But there’s no point in thinking about it. It’s happening, and I can’t do anything about it.
When the coffee’s made, I pour two cups and bring them out again, giving one to Lesley. She thanks me with a smile and I set mine down on the table before sitting down too.
It’s grown quiet, and all we do is stare at each other … while my mother drifts off into the distance like she always does. I doubt she even knows why we’re here.
This is the point when she returns to the place before she got the illness.
A point in time when we were all still so naïve.
“TJ, shouldn’t you be helping your pa with the marketing?”
“Ma …” I sigh, letting my head drop because I’m losing it again.
I can’t keep doing this.
This is why. This is the reason I’ve slowly stopped visiting. I can’t face this.
“Just tell her, dude,” my brother says.
“If it’s so easy to you, you do it,” I snarl.
“She asked you,” he snarls back.
I slam down my cup. “You know damn well this has nothing to do with me. Not anymore.”
He stands up from his chair like a bulldog, barking at me, “At least I’ve been here, taking care of her!”
I get up and march forward. “And I took over the company when you ran off to be a playboy!”
“Boys, please …” Ma mutters, but barely anyone can hear her, and Flynn’s booming voice overshadows hers.
“Don’t you dare bring that into this conversation.” He points at me. “I did my best to cope with the situation while taking care of our mother, while you’re too busy to see her waste away in here. Get your head out of your ass.”
“At least I’m still making something of my life and doing what Pop thought was best for us!” I shout back.
Lesley jumps up from her chair and steps between us, focusing on me. “Hey, hey now. Calm down, boys.”
“He’s the one who jumped me,” I sneer.
“Because you can’t be bothered to answer your own mother and face her, goddammit,” he says.
“Guys …” She places a hand on both our chests, trying to separate us. “Stop!”
I’m fuming. Literally. My nostrils are flaring, but his are too.
“Tell him that,” I hiss.
“You’re using your girl as a middleman now?” He snorts.
“Shut up. Both of you,” Lesley says. “You’re brothers, goddammit. Treat each other with respect.”
She has a point there.
“Think about your mother,” she adds, and it immediately tugs at my heart.
I force myself to look away.
“Sit. Down.” Her commanding voice is enough to move me.
I’m not one to back down often, but for her and for the sake of peace between my family, I’ll do it. Even if it means conceding. Mother shouldn’t have to see this.
My brother sighs out loud and helps Mom drink coffee while I rub my forehead and think about my sins. I know I should’ve come sooner. I know. I know full well I haven’t, and what it’s done to our bond. Not that it’s been much lately, but still. It was better than this. And it’s my fault.
“Look, I’m sorry, okay?” I say. “It’s hard doing Pop’s work.”
“It’s hard taking care of her too when I have no one else to help me,” Flynn retorts.
“Why not ask each other for help?” Lesley intervenes.
We both look her way.
“I’m not trying to meddle in your business, but it’s apparent you need each other. Why not offer a helping hand?”
It sounds so logical, but one thing she doesn’t know about me, about us, is the fact that we do everything completely random and wrong, and usually just hope for the best. We’re a train wreck family. At least, nowadays, we are.
It didn’t always used to be like this.
Not when Pops …
“Where’s TJ?”
“I’m here, Ma,” I say, waving at her.
“Oh …” She clutches her hands. “Where’s your pa then?”
Lesley frowns and whispers my way, “Is there a reason you haven’t told her yet where your dad is? She keeps asking.”
I cringe. “It’s … complicated.”
“Tell her, TJ,” Flynn says. “Just tell her and get it over with.”
I close my eyes and take a deep breath. Then I lean over and grab Mom’s hand, holding it tight. “Pop isn’t here with us anymore, Ma.”
“What do you mean?”
“He’s … gone. He had a heart attack a few years ago.”
She stops and gasps, her pupils widening after which tears begin to form. “Oh … right.”
“It’s okay, Ma.”
“I forgot again …” she mumbles, clearly getting depressed again.
It’s the same thing every damn time. And I get to be the one to break the news. It’s like a curse. All because of this name I carry … the same name my father once had. But my pops is no more.
“But what about Flynn?” she suddenly asks.
“I’m here, Ma,” Flynn says, putting his hand on her shoulder. “I’m not going anywhere. At least not for a while.” He laughs it off like it’s somehow funny even when it’s not.
She smiles softly, and for some reason, it breaks the sadness in her eyes like she’s already forgotten about Pa’s death. Just like that.
“We’re all fine,” Flynn adds.
“Good … good,” she says, and then she lifts her trembling hand and caresses my cheek. “You look like you haven’t eaten in days. Is she feeding you enough?”
I glance at Lesley who’s chuckling to herself when my mom throws a look at her as if she somehow discovered Lesley and I are together. Or maybe she just thought it up out of her own imagination. It isn’t far from the truth either.
