Paige

PAIGE

Eli's mouth coaxes mine open to let him in, and I nearly crumple under his yearning . It's the only way to describe the way he kisses me breathless.

His big fingers curl in the back of my head, and he struggles not to undo my bun. When our lips break apart, we're both panting hard, and he doesn't let go an inch of me for a long minute. Those brown eyes are so warm they heat me up.

I drag my nails through the beginnings of a beard across his chin and jaw. Trimmed to accentuate his excellent bone structure. As a leading man, he'd be described as ruggedly handsome. The strong outdoorsy type in a suit. A man who is easy to laugh and charm as much as he is to be serious and persuasive. I've seen so many sides of him recently.

The serious side shifts as he cups my cheek, his easy smile surfacing as he bumps his nose against mine. Then, he's turning, waving an employee closer. They blend in so well, I didn't even see him.

"We'll be taking that, the curtain of string lights with its setup over in the corner there," he points at a beautiful scene where people have periodically been taking pictures. White lights, a white seat, and a lot of reflective surfaces. A good choice. He's been listening to my suggestions and concepts. "Something that links the rest of the room together with it, yes?"

I bite back my smile because he isn't asking me. The man nods, tapping away at his tablet as Eli lists a few of the other smaller things I noted on the way in. And as we walk back to the front door, he asks for the fourteen-foot white and gold tree.

"One more thing. The inflatable reindeer up front. I want that one too."

Blinded by that choice, I stumble back to the car with Eli and don't fuss when he reels me in against his side in the backseat. Giving in, I lean against him, tucked into his chest with his mouth pressed to my hair.

It's a nice, quiet moment of comfort and intimacy that I'm not used to. I expected Eli to be all hands and dueling tongues the moment we were alone, but he's soft and cuddly. I absolutely love it.

But once we pull into the parking garage, my anxiety strikes. I fidget with the seam of my pants, the cuffs of my jacket, the button of my coat.

"You're not in trouble for being late."

I suppose it's not hard to figure out the biggest issue making me stress, but I wish that is all that gives me pause.

"And I won't paw at you on the way in. I do know how to behave like a gentleman—and like a respectable boss, even if I don't want to."

Again, he makes me smile. As if he can see it, he kisses the top of my head and climbs out of the car, helping me get to my feet. Once we're in the elevator, he slowly pulls away. Stops touching me. The way he looks at me from across the elevator has my pulse racing.

God, why does he have to be one of the sexiest men alive?

I'm too wrapped up in this thought when the elevator dings and the door start to open. Dragging my hands down my shirt, I pull my shoulder blades back and strap on the confidence. Some days, it comes easy, and others…Well, the trick is to fake it ‘til you make it.

Right now, it's a cocktail of the two.

I step out first, but Eli is like a languid apex predator behind me, escorting me through the office without needing to touch me. I feel him there for every step. Everyone's gaze flickers up to us, dropping back down almost immediately.

Except for Sabrina's. She watches every step we make toward Henry's office, her expression icier than I'm used to.

Have rumors already started circulating? Certainly, she wouldn't be the only one staring at us if that were true.

She might just be suspicious? Jealous? I should buy her lunch and invite her to sit with me again.

Eli ushers me past Henry's door, closing it behind us with a tight snip .

Henry leans back in his chair, but another form stands from the couch.

I turn toward Jake as he takes three long strides to reach me. His fingers unravel my bun as he presses a kiss on me, soft but hungry. Holding onto him triggers an iron grip low on my back. Which is good because my knees are wobbling.

When he's satisfied, he leaves me catching my breath.

"I don't like being ignored." As inexpressive as he tries to be, I can see the small hurt in his eyes.

I didn't answer any of their texts the entire weekend. Partly because I don't like to have my time with Paxton interrupted, but mostly because I needed the time to process everything that happened between the four of us.

"I was with my son all weekend. I get such little time with him already, that I don't let anyone in on that time." As hard as my tone is—I've had to be strict about this for as long as he's been alive—my fingers draw circles over Jake's heart, hoping he forgives me anyway.

A small nod has him leaning down to me again. "A single text to know you're alive isn't asking for much, ."

The way he says my name shakes something loose inside me. So does the way his hand tangles in my hair.

"You can make it up to us later." The small tug of his grip as he says the words sends heat through me.

I expect his mouth on me again, but he simply teases me with his control before he releases me and returns to the couch, picking up his coffee and his tablet. I'm left shaking as Henry approaches, smoothing my nerves a little as he plants a kiss on my cheek.

"Go on to your office. There's a stack of paperwork waiting for you, and I've pushed our morning meeting back until after lunch." And Henry turns me, ushering me out the door in a confused haze.

I can't let it affect me while I'm at work. Or at least, I can't let anyone else know that it affects me. Drawing my hands through my hair, I twist it back into a bun on my way to my office and take a deep breath once I'm behind my desk.

