by Grey Cole
“Tom,” Luna corrected.
“I meant he’s a dick and an idiot. Look, it can be difficult to find someone who is sexually compatible when you like things that are outside the ‘norm,’ but there is nothing wrong with you. So, you like it a little rough. There’s absolutely nothing deviant about wanting to be manhandled.” Her voice had risen with each proclamation, and it had Luna blushing and glancing around the coffee shop to make sure they hadn’t attracted any stares.
“I think the problem is,” Lucy continued unabated, “that you project this quiet, buttoned-up persona, yet that’s not you. Which is fine,” she added hastily. “Lots of men like that contradiction. I mean, there wouldn’t be a song about it, otherwise. You know?” She wrinkled her brow at Luna when she didn’t respond—mortification had stolen her voice. “‘Lady in the street but a freak in the bed,’ as Usher says. Anyway, it probably just threw him for a loop, but obviously, he wasn’t the right guy for you regardless.”
So, how did one find a man who is more adventurous in the bedroom, but would still treat her with respect in the morning? It was’t like she could go out on that first, crucial date and say, Hey, now that we’ve covered the basics. You’re from Boise. You’re the oldest of three children. Your favorite band is One Republic. And you hate it when your adult friends post selfies online. Would you be weirded out if I told you I like to be dominated? That I get off just thinking about being humiliated? And what I really need to know is whether or not you’ll fuck me like you mean it and leave me feeling it for days. That all sounds good? Good. Great. Check, please!
Lucy had changed the subject, and Luna realized she had completely lost herself in her imaginary restructuring of dating etiquette. “What was that?” Luna asked.
Lucy took a sip of her latte before rolling her eyes. “I totally lost you, didn’t I? Stop worrying about all that. It will work itself out. You’ll see. Now, that you’re home, or well, nearer to home, and we have each other again, I’ll help you find the perfect man.” She straightened in her seat and folded her arms on the table. “I don’t want to overstep, but I think a big part of the issue is that you deny who you are and where you come from, Luna.”
Luna nodded, thinking her astute friend was on the right track. “So, you think me majoring in business and finance, moving across the country, and dressing like an uptight, asexual, frigid bitch may have something to do with how I always find myself dating different shades of the same boring man?”
“Exactly. You were never comfortable with how we grew up, but there can be a compromise. You don’t have to return to the folds of the hippy commune, but you’re denying a huge part of who you are with this”—her hand flew around to encompass the tight bun and the nondescript black suit Luna wore—“impersonator. Don’t be afraid to be yourself anymore, Luna.”
Luna smiled at her sweet friend. How long had it been since she’d genuinely smiled? Felt like she hadn’t cracked a real smile since she left for New York all those years ago. Well, she was back now, and there was no point in looking backward at all the lonely days and even lonelier nights. Sure, she’d had friends, but no one had her back like the little blonde sitting across from her.
Luna squeezed her friend’s hand. “I think I know exactly what you mean, and I plan to rectify it, okay? New job, new city, new Luna. That’s the plan. Thank you for the stellar advice, as always.”
Lucy ducked her head in acknowledgment. “So, how goes the job search anyway?”
This was something that Luna should be more comfortable talking about, but images of the two hottest men she’d ever seen in real life popped unbidden into her head. Ever since she’d met the men, she’d had some of the naughtiest fantasies-turned-dreams-with-benefits of her life. She really wanted to accept their offer to come to work for their burgeoning start up, but her imaginings were not conducive to a productive work environment. She found herself wanting to turn down the job and proposition the men instead. Both of them. She wanted both of them.
“Well,” she began, “I’ve received several promising offers, but one stands out from the rest.” Luna rested her chin against her fist and stared into her green tea like it would offer her a solution.
“And that’s a problem why?”
Great. Now they were back to talking about her sex life, or rather her desired sex life.
Luna groaned instead of responding.
Lucy chuckled, “What’d I say?”
“Oh, nothing. It’s just my hormones haven’t had this much control over my thoughts since I was fourteen.” She tipped the cup back and swallowed the dregs of her tea. The bitter taste caused her face to scrunch up.
