by Wolf, Alex
“What?”
“Nothing. Just thinking about how I now have your phone number, address, probably a lot of information about you.”
My teeth refused to stop grinding together. Was everything a joke to him? “This is a serious problem.”
He laughed again. “Maybe for you. I mean, you used your boss for sex.”
The memories of that night flooded back through my body, and even though I wanted to squirm, I did my best to hide my reaction from him. I could still hear his voice in my ear, saying the dirtiest shit I’d ever heard in my life. How would I work with him now? This was a disaster. I wished I could’ve said it was because I was drunk, or something, but that would’ve been a lie.
Truth be told, I’d gotten myself off multiple times thinking about Hunter, including last night in the shower. This couldn’t be real.
I looked back at him. “This isn’t funny. What are we going to do about this?”
“What do you mean by ‘we’?”
I couldn’t stop thinking about lunch. The rumors about him sleeping with the entire ad department. For some reason my hands balled into fists, but I wasn’t mad about the situation. It was the thought of him being with other women. Life wasn’t fair. The one time I let my hair down and had a one-night stand—the greatest one-night stand in history—it was with my future boss. I knew it had been too good to be true.
The walls seemed to close in on me, and I found myself panting like I might be having a panic attack.
“You okay?” He started toward me.
I held up a hand. “Just—stay over there. I’ll be fine.” I took a deep breath. “We just need some boundaries.”
“Boundaries?” He cocked an eyebrow.
“Yeah, I mean, we work together now. I don’t think it needs to be said, but nothing can happen again.” I shot him a pleading stare. “Right?”
He smirked. “This is going to be fun.” His eyebrows waggled at me.
Shit. Shit. Shit.
It was like I was playing right into his hands. I had to stand my ground.
“First off—” He held up a finger. “I’m the boss. So you’re not really in a position to make any rules.”
I started to speak, but he cut me off.
“Second, well, I haven’t gotten that far yet. I think I’ll make up the rules as I go along. The perks, you know?”
“No, I don’t know. Please. I need this job.”
He smirked. “You’re even hotter when you’re flustered.”
I shot a glare back at him. “I am not flustered.”
He nodded, grinning. “Sure. I know.” This time he flashed an obvious wink.
My brain refused to form any meaningful thoughts, but excitement and anxiety both roared through me when I thought about our night together.
“I don’t want anyone to think I’m getting special treatment. I want to work for anything I get.”
“Well, that’s presumptuous. Thinking you’ll get treated better—” He closed the distance between us, and I gulped. He leaned down to my ear. “Because of the way you screamed my name when you came on my cock.”
When his breath hit my neck, I thought I might light up in flames again. I shook my head, trying to break out of the stupor he somehow put me in with his filthy mouth.
He shook his head. “No, no, we most certainly can’t have that.” He pushed a few stray strands of hair behind my ear. I thought I might melt into his hands. I couldn’t believe how the attraction rushed back to me in full force. I backed up and my ass rammed into the wall, shaking the picture frames.
I jolted forward, straight into his arms. God, he still smelled incredible. Something woodsy, with a sweet note at the end of it.
Fuck.
He held me and stared down, piercing me with his eyes. “If you’ll excuse me. I have a company to run.” He righted me on my feet, and turned toward his desk.
I whipped around, trying to get out of his office as fast as humanly possible.
“Have a good day, Rory.”
He said my name as if there was some kind of promise attached to it. I turned to flee, hurrying out the door. I crashed right into Hayes, the other hot-as-hell brother I’d gotten myself off to when I wasn’t with Hunter.
Jesus Christ.
I was living in a nightmare. One where I was the stupid girl walking into the dark room, knowing evil was lurking in the shadows.
He clutched me to his chest, and my entire body trembled.
“Hey, are you okay?”
Hunter’s door slammed shut behind us, and I jolted.
Hayes’s eyes narrowed on Hunter’s door. “What just happened?”
I had to change the subject. “Nothing. Just, went to the, umm, wrong office. I was looking for you.”
“Oh, I was away.” He wouldn’t stop glaring at Hunter’s office.
What is that all about?
“Come on.” He nodded toward his office. “I’m over here.”
“Sorry. Yeah. I got confused.” I wouldn’t make that mistake again. My brain had already formulated a plan to stay far away from Hunter.
We walked into the familiar room.
“Do you need something? I’ve been meaning to check in and see how things are going for you.”
My cheeks began to flush with pink. How were these two brothers? Sure, they were both powerful, strong men, but Hunter was so—rebellious, a bad-boy type. Hayes was restrained—his intensity controlled. He watched everything, like he logged away every bit of information in his brain.
I blinked a few times and looked up at Hayes. “No, I just wanted to thank you again, personally, for the opportunity.”
Hayes’s mind still seemed somewhere else. He kept staring at the wall between him and Hunter. “It wasn’t a tough choice. But, you’re welcome.”
Still no eye contact.
“Hunter’s pretty busy. You shouldn’t bother him again.”
I couldn’t put my finger on it, but it almost seemed like he was warning me away from Hunter. But why?
