The Shacking Up Series

by Helena Hunting

  I assume that because it’s his place of work and he’s pretty freaking important he’s going to be the professional Mr. Mills I got to see in action in Vegas, but he laces our fingers together and leads me through the front door, which requires some kind of key card and a thumb print. We stop at the front desk where he introduces me as his girlfriend to the receptionist and asks her to set me up with a pass so I have full building access.

  Her eyes pop at the request, and she gives me a curious look, but she’s ultra-polite and complies without question.

  Griffin takes me to the fifty-seventh floor of the building. When we step off the elevator, the woman seated behind the reception desk bolts out of her chair. “Griffin! I thought we weren’t expecting you until Monday.”

  He offers her a reassuring smile. “I’m not here to work. This is Cosy Felton. I wanted to show her around the office.”

  She offers me a polite, friendly smile and extends her hand. “Welcome, Cosy, is it?”

  “You got it.” I return the smile and accept her hand.

  “I’m Susan, head receptionist. If there’s anything you need, let me know.”

  “Thanks, Susan.”

  She turns to Griffin. “Is this our new intern?”

  “We’ll talk about that later.” He places a palm on my low back. “I want to show you around the office.”

  I let him guide me away, but I glance over my shoulder at Susan, whose gaze is fixed on where Griffin is touching me. “You have a new intern?”

  Griffin doesn’t have a chance to answer the question because we’re nearly bowled over by a giant man as he rushes out of a nearby office. “Griff? I thought you weren’t work—” He stops midsentence as his gaze shifts from Griffin to me and back again. He quirks a questioning brow and a half smirk appears. “New intern?”

  Griffin gives the man a warning look and clears his throat. “This is Cosy, my girlfriend. Cosy, this is Lex, my younger brother.”

  Lex’s eyes flare the tiniest bit as he glances from his brother to me; it’s the only sign he’s shocked.

  I’m not nearly as subtle. I elbow Griffin in the side, hard. “Seriously? Can’t you give a girl some prep time and warning before you go surprise dropping family introductions? What if I had spinach in my teeth?” I motion to my face.

  “I would’ve told you if you had spinach in your teeth,” Griffin replies.

  “Not the freaking point, Griffin, and you know it.” I hold out a hand. “Sorry, I’m being so rude right now.”

  “Not at all. Griff is the king of surprises lately.” Lex flashes a wide, dimpled grin and extends a massive hand. “It’s great to finally meet you, Cosy.”

  “It’s great to meet you too.” Based on his comment, I’m pretty damn sure Griffin hasn’t mentioned the fact that I’m a decade his junior.

  “I’m about to head into a meeting. Will you be around for a while?” Lex asks Griffin.

  “For a bit. I want to show Cosy around the floor.”

  “Okay. Well, if you’re still here when I’m done, we can all head over to family dinner together.”

  “Whoa, wait, what?” It’s close to a shriek.

  Lex’s grin widens. “That’s my cue to leave. It was great to meet you, Cosy. I look forward to telling you all kinds of incriminating stories about Griffin this evening.” And with that, Lex turns and strides down the hall.

  I grab Griffin by the tie and drag him into the closest room that isn’t his brother’s office. Of course, it’s a supply closet. Just my luck. I drag him back out. “Where’s your office?”

  “Down the hall.”

  “Take me there, now.” It’s not a request.

  I follow him inside a huge office with absolutely zero privacy since it’s all glass windows and walls. I spot a door on the other side of the room and stride over, yanking it open. Of course, Griffin has his own private bathroom. I step inside and wait for him to join me before I shut the door. “When exactly were you planning to tell me about family dinner?”

  He raises his hands in supplication. “I forgot it was tonight.”

  “Did you also conveniently forget that you’d be introducing me to your damn brother? Are there any other family members I should prepare to meet while I’m here?”

  He rubs the back of his neck nervously. “I’m not sure if Bancroft is in the office today.”

