by Kathryn Moon
“What do these weigh, you think?” I asked, shaking his hand in front of my face. “Like ten pounds?”
“What?”
“When you need a hammer do you just use your fist?” I asked, trying to fight my grin. A dumb movie and a lot of time sitting cuddled up to Wes had been exactly what I needed to dull the shock of the morning.
“Are you… Is your blood sugar low or something?” Wes asked as we stepped onto the escalator down into the mall where the theater was located.
I laughed and shook my head. “Um…I doubt it, but I wouldn’t mind some fro-yo.”
I could see Wes’ inner granola and egg-white health-nut struggling with my request. Popcorn and frozen yogurt probably wasn’t his idea of a balanced meal but…
“Okay, but you have to get at least one type of fruit on it,” he said.
“Deal.” I wanted raspberries anyway.
This was nice. Like a date. Granted, it was a pity date because I’d just been fired, but since neither Wes nor I were going anywhere near that topic, it made the morning feel frivolous and fun. I didn’t get very many opportunities to see Wes out of work mode, even at the house, and it was nice to discover his dry sense of humor and his total inability to handle a jump scare in an action movie.
Walking from the theater to the food court, Wes transformed slightly, carrying part of the conversation while his eyes watched the crowd around us. When a crowd of teenage boys walked toward us, never moving out of our way, Wes pulled me to his front, his hands on my shoulders guiding me past the group. He stayed like that for the rest of the march over to the yogurt kiosk, acting like a cuddly barrier to keep anything from touching me.
“Hey, can I ask a question?” I asked as we settled at a table with our cups—mine twice the size of his and loaded with chocolate. And some fruit.
“'Course you can.”
“What’s, um…what’s going on with Indy?” I asked, wincing.
Wes frowned and straightened in his seat. “Ah. Right, so I’ve set your phone up to pass unknown calls and messages to a dummy account of mine.”
I sighed and nodded. That explained why it’d been radio silent since Sunday night. “Okay, cool. I’m good with that. I…I can’t ignore that he’s sort of out there, like a shadow in my life right now. But I’m okay without the constant reminders.”
“If you need to know anything, just ask, sweetheart. But I’m more than happy to be the one handling him.” Wes leaned forward and caught my hand, and I left my spoon standing in the yogurt, gazing back at his brilliantly blue stare. “I’m not going to let anything happen to you, okay?”
“I know,” I said, smiling at Wes. “I…I know I’m safe with you, not just because you would never hurt me. You’d never let anyone else hurt me either. I’ve known that for a long time, Wes.”
I squeezed his hands and Wes stared at me, stunned and quiet. He swallowed as I pulled away and nodded jerkily. I hid my grin by ducking my head. Wes wasn’t used to being seen, but I was more than happy to let him get used to the feeling. I planned on keeping my eye on him.
Five
Lola
“You know, I honestly could pay you better than Designate,” Rake said, twirling a lock of my hair around his finger as we caught our breath on his bed.
My skin was sweaty and sticky, and Leo turned his head to lick the underside of my breast. He was resting on my stomach, my fingers scratching through his hair, his cock softening after the quick and messy threesome we’d thrown together.
“Your schedule would be flexible too,” Leo added, waggling his eyebrows. “You could travel with me.”
“And me,” Rake said, rolling and propping his chin on my breast, waggling his eyebrows at me.
Leo had come home early to catch up on rest and been more than happy to find me returning from the movie and lunch with Wes, who headed back to the office. One quick text to Rake about what Leo was planning to do to me with no one else home, and two had become three, and I had become limp and breathless.
The previous night’s cuddle pile with everyone minus Wes had been lovely and affectionate, but it hadn’t left much room for fooling around. Rake and Leo had my right side, rotating at some point during the night, while Matthieu held fast on my left, and Caleb and Cyrus had taken the far end near Rake. As sweet as the whole thing had been, I had missed the way Leo and Rake tended to put me to sleep—with as many orgasms for the three of us as possible.
Now I was just about ready for that shut-eye again.
