"You basically own the world, can't you get me a succesful interview anywhere?" I grumbled, half-joking as I sat myself down in defeat by the island.

I spun around on the barstool to face Ben, who had casually leaned back against a counter toward me.

He shrugged and opened up a bottle of water for himself, "you have a successful job working for me, Sofia."

I rolled my eyes with a huff, "I don't want to work for you."

Ben's brows raised at me, beckoning for me to continue and explain myself. I sighed and slouched in my seat.

"It feels weird. You being my boss and us maybe having something..." I tried to explain, my voice softening while I hoped it wouldn't sound too awkward.

He just hummed and looked away for a moment. I watched, utterly mesmerised as he then brought the bottle of water to his lips and drank from it.

I gulped down the complete attraction I felt toward him, especially when his neck was on display like that and he continued to look like some sort of masterpiece.

"Doesn't have to feel weird, sweetheart," without meeting my gaze, he closed up the bottle and placed it onto the counter he was leaning back against.

When he finally did lift up his dark eyes to meet mine, heat pooled at my core and arousal hit me like a bloody truck. Ben straightened up and took a few slow but confident steps to near me.

"This feels pretty fucking right to me," his voice lowered once he was close enough to place his hands on my thighs.

I felt frozen, torn between the side of me that desperately wanted to jump his bones and have him completely, and the side that knew we shouldn't do anything while I'm still working for him.

Completely pliant and hypnotised by his dark and intense gaze, I let him slowly open up my thighs just enough for him to get even closer to me.

"It's a yes or a no, baby," his hot lips brushed along my jaw, and my eyes and sanity fluttered for a second, a quiet breath of pleasure slipping past my parted lips.

His hands on my thighs moved higher, taking his time in feeling me yet also giving me time to give him an answer.

"Is there no in-between?" I somehow managed to squeak out, knowing well that both answers were rather extreme.

Saying no would get him to back off, that was for sure. But maybe I didn't want him to back off. At least not in the way that a 'no' answer would've made him do.

Saying yes would be like jumping straight into the deep end of the swimming pool. It would be complete surrender to my needs and wants and whatnot, and a big part of me wanted that. Then again, I couldn't just go with what I wanted.

"No in-between," an open-mouthed and hot kiss was left at the base of my throat, causing my head to lean back, "yes or no, Sofia?"

I internally smacked him for knowing exactly what he was doing to me. Ben knew there was no way I could just decline with him teasing me like this.

I gently brought my hands up his sides, before placing them on his chest. This was my attempt to keep the tiniest space between us, just for my mind to not cloud completely.

A soft sound, bordering somewhere between a moan and a hum, left my throat when his kisses trailed to the crook of my neck. I was too focused on him to even feel slightly embarrassed.

"No."

I hadn't even registered the word before it left my parted lips.

My haze was completely broken when Ben suddenly pulled back, seeming unfazed. As if nothing had just happened and my core wasn't clenching impossibly.

"Ben?" My brows furrowed as I then watched him straighten his dress shirt a bit, before rolling up the sleeves.

"Hm?" He ran a hand through his hair calmly, truly seeming like nothing had just happened.

His dark eyes met mine briefly, before he returned to the other side, to the counter where his bottle of water was.

I frowned to myself, not liking that he was putting me such a position.

"I, uhm..." I had no idea what to say. I still felt like I was burning from his touches, feeling too hot and bothered.

With his back turned to me, the muscles around his shoulders looking tight again, he drank more from his water.

I breathed out shakily and pinched the bridge of my nose, feeling like I was about to go insane.

"I'll see if can set you up with a successful interview," he cast me a ghost of a smile, before he left the kitchen completely, not giving me a chance to even think of a reply.

"Oh..." I was left by myself, a million thoughts running through my head.