The relief doesn't last long as Sabrina knocks on my open door, walking in before I can invite her. Her cold demeanor amplifying as she thrusts a small stack of papers at me.

"Your calls from this morning." Her frown has my stomach twisting in knots. What did I do to have her react to me this way?

I take the messages from her. Six phone calls I'd missed in the hour I'd spent with Eli. "Thanks."

"Yeah. I'm not your secretary, you know." With that Sabrina spins on her toes and saunters out.

Okay. I didn't know how she got stuck taking my messages. I have an answering machine. And now, that budding friendship seems to be shriveling up in the cold.

Well, shit. I plunk the messages down on the pile of paperwork waiting for me. Lots of details and reports on my team's progress. And one by one, each of my team members comes to check in with me, asking how I'm doing. If everything's better.

I try not to give away too many details. It's not a good look on the boss to unload all of her problems on her team, so I keep it close to my chest. Still, I appreciate their concern.

I'm still behind once lunch hits, so I work through it, nibbling on a baked oat bar from the cafe on the first floor to keep my stomach from growling during our afternoon meeting. Most of it is routine, paring down candidates for the design contest, tweaking contracts and rules, going over mockups of the more typical rooms we want to update and remodel.

It's slow going, but we're making progress. I send my team home at five, waving them off as I sit to keep chipping away at my tasks. Every paper that makes it into my outbox offers me a small sense of relief.

Stretching and reaching my arms overhead, I take a deep breath and roll my head to either side. I nearly jump out of my seat when I open my eyes to Henry leaning against my open door. The tall line of him interrupted by the way his arms are crossed makes him look like a model. Graying hair pushed back from his face has me narrowing in on his cool blue eyes.

"Hey," I manage to say, rooted in my seat.

"What are you still doing here? Don't you have someone to go home to?" I expect to see a challenge in his eyes, but he's soft and kind. Like always. Why am I not used to this by now?

"He's with my dad tonight."

Henry's gaze darkens, and heat blooms along my skin. "Good. We need you in Eli's office in five. So, wrap things up."

I nod and watch as he walks away. God, that man is sex appeal wrapped in a suit. Struggling to shake myself from the dirty thoughts popping up, I organize my desk for the morning. What's left won't take me long tomorrow, which is good because I'll only get an influx of more paperwork as the day progresses.

Closing up my office, I wrangle my adrenaline, refusing to run to Eli's office and what I presume are three men waiting for me. Will they actually punish me for this weekend? Why did that thought make me wet?

At the threshold, I pause, seeing the three of them standing by Eli's desk. My breath catches at the dark hungry looks they're each giving me in turn.

"Don't stand there like you're shy." Jake points to the spot in front of him. "Get over here."

Swallowing hard, I keep enough of my sense to close the door behind me before stepping in front of Jake. The toes of our shoes graze as I tip my head back to look up at him. I still can't tell how angry he is with me, and the dilation of his pupils is no help.

His long fingers come up to trace my bottom lip, dipping in a fraction as his nostrils flare. His voice is a low grumbling demand as he says, "On your knees."

Anticipation slices through me before I lower myself to my knees in front of him, neck craned to look all the way up his body. He's hard against his slacks, thick and waiting. I pulse with the kind of desire I'm not used to.

After a pause, he reaches up to unknot my hair, letting it fall over my shoulders and down my back. Jake doesn't move, drawing out every second of anticipation he can before I go absolutely crazy with the need to have his hands on me. His mouth on mine. His cock inside of me.

The three of them have turned me into an addict when I never thought of myself as particularly sexual.

Jake's hand wraps itself in my hair, tight to the point of pain without hurting too much. My gasp sends a glint through his green eyes. His thumb runs over my lip again as he softly commands me to open my mouth.

I do as he says, cupping the pad of his thumb with my tongue as he slides it in. I close my mouth around the digit and suck.

Jake's lids flutter to half-mast as I work his thumb. "Ready to use your newly acquired skills?"

I suck harder, balling my hands into fists with the want to reach out and stroke the length of him trapped in his slacks. Again, he leaves me waiting, watching for some sign I can't fathom.

And finally, his thumb slips from between my lips as he pulls himself out—long and proud, the only peek of flesh in the long lines of his dark blue suit. His hands fists around the base, precum glossy on the tip.

When I lick my lips, I catch an almost indecipherable shiver in him. I only wait another second before that velvety head presses at my mouth. Sucking him down offers me a chorus of groans, but I keep my gaze on Jake's as I take him.

Without the distraction of two other cocks, I concentrate on every ridge and vein of his shaft, tonguing and suckling and grazing gently with my teeth until Jake's hand convulses in my hair.

Slowly yet all at once, he's thrusting down my throat, taking me with brutal efficiency. All I can do is keep myself open to him, brace my hands against my knees, and breathe.

As much as I don't like giving anyone else control over my life, this kind control is one of the hottest things I've ever experienced. Something I never knew I wanted. Especially with the way he looks at me.

Like I am the center of his universe.