“Mm, I’ll think about it. I like doing makeup, but probably not as much as I love thinking about it, and experimenting with it, and discussing it on a platform like Designate,” I said.
“Okay yes, but think of the parties and the traveling and…” Rake tilted his head at me and wrinkled his nose. “Do you like parties? Are they too much?”
“I used to love parties,” I said. “Any night I didn’t have to work was a night to go to a party or a bar. But Baby was my ride-or-die for that kind of thing, and she’s on lockdown with her alphas now.”
Rake frowned at that and stared at me skeptically. “You know I love this pack, but no one keeps me home from a party I want to go to.”
I hummed and shrugged, “Maybe the Howlers are just a little bit more…”
More alpha? That didn’t seem fair. Matthieu and Wes were inarguably alpha, they just weren’t domineering. And come to think of it, Bullet hadn’t seemed that way with Baby at all.
“I should get to know them better before I make any assumptions, I suppose.”
“Oh fuck, we should have them over for dinner!” Rake said, sitting up with excitement.
Rake tended to be a little wired after sex when it wasn’t a marathon session where I used the lock on him. Leo on the other hand… He twisted and curled into my left side, burying his face in my hair and slinging his arm over my chest after Rake abandoned it. Leo would be out in a few minutes probably, even just for a little nap.
“The Howlers?” I asked, eyebrows raising.
“Yaaaasssss,” Rake said, eyes wide and wild with excitement. “Can you imagine?”
I snorted and shook my head. “I can’t. At all. God, think of poor Caleb. How would he decorate for that?”
Leo snorted against me. Or snored. It was hard to tell.
“Amazing. It would be amazing, I can’t—” Rake cut off abruptly at the sound of voices downstairs. “Oh shit, it’s time to start thinking about family dinner.”
I hummed and glanced at Leo, who was sacked out and adorably innocent looking in sleep.
“How about we think of something to cook and let Leo rest?” I said.
“I honestly don’t know how to turn the oven on, but I do an excellent job at ordering delivery.” Rake rose up from the bed, strutting proudly towards the door, picking up a pair of jeans from the floor as if it were an afterthought to walk around his house with pants on. Maybe it was. Maybe I would learn that Rake just ran around naked most of the time if I stayed here for much longer.
Imagine it, I teased myself. Leo says this pack could be yours. There was a dark warning trying to wrestle its way up from the optimism. I shut both sides down just to be safe, and tried to find my way out of the bed without waking Leo.
“Sounds like Matthieu and Cyrus,” Rake said from the hall. “If you just lie right there, Matt will sniff you out, but it’s up to you whether or not you want a conversation or a horny alpha to deal with first. Actually, Cyrus’ self-control’s probably getting close to snapping too. How do you feel about a Dom, Lola?”
I was in the middle of sliding out of Leo’s embrace when the last question smacked me sideways.
“Sorry, wait, what?”
“Cyrus. He’s chill as hell regularly, but he’s a control freak in the bedroom. He’s worried you’re not ready for that level of intensity though,” Rake said, struggling into a t-shirt before glancing over his shoulder at me with keen study.
“I…”
I'd be lying if I said I hadn't already
started thinking of Cyrus sexually, but Rake's question made those desires skitter nervously. Cyrus was sexy as hell, but was I up for being the submissive to Cyrus’ dominant? It was intriguing, but it also raised a spike of anxiety in my chest. That was a whole world that relied on trust and vulnerability, something I shared in very carefully controlled doses.
“Got it. Not ready,” Rake said, winking at me.
“Yeah, let’s just table that for now,” I muttered, slipping out of bed and hunting for something to wear.
Most of what I’d brought—everything Indy had left me with—was either in the wash or still in my bags in Caleb’s room. My new wardrobe from Rake was waiting for me in a guest room that’d been offered up for my use, but I was still trying not to think about that.
I debated between gathering some mix of Leo and Rake’s clothes to wear or getting back into the dress I’d worn earlier, and decided comfort was the winner of the day.
Matthieu was on his way up the stairs, Rake passing him with a smile, and he caught me in his arms as we met on the landing. His eyes searched my face, a frown digging lines over his features. I reached my fingers up to smooth them away and let his scent wash over me.
