turns me on.” As if to punctuate his words, he wiped the hand that had been responsible for your mess along your neck and down to your exposed breast, leaving a trail of your wetness along your skin.

The thick impression of him against his pants let you know he definitely wasn’t lying. You raised your eyebrows at the sight, then looked up to him, biting your lip. Maybe tonight…

Seokjin offered his hand again and pulled you to your feet in front of him. Your legs were still a little weak but you found a careful footing with your heels.

“Take your panties off,” he ordered. “Slowly. And hand them to me.” He took a step back for a better view as your hands hooked into the sides of your wet undergarment.

You tugged the soaked things down your thighs, leaving wet streaks all along your legs before stepping out of them and handing them over as requested. Seokjin simply stuffed them into his jacket pocket, looking perfectly pleased with the exchange.

You traced a finger down the front of his shirt, pressing lightly into the expensive fabric and across the curves of muscle hidden beneath. "So exactly when do I get a chance to please you? Aren't doms supposed to be selfish?”

“It’s probably best if you forget everything you think you know about BDSM culture. It's much different than people imagine.”

You nodded. “I just…feel like this has been all about my pleasure.”

“You feel that way because you're behaving and I'm rewarding you. Trust me when I say your obedience is pleasurable for me.”

“And if I don't obey?”

He smiled down at you. “That'll be pleasurable for me too. We're just getting started, after all.”

“I feel like I have a lot to learn about this new label,” you sighed, leaning back against his desk, your bare ass pressing against the wetness that now covered the edge. How the hell was he going to get this cleaned up? Or were you supposed to do that? You stood up straight instead.

“Well to start, I'll need you to decide on your safe word for me. The last thing I want to do is continue something you're uncomfortable with.”

You nodded and considered for a few moments.

“Windex,” you said. When he raised an eyebrow you laughed to yourself. “Because I don't do windows.”

He breathed out a laugh and stroked his dry hand across your hair. “Cute.”

After taking a tissue to his damp hand, Seokjin reached into one of his desk drawers, pulling out a well-worn paperback book that he pressed into your hands. There were sticky notes and tags hanging from between several of the pages.

“This will get you started. You strike me as a bit of a brat, but I'll let you decide how you want to be with me. We can learn together what we’re comfortable with. We’ll take it slow and if our styles aren’t compatible then we can stop."

You flipped through a few of the pages, noting a couple of highlighted words - master, collar, flogging - before pressing it shut.

Seokjin's hands were on you then, tugging your skirt back down over your hips. He tilted up your chin, pressing a tender kiss onto your lips and your body melted against his, content with soaking in the warmth of his soft mouth for the rest of the evening. But too quickly, he was pulling away from you.

“It’s late, Y/N. Our floor should be empty. Get out of here and don't come into my office looking this delicious again. I won't make it if I want to drag you in here every day and eat you whole.”

“If you did that every day, I wouldn’t complain,” you responded under your breath.

“Y/N,” he warned, but there was no bite behind it.

You focused on him, the wide, round of his expanded pupils, the strain against the front of his pants. You so desperately wanted to take care of him, to make him feel as good as you did. But he seemed to want to wait, to keep you from that goal and you bit down on your new role, promising yourself you would let him be the guide on how things moved between you. Judging by the book, he was much more well-versed in this area than you anyway.

“This is the last time,” he said. “We’re playing a dangerous game here. As good as you look with your legs spread across my desk, we’re going to keep playtime to when and where it’s scheduled, alright?”

In spite of your current desires, you nodded your head and made quick work of rehooking your bra and buttoning up your shirt just in case there were stragglers hanging around in the corridors of your office. Seokjin’s hand slid around your waist as you finished, taking another long moment to steal a deep, wet kiss from your lips before breaking away and waving you towards the door.

His signal was coming at you a little mixed. If he felt so strongly about keeping things out of the office, why had he been so eager to feast on you here tonight when he could’ve easily taken you home? And why did he keep kissing you, soaking in your lips like he didn’t really want you to go anywhere?

But you weren’t complaining. He’d given you the answer you’d been looking for since sending you away last night. And you’d made the decision to embrace it, to dive in head first and experience this bit of sexual exploration alongside him. It was just sex after all and why shouldn’t you be able to have a bit of fun?

You clutched the little book to your chest and hurried out to your desk on legs that felt only slightly stronger than jello, grabbing up your belongings. As you moved to leave, you saw Seokjin leaning a shoulder against the frame of his office door, staring at you with an unsated hunger flashing in his deep, dark eyes. But he said nothing.

“If you want me to stay all you have to do is say so,” you offered in a hushed voice. His impossibly broad shoulders shook a little as he laughed and gave you a one-sided smile, waving a dismissive hand towards the elevators.

“I just want to watch you leave,” he said in that sneakily suggestive tone you were starting to get used to. You smiled, standing up tall and walking away from him with a little more sway in your hips than usual. Once you reached the elevator doors you dared to take a glance back. He hadn’t moved an inch, gaze firmly locked on you. You smiled wider to yourself, turning around and stepping into the elevator. He watched you without movement until the gleaming, silver doors slid shut in front of you.

Just as you reached your car, you heard your phone chime a couple of times with new messages. Sliding into your driver’s seat and tugging it from your purse, you saw Seokjin’s name scrolling across the screen.

The first message had a few more book suggestions that he thought you might benefit from reading. And after that…

Seokjin: Thank you

Seokjin: For trusting me to take care of you

After getting splashed with a drop of cool rain or two, you hurried inside the bar’s minimal entrance. The quickly darkening sky hinted at what might soon be a heavy downpour, but you hoped most of it would have passed after you’d spent some time catching up with your friends.

Standing in the small, pick-up waiting area, you tugged out your phone and were disappointed to find that it wasn’t your daytime bosses’ name scrolling across the screen.

Park Jimin (Luxe): I realize it’s late notice and I apologize for that.

Park Jimin (Luxe): Would you be available to come by the office tomorrow? I have an open slot at lunchtime or around seven in the evening.

Mr. Park? You could see from the message history that this was only the second time he’d ever sent you a text, the first being a warm greeting welcoming you to the company. Not that he’d really had any reason to text you since Irene, his main coordinator, handled all the client scheduling. Still, that made it all the more surprising to suddenly see his name.

