33 The CEO's Interrupted Seduction Hazel's POV 11 My fingers trembled slightly as I sorted through the stack of bank statements on Liam's massive dining table. Not from the numbers I was analyzing, but from the heated glances he kept throwing my way. Each time our eyes met, electricity zipped through my body. The professional distance we'd established crumbled with every passing minute. "Find anything interesting?" Liam asked, his deep voice breaking the tense silence. I tapped my pen against the paper. "Just that whoever handled these accounts was meticulous about covering their tracks. These transfers look legitimate at first glance." Liam pushed his chair back and stretched. His dress shirt pulled tight across his broad chest, and I couldn't help staring. "Let's take a break," he suggested, loosening his tie. "We've been at this for over an hour." I stood, walking to the floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the glittering city skyline. The night view was breathtaking, but not as breathtaking as the man whose reflection I could see approaching me from behind. "Beautiful, isn't it?" I murmured, deliberately brushing my hair over one shoulder. "Stunning," Liam replied, but he wasn't looking at the view. I turned to face him, my back against the cool glass. "I saw you watching me during the meeting." A small smile played at his lips. "Hard not to. That dress is quite the distraction." "That was the plan," I admitted boldly. His eyebrows shot up. "Oh? And what exactly was the plan, Ms. Vance?" I stepped closer, close enough to feel the heat radiating from his body. "To make you think about taking it off me." +16 Liam's eyes darkened instantly. "Mission accomplished." The confidence Chloe had helped build in me surged. I trailed my fingertip down his chest, stopping at his belt. "I've been wondering what your office looks like." "Would you like a tour?" His voice had dropped an octave. I nodded, heart hammering as he took my hand and led me down a hallway. The space opened into a large home office with another stunning view of the city. A massive mahogany desk dominated the room. "Very impressive, Mr. Sterling," I said, perching on the edge of his desk. Liam stood before me, hands in pockets. "You're playing with fire, Hazel." I met his gaze directly. "Maybe I want to get burned." Deliberately, I crossed my legs slowly, letting my dress ride up to reveal more thigh. Liam's eyes followed the movement, his jaw clenching visibly. "What are you doing?" he asked hoarsely. "Testing your self-control." I uncrossed my legs and recrossed them the other way, enjoying the power I suddenly wielded. Liam's hands came down on the desk, one on either side of me, caging me in. "It's wearing thin." I leaned forward until my lips nearly brushed his ear. "Then let it break." His restraint snapped like a rubber band stretched too far. In one fluid motion, he swept his arm across the desk, sending papers flying. Before I could react, he hoisted me onto the now-cleared surface and positioned himself between my legs. "Is this what you wanted?" he growled, gripping my thighs. I wound my arms around his neck. "Yes." His mouth crashed into mine, hungry and demanding. I matched his intensity, tangling my fingers in his hair as his hands roamed my body. When he pulled back, both of us were breathing hard. "You've been driving me crazy," he confessed, his voice rough. "Walking around my office in those skirts, bending over to file things…" 2/5 33 The CEO's Interrupted Seduction I smirked. "You noticed." "I notice everything about you." His hands slid under my dress, fingers tracing the edge of my panties. "These need to go." Before I could respond, he hooked his fingers into the thin material and tore it clean off. The ripping sound sent a jolt of pure desire through me. "Liam!" I gasped, equal parts shocked and aroused. He held up the scrap of lace with a wicked grin. "I'll buy you a hundred more." Then he was kissing me again, more deeply this time, his tongue exploring my mouth as his hands pushed my dress up around my waist. He broke the kiss to trail his lips down my neck, across my collarbone. "Tell me what you want," he commanded, his breath hot against my skin. "You," I whispered. "All of you." Liam dropped to his knees before me, pushing my legs further apart. "First, I want to taste you." My head fell back as his mouth found its target, his tongue expert and merciless against my most sensitive spot. I clutched the edge of the desk, my knuckles turning white as waves of pleasure washed over me. "Oh god, Liam," I moaned, unable to control the volume of my voice. He gripped my thighs harder, holding me in place as he continued his sweet torture. I could feel the pressure building rapidly, my body racing toward release. "That's it," he murmured against me. "Let go for me, Hazel." The orgasm hit me with stunning force. I cried out, my back arching as ecstasy flooded through my veins. Liam didn't stop, drawing out my pleasure until I was trembling and incoherent. When he finally stood, his eyes were dark with need, his breathing labored. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand in a gesture so primal it made me shiver. "Please," I begged, reaching for his belt. "I need you inside me." / Liam captured my hands, bringing them to his lips. "Are you sure?" 3/5 "I've never been more sure of anything," I answered, my voice steady despite the aftershocks still rippling through my body. He kissed me deeply, and I tasted myself on his lips as I worked his belt open. Just as I was about to unzip his pants, a sharp ringing cut through the heated atmosphere. Liam froze, swearing under his breath. He reached into his pocket for his phone, checking the screen. "It's Damian," he said, his expression torn. "Ignore it," I suggested, trying to pull him back. The phone kept ringing insistently. Liam sighed. "He wouldn't call this late unless it was important." With visible reluctance, he answered, putting the call on speaker. "This better be good, Knight." "Sorry to interrupt your evening," Damian's voice filled the room, a hint of amusement in his tone. "But we've got a situation." Liam ran a hand through his disheveled hair. "What kind of situation?" "The documents we were planning to review tomorrow? They're gone." The playful atmosphere evaporated instantly. Liam's posture stiffened. "What do you mean, gone?" "I mean vanished, disappeared, no longer in the filing cabinet where they're supposed to be," Damian replied, all traces of humor gone from his voice. "I was prepping for tomorrow's meeting and noticed they weren't where Evelyn said they'd be." I quickly smoothed down my dress, suddenly very aware of my missing underwear as Liam paced the room. "Did you check the digital copies?" Liam asked sharply. "That's the thing" Damian continued. "The digital backup is corrupted. All files related to those specific transactions show as damaged." Liam's face darkened. "That's not a coincidence." 4/5 "No, it's not," Damian agreed grimly. "I think they know we're investigating. Someone's removing evidence." The implications hung heavy in the air. Our passionate moment had been completely shattered by the harsh intrusion of reality. "I'll be at the office in thirty minutes," Liam said, already moving toward the door. "Call security. I want to know everyone who's accessed those files in the last week." "Already on it," Damian replied. "See you soon." The call ended, leaving a deafening silence in its wake. Liam turned to me, written across his features. "Hazel, I-" conflict "Go," I said softly, understanding the gravity of the situation. "This is important." He crossed the room in three quick strides, cupping my face in his hands. "We're not finished here," he promised, his voice low and determined. As he pressed a quick, hard kiss to my lips, I couldn't help wondering if our enemies were always going to be one step ahead of us-in business and in pleasure.