Full short story: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DTLK3NQ9
The Power Play
It had been a long time since Cecilia felt this exhausted. The real estate market had been on fire for the past six months, and the heat had kept her busier than ever. The days blurred together—a mix of meetings, property showings, closing deals, and late nights spent at the office. And then there were the private showings. Those were always a little more intimate, a little more… calculated.
Standing before the bathroom mirror, she forced a smile, trying to shake off the fatigue. This is going to be another successful event, she thought, her reflection reassuring her with its confident expression. As she walked out of the bathroom and into the hotel suite, a sense of calm washed over her. The New York City skyline gleamed through the windows, stretching out endlessly, and for a moment, it felt like the city itself was winking at her, whispering, “you’ve got this”.
Two hours later, the event was in full swing. The exhaustion she’d felt earlier had melted away, replaced by the buzzing excitement that coursed through her veins. She felt alive, charged with the kind of energy that only high-stakes environments could produce. The night was still young, and the challenges ahead would prove worth every ounce of fatigue that would hit her come morning.
Each interaction, every conversation, was another potential collaboration, another deal, another step toward solidifying her place at the top. The rewards for tonight would ripple out into the coming months, and that was worth the price of a late night.
As she made her way toward the bar to refill her drink, she felt a familiar hand press against her lower back. She turned, her pulse quickening. It was Damian. He stood there in his sharp tuxedo, exuding that same devil-may-care smile that she had learned to recognize all too well—the same smile that held so many unspoken promises and so much tension.
Damian knew all about her. He knew the depths of her business—what she did, how she did it, and, most importantly, why she did it. He wasn’t just a colleague in the traditional sense; he was her partner in this game, and he wielded his knowledge like a weapon. His presence was a constant reminder of the unspoken power dynamic between them, a reminder that while she might have built her empire on charm and intellect, Damian had always been the one to push her further. He was both an asset and a liability, a man who knew how to manipulate the same rules she played by.
She couldn’t deny that his influence was an integral part of her success. He knew how to take things to the next level—always a step ahead, always calculating, always watching.
And just like that, she knew he was here tonight, not just because he was part of the industry elite, but because he was in her world. Her carefully constructed world. She was fully aware of how much he owned; how much control he had in this elaborate dance they were both caught in. He wasn’t just here to observe; he was here to claim a piece of her success.
Damian smiled; his eyes dark with a glint of something she couldn’t quite place. “Cecilia,” he said, his voice low and smooth. “You look stunning, as always. A queen among kings.”
She rolled her eyes playfully but couldn’t suppress the small smile that tugged at the corner of her lips. “Flattery won’t get you anywhere, Damian.”
He chuckled, his fingers brushing the edge of her shoulder before he slid onto the bar stool beside her. “Oh, I know that,” he said, leaning in a little closer. “But you know what they say…”
As the bartender poured her drink, Cecilia allowed herself to relax just slightly, though she never let her guard down entirely around him. It wasn’t just business with Damian—it never was. There was always something more, something that simmered beneath the surface, something neither of them dared to acknowledge out loud.
As they waited for their drinks, Cecilia found her thoughts drifting back to the first time Damian had confronted her with the truth. She had been caught off guard, shocked at his boldness, at his ability to peer through the carefully constructed layers of her life. Back then, she had underestimated him, thinking he was just another ambitious player in a world full of them. But Damian was different. He had learned her secrets, the way she leveraged her charm and beauty to make the sale, to close the deal. What he didn’t know at that moment was how lucrative those secrets would become for him. And for her.
It had been a risky game—at first. But now, standing beside him in this glamorous hotel bar, she knew the truth. Damian had helped her reach a new level of success. Their partnership had become an intricate web of power, attraction, and mutual need. They played the game together, pushing boundaries, crossing lines, and pretending to remain untouchable in a world that thrived on manipulation.
Her fingers curled around the stem of her glass, her gaze never leaving Damian’s face. He was watching her closely, waiting for her next move. His eyes darkened with something more than just interest. Something more dangerous.
“You’re as tempting as always,” he murmured, his voice lowering.
Cecilia let out a soft laugh, keeping the mask of sweetness in place. “You know I don’t mix business with pleasure,” she said, her tone teasing, but her eyes never left his. She could feel the shiver that ran through her, but her mind raced with the same question it always asked when she was around Damian: What happens when we stop pretending we’re not exactly what each other needs?
Sipping their drinks, he looked straight at her. “No clients here tonight, I suppose. At this hour, you won’t have any more obligations for private showings?”
She didn’t care to answer—he had already seen in her eyes what he wanted to know for the night. The silent understanding between them only heightened her arousal for him. Damn it. She wasn’t supposed to feel this. She knew what he was going to want, but surely not tonight.
She flicked her long black hair back and walked away from him, feeling his eyes burning through her clothes.
