Sweet Nothings (East Coast Sugar Daddies Book 5)

by Austin Bates

  “You think it’s a bomb?” Cieran asked, his expression blank. I scowled at him, rolling my eyes at the slight quirk of his lips.

  “I don’t know what it is. Hopefully not a bomb, but likely something equally devastating to deal with,” I said casually, smiling to myself as his laugh boomed around the office. There weren’t many other omegas to spend time with at ECSD and I knew even less outside of the work environment. Cieran could be difficult, but his sense of humor and sharp wit was usually a welcome reprieve from the chaos in my mind.

  “Oh, like a note from a scorned lover?” he teased, and I stiffened in spite of myself. I tried to keep my cool, opting not to respond and instead sliding one of my fingernails through the tape to open the box. “Oh. A lot of notes. Or a lot of lovers?” I couldn’t even answer his quip as I stared into the box with a racing heart. I knew the other omega was being facetious because the text on the fliers was written as clear as day and it had nothing to do with lovers, scorned or otherwise.

  At least, I hoped not.

  Still, I groaned and grabbed one of the cursed things, scanning the text on the page with a look of disdain. Ugh. They’d used comic sans. I’d told the graphic design department that the joke stopped being funny about twenty times ago, but they seemed intent on driving me insane. As did Logan, I realized as I figured just what the alpha had been up to. Apparently, ECSD was having some sort of party to celebrate the success of the app. A grand gala, the flier proclaimed in that irritating font. I ripped the flier in half, before realizing there was something on the back. Grabbing another one, I could barely contain my horror. There was a printed itinerary, and it said I was to give a full presentation, which meant trying to reach out for as many success stories as humanly possible. If that weren’t bad enough, the entire party ended with me giving a speech. My geeky, awkward and anxious self was not only expected to put together a presentation, but prepare a speech as well? My heart dropped and it took a mighty effort not to simply kick the fliers out of the room.

  “A party, huh?” Cieran mused, though his voice was gentle. He was in dangerous territory and he knew it.

  “Color me stoked,” I muttered, not sure how to proceed. Cieran gently rested a hand on my shoulder, giving it a comforting squeeze.

  “Listen, I don’t know what’s going on with you and Logan, or why he planned this on such short notice--” I watched as he blinked slowly, eyes glinting when it dawned on him. “You two are having a lover’s quarrel, aren’t you?” he goaded, poking me in the side. It was the wrong thing to do. I shouted and gave the box a solid kick, only to reel in pain as I’d underestimated the sturdiness of the stupid thing. I had no idea how many fliers had been squeezed in there, but I would guess around a million from how dense it was.

  “Logan and I are not lovers,” I spat, limping back to my desk with as much dignity as I could muster. It, unsurprisingly, wasn’t much. Cieran had gone from amused to concerned in the blink of an eye, hurrying over to my desk. I wondered if it was visibly obvious that I was just short of a meltdown, but when he spun my chair to face him, I realized I was painfully transparent. He clapped his hands on my shoulders, and if it had been an alpha-- or literally anyone else, I would have fallen apart. Instead, I stared imploringly at my friend.

  “Okay. You’re not lovers. That’s fine. Either way, I know this is a lot of work to have sprung on you all at once. It’s okay. We’re going to take it step at a time, and I will help you in whatever capacity you need.” He paused, looking hesitant. “Even if that includes keeping Logan far away from you on the night of the party,” he said resolutely. I chuckled weakly as he drew his hands away, ruffling up my hair.

  “First order of business, I’m going to delete comic sans from every computer in the graphics department,” I said sourly. Cieran smiled, holding up a flier and humming thoughtfully.

  “Oh, I don’t know. I think it looks sophisticated. Like ours is a business to be taken seriously. Entirely seriously. This is a font that screams serious business.” I was torn between laughing and crying. I settled for a bit of both.

  It was going to be a long month.

