by M. Sinclair
“Dahlia Aldridge, I’m here for—”
“Me. She’s here for me,” Yates announced, walking in from the back hallway, his eyes instantly narrowing on the man in front of me. Although I could barely see anyone else in the room right now, because good lord, Yates wore a suit way too well.
His entire frame was covered in an expensive dark blue material, and his large muscular chest had my hands twitching as I wondered what it would feel like, considering the button-down he had stretched across it. I swallowed, almost feeling nervous, my gaze taking in his tie that was loosened slightly, before realizing he was still scowling at the man at the reception desk. The one who was now staring at the computer, completely ignoring me. I glared at Yates, his attempt to ruin any of my possible friendships, as per usual, very successful.
“I’m actually not here for you,” I teased as he placed a hand on my lower back, leading me towards what I assumed to be his office. I couldn’t help the anticipatory smile growing on my face at the rumble that broke from his throat. Oh man… I was going to have way too much fun driving him bonkers.
He wanted me to work here? No problemo. He was going to wish he had never suggested this in the first place, mark my words.
“You sure as shit aren’t here for him.”
As he ushered me through a pair of large white doors, I was taken off guard by the massive, beautiful office we entered. I could feel his hand on my lower back still, and my brain was firing with a million different responses as a truly devious thought had me smiling. I turned to look at him, momentarily ignoring the entire back wall of the office that was filled with bookshelves that stretched to the tall ceiling, the glass window wall behind his desk, and the massive, expensive, executive desk that sat in the middle of the room. No, I had something far more important to focus on.
I was going to get out of this job.
“You know, Yates, I’m officially your employee, technically,” I began, stepping back from him and going to sit down in the large chair behind his desk, before putting my purse to the side. I offered him a small smile as he prowled in front of the desk, narrowing his eyes on me, probably trying to figure out what I was getting at.
Was it just me, or did he seem particularly worked up today?
“So?” he finally hedged.
I pulled my hair over my shoulder before crossing my arms and leaning forward. “You can’t touch your employees, Yates.”
We all knew I didn’t mean the touch to my back. Man, King could not have told me about all of this at a better time. I was starting to recognize that the frustration Yates had with me may have been heavily tinged with sexual tension. I sort of loved that.
Realization turned his eyes dark gray as he let out a small curse, sitting down in a chair across from me before pinning me with a look and running a hand through his hair. I could see his mind moving a million miles an hour, and I was truly wondering what was going to win out here.
“You haven’t signed any HR documents yet, right? My dad didn’t send them?”
Oh my, he was making this ten times funnier.
“I mean… I haven’t signed anything, but if I feel uncomfortable, I may complain or quit.” I bit my lip to hide my laughing.
He narrowed his eyes, his gaze jumping down to my lips before he tilted his head up, seeming to be really having a tough time choosing between whatever this was between us and his plan to monitor me. If the man had wanted to spend time with me, he hadn’t needed to go to all this trouble. Although, to be fair, I would have given him way more crap if he had just asked outright.
I still would have showed up, though.
“So, you either work here every day and I can’t touch you, or you don’t do this job and I can touch you? Am I understanding this correctly?”
“I presume you will pick the first,” I mused and then continued, “Can’t imagine why you would want the ability to touch me. Plus, conflict of interest with employees can get messy, I’ve heard. I mean, can we even hang out after work then?”
Yates’s gaze filled with a flash of amusement, and I could feel the tone shift as a small, wicked smile broke onto his lips. I knew that I was screwed. Any time Yates looked that confident, it meant he was up to something, and he almost always was successful. It was a shame that we couldn’t act like we hated one another anymore, though… it had been sort of fun. Maybe we could still pretend.
Yates stood, rounding the desk before turning sharply and leaning over me. My cheeks heated as I shifted slightly, not letting my eyes dip to where I was almost positive he was hard. My fingers dug into the arm of the chair as his warm, familiar scent wrapped around me. A small sound broke from my throat as he captured my chin, his eyes filled with heat and cockiness.
“Say it.” His demand had me letting out a small, amused hum.
“Say what?” I wanted him to say it first. To say what we were both thinking and address the elephant in the room. Clear the air. He could also clear the space between us with a hard kiss. I wasn’t picky.
His smile grew. “Say it, bunny.”
“Say what?” I mused, my fingers running up his chest as I tugged on his tie. A small shudder worked its way through him as his hands tightened on the chair enough that it groaned. I couldn’t lie, him over me like this? It had me shifting my legs open slightly, wanting him to be as close to me as possible.
“Say that you want me to kiss you,” he demanded softly, his voice edged in a dark tone. I swallowed, losing my confidence as I squeezed my thighs together, unable to help the way my nipples tightened against my shirt, his gaze flashing down my frame as he offered me an amused, heated smile.
“Why would I want you to kiss me?” I asked somewhat breathlessly.
“Dahlia…” he warned, his voice running over me like honey as my toes curled.
I shook my head as I tried to lean back, but it turned out Yates wasn’t really asking. In a second flat, I was lifted out of the chair and put onto the desk as he stepped between my legs, spreading them open without invitation. I moaned slightly as his lips seared mine in a rough, demanding, almost frenzied kiss that had my heart turning into a hummingbird.
