His Survival Strategy

"You can't keep her as your slave. Consent is always the rule. You know that."

"That's with sex."

"That's with everything,” Jia asserted.

"Don't worry. I have no intention of forcing her to do anything." He smirked. "Clover will consent. She'll stay and work."

"I don't know, Flynn. I think you may have pushed her too far."

"Trust me. I know Clover and I know what I'm doing." He had a knack for understanding people's desires and what they would do to fulfill them. It had been his survival strategy in foster care.

Clover may not be a true submissive, but she enjoys her job and pleasing others. She would give in to his demands like she always did.

Clover paced back and forth in her office. She wasn't working tonight. She had done everything Flynn had asked her to do—working late nights, weekends, and holidays—but that was going to change now.

It had been over a year since she had been on a date and even longer since she had been intimated with someone.

Flynn could be as angry as he wanted, but she was going to meet Elias for dinner tonight.

She glanced at her watch. It was six o'clock. She had been here since six in the morning. She was done. She closed her laptop and put it in her bag.

"I would reconsider if I were you."

She jumped at the sound of Flynn's deep, rough voice. His voice reminded her of cool sheets and passionate moments, but she quickly pushed that thought away and stood up. She would rather step in front of a bus than let him know how his voice affected her.

"Well, you're not me." She slung her laptop bag over her shoulder. "And I need some time off. I've worked every holiday, weekend, and late night for the past ten months. I'm practically here as much as you are." That was saying something, considering his office was in his own home.

"You're seriously giving up your job and all that money just for a date?" He leaned against the door frame. "This guy must be really special."

"He is." Clover jutted out her chin. At least, she hoped he was. She was tired of being alone.

During the day, she was too busy to notice, but at night, lying in bed by herself, it became painfully obvious.

"How do you know? Didn't you say this is your first date?"

"Yes, but we've been talking for weeks now."

"When did you find the time? According to you, I've been keeping you busy every waking moment."

"I haven't been doing that on your time, if that's what you're worried about. I can't believe you'd even think that." It hurt that he would accuse her of cheating him. She worked hard for him. "I thought you knew me better than that. I thought we were friends."

"Friends?" He smiled his lopsided smile that made him look mischievous. "Hardly. We've never been friends."

"Oh." That hurt more than she would ever admit. This had been happening to her… her whole life.

People pretended to like her so she would help them with their projects or their grades. She thought it would end after school, but work was no different. She was always the one people came to for help but never the one they invited to lunch or drinks. She thought it was different with Flynn.

On her second day working here, she had forgotten her lunch and realized that Flynn hadn't eaten either. She ordered a pizza and brought it to his office. They had lunch together almost every day after that and had shared more dinners than she could count. But apparently, he was just like everyone else.

"Silly me. I don't know why I thought differently."

“Me either.”

Oh, he was even worse than the rest. He didn't even feel any shame in taking advantage of her. "Oh, so we're being honest now?"

"Of course."

"Then let me explain why I considered you my friend. We have lunch and dinner together almost every day."

"That's true."

"You got me tickets to the most popular nightclub for New Year's Eve. As a bonus for working on Christmas Eve,” she bit her lower lip and added, “You insisted on going with me."

"I had some business to take care of." He walked into the office. "And I also thought you might need someone to watch out for you; turns out I was right."

"I'm a grown woman. I can take care of myself."

"By the end of the night, you could barely walk.” He smirked.

"I was having a good time."

"Oh, right. That car ride home was so much fun. You were drunkenly rambling about all your failed relationships and..." His dark eyes seemed to glow. "Your lack of recent sexual activity."

"I already apologized for that." Her face still flushed. It was embarrassing enough that she hadn't had sex in months but telling him about it while drunk was the worst thing she had ever done. "I would have never opened up to you if I had known you were using me."

"Using is an interesting word."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Come to my office and we can talk." He stepped aside to let her pass.

She took a step forward and then stopped. She hated how her body obeyed him without question. "I can't. I have a date."

"Cancel it."

"No," he said firmly, his voice filled with determination. "Clover, please understand that I can't be swayed on this matter. Trust me, the outcome won't bring you any happiness."

"Don't push me, Octa," she replied, her tone tinged with defiance. Ultimatums never sat well with her.

"Please refrain from calling me that," he retorted, his jaw clenching in frustration.

Despite her best efforts, a smirk played on her lips.

"I will terminate your employment," he threatened.

"Then go ahead, because I'm going on this date," she declared, brushing past him confidently.

Deep down, Clover knew he wouldn't actually fire her. He relied on her to meet his deadlines, and finding a replacement would only delay his progress.

Tonight, she was taking a stand against his tyranny. Life was too short to be controlled by someone like him. If he did follow through with his threat, she was confident she could find another job. She had done it before, and she would do it again.

Flynn trailed behind Clover as they made their way down the hallway, eventually stopping at the entrance to the private section of his house. Her steps faltered, showing signs of nervousness as they approached the door leading to the employee garage. However, he had no intention of letting her go too far.

"So, what time is your date?" he asked curiously.

Clover turned towards him, her expression questioning. "Why do you want to know?"

He smirked, his eyes gleaming with mischief. "Well, before you leave, I suggest you hear me out. I can assure you that my offer will be much more rewarding than any date."

Confusion filled Clover’s face as she responded, "Offer? What are you talking about?"

It was time to take a risk, but Flynn never did anything without gathering information first. He opened the door and confidently strode down the hallway, leading them into the living room of his private quarters.

Making his way to the liquor cabinet, he poured them both a drink. Before he could even finish pouring her gin and tonic, he heard the soft sound of her footsteps approaching.

"I hate it when you ignore me," she muttered.

He nodded knowingly. "I know." Picking up the drinks, he motioned for her to join him on the sofa.

"I don't have much time, so you better make it quick," Clover urged, placing her laptop bag on the couch beside her.

"You have more time than you think," he replied, handing her the glass. Trying not to appear too smug, he took a seat across from her in a nearby chair. "You just haven't realized it yet."

"This time, you're mistaken. I'm not working tonight. I haven't been on a date since..." she trailed off.

He interrupted, a mischievous grin playing on his lips. "Yes, I'm well aware of how long it's been since you've been on a date." The thought of it excited him, wondering if she would respond to his touch effortlessly or if he would need to guide her back to pleasure.

"How do you..." she began, her voice filled with curiosity.

"New Year's Eve, remember?" he reminded her, a hint of anticipation in his voice.