The problem with Washburn — the problem with most of the accounts Walker brings to the company — is that deals are struck on the golf course with absolutely no regard for reality. Clients are given unrealistic expectations and then Pierce and I and the rest of our team have to bend space and time to get shit done.
“None of that will work,” Pierce says, after he’s presumably read a few more paragraphs requesting an increase in the project scope and a reduction in the timeframe.
As the numbers guy, he almost always says no. For better or worse, I usually manage to work out some miracle to keep Walker’s clients happy. “I think we can do it,” I say. “It will just require a lot of juggling and redistribution. Do you have time today?”
He sighs. “I’ll make time.”
“Let’s huddle in the conference room in an hour. We can spread out in there and avoid interruptions. I’ll let Lucy know we’re going to be unavailable, and I’ll send some vague bullshit response back to Rebecca in the meantime.”
“All right,” Pierce says. “And get Kira involved too. She had good ideas on the account when we met last week.”
Hmmm. Interesting. Pierce never admits it when I have a good idea. And he’s not usually one to invite collaboration.
After six hours of brainstorming with Pierce and Kira, reworking schedules, and contacting suppliers, I return to my office and call Rebecca to let her know we can increase the deliverables and meet the original timeline. “We’ve been crunching numbers all day,” I say, hoping to gain some sympathy.
“I’m sorry, Hale, but Mr. Washburn was absolutely firm on moving up the date. Mr. Walker promised him it wouldn’t be a problem.”
Of course he did. I sigh loudly but keep the full extent of my frustration in check. I know Rebecca’s just the middleman here, and there’s no point arguing. I check my watch. It’s nearly four. “I’ll get back to you tomorrow morning, Rebecca.”
“Okay. Thanks, Hale.”
When I return to the conference room, I find Kira and Pierce sitting close, engrossed in something on his laptop. They both look up when I enter. “Well?” Kira asks.
“Not good enough. Back to the drawing board, as they say.”
“Ahh, it was worth a shot,” she says. “I think I have another approach, though. Come here.” Kira beckons me over and then dives into a description that involves combining two processes and finding a new vendor for one of the major project components.
Pierce is right about her. She has good ideas, particularly for someone fresh out of school. She’s smart, too. Pierce is looking at her with respect in his eyes. There’s something else there, too. He keeps telling me that getting together with her is a bad idea, but it’s becoming crystal clear how much he wants her.
Wanting her body is a given. It’s perfection — as hot as they come. But her mind is just as sharp, and I know that’s turning him on.
We take a break at four, with plans to order in for dinner and stay late to hammer out details of the evolving project. I follow Pierce into his office.
“You still think it’s a terrible idea?” I ask when we’re alone.
“A terrible idea? The new Washburn plan?”
“Not Washburn,” I say, grabbing a bottle of water from his mini fridge. “Fucking Kira.”
He stiffens, putting a stack of papers down on his desk, but not releasing them.
“You want her,” I say. “It’s obvious.”
“I never said I didn't.”
“Then what's holding you back?”
“She's Walker’s daughter. I like to keep work separate from my personal life.”
I arch a brow and give him a skeptical look. “Walker loves you. He'd probably be thrilled if you dated his daughter.”
“But this isn't about dating her, is it?” he blurts. “You're right. I probably would date her, but she wants you.”
“She wants us. Not me and not you — us.”
There's a knock on the door and Lucy pops in. “Would you like me to order your dinner?”
“That would be great, Lucy. Thanks,” Pierce says.
“What would you like? Chinese? Indian?” She knows our favorites from working lunches and previous late nights.
“Have you asked Kira yet?” he asks.
“Whatever Kira wants is fine with me,” I add.
“Got it.” She smiles at us both before leaving.
I start to follow her out but pause in the doorway and turn back to Pierce. “I bet you’d find that Kira's worth leaving your comfort zone.”
