“I’m glad you came this time around. The last time I had called for you, you didn’t bother to show up. I have a place for you in my heart, Ari, but that doesn’t mean I won’t punish you for disrespectful behaviour towards the head of this Institute.” That was the first thing Vinn said to her as she entered his office without even knocking.

     She made her way around the desk and dropped herself into his lap. She smiled at the feel of him jerking between his legs as she pressed herself against him. Ari sighed dramatically. “What do you want?” she asked.

     “For you to get off my lap, before I end up taking you on this desk right this moment.” Vinn replied, and he sent a slap against her buttocks as she swung herself up onto his desk instead.

     Ariadna loved to tease Vinn whenever she could. She spread her legs a little wider and raised a brow at her superior. He pulled his chair closer to his desk and placed his hands on her hips. “If you’re looking for an apology from me, for having been careless and for walking away from you earlier, you’re not getting one.” Ari said when Vinn remained silent. She snapped her legs shut, making him jump a little at her abruptness.

     Vinn rose from his seat and ran his hands under the black tunic she wore instead. “I wasn’t expecting you to. Need I remind you of the reason you could stay in this institute, not only because of the kindness I had shown you. You’re a splendid assassin, Ariadna, I just need you to stay alive for as long as possible.” he said.

     She pushed him away when he got too close. “Because you think it would be a shame to lose such a ‘fine’ assassin, or because you would hate to lose your personal whore?” she asked.

     He gave her a laugh which made her toes curl, despite its meaning.

     “I have no problem sleeping with you, Vinn. In fact, I enjoy it – when you’re not being an arsehole, that is. You don’t need to remind me again. I’ve been upholding the rest of my agreement with you for two years now. Do you trust me that little? I’m offended.” Ariadna snapped.

     Vinn pressed a kiss against her lips, hard enough to make her moan, all whilst his hands roamed up her tunic, to her naked back where he held her there. She rolled her tongue around the inside of his mouth, and she felt him squeeze her in response. His beard tickled her skin as he brushed his chin against hers. “I have a contract for you.” Vinn explained, once they both pulled away to catch their breath. “But for now, I’m expecting you at dinner. You’ve been avoiding the rest of us like the plague, and I don’t think it’s fair on your brothers-in-arms to receive this kind of treatment from you.”

     She pulled away again to laugh. “I’m sorry, are you worried that I’m hurting their feelings? Oh, Vinn, they’re grown men. I don’t think they care about my opinions of them. They don’t seem to have been bothered by me for the last five years already.”

     It was Vinn’s turn to raise a brow. “Tell me again what you think of me.” he said.

     Ariadna shook her head. “You know what I think of you,” she began.

     Vinn kissed her throat this time, slow and steady, down to her breasts where he unbuttoned the top half of her tunic and helped himself there.

     She suppressed a moan as she hooked her legs around his waist. She had never been sure who was hungrier for whom, or if they both just had the same amount of desire for each other building up inside them, until that chord keeping them together snapped and they were on each other before they could fully comprehend what was happening.

     But it was not love between them. Their relationship was purely sexual, behind closed doors at least. Vinn had made sure of it. Because just like Ariadna, he did not believe in love. He was a man who knew what he wanted. “Wear a dress for dinner tonight. Something pretty.” he instructed.

     Ariadna pressed her knee against his stomach and nudged him back, hard enough to send him collapsing into his chair. One glance at the mark on her wrist again had her failing to hear what he had even said to her. She placed a hand over the inked symbol as it brought back a flood of unwanted memories again.

     “Ari.” Vinn began. He ran both hands through his dark hair. “I’ve told you so many times, we can get that marking covered up with something else. Do you enjoy torturing yourself with memories of your past?”

     Ariadna looked down at the ground. She appeared ashamed of herself. “It reminds me why I joined The Anari in the first place.” she replied. Ariadna Vikander was a bitter young woman. She loathed her past and wanted nothing more than to bury whatever family she had left into the ground. She had promised to make amends with herself, with the child she had once been and had long ago grown out of. Whoever had shunned or dishonoured her in the past, she would send them face down into the dirt where they belonged. This was what she had been training for. The contracts over the years, they had meant nothing to her. She had completed them and completed them well and as instructed. But what she had been preparing herself for over the years was picking off everyone who had hurt her in any way, one by one like flies. The only problem she now faced was that she was growing impatient. Vinn was screwing her over, not giving her the time to tick off the people on her own list, and the longer he kept Ariadna from going about her own business, the longer those bastards lived. “We’ll talk about my list tomorrow.” she said. It was not up for discussion.

     Vinn tilted his head back and laughed. “Very well, Boss.”

     She slid off the edge of the desk and took hold of Vinn’s face as she kissed him again. When she drew away, she said with a half-smile, “You’re so fucking annoying.” and then left the room before he could detain her again with a kiss of his own.