“Mmm … sounds promising. Spill.”
“Have you ever had a threesome?” Luna found herself asking, much to her mortification once again.
“Can’t say that I have,” Lucy replied thoughtfully before shrugging. “Can’t say that I would be opposed, either. What does that have to do with your job offer?”
“These two men. You should see them, Lucy.” Luna shook her head. “God, it’s like they’re sex incarnate. I’ve never seen anything like them. One, dark-headed, slightly controlling, but intuitive. The other, all unruly copper curls, somewhat bashful, but sensual. And I know all that from meeting them once. Anyway, they are the co-CEO’s of an up-and-coming Internet security firm. They’re going to do amazing things. Only, how can I possibly take the position when all I want is to do them? They would be my bosses, for God’s sake. And then there’s the possibility that they might not even be into threesomes.”
Luna and Lucy lost it then. Loud peals of laughter echoed off the walls of the coffee shop.
“I missed you something fierce, my friend,” Lucy admitted with tears of laughter shining from her bright blue eyes.
“Me too. I had no idea how much I needed this.”
Luna had a few hours to kill before the final meeting with Mr. Shepherd and Mr. Thornton, so she decided on an impromptu makeover to lift her spirits even further. It had been too long since she’d braved the countercultural shops of Haight Street, and she realized with a pang of sadness that she missed the vibrancy and individuality of shopping at places like that. Luna wasn’t going full-out hippy, but like Lucy said, there had to be a happy medium between the over-the-top way her much-beloved mother dressed, and the soul-sucking, dreary style Luna had adopted when she’d entered the business world. With a renewed determination to find the girl she’d buried underneath all of the labels and the pretensions of designers, Luna forwent hailing a cab and grabbed the next cable car.
***
“Hey, babe,” Royce greeted, suddenly beside him in the crowded bistro where they were to meet their, hopefully, new CFO. “Sorry I’m late,” he added as he planted a tender kiss on Shea’s jaw.
Shea turned toward him and trailed his hand across the other man’s lower back. “I just got here myself. So, what’d you think about Kyle Davis?”
Royce waved the bartender down and ordered a whiskey neat before giving Shea his full attention. He must be cold, Shea thought absently, since he usually ordered the drink on the rocks. He rubbed his hand higher, trying to generate some heat. “Agree with you one-hundred and ten percent. Total douche bag.”
“I never said douche bag,” Shea complained, rolling his eyes. “I believe I used the words uptight and narcissistic.”
“Which I immediately translated to douche bag ‘cause it was easier to remember,” Royce laughed.
“Touché,” Shea conceded. “So, we go with our gut and officially offer the position to Luna René then?”
“Yes, I told you I felt tonight would be a mere formality. We both got good vibes from her. She knows her stuff. Not to mention, she made some big players even more disgustingly wealthy back in New York.”
“Which was my only concern. Why come to work for a small-time business like ours with a résumé like hers? I can’t help but feel suspicious.”
“The headhunter ran thorough checks. She’s not a corporate spy.”<
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Technological espionage was not something to be taken lightly in their line of work, but Shea nodded his agreement anyway since he didn’t think Luna had a deceitful bone in her body. She was too warm and genuine, despite what her outward appearance communicated, and if someone like Shea could pick up on the nuances of Luna, they must be true. “There is one other issue.”
Royce raised his brow and brought his drink to his lips.
“She’s too sexy.” Royce pinched his lips together in an effort not to spew the drink he just took, and Shea couldn’t help but laugh. “Sorry about that. But, seriously. Don’t tell me you didn’t notice.”
Royce finally managed to swallow his liquor without any further choking. “Yeah, I definitely noticed,” he rasped, his voice turning all sexy from the whiskey. “I’d like to see her with that long, chestnut hair spilling around her tiny frame and those hideous clothes ripped open.”
Now Shea was the one gasping for air. “I can’t believe you just said that. So, we can’t hire her. We’ll end up sinking every penny we own into defending ourselves against a sexual harassment suit. A suit that will have real merit.”
