by J Cartwright
“I promise,” I lied.
It was definitely a promise I couldn’t keep. Drinking the last of my coffee, I pushed myself up and walked to grab a shower. I’d be seeing them again soon at work, and that was when the real test would begin.
Could things be normal between us and would last night have ruined that special connection we had? Only time would tell.
Chapter 29
Emma
The shower did me a world of good, helping to clear my head as I stood beneath the warm water. It ran all over me, chasing away last nights sweat and scent, leaving me feeling refreshed as I stood there.
My body still ached and I would have killed for a few more hours sleep, but I needed to get ready and head to work.
The last thing I could do was avoid the guys. There was no escaping them, not anymore. If things really did go wrong between us then my life was about to get crazy awkward.
Not only would I be left with this weird craving, but I’d have to see the two guys I wanted more than anything else, every single day. There would be no escaping them, facing them every time I went into the office.
I loved my job and I loved the team I worked with, and suddenly all of that felt like it was at risk.
If this didn’t work and it got weird between us, then I’d be the one on the outside, the one who had to leave.
It’s not gonna come to that. Even if this doesn’t work out, we’re all grown ups.
Trying my best to trust in the lie, I let out a long sigh and got out of the shower. The cool air made my skin prickle as I grabbed for a towel, and then I was on my way to my room, drying myself off before getting ready for the day.
Maybe we were all grownups, but after doing the things I had with them, I wasn’t sure I could face them if this didn’t work.
Pushing those thoughts to one side, I got ready for the day, and a short while later I was back at the office. To my surprise, I wasn’t the first one in, the guys sitting deep in conversation when I stepped in.
The moment I walked in they stopped and turned to look at me, their conversation lost as their eyes met mine. A slow smile spread across Taylor’s lips, sending a shiver of anticipation through me, Chris sitting beside him with a serious look on his face.
“Well look what the cat dragged in,” Taylor said, grinning at me.
“The cat? Charming as always.”
He just smiled a little wider and then stood up, coming to meet me. Before I knew what was happening his arms went around my waist, his lips meeting mine. The kiss was soft and short, but I felt alive as soon as he kissed me.
Giggling, I took a step back, knowing all too well that I was blushing.
“Guys, we need to behave when we’re at the office,” Chris said, joining us a second later.
He stood so close, his face serious as he looked back and forth between us.
“Oh come on, surely you can’t say no to this beauty,” Taylor teased.
His arm went around me again, his fingers tracing down my back before he squeezed my ass.
“Hey,” I giggled. “Chris is right, someone might see us.”
“Exactly,” Chris said, his huge arms folding across his chest.
He looked imposing standing there in his grey suit, his broad shoulders making me feel so tiny in comparison. Chris was a monster of a man, I’d always known that, but now I’d seen him with his clothes off, I knew first hand how strong he really was.
“So what if people know?” Taylor asked, looking like it was the simplest thing in the world.
Sighing, Chris shook his head. “Because if this got out before we’re ready, then it will just make things between us more awkward. Besides, we need to think about the impact it might have on the team.”
“Yeah, this is so new, and I’m really excited, but we don’t want to get ahead of ourselves,” I added. “The team is just settling in as well, and the last thing they need is for something so huge to get out and distract them.”
“Fine, I’ll be good,” Taylor chuckled. “But I want it on the record that this is against my will.”
Smiling, I nodded. “Fine, just keep it all contained until we are alone again.”
Just saying that made me feel alive. Knowing that we would get the chance to explore together, that all of this pent up frustration and sexual energy would be unleashed later, made me ache all over.
“I guess a quick kiss wouldn’t hurt,” Chris mumbled, leaning in to kiss me.
Giggling again, I felt happier than I had in a very long time. This was stupid, insane, but I wanted it so much.
Just being with them was already too much for me to handle, but I didn’t feel at all awkward.
“So, you guys free tonight?” Taylor asked.
“Yes!” I said a little more eagerly than I’d planned.
They both laughed and grinned, their smoldering good looks just a little too hard to resist.
I wanted to feel them both again, and right then the office desk was looking like the perfect place to explore.
“What?” Chris asked when he saw me staring. “You’re not thinking about what I said about the desk taking our weight are you?”
He grinned a little wider, clearly seeing where I was looking.
Blushing, I shook my head and thought of anything to say, but nothing came.
“Play your cards right and maybe we can play boss later,” he purred, making both myself and Taylor groan.
“Didn’t think you had it in you,” Taylor laughed. “Looks like role-play is on the menu for tonight.”
“Hey, you don’t know the first thing about what I’ve got in me. Besides, it’s not role-play when we really are the bosses.”
Getting a little flustered, I made my excuse to go, counting down the hours until my shift was over. The idea of getting some more time alone with them was already eating me up, especially as I thought of all the ways I wanted them to play.
