Game of Love and Deception: The Billionaire's Ex Wife
Chapter 63: Only this once

Chapter 63: Only this once

Ashley walked into her office with a wide grin and slumped into her chair, resting her head as she exhaled. She’d just finished distributing most of the cupcakes she’d baked to the employees, and the memory of their happy, surprised faces lingered in her mind.

At least her aching bones and tired eyes had been worth it.

She glanced at the ten cupcakes left out of fifty, still nestled in a transparent pack on her desk. Palming her face, she couldn’t help but think about what had sparked the crazy baking spree that began last night and ran into the early hours of this morning.

After Lorenzo dropped her off at the estate, she hadn’t been able to stop thinking about him—or about the river scene. Even now, he still lingered in every corner of her mind, messing with her sanity. But last night had been worse.

"I miss you, sunshine."

Those very words had kept ringing in her head. The raw emotion with which he’d uttered them. And the stupid, stupid fact that they made her realize just how much she missed what they once were. Before he left.

Shit, she was going crazy.

Sleep had refused to come. So in frustration, she turned to baking. With the help of a few maids, she prepped seventy cupcake batters. Ridiculous? Absolutely. But sometimes, stress baking helped. And last night? It had been her only escape.

Afraid they’d go to waste, she brought them to work today for anyone who wanted one. But seeing the workers rush to grab them had surprised and warmed her heart. She was already considering doing it some other time.

Chuckling softly, she turned back to work, reading and sorting the documents needing her signature.

Ashley didn’t know how much time had passed until a knock at the door jolted her back to the present.

"Come in, please," she said, not looking up.

The door opened, and the familiar scent of cologne that filled the room made her freeze. Her heart instantly began to race wildly.

Why the hell is he here?

She didn’t need to look to confirm it was him—but she did anyway. Slowly turning her head, her eyes landed on Lorenzo, standing there and looking as ridiculously handsome as ever. He was holding a brown foil bag that instantly piqued her curiosity.

"Hello, sunshine," Lorenzo greeted, in that same voice that made her pulse quicken.

"What are you doing here?" Ashley asked before she could catch herself. The words came out harsher than she intended. She pressed her lips together, instantly regretting it.

"It’s nice to see you too," Lorenzo said with a smirk, walking over to kiss her knuckles. A shiver ran through her.

He moved to the couch in the corner of the office, and Ashley shifted in her seat, her eyes following his every move.

"It’s lunchtime. I figured you’d be buried in work," Lorenzo started after he sat, nodding at the paperwork on Ashley’s desk like it proved his point. "So I brought you something."

Ashley swallowed, thrown off by the unexpected gesture. But she’d rather prefer he hadn’t come because she was still trying to get him out of her fucking mind. And now, all those efforts was just going to become useless.

"Come," Lorenzo said suddenly, voice low and commanding.

Ashley swallowed a large lump that instantly formed in her throat, blinking twice.

She hated being ordered around, but it was as if she was suddenly under some kind of spell. Slowly, she stood and walked toward Lorenzo, hyper-aware of every step under the weight of his intense gaze.

Lorenzo didn’t like how tired she looked, like she hadn’t been sleeping at all. It made him wonder how often she skipped rest. He needed to find a way to make her come live with him. He could ask, sure—but knowing how stubborn Ashley was, she’d refuse. Unless... he used something tied to their contract. But he still hadn’t figured that out.

"Sit," he said, his gaze fixed on her as he adjusted himself.

Like a zombie, Ashley lowered herself beside him, leaving a bit of space between them.

"Not there, cookie," Lorenzo added.

"I don’t understand," Ashley cast him a glance, confused. "Where am I supposed to sit—on your head?"

Lorenzo chuckled; a low, velvety sound that tickled her skin.

"I want you to sit right here," he replied, tapping his lap.

Ashley whipped her head toward him, shock plain on her face.

"Your legs?" she asked in disbelief.

"Yes, cookie. My legs."

Ashley scoffed. "You’re not serious. This is my office. Someone might walk in."

"Then you’d better hope no one does," Lorenzo replied with that infuriating smirk.

Before she could argue further, Lorenzo scooped her up by the waist like she weighed nothing and gently positioned her onto his lap.

Out of instinct, Ashley’s hands flew around his neck for support. But the moment she realized their position, she yanked them back like she’d touched open flame.

"Are you crazy? Let me go now, or you won’t like my reaction," she snapped, wriggling against his hold.

What she didn’t realize was how much that movement was affecting the man holding her.

"I’d love to find out, sunshine," Lorenzo murmured, voice laced with both amusement and something else he couldn’t dare to name. "You planning to call the cops because your boyfriend wants you on his lap?"

Then he shifted her, so her back was pressed against his chest, holding her firmly in place.

Boyfriend.

The word sent an unwanted flutter straight to Ashley’s chest. She hated the way it settled into her like it belonged there.

"I’ll burst your damn balls if you don’t let me go," she growled again.

But Lorenzo only chuckled again—low, amused, infuriatingly calm.

"My balls are already under enough torture, cookie," he whispered against her ear. "Just from having you sit on them."

Ashley froze. That was all it took for her to become acutely aware of the hard press against her ass.

Her traitorous body responded instantly—nipples hardening, heart stuttering. She hated how much she liked the effect she had on him. Hated that it made her feel powerful. Wanted. Alive.

"Fuck, you’re such an asshole," she muttered, but the curse came out breathy, almost like a soft moan, betraying her.

How did he always manage to unravel her like this—with nothing but a word, a whisper, a simple shift?

"You sound like you love it," Lorenzo murmured.

They fell silent.

But the silence screamed.

For a second, Ashley wondered what was going through his mind—because hers was chaos. All she wanted was to shut her brain off, straddle him, and ride out every ache he’d ignited.

Her pulse hammered. So did his.

"I’m going to have to feed you now, sunshine," Lorenzo said at last, voice soft—too soft for the way they were pressed together, too gentle for the storm brewing between them.

"You look so stressed out, and I hate it."

That tone—it wasn’t teasing anymore. It was tender. Like he was trying to soothe her, coax her like she was a child. And damn it, it made her heart pound louder.

No. She didn’t want this. Didn’t want his care. Didn’t want his tenderness. And definitely not the emotions it stirred.

She wanted distance. Space. Air that wasn’t tainted by him. She wanted to remind him that this relationship was all transactional. That he didn’t get to care. He didn’t get to make her feel like this.

God, she wanted to scream. To kick his ass out of her office. But he made it humanly impossible to do any of that. Impossible to stay angry. Impossible not to show how deeply he was affecting her.

She hated how weak, helpless...and slightly horny his presence made her.

She inhaled a slow, quiet breath.

Fuck it.

Just this once... she was going to let herself enjoy this foreign emotion. Only this once.