I meant to surprise my boyfriend at work.

I knew his office.

I knew his desk.

I didn’t look up.

I just told him to enjoy it.

By the time I realized the man sitting there wasn’t Elijah… it was too late.

Now the CEO looks at me like he owns a secret.

And maybe he does.

This is part of the Crossing Lines Series.

This is a full length novel, 48,771 words. This is a dark romance. No HEA.

Sample Chapters:

Chapter 1 – Not That Kind of Girl

Audra

I’d gotten him the perfect gift. Limited edition cufflinks.

It took me ages to track them down. Then to have them engraved, an extra week. All of this planning was totally worth it. Elijah was the best boyfriend.

I knew he’d love the engraving, too. Nothing too sentimental. He didn’t like that stuff. So no lovey-dovey “garbage.” So I had this favorite phrase added. Synergy AF on one, Level Up on the other. He was always saying these to his friends, to his parents. To everyone at the office who worked under him.

Elijah was funny. Synergy? It’s funny and kind of badass. He’ll smile when he sees it. He’ll know I meant it for him, not just any VP douchebag.

I straightened the bow and set it on his plate.

Sure, he was a little late to meet me. But I knew that as the VP of Strategic Execution, Elijah was a busy man.

I signaled the waiter.

“Could you make sure the wine is ready when my date arrives? He doesn’t like to wait.”

The waiter nodded, “Of course, Miss. Can I bring you a drink while you wait?”

That was very thoughtful of him.

“Sure. Can I get a lemonade? Oh,” I paused, a thought occurring to me. “Would lemonade clash with the wine? Would it be… childish?”

He gave me a strange look. “I guess if you drank them together. But by itself? I think it’s fine. Would you like one? If you’re worried about it, I can bring you a frozen lemonade.”

“Oh, that sounds good. I’ll have that.”

I smoothed my skirt. I dressed up this time. Made a special effort to look gorgeous for him. I tugged at the hem of my dress. It was a tad short. But if he liked it, then this discomfort was worth it.

I spotted Elijah as he stepped in the front door and gave him a little wave. He nodded politely at the hostess, then made his way to our table.

“At least you got a good table, this time,” he said, kissing the top of my head and then sitting across from me.

“Happy birthday, Eli,” I said, a bit too enthusiastically.

He pulled out his phone. “Thanks, babe.” He barely glanced at me, already scrolling through something—probably email or Slack. His thumb moved fast, like he couldn’t be bothered to pause. I sat there watching him, waiting for his eyes to lift. They didn’t. Not until he’d finished whatever was more interesting than me.

“I got you something.” I pointed at the small wrapped box on his plate, then looked for the waiter again. Elijah would want his wine as soon as he sat.

The young man brought the wine and my lemonade. He grabbed my glass to pour some wine. I shook my head, pointing at Elijah’s glass. The waiter shrugged and poured a glass for Elijah, then filled mine.

I personally didn’t like this wine. It was a little too bold without any complexity. But I probably didn’t have the same refined palate as Elijah.

“I ordered your favorite,” I told him. He set his phone down finally and took a sip of the wine.

“Aw, good. The Prisoner Red Blend.” He nodded appreciatively. “Leave the bottle,” he instructed.

I watched him sip, then pour another glass. The suspense was killing me. I wanted him to open the gift. I’d spent a month on this gift.

“Ok, Eli, I can’t wait anymore. Open it!”

He smiled and picked it up. “Well, it’s too small to be the new iPhone.” I shook my head. “And too small to be a Tag Heuer.” I laughed, shaking my head again.

He was going to love this.

“Tell me it’s the Montblanc cufflinks, Bunny. Not the knockoff ones from that boutique you like.”

I held my smile, my confidence plummeting. They weren’t Montblanc. Nor from my favorite boutique. They were vintage Tateossian. I spent weeks searching.

He opened the box and glanced at them, his smile dropping. He picked one up.

“I mean, they’re not Tom Ford, but thanks.”

That hurt a bit. But I understood. As a VP, he had an image to maintain.

“I got them engraved for you. Read it.”

He nodded appreciatively. “Nice. Synergy AF. Truer words were never spoken. I’m glad you finally get it.” He picked up the other, reading the inscription. He nodded, his face serious. “It’s all about alignment across verticals. This captures that.”

“I’m so glad you like them.”

“Look, babe, I’m just glad you finally understand my vision. It’s simple, but it’s core. This is how we operationalize success.”

Hmm. I wasn’t sure if he was joking or not.

“Maybe we should order?”

He finished his wine and poured another, and finished that as well.

“Bunny, Audra, I’m sorry, I can’t stay. You know how it is. My parents want me to come home and celebrate with them. I just landed a deal at work, and they are throwing me a party.”

I felt my chest sink. He hadn’t mentioned a family party, not once. Not when we made the reservation. Not when I asked if he had plans. Not when I showed up in a dress he liked. But I smiled, because that’s what I was supposed to do—understand. Be accommodating. Be the good girlfriend. Even when it felt like I wasn’t even part of the celebration.