  10

  Logan

  When Thompson burst into my office that morning, I briefly worried Aaron had come clean about our blossoming relationship, at least, to the extent of whatever capacity that relationship could be. His eyes shone with fury, and his hands were tensed at his sides. I knew how to deal with Tom better than almost anyone else. Even his mate had trouble keeping a lid on him when he’d been in the picture. Instead of bucking up at his attempt to show dominance, I folded my hands on my desk and feigned indifference. His showy entrance was of little consequence to me, and I wanted him to know as much. He had no right to police Aaron’s life like the omega was still a child. I could understand his anger towards me, but Aaron didn’t deserve any of that vitriol.

  “Who the hell do you think you are?” When he spoke, his voice sounded like a bark more than anything else. Like some annoying yappy dog. Fortunately, I knew that was all Tom had going. All talk and no ability to back it up-- especially if we were to get into a physical altercation. I didn’t know just what information he was privy to so I remained silent, raising a brow daringly. “I’ve been putting up with this whole pipe dream of Aaron’s for long enough! It was all well and good, but then you had to throw this grandiose party where he’ll be thrust into the limelight. All because of some stupid matchmaking app. It’s downright sordid, and I won’t let Aaron be corrupted by you anymore,” he said with a glare, for once looking fully prepared to come to punches if it got to that point. I was almost relieved that this tantrum was because of the app and not my fling with his son, but his derisive comments about both caused me to bristle.

  “We’ve had this conversation before, and I’m going to tell you the same thing now as I did then. ECSD has changed people’s lives for the better, and your son is good at his job. We wouldn’t be where we are without his help, and for that I am eternally grateful.” I paused, narrowing my eyes at him. “But I will not sit here and listen to you put down what I have worked so hard on, nor will I sit and listen while you berate your son. Aaron doesn’t owe you anything, and this is what he wants to do. Who are you to stop him?” I asked in a biting tone. Thompson glowered at me, and I struggled to keep myself from getting too angry. It wasn’t my job to defend Aaron’s honor, yet I found that I wouldn’t mind too terribly if it was. As a matter of fact, I would readily protect all of my possessions, and while I respected that the omega was not technically property, I was still awash with the desire to somehow claim him.

  “I’m his father. I only want what’s best for him. This is such a repulsive thing to gain notoriety for, and what happens when the company crashes and burns? Aaron’s left stained by this brand of yours, and even if his dreams of playing with computers as a job were realistic, he would never recover from the blow. He’s a fragile young man, Logan, and why do you care if he follows his silly dreams? He’s just your employee, right? he raved, arms gesticulating wildly as he spoke. His face was bright red and I was honestly surprised smoke wasn’t billowing out of his ears. I gave thought to ignoring my friend’s line of questioning, but that would only be all the more suspicious.

  “I care about my staff, Thompson. They’re not just workers, they’re like family,” I said forcefully, mentally berating myself for telling such an obvious lie. I cared about my employees, that much was true. However, I was not a man to get involved in emotional affairs, and any relationship I’d ever had with employees had been strictly professional. It was something Thompson was all too aware of, but I tried to keep my cool as he leveled a glare at me. He moved to continue his tirade but I was swift to interrupt. “I’m done talking about this. If you want to act like an unruly toddler, that’s your prerogative. As for me, I have business to take care of. Business that provides more opportunities than your firm could ever dream of. It’s no wonder Aaron wanted to get away from you, this is so typical!” My voice was loud
as I all but roared at my longtime friend. His eyes widened considerably, and his mouth hung agape as it seemed all thought had been wiped from his brain. I almost felt bad, but he had stepped into my territory and I wouldn’t humor him.

  “This with you and Aaron. Whatever it is, I’m going to find out about it. There’s some reason you’ve taken an interest, and it’s far more than the fact he’s my son. All I’m doing is warning you-- this business isn’t a stable investment and once relationships start going sour, East Coast Sugar Daddies--” He paused, shuddering a bit. “Well, it won’t be anything like your little fantasy. And if it’s cruel to be concerned for my son, then I guess I’m a cold bastard. Not the coldest, though. You take the cake.” I glared at him, body shaking with barely repressed rage. I wanted to slam a fist into his face, which wasn’t a feeling I was proud of. However, it was obvious things wouldn’t be worked out any time soon. If anything, things were getting worse the more we bickered.