“Yes, Ma … I’m doing great,” I answer.
“Good. Because she’d better take good care of my little Teddy.”
“Teddy?” Lesley bursts out into laughter, immediately hiding it behind her sleeve. “Sorry.”
I roll my eyes and wish she hadn’t said that word.
I guess the secret’s out now.
Teddy Junior. Yep, that’s me. And Teddy Senior was my pops.
But no one calls me that anymore.
“I’m not little anymore, Ma. I can take care of myself,” I say.
“Yeah, little Teddy is all grown up, Ma,” Flynn says, rubbing it in even more.
“Says the fucking playboy,” I growl back.
“Not again,” Lesley groans.
“Yeah, Teddy. Let’s not fight again,” Flynn muses. “Ma wants us to make up, remember?”
“As long as you stop calling me Teddy, maybe I can be in one room with you again.”
Flynn laughs. “All right, Teddy-boy.”
I groan but let it pass. There’s no use in trying to argue with him. If there’s something he’s good at, it’s taunting people. Even when we were younger, he was always the one instigating the fights and getting me into trouble. Not that I didn’t have a knack for it. I mean, I do fucking love to mess with people. But only in a playful way, of course. My brother’s different. He likes the brawls. The physical stuff. That’s why he’s a playboy too. Girls like it when boys get physical. Brawny. A real macho, but with a softer side he rarely lets anyone see.
That part, we got from our mother.
“Oh Teddy, why is your jacket covered in hair?” Mom suddenly starts plucking at my clothes.
“Oh, that’s my dog’s. I forgot to wipe it off after playing.”
“You got a dog?” Flynn asks, folding his hands behind his head. “You?”
“Yeah? So?”
He shrugs. “Never thought you’d actually be that committed.”
“I told you I was determined to keep Morrows going. And that includes the Toys4Dogs brand.”
“But Pops never did it like that … with actual dogs, I mean.”
“Pa’s not here anymore,
” I say, sucking in a breath before continuing. “I’m running the business now, and it’s my job to do everything I can to keep it going.”
“And that means forgetting about your family?”
“You know damn well one of us had to do it, and it wasn’t going to be you. We both knew that.” I sneer.
“Guys, guys,” Lesley says. “Not again. Please.”
Flynn’s nostrils flare again, but he crosses his arms and gazes out the window.
Lesley bends over to help Mom with her coffee, and I can’t help but feel the warmth flow through me as I watch her do it so effortlessly. Like she’s always helped people out … and it doesn’t even faze her.
“You should be very proud of your two boys, ma’am,” she says.
“Oh, yes … I’m very proud,” Mom replies, chuckling a little.
“TJ’s working so hard to keep the company going, and Flynn is doing his best to take real good care of you.”
Mom places a hand on top of Lesley’s and says, “They’re the best sons I could have ever wished for.”
I smile. “Aw … thank you, Ma.”
“They are doing what they’re best at,” Lesley adds.
“Yes,” Mom says. “I’m so happy with my boys.”
“Thanks, Ma,” Flynn says. “I’m always glad to help.” He presses a kiss to her temple.
“See? You guys have nothing to fight about,” Lesley says, nodding at me.
“True. We’re both doing our best here,” I say, looking at Flynn in the hopes he’ll forgive me. “After all, we’re brothers. We’ve only got each other. We gotta stick together.”
Flynn nods slowly and sighs out loud. “I guess you’re right about that.”
I get up from my chair and hold out my arms. “How about it? Forgive me?”
Flynn rolls his eyes but gets up anyway. “Oh, all right …” he groans, and he gives me a short but manly bear hug.
“Missed you too, bro,” I say.
He smirks. “Don’t get used to it. I don’t wanna see you that often. It would chase away all the chicks.”
I laugh. “Once a playboy, always a playboy.”
“Damn right, I am,” he says, as he grabs his cup of coffee and sits down again to take a sip. “And there’s nothing you can do about it.”
“Don’t want to. Never have,” I say. “Just as long as you let me run the business, and I’ll let you do yours. Deal?”
“Fine by me.” Flynn shrugs. “But don’t you forget about our momma.”
“I won’t, I promise. I’ll make sure to drop by more often.”
“Good.”
We all return to slurping our coffee, and for the first time in a long time, I can breathe in this room without feeling constricted. And I’ve got Lesley to thank for it. Hot damn. Never in my wildest dreams did I think she’d be the catalyst to bring us together. Some things can surprise you even in the most unexpected ways. But Lesley and her willingness to put in everything she has was the best surprise of all.
Chapter 24
Lesley
Sitting behind my desk, I’m working like I always have when my phone beeps. When I go to check, I notice it’s an email sent to my private account … the panty-selling one.