“Nah, we can keep our dicks in our pants,” Royce stated with confidence. “We’ll get used to having her around, and she’ll become like the little sister we never had.”
He actually could see himself getting close to Luna like that. He’d learned to manage many of his idiosyncrasies over the years, but meeting new people and being comfortable around them still tended to throw him. It hadn’t been that way with Luna. For some reason, they just clicked, and that, more than anything, had Shea thinking she was the best fit for their company—their baby. “You’re right. We would be fools to pass on her.”
“Maybe she’ll turn us down, and unknowingly, make herself fair game outside of the office,” Royce joked, waggling his eyebrows.
“You’re incorrigible,” Shea faux complained.
“You love it.”
Shea leaned and caught Royce’s lips in a deeply intense kiss. Royce’s hand came up and rested in its usual spot.
“Fuck,” Royce whispered. “Now I just wanna go home and rip your clothes off.”
“Later,” he laughed. “She should be here soon.” Shea glanced up and saw the object of their conversation, and lustful thoughts, watching them from the front of the restaurant. He groaned when the man blocking her from complete view moved to the side.
“What?” Royce asked.
“She’s here, and she’s even more beautiful than I remembered.”
Royce looked over his shoulder and let out a deep, tortured sigh. “You may be right about that lawsuit after all.”
***
Luna watched, mesmerized and turned-on beyond belief, as Mr. Shepherd kissed Mr. Thornton like he owned him. Their kiss didn’t last long, but it wasn’t a socially acceptable, polite kiss either. God, and the way Mr. Thornton wrapped his hand around the other man’s neck … unbelievably hot. Well, this was certainly a first. Luna had never found herself attracted to a gay man, let alone two gay men, unknowingly. She thought she had decent gaydar, but that didn’t seem to be the case here. She stifled her disappointment as her fantasy of being taken by the two men went poof right before her very eyes. It was just as well. She really wanted this job.
When Mr. Shepherd waved her over, she made her way across the dining area and into the bar on the impossibly tall heels of her new boots. She may be giving up the frigid bitch look, but no way was she giving up her stilettos. She was quite pleased with what she had accomplished in the relatively short amount of time she’d had. Luna browsed several shops before she found the perfect outfit that screamed her—a simple, yet elegant, v-neck, ivory sheath dress with violet piping that hugged all her curves. She’d paired it with knee-high, brown leather boots and a matching leather blazer before topping off the look with a purple linen scarf. Then, she’d ducked into one of the salons and had her hair styled into long, flowy waves. She truly felt like a new woman—no, better than new. She felt like herself.
Luna approached the two handsome men, and they exchanged greetings before reentering the dining area to get a table. Keeping conversation light, they ordered drinks and dinner, where the men insisted she call them by their first names. Luna was probably better off knowing that the two men were a couple. She was comfortable with them and had a gut feeling about their company and the magic she could work there. She wouldn’t want to ruin all that.
When they had eaten their fill, Shea and Royce made their offer, telling her they would be thrilled to welcome her into their family. She loved the idea of their workplace being more like a family than the corporate environment she’d been entrenched in for last several years, but she had a counteroffer.
“Gentleman, I’m impressed with what you’ve done with your company thus far. Truly.” She forced herself to appear relaxed and confident and not overly enthusiastic, even though talking finance usually made her animated with passion. She almost laughed out loud at that thought. A finance fetish is something best kept quiet, much like the threesome she’d been envisioning with these two gorgeous, generous men. “But, I have a counteroffer. In addition to the position as CFO, I would like to become an equal partner.” She paused for a moment to let them digest that. They exchanged interested looks, but didn’t look offended, so she continued. “I’m willing to buy in at your initial capital investment, plus ten percent, since I’m not a creative entity. You are on the cusp of changing everything we know about Internet security, yet you don’t want to go public yet, which makes perfect sense. However, in order to generate the big players, we will need to appear more liquid to our potential investors. That old adage, you have to spend money to make money, is a truism for a very good reason. Your company’s net worth currently resides somewhere along the $1.5 million threshold. Agreed?” The men nodded, seeming enthralled with all she’d said, and they hadn’t even heard the best part. “Boys, if you bring me on board, and your development goes as planned, your company will be sitting pretty on Forbes 400 within three years.”
