The way he held me, touched me, smiled at me.
I’m sure he felt it too.
And for the longest while, we just stood in a tight embrace in the kitchen. I was leaning against the counter and he just snuggled right in, his forehead fitting perfectly in the crook of my neck.
Like he was made just for me.
“I really should get going,” he mumbled. “I have a thousand things to do.”
“Same.”
Neither of us moved.
“Are you really keeping my shirt?”
“Yes, I am. We can call it a birthday present.”
I pulled back, alarmed. “When’s your birthday?”
He laughed. “November eighth.”
“That’s seven months away.”
“Then we can call it an early birthday present.”
I laughed and pulled his face in for a kiss. “I’m going to get it back. One day.”
He had mischief in his eyes. “Good luck with that.” Then he became serious, searching my eyes for something. I don’t know what he was looking for or if he found it, but it made my heart thump against my ribs. “I should go,” he whispered. “Tell me to go.”
I gripped his jaw hard enough to make him groan. “Or you could stay.”
He groaned again, but it was a pained sound. He took my hand and kissed my palm. “I have a thousand things I need to do today.”
I nodded. “Same.”
He held my hand for a long moment, then put my palm to his chest before dropping it and taking a step back. “I’m going to go now,” he said, so quiet I almost didn’t hear it.
He turned then, checked his pockets for his phone and keys, and upon finding them, kissed me before he walked out.
I stood there, dumbfounded, my world spinning, heart racing. His touch, his smell, his smile filled my head and I was grinning like an idiot. I couldn’t seem to catch my breath.
“You okay?” My dad’s voice scared the shit outta me.
I clutched at my heart. “I didn’t hear you come in.”
“I could tell.” He studied me for a second. “The look on your face wouldn’t have anything to do with the young blond man I just passed in the hallway?”
Christ.
“Maybe.”
“I wondered where he came from.”
It was safer for me to change the subject. “I didn’t think you’d be home until later this afternoon.”
He took a deep breath and looked decidedly uncomfortable. It made me nervous. “I didn’t like how we left things yesterday. I thought perhaps you could join me for lunch.”
I couldn’t hide my surprise. “Oh. Sure.” I had no idea what ‘lunch’ entailed, but this was some kind of olive branch he rarely offered. “That’d be great.”
He gave a nod, then looked at my shirt. “Though you might want to change your shirt. That one’s quite ill-fitted.”
“It’s Michael’s,” I admitted.
Dad shot me a look that wasn’t exactly surprised, but it wasn’t entirely happy. “Do you not have enough of your own?”
I smiled, and that giddy feeling in my belly rolled right into nervous butterflies. And I don’t know what possessed me or why the hell I said what I said, but once the words were out, it was far too late, and I still didn’t care. “Dad, I want you to meet him.”
Chapter Eleven
Michael
“Michael, Natalie wants to see you in her office,” Carolyne said, poking her head through the door. Seeing me with my job folder and my keys in hand, she grimaced. “Sorry, I know you were about to leave.”
Fucking hell.
I glanced at the clock on my computer. It was 9:27am. I had a ten o’clock appointment across town and Natalie knew this. I was just about to leave, which she also knew. And now I was going to be late.
I slid the job file on my desk and repressed the almighty sigh I wanted to unload. Plastering a smile on my face, I made my way across the office to my boss’ office. Except I didn’t make it all the way . . .
Because in the main office area, which was mostly admin desks and some cubicles, stood Natalie and a man I’d recognise anywhere.
Bryce.
But not like I’d seen him before.
He was wearing a full three-piece suit. A dark grey suit very clearly made just for him because that fit was like a second skin. It showed his muscular thighs, his trim waist, broad shoulders, and exquisite neck and hair . . .
I almost tripped over my own feet.
Natalie gave me an odd look, half-impatient, half-what-the-fuck, but her smile was ever professional. Bryce, on the other hand, grinned before he caught himself, settling for a polite smile. Though his eyes were glittering with humour.
I held my hand out for him to shake. “Mr Schroeder, good to see you again.”
Which wasn’t a lie. It really was. After all, just last night we FaceTimed each other in bed and ended up jerking off together. It was as sexy as being in the same bed as him, with his warm, gravelly voice speaking low and filthy things in my ear.
I was certain by that smirk and those twinkling eyes he was remembering that.
“Ah, Mr Piersen,” he replied, smooth as silk, his lips toying with a smile. “Always a pleasure.”
I stared at him and his knowing, smiling eyes.
Son of a bitch.
As it turned out, he’d just arrived that very moment. So I introduced him formally to Natalie. She apologised again for not meeting him that day, to which he replied it was no problem at all. “As it turned out, Michael found me the perfect location.”
I ignored Natalie’s burning gaze. “It was just a matter of right place, right time,” I allowed politely. “Speaking of which—” I made a point of looking at my watch. “I have a meeting on Hyde, which I’m about to be late for. Mr Schroeder—”
“Please, call me Bryson.” He smiled.
I had to bite down on my tongue to keep my reaction in check. “Bryson,” I repeated slowly. “I’ll leave you with Natalie. You’re in very capable hands.”
His eyes lasered into mine. “Yes, I am.”
I gave them a nod and turned back for my office. I grabbed the file and dashed for the elevator, seeing Bryce and Natalie had disappeared into her office. I stepped into the elevator and took out my phone, quickly finding SAF in my messages, and shot him a text.
You’re in so much trouble.
I knew he wouldn’t be able to reply for a while, so I pocketed my phone and focused my mind on work instead. I got through my client appointment with minimal fuss and I headed back to the office. I had a dozen calls to make, twice as many emails to get through, and budget reports to finalise.
Natalie and Bryson were gone, and I was kind of glad. Not just because he was a beautiful distraction but because Natalie was already giving me weird looks. And I needed to put my head down and get through my never-ending to-do list.
I got a reply from him a few hours later. What kind of trouble? Naughty corner kind, or the spanking kind?
I smiled as I thumbed out a reply. The you’re-paying-for-dinner kind.
I ate a late lunch at my desk and managed to put a dent in my workload. All in all, it was a successful Monday. It was after six thirty, and I was organising shit I had to do in the morning before I left for the night when Natalie appeared in my doorway.