Page 152 of Beau and the Beast

No one ever came into the study unannounced except Beau, anyway.

Until they did.

Violet stepped inside without so much as a knock, but neither of them heard her until she let a sharp “Jesus,” fall from her lips, turning away and starting to step right back out of the room.

“Shit, Violet, wait—“ Beau cried out, his hand going still on Wolfram.

She had turned away from them but stopped short, facing out into the hallway.

“Wolfram, can I speak to you alone?” she asked the empty hallway.

“Certainly,” he said. “Give me five minutes and I’ll meet you in your office.”

“Of course,” she said, stepping out and closing the door.

They both held their breath for a few beats, waiting for her to get away from the closed door, before Beau collapsed into a fit of laughter, falling against Wolfram’s chest.

“You’re awful,” Wolfram teased. “Incorrigible.”

“And you didn’t stop me.” He snaked a hand between them to stroke Wolfram again, but this time hedidreach down to still Beau’s hand.

“Please, I’ve only got a minute to get my head back on straight.”

“Or five minutes to get off,” Beau said, “depending on whether or not you like a challenge.”

“I’ve never liked a challenge quite as much as you seem to,” Wolfram admitted. He gently lifted Beau off of his lap, guiding him back to his own cushion and standing up. He dragged the heel of his hand across the groin of his breeches, as if that could somehow turn back time to when he wasn’t aroused past the point of no return.

Wolfram drew a deep breath. Violet had sounded annoyed—or at the very least, not happy—and the thought that she was cross with him was enough to bring him back to himself. When he looked back down at Beau, he was pouting.

“I’ll be back,” Wolfram promised.

“And we can pick up where we left off?” Beau asked hopefully.

“Perhaps. But not out here.”

Beau pretended to be disappointed. “C’mon—I thought the change of scenery was nice.”

Wolfram snorted and crossed the room.

“I’ll finish without you if you don’t hurry,” Beau threatened.

The thought of Beau alone in the study, shimmying out of his pants and finishing himself with thoughts of Wolfram on his mind was enough to send a second thrill through him. But no—he had business to attend to.

He arrived in Violet’s office only to find that she had pulled one of the armless chairs out of the dining room and into her office for him. She didn’t greet him—just watched him as he moved, and as Wolfram took a seat, he had flashbacks to being called to the principal’s office when he was a child.

“What’s on your mind?” he asked.

“You. And Beau.”

Wolfram cleared his throat. “I apologize for that. We shouldn’t have been out in a common area doing—“

“I should have knocked,” Violet said. “That’s not what I mean.”

“Then what?”

“Where’s your watch, Wolfram? I noticed you’re not wearing it this week. And I’m starting to think that I’m the only one around here that remembers we’re on a timeline.”

Wolfram bristled at her tone. “I’m well aware of what mytimelineis.”

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