“I’m fine. Tell me what happened after I left.”
Matthieu released a long sigh, easing against me, and lowered his head for a smooth, languid kiss on my mouth that nearly changed my mind about talking business first.
“Come downstairs, we’ll include Cyrus. By the way, what’s it going to take for you to start stealing my clothes?”
I laughed. “Consider the invitation accepted.”
With one more detour—Matthieu fitting me to the wall of the next landing and kissing me until I was breathless and on the verge of begging before he pulled away—Matthieu and I made it down to the kitchen where Cyrus was uncorking a bottle of red wine and Rake was flipping through menus on a tablet.
“Is that consolation wine or celebration wine?” I asked, smiling at Cyrus and perching on one of the island stools. Matthieu skipped a chair and settled in against my back, his arms around my waist and chin on my shoulder, a little rumble of a purr rattling softly against me.
Cyrus cracked a short laugh and poured himself a deep glass. “De-stressing wine. And maybe a little of both of those too.”
“We had a fair amount of scrambling to do this morning with the other editors we brought into the loop, but your heads up gave us the opportunity to fill some important roles. We’re left with a bit of a skeleton crew, but luckily for us, Wendy seemed to mainly target assistant editors,” Matthieu explained.
Cyrus passed us each a glass of wine, including Rake, and rolled his eyes. “Because any department heads would be looking at a noticeable pay cut to join her new adventure.”
“Betty and Zane?” I asked Cyrus.
He grimaced. “We’ll see, although I’m not happy with their role in this. I’m hoping they decide to leave.”
“When we knew we had our asses covered, I sat down with Wendy and our lawyers today, and terminated her contract. She was in serious breach, and you weren’t our only piece of evidence, so it’s effective immediately. Rake, I’m starving. You don’t have to check every menu in the city,” Matthieu said.
“I’m just making up my mind,” Rake said. “Might get eclectic. Can’t decide between Peruvian and soul food. Lola, what do you think?”
Matthieu’s hand slipped underneath my shirt, caressing up my ribs and then pausing just beneath my breast, making my core clench and my body freeze in surprise.
“Um. Both?” I said, too focused on Matthieu’s thumb stroking the underside of my breast, barely teasing my nipple. Sneaky bastard. I didn’t know if I wanted to lean in to the touch, or pinch him and make him retreat. Cyrus was studying the menus, but there was a sly curve to his mouth that made me think he knew exactly what we were up to.
“Fried okra please,” Matthieu said. He tweaked my nipple between thumb and forefinger, and I gasped, warmth and a little wetness flaring in my sex.
I pushed his hand away before the others looked over, and Matthieu kissed the corner of my jaw, his purr growing louder.
“Who’s the new editor in chief now that Wendy’s gone?” I asked Cyrus, tangling my fingers with Matthieu before he got any other clever ideas.
“You’re looking at him,” Matthieu said.
“Interim Editor-in-Chief,” Cyrus clarified with a heavy sigh. “Only until Matthieu can find someone better for the job. But I’m the most senior staff member.”
“And the most trusted right now,” Matthieu added.
“You don’t look excited,” I said gently.
Cyrus shrugged, head tipping back and forth. “I liked my little bubble. Chief involves a lot less art direction, which is what I love, and a lot more management. Wendy was very good at her work and very passionate. But my taking on the role will be the best way of implementing a new direction for Designate, one that can compete with Wendy’s concept without sacrificing the beauty and history of the magazine.”
“For what it’s worth, I think you’re what’s best for the magazine right now,” I said, making Cyrus relax and smile. “Where does that leave Beauty?”
“Probably down two assistant editors, provided you’ll come back. Has Rake talked you into working for him?” Matthieu asked.
“I made a serious effort, but she’s obnoxiously loyal,” Rake said, tapping items on his screen. He glanced up briefly to grin at me.
“Which we love about her,” Matthieu said, a little chastising.
“Yes, we do,” Rake crooned, beaming.
I blushed and hurried to redirect the conversation. “But the Head Editor?”
