Denisse woke slowly, surfacing from sleep as if rising through warm water.
Something heavy rested across her waist. Warm. Solid. Possessive.
For a moment she didn't move. She only felt.
The weight of an arm draped over her stomach. The steady rhythm of another person's breathing against her collarbone. The faint brush of soft hair tickling her chin. Heat wrapped around her like a second blanket.
Her eyes fluttered open.
Lesley.
Lesley was asleep on her side, one leg tangled with Denisse's, her face half-hidden against Denisse's shoulder. Her usually sharp features were softened by sleep, lashes resting against her cheeks, lips slightly parted. The fierce CEO was gone. In her place was someone warm. Human. Almost vulnerable.
Denisse's lips curved before she could stop them.
So it wasn't just a dream.
Last night was really wild.
The shared heat. The tentative kisses that had turned bold. The laughter in between. The way their hands had traced skin like they were mapping unfamiliar territory.
Her heart swelled quietly in her chest.
Carefully, she shifted, meaning to get up. Lesley responded instantly, tightening her hold like a reflex, pulling Denisse closer.
"Five more minutes," Lesley murmured, voice thick with sleep, eyes still closed.
Denisse laughed softly. "We still have work today, remember?"
A faint frown creased Lesley's forehead. "Work is optional."
"No, it's not. You're the CEO."
"Mmm." Lesley burrowed closer instead of answering.
Denisse felt the warm puff of her breath against her neck and fought the urge to melt completely. God, this was dangerous. One morning like this and she was already reconsidering her entire work ethic.
She gently tapped Lesley's shoulder. "Hey. I still have to go back to my house. People might start questioning our overnight 'strategy meetings.'"
That made Lesley open her eyes.
Slowly. Lazily.
And then she smiled.
It wasn't the polished boardroom smile. It wasn't the teasing smirk.
It was soft. Private.
"Good morning," she said.
She leaned in.
Denisse placed a hand against her chest, stopping her halfway. "I haven't brushed my teeth yet."
Lesley blinked once, considered that, then shrugged. "I don't care."
"Lesley—"
Too late.
Lesley closed the distance anyway, kissing her gently at first, then deeper when Denisse sighed into it. The kiss tasted faintly of sleep and warmth and something that made Denisse's stomach flutter.
When they finally pulled apart, Denisse's fingers were curled into Lesley's neck.
"Now," Denisse said, trying to recover some dignity, "get up."
Lesley groaned dramatically and rolled onto her back. "Can we skip work today?"
"No."
"Just this once."
"No."
Lesley turned her head to look at her, narrowing her eyes playfully. "You are extremely bossy for someone who is not the boss."
"We have a client meeting today," Denisse reminded her.
Lesley exhaled in surrender. "Fine. But I'm blaming you for my exhaustion."
"You're the one who didn't let me sleep," Denisse replied.
Lesley's grin was immediate. "Worth it."
Denisse threw a pillow at her.
Minutes later, Lesley stood beside the bed, already fully dressed in her corporate attire—immaculate as always, not a trace of the earlier laziness left. She looked composed. Commanding.
She held out a neatly folded set of office clothes.
"Here. Get up and take a shower. Wear these," Lesley said, a smirk tugging at her lips. "And trust me—I know your size now."
"Silly," Denisse muttered, rolling her eyes playfully.
She glanced at the outfit and hesitated. The office dress looked expensive—far more than anything she usually wore. She lifted the fabric carefully between her fingers, studying it with suspicion.
"What if someone notices?" she asked. "What if they realize it's yours?"
Lesley gave a small, dismissive shrug.
"I barely wear those," she said casually. "No one will notice."
Denisse studied her for a moment, still unconvinced.
"Fine, but don't say I didn't warn you," Denisse said.
Then she slipped out of bed and headed straight for the bathroom, the dress draped over her arm, while Lesley watched her go with a quiet, satisfied smile.
-
Lesley stood in the kitchen with both hands braced on the cool marble counter, staring at the battlefield she had created.
Eggs. Fluffy, soft-scrambled the way Denisse liked them.
French toast dusted with powdered sugar.
A bowl of fresh fruit that looked like it belonged in a magazine.
Bacon. Crispy, but not too crispy.
Orange juice. Freshly squeezed, because apparently she had woken up this morning and decided she was the kind of woman who squeezed oranges early in the morning.
The dining table looked… ridiculous.
Golden sunlight spilled through the tall windows and landed directly on the spread, making the syrup glisten and the fruit shine like jewels. The plates were arranged perfectly. Napkins folded. Cutlery aligned like soldiers waiting for inspection.
