Page 35 of Beacon

I remember him as a young kid, coloring in his grandpa’s office, with that same toothy grin. And nothing has changed except instead of coloring, he games for a living. “Okay, make it quick, you overwork me and I have a lot of shit to do today,” Icounter, a smile on my face, because most of it is a joke, except I do have a lot of shit to do today.

He pulls back the chair in front of my desk and sits down. “Wow, this must be serious.”

“It is, for me, anyway.” He leans over, and his elbows are on his knees. “I’ve started dating someone, and it’s becoming rather serious. So, in case there’s backlash, I want you to be prepared.”

I set down the pen in my hand that I’d been twirling. “And this person will cause problems for the company? Is that what you’re telling me?”

He wipes some sweat from his brow. “Most likely, but not in the way you’re thinking. It’s not like I’m in some illicit affair with a married person, or someone that has been trouble in the press.”

I push back my chair and he has my attention.

“It’s a guy, Sandra. I mean, I’ve never come out officially, because my life is mine, but hell, I’m tired of putting the company first. Sure, it’s my livelihood, and the rest of the guys’ too. They’re my family, and I’d never let them down, but I think I found the one. Do you think that’s possible?”

He asks a good question, because after three days with Dom, I feel the same way, deep in my soul.

“You deserve to be happy. Do the rest of the guys know about this?” These guys are more than just guys; they’re his partners, and though Matthias has controlling interest, I’ve never seen a tighter group of friends.

“Yeah, I’ve come out to them as bisexual, and they’re supportive. I won’t go on TV and announce this, but I won’t sneak around like Nate is a dirty secret. I want to hold my boyfriend’s hand in public. Is that too much to ask?”

Oh, now I understand.

He has more to say, leaning back, letting out a long deep breath as sharing this secret has given him a reason to unburdenhimself. “And you’ll most likely have to field questions. If companies we work with reach out…”

“I’ll draft a response, and I assure you that I won’t let anyone disrespect you. And anyway, the only one allowed to give my boys shit is me.”

He returns a tight smile. “Thanks, Sandra.” He steps to the door, but lingers there for a beat longer than he typically does. “And, Sandra?”

I’m looking at my phone but pop my head up with his question. “Yeah?”

“Something is different with you, in a good way. You came to work a couple weeks ago like you were about to burn down the whole world and everyone in it and have kept to yourself. I didn’t want to push, but today, there’s a peace inside of you. So maybe I won’t have to fire you after all.” He teases every day that he’ll fire me, especially when I tell him something he doesn’t like hearing.

I toss a pen at him. “Yeah, like you could run this business without me, asshole,” I retort with a snort.

“You’re right, so keep it up.”

Turning my phone to the many texts from Dom, I know exactly who has changed me.

I openthe door to the loud and demanding knock. Yep, even his knocks are dominant.

It’s been three days since I last saw him, and I’ve missed him. It’s been a shitstorm at work, with investors threatening to back out of the company if Matthias takes his relationship public. I’ve had to field calls, which I was handling, then Matthias’s grandpatook charge, threatening to ruin any man who walked away from his grandson’s business because he was dating a guy.

It complicated matters, but most people won’t cross Sherman Hennessy, and after three days of fear that major investors would walk, we’ve been able to get everyone back on board.

Dom had been given a landscaper’s dream weather for late summer in Chicago and has been busy at my sister’s compound, making the grounds pretty. It’s a massive job, with more than four hundred acres of land. They’re not simply managing but rather designing every outside part on their own, with the approval of my picky sister. Two other triads are building on the land too. Dom’s brother and his partners, along with their close friends, Scarlet, Levi, and Jordan Arnold-Peters.

I can’t wait to see him, and I pull it back, just a smidge. It’s Dom, in his glory, his corded muscles extending down his forearms, his sleeves rolled up. I open it completely, Otis at my side. Dom steps over the threshold and backs me up to the nearest wall, tugging at my chin and dropping a punishing yet delicious kiss on my lips.

His hands roam up my thin tank but quickly detour to my jeans. I’d not had a chance to change yet, but it looks like he’ll do my job for me.

The whimpers of Otis are heard from below us. Someone else wants attention too.

“I’ll get to you in a moment, Otis, your mommy comes first. But don’t worry, I have something for you.” Like most dogs, and pugs in particular, the way to their heart is through food. There’s a specific bone Otis loves that I mentioned to Dom, and he pulls it from his pocket and tosses it away from us, sending the dog charging off to another part of the apartment.

“That may buy us three minutes, but it’s all I need.”

Otis appears once more with the bone in his mouth and stares at me, because I let him get away with everything. It’s Dom who gets him to obey. “Otis, go.” And with his long toenails and my hardwood floors, I can hear him trotting into the bedroom.

“He listens to you,” I say with a huff, but without an audience, Dom can get to the business at hand.

---