He Wants An Open Marriage? Done!

Chapter 22: I Made A Choice

The heavy steel elevator doors opened with a soft sigh, blowing cool air into the high-end lobby of Vance Enterprises.

Roxanne stopped for a second. The last time she had walked through these doors, she was fleeing from this very building in panic, terrified of the overwhelming intensity of her feelings for Richard and the sheer power he held over her.

Tonight, her heels clicked on the polished marble floor with absolute confidence. She wasn’t running away anymore. She was choosing this time.

She walked down the quiet hallway toward the large mahogany doors at the end. Her pulse beat fast against her ribs. Every step felt like a declaration of war against her old life. She was done playing the invisible housewife. She was done letting anyone dictate her worth.

But as she reached the sleek handles of the executive suite, a deeper truth hit her. She didn’t just want the power Richard was offering. She wanted the man behind the desk. She wanted Richard.

She lifted a steady hand and knocked.

"Come in," Richard’s deep voice came from the other side.

Roxanne turned the handle and pushed the door open. The large corner office was dark, lit only by the glowing city skyline through the giant windows.

Richard sat on the edge of his massive oak desk. His suit jacket was gone, thrown over a chair. The first three buttons of his black shirt were open, showing the dark hair at his throat and his broad chest. His dark hair was slightly messy, as if he had been running his fingers through it while waiting for her.

His dark eyes locked onto her the moment she walked in. He looked entirely through her, past the nude dress and the makeup, straight into her certainty.

Roxanne let out a slow breath, stopping a few feet away. The air between them instantly turned thick and hot. "I’ve made my choice," she whispered.

Richard didn’t move. His gaze dropped slowly to her lips, making her breath hitch, before meeting her eyes again. "And what choice is that?"

Roxanne straightened her shoulders, meeting his gaze head-on. "I’m done being that woman," she said. She let her purse slide from her fingers onto a nearby chair and took two slow steps closer. She could smell the scent of his cedarwood cologne. "I am done with my past, and I am ready for the future."

A slow smile pulled at the corner of Richard’s lips. He didn’t break eye contact. "I’ve been waiting a very long time to hear you say those words, Roxanne. I hope you mean them this time."

Roxanne closed the distance, her heart hammering against her ribs. She looked at his mouth, then back at his dark eyes. "Looking at me right now, do you see any uncertainty?"

Richard didn’t answer with words. He just smiled.

Roxanne stood directly between his thighs now, her chest heaving as she looked up into his handsome face. The heat from his body was overwhelming. "So, are you going to keep making me wait," she breathed, biting her lower lip, "or are you going to take me right now?"

That broke his discipline.

Without a word, Richard reached out. His large hands grabbed her waist, his fingers digging into the silk fabric of her dress as he pulled her against his chest. He crashed his lips against hers in a hungry, possessive kiss. Roxanne gasped into his mouth, a soft sob escaping her throat as his tongue swept inside.

The kiss was intense and deep, the wet sound filling the quiet office. Before she could wrap her arms around his neck, Richard scooped her up in one swift motion. Her thighs automatically clamped around his waist. Their lips never parted as he carried her across the office to the dark lounge sofa. He laid her down, his heavy body pinning her into the cushions.

Only then did he pull his mouth away. Roxanne lay beneath him, her chest heaving as she tried to catch her breath. She watched through a haze of desire as Richard stood over her, his fingers unbuttoning his shirt to expose his chiseled chest.

He leaned back down to kiss her again while his large hand slid up her dress, his fingers parting her thighs.

She gasped loudly against his lips, a jolt of electricity shooting straight through her. She was already aching for his touch. The moment his thumb brushed firmly over her clit, she arched off the sofa, a breathless whimper tearing from her throat. fɾēewebnσveℓ.com

She tangled her fingers in his dark hair and pulled his ear to her lips. "I want you inside me. Right now, Richard," she begged, her voice a ragged whisper.

Richard paused, his chest rising and falling heavily against hers. He lifted his head, his dark eyes assessing her flushed face. "You don’t look like you want me enough yet," he murmured.

Before Roxanne could speak, Richard slid down her body. His large hands gripped her knees and spread her legs wide over the arm of the sofa. The moment his lips and tongue touched her aching core, Roxanne’s back arched.

A loud gasp tore from her throat as a massive wave of pleasure crashed over her. She dug her nails into his shoulders, pulling him closer as he ruthlessly wrecked her senses.

Moments later, when she was shaking and crying his name, Richard stood up. His breathing was ragged, sweat glistening on his collarbones as he lowered his zipper. His rigid length was straining against his trousers. As he freed himself, Roxanne’s eyes widened at the sheer size of him.

Richard didn’t give her time to think. He gripped her hips tightly, locking his dark gaze onto hers as he drove himself inside her in one deep thrust.

Roxanne threw her head back, her fingers digging into the sofa cushions. She was completely filled. Richard let out a low groan, anchoring his hands on her waist as he began a heavy, relentless rhythm.

Driven by instinct, Roxanne rolled her hips in a slow circle beneath him, moving in sync with him until the friction turned to pure fire.

Minutes later, the tension snapped. They clung to each other as a blinding climax tore through them. The force of his release inside her made their bodies jerk together. A low shout tore from Richard’s throat as they crashed beautifully into the afterglow.

Slowly, their heavy breaths settled into a quiet rhythm in the dark.

Roxanne lay tangled in his arms, the warmth of him still flooding her inside. She looked up into his unreadable face. "What comes next?"

Richard stood up, his expression instantly turning professional as he adjusted his clothing and pulled up his zipper. The passionate lover was gone, replaced by the cold billionaire. "Now," he said, his voice detached, "I introduce you to the world you’ve been standing outside of."

Roxanne’s brows pulled together. A sudden chill settled over her bare skin as she watched him transform back into a stranger. ƒree𝑤ebnσvel.com

"You’ll need to report here first thing in the morning to finish the executive paperwork," Richard continued, buttoning his cuffs. "By the end of the week, your appointment will be officially announced to the board."

Sharp disappointment rushed through Roxanne’s veins. She sat up, pulling her dress down to cover her thighs. "I understand the business side, Richard. I was asking what comes next for us. Is sex the only thing you want from me?"

Richard’s fingers paused on his shirt buttons. He turned his head, his dark eyes locking onto her. "I didn’t spend all this time waiting for you just for a quick lay, Roxanne," he murmured. "But first, you need to experience my world. Only then can you truly decide if you want to be a part of it."

Roxanne frowned, trying to understand the gravity behind his words. "I don’t understand why you think I wouldn’t want to be a part of your life," she said, watching him tuck his shirt into his trousers.

Richard walked back to the sofa and sat down beside her. He reached out, his large hand resting on her leg, his thumb tracing a slow circle over her skin. "Be patient, Roxanne," he murmured, his tone a mix of comfort and warning. "With time, you will get the answers to every question."

Roxanne stared at his handsome face. A sudden, terrifying question burned in her mind. Had she truly just escaped Christian’s trap, only to leap straight into the fire?

Richard exhaled a sharp breath and stood up, reaching for his jacket. "Why don’t you head home? You need to be back here first thing in the morning if you want to take your first step into your new world."

Roxanne swallowed the lump of anxiety in her throat and nodded. She smoothed down her dress and grabbed her purse. But as she walked out of the dark office, a haunting realization gripped her.

Who really was Richard Vance? And why did the only man who made her feel seen also feel like the most dangerous man she had ever met?