The resort was, by every reasonable measure, gorgeous.

Nestled along a picturesque stretch of coastline, it offered everything one could possibly want from an expensive weekend getaway: immaculate gardens, a private beach, several restaurants, a luxurious spa and enough discreetly extravagant amenities to make even doing absolutely nothing feel like an indulgence.

Laura Heller was thoroughly enjoying herself.

At fifty, she'd long since developed an appreciation for vacations that didn't require an itinerary packed down to the minute. A comfortable lounge chair, a good book, pleasant weather and some uninterrupted time with her spouse were more than enough. She'd even managed to convince herself to leave most of her usual responsibilities behind.

Well, almost.

There was, after all, the occasional business obligation to accommodate. And apparently, some of the people involved in those obligations had decided to make a weekend of it, too.

---

Laura adjusted her glasses as she glanced across the terrace, where Kelsey Powers was approaching with a pleasant smile.

The company's Vice President was an attractive woman, with shoulder-length, wavy golden-blonde hair and the sort of polished appearance that seemed almost effortless. Laura had met her on several occasions and had always found her perfectly pleasant. Professional, personable, perhaps a little more glamorous than necessary for a casual vacation, but certainly nothing to complain about.

"Well, hello! Fancy seeing you here."

Kelsey smiled warmly.

"Laura! It's lovely to see you. I hope you're enjoying the resort."

"Very much. Though I suspect I'm going to have to get used to seeing people from the company even when I'm supposed to be on holiday."

Kelsey laughed.

"Occupational hazard, I'm afraid."

Her gaze briefly shifted toward Laura's spouse before returning to Laura. A fleeting, carefully controlled glance. Her smile never faltered.

*Keep it natural. Nothing unusual. Nothing that gives anything away.*

She had, after all, come here hoping to spend some time with {{user}}. Not that she could exactly announce that.

---

And Kelsey wasn't the only familiar face.

Across the resort, Alicia Heoi was enjoying a rather different sort of afternoon.

The Hong Kong-born businesswoman was effortlessly striking, her long, dark brown hair falling in immaculate waves over her shoulders. In the sunlight, its rich golden-brown undertones were particularly noticeable. Her appearance was immaculate without being ostentatious, and her relaxed resort attire managed to look every bit as carefully considered as an executive wardrobe.

She had already established a pleasant rapport with Laura. A few conversations, a little shared laughter, some carefully chosen questions. Nothing particularly remarkable.

That was generally how Alicia preferred things.

She was perfectly capable of being charming without appearing to make an effort, and of making someone feel interesting without necessarily finding them so. Laura was pleasant company, certainly. More importantly, she was someone worth keeping comfortable and unsuspecting.

*A rather inconvenient arrangement. Still, inconvenience is hardly the same thing as failure.*

Alicia lifted her glass and offered Laura a graceful little smile.

"Laura. Enjoying the sunshine?"

"Trying to! I think I've spent more time talking to people than actually relaxing."

"Then perhaps we should do something about that. There's a lovely little restaurant by the beach. Very quiet, excellent food."

Her eyes briefly met Kelsey's.

"Though I imagine we'll have plenty of opportunities to enjoy the company of our respective colleagues."

Kelsey gave a small laugh.

"Something tells me we're not going to escape work quite that easily."

---

And so the weekend continued.

Three women, three very different relationships with the same person, and one rather unfortunate overlap in their holiday plans.

Laura was enjoying a vacation with her spouse, blissfully unaware that the two women she'd been exchanging friendly conversation with were also having affairs with them.

Kelsey was attempting to enjoy the rare opportunity of being nearby, while carefully suppressing any indication that her relationship with {{user}} was considerably more intimate than her professional title suggested.

Alicia, meanwhile, was treating the entire arrangement as an exercise in discretion. She had a mission to accomplish, a cover to maintain and no particular desire to let an awkward weekend interfere with either.

For now, everyone was getting along beautifully.

Laura smiled as she looked between the two women, entirely comfortable with the company.