Them being my bosses had always been a huge turn on, only now it was even hotter than ever. Not only would I get to enjoy having them both to myself, I was about to have a little more fun acting out some more of my wilder fantasies.
Chapter 30
Taylor
It was about halfway through the day when I got the call to arrange the meeting, and as soon as I was done with it I felt like crap. I still needed to talk to Chris about what I’d lined up, but I wasn’t sure how he’d react.
Normally, it wouldn’t have been an issue, but with everything that was happening between myself, him, and Emma, I knew it threatened to blow it all apart.
I needed to think it through and consider how I was going to approach him about it, but when he walked into the office I completely bottled it. He just looked so good, and the way he smiled at me made me feel amazing.
There was no way I wanted to disappoint him, and right then I decided I’d bring it up another time.
“Just got off the phone with Tom Barton,” Chris explained. “He wants to meet up early next week to go over a new contract they’ve got going and he seems pretty eager to have us heading it up.”
“That’s good news. Any idea who you’re going to asign that to?”
Chris shrugged, still getting used to the idea that we now had a large team to deal with our clients. It had been just us for so long, and even when we’d grown, we still had limited resources. Now it seemed like the whole world was at our disposal.
“Not yet, but I’ve got a couple of ideas.”
I could see him thinking it over already, the cogs in his mind turning. Chris wasn’t the kind of person to just jump right in. He needed time to plan and come up with a strategy before he approached one of our team.
Watching him work always amazed me. At first it was frustrating, leaving me wondering how he ever got anything done, but it was that planning and preparation that saved him time in the long run.
“Who were you talking to when I came walked by earlier?” He asked.
Shrugging, I played it off as nothing.
<
br /> “Just a potential client, but I don’t think anything will come of it.”
“Fair enough. Emma’s still busy with a few of the team, so do you want to plan a few things for this evening? I was thinking we could take her out somewhere nice and enjoy a meal or something before we end up getting carried away again.”
“That sounds good. Want me to book somewhere?”
Chris nodded, his eyes meeting mine.
“Sorry if I was a little weird with you guys this morning,” he said. “It’s just I’m worried about this blowing up.”
“It’s OK, I just wasn’t thinking.”
“Nothing new there then,” he laughed. “But seriously, there’s already so much pressure with how new this is to us, the last thing I want is anything else on top of it.”
That was the absolute last thing I wanted him to say. There was something I needed to tell him, to tell Emma, and that was going to add a mountain of pressure.
“You alright?” Chris asked. “You seem a little off.”
That was the understatement of the century, but it wasn’t anything I couldn’t handle.
“Yeah I’m better than alright,” I answered, shooting him my most winning smile.
His eyes lit up and I felt my heart swell. The way he looked at me made me want him more than ever, to explore this for the rest of my life.
“Good. You know you can talk to me about anything don’t you?”
Nodding, I wished that I could just get past my fear that things would fall apart if I told them what I was up to, but it just lingered on my mind.
“I know, and I appreciate it.”
He was about to go when I caught him by the arm, my fingers holding him tight. Staring up at Chris, I felt vulnerable in his presence, like my emotions were on show for all to see.
The control I normally had was slipping, an odd need to be with them both tearing at me. It was new and I loved it, but at the same time I hated what it was doing to me.
“I’ll book a table,” I choked, pushing away what I really wanted to say.
He smiled and then leaned in, kissing me lightly before disappearing. I wanted more, to hold him close and admit how I was really feeling, but there was no way I could do that.
This still felt like a blip, something that would be over as soon as it had begun, but there was no way I wanted to walk away. The urge to run was eating me up, but I had to fight it, to stand and fight.
Watching Chris go, I focused on getting through the rest of the day.
There was no point dwelling on what might happen. Instead, I pulled my phone out and dialed one of the fanciest restaurants I knew, booking a table for the three of us.
Right now was my time to shine, to really wow Emma and sweep her off her feet. If she felt anything even half as close as what I felt for her and Chris, then this was going to be something special, something truly incredible.
She deserved the best. Emma had been treated like she didn’t matter by Brad, and now it was mine and Chris’ job to ensure that she knew just how wonderful she really was.
Ever since I’d met her I’d wanted to show her that, to make her feel incredible, but I’d never been able to. Our jobs, our business, my friendship with Chris, it was all on the line if I even so much as overstepped, but now I could do whatever I wanted.
Tonight was going to be all about my lovers. Tonight I would show them just how much I cared about them before ruining it all by telling them what I had been organizing in the background.
Chapter 31
Emma
I’d gotten off work early and gone straight home to get ready for our evening together. Taylor warned me to pack some stuff for a chance at an over night stay at his, a smile on his face and the most charming little wink sending me on my way.
After arriving back at my apartment I spent ages getting ready, grabbing things from my wardrobe, trying them on, and then tossing them straight back in.
I wanted to look my best for the guys, feeling more nervous about being with them again then I’d ever felt before.