It was impossible to compare to the others’ kisses, because each was so different. This had a wild and rough edge that I hadn’t expected, and I found myself wanting to pull him down on top of me so I could feel his weight between my legs. I gripped his hair hard enough that he let out a deep growl, his fingers biting into my thighs as they wrapped around his hips. Sugar exploded in my mouth as his tongue brushed my own, making my head spin in a dizzying, almost high-like effect.
How had we gone so long without kissing? Holy smokes. Our first kiss had been nothing like this, and I honestly wasn’t positive how I had been missing out on this for so long.
My lips felt bruised as he finally pulled back, his hair messy and his silver eyes bright and dilated as he continued to look at me, his breathing rough and uneven. Good lord. I had no idea what to do about this. I found myself wanting to kiss him again. And again.
“I really shouldn’t work here,” I breathed out as he nodded sharply, his gaze almost wild.
“I couldn’t agree more, no idea what I was thinking.” He groaned, putting his head against my collarbone, and I smiled as I tightened my legs around him. Was now the time to remind him he wanted to be a nosy bastard?
“You aren’t allowed out in this outfit again, ever.” He nipped my neck as I let out a small moan, nodding before I had a chance to stop myself. Ugh. I was going to make sure to wear it now. He had to know that.
Before he could say anything else, a knock on the door had both of us freezing momentarily before coming to our senses, Yates easily plopping me back down on the chair and adjusting his suit coat, still looking completely out of sorts. I almost laughed, because as he tried to hide his massive hard-on, his gaze narrowed on me, letting me know I was going to be in trouble for taking amusement in his pain.
What? How was that my fault! Probably wouldn’t be as p
ainful if he wasn’t as big… I should tell him that.
No. He would love that way too much.
Yates leaned against the desk and called out ‘come in’ as the door opened to reveal Mr. Carter. My face turned bright red as I squeaked out a ‘hi,’ making him chuckle and offer Yates a look that almost seemed knowing.
Did he know? Oh god.
Yates inhaled sharply before blurting out, “Dahlia and I have decided she is going to focus on her classes at Silver Oak instead of working here.”
Mr. Carter let out an actual laugh before shaking his head. “Yeah, that sounds about right. Is that okay with you, Dahlia?”
“Yep,” I popped the ‘p’ as Yates flashed a small smile at my blush.
His father nodded. “Why don’t you both take off. I have to finish up a few things here before we leave for this trip. I’m closing the office for the week.”
Before I could be polite and ask about the prep for the trip, Yates was already ushering me through the door as I shouted out a ‘goodbye’ to his amused father. I pulled my purse against me as I tried to not smile at the way Yates was practically picking me up to leave.
Crap. Did we need a story for the parents? Or did they not actually know?
I was pressed up against my car suddenly, in front of the office where I was sure others could see us, as Yates kissed me so damn hard I actually wondered if he was trying to fuse us together. When he pulled back, he offered me a grumpy scowl.
“You aren’t allowed to come to my office anymore, either,” he grumbled, opening up the passenger seat and taking the key from my purse before I slipped in. He tugged the seatbelt across me as I smirked, then closed the door gently and nearly stomped around the damn car. I was openly laughing as he finally got in.
“I thought this was going to be my office also?” I mused.
I think it was possible I had broken Yates. He was muttering under his breath and shaking his head as we drove home. My smile only grew as I found Dermot and Kingston playing basketball in Kingston’s driveway. Now that was a sight a girl could appreciate. Both men were in just athletic shorts, completely shirtless.
How did they have abs that hard? They were perfect. This was unfair. King was more lean and cut than Dermot, but the latter was like a freakin’ mountain. Goodness gracious. I just couldn’t handle these men.
Yates pulled into King’s driveway, and I smiled as he walked around the car and lifted me out before kissing the hell out of me. I stood, shocked as he got back in my car, drove it next door, parked it, and stormed across King’s yard towards his house. I was laughing so hard that I was nearly crying.
“Where are you going?!” King yelled at him.
Yates turned with a frustrated expression. “I need some time away from bunny. I’ll be back out. Dahlia, go change out of that shit, now.” I was holding my center and laughing hard enough that I had to wave away tears that were threatening to form.
Dermot tilted his head. “Is he going to jerk off or some shit?”
“Stop,” I gasped, clutching my stomach. “I can’t.”
His reaction was so extreme! I couldn’t help but laugh. But was he? I wouldn’t have minded watching that… Lord. What was wrong with me?
“Christ, Dahlia,” Kingston chuckled, “what did you do to the man?”
I inhaled and tried to stop laughing, barely managing to get any words out. “I simply pointed out to him the various reasons why me being an employee of his could be a problem.”
“Brilliant,” Dermot barked out a laugh.
Kingston smiled, wrapped an arm around my waist, and kissed the side of my head. In the distance, a sudden rumble had me looking over my shoulder as I realized that it appeared it may rain, the humidity slowly growing as the day wore on.
