The billionaire’s sweet editor

IRIS IS everywhere. Literally. It's like the universe patiently waited for me to pour coffee on her before making us realize we have almost everything in common.

Everything except her cold honest attitude, or is it her personality?

I do have my moments, but I think Iris tops me in the attitude field. After witnessing her ward off Lynn this afternoon, the respect I hold for her tripled over. It was such an iconic moment that I found myself asking Iris to be my girlfriend without much thought to it.

What I hadn't expected was for her to hint at me that she might probably agree to my sudden outburst.

"What's in it for me?" Was the question she asked.

I was dumbstruck then, left to wonder what I was doing and why I hadn't thought of this a long time ago. Then came the urge to touch Iris. Not only was it unexpected, but it was also unprofessional. I felt like I was becoming Lynn-always wanting to touch people without consent.

Like an unsatisfied hunger, the urges kept growing by the day, just like they're doing right now as I'm sitting next to Iris on the kitchen stools surrounding the white kitchen island. Unfortunately for me, the air is steamy as fuck because Iris is shamelessly checking me out with a straw between her lips - sucking the life out of the juice box in her hands.

Never in my life have I wanted to be a straw or a juice box so badly.

She's dressed in PJs, the kind with the small shorts and big Ts, and I can't stop gawking. How could I when her skin is showing like that?

Putting down her juice bottle, Iris licks her lips slowly before shuffling in her seat to face me. " When are the others coming back?"

We've been seated like this, facing the archway for almost thirty minutes now ever since the jump scare she gave me a while ago. It hadn't been this daunting a while ago, but now, the stakes have been raised; the most threatening of all being that we're both wearing thin clothing that clasps to our bodies...and that leaves a lot of skin in the show.

I take my wine-filled glass and take a large gulp which resounds from my throat loudly like the thirst trap I'm in. "I don't know, but I think they are on their way back now."

" Mhmmm," Iris hums whilst placing the straw on her lips again. Then she sucks the near-empty bottle like her life depends on it and shit; watching her drink feels like sinning. It's sexy as fuck.

"Stop looking or I'll think you're a pervert," comes the lowest rebuking tone I've ever heard from her, making me smirk.

She knows I'm staring...but so is she.

" I could say the same thing about you. Your eyeballs looked like they were going to roll out of their sockets a while ago."

" That's because you're good-looking. Sue me if it's wrong to lust over a hot guy."

Smart mouth.

For a second time today, my heart flutters at her words and my entire body heats up. It's like I finally understand that I have needs other than working, and even though I sometimes help myself in the shower, it doesn't seem like that will suffice today.

"I won't sue you," I say after adjusting my sitting position. My pants are now too tight from the bulge and it freaking hurts. " You can check me out all you want, but that comes with a condition."

Iris's eyes darken and she tilts her head to the side, exposing her neck in the process. Why hadn't I noticed that delicate neck all this time?

"What kind of condition?" Her voice sounds husky, and I grin.

Now for the killer move.

"Be my fake girlfriend, at least until Lynn backs off."

" Why me?"

" Because you're the only one who has been directly involved in this ever since Lynn started chasing after me, and you're the only one who has tried to help me so far. Also, aside from Mary, I don't have any female friend who I think will agree to this."

"So you think I'm easy and I'll agree to this?"

Damn. Way to go Lucas.

"No, that's not what I meant. What I meant to say is that you're bold and feisty. I saw you answering to Lynn and I saw the way she feels intimidated by you. And since you're new, she won't suspect a thing if we announce that we're dating. I'm commenting on you here, Iris," I try to explain myself, searching her eyes for any sign of agreement.

"Flattery is such a cheap shot sir," Iris replies, placing her hand on the counter whilst smiling and my heart drops. Did I just fail to secure this deal? Me? I'm a man whose plans make a big almost perfect difference, yet I can't even convince Iris to help me with this. It feels like shit, and I don't like shit. I'll have to plan my approach next-

" But you're right," Iris adds, cutting my internal monologue. I smirk a little. "I am bold. However, I won't be doing this for free, so I'll ask again, what's in it for me?"

The smirk on my face dies when I see two small dents on her shirt by the chest. Nipples. She has no bra on.

I tear my eyes away from her breasts, not about to look like a pervert and probably ruin the only shot I have at convincing Iris to play babe with me. Aside from Mary and Kayla, the other women I know are either in a relationship, already married or too old or young to play fake dating with me.