“Oh.” I forced a polite smile. “That was nice of your parents.” I hesitated, glancing down at my dress. “I just wish you’d told me sooner—I’m not sure this is appropriate for your parents’ house.”

I stood and showed him the dress.

He smiled. “Babe, why don’t you dress like this more often? You never dress up for me anymore.”

He stood, holding my arms. He spun me. “Audra, if you wore dresses like this more often, I wouldn’t think you were such a prude.” He bent to my ear. “And maybe if you’d let me fuck you…”

I laughed nervously. “Elijah, you know I…”

He interrupted me. “My parents said this was a family party. I hope you understand. Maybe after we get married and all.”

He kissed my forehead.

“Oh, I understand. It’s ok.”

“I knew you’d understand. You got this, right?” He pointed at our table. He downed his last cup of wine, then mine as well.

“Yeah, I’m fine. Go ahead.”

I sat back down. Well, not how I expected it to go. He even left the gift on his plate.

I put the cufflinks back in the box and slipped them into my purse. I could give it to him at work in the morning.

I drank the lemonade, staring out the window at the street beyond, watching Elijah catch a taxi. At least he wasn’t driving tonight.

Weird, though. It seems he was sharing the taxi with a woman. I guess if it’s late, you take what you can get. And splitting the fare wasn’t a bad idea.

Maya was waiting for me at home. Maya Chen, my roommate and bestie. She knew me better than anyone. She’d also grown up with a super conservative family. She’d rebelled in high school, but she never judged me.

“I should’ve gotten the AirPods.”

“No, babe.” Maya leaned in. “You should’ve gotten on your knees.”

I nearly choked on my straw. “I’m sorry—what?”

She just shrugged like she’d suggested switching to oat milk. “It’s his birthday. He already thinks you’re… reserved. Give him something he’s not expecting.”

“I’m not reserved.”

“You color-code your fridge magnets and think eye contact is foreplay.”

I opened my mouth to argue, but nothing came out. She wasn’t wrong. I did color-code the magnets. And maybe I had overanalyzed a barista smiling at me last week. I buried my face in my hands. “God, I hate how accurate that is.”.

Maya kept going. “I’m just saying, you’ve been dating the man for three years. You’ve never—”

“No,” I said, lifting my head. “I wasn’t ready.”

“Okay. Fine. But let’s not pretend he’s on some purity kick. You want to keep him? Prove you’re not a spreadsheet in kitten heels. Surprise him.”

“How?” I asked, already regretting it.

She grinned. “Lunch break. His office. No warning.”

I stared at her. “And do what?”

She just took another sip of her soda and arched an eyebrow. “Do it in his chair. Let him know exactly how it’s going to be from now on.”

It sounded insane. Desperate. Messy.

But maybe—maybe it would work.

Elijah always spoke to me like I was a placeholder. A polite girl. Reliable. Low-maintenance. But he never looked at me the way I wanted to be looked at. Not like he used to when we first started dating in college.

I wanted him to look.

“Maya, I can’t. I’m not ready for that.”

She winked. “Then suck him off.”

I coughed. “What? No, Maya,” I protested.

She laughed. “Come on, Audra. Give him head. He’ll totally love it. And if you do it in his office, even hotter.”

“Oh, I don’t know about that.”

“Didn’t you tell me he had a private office?”

“Well, yeah, but it’s the office. People will be there.”

She shook her head, taking my hand. “Aud, if you do it during lunch, it’ll be practically empty.”

I laughed. Was I considering this? Was I really going to give my boyfriend a blow job in his office? I must be crazy.

“Ok, let’s just say if I did it, and that is a big if, how would I do it? He wouldn’t just let me drop to my knees. He’s very quiet about our relationship at work. No one knows we’re dating. I mean, not really.”

She thought a moment. “Oh, I have it. Hide under his desk. He won’t stop you if you’re already doing it.”

“This is the craziest thing you’ve ever come up with, Maya.”

She snorted. “Fine, go fuck him in the copy room like a predictable porno.”

I smacked her arm. “I couldn’t do that.”

She leaned back, smug. “So, hide under his desk. Tell him you have a surprise gift for him. Tell him to meet you in his office. When he sits down, go for it.”

I blinked. “That is… not normal behavior.”

Maya shrugged. “Neither is a three-year sex drought.”

I opened my mouth, closed it again, then reached for my drink. “This is why I can’t take you anywhere.”

 

Chapter 2 – Lunch Break

Audra

This was insane.

I was insane for even considering this.

I busied myself with a contract audit while I waited for lunchtime. Minor discrepancies, nothing major, nothing an email couldn’t solve. Someone moved a decimal.

His words from last night stuck in my head. Dress up? Fine, I dressed up. I hoped he liked it. The length of my dress was a little uncomfortable for me, but I was determined to show Elijah that I was a great girlfriend. One he could propose to and bring home to finally meet his family.