“Movie night? Looks like a storm is coming in,” King suggested, tossing the basketball into the net easily. I tried to not appreciate their bodies too much.
“Could be fun.” I nodded, thinking of torturing Yates still, then turned towards them fully. “Actually, do we know when the parents are going on their trip?”
“I think tomorrow morning.” Dermot shrugged. “That’s what your mom said,” he added, directing his comment to King.
“Sweet,” I chimed as I began walking to my house next door. “Give me a few! I’ll be back over—I need to change out this outfit before someone loses their head again.”
“Don’t change on our account,” King smirked.
Dermot’s gaze ran over me, and I wondered what he saw before he had me smiling. “Yates can deal with it.”
“But I can’t deal with wearing these heels,” I explained, laughing.
Walking back towards my house, I couldn’t help but feel a warm sense of satisfaction at the look he had offered me. Did I know what to do about those feelings? Absolutely not.
Chapter Eighteen
Dahlia Alridge
Our movie night was less of a night and more of an afternoon. King hadn’t been wrong, and the storm had progressed fairly quickly, leaving me in Dermot’s family room once again, squeezed between King and his cousin. Yates, who had joined us around an hour later, was sitting in a nearby armchair, offering me narrowed yet heated gazes. I continued to pretend to ignore him… until I couldn’t anymore. As in, I went into the kitchen to get a water bottle and found myself pinned against the counter by Yates, his length hard and pressed against my ass.
“What are you doing?” I mused, tilting my head back as he wrapped a hand around my throat and examined my expression.
“Just needed to touch you again,” he muttered as if disappointed in himself. I’d been about to tease him, but when a crack of thunder sounded, I had not only screamed and jumped, but also hit him right in the jaw with my head. I felt so bad, and he sulked like a puppy until I managed to wiggle myself into his lap while we finished the movie, my fingers brushing over his jaw soothingly.
I think he had felt moderately better, considering he literally fell asleep against my chest, making me wonder how long he’d been up the night before.
After a few hours, my phone rang, signaling that my mom wanted me home for dinner. The boys had complained, but I reminded them that our parents would be gone for around two weeks. Something that had made them way too happy. I made my way back to the house to find absolute packing chaos.
I realized fairly quickly that my mom had just wanted company while she packed, so I sat comfortably on their massive California King bed while she flitted between the closet and the suitcase. My dad came home a bit later, and after a light dinner, we had a little game night that had me appreciating and already missing them.
When they decided to turn in for the night, I’d made my way back to my room and realized that I had no idea what to do with the rest of my evening. I mean, I had to assume the boys were spending time with their parents, so that left me way too much alone time. I scrolled through my phone, feeling relieved that I didn’t have any more messages.
It also made me worried… the silence was unusual, to say the least.
Plus, I had bigger questions on the top of my mind. What did all of this mean for our future? I mean, they weren’t sneaking around one another about their feelings. It made me almost a bit nervous, because this wasn’t a normal relationship. We couldn’t break up… the only option besides not being together was staying together, for what? Forever? I swallowed, feeling like this was getting more and more serious as the minutes passed. Shaking myself, I opened my balcony and stepped out on the stone surface, my gaze tracking a familiar head of dark hair.
He was wearing basketball shorts and a hoodie, his hair damp from the rain that was slowing down to a drizzle. It was past sunset, and the dark blue hue to the skies cast a shadowed light on him as he walked towards his motorcycle.
“Stratton!” I called out. His gaze snapped up, both warm and with measured sadness. Yeah, I needed to fix this as soon as possible.
“Angel face,” he said, pausing and tucking his hands into his hood
ie, his lips pressing into an unbelievable smile.
“Where are you going?” I asked curiously.
“Out to the quarry,” he responded easily. “I’ve got a fight tonight.”
Bingo.
“Good luck,” I commented softly. He flashed me an authentic smile before tugging up his hood and going to his motorcycle. I watched as he pulled out of the driveway and instantly turned back into my room, closing the balcony doors and going to my dresser. I pulled on a large, oversized hoodie that would no doubt make me feel overheated, but I’d rather be hot than seen.
I pulled my hair back into a loose braid and tucked my phone and wallet into my backpack as I slipped on dark tennis shoes with my leggings. I smiled eagerly, feeling a little bit like a spy.
It was exciting, even if that was corny as hell.
Sneaking out was easy enough, but I wasn’t worried about my parents—I knew they would assume I was going to hang with the boys. I closed the garage door and quietly pulled out of the driveway, hoping like heck that none of the boys were watching. I mean, it wasn’t exactly a secret that I was going to the fight… but I knew they wouldn’t be pleased.
They would demand that they come with, and I knew I needed to do this alone. Breathing out a sigh of relief as I pulled through the gates of Wildberry Lane without being intercepted, I began driving towards the quarry he mentioned, no doubt by accident. I had assumed that was where the fight was—I had done enough research to figure out where he was disappearing to—but it was nice to have confirmation so that there was no confusion. I didn’t want to be driving around like an idiot.
I mean, I had no doubt in my mind that this was an idiotic idea. But it was also my best chance to prove to Stratton that I would go out of my way to support him.