“Ah, that is the exciting news,” Cyrus said. “We called in a favor, did a lot of nagging and negotiating, aaaand…” He drummed lightly against the countertop. “We snagged Maureen Weiss.”
I jumped up from my chair, dislodging Matthieu from my shoulder with a rough grunt. “Shit, sorry! No way! How? I can’t believe she was interested!”
I’d gotten to work three shows for the iconic Maureen Weiss during fashion week, and she was fearsome and forward-thinking and bossy. I adored her in a terrified way.
“She wasn’t at first. But we talked about some of the new ideas, and we dropped your name which seemed to help a little. She likes you.” Cyrus grinned at my squeal.
I couldn’t keep still. Maureen freaking Weiss working for Designate. That was going to shake some serious shit up in the magazine. Our photoshoots were going to be bomb. Matthieu laughed as I started to bounce, traveling wildly around the island. I launched myself at Cyrus for a brief tight hug, and then Rake, and finally ran back to Matthieu’s arms, leaping up and allowing him to catch me with another ‘oof.’
“I take it that means you’ll come back to work for us?” Cyrus asked, laughing. “The magazine’s taking a little break and Maureen won’t be in until Monday, so when we come back we’re really going to need you. You in?”
“Oh, fuck yes I am. You couldn’t keep me out of the building if you tried,” I said, grinning. “Wait, I can, right? What will people think after today?”
Cyrus sobered, and Matthieu squeezed my shoulders. “You haven’t seen HR and you won’t now, so really your termination never took,” Matthieu said cautiously.
I glanced up at him and studied his guarded expression before looking to Cyrus, raising my eyebrows and hoping he’d be straight with me.
“It’s...it’s an office setting,” Cyrus said, wincing. “On top of that it’s fashion so…”
“So the rumor mill is running,” I said, nodding.
“Most people know Wendy fired you, and soon they’ll know Matthieu fired Wendy. Legally, we have to be careful about divulging the reasons. Even in breach of her contract, we can’t start a smear campaign against Wendy. Although I’m sure the truth is floating around as much as…” Cyrus trailed off.
“As much as the idea that you fired Wendy because you’re sleeping with me,” I said
to Matthieu, who grimaced. I sighed and leaned back in his arms, letting the whole situation run through my head, one little bullet point at the time. At the end, my answer was clear. “I guess I don’t care. I mean, this did happen because I’m involved with the pack. And I did decide to manipulate Wendy. I feel like I made the right choice, but that’s just our side of the situation, and Wendy’s entitled to be pissed. The best thing I can do with rumors is let them happen and not react. Anyway, I don’t want to miss a chance to work for Maureen, if I’m honest.”
“I’m very impressed with your decision,” Matthieu murmured. “I promise not to make it any harder for you at work.”
“Reasonably, an assistant editor and the CEO of Voir don’t have much of a reason to cross paths in the office,” I said, shrugging. “That will be easy enough.”
“True, but I also don’t want to play games and pretend we aren’t together. If we have an event, I want us to attend as we would if it weren’t an issue. As a pack,” Matthieu answered.
I’m not pack, I thought in reflex. Not yet, Leo's voice teased back. Either way, I understood what Matthieu meant. I was with the pack, and it would sting just as much for them to avoid me in public for the sake of appearances as it would for me to be ignored.
“Just don’t promote Lola to head editor of a department anytime soon, and people will get over it,” Rake said. He spun his tablet to face me and slid it across the island. “Now, pick what you want for dinner.”
I gaped as Matthieu skimmed through Rake’s cart. “That’s like the entire restaurant, Rake!”
“Yes, but what do we need twice as much of?” Matthieu asked.
“Welcome to living with six men, sunshine,” Cyrus said, smirking.
Caleb and Wes appeared in the next moment, crowding around my sides, hands passing briefly against skin in greeting as they started to negotiate their dishes.
“Hello, love,” Caleb murmured, pressing a kiss to my temple.
“How was your day?” Mine was wild. I got fired, had a cute date with Wes, got screwed silly by your bondmates, and then unfired.