You considered his question. Well, the evening was out. You’d ghosted your mom for too long as it was and she would kill you if you missed another Wednesday dinner. That had been family night since you were a kid.

Y/N: I can come during my lunch hour. Is everything alright?

Park Jimin (Luxe): I just need to verify some information with you. It won’t take long.

His vague words left you even more confused. What information did he need that Irene didn’t already have? You started to reply when you felt a hand squeeze your shoulder.

“Can you stop texting your damn boyfriend for five minutes?” said a voice in mock irritation.

“Yeah, you’re not even in the bar yet!” said another, cheerful and bright. You turned to face your friends with a smile.

“Nana! Minyoung!”

“Come on, Jieun and Tae are already here,” Nana said before looping her arm through yours and towing you beyond the bar’s entrance and into the main lounge area.

On Friday and Saturday nights, Friction transformed into a dance club, filled to the brim with sweltering party-goers and debauchery by the truckload. But on a boring Tuesday night like tonight, they served a more subdued clientele. It was no Silver’s, and had no deconstructed nachos, but it was equally busy and their regular nachos did the job as a side to your drinks just fine. Businessmen with loosened ties, small groups of friends like yours, and others were dotted along the length of the bar and at tables and booths all around. The place was fairly crowded, but you could see as you entered that your friends had scored a large booth in the corner.

Taehyung was sat at one end of the booth’s bench with Jieun tucked intimately close beside him. You could see his arm wrapped around her, sizable hand gripping her waist, her body leaned into his chest. Her full attention was on whatever he was quietly whispering into her ear.

“Will you two get a room?” Nana complained once you and your friends had reached them, dropping her hold on you and tossing her expensive purse onto the table. “God, Y/N sexting three steps into the bar and now you two looking like you’re about to procreate on the fucking table.”

“Nana, calm down,” Minyoung said, patting Nana’s shoulder.

Jieun’s smile turned from intrigue to delight as you all joined the table, leaning her body away from Taehyung. Only a little, you noticed. “Shut up and sit down you noisy cow,” she responded.

Nana slid to the center of the booth without hesitation. She shook out her long, wavy extensions and stretched her arms up as though it had been a long while since she could relax. Minyoung was next, sitting next to Nana and leaving you to take up the other end of the horseshoe-shaped booth.

“If you guys aren’t going to be on time, we might as well get our rocks off while we wait anyway,” Jieun continued, leaning back against Taehyung with a wicked grin. He chuckled at the sentiment, arm still gripped around her waist.

You didn’t mean to stare, but you couldn’t help focusing on your long-time friend. It had been forever since you’d seen Jieun’s body language like this with anyone, so close and vulnerable. Even while she welcomed everyone, the way she angled towards Taehyung let you know he still very much had her attention. You shook your head slightly, remembering that you were supposed to be here for fun. You tucked the information away, telling yourself you’d talk to her about it later.

“Oh, I wasn’t sexting actually,” you said, remembering to defend yourself. “I got a text from Luxe and I was responding.” Nana waved off your words as if she’d already moved on.

Taehyung peeled himself away from Jieun, standing at the edge of the booth, his dangling, golden hoop earrings shimmering in the lowlights of the bar. “What can I get everyone?”

You opened your mouth to respond, but Taehyung cut you and the others off. “Wait, let me guess. Margarita, appletini, vodka soda, whiskey sour.” He tossed out his guesses, going across from you to Minyoung, Nana, and Jieun. You shrugged and shared giggles with the others as he headed off. You watched him socialize along the way, clapping a few people on the shoulder and waving at a few others.

“Your boss has such a nice ass, Jieun.” Minyoung sighed watching after him.

“And face and chest and the longest fucking legs,” Nana continued, her eyes following the ash-blond man to where he’d stopped at the bar and seemed to be having a friendly chat with the bartender.

“Yeah,” Jieun said with a dreamy sigh. “His cock is pretty too.”

It was the first time in a long time you’d seen her energy change to almost doting. Jieun was always in charge, asserting her power without even trying. But when it came to Taehyung, you’d noticed that she always seemed a little softer.

“Don’t tell us someone’s finally caught your eye enough to date.” Minyoung piped up, hopeful cheer in her voice. Your shoulders tensed and you watched Jieun’s expression change instantly.

“We’re just good friends,” she said, her words clipped. “He’s my boss and my very good friend. And sometimes we fuck. That’s it.”

“Sorry,” Minyoung said, immediately deflated. You put a comforting hand on her thigh.

Jieun seemed to catch on to her defensive tone. She stretched her arms out across the table, taking Minyoung’s hand between her fingers. “I know the fairytale ending in marriage and babies suits you perfectly. You’re our little princess, Minyoung. But it’s not for me and it’s not for Tae.” She made a point to look at you and Nana as well. “I’m happy you guys, I promise. So please don’t press it.”

“Please, all Minyoung thinks about is love and babies,” Nana chimed in with a snicker. “Speaking of which, are you sure you’re not pregnant again? You’ve been knocked up for the last five years straight it feels like.”

“If it was up to my husband, I would be. He won’t rest his dick until we finally have a girl. But I’m taking a break. Three is enough for now and I miss a good martini.”

As you all caught up on Minyoung’s children and Nana dove into a story about her sticky tryst in the kitchen at a recent gala, Taehyung finally appeared with drink orders for you all and a beer for himself.

“So,” Jieun eyed you with mischief. “Did you get your clothes ripped off yesterday or what?”

“Oh. Not quite.” You took a sip of your margarita, hoping it would be strong enough to get you through the heated memories of laying on Seokjin’s desk. After a day of teasing, you were feeling hyper-sensitive to any thoughts of your boss.

“What the fuck? I was hoping to hear you got laid on a conference table or some vanilla shit like that.”

“It wasn’t a conference table, it was his desk,” you said. “And I didn’t get laid, but he did make me cum twice. Does that count?”

“Nice,” Nana said with a grin.

Jieun leaned forward. “Well, this just got more interesting. You better spill everything.”

After cluing in the others on your strange new relationship with your boss, you explained the events of the night before with the exact level of explicit detail you knew they’d appreciate. And if their hums and gasps were any indication, your story was going over well.

“Ohh, he's dirtier than expected! I like him,” Jieun said. “Sure you don’t want to give him back?”