Not to mention that Lynn probably knows most of them anyway, so she'd know I'm lying if they ever agreed to help. It has to be Iris-she's the only one who isn't tied to me from the past, and she's the only one who managed to bring out Lynn's ugly side in the short while we've known each other.

"What do you want, Iris?" I ask.

"What do you have to offer?" Iris returns the question.

I expected this to be easy. That's where the problem lies.

I forgot that I'm dealing with a learned woman here, a woman who managed to shake my core right from the first day...even though I'm her boss.

Why did I think she would easily oblige when we're discussing something way more unprofessional and intimate? Of course, she's going to have the upper hand here. She already has tabs on me from our past encounters, so this is probably nothing but a feat to her.

I have to up my game.

I face her once again. "Will money suffice?"

"Unless it's money that I worked for, or money that my grandparents gave me, I don't take it. I come from a well-off family too you know."

Right. She drives a Mercedes. What am I thinking trying to buy her with money?

"Then you can consider it your boyfriend giving you money to spoil yourself."

Iris bites her bottom lip, making me twitch involuntarily. " Still doesn't change the fact that you have nothing to offer," she says in a low breathy voice that I pinch myself back to reality.

"What would you like, Iris?" I ask, turning to face her so that I have a full view of her; curly hair, plush pink lips, caramel skin, and that slim model figure...all of it. What would a woman like her want? She looks like she has it all.

Iris's gray eyes scan me from top to bottom, but when she reaches the bottom part, her eyes linger there for a little while. I finally look down and when I realize what's taken her attention, my hands fly from the table to cover the boner that is now but a dent on my shorts.

Then it hits me. She has it all, but maybe not this.

"How about I offer myself?" I mumble without further thinking, my voice barely above a whisper. I'm pretty sure I sound desperate, and I know I am. For Iris at least.

"And how do you intend to do so?" Iris replies, eyes now looking at my chest, making my body twinge like tiny insects are crawling all around it.

Shit, this woman is so unhinged. I had been suppressing my masculine urges all along-but one question from her, and suddenly, I can't sit still.

I stand before pulling her chair to me till our faces are only a few inches from each other. Then I cup her cheeks and a smirk forms on my lips when she looks me in the eyes, grey eyes seemingly impatient for my next course of action.

She wants this like I do. It's evident in her gaze.

" I'll show you how I'll be of service to you. If you don't like it, please push me away," I whisper in her face.

There's a momentary silence where I'm waiting for her consent, and when she slowly nods at me, I carry on with my services.

My eyes trudge down to her lips and I run my finger there, making them bounce in a slow motion that I find alluring and enchanting, enough to make me bend and place my lips on hers. Perking her once, I wait to see if she's not repulsed, and when she closes her eyes instead, I finally kiss her deeply.

Iris doesn't react at first, she doesn't push me away, nor does she pull me in. She's still thinking, wondering whether she wants this; but I won't allow her to think. We both know she wants this as much as I do, even though we have no strong foundation as to why. It's just mutual attraction. Infatuation if you may.

I storm into her mouth, my tongue demanding to penetrate inside, and when Iris's brain catches up to her body, she finally gives in. Her mouth opens wide and devours mine, and she tips her head back, grabbing a fistful of my hair at the same moment I grab hers and pull it lightly. It's like we're communicating with our tongues, they swerve in a hexing motion that leaves me wanting more.

Iris is a good kisser, enough to challenge me at this game we're playing, but my pride won't let me be outshined. My other hand finds its way towards her waist and I dig into it slowly, making Iris let out a soft sound in my mouth that fuels me even more.

I feel a tug around my waist when Iris's legs wrap around me, making me groan when I find myself involuntarily grinding on her. But just when the nectar is mid-morphing to honey, there is a smoke that drives the bees fluttering around our little paradise away, and I groan when we break the kiss.

"Let me help you carry that," I hear Mary's faint voice say in an adenoidal voice, a stark contrast to her usual tone, making me guess that she's with Phineas. There's a history between the two of them only I know about, and I never told Jerald because I know that if he finds out...hell will break loose.

"Don't worry, I can carry more than this," Phineas responds to her, confirming my suspicions.

But none of that matters right now.

I was in the middle of a fiery kiss with Iris and they ruined it with their presence. Fuckin cockblockers.