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Still got some panties for sale? I’d like to get my hands on some … Right now.
My jaw practically drops, but I immediately glance around the room, hoping no one has noticed.
Why is he doing this? On this email? And why now?
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
What are you doing? This isn’t professional. We could get caught. I can’t email you on this account anymore. You have to stop.
I quickly press send, hoping he gets the message and stops using this as an excuse to get me to talk to him. He’s got work to do. I know so because I saw him talking on the phone almost half the day. He’s been typing away on his laptop the other half, so I know he’s busy.
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
What am I doing? I think that’s obvious, isn’t it? I want your panties. Stick ‘em up and hand ‘em over.
I groan but still reply because he’s getting on my nerves now. What if someone passes me and sees this? We can’t have that happening. Shit would definitely go down then.
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Someone could see this shit! I’m not getting caught. And really, don’t you have work to do? Don’t say no because I know you do, so then you’d be a liar. And we all know what I think of liars.
His response is almost immediate. It’s like he’s glued to his screen. I can almost see him in front of me, smirking as he reads my messages and gloating to himself. Fucker.
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Who cares what others think? I don’t. They’ll find out anyway; it’s only a matter of time. About that panty-selling thing … now that I can keep quiet. As long as you bring me your panties … And the pussy that’s wearing them.
I’m fully loaded. Or do you think I’m lying? Since you seem to think that’s all I do, might I offer up my time and cock to prove to you that I’m not?
Sincerely … your boss
Oh my god, what is he doing? I can’t believe I’m actually getting turned on by this. Jesus, this is so bad. He is so bad. But I like it. Goddammit.
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
If you’re just my boss, you shouldn’t be anywhere near this email address right now. Just saying.
And by the way … this is so unprofessional, using business-time for a private engagement.
Can’t you save it for when we’re done with work? Like, call me to come over later?
I sigh, trying to work with him, but I know that once he gets something in his head, he’s going to pursue it, no matter the cost. It’s admirable but also totally inappropriate at times. Like now, for example. He really doesn’t seem to care at all. It’s kind of funny.
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
I’m not just your boss, Lesley. I’m both your boss and the guy who makes you go crazy with lust. You don’t have to say no to either. You can have it all. Just saying.
And by the way … I’m done with my tasks for today.
I can’t save it for later. I want you in my office. Now.
For some reason, that actually made my pussy thump. Fucking hell. Sometimes I hate him for it, but I can’t help but feel so goddamn tempted as well. It’s the hormones, clearly. What else could it be? Love? No way. Right?
Still, I can’t help but grin as I type something back.
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Is that a threat? Because if it is, you have to give me an ‘if.’ Otherwise, there are no options for me to consider.
Also, what guarantee do I have that if I come, I’ll be able to finish my work later? Unlike you, I still have some papers to type out.
When I press send, I can already feel the excitement bubble to the surface.
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Option 1: Come here and get fucked. Hard. Includes: Tongue and a bit of nibbling. Excludes: Receiving panties back.
Option 2: Wait and see. Includes: Spanking in the bathroom. Excludes: Sex. Exception: Repent, and TJ will let you receive his cum and will finger you afterward.
Option 3: Nothing. Forever. But you won’t pick this option because you know damn well we’re addicted to each other.
Now come here before I’m forced to drag you away from your desk.
I’m not kidding. One way or another, I will have your panties within the hour. Time’s ticking. Papers will wait. This can
be quick … or long and tedious.
Your choice.
Well, fuck me. How am I supposed to say no to that? How does anyone ever say no to that?
I can’t. I just can’t.
Or at least, that’s what I tell myself as I march upstairs, pass Gillian with my head held high, and invite myself into his office without knocking.
I slam the door shut and fold my arms, cocking my head. “You rang?”
He bursts out into laughter. “That could not sound any cornier.”
“You asked for it when you sent me that email.”
His brow lifts. “No, I specifically remember asking for your panties.” He beckons me with just one finger. “C’mon then. Show me.”
I narrow my eyes. “What do I get out of it?”
He licks his lips in such a sexy way that I already feel hot and bothered just by looking at him. Especially when he shifts in his seat and leans back assertively, letting his eyes roam freely over my body like he’s already eye-fucking me.
“Me …”
His husky voice creates goose bumps all over my body.
“C’mere,” he says, nodding at the desk in front of him like he wants me to sit there.
I stride toward him, confident that I can give him what he wants and get my work done later. Like he said … I could have both and no one could find out if we keep quiet.
Raising my dress, I perch myself against the wood right in front of him. His hands reach for my waist, and he gently slides up my dress, exposing my panties. The left side of his lips perk up into a cocky smile. “Like what you see?” I muse.
Unprofessional Bad Boys - Boxed Set (Contemporary Romance) Page 37