“Oh, maybe,” you said with a laugh, hand curling around your drink. “I’ll let you know after our appointment on Thursday.” The day seemed so far away, while the recent memory of his hardness straining against his pants, his hands on your hips, and the heady kisses you’d shared made you groan inwardly. “If I can last until then.”

“It doesn’t sound like either of you are gonna last, horny fuckers,” Nana said with a laugh. “I’m impressed this guy has resisted shoving his dick in you if that’s what you’re already getting up to.”

You considered. “We have to resist. I think that’s the rules. He’s left me a little unclear on whether he plans to follow those though, considering today…”

“Bitch, you’re not worried about your job at all, right?” Jieun asked. “I love you getting some action, but I definitely don’t want you to get fired over sex.”

You didn’t feel worried, not where Seokjin was concerned. Partly because you truly trusted him. And partly because your judgment was skewed with a healthy bit of lust.

“I’m really, really not,” you confirmed. “I just wish he’d make up his mind at this point, the confusing bastard. One second he wants to follow the rules, the next he's telling me to strip at my desk. He tells me he wants to whip me within an inch of my life, but he kisses me like he wants three kids and a date night.”

“Maybe he doesn’t know either,” Taehyung offered. “Just see how it plays out.”

The conversations spread from there, each of you catching the other up on the details of your lives. Nana kept gushing about her newest flame, happily appreciating the flow of cash he showered her with. There was something in the thrill of dating only married men that drove your friend wild and she much preferred her life of being several someone’s spoiled mistress to the one her cosmetology license provided.

“I keep saying she should come work for me,” Taehyung said, putting his hands together as a sign of pleading.

“Oh gosh, Tae,” Nana said, sarcasm not subtle. “Let me think, be on my feet all night doing a bunch of naked bitches hair and nails or have all my bills paid for and go on free trips to Dubai and Paris. Wow, what a tough choice.”

Taehyung recounted a rowdy couple he’d had to toss out of his club over the weekend due to some extreme biting. Lèvres en Rouge, Taehyung’s establishment that rotated between strip club and sex club, serviced several interests, and it was because Jieun had chosen it as her preferred place of employment that you had all gotten to know and love Taehyung over the past year.

“Let’s all be honest. Minyoung’s the only one of us that turned out relatively normal,” Jieun said. “Non-sex related job, adoring husband, three kids. You’re living the dream, girl.”

“Well, I’m living my dream anyway,” she corrected, and her and Jieun’s hands found their way to each other again.

Taehyung refilled everyone’s drink orders a time or two more. Actually, you weren’t sure what number any of you were on, but as the evening wore on, you didn’t care. You needed a good night with your friends to gossip and unwind, every shared laugh and poor joke making you appreciate them all the more.

“Oh, Y/N. I saw your ex-boyfriend at one of my events like a week ago,” Nana said. “He looked miserable, like he hadn’t slept in weeks. No date either.”

“Now that’s the petty shit I like to hear,” you preened. It was childish, but you couldn’t help feel some satisfaction that maybe fate hadn’t been so kind to the cheating bastard.

“I don’t know why you even wasted your time on that piece of shit,” Jieun muttered.

“Well, the sex was good at first-”

“No it fucking wasn’t!” Jieun cut you off. “You were just thirsty and desperate and his dick was the size of an arm. If the sex had really been any good, you would’ve told me all about it. I’ve heard more tonight about your boss's knuckles inside you than you ever said about Sehun.”

You nodded reluctantly, admitting she was right. Sehun was a short-lived chapter that didn’t have much substance to it and even though it hurt you for a moment, you were glad it was over. Hindsight and all that. You tried to remember sex with him. It wasn’t inspiring, but it did the job. At least he'd known where your clit was, even if he wasn't an expert at using it.

“I think this dom thing will be a good change for you.”

“I’m enjoying it, but it’s really only been a few days. I’m afraid for when the glow wears off. Or for what happens if I decide I don’t like power play.”

"He’s really such a pretty man,” Jieun mused, lifting her rapidly emptying glass. “From looking at his profile, I would’ve bet my rose gold cuffs he likes having his cock stepped on.”

“Jieun!” you slurred, Taehyung and Minyoung only offering giggles.

“Ok, now I really need to see this guy,” Nana said with a playful smile. You could see the excitement for potential twinkling in her eyes and a pang of something uncomfortable hit you in the chest. Was it…jealousy? But how could it be? It wasn’t as if the two of you were dating; your agreement was purely sexual. You stuffed the feeling down and gave a half-hearted laugh instead.

“Did you even read his file? I would’ve sworn he gave off “control me” vibes and I’m rarely wrong.” Jieun cocked a suggestive eyebrow, but her expression softened after a moment, eyes on you. “I don’t know. Maybe you just bring out the authority in him.”

You knocked your head back to avoid her gaze, draining the last bit of your cocktail. It had only just occurred to you that you hadn’t seen Seokjin’s file since this all started. All Luxe had sent you that first night was his requests and you’d never thought to ask to see the rest.

“Jieun, you just think everyone wants to grovel before you,” Minyoung sighed with a roll of her eyes.

“Because they do, honey,” Jieun said, and you weren’t the only one at the table groaning at her overconfidence. “Alright assholes,” she said as if you’d all offended her deeply. “Pick anyone in here and I can have them licking the bottom of my shoe in twenty minutes. I promise they’ll walk away hard or soaking wet.”

“Bet,” Taehyung said, eyes already scanning the rest of the crowded bar for a target. “This I gotta see.” He searched among groups scattered everywhere until a suspicious, boxy smile stretched across his face.

“How about goth boy over there?” He nodded towards a tall man with a beautiful baby face, dressed in all black right down to his combat boots and leather jacket. Jieun finished her drink and nudged Tae, sliding out of the booth once he moved. She nodded at you all to start the clock, then made her way towards the man and his group of friends with a sure-footed confidence no one should ever be allowed to wield.

In the end, it took twenty-three minutes. Jieun had coaxed him just behind a high-backed booth opposite the one where your group sat, making sure she was in your line of vision. There was some kissing, some fondling, a lot of whispers, and finally he lifted her flexible leg and dragged his tongue along the bottom of her shoe.

It was easy to see by the way he adjusted his very fitted jeans afterward that she had accomplished her goal. Collectively impressed, no one would dare begrudge her the three minutes. She rejoined the table in triumph, the young man in tow. “Everyone, this is Jungkook. Jungkook, my friends.”