  “Get out. I’m done discussing this with you,” I said, biting out the words. His lips curled for a moment, and he seemed to sense he had gotten to me on some level. I pushed away from my desk, lurching in his direction with full intentions of seeing him out-- whether we did it the easy or hard way was up to him. Before I could get too close, however, he turned his back to me and strode out of my office. I longed to chase after him and beat him into a pulp. He was crossing a line, and he was well aware of it. He simply didn’t care. “Dirty, rotten, son of a bitch…” The blowout had gotten me far too wound up, and I had an excess of adrenaline fueled energy I needed to take care of.

  If he was so sure that ECSD would fail, the best revenge would be flourishing. It had started as a simple investment opportunity for me, but I had gotten more tangled up than I was expecting. I wasn’t going to take his foul behavior sitting down, though. I would never go belly up for Thompson, I knew him far too well. His hubris would be the end of him, though the same could just as easily be said about me. There was no time for contemplation, however. I had work to do, and I felt more motivation than ever before as I hurried back to my desk, refreshing my computer to go through some of the files regarding ECSD. We kept track of our success stories to an extent, only with their consent of course. Knowing I would have an army willing to back me up, I dialed every alpha we’d set up with their perfect match. Some were familiar, some I couldn’t put a face to, but each and every one of them agreed to make a statement about the validity of our service. I informed the men that I would happily take any of their suggestions about the presentation, but my primary concern was that they would be there. The alphas had readily agreed, and I hung up the phone with a wicked smile. Thompson would regret the day he fucked with me, and he would especially regret how he was treating Aaron.

  As my office door burst open, I briefly thought ‘speak of the devil’. Then again, Aaron didn’t exactly seem like a prince of darkness. I could see fury in his eyes as well as tears streaming down his cheeks. His entire body quaked with rage, and unsure of what to do, I opened my arms to him. It seemed that was what people did in such dilemmas-- offering a hug or a shoulder to cry on. I was surprised when he slapped my shoulder angrily, repeating the action with both hands until I grabbed him by the wrists and held him still.

  “Calm down. I have no idea what has you in such a tizzy,” I said with all the kindness I could muster, but my reserves were running low. He struggled against me, but I refused to release him. I knew he would immediately begin striking again and although his blows weren’t terribly powerful or painful, it was more of a principle.

  “I just got a call from my dad.” His eyes were wild with anger, yet there was resignation in his tone as well. I knew Thompson better than most, and by association, knew about the way he approached parenting. “He practically disowned me for daring to work on such a scandalous application. It was all fine until you thrust me into the limelight, you bastard. What were you thinking? You know I don’t like to be the center of attention,” he said angrily, ceasing his struggling to focus all of his energy on glaring at me.

  “You deserve recognition for the work you’ve done, Aaron. Admittedly, I didn’t predict the consequences, but I stand by my decision. This foundation would fall apart without you, and we both know that.” He didn’t seem any less incensed, and I got annoyed as well. “If you hadn’t ignored all of my calls, we could have discussed this like adults,” I said bluntly, which was definitely the wrong thing to say. I just couldn’t bring myself to care about saying the right thing. I was so frustrated I felt like I was going to crack.

  “Maybe if you hadn’t taken advantage of our relationship, I’d have bothered answering,” he said snidely, and I found myself feeling somewhat wounded by the accusation. I didn’t allow the sensation to linger for long, leaning in and whispering hotly against his ear.

