Katniss was floored. To her place?
Right then, Bella dashed into Tristan's arms, giggling like a schoolgirl. "Tristan, they won't give me our high school grad pics. You gotta help me out."
With that, she dragged Tristan away.
Katniss went back to her spot, still mulling over Tristan's words.
The entrance to Serenity Estate and the Forbes Mansion was crawling with reporters. They weren't just snapping pics; they were digging for dirt.
Sure, her place was safer, but it wasn't the only option.
After a lot of back-and-forth in her head, the event wrapped up, and Tristan was hammered. Nicholas had to help him into the car.
Michael showed up to get Bella. Katniss overheard Bella whining to Michael about wanting to take care of Tristan, but Michael shot her down.
With Bella pouting, Katniss got in the car and drove Tristan away. She swung by Serenity Estate and the Forbes Mansion, and just like Tristan said, reporters were everywhere.
On the empty roads near her apartment, she drove in circles, clueless about where to go.
"You planning to drive all night?" Tristan's low, raspy voice came from the back seat.
Katniss glanced back. He was rubbing his temples, looking way too sober. Maybe he wasn't that drunk after all.
"Mr. Forbes, should I get you a hotel?" she asked softly.
Anywhere but her place.
"I'd rather crash at your place than a hotel," Tristan's voice was smooth and tempting in the quiet car.
Katniss bit her lip, wanting to argue, but then he added, "Or we could just park here and sleep in the car."
She had no choice but to shake off the reporters and take Tristan home.
As soon as the car stopped, Tristan was already out.
By the time she got out and walked to the door, he was leaning against the door frame, waiting.
Under his gaze, she slowly punched in the code to open the door.
He asked, "What's the password?"
"My birthday." Not like he knew when that was. Katniss forced a smile and invited him in. "Welcome to my humble abode, Mr. Forbes."
Tristan chuckled and strolled in.
First thing she did was close the curtains, still paranoid some sneaky reporter might snap a pic.
Just as she put down the remote, a warm hand wrapped around her waist, her back pressed against Tristan's solid chest.
He rested his head on her shoulder, his hand lazily tracing her waist, making her tense up.
"How about we stop fooling around in the break room and hang out at your place instead?"
His hand moved up, caressing her chest through her clothes.
"Mr. Forbes, Miss Astor is back. We shouldn't be doing this." She grabbed his hand, deciding to be blunt.
Tristan chuckled, his warm breath tickling her ear. "Are you not strapped for cash anymore? I didn't realize you were calling the shots in our relationship."
Katniss let go of his hand, lost for words. She couldn't figure out where this whole thing started or where it was going.
"Katniss, don't let rules tie you down."
She couldn't tell if he was calling her out for going from assistant to lover or for helping Bella tonight, breaking the assistant code.
She pushed down the shivers his teasing gave her, took a deep breath, and said, "Mr. Forbes, I don't wanna be the mistress."
Tristan laughed, "Weren't you always my mistress?"
Katniss was actually Tristan's wife. Even though he had no clue about her real identity, she wasn't technically a mistress.
But now that Bella was back and he wanted a divorce, she really would be the third wheel.
Katniss saw the faintly mocking smile on his lips.
Her voice was soft but firm, "Why?"
Tristan raised an eyebrow, "Because I need you, because you're disciplined."
His voice got huskier, his male energy messing with Katniss's head. She wanted to ask why he didn't go to Bella. Wasn't he worried about her feelings?
But as soon as she opened her mouth, "Mr. Forbes..."
He cut her off, "This isn't the office, call me Tristan."
Katniss's mind was spinning, not daring to look at him.
It wasn't until Tristan bent his knees, turned, and scooped her up that she looked at him sharply.
His eyes were full of desire, his smile seductive, drowning her reason.
As Tristan unbuttoned her shirt one by one, the heat in her body was replaced by a cool sensation.
Being at home felt totally different from the office lounge, giving her a full sense of security without the fear of someone barging in.
No need to rush to avoid suspicion.
Tristan lightly bit her earlobe, snapping her back to focus.
Katniss felt something hard pressing against her thigh. She couldn't resist Tristan's temptation or his decisions.
Her face was already flushed, looking at him with a seductive gaze, a sign of her arousal.
Tristan grabbed her chest and squeezed hard, a form of payback for her momentary distraction.
Katniss's expression changed immediately, like an electric current had shot through her body, the tingling comfort making her let out a soft moan.
The sound seemed to act like a stimulant, and Tristan lifted her round butt with one hand, pulling her panties down from her hips, his hand sliding down her smooth legs to her heels. He quickly undressed himself and thrust into her.
"Ah, slower, slower."
But as soon as Tristan sped up a bit, Katniss couldn't help but cry out, as this was her limit.
They kept a steady pace, Katniss's moans filling the room.
Tristan's stamina had gone from a max of three hours to being able to go all night.
It wasn't until after four in the morning that he finally let her go. They showered together and then collapsed into bed.
But Katniss couldn't sleep. The air was filled with Tristan's scent, a faint fragrance, and she could vaguely see the lines of his profile.
He slept soundly, like he was at home.