11
Kira: After Hours
I love working out problems. Collaborating with Hale and Pierce and having them engage with my ideas has me riding high. I get so into the work that I forget all about giving them a hard time by pretending I’m going to take over the company.
Though my initial impressions of their personalities were negative, they’ve both gained my respect today. There’s been no bullshit, no bad attitudes, no nonsense — the three of us work together amazingly well.
I’m actually excited when plans are made to work late. I realize I like being around these two men, and it hurts not at all that they’re so ridiculously attractive.
Hale looked a little tired this morning. I imagine he lives his wealthy playboy lifestyle to the fullest. But a few lines and a little darkness under his eyes did nothing to diminish his good looks. He perked up as the day went on; I can tell that he vibes on hard work as much as I do.
While Hale has been all business today, I see signs that Pierce’s glacier is melting. He’s touched my hand and arm a few times, and those occasions did not go unnoticed by Hale.
There’s something between the three of us — an energy that hums when we’re together. Or maybe it’s just my hormones kicked up so far into overdrive that I’m generating my own buzz. Either way, after spending the day closed in a small room with the men, I want them both more than ever.
Lucy brings in the food delivery at six, checks to see if we need anything else, and then wishes us a good evening.
Hale disappears for a few minutes and returns with two bottles of wine. “We may as well enjoy our dinner properly,” he says as he pours a glass for each of us.
We continue to work while we eat, Hale and I discussing scenarios between bites, and Pierce inputting figures on his laptop.
The food is possibly the best Chinese delivery I've ever had but I don't spend much time appreciating it since my head gets drawn back into the details of the project.
By the end of our meal, the overall mood in the conference room is more relaxed, both from the progress we've made, and the wine that's been flowing freely.
Hale stands to clear our plates and returns with three fortune cookies that he scatters on the table between us. “Anyone feeling lucky?”
I reach for the one farthest from me and unwrap it. “‘Your present plans are going to succeed,’” I read aloud. “That's good news.”
“In bed,” Hale says as he tops off my glass of wine.
“What?”
“You're supposed to add ‘in bed’ at the end of your fortune,” he explains.
I laugh and then smile at the image that comes to mind of the three of us in bed together, hot and sweaty, limbs tangled. I take another drink of wine to hide my expression.
Pierce is crunching into his cookie when Hale prompts him to read his fortune.
“‘You will take a chance in the near future,’” Pierce reads from his little scrap of paper.
Hale laughs a little too loudly and I sense a private joke. “In bed,” Hale adds, and laughs some more. He refills Pierce’s glass and his own before taking his seat and reaching for the final wrapped cookie.
His expression grows thoughtful when he reads his fortune.
“What’s happening in your bed?” I ask.
“Sometimes a stranger can bring great meaning to your life,” he reads.
“Interesting,” I say.
Pierce takes a long drink of his
wine and doesn’t comment.
Hale clears his throat before saying, “Are we ready to finish hammering this out? I think we’re really close.”
“Pierce, I have a question,” I say, stretching my legs out in front of me. “My heels are starting to pinch my feet. Would it be in accordance with company dress code for me to remove my shoes?”
He frowns at my snark.
“It’s after hours, Kira. You can take off anything you want,” Hale says with a lewd grin.
“Come here,” Pierce says. He reaches down, grabs my ankles and pulls, rolling my chair close to his.
“Oh!” His sudden action takes me by surprise.
He settles my feet in his lap, and slowly removes my shoes one by one, placing them neatly on the floor next to him.
“What’s going on?” I ask.
“I happen to be really good at giving foot massages,” Pierce says.
“Ahhhh,” I practically purr as he runs a cool hand along the arch of my foot.
“We can continue. Hale, can you take notes if needed?” Pierce says.
Hale looks like he couldn’t be more surprised if Pierce had gotten up on the table and started dancing. He stares at Pierce rubbing my feet for a long moment before saying, “Sure. Sure. Okay, where were we?”
