JADE.

With a flourish, I deposited my two shopping bags onto the counter. They clinked with the satisfying jingle of designer labels - a melody far sweeter than the silence that used to greet my empty wallet two years ago.

I glanced back, watching margot wrestle with the overflowing mountain of additional bags – fourteen, maybe fifteen.

Two years ago, I couldn't have afforded a single one. Now, here I was, a maid of my own to carry enough clothes for a Milan runway show.

The memory of the snotty salesgirl practically shooing me out for "window shopping" still rankled.

Money had changed everything. And I had my own personal Prince Charming to thank – Sebastian, the business mogul extraordinaire, CEO of Pulsebit Inc..

margot finally lumbered to the counter, the cashier wielding her barcode scanner with an air of practiced efficiency.

As the last item beeped, the girl plastered on a saccharine smile, a stark contrast to the suspicious glare she'd once aimed my way, likely mistaking me for a particularly well-dressed pickpocket.

"That'll be one thousand, seven hundred and fifty-two dollars," she chirped.

I slid my card across the counter with a regal flourish.

A beat of silence followed as she swiped it through the terminal, then a frown creased her brow.  She repeated the action twice, each time muttering something under her breath. Finally, she spoke, her voice laced with confusion, "It keeps declining, Mrs. Price."

An icy knot formed in my stomach. "Declining?" I echoed, incredulous.

With a dramatic sigh, the cashier swiveled the monitor towards me, the red error message emblazoned across the screen like a mocking scarlet letter. She swiped the card again, just for good measure, and I watched the same message flicker back to life.

My brow furrowed and shot a glance at margot. "margot," I said, my voice firm, "go fetch some cash from Michael in the limo."

She scurried off without question and came back shortly after with a wad of bills to pay for my purchases.

As Oliver, my hulking bodyguard, opened the limo door, my phone buzzed to life. Sebastian was calling.

I climbed into the luxurious car and answered the call. The city lights shimmered outside the window, a glittering testament to my new life.

"Babe?" His smooth voice purred through the speaker.

"Sebastian, the strangest thing-"

"Rosetta just texted," he cut in, his tone clipped. "She said you missed the appointment, Jade. What happened?"

"Hold on," I bristled, "it wasn't exactly my fault."

"Not your fault, huh?" he questioned, a hint of suspicion lacing his voice.

"I needed to do some shopping first, that's all. I didn't realize I'd fallen behind schedule." 

Truth be told, I'd strategically planned my shopping spree to clash perfectly with the appointment that his society-princess mother had insisted on. The witch - my nickname for Sebastian's mother - practically had hives at the mere mention of my name. She'd never quite seen eye-to-eye with her son's choice. And who could blame her? I'd spent more time balancing burger platters than textbooks so I wasn't exactly her cup of tea.

"Jade, you know how important this means to her. Are you seriously looking for another excuse to fight with her again?"

"What are you implying, Sebastian?"

"You shouldn't have missed the appointment, Jade. What will you tell her when she arrives this afternoon?"

"You're saying that it's always my fault we're fighting. Right Sebastian? I'm always finding excuses to hate your mother, correct?"

He sighed over the phone and whispered 'babe' softly. The tenderness and apologetic tone calmed my heart for a split second, so I hung up the call to make sure my last words made him feel guilty.

"Let's head home," I told Michael once Margot was done arranging the shopping bags in the car.

Thirty minutes had passed, and I'd purposely missed every single call and text from Sebastian. His restlessness over my silence was sure to drive him home from work early. I was very much looking forward to it. Sex after a little argument with him was always amazing.

I had just entered the bedroom when the butler informed me he'd arrived.

"Thank you, Festus."

I fully undressed and put on my night robe, loosely cinching the belt around my waist. Then, I lay carelessly on the bed and faked soft snores.

A while later, the door creaked open, then silently latched shut.

The scent of Sebastian's cologne permeated the room, eliciting a flutter in my heart. His footsteps got closer and closer until I could feel fingers trailing up my inner thighs. Suppressing the urge to curl my toes, a soft moan inadvertently escaped my lips, betraying my facade.

Sebastian deftly removed the night robe's belt with a single tug as I shifted slightly, maintaining my nonchalant position that partly revealed my nudity. Gritting my teeth in anticipation, I felt his weight settle on the bed, his presence inching closer until his breath tantalizingly caressed my neck.

"Open your eyes," he breathed softly, and like a magnetic pull, my eyes shot open to stare into his. He was a beautiful man. The epitome of rugged masculinity and effortless charm. Sebastian Price was every being's dream come true - the perfect son, the perfect boss, the perfect friend, and most especially, the perfect husband. He also had the sources, the money, and the power, and he was all mine.

"Ignoring your husband's calls?" Sebastian's voice rumbled, dark and teasing. His hands had found their way to my wet pussy as he began a slow, circling dance on my clit. "You need to be punished."

My heart skipped a beat. "Then punish me," I breathed, my voice barely a whisper.

My moans died in my throat when he leaned closer and dipped his head lower, his hands still in my pants. His kiss was a playful surprise, a soft exploration of my mouth as I melted into him, my own hands tangled in his dark hair.

Sebastian," I whispered. "Please... just fuck me already."

He proceeded to insert a long finger inside me. I gasped, both surprised and delighted. The gentle pressure sent a delicious, needy tingle through me. Taking my left breast in his mouth, he sucked on it as his finger went in and out of me. Almost at my climax, he stopped and had me watch in horror as he pulled out his phone to make a call.

"Sebastian!" I scolded. "What the fuck?!"

He faced me and answered the caller. "Yes, mom. She's here and very much ready ... yes, mom." He chuckled. It irked me. "Alright. Bye."

I was already storming to the bathroom when Sebastian got a hold of me and spun me around with strength I couldn't overcome. "Come on, babe, you know I don't enjoy leaving you hanging."

"Yet you go ahead and do it anyway. Let go of me!"

"She'll be an hour late; she had to visit an old friend on her way from Florida," he murmured, grabbing a handful of my butt. "Plenty of time, don't you think?" Lust and mischief danced in his eyes as he hoisted me onto the dresser, discarding my night robe and leaving me fully naked. "I'm a lucky man," he smirked, fixated on my bare chest.

"Sebastian, I... I'm not feeling it anymore," I admitted.

He paused, a blend of disappointment and confusion crossing his features.

"And why's that?"

"I don't know ... probably because I was horny before you left me hanging, and now I'm not?"

"Jade -"

"What did she say when you told her I was done?"

"What?"

"After you mentioned I was 'very much ready,' you laughed. What was that about?"

Sebastian let out a frustrated sigh, his eyes showing annoyance. "Here we go again."

"Yeah," I retorted. "Here we go again with me finding another excuse to start a fight, right? All I want to know is what she said after you told her I was ready, Sebastian. So just answer me."

As Sebastian ignored my question and just stared between my naked body and eyes, a knock interrupted us.

"Yes?" I answered, irritation evident in my voice.

"Sir? Your mother has arrived."

"What?" Sebastian left for the door; I stepped down from the dresser, taking my nightrobe with me as I retreated to the bathroom.

***