He finally looked over at me. “Is everyone treating you okay? Sometimes, things can get—catty, over in your department.”
I nodded. “Everyone’s been great. Thanks.”
“If anyone gives you problems. Come straight to me.”
Weird.
“Umm, okay.”
He glanced away, then back at me. “We’re doing this whole new open-door thing. Where we make executives accessible to anyone. That’s why I say that.”
I breathed out a sigh. It made sense, but still, I couldn’t help but feel like he didn’t treat all his employees the same way. It wasn’t anything small, but everything added up—the way they said he didn’t call people, but he was walking me to my car.
Hayes oozed some kind of power and sophistication that drew me to him. It was insane. I immediately regretted taking the job, even though I knew I had to make the best of it. My first week, and I was already going to need to steer clear of the two owners of the company. They were brothers. I’d already slept with one. I wasn’t sure if I could control myself if I was alone with the other.
Fuck, I was a mess.
I nodded and took a step toward the door. “I should be getting back.”
“See you around, Rory.”
He said my name the same way Hunter did. It sent goosebumps pebbling down the back of my arms.
I beelined it through the hallway to get to the elevator, then took it back to my floor.
The doors opened, and I stepped out, my brain in a haze.
When I walked back to my desk, Brie turned to me. “I was about to send out the troops. Did you get lost finding Frank?”
I thought about everything that had just happened. “Yeah, it’s like a maze down there. May need another tour. Sorry.”
“It’s okay. It takes some getting used to.” She picked up some papers and told me to follow her.
I obliged. The entire time we walked, my head was on a swivel, just wondering if I’d run into Hunter
again. My brain refused to cooperate with my body, and I spent the rest of the day in an unproductive daze. I just needed to make it home. I could start over tomorrow. I needed time to just—think.
Hayes
I shook my head in my chair, thinking about Rory. I forgot how gorgeous she was.
But, what was that all about? Her coming out of Hunter’s office? There was no way I could go over there and warn him to stay away from her. He’d know something was up, and he was known for doing the opposite of anything I told him.
I sunk down into my seat and attempted to get back to work, but my thoughts kept drifting back to her.
You’re going to get yourself in trouble.
She was an employee. I held a position of power over her. Dating her was out of the question.
Not like Hunter hasn’t gone there.
I snickered at the thought. Sure, Hunter lacked a moral compass. He would do anything with anyone and never look back. That didn’t mean it was right.
“What are you smirking about?”
I looked up to find Hunter standing in my office.
I shrugged. “Nothing. Was just thinking. You need something?”
“Nah—just dropping by. Speaking of dropping by, I met the new hire today.”
The look in his eye spoke volumes.
“Stay away from her.” The words came out before I could stop them.
He held up both hands. “Whoa, easy. She came into my office.”
“By accident.” I folded my arms across my chest and looked down at him, taking advantage of the two inches I had on him in height.
“Just making conversation. She seemed nice.”
“Nice and off limits. There’s enough ass roaming the city for you to take your pick.”
He stared blankly for a few seconds. “I behaved. Jesus.”
I didn’t know why him even mentioning her had my blood boiling. I needed to get the topic off her. “Just don’t get any ideas. You go over all the merger paperwork?”
Hunter arched an eyebrow and completely ignored the work-related sentence. “Ideas? Like what?” He grinned like he knew he was getting to me and wasn’t about to back down.
I took a step to close the distance between us. My words came through clenched teeth. “The last thing we need fucking up this merger is some kind of sexual harassment issue, or scandal because you couldn’t keep your dick out of the employees. That’s what I’m talking about.”
Hunter laughed and stared me in the eye. “Sounds more like a warning to me, like maybe you have a thing for her and you want me to stay away.”
I faked a grin and looked away, shaking my head. “Please. You know what I mean. She has a lot of potential. I don’t need extra fires to put out, and I don’t need to clean up any of your messes right now.”
He took a step back. “Calm down. Nothing’s gonna happen.”
“How’s everything going with the merger anyway?”
He nodded. “Finalizing the deal next week, then we need to gather all the employees together to let them know what’s coming.” He frowned. “And we need a new name, soon.”
I already knew all of this. I’d been checking up on him. He only thought he had the reins. But, he’d impressed me some and seemed to be taking his role seriously for once. I still couldn’t get the thought of him and Rory out of my mind, though.
“What do you think about the name?”
“No clue. Maybe we could have a contest or something?” He laughed like it was a ridiculous idea.
I thought about it for a second. “That’s not a horrible idea. There will be chatter about the merger. If we give them something to do, maybe they’ll focus on that and feel more involved.”
Hunter glanced out the window. “I can make a suggestion and see.”
“Okay. But ultimately it’s your call. You’re heading this thing up. I’m trusting you with it.”
Hunter nodded. “Okay.” He turned around, but as he reached the door, he looked back at me. “By the way, there’s nothing in the handbook that says we can’t hook up with an employee. I just read it. Twice.” He smiled.
Blood rushed into my face. I knew exactly what he was hinting at. “Your point?” My words came out harsher than intended.