  “Your other brother?” The only time I’ve met the family was with my high school ex from freshman year. They loved me, but we were fourteen and not disappearing into his bedroom to bang each other senseless, so that might have helped. Right now, I’m halfway to pissed and the other half of me wants Griffin to test the sturdiness of the vanity, despite how annoyed I am. And terrified.

  “Yeah.”

  “Geez, Griffin. I’ve been your girlfriend for less than twelve hours.”

  “We established your girlfriend status in Vegas. There was just a pause before we reestablished it.”

  “Again. Not the point.”

  “I figured it wouldn’t be much of a surprise since you know it’s a family business.”

  Okay, he has me there.

  He runs his hands down my arms, inducing a shiver. “We’ll go back to my place. I didn’t mean to upset you. I just wanted to show you the office. I didn’t think about family introductions, or how that might make you feel, and I honestly forgot about family dinner. We don’t have to go. I can tell my dad I have to miss it.”

  “Your dad?”

  “It’s not a big deal. He’ll understand.”

  “He’ll understand?”

  “That I can’t make dinner. It’s okay that you’re not ready to meet my family. Once you’re back in New York, we can arrange dinner. It’s fine.”

  “Is your family expecting to meet me tonight?”

  Griffin’s rapid blinks speak volumes.

  “Oh my God. You told your family about me?”

  “Haven’t you told your family about me?” Shit. He looks hurt.

  “My parents are always on the road. I barely see them. The last time we talked, I said I was seeing a guy but didn’t go into great detail.”

  “So they know about me?”

  “Yes.” Sort of. I was super vague, but I mentioned that I was seeing a guy a few months back. I passed it off as casual because at the time, that’s what it was.

  “So when we go back to Vegas, I can meet them?”

  “If they’re home, sure.” They’ll probably shit a brick and embarrass the hell out of me. Although, there’s a good chance Nev has already spilled the beans, in which case they’ll definitely embarrass me. Especially if she tells them he’s part of the Mills Hotel empire.

  Dating a billionaire heir can be challenging.

  Griffin regards me with fierce intensity for a few long seconds. I stumble back into the door as he fuses his mouth to mine and starts grinding all up on me. I have no idea what’s going on. I was totally ready to confront him about how extra he’s being with the whole parent intro less then twenty-four hours after we’ve made the official dating-again designation, but now his tongue is in my mouth and he’s dry humping me in his office bathroom, so I’m a little torn.

  A muffled knock filters through the confusion and the lust, followed by Griffin’s name being called. He disengages in a hurry, eyes wide, like he’s gotten caught doing something he shouldn’t. Such as dry humping his girlfriend in his private bathroom.

  “Shit,” he mutters and straightens up my dress and then rearranges his hard-on.

  Whoever it is calls his name again. He opens the door and tries to pull it closed on me, leaving me in the bathroom. I don’t consider that he might have a reason for such an action until I follow him out and wish I hadn’t.

  Standing in the middle of his office are two men. One is a fair-haired, much larger and younger version of Griffin, the other is a much older, salt-and-pepper version of my boyfriend.

  Awesome. I just got caught making out with my boyfriend by his dad, who is also his boss.r />
  Chapter Twenty-Four: Meet the Fam

  Cosy

  “I’m going to kill you,” I say loud enough for Griffin to hear.

  “I tried to close the door.”

  “With no explanation as to why.”

  The two men stand side by side, their posture and stance exactly the same. They move almost in tandem. It’s freaky. The younger guy’s brows pop, and then he smirks knowingly. This must be his youngest brother, Bancroft. He used to be a professional rugby player and based on his size alone, I can see why. He’s massive. Also, I’m almost positive his nose has been broken, and he has a couple of facial scars that only add to the badass hotness.

  This family has ridiculous genetics.

  If I don’t murder Griffin for this, we might have very pretty babies one day. In the very distant future.

  The older man—clearly Griffin’s father—blinks a whole bunch of times. His expression remains relatively flat, which is super impressive. “Why was your new intern in your bathroom, Griffin?” I’m even more impressed that he doesn’t mention the obvious, that we were alone, with the door closed.