He was a bit flustered, whatever pillow talk she had been whispering to him clearly still at the forefront of his mind. After a short chat, they exchanged phone numbers, and then the young man was waving to his friends and heading out of the bar.

“Oh, I’m going to have such a good time breaking him in,” Jieun mused. New drinks arrived at your table and you all reluctantly toasted to Jieun’s particular set of skills. The conversation drifted from there and, like it often did, ended up in the past and on how the four of you had bonded with each other throughout your years of exotic dancing, becoming staples in each other’s lives. Taehyung often said he loved to listen, because hearing the perspectives of dancers could only make him a better employer. You looked up at one point to find his drunken stare leveled on you.

“Y/N, I don’t think I could call myself a businessman if I passed up on talent.”

“Here we go,” Nana complained. “Every time we get together you’re begging Y/N to come shake her tits for you.”

“I just want you to come dance for me, just once,” Taehyung said. “From what Jieun tells me, you’d put the rest of my staff to shame. Can you blame me for at least wanting to witness it myself?”

“No one loves stripping like Y/N does.” Jieun spoke like a proud mother and you could feel the heat creeping into your cheeks. “It’s not even about the money, she’s just a natural entertainer.”

“Shut up…”

“The way she owns the entire stage, every eye in the place stays glued to her,” said Minyoung, backing up Jieun’s story.

Jieun nodded in agreement. “Don’t let that innocent act fool you. My bitch knows exactly what she’s doing.”

“Listen, if I get fired for fucking my boss, I just might need to take up dancing again.”

Jieun’s voice was sentimental. “Do you miss it?”

Two beats too long. Three.

“Yeah,” you said with a sigh. “I loved doing it, but I worked so hard for the position I have now.”

“All I’m saying is, I’ve yet to hear you say ‘I love accounting’.”

“Jieun, please.”

“This advice coming from the person who aced her MCATs and passed up med school for an alternative lifestyle,” Minyoung followed up.

She glanced at Taehyung, lips stretching into a coy smile.

“Best decision I ever made.”

One by one, your friends headed off, until it was only you and Jieun at the table. Taehyung had headed back to his club, Minyoung back to her family, and Nana to god only knew where. But everyone looked content and it meant the world to you that you were all able to be happy. Especially coming from times when you definitely weren’t.

Jieun was three sheets to the wind and already sending flirty texts to her new boy toy.

“He thinks he’s getting laid tonight, pfft. I’m not even going to touch his dick, poor baby.” She took the final swig of her drink and giggled to herself. “God, he was pretty.”

“Hey, Ji?” you said, slumping your head against your hand and deciding it was probably time for a glass of water. “What's going on with you and Tae? I haven't seen you that in tune with someone since-”

“Say her name and I'll cut out your fucking tongue.”

“Seriously though. You can fool Nana and Minyoung, but you can't fool me. You like him.”

Jieun pouted for a moment and then put her face in her hands. "Yeah. Yeah, I fucking like him, god damn it." You slid around the booth until you were next to her, placing a soothing hand on her back.

"Hey, hey. Remember, it's okay to like someone."

"You don’t understand. I slept at his place, Y/N. We had lazy morning sex and ate waffles. We took naps and watched art documentaries and horror movies all day."

"Jesus."

She looked over at you and beyond the haze of alcohol, you could see genuine worry. “I'm practically domestic."

"Ji, you can like someone. It's safe. And any idiot could see he's into you."

"Yeah. Or maybe we're both just getting off on playing house."

“An optimist, as always,” you laughed, then instinctively hugged your friend like you could tell she needed. She welcomed it, sighing into you for a moment before tugging herself away and flicking the side of her empty glass.

“So what about you and this boss guy?” Jieun eyed you curiously, searching for a hint of something in your face.

“What do you mean?”

“I've known you for a long time. You've already got feelings for him otherwise you wouldn't have agreed to something this dangerous.”

You sat up straighter, suddenly feeling very sober. “Uh, I think I know whether I’m in love or not.”

She hummed to herself. “There are different levels of love.”

You considered her words for a moment. Jieun had seen you through enough for you to know that when she made an observation it was worth listening to. “I mean, a crush maybe,” you admitted. “I barely know him personally.”

“I just don't want you to get hurt. I’m gonna do some digging and see if I can find anything out about him. He was a first-timer with Luxe’s service, but maybe not with a service like that. And my radar is usually not wrong.”

“Well, what if he's just a switch like you say I am?”

She tapped her glass a few more times, chewing her lip over some thought she clearly wasn’t ready to share. “What if, indeed…”

“I don't want to know. He'll tell me if he wants to when he’s ready.”

“All the same.” She glanced down at her phone and leaned against your shoulder. “Listen, I'm doing a set tonight. I need to go oil some things, wax some other things. You gonna be okay to get home?”

“Yeah, I’ll be fine,” you said, pulling out your phone to schedule a ride.

“I love you so much, my bitch. Please try not to fall in love with that man while he’s fucking you into his kitchen table.”

Your sigh was purely hopeless as you leaned your head against your hand, staring out at the fat raindrops dripping from the bar’s awning. “If only he’d fuck me into anything.”

"Y/N, we're going to have to install a pole in your cubicle at this rate."

Arriving at the office a little late thanks to a hangover-related mishap with your alarm, you were accosted by your co-worker's assessment as soon as you reached your cubicle. You took a moment to look down at your dress. By your standards, it was modest, and by the company's standards, work-appropriate. Flattering, perhaps, but nothing out of place.

"What the hell are you talking about, Jihye? I look like I do every day."

"I think you look very pretty," Ara said. Her smile was sweet and she gave you a nod before sipping from her tea mug. You made a quick survey of your surroundings and thankfully, Yoongi and Sooyoung were nowhere to be seen and it looked like even Seokjin hadn't made it to his office yet. You looked down again. Alright, maybe you could admit you'd asked for criticism with your slutty office fantasy getup on Monday, but now that things were back to normal you weren't sure what Jihye's deal was.

"Spill girl, are you dating someone?" Jihye leaned in your direction, clearly hungry for gossip, and continued her prodding. "Trying to make sure you look hot enough for after-work dates, is that it? Is it someone here?"

You threw yourself into your work chair, firing up your computer as usual and writing off your co-worker's interest in your attire as boredom.

