Chapter 5 The Morning After Contract

"I've had my assistant draw up some paperwork for you, Evelyn."

Freya blinked, pulling the sheet up to cover herself. The morning sun was just starting to crest over Vera City, streaming through the panoramic windows of the Creed Penthouse. She and Zayde were still tangled in the rumpled, silk-satin bedding, exhausted from a night of relentless, demanding passion.

"Paperwork?" Freya asked, trying to sound casual despite the sudden alarm bells ringing in her head. This was standard for high-profile clients-they always wanted an NDA and clear payment terms. But usually, the request was more discreet.

Zayde-the man she still firmly believed was the unhappily married Theron Creed-didn't look guilty or ashamed. He looked completely, arrogantly satisfied.

"Of course, paperwork," he stated, propping himself up. He was already reaching for the house phone. "You think I let something this valuable slip away without securing the lease?"

He spoke briefly and sharply into the phone, demanding his assistant, Ms. Diaz, appear immediately with the documents.

Freya slid out of bed, pulling on one of Zayde's crisp, white shirts-it smelled overwhelmingly of him. She tried to think: What kind of agreement would Theron want? An NDA, a retainer, and perhaps a clause about public appearance. She needed to read it carefully to ensure it didn't compromise her actual business.

Zayde hung up and moved to the massive walk-in closet. He didn't bother covering his muscular, intimidating body.

"Don't worry, it's fair," Zayde said, glancing over his shoulder. "It protects your privacy, and more importantly, it makes sure you remain exactly where I need you to be."

"And where exactly do you need me to be, Mr. Creed?" Freya challenged, crossing her arms over her chest, trying to project a distance.

Zayde stopped dressing and simply stared at her, his storm-grey eyes intensely possessive. He walked back toward her, closing the distance in three long strides.

"Right here," he growled, reaching out and pulling her close, the crisp shirt offering little barrier. His hands moved instantly, roughly caressing her through the fabric, settling on her hips and pulling her flush against his hard morning arousal.

"And you need to remember why you are here," he murmured, his mouth settling on her neck, biting gently before soothing the spot with his tongue.

The immediate return of their primal heat was shocking. Freya gasped, her resolve crumbling instantly. She had never known a man who could ignite her so quickly, simply with proximity.

Zayde pulled the hem of the shirt up, exposing her naked skin beneath. His hands were everywhere-over her back, cupping her rear, before settling low between her thighs. He knew exactly how to make her wet immediately.

"You're still thinking about contracts when your body is screaming for me to finish what we started," Zayde whispered fiercely, his breath hot against her ear.

He pushed her against the closet door, tilting her head back to kiss her deeply and savagely. His hands, working deftly, found her most sensitive spot and began a circular motion that quickly drove the air from her lungs.

Freya, eyes closed, could only cling to his shoulders, her body already slick and responding with uncontrolled moans that were swallowed by the noise of his hungry mouth against hers.

"This," Zayde stated, pulling back just long enough to look into her passion-glazed eyes, "is the only contract that truly matters, Evelyn."

He drove her to a quick, shuddering climax right there against the door, an immediate, aggressive staking of his claim that left her weak-kneed and desperate.

The intercom buzzed discreetly just as the final tremors subsided.

"The paperwork is here," Zayde said, his voice now calm and businesslike, as if he hadn't just reduced her to a gasping mess. He straightened his shirt and quickly finished dressing, regaining his composure instantly.

A few minutes later, Ms. Diaz, a woman with a severe hairstyle and an entirely neutral expression, entered, avoiding eye contact. She placed a heavy manila folder on the glass table and left without a word.

Freya, still reeling, went to the table and picked up the folder. The title was bold: Non-Disclosure and Retainer Agreement: Creed Global Holdings.

She scanned the document quickly, her eyes darting through the legalese. Most of it was boilerplate. It defined her services not as a 'mistress' but as an 'exclusive consultant and confidante,' with a hefty monthly retainer. The main goal of the NDA was clear: no mention of the relationship, the location, or the financial activities of Mr. Creed.

Perfect, Freya thought. Theron is making sure he can't be exposed in a divorce and is using the corporate budget to hide the payments. This confirmed her entire assumption about her client's husband. She felt a surge of pride. She had secured the highest-value, most demanding target of her career.

Zayde, now wearing an immaculate, dark navy suit, watched her from across the room, already on his secure line discussing a trade deal.

Freya pulled out a fountain pen and signed the documents, prioritizing the most immediate and dangerous section: the NDA. She needed to get this filed and get out before she was compromised further. She signed the name Evelyn in a neat, careful script on the designated line.

She stood up, gathered her few belongings, and walked toward Zayde.

"It's done, Mr. Creed," she said, handing him the folder. "I have my copy. The NDA is secured."

Zayde paused his phone call, taking the folder from her. He looked at the signature, then up at her, a strange, profound look in his grey eyes that was half relief, half fierce dedication.

"Good," Zayde said, lowering his voice from the call. "That's the easy part. We have a meeting in the city later today. I'll send a car for you. Don't disappear, Evelyn."

"I won't," Freya promised, giving him a seductive smile. "I have a contract now, remember?"

She turned and headed for the lift, needing desperately to breathe and call Lysander to confirm the mission was a full success. She had seduced the cheating husband, Theron Creed, and secured a lucrative, iron-clad retainer agreement.

The lift descended rapidly through the towering structure. Freya straightened her clothes, running a hand through her hair, already shifting her mind back into professional mode.

The doors opened onto the vast, ground-floor lobby, a space of intimidating architecture and silent, respectful service staff.

Freya walked quickly toward the main, revolving doors, eager to melt back into the anonymity of Vera City.

And then she stopped. Dead still.

Standing right at the concierge desk, waiting to be directed upstairs, were two people.

The woman was Lara Creed, her client. Freya knew her instantly-the fragile, elegant client who had hired her to expose her husband.

And next to Lara stood the man.

The real Theron Creed.

Freya felt the blood drain from her face. This man was handsome, yes, but in a softer, more boyish way. His hair was lighter, his eyes were kind and apologetic as he dealt with a small issue at the desk. He was slightly shorter than Zayde, and his suit wasn't tailored with the same aggressive power.

He looked absolutely nothing like the intimidating, dominating man Freya had just spent the entire night with, who had just secured her signature on a retainer.

And the two of them-Theron and Lara-were holding hands, smiling warmly at each other. They looked utterly, undeniably loyal and devoted.

Freya's mind flashed back to Zayde's flat denial: "I have no wife, Evelyn."

Her gaze snapped back up to the towering structure she had just exited. The penthouse belonged to the CEO. The CEO was Zayde Creed. The single, older brother. The intended target was Theron.

She hadn't secured the client's husband; she had accidentally captivated his single, irresistible older brother-a man completely outside the scope of her mission, a man who, if he found out her true purpose, would ruin her completely.

Freya backed up one step, her heart hammering wildly against her ribs, sheer horror seizing her.

She had slept with the wrong brother.

And the real target, Theron Creed, looked up from the desk, saw Freya, and gave her a polite, indifferent nod, confirming he had no idea who she was.