  I skirt Griffin, approaching Mr. Mills Senior with a confidence I definitely don’t feel, and extend a hand. “I’m Cosy Felton, Mr. Mills, Griffin’s girlfriend.”

  I get a few more blinks. It must be a Mills men thing. And suddenly a huge, disarming smile lights up Mr. Mills Senior’s face. Instead of taking my hand, he pulls me into a solid hug. He pretty much crushes my ribcage before he lets me go and holds me at arm’s length. “I’d hoped I’d get to meet you. This must mean you’re coming for dinner. Mimi will be so thrilled. Does your mother know yet?” He looks to Griffin.

  “Dude. You have zero game, you know that, right?” I say over my shoulder.

  Griffin shrugs. “Pretty sure I obliterated my game when I asked you out in the first place.”

  His brother snorts. “Griff has never had game. He relies on his pretty face for everything.”

  “Screw you, Bane of my existence.”

  “Lame,” Bancroft and I say in unison.

  Mr. Mills Senior chuckles and addresses Griffin. “I like her already.” He turns to me. “I sincerely hope you can make dinner tonight. It’ll give us all a chance to chat.”

  “My wife, Ruby, will be there,” Bancroft says.

  “And Amalie as well, Lexington’s fiancée,” Mr. Mills Senior says. “So you’ll have support. Then we can talk more about your internship.”

  “You mean, my time on the ship?” I ask, confused as to why this keeps coming up.

  All three men exchange a look. “Bancroft and I need to head to a meeting, but we’ll see you at the house at six.” Mr. Mills Senior clasps my hand in his. “Cosy, it’s a been a sincere pleasure, thank you.”

  “You’re welcome?”

  He hugs me again. Bancroft gives me a fist bump and a wink before they leave.

  “What exactly was he thanking me for?”

  “Dealing with me.”

  “You’re not difficult.”

  “I can be intense. And impulsive, and I don’t always consider the impact of my actions, like bringing you here without adequately preparing you for what you might face.” He’s fidgety now.

  “Oh. Well, I can handle whatever you throw at me.” I tug on his tie with a playful grin. “Who’s this new intern they keep mentioning?”

  He clears his throat and looks anywhere but at me.

  “Griffin?”

  “You’ll work for Mills Hotels when you move to New York.” It sounds more like a directive than a discussion.

  I cross my arms. “Excuse me?”

  “It makes sense. You have a hotel management degree. You’re graduating at the top of your class.”

  “And you know this how, stalking stalker who stalks?”

  “I emailed the head of your program, asking about the top students in the class. You were number one. You have the skills and qualifications required to work for Mills Hotels.” He’s so matter-of-fact it’s unnerving.

  “And how will that look in the eyes of your employees?”

  He frowns. “I could get you a job with the competition if working for Mills Hotels makes you uncomfortable, but I’d prefer not to.”

  I roll my eyes. “Seriously? As if the competition is going to hire me. They’ll think you’re planting a spy.”

  “So, working for Mills Hotels makes the most sense. You’ll intern, paid of course, and then you’ll move into a position that suits your talents.”

  “And people will speculate I got the job because of my stellar blow job skills. Long live nepotism.”

  “They’ll figure out you got the job because you’re smart and competent pretty damn quick, Cosy. Especially when they see your transcript and your employment history, which is nothing short of impressive with glowing recommendations. I should know. I’ve called every single one of them. I will say that if I ever meet Rob from the amphitheatre, I will probably kick his ass. But employment history aside, since when have you given a shit what other people think?”

  “It’s not me I’m worried about, and Rob was the creepiest boss ever.”

  “I will definitely be hunting him down and beating his ass. If you’re not worried about you, what are you worried about?”

  “You going on a firing rampage because people gossip. See your reaction to Rob for details.”

  His lips thin in a line, which is impressive considering how full and pillowy they are.

