Boss Me (Private Listing #3)

Before the officer left, he let me know the phone they’d taken into evidence for the Valerie and Jeff case received a lot of worried texts from a number labeled Neighbor Robert. He gave me a printout of the texts, which I set on the island and didn’t even glance at. I had too much already swirling around my brain.

After that, we quietly went to work. Me on the couch and Blake at the dining room table. It must have all caught up with me because even as interested in working as I am, I fell asleep.

Blake’s lips turn down at the corners, but he doesn’t press me to talk about it.

What is there to talk about? Someone is creeping on my life and there’s not a damned thing I can do about it. They can get to me anywhere. But hopefully not here.

Which will keep me a prisoner in this apartment. Not that it’s a hardship when the other inmates keep me so well entertained.

“I could go with you and sit in bed while you laid down?” He draws his hand away from me, and I miss his warmth immediately.

“No. I don’t want to sleep.” I hold up the tablet.

He nods and stands. “We protect what’s ours.”

A burst of warmth floods my chest. Tears choke my throat. “Thank you.”

He returns to his workspace and picks up his phone. I focus on the notes I was reading before I fell asleep. Falling asleep on the job is so unprofessional, but I’ll make up the time even if I have to work into the night.

I’m not here for a free ride. I earn my keep. While I enjoy my bosses in more ways than just work, I need to keep learning and growing as an employee so someday I can run my own business. While I don’t know exactly what I want to focus on, I know I don’t want to be beholden to a boss or bosses for the rest of my life.

My life is my own and I want to live it that way. I don’t want to coast through life as someone else’s possession like my mother has. Sure, my father loves her, but he also makes her feel small sometimes because he works to support her.

As the sky darkens beyond the windows, I need to do something more active. My fingers still tremble, and every little noise sets my pulse racing. Figuring I’ll work more after dinner, I go into the kitchen and pull out food to cook.

I’m cutting up vegetables to stir-fry when Noah comes in the door. His eyes immediately seek me out and he walks over to me. I set the knife down right before he pulls me into his arms and hugs me so tight and so close.

I wrap my arms around his waist and exhale against him. He’s like this warm beacon in my life. When I’m in his arms, nothing can get to me. I inhale the crisp, woodsy scent of him, and some of the tension releases from my shoulders.

“How are you doing, kitten?” He presses his lips against the top of my head.

“Good.”

At least, I am in this moment, with his arms around me. I could stay here forever.

Forever isn’t part of our arrangement though. It may not be limited in time, but these guys will eventually grow tired of me and the drama I unknowingly brought with me. Maybe things won’t be so easy sexually. Maybe having a stalker will drive them away. Or maybe I’ll leave to start my own life and they’ll continue on as if I was just a side note.

Just another assistant for the next one to wonder about.

My eyes burn for a second, but I squeeze them shut and draw away from Noah, forcing a smile to my lips. He tips my chin and kisses me softly. I could bask in the tenderness of this kiss for a lifetime and never get enough.

Pressing his forehead to mine, he draws in a breath. “I wish you were mine tonight.”

I touch his cheek and whisper, “I’m always yours.”

It won’t matter how long I’m away from him. Noah is mine and I’m his. Maybe we won’t be together but we’ll always belong to each other.

He kisses me again. His dark eyes hold me still for a moment before he walks over to Blake. I sigh. While Noah is easy to fall for, I’m surprised how easy it’s been to fall for all these guys. Every day with them I fall a little deeper, a little harder.

I barely hear Coop before his arms wrap around me from behind and he tugs me against his hard body. He leans down and whispers in my ear, “Curious how to get both of them into your bed tonight?”

A laugh escapes me. Noah and Blake glance over to me and Coop.

“I bet if you asked Seth nicely, he’d orchestrate a really low-key playtime for you.” Coop’s whispered words feed the desire that’s always on simmer around these guys, even when the world seems against me.

I squeeze his arms and tilt my head back and to the side to look up at his blue eyes shining with laughter. “I don’t think tonight is going to be that night.”

He kisses the top of my head and squeezes me back against him. When his hard cock digs into my ass, my body softens in anticipation.