Chapter 40: 40__A world of soppy romance

Something was wrong. Something was really, *really* wrong.

What was this? Maia couldn’t even call it darkness. It was a deep void.

Was she dead? Had her enemies finally killed her? Maia didn’t know.

She couldn’t really feel herself. Her body, her presence, her existence. She couldn’t really confirm any of the three.

All she could feel or hear were her thoughts.

That meant she was alive, right?

Right?

*“Oh… yes… that’s it, baby. Right there… yes… Ooh…”*

What?! What the hell was that? If Maia had been aware of her eyes, they would have popped wide open.

Was she insane or had she just heard what sounded suspiciously like… someone doing the dirty dance??

*“Jax…”* came the sultry female voice once again. *“Oh, yesss. Fuckkk!”*

Oh, God, what the hell was going on?!

Why was Maia hearing these things in the void where she surely was? What was going on?

She stopped her thoughts for a moment.

That Shifter! *He* did this! Sent her to a sex portal of some kind, hadn't he? Perverted creep! If Maia found him, she would break his—

*“Oh, yessss!”*

Oh, for heaven’s sake! Maia wasn’t aware of her stomach at the moment, but she was pretty sure it had turned upside down with nausea.

*“You like that, Princess?”* came a deep, masculine voice in the dark void.

Maia cringed from the stringy cheesiness in that line. It sounded like a disgustingly over-used line from a crappy romance novel. She wanted to barf.

Wait. Maia once more halted her thoughts.

Had she just cringed?

To cringe, one required, at least a nose, mouth and basically a face, right?! Was she… was she becoming aware of her body again?

Where the hell did it go in the first place?

*“You feel so good, Kris,”* murmured the male voice. *“You’re the only one for me.”*

Maia gagged.

She froze. She’d just gagged. This time, she’d *felt* it. Her throat had worked and her mouth had opened.

What the hell was this? Whatever it was, the actions of the two unknown people were revolting enough to make her cringe and that’s what Maia needed to escape this horrible black hole. Bracing herself, she sent the two a flood of encouragement. The more gross shenanigans, the better!

*“Yes, baby…”* the female said breathlessly. *“I’m all yours, my handsome prince.”*

Maia cringed so hard, her facial muscles ached.

Her heart jolted with satisfaction when she felt it! A *face*! Maia felt a face. Pouting her lips, she crinkled her nose and then moved it around as a bunny did when it sniffed its way around some food.

She had her face back! The joy brought tears into eyes and, at the sensation, Maia immediately blinked them open.

And then, like her life depended on it, she slammed them shut again.

What. The. *Hell*. Had she just seen?

Unwilling to see the sight again, Maia kept her eyes closed, her lips pressed tightly together.

She’d definitely seen it, hadn’t she? The horrific sight. She’d seen it, hadn’t she?! Maia’s body clenched, gripped by a sudden nausea and she gagged heavily, trying not to die from horror.

Oh, God, she’d seen them doing it!

Gross! Barf! *Sick*! What had she just seen?!

*“Yess…”* came a breathy hiss from a place that now seemed much closer than before. *“Oh, Jaxton….yes, baby!”*

“Oh, for God’s sake!” Maia yelled.

A girl screamed. “What was that?! Jax, did you hear that?!”

Maia slowly opened her eyes again, her entire body prickling as though she had pins and needles pricking every inch of her flesh.

She felt them then, her hands and the carpet they pressed down against, her legs, her arms her torso, her rocking, nauseous guts, everything. Her body, presence and existence was back.

But, Maia was too occupied to realize it.

She was too occupied looking at the sight before her.

Her view was cropped, the top half of it, dark and brown. The dark and brown that looked exactly like what the underside of a table would look like.

A female’s face suddenly popped into her cropped vision and Maia flinched.

“Oh, my God, Jax!” the female screamed, her blue, mascara-smudged eyes wide and fixated on Maia as she gathered her open blouse closed to cover her exposed chest. “Your secretary’s under your table!”

Maia blinked and looked around her. Secretary? Was there someone else under the table with her?

“What?” said a male voice.

