The paper shredder hummed in the quiet Aspen presidential suite as Alexys Slater fed the last sheet of confidential financial projections into the slot, rubbing her aching wrist. The six-hour cross-border merger review had finally ended, and everyone else had already left. She picked up her chipped light-purple Yeti tumbler from the conference table and took a sip of flat, ice-cold Americano to dull a throbbing migraine. She just wanted to clear the table and go back to her staff room to sleep. "Are you open to a one-night stand?" A low, magnetic male voice cut through the empty suite without warning. Alexys froze, her fingers tightening around the metal tumbler. Thinking the endless overtime had given her auditory hallucinations, she didn't look back and stuffed the remaining scrap folders into her canvas bag faster. "Alexys, I'm talking to you." The voice came again, lazy yet carrying an undeniable pressure from the top of the corporate food chain. Her heart dropped into her stomach. She spun around and looked straight into a pair of dark, bottomless eyes. Sitting on the black leather sofa was Evan Knight, the twenty-eight-year-old billionaire CEO of Knight Enterprises. At six-foot-two, his custom suit wrapped around broad shoulders and a narrow waist, his sharp features looking like a Greek sculpture. He permanently held the number-one spot on Manhattan women's secret "men I'd ruin my life to sleep with" lists. And she was just an invisible college senior intern with no family background and crushing student loans, desperately fighting for a full-time return offer before graduation. Evan kept his gaze locked on her face, watching the pale skin of her earlobes flush the soft pink of a ripe peach. "Mr. Knight... what do you mean by that?" Her fingertips trembled slightly as she forced herself to keep her professional mask in place. Evan leaned back against the cushions and crossed his long legs, his tone casual and shockingly direct. "Just asking. It's been a long dry spell, and the mergers over the last few quarters have been draining. I want to blow off some steam. Call it simple physical attraction." His blunt honesty without any corporate hypocrisy actually made her guard drop. Her mind raced, weighing the pros and cons of saying yes or walking out the door. She tried to offer her boss a polite way out. "With your status, your executive assistant Marcus could arrange a top-tier companion for you in minutes..." "Not necessary. I don't get the urge for just anyone." Evan cut her off flatly, making it clear his interest was aimed solely at her. Seeing her hesitation, he softened his voice slightly. "You don't have to feel cornered. If you're willing, we do it. If not, finish your work and go to bed. I won't use your return offer to threaten you. Just two consenting adults getting what they want." No abuse of power, no empty workplace promises. The equal footing sparked a sudden rebellion deep in her bones. In her ordinary, exhausting life, the odds of sleeping with a top-tier man like Evan Knight were practically zero. Seeing her silent, Evan thought he had scared her and smoothly changed the subject to ease the tension. "Your proposal during the meeting about expanding the beach sandcastle project at the resort was solid. High execution value. Did you draft a budget for it?" "You're sure it's strictly a one-night stand, and once the sun comes up, it won't affect my job or my return offer evaluation?" Alexys suddenly looked up, her bright eyes sharp as she laid down her bottom line. Evan paused for a fraction of a second before answering calmly. "It won't." "Okay, then." Alexys arched her eyebrows, a vivid, stunning smile curving her lips as she shed her meek intern disguise. Evan stared at her plain white button-down shirt and black knee-length skirt. His throat bobbed, his pulse speeding up against his will. That sharp contrast had kept him restless all evening. "I'll give you generous compensation afterward," Evan said in a low voice, unwilling to let her come out at a loss. "No need." Alexys refused flatly. She stepped around the low glass table between them and sat down right beside him on the sofa. Her long dark hair brushed forward as she leaned in, sending a faint floral scent straight into his nose. Every muscle in Evan's body pulled tight. Her pale fingers reached up, wrapped around his black silk tie, and gave a light tug. Evan's upper body leaned forward with the pull, his thin lips brushing right past the tip of her nose. "Want me to take it off for you? You're way too tense, Mr. Knight." Her voice carried a teasing rasp. Caught off guard by her taking control, dark heat surged in Evan's eyes. His large palm clamped around her slender waist, pulling her close as he dipped his head and caught her warm earlobe between his lips. "Be a little more proactive. Like you said, I really am too tense." Alexys let out a soft laugh, swung her long leg over, and straddled his tailored trousers, bringing the distance between them down to zero. She yanked his black tie loose, tossed it onto the cashmere rug, and undid the top two buttons of his dress shirt, freeing his rolling Adam's apple. "How long has your dry spell been, Mr. Knight?" She tapped his hard chest with her fingertip. "Kiss me," Evan ordered hoarsely. She tilted her chin back, refusing to obey. "You take the initiative too. Show me how badly you want me." Before the last word left her mouth, Evan captured her lips, tasting of the sweet watermelon from the meeting room fruit platter. Soft, warm, and intoxicating. Alexys melted right into the kiss, matching his heat beat for beat, before playfully grazing his lower lip with her teeth and pulling back just enough to leave him breathless. Her fingers slid over his silk shirt, tracing the deep ridges of his abs with a low laugh. "Great body," she murmured with a teasing hum. "Tell me there's a six-pack under here—because that's my weakness." Evan curved his lips against hers, his palm sliding up her ribcage. "Thirty-six D. Do a lot of men chase you?" "Does it matter?" "No." His nimble fingers flicked open the buttons of her white shirt, his dark eyes dropping to take in her curves. "What position do you like?" Alexys raised an eyebrow, her breath hot against his jaw. "Try them all?" The restraint in Evan's eyes snapped completely, and he scooped her up into his arms, striding toward the king-sized bed in the master bedroom.