Luna lifted her wine glass to her lips and took a sip, as the men seemed engaged in a silent conversation. “I can step away if you like,” she offered.
“I don’t think that’s necessary, Luna,” Royce said. “We know what you’re capable of. We know your reputation. This was a possibility we had already considered, and if anyone is going to become part owner, we’d like it to be you.” He paused and gave her a dimpled, devilish grin, and she did not think of the wicked things he could get her to do with just that grin. Nope, not one bit. “You’re on.”
Luna’s entire countenance lit up as she thrust her hand into Royce’s and gave it a firm shake before shaking Shea’s as well. This was the beginning of a beautiful relationship. She could just feel it.
Chapter Eight
Past: Fantasies Exposed
Champagne always made her giggly and warm and tingly. Especially tingly. If she’d had a man, you better believe she would be fucked six ways from Sunday right about now. Instead, Luna found herself finishing off a few reports after saying goodnight to the guys. It had been a stellar day. Phase Two—by far the largest coup in their plan—had been firmly achieved. Royce had broken out the champagne, and Luna managed to consume copious amounts before promising the men she would call a cab when she was ready to head out for the night. They were reluctant to leave her behind, but their desire to do a little personal celebrating of their own was palpable. Far be it for her to stand in the way of the double dose of the pure male need and testosterone that engulfed the room.
Since she and Shea had become fast friends, he had divulged more than his share of their passionate tale to her over the last six months, even though she felt sure that he’d kept it toned down for her benefit. Still, she felt like she could read them. When she noticed little things, like the way Royce’s fingertips would curl possessively around Shea’s bicep at the end of even the briefest touch or when Shea’s eyes would suddenly shi
ne brighter while Royce presented the most boring of facts and figures, Luna would glance to the others present in the room to see if they, too, were aware of exactly how sexual … how sensual … their bosses were. But, it seemed she alone picked up on these things. No raised eyebrows. No gossip around the water cooler.
That made her wonder if she was actually picking up on things, or if she was just perving on the gorgeous duo. Her subconscious picked that moment to send X-rated images flitting across her brain, involuntarily making her squeeze her crossed legs tighter. In an effort to halt her mind’s deviant trajectory, she grasped at the water bottle to her right, only to send it spinning across the desk until it toppled over the edge and skittered across the floor to come to a halt by the door.
Deciding she had probably done enough damage for the night, she saved all her documents and logged out of the computer before jotting herself a note. Sticking it to the computer, she laughed out loud at the message. You were drunk and horny last night, double check your files before sending. A little unsteady, she made her way to the abused water bottle, figuring she should refill it to stay hydrated. She’d call for a cab and head home to finish off the night with some Pinot and some porn. This time she actually giggled out loud. Pinot and porn. God, if only to have the third P present. Oh well, she thought, wiggling her fingers in front of her face, you’ll have to do.
She ended up tiptoeing down the hall, cringing at how dark and still it was when no one was around. Just when she seemed to become accustomed to the difference, she heard them. Moans and groans and curses and near shouts. Luna froze for a moment before understanding hit her with her blunt force. Where her body tingled before—now it sang. Where she’d been warm—she blazed. Her eyes flew to the partially closed door of Royce and Shea’s office, only daring to listen for a moment longer before she turned on her heel and darted back to her own office.
Her water bottle hit the floor with a clang as she slammed the door behind her. Wincing at the loud noise, she waited a moment to see if she would be discovered before rushing over to her desk. Only a security light from the hall cast a dull ray of light into her office. She eased herself into her chair and spun it so that she faced the windows. Luna’s face burned anew as she recalled the frantic words exchanged between Royce and Shea. Even her wicked imagination had not done them justice.