"Let me help you with that," I hear Iris say in the living room.

Shit, I was too preoccupied with my thoughts to see her leave. I walk out of the kitchen, toward the door where Mary and Phineas are now asking each other if the other person wants help hanging their coat by the door whilst Iris is battling with the plastic bags.

Idiots.

Reaching over and grabbing the bags in one hand I try my best to speak casually with Iris. "Let me help."

Our eyes make contact, and for a moment, I think Iris is going to lose her composure. But then she smiles at me, making way for me to pass with the plastic bags.

"What is up with this atmosphere?" Mary asks as if her and Phin's weirdness is better than ours, "It's like there's been a couple fight here."

"I just pranked my boss here thinking you guys were home, tell me how that's not going to create a weird atmosphere," Iris quips before pouting.

There's a moment of silence where everyone takes in the information and when they finally get it, laughs echo in the house.

Good, Iris used humor to cover up the mess we made.

I scoop the goods and head towards the kitchen, not wanting anyone to catch on so soon. Unfortunately for me, someone already had. I had forgotten about Phineas the playboy. I don't even notice him standing by the archway, smirking like the idiot he is until he speaks.

"Were you guys kissing just now?" He asks, not even bothering to reduce his voice.

My mouth drops to the floor and I rush toward him, before peeking in the living room. Mary is looking at Phineas's back like he just said some taboo gibberish and Iris' eyes are wide as saucers.

Phineas you fuckin-

"Why would you say something so-"

"So you guys were kissing. I was wondering which Iris you talked about all day and-"

"We weren't kissing!"

"Your lips have bits of gloss on them Pinocchio. Wipe it off before someone else notices and catches on to your lies."

Shit. I glance at Iris and she frantically gestures for me to wipe my lips, so I do as I'm told. It feels like doing a walk of shame, only, I have to wipe my lips instead of walking. Then Mary joins Detective Phin in handling the case.

"Iris, follow me," she says grabbing her friend's wrist and pulling her toward the stairs.

Phin snorts but immediately stops after he receives a fierce blow in the gut from the passing Iris. "I will kill after this you idiot," she calls out whilst being pulled away by Mary.

As always, Jerald walks in with a few more groceries after the drama is finished, and he only witnesses Phin groaning.

"Did the gonorrhea finally decide to attack?" He jokes, walking towards the counter.

I snort. "You wish, Iris just punched him."

"Good for her. Did you touch her without consent?"

" No, but someone did," Phin whimpers.

"Who?" Jerald half-heartedly laughs whilst unpacking the food.

"Lucas did."

I slowly place the yogurt in my hands on the island before taking a knife and jabbing it fiercely. "If you don't want to be like this yogurt, stop making delusions about me."

"But you just kis-"

"Like you did with Mary?" I quip, about to expose him too. Ever since high school, Jerald always told us to stay away from his sisters, and that they're off limits.

I've always wondered which other 'sister' he always talked about, but after meeting Iris and hearing him speak about her, I have no doubt that she is the other sister that adds up to make his 'sisters'. If I'm going to get hit by Jerald because I kissed his sister, then I wonder what he would do to Phin if he discovers that he not only kissed Mary, but they fucked. A lot.

"Okay, let's stop joking and begin the party," Jerald says, lightening up the mood like always.

Sometimes I wonder what this friendship we share would be like if Jerald took everything we told him seriously. One thing is certain though, we wouldn't be standing here freely if he did, because this guy doesn't play around when it comes to people he considers family.

" Okay," both Phin and I reply whilst giving each other side glances because we know this conversation is far from over.

"Good. Begin the cooking, I have a guest to pick up so be on your best behavior."

"Let me guess, Kayla?" Comes Mary's voice from the stairs.

Iris is behind her, looking at the floor and biting her lip. I don't know what the two talked about, but from the looks of it, Iris just got a handful of Mary's motherly rebuking. Though I don't think she should be the one to advise Iris, because how can she? She is playing around with a fuckboy for goodness sake.

Jerald scrunches his nose at his sister whilst walking away from us. "Good guessing as always gremlin. Now that you know, I want a five-star feast set up when I come back."

No one replies as Jerald leaves the four of us alone, and the air immediately becomes weird. Two men left with the two women whom they've been intimately close with.

A very weird combination if you ask me.

★★★★★