Submission Impossible (Masters & Mercenaries Reloaded 1)

“Yes, it is.” She sat on that couch and watched TV all the time. Sometimes she fell asleep when she didn’t want to go to bed.

Hutch had been the best body pillow ever. She’d wrapped herself around him and slept like a baby for once.

“You ever laid your six-foot-three-inch body out on that sucker?” Kyle stopped as a familiar Maserati pulled up and the driver’s side window rolled down.

“Hey.” Jessica looked Kyle up and down like he was a glorious package wrapped up for her. “Long time no see.”

Kyle gave her a smooth smile. “You said something about a job. I want to get off my brother’s girlfriend’s couch.”

Jessica’s perfect red lips parted. “Excellent. Meet me up in my office. I’ll get your paperwork started.” She turned slightly Noelle’s way. “LaVigne, I need to see you, too. I’ll come down to your lab this afternoon.”

Her stomach did a flip. That didn’t sound good. Maybe the job Hutch was doing would be over way sooner than she’d dreamed. “Of course.”

Jessica winked at Kyle and then her tires squealed as she took off.

“What’s the female equivalent of swinging a big dick?” Kyle asked.

She didn’t know, but it might be every single thing her boss did. “You should go on ahead. I’m moving slow today.”

Kyle’s eyes rolled. “Yeah, I’m eager to get up there and fend off Lady Ten Hands. Nah, it’s better to keep her waiting. See, Hutch should have kept you waiting.”

She frowned up at him. “I can’t decide if you’re telling me I should stay away from him or trying to make me feel like crap so I try this thing with Hutch again.”

A wistful smile crossed his handsome face. “I don’t know. Maybe both. I feel for the guy, but you’re smarter than he is. You don’t really know him. I would say try again, but it’s hard to go back. I’ve found you get one shot at doing something right.”

And she’d blown hers. They’d blown theirs by going too fast.

Her heart felt heavy, but she couldn’t throw herself into a relationship with a man she barely knew. She just couldn’t.

She followed after Kyle and hoped the day didn’t take a worse turn.

Chapter Eight

“Thank you for joining us, Señor Grumpy Face.” Big Tag sank into his chair at the head of the conference room table.

Right back where he started. Wasn’t that the story of his life? One step forward, two steps back and shoved to the street.

He was in a fucking mood. He glanced around the room. Big Tag was there, but Charlotte was not. In her place sat Adam Miles, and that meant something serious had happened. Adam didn’t work for McKay-Taggart anymore and hadn’t for years. He was the head of his own firm. The two companies worked closely together, though, and Adam was always around to help with a crisis.

Just what he needed.

He slid into a chair as the door opened again and MaeBe walked in. Today’s outfit consisted of bright green tights and a black skater dress that went oddly well with her combat boots.

“Good morning, boss. Morning, big boss.” She waved Adam’s way. “Mr. Miles.”

Adam gave her a friendly smile. “It’s Adam, MaeBe. I’m just a guy.”

He was a guy who’d built an insanely successful company that had changed the industry. Adam had gotten used to the techies of the world kind of worshiping him.

“She’s calling you mister because you’re old, not because she respects you,” Big Tag said with a roll of his eyes.

Big Tag and Adam had a weird thing that had been going on for as long as Hutch could remember. They played pranks and gave each other shit more than any of the others.

“I’m not old,” Adam insisted.

“She’s twenty-five. To her you’re old as dirt,” Big Tag explained.

“Uhm, I totally respect you, Mr. Miles. You’re a giant in my world.” MaeBe settled in beside Hutch. She leaned in. “Did I do something wrong?”

He shook his head. MaeBe had only been around for a year and had yet to get a full dose of Big Tag and Adam’s unmistakable chemistry. “Nah, it’s the way they flirt.”

Adam coughed, nearly spitting out the coffee he’d been drinking.

Big Tag simply laughed, proving he was perfectly comfortable with himself.

“We do not flirt,” Adam corrected. “He’s an asshole and I have to defend myself.”

Big Tag gave him a once-over. “If I swung that way, it could happen. He’d be a good sub after some proper training.”

Adam pointed a finger Big Tag’s way. “I am not a sub.”

Big Tag shrugged. “In some weird parallel universe, I would bet you are, and trust me, you wouldn’t be bottoming for Jake. MaeBe, you got any idea why Hutch stalked through the office like Godzilla earlier? He made small children cry.”

“I did not.” He might not be in a good mood, but he wasn’t a monster.