GUNNER
Iignore the email that Miles has sent me in favor of giving Holden a heads up. I know Miles will tell him his daughter is on the way, but he’ll leave out the important part that she’s mouthwatering.
And she is.
She could have walked right out of the pages of a magazine or an artist’s studio. Her tight pants didn’t hide a thing. Those long legs, thick thighs, and a round ass that’s begging for at least one swat. The button-up tank top was a fucking tease in itself.
Her breasts threatened the buttons, and she showed more cleavage than I had the sense to ignore. Those big eyes, full lips, and her willingness to do what she’s asked. It’s sin itself.
Holden finally picks up, silent as ever. “Warning, Miles’ kid grew up.”
“They tend to.” He says evenly.
“As in, she’s hotter than Bella, sweet, and my cock is hard just thinking of the way she looked sipping whiskey.” I adjust myself as I say it.
Holden lets the silence draw out, then speaks in a low rough voice. “Is Miles blind or stupid?”
“It’s his daughter. Don’t be a dick.”
“Thanks for the warning.”
He hangs up, and I address the issue at hand – the meeting with this new client and their financials.
But as I look it over, I think of Sophia. Soft, sweet, Sophia. I close my eyes and rub my cock. I need to not want her. But she’s filling Bella’s position. Which is dangerous enough for any woman but Sophia?
God, she needs to not be my best friend’s kid.
We’re already losing Bella because she went and fell in love with Matthew. And Matthew was stupid and traitorous enough to fall for her. They tripped over each other and cut the rest of us off.
Because we all loved parts of Bella, and we loved the things she did with our parts. Every kinky delicious moment with Bella, lost now. I draw circles on my calendar, then groan and lean back in my chair, staring at the ceiling.
Bella and her dark hair in a high pony. The bright lingerie she’d wear that got progressively skimpier, the way she’d let us tie her up, the way she was thrilled to be shared, to please, to …
I groan and rub my hand over my semi-hard cock. It’s been missing the regular attention it used to get. No Bella, no even potential woman. Only little Sophia and the fact I’m definitely not allowed to touch her.
Just as I start to undo my button, needing some relief, when my door opens. I put my hands on the desk, drag myself back to the desk to hide my erection, and look right up at Sophia. She looks at me, her eyes wide.
“I’m so sorry.” She whimpers. “I’m … lost, and Dad is on the phone. I’m sorry.”
“Give me a minute, and I’ll be happy to show you to the door.”
“Want me to wait somewhere else?”
“No, actually.” Because how long has it been since I pushed the button on something I wasn’t supposed to? “Tell me about you. Why are you accepting a job here when you just graduated from Brown?”
“Why not? It’s a good job, and it could lead to a whole lot more.” She shrugs, then sits down in the chair on the other side of my desk. “It’s right here, and how often do people really get to jump in without a resume and the annoying interview process?”
“Interviews are annoying?”
“Stressful is probably a better word.” She smirks slightly. “I’m sorry if I’m interrupting.”
Oh, if only she knew how she could be helping. I lean my head to the side. “What else? About you, I mean. Are you seeing someone? Excited to be in New York?”
“It’s new. Very different from Phoenix. Different from the sleepy town I’ve been in.” She shrugs.
“And the other question?”
“No. I’m single.” She bites her nail. “My last partner and I decided that a long-distance relationship was a recipe for disaster.”
“Smart.” The word ‘partner’ catches my attention. It doesn’t draw a line that I need to be drawn. I need her to tell me she’s interested in men. “As much as people want to believe that relationships are more than physical, the physical definitely helps.”
She laughs but bites her lip and looks away. “It helps with fights, that’s for sure. It’s how he got out of the dog house … or into it.”
“Oh?” I lean forward.
She blushes and sinks a bit into the chair. “I shouldn’t be having this conversation with you.”
“Why?” I ask, actually forgetting who’s daughter she is for a moment.
“Well, you and my dad are … friends.” Her cheeks turn bright red, and I want to know every dirty thought on her mind. But she clears her throat and adjusts her shirt, drawing my eyes to her cleavage, the cleavage I’d kill to lick. “And because we’re going to be coworkers. I pride myself on being professional.”
“I have no doubt you are.” I nod.
My cock is still hard, but it’s not going away with her in this room, so it’s best to get her out of here. I stand up, and her eyes drop to the member in question. She licks her bottom lip and looks away.
Fuck, does she have any idea what she’s doing to me? Looking so innocent and interested and … I clear my throat, and Sophia’s eyes lift to mine. “Are we going somewhere?”
“To get you the car, you need to get home,” I mumble.
She stands, glances at me, trips over the chair, and nearly falls into the door. I catch her, holding her against me. Her thigh brushes my cock, and I groan. I can’t take it back, and I know she heard it based on the way her lips part and her eyes search mine.