"Well, this is rather nice, isn't it? We should all have dinner together sometime. It'd be a shame to spend the whole weekend here and not actually get to know one another."

Kelsey maintained her smile.

"Absolutely. I'd love that."

Alicia's expression remained pleasantly composed.

"Of course. I'd be delighted."

*Dinner together. Wonderful.*

She took another sip of her drink.

*This weekend may require rather more finesse than anticipated.*

For once, Kelsey Powers had managed to get what she wanted.

Privacy.

It was a surprisingly difficult commodity to come by at a resort where practically everyone seemed to know everyone else. Between business discussions, shared meals, casual encounters and Laura's ever-present company, finding an opportunity to spend some time alone with {{user}} had been something of an exercise in patience.

But now, finally, she had a room to herself. A closed door. No colleagues, no interruptions, no innocent little conversations that required her to pretend she wasn't having an affair with the person standing right beside her.

And she intended to make the most of it.

---

Kelsey was an attractive woman, and she knew it. Her shoulder-length, dark golden-blonde hair fell in loose waves around her face, her complexion was well maintained, and her casual resort outfit was considerably more flattering than anything she would wear to a board meeting.

She wasn't dressed for a professional engagement now. She was dressed for herself.

Or, more accurately, for someone she very much wanted to impress.

"Finally. Some actual alone time."

Her smile was warm and unmistakably affectionate. She had been looking forward to this for far longer than she cared to admit.

There was something genuinely exciting about stealing moments together. The secrecy, the anticipation, the little stolen glances in public. It was also frustrating as hell, naturally, but that was a complaint for another time.

For now, she was content to enjoy herself.

"Do you have any idea how difficult it's been to get you alone this weekend?"

She gave a playful little smile, moving closer.

"I swear, I think I've spent more time talking to your wife than I have with you."

It was said lightly, almost teasingly, but there was a tiny hint of genuine frustration underneath.

*Well, at least she's not here now.*

And with that particularly reassuring thought, Kelsey leaned in for another kiss.

---

Unfortunately, privacy was apparently a luxury that had not been included in the room reservation.

The door opened.

Not a knock. Not a tentative little interruption. The actual door.

And standing in the doorway was Alicia Heoi.

The elegant Hong Kong businesswoman paused, taking in the scene before her. Her eyes moved from Kelsey to the rather obvious intimacy between the two, and then back again.

For a moment, she said nothing.

Her expression wasn't particularly shocked. Nor was it especially disapproving. If anything, she looked as though she'd just discovered an unexpected addition to an otherwise ordinary business meeting.

"Oh."

A small, composed smile appeared on her face.

"I see."

Kelsey froze.

Her expression went through several distinct stages: confusion, surprise, dawning realisation and, finally, the unmistakable look of someone who had just discovered that the universe had a rather nasty sense of humour.

"Alicia?"

The name came out a little more sharply than intended.

She glanced toward the door, then back at Alicia.

"How long have you been standing there?"

Alicia stepped inside, casually closing the door behind her.

"Not particularly long."

She set aside whatever she had been carrying and looked at Kelsey with a faintly amused expression.

"Please, don't let me interrupt."

*Well. That is interesting.*

She had known about Kelsey's relationship with {{user}}. It wasn't exactly difficult information to obtain, and she had little reason to consider the other woman an obstacle in the first place.

An opportunity, perhaps.

There was no point in making an enemy of someone who could potentially be incorporated into the arrangement.

Alicia approached with the same effortless composure she brought to business negotiations, her expression warm and inviting.

"Although, since I'm already here..."

Her gaze briefly moved between the two.

"Would you mind making a little room for me?"

Kelsey stared at her.

"You're joking."

Alicia's smile widened just slightly.

"Not particularly."

She stopped nearby, entirely unbothered by the awkward silence.

"Well? Are we going to stand here discussing the situation, or are we going to enjoy ourselves?"

The afternoon had been rather pleasant, all things considered.

Laura Heller was beginning to think that perhaps the weekend wasn't going to be quite as dominated by business acquaintances as she'd initially feared. The resort was lovely, the weather was excellent, and she'd managed to spend a little time away from the usual demands of everyday life.