In the next moment, another face popped into her cropped vision.

Maia gasped. What in the name of gorgeousness was he?

“Ms. Cranberry!”

A squeak of fright escaped her and Maia blinked in surprise both at herself and at the gorgeous male looking at her.

First of all, why had she squeaked in such a mouse-like manner? How unlike her. Secondly, who the hell was Ms. Cranberry?!

“Why’re you staring at me?” the male demanded. “Come out from under there before I fire you!”

Flustered, Maia looked around at the space she was enclosed in.

Just what was going on here? Who were these people and why were they calling her Ms. Cranberry??

“Ms. Cranberry?!”

“Yes, Sir!” Maia heard herself squeak.

Before she knew what she was doing, she began to shuffle out from under the table, a batch of papers suddenly appearing in her hand.

When she’d managed to straighten, Maia looked at the couple with wide eyes.

“I-I… I was trying to gather these papers that I dropped… and then… you came in…”

What was this? Why did she sound like a meek lamb? Frowning, Maia looked down at herself and froze, her frown deepening as she stared at her clothes.

What was this?!

The drably old cardigan she wore over a flowery blouse from the 60s hung low over the thick cotton skirt swaying down to her ankles.

Why was she dressed this way? What the hell was this?!

“When people start carrying out private activities in such a situation,” the man before her was saying. “You make your presence known! You don’t hide under the table and listen like a common perverted peeping Tom!”

Maia gasped. Had he just called her a perverted peeping Tom?! The poison-tongued bastard! She’d make mince-meat of him!

How dare he?!

“You…” Maia began, her fists trembling at her sides. “You… you must forgive me, Sir. I-t won’t happen again.”

What? What the hell was she saying? What wasn’t she cursing him out until his ears bled? Hadn't she gathered enough cursing vocabulary from Rogan to insult this man within an inch of his life?!

“You better get your act together,” her boss was growling. His eyes were an electric blue and they glared at her, simmering with rage. “One more strike and your ass is out of here, Ms. Cranberry. You know, don’t you? How I’ve never keep a secretary for longer than two months. You’ll be next to be fired.”

Maia stared at him in shock, the beginnings of dread rolling in her gut.

Just what was this? What kind of world was she in that she no longer had any control over her mouth and her actions?

Maia looked at the man before her, noting how he looked unrealistically perfect, despite his tousled hair and unbuttoned shirt. Like the perfect male lead actor.

“Who… who are you?” she asked him.

The man raised a perfectly carved black brow. “Excuse me? What did you just ask me? Who am I? *Me*?!”

He wasn’t going to answer her, Maia realized. Because she apparently should have known who he was. Sending her searching gaze around the office, she walked around it on shaky legs until she spotted the glass plate on the front of his desk.

“Jaxton Black. Black Holdings CEO.”

Maia frowned at the name and title. A horrible feeling of familiarity started to burn her heart. She knew that name. She looked at the man, barely noting how he was staring at her with poorly hidden scorn. She knew this man, but… from where?

“I asked you a question?!” the man yelled.

The door to the office suddenly flew open and another gorgeous specimen stood in the doorway.

Maia looked at him and felt a strong warmth flood her heart.

“What’s going on here?” he demanded, stalking into the office. The newcomer turned his green eyes onto Maia and laid a gentle hand on her shoulder. “Is he bothering you again, Elaine?”

Maia blinked at him. Elaine?

“Get out, Nick,” Jax said, furious that his younger brother always intruded. “This has nothing to do with you.”

Nick turned to look at his older brother and CEO of their company with clear disapproval. “You’re having sex in your office and then berating Elaine over it when you’re in the wrong. As the second in command of this company as well as Elaine’s friend, it has everything to do with me.”

Maia gaped at him, staring between the two men with disbelief.

Nick? Jaxton? Nick and Jaxton Black?

Elaine *Cranberry*??

Maia slowly shook her head from side to side.

This couldn’t be true. It couldn’t be.

How in the hell?

There was only one place that people with these names and these personalities, running a company like this existed.

Deep inside a world which only existed…

In Maia’s least favourite soppy Romance novel.