We get back into the details, and I relax in my seat while Pierce expertly handles my aching feet. He was not exaggerating his skills. Outside of pedicures, I’ve never had someone massage my feet, and I’ve clearly been missing out.
His hands are strong and sure, and there’s a focus to his movements that somehow feels intimate. We continue to discuss the Washburn project, but I feel that he’s also concentrating on where and how he’s touching me. A few times I have to bite back moans that nearly escape.
After nearly fifteen minutes of bliss, Pierce stops rubbing my feet, but he doesn’t let them go. Instead he rests his left hand casually on my lower leg, while he resumes working with his right hand.
But his hand isn’t completely still. Occasionally, he trails a finger back and forth on my skin, and it’s at those times that I lose track of our discussion. My mind retreats from Washburn details and focuses on his cool skin touching my tingling flesh, and how I want his hand to move further up my leg. I think about sliding from my chair into his, straddling his lap, and seeing if the shadow of stubble on his cheek feels as good as it looks.
“Kira?” Hale is calling my name.
“Hmm?”
“Are you still with us?” he asks.
“Yes,” I murmur, as Pierce does that thing with his finger again, this time caressing the underside of my leg, where my skin is even more sensitive to his touch.
“You know, I give a pretty special massage myself, but you’ll have to remove more clothing to experience it,” Hale says.
“Is that right?” I ask, arching a brow.
“Yeah. Your blouse would be in the way,” Hale says.
Pierce digs his thumb into my calf muscle and slides his grip upward to the backside of my knee. This time, I let the moan escape.
12
Pierce: Venturing into New Territory
“What do you think, Pierce?” Kira says. “You’re the expert on the dress code. Would it be okay if I took my blouse off?” Her words are in line with her usual smartass teasing mode, but this time her voice is low and silky.
My eyes find Hale’s. His expression issues a challenge.
I’m not drunk. I’m only just beginning to feel mild effects from the wine. But I’m looking for a reason. A reason to take a chance. To let go. To not care about whether this makes good sense. To feel instead of think.
Kira’s legs are so soft and smooth. I ache to touch more of her.
“I think all bets are off after five,” I say, my voice gravelly.
The words are barely said before Hale moves behind Kira and begins to rub her shoulders.
“We’re taking a break then, I guess?” she asks, looking up at him.
“I think we’ve done enough work for tonight,” he says.
Kira’s head falls back in surrender to Hale’s touch. I move closer to her and slowly slide my hands past her knees, advancing in small increments, savoring every inch of her warm body.
When Kira parts her legs for me, my cock jerks in response.
Hale is unbuttoning her blouse and easing it off her shoulders, exposing a pale peach-colored bra lined with lace. Kira’s nipples are already hard and pressing against the thin fabric.
Her head is still back and her eyes are closed, her breathing audible and growing ragged as I slip my hands under her skirt and further up her thighs.
It's strange to be touching a woman while another man is doing the same. Mentally, it gives me pause, but my hands are on autopilot, in search of more soft, creamy skin to claim as my own.
When Hale tugs at one of her nipples through her bra, Kira’s body quivers and I feel a corresponding twitch in my cock.
Her pleasure stimulates my own arousal, and I'm surprised to find that it doesn't matter to me if it’s me or Hale who is the source of her pleasure — my only goal is that she feel more of it.
I lift one of her legs and gently rake my fingers over the back of her thigh. Kira moans. Hale reaches into her bra with both hands, cups her breasts and flicks her hardened peaks with his thumbs. Kira purrs.
I want her breasts in my mouth so badly that I'm salivating, but since Hale has that part of her body occupied, I find another equally enticing area to sample.
Kneeling in front of her, I kiss the pale flesh on her inner thigh just above her knee. I immediately follow the kiss by taking that same bit of skin between my lips and sucking it into my mouth.
She lifts her hips an inch off the chair and digs her fingers into my hair. “You both feel so good,” she coos.