"Alright Jihye, I hear you. I'll wear a garbage bag tomorrow."

Sooyoung and Yoongi eventually turned up, but still Seokjin was nowhere in sight. When you thought to ask, Sooyoung confirmed that he'd text her to say he'd be in later. Part of you was a little disappointed, but that was the irresponsible part. The professional in you welcomed the focus his absence provided. Instead of sparing precious productivity lusting over him, you could focus on what the company paid you for. You had month-end reports coming up and losing so much of the two previous days was going to set you back if you didn't kick yourself in the ass and get to work. Entertaining your hormones was fun, but spontaneously booking a flight to Tokyo with your own hard-earned money was pretty damn satisfying as well.

With plenty to be done, the morning flew by and it wasn't until almost lunchtime that your illustrious manager showed his flawless face. He gave a friendly but hurried wave towards everyone before heading into his office. You lost track of him after that, rushing away from your desk for a quick meeting before you needed to leave to meet Jimin at the Luxe office. You checked your phone when you reached the conference room, deciding to kill a minute or two while you waited for the rest of the group to arrive. And smiled to yourself when you saw Seokjin’s name flash across your screen.

Seokjin: You look beautiful.

Y/N: 😳

You waited, but no other messages followed. No orders to remove your underthings or put your hands in places they probably shouldn't be in the workplace. You gave it another minute before responding.

Y/N: That's it?

Seokjin: …I'm sorry. Should I have written a sonnet instead?

Seokjin: Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?

Y/N: I just meant after yesterday it's not what I was expecting.

Seokjin: No time for play today, I'm afraid. Duty calls.

You thought about making a quip about his duty and the unread contract from the day before, but your meeting partners arrived just then and you set entertaining conversation aside to focus on accounting for a little longer.

You arrived at the Luxe office only about fifteen minutes into your lunch hour, grateful that it was in the same business district as your accounting firm. Part of a large high-rise with modern architecture and curves of glass and nestled between buildings well known for five-star restaurants and stores catering to opulence, you could see why a company like Luxe would choose this location as its home base. A smooth elevator ride took you to the tenth floor and you walked through the sleek, frosted glass door that read “Park Private Entertainment, LLC”. A second security door waited inside and you pressed the little bell above a small sign that read “By appointment only”. A moment later, the secretary buzzed you inside.

“Afternoon, Ms. Y/L/N.” At the shiny, black, marble reception desk sat Irene, Mr. Park’s quirky secretary with her candy blue hair done up in adorable space buns, smiling from behind her dual screens. Her desk matched perfectly with the sleek decor, all clean white walls and polished gray floors. There was no one sitting in the small waiting area, which made sense as you were sure Mr. Park scheduled his appointments so that his clients and employees could remain anonymous.

“How are you, Irene?”

“Busier than shit, like usual,” she said with a giggle, attention already back on her monitors. “You can go on in, love. Mr. Park is expecting you.”

The door to Mr. Park’s office was just to the right of Irene’s desk, large, block letters in black reading “Park Jimin” across the frosted glass. You headed inside and quietly closed the door behind you. Mr. Park’s office was enormous and just as immaculate as the rest of the building, walls covered with framed photos from around the world and tasteful art pieces. Your employer was sat at his desk, face buried in his phone. He looked up as you turned around, giving you a strikingly dazzling smile that was just as piercing as the first time you’d met him.

“Y/N, thank you for coming on such short notice.” He gestured to one of the plush, black, leather chairs in front of his desk. “Please, have a seat.”

“It’s not a problem at all, Mr. Park,” you said and made yourself comfortable as he’d asked.

“Please, call me Jimin.”

Jimin looked slender compared to the width of the high-backed, black leather chair in which he sat. But even at the waifish sight of him, he’d exuded a mystifying intensity since the first day you met that made you respect him even before a word had come out of his mouth. Today, his hair was dyed a pretty, pale, pink color and he wore haunting, gray lenses which gave his already intense stare an otherworldly edge. But his crisply pressed, pristine, white suit, inky black tie, and the subtle purse of his plump lips was all business.

“I don’t want to take up much of your time so I’ll get straight to business, if that’s alright.” He continued after a quick nod from you. “I’m going to ask you a question plainly, Y/N, and I want you to rest assured that you are not being reprimanded, nor does any information you divulge go beyond these doors.” An uncomfortable prickle skittered up your back as you tried to hazard a guess for why Jimin had called you to his office so suddenly.

“Is Mr. Kim paying you for sex?”

The silence that followed was uncomfortably long and Jimin’s fierce grey eyes held yours for the entire stretch of it.

“I…I’m sorry?” you finally managed to choke out with a nervous laugh.

“Is Kim Seokjin, the client you are scheduled to meet with twice a week, paying you for sexual activity?”

You couldn’t feel your heartbeat, wondering if it had suddenly jumped out of your chest. But you crossed your legs and adjusted yourself in your seat, trying to pull yourself together. This was business after all and your sex life really wasn’t any part his business, was it?

“Mr. Kim and I…have not had sex,” you responded carefully, trying to keep the panic out of your tone.

Jimin laced his fingers together across the top of his desk, the tension in his hands only tightening. “That’s not the question I asked.”

He softened at your continued silence, his eyebrows furrowing in what looked like sincere worry.

“My business offers exhibitionists like yourself a safe alternative to something like sex work and privacy that establishments like strip clubs might not afford you. You are able to earn a living wage and your clients have strict rules and repercussions if they break them. And I protect my employees, Y/N. So please be honest with me. Is he paying you under the table for sex? Is he coercing you? Forcing you?”

“No,” you said firmly. “It’s nothing like that." This time the pause laid on Jimin’s side, he rubbed a hand across his chin, considering you for a moment.

“It was brought to my attention yesterday that you had a connection with Mr. Kim prior to meeting him through our services.”

You said nothing, your back suddenly feeling stiff. You fought the urge to cross your arms.

“He is your direct manager at your day job.”

“He is,” you said.

“Is he threatening to fire you if you choose not to keep him as a client?” Jimin’s voice suddenly dropped, some level of distaste rising behind the tone.

“No!”

“But you do have a sexual relationship during your visits.”

You gave up, crossing your arms anyway, possibly to spite the burning in your cheeks. “Why are you asking me this? If I recall correctly, sexual activity isn’t a part of the contract between clients and entertainers. However, keeping the clients happy and continuing to use the service is encouraged. I believe I’ve fulfilled my part.”