Inside the master bedroom and the marble bathroom, the night burned completely out of control until the suite's two complimentary boxes of condoms were empty. Collapsed against the damp pillows with her voice gone, Alexys begged for mercy, thinking she was finally off the clock. Instead, Evan picked up the bedside landline, his voice low and gravelly as he spoke to the front desk. "Send a few more boxes up." He hung up and lifted her limp body straight into the warm water of the oversized bathtub to start all over again. By seven in the morning, the storm finally died down. While Evan was still fast asleep, Alexys dragged her aching legs out of bed and began erasing every trace of the night. She straightened the rumpled sheets, emptied the trash cans into a sealed bag, and slipped back to her standard staff room down the hall. With no time left to sleep, she stood in front of the bathroom mirror applying heavy-duty concealer over the dark marks on her neck, collarbones, wrists, and inner thighs. Rushing to grab her bag before the nine o'clock call time with Director Hodge, she completely missed the faint red marks down on her calves. At ten forty-five, the doorbell of the presidential suite chimed. Evan tied his silk robe and opened the door to find his executive assistant, Marcus, holding a tablet. "Mr. Knight, the lunch meeting with Sterling Group has been pushed back thirty minutes," Marcus reported, glancing at his watch. "Should I go call Alexys to head down?" "Wait—actually, Alexys is already waiting down in the van with Director Hodge," Marcus corrected himself after checking a text message. Evan raised an eyebrow. It was hard to believe the woman he had kept awake until seven in the morning hadn't slept a wink and was up earlier than he was. He walked back into the bathroom to shave and changed into a crisp bespoke suit. Right over his Adam's apple sat a deep, distinct bite mark—left by his little subordinate when he had pushed her too far just before dawn. He didn't bother covering it with a high collar, curving his lips as he walked out the door. Down in the hotel driveway, inside the executive Mercedes sprinter van, Alexys sat tucked in the back corner seat. She pulled her thick dark hair forward over her shoulders to shield her neck, keeping her eyes closed. Two rows ahead, Cinthia Long—a fellow C-Team intern who also carried student loans but survived by clinging to the rich kids—chewed her gum loudly and leaned toward Bryn Talley. Bryn was a trust-fund baby whose family had connections with Knight Enterprises executives, and she was currently patting a third layer of Chanel powder onto her nose. "Huge news," Cinthia whispered loudly enough for the back rows to hear. "I went downstairs for a late-night snack around three in the morning. Walking past the front desk, I heard them taking a call from Mr. Knight's presidential suite asking for two extra boxes of large-size condoms!" Bryn's hand stopped mid-air, her face darkening instantly. "The meeting didn't end until nine last night. We're in an Aspen mountain resort. Where would he even find a woman in the middle of the night? Does a five-star hotel run shady room service now?" "When a man is that rich, women throw themselves at him," Cinthia scoffed, flattering Bryn while stirring the pot. "Though with Mr. Knight's picky taste, she'd have to be a stunning knockout." Cinthia suddenly twisted around in her seat, her calculating eyes locking onto the corner. "Alexys, weren't you the last one left in the suite shredding documents last night? Did you bump into any woman on your way out, or hear Mr. Knight calling someone?" Alexys didn't even lift her eyelids, keeping her tone flat. "No." Cinthia's gaze crept downward like a scanner, suddenly freezing on the bare skin of Alexys's calves below her dark office skirt, where several reddish-purple marks stood out against her pale skin. "Oh my god! Alexys, the person who climbed into Mr. Knight's bed last night wasn't you, was it?" Cinthia shrieked, lunging backward over the seat. "You really have zero self-respect just to get that return offer!" Cinthia reached out viciously to grab a fistful of Alexys's long hair, trying to yank it back to inspect her neck. Smack! A sharp slap echoed through the cabin as Alexys struck the back of Cinthia's hand away with full force, her eyes snapping open, cold and sharp. "Do you have proof? Quit spewing lies!" Alexys's voice rang out crisp and hard. "If you don't have proof, go file a complaint with HR right now. Or better yet, let's have Mr. Knight listen to what you just said when he gets in!" Cinthia rubbed her reddening hand, flushing with humiliation and rage. "You're usually such a pushover, why are you blowing up today? Guilty conscience? Afraid to let us look under your hair?" Alexys let out a cold laugh. "Being polite doesn't mean I'm an easy target. Touch me with one finger again and see what happens." Seeing the situation spiraling, Bryn quickly put on her graceful socialite act and pulled Cinthia back into her seat. "Enough, Cinthia. Mr. Knight will be here any second. Stop causing a scene and putting Director Hodge in an awkward position." Bryn offered a polite, probing smile toward the back corner. "Alexys, what did happen to your legs, though?" Alexys smoothed down the hem of her skirt and delivered four words without blinking. "Mosquitoes in my room." Bryn let out a quiet snort and dropped her guard. In late summer at an Aspen mountain resort, mosquitoes were everywhere. Besides, Bryn was certain that if a poor nobody like Alexys had actually slept with Evan Knight, she would be bragging about it to the whole company, not hiding in the back row.

