Page 28 of My Boss's Sons

“Are your feet hurting?” Ethan took Noah’s place next to me and knelt in front of me. He patted his leg and nodded at me. “Let me help.”

I took a deep breath and bit my lip. I wasn’t sure it was a good idea. I wanted to remain professional but I was weak. I slowly rested my foot on his knee and closed my eyes, almost like it wasn’t so bad if I didn’t watch it. The moment Ethan worked his thumbs down the arch of my foot, my eyes flew open and I let out a low moan. It was heaven. His fingers dug into tight muscles that had never been massaged before. Shivers broke out all overmy body and my core even throbbed in response. No one had ever massaged my feet like that.

I was so focused on my feet that I didn’t notice that Alex had moved behind me. When his hands pressed into my tense shoulder muscles, I decided right then and there that I was a goner. I didn’t have a chance of telling them to stop when they were working magic on my muscles. I reasoned with myself that their hands weren’t in any inappropriate places.

Like I’d been struck by lightning, I shot out of my chair, nearly knocking both Ethan and Alex over. Just the day before Anderson had rubbed my shoulders and I’d known it was wrong. Alex was touching me in the same way and I couldn’t ignore it. I moved around to the other side of my desk, still shoeless, and rubbed my hands over my mouth as a wave of nausea hit me. Theirfatherhad touched me the same way just the day before.

“What’s wrong, Sophia?” Ethan pushed his hair off his forehead but it was useless. The mass of thick curls just went right back where it wanted.

Before I could say anything, my office door opened and I turned, expecting Randal, but it was Gerald. He’d never walked into my office before and something about seeing him in my space made me want to scream at him to get out.

The energy in the room instantly shifted darker with him standing in it. He raised an eyebrow at his sons and looked between the four of us questioningly. When none of us said anything, he cleared his throat. “We have a photoshoot in ten. I need you boys upstairs and in hair and makeup half an hour ago.”

Noah cleared his throat the same way his father did and nodded. “Of course.”

Ethan’s smile was forced but he nodded along with Noah. “Sure.”

Alex crossed his arms over his chest and I watched as Gerald’s eyes narrowed on Alex’s exposed tattoos. If Alex noticed, it didn’t change his bored expression. “No, thanks.”

Gerald’s expression darkened. He turned to me and laughed. “You have kids right, Sophia? One of them is always challenging you, right? Or is that just me?”

I felt the guys look at me but I didn’t move my eyes from Gerald’s, not wanting to see their expressions if they were just finding out I had a kid. “One kid. She’s seven, so we’re not exactly in the same boat.”

“Alex, come on. There’s no getting out of this. Pull down your sleeves.” Gerald frowned at his youngest son and then marched out of my office with confidence, knowing his sons would fall in line.

I kept my eyes down as they filed out one by one. I had too much to process. Mainly the part where Gerald almost caught his sons rubbing me.

24

***Sophia***

“It’s lunch, Noah. It’s ridiculous to order steak at lunch.” I rubbed my hand over my stomach and slumped back in my chair. I’d skipped breakfast that morning because I’d overslept and I was starving. I’d overslept because my sleep was overrun with images of the men standing in front of my desk, frowning back at me.

“Well, I’m hungry and I’d like to eat a real meal for once in this office.” Noah ran his hands through his hair and left it looking even wilder than Ethan’s.

“What’s wrong with the lunches we’ve had?” I felt very offended because I’d picked the place we ordered from most days but no one had ever complained or offered up a choice of their own.

“Well, I’m not a dainty woman to start with. I can’t survive on salads and dreams.”

Alex scowled at his brother. “Don’t be an asshole to Sophia. And don’t pretend like you don’t eat salads almost every day to keep up yourphysique.”

Ethan snorted. “You have said that word before, Noah. You sounded like a tool.”

“I want a cheeseburger. And a real one with grease and cheese. Not any of y’alls fancy burgers that come with a fennel salad or some shit.” Alex stretched his arms over his head and groaned. “How the fuck is sitting upright all day long hurting my back more than leaning over for tattooing?”

“Now there’s an issue with the cheeseburgers I eat?” Noah stood up and paced behind his brothers. “I want a goddamn steak. I’m hungry.”

I stood up and planted my hands on my desk, fed up. “Then order a goddamn steak, Noah. We don’t have to order from the same place. I don’t even know why I’ve been trying.”

“I’d be fine with pizza.” Ethan shrugged.

“Just order something!” Noah had worked his hair into a full mess. “Oh, my god. Is this what life is now? Arguing over what to eat? I’m going to lose my mind.”

“Yeah! It is! And then sometimes, you argue about other things, too, like who drank all the milk and whose turn it is to bag the trash. Life isgreat!” I heard the words I was shouting and collapsed back in my chair. What the hell was I even saying? What were we fighting about?

“Who drank all the milk? Are you kidding?” Noah hadn’t clocked that I’d lost all my fight and he was still going. “Bagging the trash?! Whoever finds it full bags it. Or the cleaning service does it. Why would you argue about that? You just go around arguing about trash?”

I pressed my knuckles into my lips, trying to hold back a wave of hysteria that made me want to cackle right in his face, but I couldn’t contain it. I burst into a fit of laughter that had tearsfilling my eyes and my sides aching. One by one, the guys joined in, and the tension that had built throughout the week seemed to seep out of us.

---