Page 7 of Master Heimdall

Sinking into the faux leather of the booth, I could feel the weight and stress of the past few weeks like a cloak around my shoulders. At this rate, I would start aging prematurely. I needed to get my business and my libido under control. Maybe I could do a scene at Midgard to help relieve the pressure? But at this point I wasn’t sure I had enough energy to play with anyone.

“Well, you look like shit. I’m assuming you demanded this impromptu get together because you’re unhappy about something.”

Before I could speak, a cup of steaming hot coffee was set down in front of me along with a plate loaded with waffles and bacon. This is why we were still very close friends after all of these years—Erik’s superpower to know what someone needed and to somehow make it happen without ever being asked. Since I hadn’t eaten breakfast, I wasn’t going to complain.

“You’re not eating?” I asked after taking a few bites and calming my hunger.

“I already ate, but I know you rarely take time for breakfast or lunch unless you have a meeting with clients,” he said with a smirk.

He wasn’t wrong but that didn’t mean I had to admit it. “Not all of us have a pretty little slave to make us breakfast.” I took a sip of coffee and smiled.

“Jealous?” Erik’s quirked eyebrow made me chuckle.

“You are a lucky bastard, but you know that isn’t my style.” I took a deep breath. “I need your advice.”

Erik nodded. “Must be personal not professional if you are asking me instead of Colin or Lincoln.”

“Actually, it’s a little of both. Mari has put me in an awkward position. I think that woman is up to something.”

Erik laughed. “Isn’t she always? But you’ll have to catch me up. What did she do this time?”

I shared the conversation I’d had with Mari and how she sent one of her friends to interview with me this morning.

“Is her friend qualified for the job?”

“Brother, you have no idea. The woman she sent has a resume better than I ever could have hoped for. Absolutely perfect to take on what I need done.”

“So what’s the problem?”

It was embarrassing to admit the problem, but unfortunately, it was necessary if I was going to get Erik’s take on the situation. “She’s gorgeous and has a fire in her that flares so bright it’s hard not to get burned.”

Erik chuckled. “That is very poetic of you.”

“Fuck you. She’s so hot, I want to bend her over my desk to spank and fuck her. Is that better?”

“I’m guessing that’s a bad thing?” Erik leaned back in the booth, his smile at my dilemma not a welcome sight.

“Be serious, Erik. We all know that fucking around at work only leads to drama. Plus, I can’t walk around my office all day with a hard-on, I won’t get any work done.”

His laughter made me regret calling him, but eventually, he settled down. “Aren’t you slated to leave town in a few days?”

“Yes, I have to do the in-person work for that Tech Conference. Then I need to go to Prague and meet with a potential new client. Not to mention I have two jobs that David didn’t finish planning before he left with his boy toy for Greece, and I don’t have the local contacts to make things work on such short notice.”

“Then it sounds to me like Mari has dropped a gift horse in your lap. Hire the woman under the condition that she can manage those two jobs for you. Call it a temporary recruitment, based on performance, and if she can pull it off, then you can decide what to do about the situation. If she’s that good, and you can’t keep control of your dick, maybe she can work remotely.”

I gave my friend a look that lesser men would run from and took a few more bites of my food. His logic was sound and would at least give me a temporary fix for my problem. I would have to review whatever she set up, but hopefully her hotel management skills really would translate well for what I needed.

“It’s not an awful idea,” I conceded.

A small crease formed between his brows. “Gabe, you need help. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you this tired. I know this company is your baby, but you need to delegate or you are going to end up burnt out. Colin said the company is thriving, and I know you’re not hurting for money, so why are you pushing so hard to do everything yourself?”

His accusation was more than accurate; he’d hit the nail on the proverbial head. I knew it was a downfall, or con of being a Dom. I had issues with handing over control to anyone. It was only by necessity that I made Colin head of all the local contracts so I could focus on growth strategies. My problem centered over the fact that not being in control didn’t come naturally for me. I needed to come to terms with that and soon. Regardless, now wasn’t the time to get philosophical. When the current rush was over, I would talk to Colin and Lincoln about restructuring. We were equal partners, but I’d always felt like I had to keep my hand in every part of the business since I had started the company before bringing them on.

When we’d been smaller and only dealt with local clients, it had been easy enough. Lately, it had become evident that it just wasn’t possible to be in every place at the same time anymore. Honestly, more and more of the joy I’d felt in the beginning had disappeared. Now, I felt buried under a blanket of obligation, and I didn’t like it.

“Habit I guess. That and finding time to make changes.”

“Trust me when I say slowing down and actually enjoying life is one of the best decisions I ever made.”

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