Lesley slowly crossed her arms.
She tilted her head.
"…Is this too much?"
It absolutely was.
She sighed and rubbed her temple.
This is insane. It's just breakfast. For two people. Why did I cook like I'm hosting the royal family?
Her gaze drifted toward the staircase.
Upstairs.
Denisse was still there.
Lesley straightened the napkins again.
Then—
Voices.
Loud voices.
Coming from the living room.
Lesley froze.
Her brain took a moment to process that information.
Then her eyes widened.
"…No."
The voices grew closer.
"…No no no no—"
"GOOD MORNING!"
Lesley nearly jumped out of her skin.
She spun around just in time to see Alexandra marching cheerfully into the dining area like she owned the house.
Behind her came the rest of the chaos.
Athena.
Stacy.
Sam.
Zoe, who was leaning comfortably into Stacy's side, one hand resting on her very pregnant belly.
The whole squad.
Lesley stared at them.
They stared at the table.
Then Alexandra clasped her hands together in delight.
"Oh wow."
Athena inhaled deeply like a bloodhound catching a scent.
Lesley blinked.
Once.
Twice.
"…Wh—what are you doing here?"
"We came as fast as we could when we smelled your cooking from a house away," Athena announced proudly.
Stacy's eyes widened like she'd just walked into a royal banquet.
"Lesley. Please," she said, voice dripping with mock horror, and swept her hand toward the table as if to say, Behold—the breakfast of champions!
Lesley's stomach twisted.
"Aren't you the sweetest," Stacy continued, cooing, "did you really went and prepared all this for us?"
Zoe was already inching toward the French toast like a shark circling prey, and Lesley could feel her cheeks heating.
This was supposed to be a quiet breakfast. Just me and Denisse. How did it become… this?
"Look how much food is on this table," Stacy continued, wrapping an arm around Zoe's shoulders. "It's like you anticipated our morning ambush."
Lesley felt sweat prickling at the back of her neck.
"Wait… why is there so much food?" Alexandra asked, tilting her head with a sly smile. "Are you… with someone? Is this… a breakfast date?"
Lesley's heart skipped. Oh no. Oh no no no.
"No! No, nothing like that," she said quickly, waving her hands like it would make it true. "I just… I cooked for you all! I was literally about to call you for breakfast… but… here you are already."
Her brain, meanwhile, had completely abandoned professionalism.
It was no longer thinking.
It was screaming.
DENISSE IS UPSTAIRS.
Lesley kept smiling at her friends, though the muscles in her face felt dangerously stiff.
Inside her head, chaos reigned.
DENISSE. IS. UPSTAIRS.
Her heart began pounding harder.
THE WOMAN I VERY CONFIDENTLY TOLD EVERYONE I WOULD NEVER BE WITH.
She could practically hear Athena's future laughter already.
THE WOMAN WHO SPENT THE NIGHT.
Lesley felt heat creeping up her neck.
She folded her arms casually, pretending everything was normal. Completely normal. Absolutely nothing suspicious happening in this house that currently smelled like a five-star breakfast buffet.
Meanwhile, her thoughts spiraled further.
PLEASE. DO NOT COME DOWN RIGHT NOW.
She glanced briefly toward the staircase without moving her head, the way someone might glance at a ticking bomb.
Her smile tightened.
PLEASE JUST STAY UPSTAIRS FOR FIVE MORE MINUTES.
Her friends were already eyeing the table like a pack of hungry wolves.
If Denisse walked in now—
Lesley didn't even want to imagine it.
Athena would never shut up.
Stacy would absolutely weaponize it.
Alexandra would smile in that knowing way that meant she had already figured everything out.
Sam would just make one comment that would absolutely destroy her.
And Zoe… well, Zoe would probably just laugh and ask ten thousand sweet but devastatingly accurate questions.
Lesley inhaled slowly.
Calm. Casual. Relaxed.
Totally not hiding a woman upstairs.
Her brain screamed one last desperate thought.
THEY CANNOT FIND OUT RIGHT NOW.
A beat passed.
Then another.
Her stomach twisted.
OR THEY WILL TEASE ME NONSTOP FOR THE REST OF MY NATURAL LIFE.
Lesley maintained her polite smile.
Internally, however—
She was preparing to fake her own death if necessary.
She smiled at her friends again with the fragile energy of someone standing on emotional thin ice.
Then—
Footsteps.
On the stairs.