Convinced that Alexys wasn't lying about the mosquitoes, Bryn's mood lifted considerably. She reached into her quilted Chanel handbag, pulled out a delicate travel-sized bottle of anti-itch spray, and held it out toward the back row. "I packed some soothing spray in my bag. Here, take it," Bryn said, her voice dripping with charitable superiority. Alexys raised a hand in refusal. "No thanks, I already put some on." She had no desire to accept any favor laced with condescension. Cinthia rubbed her still-stinging hand and sneered under her breath. "Right, even if Mr. Knight wanted to sleep with someone from the company, he'd pick a well-bred socialite from a good family like Bryn. It would never be a small-town nobody like you, Alexys." "And it definitely wouldn't be you, since you have the worst manners in this van," Alexys shot back without missing a beat. Cinthia raised her hand to start screaming again, but Project Director Chas Hodge—who had been dozing in the middle row—whipped her head around and barked at them. "What is wrong with you three? Gossiping about the CEO's private life first thing in the morning—do none of you want your return offers anymore?" All three interns went dead silent. Chas rubbed her aching shoulders and let out a heavy sigh, warning them to keep their mouths shut and only listen during the upcoming lunch with Sterling Group, shooting a pointed glare at Cinthia. Through the tinted window, Chas spotted Evan finally striding out of the hotel lobby, and the angry tension on her face instantly vanished. The front passenger door slid open, and Evan climbed into the seat, bringing a crisp, cold wave of authority into the vehicle. Chas immediately plastered a flattering smile onto her tired face to greet him. Evan turned his head slightly to scan the back cabin. His dark gaze swept past the two heavily made-up interns in the middle row and settled straight on Alexys, who was shrinking into the back corner trying to become invisible. "Good morning, Mr. Knight," Bryn said, pitching her voice into a soft, breathy vocal fry. Cinthia chimed in eagerly right behind her. Evan gave a cool, indifferent nod. "Morning, Bryn. Cinthia." A strange silence fell over the van. Evan didn't turn around or look away in the rearview mirror, clearly waiting for the last person in the vehicle to speak. With nowhere left to hide, Alexys forced herself to lift her head and meet his deep eyes in the mirror. Her throat was still raw and slightly hoarse from screaming through the night. "Good morning, Mr. Knight." A faint trace of amusement flickered in the depths of Evan's eyes. His tone was unhurried as he drew out her name. "Good morning, Alexys—" He paused for half a beat, his gaze holding hers in the glass. "—Slater." That deliberate half-second pause made Alexys's cheeks and earlobes burn hot. She cursed him silently inside her head for pulling a stunt like that right in front of her whole team, her fingers unconsciously rising to touch the side of her neck. The rest of the van looked confused by the odd pause, except for Bryn. Leaning forward slightly, Bryn stared into the rearview mirror, her eyes locking onto the fresh, unmistakable bite mark right over Evan's Adam's apple. Her manicured fingernails dug deep into her palms. Evan buckled his seatbelt and closed his eyes to rest. Behind his closed lids, his mind replayed the wild, uninhibited woman who had straddled him all night, contrasting sharply with the prim, buttoned-up intern sitting ten feet behind him right now. Her white shirt was buttoned all the way to the top, her black pencil skirt neat, her long dark hair falling straight over her shoulders, and her makeup light yet striking. She hit every single mark of what he found attractive. During the past two months of her internship, she had never once tried to corner him for small talk or steal the spotlight in meetings. Yet she quietly remembered the exact strength of black coffee he preferred, always placed the fruit platter within his reach, and even thoughtfully twisted the caps of mineral water bottles loose before handing them to female clients who had long manicures. She did her job quietly, knew her boundaries, and hid a wild fire underneath a calm surface. Thinking about the marks he had left along her collarbones and inner thighs, Evan let out a barely perceptible smile against the headrest. He appreciated her discretion, even if a part of him felt strangely dissatisfied by how quickly she drew the line. Fifteen minutes later, the van glided into the private parking lot of a top-tier French restaurant in downtown Aspen, where the final executive luncheon of the business trip was waiting.