I promised myself I wouldn’t talk myself out of this. Despite how completely crazy this was.

In fact, the whole plan felt insane. That was Maya’s kind of move. Not mine. Definitely not something I was supposed to act on. Or could I?

But I couldn’t stop thinking about the way Elijah looked at me last night. Was he was waiting for me to finally figure out what kind of girlfriend I was supposed to be?

Well, if all else failed, if I chickened out, or he stopped me—besides dying of embarrassment—I had the cufflinks. I could give them to him, again. Pretend this never happened.

But I wanted to prove it to him. To myself, as well. I’m not the prude. He could marry me, and we’d be happy. I wanted to show him that.

“Hey, Audra, we’re heading to that new cafe on Main. Want to join us?” My coworker asked.

I pretended to think it over. “I have a lot of work to catch up on. Who all is going?”

Elijah better not be. But he was in the c-suite, not down here in finance.

“Oh, all of us, a few from HR, and I think one or two from secretarial.”

“It sounds fun. I wish I could. But I really have to finish these bid audits.”

She smiled. “Ok. Want me to bring you back a sandwich or something? A salad?”

I nodded, grateful for the offer. I might work up an appetite, after all. “Thanks, Ness.”

I left my floor a few minutes before noon, after the floor had emptied. I made my way toward the executive elevator. My ID badge didn’t technically give me access, but Elijah had made sure I could get get upstairs. He said it made things easier when he wanted lunch delivered directly.

The hallway on the top floor was quieter than the rest of the building. The carpet was thicker, the lighting more muted, the modern windows and glass doors let in the light from the large windows. This was where the CEO worked. I headed toward the left side, toward Elijah’s office. He didn’t have the big glass windows facing the main floor, and his office was private. I walked quickly, eyes down, trying not to draw attention.

As I turned the corner, someone stepped out of the kitchenette. Lola Lucas, Elijah’s secretary.

She was holding her phone in one hand, stirring coffee with the other. She didn’t look up until I was almost past her.

“Hey, Audra,” she said, already bored with the conversation.

“Hey, Lola,” I answered, polite but brief.

She gave a faint smile that didn’t reach her eyes and turned back toward the copy room, flipping her red hair. I kept walking. No need to invite any more attention.

Elijah’s office was just down the hall. The door was open, and he was inside, standing by the window, talking into his phone. He waved me in.

“Yeah,” he said into the receiver. “Well, tell Matt to circle back. I’ll loop in Sarah if this drags another week. Yeah. Thanks.”

He ended the call and looked over. “What’s up?”

“I wanted to drop off your gift,” I said, holding up the rewrapped box.

“Oh, nice. Thanks, babe.” He looked back at his screen, then over his shoulder at the door. “I need to hit the copy room real quick. Total mess in there. Can you wait, Bunny?”

I secretly hated the name Bunny. A soft fluffy creature only adored by children and old aunties. More accurate than I cared to admit.

“Sure. I can leave it on your desk if you’re busy.”

He smiled and aimed a kiss near my cheek without touching me. “Be right back. Five minutes, tops.”

I nodded. He walked out, already typing something on his phone.

I shut the door halfway and stood there, frozen. This was the moment. I could leave the gift. Walk away. Pretend I never thought about doing something so ridiculous.

Was I seriously doing this? I took a breath to steady my nerves. I can’t believe I was doing this.

I crouched and slid under the desk. It was a tight fit. The underside of the desk had the stale smell of cleaner and old coffee. My knees pressed into the carpet, and I adjusted the hem of my dress out of habit, even though no one could see me under here.

This wasn’t me. I didn’t do things like this. I didn’t have secret kinks or wild impulses or the confidence to pull something like this off. But I was here. Under his desk. Knees down, heart pounding, waiting.

I am certifiably insane, I told myself as I waited.

The plan was simple: wait for Elijah. Show him I wasn’t as boring as he clearly thought. That I could do something that would finally get his attention.

I almost talked myself out of this wild plan. I froze when I heard the door creak open.

Elijah stepped inside. The weight of the steps was different. The were slow and deliberate. Probably deep in thought over his work. He’d need this release. Maybe this wasn’t such a bad idea. Bit of a belated birthday surprise.

I pressed myself back against the wall under the desk, holding my breath.

He didn’t say anything, didn’t comment that I’d left the office. Why would he though? Elijah wasn’t the type to talk to himself outside the usual gym hype.

He sat down, shifting the chair slightly. Thank goodness he didn’t scoot in.

This was it. Now or never.

I reached forward and unzipped his pants, my head peeking out from under his desk. If I looked at him, I’d chicken out and panic.

No. I was proving myself right now.

He tensed slightly. But didn’t move. His breath caught in surprise as I reached in and wrapped my hand around his cock.

Holy shit, I’m doing this for real?

I pushed the chair back slightly, making room for my head.

“Let me take care of you,” I whispered.

And I got to work.