Jimin’s sigh was deep as he studied you for another moment. “Yes, sex is prohibited by our contract. But I can’t stop it from happening. Nor would I intend to intervene between two consenting adults. Your safety is my priority. That’s why we have everyone submit their clear STD panel records prior to service. But I’m sure you can understand why I’m wary of having you provide this service to your direct supervisor, someone who could potentially use their authority over you in a negative way.”

“I can assure you, that is not the case.”

He leaned back in his chair, hand straightening his already perfectly placed black tie, likely gauging whether you were being honest or hiding the truth.

“Mr. Kim has requested to extend your sessions from one hour to three hours, Thursday and Sunday evenings, and has agreed to pay additional fees should the sessions last longer. I doubt you’re washing his dishes for three hours, Y/N.”

You shifted uncomfortably in your seat, but said nothing.

“He also politely inquired as to whether you were seeing clients on any other days. Though he was understanding when Irene advised him that that information is confidential.”

Something sparked at the back of your neck, like a stray ember from a spitting fire. He’d asked what?

“This is my fault, of course. Had our system been working when Mr. Kim agreed to a substitute, I’m sure I would’ve caught the connection. I never would’ve sent you. If you’re in any sort of trouble, I want you to tell me. I don’t think you're struggling financially, but I know you’re very career-focused. I’m not here to pry into your personal life. I’m here, professionally, to make sure you as my employee aren’t being taken advantage of."

“He wouldn’t do that. I swear to you, it’s not what you think. If I felt any sort of threat from the situation, I would let you know. But I don’t.” Part of you wanted to confess. You wanted him to know that everything was consensual, but the words wouldn’t come. Jimin took another long pause to assess you before breathing another deep sigh.

“Are you happy working for me?”

“Very happy.”

“Alright. Please look after yourself.” He reached into a drawer and pulled out a chic business card, handing it to you. “This has my personal mobile number. If you think of anything you want to tell me, or if you need anything at all at any time, please call me.”

You accepted it, trying to force yourself to relax your defenses. It was uncomfortable to discuss, but you could understand Jimin only looking out for his employees. “I appreciate your concern, Jimin, but I promise I’m not in any trouble. Seokjin and I are both adults and I’m not participating in anything I don’t want to.”

“Employees often leave Luxe for one reason or another. Money is pretty high up on that list. And so is love.”

“I have no intention of leaving.”

“Alright,” he said, nodding, the kind smile you’d been met with initially returning to his face. “I hope you understand I had an obligation to speak to you on this. Irene has ordered some lunch out in the lobby for you, in case you won’t have time to get something to eat. Please take whatever you need.”

“Thank you, Jimin,” you said, rising from your seat.

“Have a good day, Y/N.”

Your joints felt stiff as you left the office, as if you hadn’t moved for hours, rather than fifteen minutes. As he’d said, a small table with different sandwiches and salads was set up in the lobby, including boxes for you to take with you what you pleased. But you couldn’t think about eating now, not with the inquisition you’d just been given. You hoped you’d set Jimin’s mind at ease, but there was one thing he’d said that was now hard stuck at the front of your mind. You turned to Irene’s desk and she looked up at the movement, space buns tilting as she eyed you curiously.

“Irene, I never got a copy of my client’s file since it was a last-minute switch. Do you think you could email it to me?”

“You got it, love.”

By the time you made it back to your office, the irritating spark had spread from your neck, slowly burning its way up the back of your head. And as the afternoon wore on, it continued its smoldering travel, down into the tense muscles of your back and arms. After staring at a spreadsheet for thirty minutes too long, you gave yourself a short reprieve, heading to the break room to grab a cup of tea. Preferably the calming, soothing kind.

He'd asked if you were seeing other clients. Hadn't he just fucking asked to be your only client? Hadn't you already had to reaffirm the trust between you once? And then he goes behind your back to-

"Y/N?"

You broke your apparently long stare into your cup of steaming tea, looking up to see Namjoon eyeing you curiously, a slightly worried wrinkle between his eyes.

"Hm?"

"Uhh, I think there's a hole in your cup there. Careful you don't spill on yourself."

You looked down again, realizing you had been gripping the little sleeve of styrofoam so tightly, a crack had formed along the side. You held it away immediately, hurrying to the sink to rinse it and all inklings of calm down the drain and wash your hands.

"Everything alright? You look pretty tense." Namjoon joined you at the sink, wrinkle still uneased. He offered you a new cup with an encouraging smile.

"Yeah, yeah sorry. Rough day. Thanks." Turning down the cup, you opted to grab a water bottle from the company canteen and attempt to drown your burning thoughts instead.

On your way back, you noticed Yoongi hovering at Sooyoung's desk, something he'd said leaving her in quiet giggles. Your gut reaction was to protect Sooyoung, to make some comment to her about keeping your guard up against men like him. Maybe men in general.

You beelined to your desk, not happy with where this train of thought was taking you. You took a deep breath and tried to check your temper. This wasn't about Yoongi and whoever was nice enough to let him flirt. Yes, he was cocky and sometimes a bit cold. But he did his share of work and he'd brought donuts that one time and made you laugh that one other time.

You cracked open your water bottle and upended most of it in one shot. No, this wasn't about demonizing your co-worker or men at large. You were just pissed. Pissed that Seokjin didn't trust you. All that talk about trust, and then he'd gone behind your back, questioning your actions as if he really didn't trust you at all.

You shut out the irritating thoughts altogether, instead throwing yourself into your work, grateful there was plenty to be done to let you bury yourself, smothering the fire for now.

By the time you pulled up to Seungjun’s sprawling estate, the anger hadn’t subsided much. On the contrary, since you hadn’t seen Seokjin once all afternoon and you didn’t trust yourself to text him without including numerous expletives, the lack of resolution had left it bubbling just beneath the surface of your skin. You supposed it was a problem for tomorrow, a talk you definitely needed to have before any other activity could take place between the two of you.

You pulled out your phone as you entered the extravagant foyer, considering at least texting Jieun to let off some steam. If anyone could help you keep your head level when you were angry, it was her.

Suddenly you ran into something, a hand shooting forward as you lost your balance and taking hold of your arm to keep you from falling on your ass. You looked up, apology on the tip of your tongue. Your eyes met a gorgeous, hazel pair, almond-shaped with sharp corners and surprise along the edges.

