I Slept With My Boss Then Married Him

“Alright,” Maximilian Carter replied, stepping forward and pressing the button to close the elevator doors. Then he hit the top-floor button. “Which floor?” he asked.

“Twenty-six,” Elizabeth Cox said, worrying her bottom lip. Her teeth had already left a mark, but she couldn't relax. She was wound as tight as a drawn bowstring, completely overwhelmed.

Maximilian pressed twenty-six and stood with his hands in his pockets. His gaze was deep as he looked at Elizabeth. “We're legally married. It's not like we're sneaking around.”

Elizabeth chewed her lip, her lashes fluttering as she fought to steady her breath. “I'm just nervous,” she admitted. “I've never done anything like this before.”

They'd gone from strangers to married in two days flat. Add in the huge gap in their social standing and the whole boss-employee thing, and it all felt way too sensitive.

“Everyone has a first time getting married,” Maximilian said, his dark eyes locked on hers, a teasing curve playing at the corner of his mouth.

Elizabeth: “...”

Right. But her nerves were nowhere near as steady as his.

Before she could get a word out, the elevator hit the first floor, and a handful of coworkers stepped in.

Elizabeth quickly shrank back into the corner.

The second they spotted Maximilian, everyone greeted him politely. “Good morning, Mr. Carter.”

“Hmm,” Maximilian nodded, his manner distant but polished.

With Maximilian in the elevator, everyone kept their distance, wary of crowding their CEO.

Unfortunately for Elizabeth, her corner turned into prime real estate, and she got jostled until she nearly lost her balance.

Then, out of nowhere, a strong arm wrapped around her waist.

Elizabeth froze, turning stiffly to look beside her.

The handsome, composed man had somehow ended up right next to her—and he was holding her.

Usually calm and collected, Elizabeth nearly screamed on the inside.

Why would he hold her in front of everyone?

Elizabeth tried to squirm away without being obvious, but Maximilian didn't so much as blink. His hand stayed right where it was, giving nothing away to anyone else in the elevator.

For all his calm facade, the air around them was tense. Everyone seemed hyperaware of his powerful aura and made a point not to meet his eyes.

Ding. The elevator stopped at a few floors, and most of the coworkers got out.

Elizabeth seized the chance and stomped on Maximilian's polished shoe.

His brows drew together slightly, and in quick retaliation, he pinched her waist.

A jolt of electricity shot through Elizabeth. Thank God she was wearing a mask—it hid her clenched jaw and kept any sound from escaping.

The absolute nerve of this man.

Elizabeth glanced up, her clear, bright eyes shooting Maximilian a look that was half playful, half reproachful, before she turned away and ignored him.

When they reached their floor, Elizabeth practically bolted out of the elevator.

She made it a few steps before leaning against the wall.

Her legs were straight-up shaking.

She couldn't tell if it was the aftermath of last night or just how tightly wound her nerves were right now.

“Elizabeth, you're here! Hangover gone yet?” Kataleya White asked, walking over with a stack of printed documents and reaching out to steady Elizabeth's arm.

Elizabeth said, “It's gone. And I'm never drinking again. It feels awful.”

“Why didn't you take more time off to rest?”

“Too much work to catch up on.”

Kataleya noticed the registration folder in Elizabeth's hand. “Did you buy a car, Elizabeth?”

“Yeah, my scooter died. Since it's been raining so much lately, I figured I might as well get a compact car for my commute,” Elizabeth said, letting out a breath of relief.

It was the first time she'd actually done something for herself, and it made her genuinely happy. Maximilian had helped with the payment, but she planned to pay him back somehow.

“That's great! You're finally treating yourself right.” Kataleya gave her a thumbs-up.

Elizabeth smiled faintly.

For two years, her paycheck had gone straight to student loans and supporting her family. She'd only wanted her mother to have a better life. Little did she know she was bankrolling ingrates.

Kelly Larson, getting up to pour herself a drink, teased Elizabeth. “Feeling better, Elizabeth? I thought maybe your blind date made some progress and you took today off.”

“Kataleya, our Elizabeth is such a dedicated, straight-laced workaholic, she'd never take a day off for a man,” someone chimed in.

“True,” Kelly nodded.

Kataleya changed the subject. “So, how did the date go?”

“A mama's boy. Wants the woman to help renovate and pay the mortgage before marriage—and ideally pop out a son,” Elizabeth said with a faint smile.

“What a joke. He looks all refined, but he's shady as hell!” Kataleya said, disgusted.

“His school photos were outdated. Now he's a greasy, balding guy,” Elizabeth admitted, feeling deflated. Blind dates were like blind boxes—she just hadn't expected this kind of surprise.

“What a piece of trash,” Kataleya said, looking disgusted. Then her face brightened and she winked at Elizabeth. “Sweetie, I'll introduce you to someone soon—the art director at our branch. He's my former classmate.”

“Thanks, Kataleya, but no thanks. I'm all about work,” Elizabeth said, shutting the idea down without hesitation.

“But you're in your twenties. You should be out meeting someone and enjoying life—not wasting that top-tier face and figure,” Kataleya went on playfully.

Elizabeth ignored the conversation, letting it roll right off her.

She washed out a cup, filled it with hot coffee, and dove into work.

As the day wound down, her phone kept buzzing with messages, then eventually calls.

Elizabeth stepped out for a bathroom break and answered.

Her mother's tearful voice came through the line. Elizabeth listened, her expression blank.

“Please come home tonight. I'm worried about you out there, and no matter what, he's your father. If not for yourself, then for me. Can we all just sit down and talk?” her mother pleaded.

As her mother finished, her stepfather Barry Gonzalez's loud voice made Elizabeth's skin crawl. “Look at what she's become—a disgrace! I raised her right, and now she's running off with some scumbag and making a fool of us!”

The call cut off to the sound of something smashing and her mother crying for mercy.

Elizabeth clenched her small fist, fury blazing through her. “Barry Gonzalez, if you lay a hand on her, I'm calling the cops!”

The line went dead.

Without a second thought, Elizabeth went back to her desk, grabbed her car keys, and told Kelly, “Kelly, there's an emergency at home. I have to go. Mark me down for a day off.”

With that, she rushed into the elevator.

She was going to get her mother out of that hellish house once and for all.

When Elizabeth got home and pushed the door open, she found several Gonzalez relatives sitting in the living room, their expressions venomous. Barry Gonzalez and his daughter were glaring at her with pure resentment.

Her mother sat with her eyes downcast, guilt written all over her face.

It was obvious they'd staged something to lure her back.

Elizabeth was quick on the uptake and turned to leave.

But Barry's brother, Ernie Gonzalez, grabbed her and shoved her back with a fierce look. “You're not going anywhere until you pay up, young lady!”