Page 13 of A Merry Penthouse Christmas
“Yes, yes. You too,cariño.” She coos quietly at Bastian and blows him a kiss before heading out.
I finish my work on the windows just as I hear the front door shut behind her. It isn’t a loud slam by any means, but it’s enough to rouse Bastian, who almost immediately begins fussing. “Aw, who’s a little grouchy pants?” I say as I step off the foot stool to retrieve him. It’s not Gabby’s fault. He was due to wake up.
I glance at my watch before scooping Bastian into my arms. He was due to wake up half an hour ago actually. He needed the rest, but I didn’t realize how late it had become. Arik should have been done with his meetings by now. He worked from home today and was hoping to fit in private time with Bastian, knowing he’ll be busy most of tomorrow and reheating leftovers long after I’ve dug into Gabby’s hard work.
It’s a little sad Gabby went to all this trouble when we won’t even be eating together. Not that we should be sharing meals, being employer and employee, but it would have been nice.
I glance toward the nearby stairs. Bastian is quieting now that I’m holding him, but it’ll be short lived, since he needs changing and is bound to be hungry. Arik has a changing station in his office, and a mini fridge that we put some formula in each day so he can always fit in at least one bottle feeding. He could probably use some interruption, just a little peek of my head in to remind him of the time.
There’s some big merger with a company he’s acquiring that has been stretching longer than expected. I don’t know the details and wouldn’t try asking for any, but it’s been keeping him occupied almost twenty-four-seven. Which, sure, helps keep my growing crush in check to not see him all the time, but Bastian needs his father. That’s the whole point of Arik being here today.
Mind made up, I traipse upstairs. I honestly usually avoid coming up here, so I haven’t added any holiday decorations to the second floor. It’s just so much more Arik’s space. His bedroom. His office. It feels too intimate, even though I did explore up here the first day. Only enough to see his huge master bedroom, which has all the extras of mine, like a sitting area and small desk, but the master bath is to die for.
It's this weird horseshoe shape that is sink first, then a right turn to the enormous soaking tub that of course faces the windows, then right again to get to the separate commode room. I peeked in his closet that first day too, and holy crap, talk about a walk-in. I think it’s half the size of my first apartment.
The bedroom and bathroom doors are both open today, so I know Arik must be in his office. That door is closed. I avoid that room unless absolutely necessary, but it’s one of my favorites in the apartment. It’s all cool blues with abstract paintings, more huge windows, and is just this long narrow room like approaching a throne when looking in at Arik’s desk. It should be intimidating, and I’m sure that’s what he was going for, but for me, it adds to the anticipation of reaching him.
Wow, I have this crush bad. Not seeing him as often is not tempering it enough.
I bounce Bastian to keep him soothed and listen at the door to be sure Arik isn’t on some hostile takeover conference call. I don’t think I hear anything. Maybe he’s finished and just writing up notes or something. I could lightly knock first and—
“Ah!”
A cry from inside sounds as if Arik is in pain, and my instincts kick in so immediately that I open the door and call out in concern with barely a thought. “Arik! Are you o…kay…”
Down that long, narrow stretch to the end of the office is not at all the view I expect to walk in on. Arik is leaning against his desk, standing in front of it, with his pants down around his ankles, and a very trim and beautiful young man with long blond hair pulls up to sneer at me from having been deep throating Arik like a porn star.
“Sorry!” I slam the door shut again, and as I cradle Bastian to me, I want nothing more than to get as far away from this floor as possible.
ARIK
Shit.
Shit.
I never wanted Beau to walk in on something like that.
Especially not while holding my infant son.
As annoyed as today’s afternoon delight might be at the interruption, I cannot possibly let him finish me off or return the favor. This merger has had me drowning in bureaucracy and nitpicking for far too many weeks, leaving me no time for dalliances, so I had Kevin slip in after I knew my meetings would be over.
So much for stealth.
“Sorry, Kev. Raincheck?” I hurry him downstairs and out the door around the opposite direction from Beau’s room. I then straighten my appearance as best I can before seeking him out.
I find him in the nursery, trying to calm a now crying Bastian.
“Knock, knock,” I say, and though Beau doesn’t directly look at me, his cheeks remain as bright red as they turned when he opened my office door.
“I thought you were working,” he says.
“I was. My meetings ended less than an hour ago, but given my hectic schedule—”
“You invited someone over for…thatinstead of spending time with your son like you said you wanted?” A flash of Beau’s eyes tell me his anger is genuine but also a more comfortable reaction for him to lean into than the flush to his cheeks.
“You’re right. I was being selfish. If I have time forthat, I have time for my son.”
“Good.” Beau continues to rock Bastian and looks at me more squarely. “And sorry again. I know it’s not my place—”