Lesley's soul left her body.
"Hey, look at the dre—"
Denisse stepped into the dining area doorway.
And stopped.
Silence fell.
Everyone turned.
Every single pair of eyes landed on Denisse.
Denisse stood there in the entrance, mid-step, clearly not expecting… a breakfast audience.
Her hair was still slightly damp from her shower, dark strands tucked neatly behind her ears. She was wearing the work clothes Lesley had given her: a fitted polo neatly tucked into a sleek pencil skirt that fell just below her knees. The outfit was simple but polished, making her look effortlessly professional, even this early in the morning.
The room remained silent.
Then slowly…
Everyone turned their heads.
And looked at Lesley.
Lesley felt the full weight of their collective suspicion.
Her brain began scrambling like the eggs on the table.
"Ah—" she blurted suddenly, pointing at Denisse like she had just remembered something extremely important. "Did you find the document in my study room that I asked you for?"
Her friends continued staring at her.
Unblinking.
Denisse blinked once.
Then she recovered quickly.
"Y-Yes, Ms. Ashford."
Lesley nodded rapidly.
"Great. Perfect. Excellent."
Still staring.
Lesley shifted awkwardly.
"…What?"
Stacy tilted her head, humming thoughtfully. "Hm. Isn't it a little early to have your assistant working for you?"
Lesley folded her arms, lifting a brow. "I needed help, so I asked her to come early."
Sam leaned against the chair, arms crossed, her mouth curling into a teasing smile.
"Wow," she said. "That sounded suspiciously defensive."
Lesley let out a short scoff. "I'm not defensive."
Sam's grin widened. "See? Even that sounded defensive."
Stacy pressed her lips together, clearly trying not to laugh.
Athena leaned forward, squinting slightly.
"…And her hair," she said slowly, pointing.
Lesley's stomach twisted. She followed Athena's gesture with her eyes.
Denisse's hair was still slightly damp from her shower.
Athena's grin widened.
"That's pretty wet for someone who just arrived from her house."
Lesley's mouth opened. Closed. Opened again.
"…Unless…" Athena added, her voice teasing.
Heat surged up Lesley's neck. She could practically feel the blood rushing to her face.
"Hey, stop it," Alexandra said, though the brightness of her smile betrayed her. "They're both blushing already."
Both?
Lesley's eyes darted to Denisse. Sure enough, the woman she had tried so hard to ignore was flushing faintly, just enough to make Lesley's chest tighten.
Fantastic.
Wonderful.
Amazing.
Lesley considered moving to another country.
Alexandra waved cheerfully toward the table.
"Good morning, Denisse! Come join us for breakfast."
Denisse nodded politely.
"Yes, Ms. Alex."
Zoe stepped forward, a gentle smile lighting up her face.
"Hi, Denisse! I don't think we've met yet—I'm Zoe, Stacy's wife."
Her hand rested lightly on her belly, a soft, protective gesture.
"I've heard so much about you."
Denisse glanced briefly at Lesley.
Their eyes met for half a second.
A small smile tugged at Denisse's lips.
"I hope they're good things."
Lesley immediately looked at the ceiling.
Athena clapped her hands.
"Alright! Enough talking. I'm starving."
She grabbed a chair.
"I still have an early meeting, so if anyone gets between me and that bacon, there will be violence."
"Very professional," Alexandra murmured.
Denisse quietly moved toward the kitchen counter.
"I'll help with the plates."
Lesley watched her go, grateful for the distraction.
Soon the table filled with chatter.
Plates clinked.
Syrup was passed around.
Athena devoured bacon like a competitive sport.
Zoe declared the French toast life-changing.
Stacy kept stealing fruit from Zoe's bowl and getting smacked for it.
Stories from the week flew across the table. Company gossip. Complaints about meetings. Arguments about whether Athena had actually sent an email or simply believed she had sent it.
By the time the sun rose higher and filled the room with warm morning light, the chaos began to settle.
Chairs scraped.
Bags were picked up.
Everyone slowly made their way toward the door.
Lesley walked them out, relief slowly returning to her system.
Athena fell into step beside her.
For a moment she said nothing.
Then she leaned closer.
"Next time," Athena said casually, "don't share your passcode with us."
Lesley narrowed her eyes.
Athena continued, completely unfazed.
"So you and Denisse won't be bothered by your hot friends during your romantic breakfast."
Lesley shoved her.
"Get out of here."
Athena laughed as she stumbled toward the car.
But despite herself—
A small smile crept onto Lesley's face.