“Thank you … I ….”
“Are you okay?”
She nods, and I let her go once she finds her feet. Sophia looks at me over her shoulder but then lets me lead her to the front door. Sasha, the receptionist for the building, looks me over like she’d happily lick me at least once over.
Right now, I’m tempted to let her. Blonde, thin, with an eagerness to please and get ahead, that means she’ll do just about anything. Not that I’d have to force her, given the way she’s practically drooling over my cock.
I bet she could do plenty of good things with her mouth.
And I need to reign myself in. Jesus fucking Christ.
The car is out front, obviously waiting for Sophia. I put her bags in the trunk and hold the door for Sophia, trying to remember I once had a thing called honor.
“Thank you, Gunner.” She whispers, sitting in the backseat and keeping her eyes on mine. “I … I guess I’ll see you later.”
“You might not. It’s a big house.”
Not fucking big enough.
“And I’m sure I’ll stay out of the way, so I don’t mess up any of your routines. Have a good rest of your day.”
She smiles, revealing a single dimple on the left side. She’s more than sexy. She’s cute. Which kills me. I nod to her and shut the door. As I walk back inside, Sasha jumps to attention. She smiles at me. “Mr. Henderson.”
“Sasha.” I nod.
“Is there anything I can, uh, help with?” Her eyes dip to my cock again.
“Not today, but I’ll let you know.” I wink at her, then head back to my office.
I shut the blinds and free my cock from my pants. I wrap my hand around it and give a long stroke. I don’t want easy. I don’t want just anyone and I should know that by now. I groan as I think of Sophia’s easy blush, the way her lips parted when she drank me in.
I think of her body. I’d be happy to drag those leggings off her and bury my face between her legs, devouring her. My head falls back as my hand moves faster over my cock. Just like she would, if she were bouncing on me in this very office, trying not to get caught.
I wonder how she’d sound when I’m buried inside her. I want to know how she’d come. I want her. Here. Now.
Fuck.
My hand tightens around my cock as I jerk it faster and faster until I grab for the tissues and try to keep my office clean. I toss the tissues away and stuff myself back in my pants, jumping at the sudden increase in sensitivity.
When was the last time I was this turned on by a woman? When I had to jerk off after spending less than ten minutes with her. Maybe Bella? Maybe the girl before her. What was her name? Charlie? Hallie?
Either way, I want her. Hell, I’m jealous of Holden right now. He’s going to be with her all alone, in the house, away from her father.
I run to the bathroom to wash my hands and cool off and find Matthew and Nick waiting in my office when I get back. Matthew arches an eyebrow at me. “So, we have a new office manager?”
“Since you went and stole the last one,” I smirk.
Nick chuckles, his bright blue eyes squint at Matt. “You asked for that one, Matthew.”
“Are you guys still mad? Bella and I are in love. You’ve been invited to the wedding and everything. She wants kids. What’s the problem with wanting more than what we had?”
“Nothing.” I sit in my chair. “So what’s this impromptu meeting about?”
“The new office manager is Miles’ daughter?” Nick asks.
I nod. “Yes. She is.”
“Then she’s off-limits?” He asks, leaning towards me. “Right?”
“That’s … a way to put it.”
“Is it the correct way?” Nick asks. Then he looks at Matthew. “You don’t need to be here for this.”
“I’d like to know what …. Wait. Is she heading to the house?”
“Yes.”
“Did you tell Holden?”
“Yes.” I sigh. “Of course, I told him. We all know how he likes to walk around.”
“Fuck.” Matthew leaves the office. “I need to get over there.”
“You’re supposed to be going to register things with Bella in an hour, don’t forget, or you’ll be denied.” Nick teases.
We watch Matthew hurry off. Since he got with Bella, I swear he has a constant stick up his ass. It’s like he can’t slow down and like he’s lost all his adventure. I know it’s the stress, but at the same time, I worry about him.
“Do you think that they’re going to make it down the aisle as the same people they started out as?” I ask.
Nick shrugs. “Marriage changes people. Why wouldn’t an engagement do the same?”
I think that over a moment. I haven’t even gotten close to the real relationship thing since I got back from Afghanistan. First the PTSD, then the wealth. One scares women off, and the other draws the wrong kind in. There’s no winning.
“Hey.”
I blink a few times. “Yeah?”
“Did you even hear me?”
“No.”
“How much temptation is this little kitten?” Nick asks, leaning towards me. “And more importantly, is she Sasha-level eager, or is she the shy, innocent type?”
“You mean like Bella before she was willing to admit what she wanted?”
“I mean, is it possible for any of us to keep our distance, or are we all doomed to fall for the girl like you obviously have, given the fact that your belt is still undone?”
I look at the belt and laugh. “Well, that explains a few of the looks.”
“But doesn’t answer my question.”
“Oh, we’re all fucked.”