  I run my palms up over his broad chest and lace my fingers behind his neck, bringing my body flush with his. He’s right, I don’t care that everyone who walks by his office can see us. “I’m in this with you, Griffin. Just remember that we’re a team and we take things on as a team. You don’t get to white knight me. If I start working for Mills Hotel as an intern, it needs to be on a regular intern salary, not some insane inflated paycheck. And I won’t work under you since I’ll be under you enough as it is.”

  “You’re better than the typical intern salary, but if that’s what you want . . .”

  “That’s what I want.”

  “Then that’s what you’ll get.”

  He’s half an inch away from kissing me when a knock startles us both. His brother Lex is pressed up against the glass, fake humping it.

  I lift a brow. “Everyone in this family is super serious, aren’t they?”

  “They used to be.”

  “What happened?”

  “My brothers fell in love.”

  “And you?”

  “I found my soul mate and finally figured out what love really was.”

  I drag him back into the bathroom and shut the door for privacy. “Did you say what I think you did?”

  “I found my soul mate?”

  “The other part.”

  He smiles softly. “This shouldn’t be news to you, Cosy. I think my actions speak a hell of a lot louder than words.”

  “I like words,” I whisper.

  He brushes his lips over mine. “I want you to move to New York. I want you to work here so I can see you every single day, and when I travel, you’ll travel with me so I never have to miss you again, because I love you, Cosy Felton, and I don’t want to spend another day without you.”

  “I love you back, Griffin Mills, so much, even though you have zero game.”

  “I’d rather have you than game.”

  Chapter Twenty-Five: Could the Real Asshole Please Stand Up?

  Griffin

  Dinner with my family is an embarrassing event, not for Cosy, but for me, thanks to my brothers’ endless razzing. By the end of the evening Cosy has exchanged contact information with Amalie and Ruby, and they’re already planning some kind of girls’ night. My mother also pulls me aside and requests that I don’t go eloping while we’re back in Vegas because she would like a hand in planning our wedding. I would call it a successful family introduction.

  The next morning Cosy wakes me up with her mouth. We have lazy Saturday morning sex, and a
fterward Cosy pops cream puffs my mom sent home with us while I make coffee. After we’re caffeinated and dressed, Cosy declares that we’re going shopping for penthouse decorations since we never managed to fit it in yesterday on account of the family dinner. We hit a flea market first—at her insistence—where she finds all kinds of budget treasures she thinks fit my personality.

  After that, we check out an estate sale on the outskirts of the city, near where Lincoln’s family lives. Cosy has a great eye for art, picking out eclectic pieces. She’s also very adept at haggling, although I think it’s mostly that people are instantly enamored, and they’ll do just about anything to get a smile out of her. By the time we’re done, we have four new pieces of art, two table lamps, and a bunch of decorative bowls—what their purpose is eludes me, but she likes them, so I bought them.

  We’re both starving, having only eaten cream puffs for breakfast, so we stop at a café for lunch before we head back to the penthouse with all of our old-new things. We’re halfway across the parking lot when Cosy jerks me into her.

  “What—”

  Her eyes shift over my shoulder for a split second, then she grabs me by the collar, pushes up on her tiptoes, and glues her mouth to mine. I indulge in the kiss for a few strokes of tongue before I cup her face and disengage.

  She runs her palms over my chest and presses her body against me. “You know what? I think food can wait. Why don’t we go back to your place and order in? We can hang new art and get naked, not necessarily in that order.”

  While I’m not opposed to this option, there’s something off in her tone. Her gaze darts past me again, and she grabs my hand. “Come on, let’s go.”

  I let her pull me a couple of steps toward the car, glancing over my shoulder. It’s my turn to come to an abrupt stop. Across the parking lot is Imogen. She looks significantly more pregnant in the short weeks since I last saw her.

  Cosy pulls on my arm. “Griffin, please, it’s been a good morning. Let’s go so it doesn’t get ruined.”

  I’m about do exactly as she says, except I realize that Imogen is rounding the passenger side of a car with personalized plates I recognize, and behind her is my cousin Armstrong. Lincoln’s asshole brother. Amalie’s asshole ex-husband who cheated on her at their wedding reception.