"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry!" said the man in front of you, mouth down-turned slightly in a worried frown.

"No, no, it's totally my fault, I wasn't-"

Your words trailed off and he didn't pick them up. Those high cheekbones. The precise sharpness of that jaw. The strong hand gripping your arm. The recognition was slow, but you could tell from his gradually widening eyes that it was mutual.

"You-"

"Hoseok! Sorry to keep you waiting." Your heads both snapped in the direction of Seungjun's voice, looking further down the hall past the grand staircase as he headed in your direction. He was all smiles, but faltered for a moment, eyes landing on Hoseok's hand around your arm. Unintentionally, you yanked it away. "Did something happen?"

"I uh…I bumped into him on the way in," you said, head spinning. What the fuck was with today?

"No, I wasn't looking." The man's eyes were back on you, still just as confused as you felt. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah."

"Well, this is auspicious. I've been wanting to introduce the two of you for a while, actually."

"Well…"

You shook your head subtly in Hoseok's direction and thankfully Seungjun didn't seem to catch the movement. Hoseok didn't continue whatever damning thing he’d been about to say.

"This is my fiancée's daughter, Y/N. Y/N, this is Hoseok. He's a good friend of mine and one of the best damn economists in the industry."

"Heh, yeah well, I don't know about that." He gave you a polite nod. "Lovely to meet you, Y/N."

"Sure you can't stay for dinner, Hoseok? We'd love to have you."

"Uhhh," he stalled, looking at you nervously, then shook his head after reading whatever expression was on your face. "I'd better not. Lots to do, you know." Seungjun sighed and clapped Hoseok on the shoulder, steering him towards the front door.

"Your mom's in the kitchen, Y/N. You go on, I'll see Hoseok out."

You nodded. "Nice to meet you," you offered and turned to head off. Once you were sure Seungjun couldn't see you, you caught Hoseok's eyes and held a finger to your lips, pleading.

"You're killing me, man. I can't set you up if you're acting like that." Seungjun must've thought he was whispering, forgetting that everything echoed when your house was this massive. You snorted a laugh to yourself, heading off towards the dining hall.

Of all the fucking people for Seungjun to try to set you up with, it had to be a former Luxe client. And even worse, he’d managed to choose someone who you knew from experience didn't find you attractive at all. You'd spent an entire agonizing hour at Hoseok's home, vacuuming, dusting, and sweeping with everything on show, since he'd paid for a fully nude service. And the man had looked at you once and never again for the rest of the session. He wouldn't even meet your eyes when you said goodbye. And had definitely never called the service again.

You groaned a little in irritation as you made your way through the corridor. This wasn't really helping your emotions towards men for the day.

"Mom!" You found your mother at the far end of the dining room table, setting down a large tray of what looked like a scrumptious side dish. It smelled like heaven, the kind of cooking only your mother could provide. Even if it looked a little silly with only the three place settings at the massive, oaken table that must’ve been able to seat at least thirty.

"Oh, there's my baby," she said, a grin stretching across her face as she sat down her dish and wiped her hands on the apron at her waist.

"Mom, I'm a grown woman," you reminded her. She pulled you into a hug and you squeezed her tight, suddenly realizing how much you’d missed her.

"And also my baby. Come, sit down, have some wine. We really need to catch up. You cheeky thing, you've really been ignoring me lately."

You helped your mom gather the rest of her dishes from the dining room and set them at the table. Seungjun joined you a few moments later, doting on your mom with pleasant kisses before taking a seat. Watching her light up from his affection always turned you to mush, the adoration they had for each other palpable. You’d been wary of her dating someone so young at first, wondering if this was her acting out on some kind of midlife crisis. But Seungjun had been the one to pursue your mother in the first place and had proven his love genuine time and again as far as you were concerned.

The meal was a welcome and pleasant distraction from the nonsense of the day. Your mother’s culinary degree was only a formality in your eyes since her cooking had been this amazing your entire life. You caught up as your mom wished, though leaving out details of certain arrangements in your life. They caught you up on some of the plans for her bakery and watching them finish each other sentences and flirt a little too much as the wine flowed left you feeling almost cozy. Even though Seungjun was closer to your age than your mother’s, watching them gave you hope that one day you could be as in love as they both were.

While your mom broke away to get dessert and Seungjun excused himself to answer a business email, you checked your own phone. But unlike earlier in the day when seeing his name had made you smile, this time Seokjin's name on your screen was like a lit match in gasoline, burning away your cheerful evening in a flash. Your irritation flared ten-fold and you wondered what on earth he could have to text you about when you were this angry. And a little drunk. Oh shit, you were drunk.

Seokjin: Home?

Y/N: Why? Keeping tabs on me?

Seokjin: So I know whether you'll have an audience or not when I tell you what I've been wanting to do to you all day.

Clueless. Well, of course he couldn't know, he had no idea he'd been caught. But you were definitely planning to give him an update. You ignored the little buzzing at the back of your mind telling you to put down your phone, tapping out your response instead.

Y/N: I'm not so sure I'm interested.

The dots came and went. Came and went again. Well, there was no point in beating around the bush about it.

Y/N: You asked my company if I’m seeing other clients. Why? You didn't trust me when I agreed to only see you?

Another length of disappearing and reappearing dots.

Seokjin: Had he said you were seeing others, I might have wanted us to use more protection.

You attacked your phone fiercely, gritting your teeth as you typed. You hardly noticed when your mother returned from the kitchen, cake stand in hand.

Y/N: Is that really all? You’re worried about STDs? And you think I’m the type to not protect myself and endanger someone else too??

Seokjin: No, I don’t think any of that.

Seokjin: Shit, Y/N. I’m deflecting.

Seokjin: It was wrong of me to ask. I don’t have any excuse for that.

Seokjin: I do trust you.

You started to type, not even sure what words were coming out. You couldn’t put your finger on why you were so angry, why the thought of Seokjin checking on whether you were true to your word had gotten you so riled up. Trust. Something about trust.

“Is everything alright, honey?” Your mom’s voice barely penetrated, thumbs flying across your screen. But you jumped in your seat a little when your phone started ringing instead, seeing Seokjin’s name and number flashing instead of your message screen.

“Uh, my boss is calling. I’ll be right back.”

