"I think you should go see your father in Spain," Acacia said carefully. "You know how the board has been complaining about you. Maybe he thinks you can't handle the company alone."
She paused, then added quietly, "And… who knows? Ruby might have said something to him."
Seron's jaw clenched.
"That would explain why she refused the money and the villa you offered as alimony," Acacia continued. "Maybe she went to him first."
"Stop talking nonsense," Seron snapped, turning on her. "Ruby isn't like that." His voice softened just a little. "She would never hurt me. She still loves me. She's just being stubborn."
He ran a hand through his hair, anger and denial colliding. "If she had just accepted our affair, we would never have divorced. I never wanted things to end this way." But even as he said it, doubt crept in, slow and unwelcome.
"Our affair?" Acacia scoffed, her voice rising. "You love me, Seron. She was just a replacement." She stepped closer, anger flashing in her eyes.
"I've been in your bed for an entire year since I came back. A whole year. Every single day. That's not an affair, and I'm not some secret you get to hide or discard when things get complicated." Her voice trembled, not with weakness, but fury.
"I want to be Mrs. Byron." Seron exhaled slowly, rubbing his temples. "You know I'm not thinking straight right now. Just… leave me. Go get familiar with your new role."
Acacia laughed bitterly. "So that's it? You're angry about your father, the company, the board meeting, and suddenly I'm inconvenient?" She crossed her arms, studying him.
"I know exactly what's going on. You're spiraling, and you're afraid. But you can't walk into that boardroom like this." She softened her tone, lowering her voice just enough to pull him back in.
"You need clarity. Confidence. Control." She stepped closer again, her words deliberate. "And I know exactly what you need."
Before Seron could ask what she meant, she reached for the hem of her dress and pulled it over her head, letting the fabric pool on the floor. Seron's gaze traveled over her exposed skin and the smooth curves of her body.
"Come on," Acacia whispered, her voice muggy. "Let me help you take out your frustration."
Seron glanced at his watch. He still had an hour before the board meeting. Acacia removes her bra, letting it slide off her shoulders, then moved closer until her body pressed against his. Her hands traced down his chest, her fingers slowly unbuttoning his shirt before pushing it off his shoulders.
"Fuck me, Seron," she breathed, tilting her head up to meet his gaze. "Pour all your anger into me. Take all of me."
A dark desire stirred inside him. He needed to lose himself to forget everything, if only for a moment. He grabbed the back of her neck, pulling her into a bruising kiss.
Acacia wheezed against his lips, but he didn't slow down. He pushed her back onto the couch and climbed over her, his weight pinning her into the cushions. He trailed hungry, angry kisses all over her body before pulling away and standing before her.
Acacia lay back on the couch, her legs spread and her body on full display. A teasing smirk played on her lips, her eyes dark with tension. She knew what Seron wanted, and she was more than willing to give it to him. He could never resist her.
Seron didn't waste time. His belt hit the floor with a sharp clink as he shoved his pants down, his cock already hard. He crept toward her, grabbing Acacia's ankles and yanking her to the edge of the cushions, making her gasp in surprise.
"Eat it," she purred, but Seron wasn't in the air for her teasing.
He wrapped his fingers around her throat, squeezing just enough to catch her breath. "Shut up," he growled, watching her eyes widen with excitement.
Her lips parted, her breath fastening as he tightened his grip a fraction more. "Yes, Daddy," she whispered.
The words sent a dark thrill through him. He released her throat and grabbed her hips, flipping her onto her stomach in one swift motion. She barely had time to brace herself before he yanked her up onto her knees, positioning her exactly where he wanted.
Seron ran a hand down her spine, feeling her shiver under his touch. "You're so wet," he noted darkly, dragging his fingers through her pussy. She whimpered, pressing back against him in a silent plea for more.
He grabbed a fistful of her hair, yanking her head back as he aligned himself behind her. "Beg for it," he commanded.
She moaned, her fingers digging into the cushion. "Please... please fuck me," she gasped. "I want you. All of you inside me."
That was all the invitation he needed. With one hard thrust, he slammed into her, making her cry out. He didn't give her time to adjust; he set a brutal pace from the start, pounding into her relentlessly. The sound of skin smacking against skin filled the room. Acacia moaned loudly, her body swinging forward with every heavy thrust. He kept her pinned exactly where he wanted, his grip on her hips bruising as he took her with the rough intensity he craved.
"Tell me you're mine," he growled, yanking her head back again.
"Yes, Seron... I'm yours," she panted, her voice breaking with pleasure. "Only yours."
Seron smirked darkly. "Damn right." He released her hair and pressed her chest down against the couch, driving deeper. He fucked her like a beast. She was screaming now, her body shuddering beneath him, but he didn't stop. He wouldn't stop until the anger was burned out.
Acacia's body trembled, her moans filling the room as he drove into her relentlessly, but no matter how hard he took her, it wasn't enough. Because it wasn't her. He tried to push the thought away, but the ghost of Ruby haunted him. It was different with Ruby, sweet and soft, and he always came quickly with her. He never understood why.
For a moment, all he could see was Ruby's face. "Seron!" Acacia gasped, her voice breaking as she arched her back, pressing against him. But in his mind, the voice he heard was Ruby's.
A violent need surged through him. He pulled out suddenly, making Acacia whimper at the loss. Before she could protest that they still had time, he sat back on the couch and grabbed her by the waist, yanking her over him.
"Ride me," he ordered, his voice rough with need.
Acacia grinned, straddling him eagerly. She reached down, positioning herself before sinking onto his cock with a long moan. Her head fell back, her nails digging into his chest as she took him deep.
Seron gritted his teeth, his hands gripping her hips tightly as she began to move, but he was still seeing Ruby. In his mind, it was Ruby above him. It was her soft skin beneath his hands and her tight heat wrapped around him.
"Fuck," he growled, his grip tightening. He drove his hips up hard, making Acacia cry out. He wondered how Ruby would look on top of him. Would she be shy? Would she fight the pleasure or surrender to him completely? Sex with Ruby had always felt like a duty, a means to fill her womb with a child, not an act of pleasure. It was always short and quick; he could hardly imagine having this kind of intensity with her.
And yet, no matter how many times he fucked Acacia, he still thought of his wife, we his ex-wife.
Acacia's pace quickened as she rode him harder, chasing her release. His grip on her hips was firm, guiding her movements, but his mind was elsewhere. Seron's control finally slipped at the thought of Ruby as he thrust up into Acacia with brutal force.
"Seron..." she gasped, her body tensing. She was close, and he was, too.
With one last punishing thrust, he sent her over the edge. Her body clenched around him as she cried out, shuddering in pleasure. The sensation pushed him past his limit, and with a low, guttural growl, he finally let go.
Pleasure ripped through him, he pulled out as his release spilling on her body. His breathing was ragged, his chest heaving as the adrenaline slowly began to recede.
For a brief moment, a heavy silence filled the room, broken only by the sound of Acacia's soft, uneven panting.
Without a word, Seron sighed and stood up from the couch. He didn't look back at her as he walked toward the private shower in his office, already mentally shifting gears back to the board meeting.