Even the company, apparently, wasn't entirely unbearable.

In particular, Alicia Heoi had turned out to be rather delightful company.

The Hong Kong businesswoman possessed an effortless elegance that Laura couldn't help but admire. Her long, dark brown hair was beautifully maintained, her complexion remarkably youthful, and her appearance carried a certain sophistication that seemed entirely natural. There was something almost unfair about how effortlessly put-together she always looked.

Laura, meanwhile, was perfectly comfortable being herself. At fifty, she had no particular desire to compete with women half a lifetime younger, nor did she feel the need to spend hours maintaining an appearance. She looked good for her age, and she was quite happy with that.

Besides, Alicia was lovely to talk to.

"So, do you travel this much for work?"

Alicia smiled over her drink.

"Rather more than I'd like, sometimes. Though I suppose I shouldn't complain. It gives me the opportunity to see places like this."

"I imagine it gets exhausting. All those flights, meetings, hotels..."

"It can. Although the hotels are rarely this pleasant."

She gave a small, amused laugh.

"Perhaps I should start insisting that all our business meetings take place somewhere with a beach."

Laura chuckled.

"Now that sounds like a sensible business policy."

Alicia's smile lingered. She had a talent for making conversations feel effortless, for asking just enough questions and offering just enough of herself to make someone comfortable.

Laura was no exception.

*She's pleasant. Trusting, perhaps a little too comfortable with the people around her. Still, there's nothing wrong with a pleasant afternoon.*

For the moment, Alicia had no particular reason to hurry. She could afford to enjoy the conversation.

---

Eventually, Laura glanced toward the time.

"Oh! We should probably head back. I think I left something in the room, and I promised I'd be back before dinner."

"Of course."

Alicia rose gracefully, picking up her belongings.

"Shall we?"

The two women made their way back through the resort, still chatting casually. Laura was in a perfectly good mood, completely unaware that the next few moments were about to make her afternoon considerably less pleasant.

They reached Laura's room.

The door opened.

And then Laura stopped.

There, in the room, was her spouse.

With Kelsey Powers.

And they were most certainly not discussing quarterly earnings.

For a moment, Laura simply stared. Her mind seemed to struggle to process what her eyes were showing her. Kelsey, the pleasant, professional woman she'd been chatting with throughout the weekend. Kelsey, who worked closely with her spouse. Kelsey, who had just been smiling at her not very long ago.

The silence was horrible.

"What..."

Laura's voice was quiet. Almost disbelieving.

"What the fuck is this?"

Kelsey immediately pulled away, her face draining of colour.

"Laura..."

She looked utterly caught out. Her usual polished composure had vanished, replaced by a mixture of panic and embarrassment.

"Laura, I..."

There wasn't a particularly convincing explanation waiting for her. Not one that could possibly account for what Laura had just witnessed.

Laura's expression hardened.

"Don't. Don't you fucking dare."

Her gaze moved between Kelsey and her spouse, her disbelief rapidly giving way to anger.

"How long? How long has this been going on?"

She looked as though she could barely decide which of them to confront first.

And then there was Alicia.

The businesswoman had remained near the doorway, watching the situation unfold.

Her expression had changed, but not in the way one might expect. The pleasant social smile had disappeared, replaced by a much more focused, calculating look.

*Oh, for fuck's sake.*

She understood the implications almost immediately.

A public confrontation. A furious spouse. An affair involving a senior company executive. Potential scandal, unwanted attention and an increasingly compromised relationship with a valuable intelligence target.

*An extraordinary amount of trouble, created by an extraordinary lack of foresight.*

She could already imagine the consequences if Laura decided to make a scene, contact the company, or involve anyone else. Her carefully cultivated business identity was not something she intended to jeopardise because {{user}} couldn't keep an affair discreet.

No. Absolutely not.

There was no time for a lengthy discussion. No time to let the situation develop naturally.

Alicia moved.

"Laura, sweetheart..."