“This late? What could accountants have to do after five?” Seungjun said, chuckling.

“Is that who you’ve been arguing with?”

Your eyes flew up to your mother. “Was it that obvious?”

“I thought your leg was going to fly off with how much you were fidgeting. Don’t get fired, baby. We drank a bottle and a half of shiraz.”

Your mom was right. You were ready to hiss and spit, completely in defense mode, but still somewhere in the back of your mind was a nagging feeling that you should take your mom’s advice and probably ignore the call. It’s a shame how that voice never won.

“Hold on a moment,” you spoke into your phone as calmly as you could and hurried out of the dining hall, making your way to the den and outside onto the patio to get some fresh air. “Yes?” you said into your phone. He wasn’t getting any sort of “sir” out of you tonight.

“I’m sorry,” his voice came over the line.

“Sorry for not believing me? Sorry for letting me think that we had a mutual agreement to trust each other? Sorry for invading my personal life?” You felt everything that had been building since you left Jimin’s office rolling off of you in heated waves.

“Sorry for leading you to believe I’m perfect.”

“What?!” you spit, barely able to resist the urge to snap your phone in half.

“I only called your company to update our schedule and make payment arrangements, Y/N. I didn’t call with the intention of questioning your actions. It just…slipped out at the end. I had a brief moment of doubt, I fucked up. I do fuck up.”

“Perfect? You arrogant motherfucker.”

“Whoa, now hold on a minute-”

"We all make mistakes, Seokjin. We're fucking human, of course I don’t think you’re incapable of doing something wrong. But you're going to have to do better than "I'm sorry you thought I was perfect". That’s not a fucking apology, that's blaming me for what you chose to do."

A bloated silence passed by, a cricket somewhere in the grass stopping halfway into its song while you waited for your words to settle.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “You’re…you’re right, you’re absolutely right. Shit, I really am the asshole here.”

“I meant what I said to you. I’ve never slept with a client. And I’m not sleeping with or seeing anyone else. We agreed to that.”

“I believe you. I’ve believed you the whole time, I just-.” He sighed in frustration. “I shouldn’t have asked, I overstepped my bounds and I’m sorry for doing that. I do trust you. I just lost my cool for a second. I told you about my last relationship. It left its mark. We may not have a romantic relationship, but it’s a relationship nonetheless.” He cleared his throat. “That’s not an excuse. I fucked up and I’m sorry.”

You didn’t know what to say. Now that the anger was out of you, you felt tired, a slow headache building from all the tension and perhaps the shiraz. When you said nothing, Seokjin continued speaking instead.

“There was no way I could know that you’d agree to this. We were both on the spot. And both of us agreed. Which means I was looking for control and you were looking to give up control. But I thought for a moment, what if I don't know her? I wouldn't have ever guessed that you'd be part of a…sexual fantasy service. What else is there I don't know about my employee?”

“You’re right, we don't know each other, Seokjin. I would've never thought you would use a sexual fantasy service and yet here we both are. I thought that's what this was about, learning together. We can’t do that if we’re questioning each other every step of the way.”

“You’re right. Again, I really am sorry.”

You leaned against a pillar, letting your head rest against the cool, white stone, willing it to give your tension some relief. “I really wanted to feel like I could put my trust in you one-hundred percent. When Jimin told me you’d been snooping, that trust took a blow. I got so angry.”

“So what am I at now?”

“What?”

“What percentage trust am I at now?”

“I don’t know. Eighty?”

“I can work with eighty. Can I work on bringing it back up?”

“Alright.”

There was another quiet moment before he spoke again, his tone gentle. “So…am I still an arrogant motherfucker?”

“Oops. Heh…sorry. My mouth leads when I get angry. Also, wine may have been involved.”

“No, don’t apologize. It was valid. I’m beyond impressed that you were willing to put me in my place. And a little turned on.”

“Oh?”

“A little.”

You made your way to a stone bench that overlooked the garden beyond the patio, taking a deep breath of the cool night air and closing your eyes.

“Seokjin, why did you ask me to do this with you? Because you think I’m weak?”

“No. You’re definitely not that. And if you’ve been reading my book, you know submissives are anything but weak.”

“Right,” you said, remembering the lessons from his little, marked-up text.

“I asked you because I think we can learn a lot together, that we can help each other find whatever it is we’re looking for that made us say yes. For me, it's not all about rough sex and floggings. I’m not saying we won’t get to those things, but all I really want is to have some control. To have power over you.”

“Rough sex sounds pretty good though,” you said, grinning to yourself.

“Maybe. But you thinking about my tongue and my fingers when you touch yourself? That's power. You not wearing panties because I want you to bare your ass to me whenever I see fit? That's domination. You calling me sir in a room full of our co-workers? Hot as fuck. Shit, I've never gotten so hard so fast.”

You sat forward, the wine-induced haze suddenly whipped out of you. Wait, when had the conversation taken a turn down this sensual path?

“I want you to crave my permission, to be happy in obedience and enjoy your punishment when you disobey. I think that's sexier than any choking or spanking I could give you.”

Your hand flew to your neck. Alright, choking was still pretty fucking hot. But you were starting to understand his point.

“Y/N, you’re stunningly beautiful. You could have a normal relationship with any a-hole you choose. What we have is something different. We have trust. Despite my missteps, let me assure you that we do have that. So I’m requesting a bit of monogamy in our play. It lends itself to the fantasy, having you answer only to me. If you do decide to see someone else, business or personal, I’d only ask that you let me know.”

You thought back to your conversation at the bar all those months ago. Seokjin clearly didn’t like to share. And while you respected people who were far more sexually open to multiple partners, you didn’t think you’d like the idea of sharing either. You paused your thoughts, his words finally catching up to you.

“Hold up. Stunningly beautiful?”

"A show stopper. And the prettiest pussy I’ve ever seen.”

Just then you saw your mother’s head peek out from the sliding glass doors, curiously looking around for you and waving once she spotted you.

“Ahh..I’m uh…I’m at my mom’s place. .”

“I can’t apologize to you enough, Y/N. I’m sorry I overstepped my bounds. I want to control you, but not like that. I’m not trying to tie you down. I’d rather tie you up and play with you until you’re begging for my c-”

“Alright, gotta go! I’ll see you at work tomorrow, boss. Have a good night!” You could swear you heard him laughing as you pressed the end call button.