His smile widened. “Maybe I’ll ask Rory out. See what she says.” He shrugged and walked out.
Motherfucker.
I sat there for a moment, thinking about him touching her, kissing her. I’d picked up a pen without realizing it. It snapped in half and shot ink all over my jacket.
Goddamn it!
He was absolutely right, though. There was nothing stopping either one of us from making a move. Other than ethics, morality, etc. I was aware of one thing. He needed to stay the fuck away from her. I also knew if I waited too long, he would get to her. Hunter got any woman he wanted. If only he worked as hard at the company as he did chasing women. Maybe I needed to get to her first, to save her from him.
* * *
On Monday, after a weekend of torturing myself with thoughts of her and Hunter, I decided to swing by her cubicle to see how she was doing. It was really the least I could do. I made it up to her floor and looked around to make sure no one would witness our encounter.
I knocked on the edge of the temp wall and she looked up.
Her eyes widened when she saw me. “Hey.” A smile spread across her face. “This is a surprise.” Her smile quickly morphed into a frown. “Everything all right? I’m not in any trouble, am I?”
I snickered. It was fun to watch her worry. Something about making her nervous made my cock stir in my pants. It reminded me of the power I held over her. As terrible as that sounded, it didn’t make it untrue. I shook my head. “No. Everything’s fine. Just checking in. Like I said. Being more accessible to new hires. This is my attempt at the new policy.”
She nodded, and her smile returned. “Well, everything’s great. Thanks.” She looked down at her desk. “I’m out of training now. But, I think I’m getting the hang of it. Brie was awesome. Taught me a lot.”
I looked around, and one of the girls poked her head out of her cubicle. When she spotted me, her head darted back inside. I turned back to Rory, trying not to let it bother me that I was always being spied on. I was one of the CEOs. I decided which employees I would talk to.
“Great to hear. If you need anything, just call.” I took off. On the way out the door, I saw a couple more people looking in my direction. I glared over at them and they disappeared. I rounded the corner, when I noticed Hunter heading my way. “What are you doing?”
He shrugged, slowing his steps and stopping next to me. “Just wanted to check on some of our employees.” He wore that shit-eating grin of his.
I returned it. “Clothing design department, by chance?”
He shook his head. “What are you implying?”
“Come on, walk with me.” I took off toward the elevator and he followed.
I smiled ahead of us, where he couldn’t see. I’d gotten there first.
“Hey, I really am gonna go—”
“Come on.” I motioned for him to catch up and follow me onto the elevator.
When we got inside and the doors closed, he turned to me.
“What the hell?”
“I already checked on all of them. No need for you to do it.”
His jaw tensed. “All of them?”
“Not all. But the one you were interested in.” I shook my head. “Too late, little brother.”
“Which one might that be?”
“I think you know. So, there’s no point in discussing it.”
Hunter smirked. “This isn’t over.”
When we reached the bottom floor, I stepped off. The doors closed behind me, and I whipped around.
Hunter waved with a grin on his face. “Just being thorough. Can’t shower them enough with praise.”
I took off toward the door, but it was too late. It closed in my face.
I wanted to punch the fucking thing, but
people were watching. I’d look ridiculous if I ran up the stairs.
It wasn’t good, especially since I’d just practically made it a competition. Hunter was the kind of person that didn’t have to try hard with women at all. They all gravitated toward him. I’d have to beat him at his own game; no easy feat. I’d be fighting a losing battle, but I wasn’t going to let him hurt Rory because he wanted to fuck her once and never see her again. He was playing with her career. I owed it to her, and the company, to keep him away from her. The fact I had feelings for her was beside the point.
Rory
I skimmed through my tasks I wanted to complete before I left, when I heard a throat clear. I looked up to find Hunter standing at my cubicle.
I glanced around to make sure nobody was around or listening in. “What do you want?”
He laughed. “Is that any way to talk to your boss?”
I’d be lying if I said his smirk didn’t have me clenching my thighs together under my desk. He was too hot for his own good.
“Would you loosen up?”
I glared at him again. “I’m plenty loose.”
“Well, I’m sure I helped out with that.”
“Please go away.” I wanted to bang my head on my desk. Why were these brothers doing this to me?
“That’s not really what you want, though. Is it?”
My head tried to shake, but I stopped it. My body didn’t want him to go away. But my mind sure-as-shit did.
I stared out the window. Anything that would keep me from looking at him.
“How are you doing? I’m checking in on some employees.”
“Hayes already checked on me. I’m fine.”
His jaw tensed. “Hayes? You guys have nicknames for each other now?”
What was this? Was he jealous of his brother?
“What’d he say to you?”
“God, what’s your deal? He just checked on me.” I didn’t want to use his brother against him. That’d be wrong. But, some kind of fantasy about him and his hot-as-fuck brother fighting over me sent all kinds of tingling sensations coursing through my body.
“He shouldn’t be over here. The creative area is mine.”
The way he said the word ‘mine’ sounded an awful lot like he was trying to stake a claim on me. It was hot in the bedroom for one night, but not when it came to my career.