  “You stunk like a bitch in heat. You wanted me just as badly, if not more.” Then, I crashed our lips together in a manner that couldn’t be called gentle by any means. He didn’t even resist, curling his hands into the front of my shirt and returning the kiss. There was no love or affection of any sort in the kiss-- it was fueled completely by anger and impulsivity. I drew away to gasp for breath, and his eyes widened as he realized what he had just done. “I knew you wanted me.” He paled, pushing away from me and would have bolted to the door if I didn’t manage to snag him by the wrist. “No. Not again, Aaron. You can’t run from this. It’s not fair to either of us,” I hissed, pulling him towards me. He allowed himself to be dragged, baring his teeth in a snarl that seemed almost feral as he ripped my shirt open. Startled and aroused, I let go of him. He was on me in an instant, biting and scratching every bit of skin he could get to. My chest and neck stung from the vicious attention, and having had enough, I gripped him by his luxurious hair and yanked his head back. He looked at me in a state of near delirium before I kissed him again. I bit his lower lip and when he made to cry out I shoved my tongue into his mouth. He sank his nails into my shoulders, and I made quick work of ripping his shirt open as well. I pushed him against my desk before immediately shoving my jeans and underwear down to expose my throbbing cock. I was so aroused it had been painful to remain confined, but the dark look of desire in his eyes made it all worthwhile. I gripped him by the hair again, forcing him to meet my gaze.

  “What are you waiting for? Fuck me,” he gritted out as he tried to shimmy out of his pants. I pulled his head back and bit the column of his throat hard enough to draw small beads of blood. I then lapped at his neck before sucking at the mark until it contrasted his pale skin just enough.

  “Tell me that you’re mine,” I said against his neck, wrapping my hand around my cock. He stiffened, looking angry.

  “I don’t belong to anyone!” he said, his voice little more than a snarl. I spun him around, bending him over the desk. I pulled his jeans down to his knees before reaching around, forcing my fingers into his mouth. He resisted for a moment before seeming to get the idea, sucking and swirling his tongue around my fingers. I continued fondling my dick, thrilled by his compliance. When my fingers were good and wet, I removed my hand from his mouth to finger his tight little hole. He cried out, a sound that was both anguished and ecstatic. His back arched as he tried to get more contact, apparently displeased with the short and shallow pumps of my fingers.

  “Say that you are mine. Then beg me to fuck you,” I said, my gruff order leaving no room for argument. I’d never felt so hot in my life, watching Aaron try to grind against my fingers. I slipped them in knuckle deep, just enough to give him the slightest satisfaction before drawing away altogether.

  “What are you waiting for?” His voice was ragged, and his hands scrambled for something to brace himself against. Growling, I grabbed his arms and encircled both of his slender wrists with my much larger hand. I kept his arms pinned against his back, pressing the head of my cock against his entrance. I rubbed just enough to tease, feeling almost drunk with power.

  “You know what I’m waiting fo
r,” I said breathily, unwilling to repeat the order. He whimpered as he struggled frantically, trying to plunge my cock into his asshole. “Come on, Aaron. It’s just the two of us.” His struggling began to settle, and he gasped for breath as he seemed to consider his options. I pushed into him just so and then went still. He howled in pleasure and frustration, and I knew he was at his breaking point. “Say it.”

  “I’m yours, Logan! I’m your dirty little slut, and I want your cock,” he wailed. I smirked.

  “How badly do you want it?” There was no hesitation between my question and his sobbed out answer.

  “Please, Logan. Give me your cock. I want it so bad. I want you to fuck me until I can’t walk,” he cried out just as the door to my office opened. We both stilled, looking up to see my secretary watching us with a humiliated expression.

  For fuck’s sake.

  11

  Aaron

  I had been so pent up, that I would have said anything he wanted. What I had yelled wasn’t the worst thing in the world, but I wished I had been more conservative with my words. I couldn’t think of a more embarrassing scenario, and the worst part was it being such an unexpected moment. Well, no, the worst part was probably the fact that a woman I barely knew had seen our boss’s cock in my ass. My heart hammered, feeling as if it was bouncing around my ribcage as I saw her taken aback expression.