That night, wrapped in each other's arms and still glowing from their courthouse wedding decision, James and Victoria made the calls that would change everything. The phone conversations with their families were filled with tears of joy, exclamations of surprise, and immediate wedding planning enthusiasm.
"Mom, we have some news," James began, his voice warm with happiness as Victoria curled against his side, listening to every word.
The revelation of their marriage decision, Victoria's pregnancy, and her request for a grand ceremony within the month before her belly became noticeable sent both families into overdrive with excitement.
"Three months pregnant? Oh, my baby girl!" Victoria's parent voice cracked with emotion through the speakerphone. "And now a wedding? This is the best news we've heard in years!"
James's mother was practically sobbing with joy. "I knew it! I knew you two belonged together! Oh, Victoria, sweetheart, you've made us so happy!"
Both families immediately began coordinating to meet and start preparations according to Victoria's detailed vision. The happiness in their voices echoed through the bedroom, filling the space with warmth and anticipation for the future they were building together.
The following morning arrived crisp and clear, as if the universe itself was celebrating their union. At the courthouse, James stood beside Victoria in his best suit, his heart hammering as the judge spoke the words that would bind them legally and spiritually.
"By the power vested in me by the state, I now pronounce you husband and wife."
The moment the judge declared them officially married and they exchanged simple gold bands, Victoria's eyes blazed with an intensity that took James's breath away. She barely waited for the judge to finish before urging James toward the exit.
"Let's go to your place," she whispered urgently, her hand gripping his with surprising strength.
The drive to James's apartment felt eternal, Victoria's anticipation crackling in the air between them like electricity. The door had barely closed behind them before Victoria launched herself at James with a hunger that stunned him. This kiss was different from any they had shared before, possessive and desperate, as if she intended to devour him entirely.
And devour him she did.
James didn't make it back to work that day, nor did Victoria. He found himself completely spent and exhausted from the continuous, rigorous activities that Victoria seemed to crave with an insatiable appetite.
"I want to begin our honeymoon now," she had declared with a wicked smile, and she proceeded to let loose in ways that left James breathless and amazed.
He had always known Victoria was passionate, her intensity had been one of the things that he learned while they dated but never knew it ran deeper and that she is lustful. This new lustfulness was something else entirely, as if the restraints she had kept on herself for years had finally been completely undone. She was wild and uninhibited, her desires seeming to know no bounds.
The pregnancy hormones only amplified her appetite, and James found himself drawn into a daily routine that both thrilled and exhausted him. Every morning before work, every afternoon when she would call him to her company ostensibly for much more personal matters, and every evening before bed, Victoria's needs became his priority.
At first, James felt a flutter of embarrassment whenever he visited Sharp Innovations. His former colleagues would see him entering Victoria's office, assuming he was there for business discussions or potential collaborations between Clause and Sharp Innovations. When Victoria initially suggested intimate encounters in her office, although it wasn't their first time, James had tried to decline, worried about propriety and professionalism.
That conversation had ended with Victoria in tears, her pregnancy hormones making her emotions even more volatile than usual, and James apologizing profusely while promising to never deny her again.
As her husband, he should feel no shame whatsoever. Victoria was his wife, and he had absolutely nothing to apologize for.
Until one particular afternoon that would become legendary in Sharp Innovations folklore.
James arrived a little bit later than his usual time at the sleek glass building and approached Amara's desk as usual. The executive assistant, now accustomed to his regular visits, greeted him with a professional smile.
"Hey, Amara."
"Good afternoon, Mr. Mitchell. Ms. Sharp is…"
"James!" Victoria's voice rang out across the lobby before Amara could finish her sentence.
Both James and Amara turned in surprise to see Victoria striding toward them with purpose, her heels clicking authoritatively against the marble floor. Without hesitation or regard for the very public setting, Victoria walked directly up to James and kissed him thoroughly, her arms wrapping around his neck possessively.
Amara's eyes literally bulged from her head, her mouth dropping open in complete shock. Several other employees who witnessed the display froze mid-step, papers forgotten in their hands as they stared at the unprecedented scene.
"You kept me waiting for a long time," Victoria said as she pulled back, her tone carrying just a hint of accusation.
"I, uh, I'm sorry," James replied softly, still somewhat dazed from the public display. "I just wanted to say hello to Amara."
Victoria's gaze shifted to her assistant, and the warmth that had been there moments before vanished instantly, replaced by her trademark CEO composure. The temperature in the lobby seemed to drop several degrees.
"Next time, don't ask questions, don't speak. Just let him in immediately," she instructed Amara with cool authority.
Without waiting for a response, Victoria took James's hand and pulled him quickly toward her office, leaving a lobby full of stunned employees in their wake.
Amara was the first to recover, clearing her throat loudly in an attempt to break the spell that had frozen everyone in place. The sound seemed to snap everyone back to reality, and slowly, people began moving again, though whispered conversations immediately began bubbling up throughout the space.
Marcus, the creative director, stood particularly transfixed. He had witnessed the entire exchange, and his mind raced trying to process what he had seen. Something was definitely happening between Victoria and James, that much was obvious. What puzzled him was that James didn't fit Victoria's usual type at all.
Sure, James was handsome, incredibly intelligent, and now undeniably wealthy with his company's success. Marcus had to admit that the man had transformed remarkably since his days as a regular employee. He had also grown more confident, his success giving him a presence that was undeniably attractive.
Still, James was average in height, and everyone in the company knew that Victoria had always been specific about preferring tall men. It had been an unspoken requirement that seemed as fixed as her other high standards.
The news of the kiss spread through Sharp Innovations like wildfire. By the end of the day, everyone from the mailroom to the executive floor knew that their boss had kissed James Mitchell in front of half the lobby. Curiosity reached fever pitch as employees speculated about the nature of their relationship, but no one had concrete answers.
Days passed with the mystery unsolved, until Marcus finally couldn't contain his curiosity any longer. At the start of their weekly meeting in the main conference room, he decided to ask the question that was on everyone's mind.
"Um, I'm quite curious," he began tentatively, then seemed to reconsider his approach. "Actually, no, we're all curious. Forgive my directness, Victoria, but I think I speak for everyone when I say we'd like to know what your relationship with James is. Are you two dating?"