I look up and Kira meets my eyes. Hers are heavy-lidded and full of lust. One side of her mouth turns up in a smile as Hale bends over her and nuzzles her neck. I return to her thigh and soothe her reddened skin with my mouth before pushing her skirt up and venturing into new territory. Kira caresses the side of my head and pulls me closer when I suck another bit of her flesh between my lips.
“Want to go someplace more comfortable?” Hale asks her.
Her voice is ragged. “I don’t think I can wait.”
My burgeoning erection surges at her words, blood rushing down to make me rock hard. When Kira squirms and lifts her hips again, I swiftly push her skirt up to her waist, exposing her upper thighs and a scrap of peach silk between her legs that’s damp at the center.
I run my hand up her thigh, over her mound, and then slip my fingers under her panties. She’s so wet.
“I need you both. Now.” She’s half boss, half beggar.
She spreads her legs wide and I slip a finger inside her. She slides forward, taking it in deeper. “Fuck me, Pierce,” she pants.
With my free hand, I set a speed record undoing my fly. “Turn around,” I say. “Kneel on the chair.”
She moves quickly, not even bothering to remove her skirt, just letting it bunch around her waist. Her hair is already tousled, her blouse is gone, and her bra is off her shoulders, pushed down and framing her perfect tits beautifully. When she turns to kneel on the chair, I rip at her panties, easily tearing the delicate lace.
She climbs up and bends forward, and I groan at the view she presents. I grab her smooth, rounded ass and spread her wide. I know she’s hot and ready, so I waste no time.
This isn’t my usual style — frantic and fevered and rushed. But none of this is normal. Hale is on the other side of her chair, kissing her neck again and then bending to take her breasts in his mouth.
“Ohhh …” she moans softly as she pushes back against my hand.
I’m like a rock — so hard, it’s painful. I line up and plunge inside her in one smooth stroke. “Oh!” she screams. Then, “Oh! Oh, yes.”
I pull back, nearly out, unable to resist, wanting to feel her pussy cling to me as I retr
eat. Then I’m back inside her, balls deep and she’s crying out my name. “God, you’re big, Pierce!” she cries, her voice reverberating off the walls of the small room. Among all the sensations and stimulus I’m taking in, I think I see Hale grin.
I stay inside her for several long moments, letting her adjust, feeling her throb around me. So wet, so hot, so soft. Perfect. Hale is back at her tits, and he must be nipping at them, because she’s squirming and moaning and crying out.
I keep one hand on her hip and tangle the other in her long hair as I start to stroke in and out of her. She’s so responsive, meeting each of my movements, angling her hips to take me deep. There’s no hesitation, no awkwardness — it’s as if we’ve done this a million times, yet it’s all new and surprising.
Even though I’d considered her off limits, I’d allowed myself one fantasy of her. Over the weekend, during a long, steamy shower, I pictured her as I got myself off. The real Kira — here and in the very hot flesh — puts my imagination to shame.
Reaching around her, I find her clit and I press. “Oh, fuck, Pierce!” she cries. “Just like that. You feel so. Damn. Good!” She cries out, and then moans repeatedly as her body stills and stiffens, and her pussy throbs around my cock.
From behind, I observe her with wonder. This beautiful, fiery, in-control woman, completely losing control between us.
I’d told myself this would be a one-time thing, but as Kira peaks and then comes down from what appears to be an all-consuming climax, I realize I’m determined to make her experience that release again and again.
That realization startles me, and then somehow it pushes me over the edge. I plunge deep inside Kira as I follow her into temporary oblivion.
13
Hale: Instant Magic
My face is buried in Kira’s breasts. Her nipples go hard as stone when she comes, and I pull back only long enough to watch her porcelain skin flush with the fire of her release.
She’s panting, gasping for air, a million miles away for a nice, long extended period of time. She’s a wild one, like I knew she would be. The big surprise is how she brought out Pierce’s wild side.
Between 2 Bosses_A Menage Romance Page 4