After last night, my whole body was on fire, my adrenaline pumping as I thought about them. They both made me feel alive, sending me into a spiral of desire that only seemed to grow stronger the more I thought about them.
It was insane, but I needed them.
All day I’d been constantly thinking about them, and I knew I needed to focus. I was grinning like an idiot, lost in my own little dream world.
A few of the team had commented on it, but I’d just shrugged it off, but the guys definitely had me hooked.
After what seemed like my hundredth outfit change I settled on a slinky red dress and a pair of heels that added a few inches on. Beneath my dress was my sexiest underwear, a matching set of pink and green lace panties and bra.
Staring at my reflection, I fidgeted with my blonde curls, tugging at them before finally letting them go. I was as presentable as I could get, and I had to admit I looked pretty damned hot.
My glossy lips curled up and I let out a soft giggle, lost in how mad this all was.
Just a few weeks ago I’d been in a relationship that felt as stale as things could possibly get. It was safe and sensible, but Brad wasn’t the guy for me, but then, Chris and Taylor weren’t right for me either.
They were both out of my league, rich and powerful, but more than that, they were gorgeous beyond belief. Somehow though, this was all happening.
Both of them wanted to be with me, both of them craved me as much as I craved them, and that was just insane.
This whole thing was a mess of epic proportions, but I couldn’t stop myself.
Just as I slumped down on the foot of my bed, my phone rang, Chris’ name popping up on the screen.
“Hey,” I said as I answered. “You here?”
“Sure am. Just outside now.”
“Be down in a sec,” I said, already feeling giddy with excitement.
Hanging up my phone I grabbed my jacket and bag, and left the relative safety of my apartment behind. My heart was racing as I locked the door behind me, my mind speeding at a million miles per hour.
When I made it downstairs I saw Chris’ car parked up across the road, my gorgeous chauffeur standing beside it. His eyes met mine, stealing my breath away as he smiled.
Chris looked immaculate as always, his dark suit hugging his incredible body. He folded his arms across his chest, and when he smiled, I felt my knees go weak.
“Coming?” He called from across the road when I stood there frozen.
Nodding, I composed myself and made my way out to meet him, shivering in anticipation as his arms came around me.
They wrapped so tight, the warmth of his body making me melt, and for a second I really thought that this would work out. I felt so safe and comfortable in his arms that I never wanted this to end, even though I knew it eventually all had to come crashing down.
“Here, let me take that,” Chris offered, taking my bag from me.
I smiled after him as he loaded it into the back of the car, and then he was opening the passenger side up for me.
“All set then?” He asked, his voice deep and rumbling, sending a ripple of warmth through me.
“Yeah. Where are we going?”
I climbed into the car and waited for him to join me, shocked by just how much I wanted to drag him up to my apartment.
“Taylor has booked a place,” Chris said. “Knowing him, it will be lavish as hell and cost an arm and a leg.”
Chris chuckled, knowing just what Taylor was like. The guy was a showman, always living it up, but whenever he was with Chris he seemed to calm down just a little. Come to think of it, he seemed to calm down around me as well.
“How are you guys doing?” I asked when Chris began to drive.
He didn’t answer straight away, glancing at me out of the corner of his eyes. Chris was always the calm one, the one who thought things through, but this thing that was happening between us was definitely not sensible.
<
br /> “You mean with what is happening with the three of us I take it?” He asked.
“Yeah, but also with you guys. You’ve been friends for so long, this must be kind of weird for you.”
“Not really,” he said slowly. “I think because we’ve been so close for such a long time, we could do anything together and it wouldn’t feel weird. I guess a part of me has always wanted something more with Taylor, but I never figured he would want it.”
That really was the most surprising thing to happen in all of this. Taylor talked about us as if it was serious.
“I get that,” I said. “He’s always been such a player. You think this is different for him?”
“I think so, but how weird is that? The only time he is serious about anyone is when it’s with two people there can’t be a future with.”
His words hit me like a fist, making me ache all over. He was just talking honestly, and I already knew that was the case, but it still hurt to hear him say it.
“Suppose that is pretty messed up,” I sighed.
He clearly sensed how deflated I was, pulling the car over at the first opportunity.
When he’d pulled up to a stop, he turned to look at me, those deep brown eyes blazing with warmth and concern.
“Emma, I’m not saying I don’t want there to be no future, not at all, I’m just thinking out loud. Honestly, I’m in the same boat as Taylor, wanting something I know I can’t have.”
“Why can’t you have it?” I asked.
He smiled, reaching out to touch my face. The tips of his fingers trailed fire across my cheeks, sending another storm through me.
“If there’s even the slightest chance that I’m wrong, then I will fight to the end to make this work. You’re amazing Emma, both of you are, and I’d be the luckiest guy alive to have you both in my life.”
Feeling a little better, I leaned in and kissed him, letting the embrace linger for just a moment.