Page 72 of Played
I tell Deborah she can show my guest in, and he bounds into the room not a second later. His eyes go straight to Hayden, and he assesses my HR manager with a cool stare. “Hayden,” he says, his tone clipped. “It’s nice to see you.Again.”
Hayden stands, brushes an imaginary crease from his pristine suit pants, and gives a curt nod. “Same to you, King.”
King bares his teeth, practically snarling, and I suppress a snicker at his unguarded reaction. In an attempt to defuse the tension, I wish Hayden a good evening, and he thankfully takes that as his cue to leave.
“Close the door, would you?” King says, and there’s a hint of snark in his tone that I’m sure Hayden won’t miss.
Hayden glances at me for confirmation, and I signal that he should do as King asks. As soon as the door is closed, King is across the room, his hand gripping my jaw. He pulls me in for a rough kiss, then pulls back. “He wants you to fuck him, Mase. You need to be careful.”
“I don’t fuck my employees.” I make a show of checking him out. He’s wearing jeans and one of those ridiculously tight-fitting T-shirts, although I suspect they’re not supposed to be all that tight. He simply happens to have the biggest biceps I’ve ever seen. “Although you do technically work for me.”
His green eyes narrow. “No, I offer a service that you pay for. That’s different.”
I arch an eyebrow, resting my hands on his waist. “A service, huh?”
He runs his nose over my jawline, taking a deep inhale, and dips his hands inside my suit jacket. “Even you couldn’t afford those kinds of services from me, Playboy.”
“Is that why you give them to me for free?”
He hums against my skin, causing vibrations to travel through my entire body. “Yeah, you’re a real charity case.” He drags his teeth down the column of my neck and rocks his hips against mine. “You better be hard for me and not that douchebag who just walked out, baby,” he growls in warning.
Why does his jealousy get me so fired up? “It’s always for you.”
“Good boy. Now, you want me to fuck you on your desk again, or shall I take you home?”
Damn, King’s mouth should come with a health warning. It’s been almost a week since he cooked me steak, and in that time, we’ve spent every spare moment we have together. I’ve barely seen anyone but him, and I blew off Sunday brunch with my family. Every night this week, he’s shown up at my office a little after five to update me—an interesting way to describe him having his dick inside me. Because that’s how it usually ends. Even if I start out topping, even when it begins with him on his knees sucking my cock, it ends the same goddamn way. And I’ve never been happier.
Can’t happen tonight though. “As tempting as you make that sound, I have to go to my dad’s for dinner tonight. It’s my baby brother’s birthday. I told you about it this morning.”
His face falls. “Shit. Yeah, you did.” He moves his hand to the back of my neck, gripping it possessively, exactly the way I like it. “How about you stop by my place after?”
I shake my head. “I promised Pop I’d stay over. He gets lonely in that huge house all on his own.” King looks down, probably trying to hide his disappointment. I place my finger under his chin and tip his head back up so I can look in his eyes.“It’s one night. Couldn’t you use a break from me anyway?” I joke, trying to lighten the mood.
“Why would you think that? Do you need a break from me?” His face is calm now, his expression unreadable, but hurt bleeds into his tone.
“No. I didn’t say that. But I can’t miss my brother’s birthday. Not even for you, Hotshot.” I brush my lips over his. “You can spend one night without me, can’t you?”
He presses his forehead to mine. “Yeah. But I don’t want to.”
I don’t want that either. This is fucked up. I’ve dated plenty of guys, had dozens of relationships, and not once have I ever felt this attached to any of them. In fact, any relationship usually fizzles out after a few dates when they get too clingy. But King? I love how much he wants me because I crave him just as much. “Then come with me.”
“To your brother’s birthday party?”
“It’s not a party. It’s dinner. Mad is an incredible chef, and he loves to cook for new people. It would be like an extra birthday surprise for him.”
“Your brother is cooking his own birthday dinner?”
I picture Maddox now, in Mom’s old apron, surrounded by spices, vegetables I can’t pronounce, and endless pots and pans—in his own nirvana. “Yeah. He loves it though. He’s kind of an enigma, my baby brother. And you’ll love him. Everybody does.”
He sucks on his teeth, and I don’t miss the way he inches away, creating a little distance before he can reject me. “But it’s your family. Meeting them like this is a big fucking deal.”
It is, but I really want to take him to dinner. More than that though, I want him to want it too. I’m just not sure he’s ready. “You already met three of my brothers,” I remind him. “But their wives will be there too, and my dad. And my nephew. It will be a lot. You don’t have to come, but I would like you to.”
His eyes bore into mine. “Your dad won’t mind me spending the night?”
I bark out a laugh. “I’m thirty-five years old. He’s not going to mind you spending the night.”
He shuffles from one foot to the other while he wrestles with the decision. Damn, he’s cute when he’s nervous. “But…” He shakes his head. “I’d be in the way. It’s your family time.”