She approached the visibly furious woman and placed a hand gently against her arm — then, without waiting for permission, slid it further than courtesy strictly required, settling against the small of Laura's back.

Laura turned sharply toward her.

"Don't sweetheart me! Did you know about this?"

Alicia didn't retreat.

"I understand why you're upset."

"Upset?!"

Laura let out a short, incredulous laugh.

"Are you fucking serious? My spouse is cheating on me with someone I know, and you're telling me to calm down?"

"Of course not."

Alicia stepped in closer — closer than a business acquaintance had any right to. Her hand pressed flat against Laura's back, fingers spreading, palm warm through the thin linen of her blouse.

"I'm telling you that you don't have to deal with this alone."

Her other hand found Laura's hip. Then it kept going, sliding up over the curve of her waist until her thumb was resting just beneath the swell of her breast, and stayed there.

Laura looked at her, bewildered.

"Alicia, what are you doing?"

"Trying to help."

*Come on, Laura. Give me something to work with.*

She abandoned the comfortable, professional distance entirely. No more polite hovering at the edge of the conversation. Her body was angled against Laura's now, hip to hip, and her thumb had begun a slow, absent little stroke along the underside of that soft curve.

Laura swallowed.

"You're— this isn't helping, this is confusing."

"Is it?"

Alicia's voice dropped, warm and low, brushing the shell of her ear.

"Because you've gone very still, and you haven't stepped away."

Laura opened her mouth. Closed it again. She hadn't, actually. Hadn't even thought about it.

Alicia's thumb slid higher, dragging the linen with it, and then her whole hand cupped Laura's breast — not tentatively, not politely, but with the easy confidence of someone who had already decided this was going to happen. Laura's breath caught audibly. Her nipple tightened against Alicia's palm before she could do a thing about it, and Alicia felt it, and smiled against her cheek.

"Oh," Laura said, very quietly.

"There we are."

Behind them, Kelsey had gone completely silent, still flushed, but her eyes had fixed on the two of them with something that had stopped being purely anxious.

Laura rallied.

"I'm — I'm supposed to be shouting at them."

"You can shout afterwards."

Alicia's hand squeezed, gently, then found the nipple through the fabric and rolled it once between thumb and forefinger. Laura's hips shifted. Her whole posture had begun to lean, subtly, into the touch.

"Right now you're standing in a doorway with your heart going and nothing to do with all of it. So let's do something with it."

"Like what?"

"Like let them make it up to you."

Alicia turned her slightly, so she could see the room — see Kelsey, and {{user}}, both of them caught and rumpled and watching her.

"Look at them. They know exactly how much trouble they're in. They'd do almost anything right now, and they'd be grateful for the chance."

Laura made a strangled sound.

"You're suggesting— what, exactly?"

"I'm suggesting nobody leaves this room until you feel better."

Alicia's hand slid down her front, unhurried, over the flat of her stomach, and stopped at her waistband with two fingers hooked just under the edge of it.

"Four people. One afternoon. Nothing that leaves this room, nothing that gets back to the company, and no one has to decide anything tonight except whether they want to come."

"That's insane."

"Mm."

Alicia leaned in and pressed her mouth to the side of Laura's throat — once, twice, then a slow open kiss that had Laura's head tipping back before she'd consciously agreed to it. Her fingers slipped a little further under the waistband. Laura's hand grabbed at Alicia's shoulder, not pushing, gripping.

"Say yes," Alicia murmured into her skin. "Or say no and I'll stop, and you can be furious in peace."

Laura's breathing had gone shallow and uneven. Her eyes were still bright with anger, but it had nowhere left to sit, and her body had already made its own decision some time around the second kiss.

"...Fine."

Alicia lifted her head, and her smile was almost wolfish.

"Good girl."

She stepped back just far enough to turn Laura toward the room, one hand still resting possessively at the small of her back.

"Kelsey. Come here and apologise properly. With your mouth, not your words."

Kelsey moved like she'd been let off a leash.

*Well. It isn't a boardroom coup. But it will do.*

Alicia closed the door behind them.