Milling around in the crowd, making sure she spoke to every important player she needed to, making appointments and successful connections, she couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling creeping up. She wasn’t supposed to feel this. Not now, not after everything she’d built—everything she was trying to protect. But when Damian looked at her like that, it was impossible not to respond. She could almost feel the heat of his gaze, burning through her clothes, pulling her in, testing her resolve.
She shook it off and dove back into the conversations, stealing a glance at her crystal-embedded watch. It was 12:30. She’d made the rounds, talked to everyone she needed to. It was almost time to call it a night. Although she hadn’t secured what she really wanted—there were no new clients here, just “work colleagues” she was trying to beat at their own game. Too bad. She had been in the mood since running into Damian, but she knew better than to play with fire. She wasn’t going to ask him for a dance and show how desperate for him she was.She knew how their partnership worked; it was strictly business. And there was no business scheduled for tonight.
It was nearing 1 a.m., and she was officially done for the night. He had lingered around for over an hour, indulging in more conversations, all the while trying to trick herself into believing it was because of the possibility of another fruitful discussion with a big player. But the truth was undeniable—it wasn’t the business deals that kept her here. It was the pull of Damian.
She stole another glance at her crystal-embedded watch, the elegant timepiece feeling like a reminder of the life she had carefully curated, the one she worked tirelessly to maintain. But that life felt increasingly fragile, like it could unravel with the slightest wrong move. And Damian… Damian was the risk she could never afford to take. But what if I could? The thought crept into her mind, and she quickly shook it off. No. She wasn’t going to play with fire. Not tonight. Not after everything she had worked for.
And yet, she could still feel the heat of his gaze from across the room, like a magnetic force pulling her in despite her best efforts to resist. Her pulse quickened. She couldn’t deny it—she wanted him. The question was why. Why now, when she knew the consequences of indulging that temptation?
She had never done one-on-one business with Damian. Their collaborations had always involved others, always with a focus on their shared goals, keeping their personal desires in check. But the truth was, every time they worked together, the tension between them grew thicker, harder to ignore. There had been one moment. One time when it came so close—too close. A slip-up, a barely contained exchange of power, desire, and something darker. And it had been enough to teach her the one thing she had never allowed herself to forget: It could never happen again.
The thought of that loss gnawed at her as she scanned the room. The crowd had thinned, and the energy of the event was starting to fizzle out. Time to leave, she thought. Enough is enough.
She turned her back to Damian, trying to steel herself against the unrelenting draw he had over her. But then, as if on cue, she felt the unmistakable pressure of his presence at her back. She didn’t need to turn around to know it was him. She could feel it in the air, the heavy, suffocating tension between them.
“Leaving so soon?” His voice was a low murmur, just behind her ear. He didn’t need to raise it to be heard over the faint music playing in the background; his words were sharp enough to slice through the silence.
She stiffened but didn’t turn to face him. “I’ve made my rounds,” she replied, keeping her voice cool, composed. “It’s been a long night. I’m sure you understand.” “I understand more than you think, Cecilia,” Damian’s voice was almost a whisper now, his words curling around her like smoke. “But there’s one thing you’re forgetting.”
She resisted the urge to let out a sigh, her hand gripping the glass a little tighter. “And what’s that?”
He moved closer, close enough now that she could feel the heat radiating from his body. “That you’re not the only one who knows how to play this game.”
Her heart thudded painfully in her chest. She knew what he meant. She knew where this was heading. She was trapped. There was no way out of this without compromising something—something vital. Something she couldn’t afford to lose.
“I’m not here for a game, Damian,” she said, her voice steely now, trying to regain some semblance of control.
“Oh, I think you are,” he replied smoothly, his hand brushing lightly against the back of hers. “And I think you want to play it more than you’re willing to admit.”
She closed her eyes for a moment, steadying her breath, fighting the urge to give in. But the truth was, she was so close to breaking. And with each passing moment, it was becoming harder and harder to remember why she had to stay in control. Damian’s fingers grazed her wrist, his touch sending a jolt of electricity through her.
“Don’t fight it,” he whispered. “We can have our deserved fun on or night “off”, just one on one..”
The words echoed in her mind; his voice a siren call she couldn’t quite escape from. She knew he was right—together, they could have it all. But at what cost? What would it take for her to truly let go of everything she had worked so hard to build?
Her breath caught in her throat, and for a moment, she considered the possibility. Maybe just this once.
But then, she felt it—the familiar weight of responsibility, the reminder of everything that was on the line. And with a heavy heart, she stepped away from him, pulling herself back from the edge.
“I can’t,” she said, her voice tight, her resolve coming back with force. “Not tonight. And not ever.”
Damian watched her with that knowing smile, the one that always made her feel both terrified and exhilarated. “We’ll see about that,” he said quietly, his tone full of promise.
And as she turned to leave, the weight of his gaze still pressed on her, she knew that whatever happened next, the game was far from over.
Full short story: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DTLK3NQ9