Page 31 of Boss Level

She leaned her weight into me, pulling Xander with her, until the three of us were sandwiched together. “Depends.” Her voice was low and seductive. “Is that rabbit in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?” Slipping a hand behind her, she brushed the front of my trousers.

Xander cleared his throat. “I get what you’re going for, but not sure it works. A rabbit? Like a vibrator? An actual bunny?”

“Like Roger Rabbit.” If I had to explain the reference, was it even funny?

Xander wrinkled his nose. “He’s not joining us, is he? Because I’m not sharing either of you.”

“Except with each other,” I said.

The way Xander twisted his face, he looked deep in thought. “Maybe. Haven’t decided yet.”

Judith grabbed both our hands and spun away from between us. “If you stop, the answer isyes.”

I could askstop whatbut why ruin a good thing? Instead, I made a show of snapping my mouth shut.

The three of us walked hand in hand toward the elevators. We were halfway across the lobby when a familiar voice said, “Judith? Dominic?”

And that was Claire. Fuck.

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judith

No. Really. Where did this woman keep coming from? And now that she was staring at the three of us, what did she think she was looking at? Because if this was completely innocent to her, there was no reason for me to try to explain.

“You’re here late.” I kept my tone friendly. Casual. The feeling that swelled inside that I’d been caught doing something naughty didn’t sit well with me, and yanked on a past of indoctrination I hadn’t touched in years.

Claire shrugged. “Dale’s out of town for a few days and I don’t like being home in the empty house, so I was in the Digital Media suite. They’re holding a cart racer competition.” She was staring at me. Why was she staring at me? “You look really pretty.”

She sounded so sincere.

“We were at the masquerade party,” Xander said before I could decide if honesty was the best path here.

“Oh.”

If she followed that up with a comment about smutty smut, I wasn’t sure I was in the mood to behave tonight.

“So, I guess I should get going.” Claire turned her gaze to her feet. “Could this maybe stay between us?”

One of the last things I expected her to ask, but I was happy to let it be her idea. “Sure. If that’s best for you, of course.”

“Thank you.” She didn’t look at us again as she turned and walked quickly toward the parking garage.

“What was that?” I muttered, as much to myself as my companions.

Xander wrapped an arm around my waist. “Right at this moment? Don’t know, don’t care, given how well it ended.”

Dominic kissed the back of my knuckles. “He’s got a point.”

“A big hard one,” Xander said.

“Let’s see what we can do about that.” I let them finish leading the way up to my room.

The instant we stepped inside, and the door closed behind us, Xander was at my back, his hands on my hips. “The only thing better than seeing you in this dress is going to be taking you out of it.” His low, heated words rolled through me.

“Cheesy, but the way you say it is so sexy.”

Dominic was in front of me, and he draped his arms over my shoulders. Gliding his fingertips along my neck, he untied the straps of my dress.

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