by Kaylee Ryan
“I imagine there was never a dull moment.”
Her eyes sparkle. “Not one, and I wouldn’t trade those memories for anything. Now, you two go make your plates.” She motions for us to follow her.
She and Stanley start making theirs as well. The four of us head to the dining room, and sure enough, everyone is in their same seats as the first time I was here. The conversation flows and so does the laughter. You can feel the love that they have for one another inside these four walls. It’s exactly like I want my home to be, my family. Maybe one day I’ll be a permanent part of this one. My heart skips a beat at the thought.
Today is the first day back to the office since things have changed between us. Royce told me last night when I made him take me home not to worry, that it will be business as usual, but I’m still stressing about how he’s going to act toward me. Don’t get me wrong, broody CEO Royce is hot as hell, but I prefer my Royce. The sweet, caring guy I spent the weekend with.
I barely slept last night. I don’t know if it’s because, after two nights of sleeping next to him, my body already notices his absence or the fact that I couldn’t seem to turn my mind off worrying about today. Hence the reason I’m here an hour early. I stopped and picked up some pastries that I know all the guys will enjoy, and instead of setting them up in the break room, I place them on the counter by my desk, along with a small stack of plates and napkins. I want to see their faces when they enjoy the flaky, buttery sweetness.
The elevator dings and my head lifts to see who it is. Royce, dressed in his suit and tie, comes around the corner. His outfit is a definite contrast to the man I spent the weekend with. He’s staring at his phone, but when his eyes lift, and he spots me, a slow smile crosses his face, and he slides his phone into his pocket.
“I fucking missed you,” he says, not stopping until he’s behind my desk, sliding his hand behind my neck and bending to press his lips to mine.
I expect it to be a quick peck on the lips, but he demands more as his tongue surges past my lips to battle with mine. “R-Royce,” I murmur, pulling away.
“I wasn’t done, baby,” he says, and kisses me again.
“Should I call HR?” a deep voice filled with humor says from behind us.
“You should go away,” Royce says, grinning down at me. He stands to his full height and turns, giving us a clear view of Conrad.
“Morning, lovebirds. Are these fair game?” he asks, pointing to the pastries.
“Y-Yes.” I clear my throat and sit up straighter in my chair. “They’re for everyone.”
“I like this one, big brother.” Conrad winks, helps himself to a pastry, and takes a huge bite.
Royce’s hand is still behind my neck, and his thumb is gently caressing the sensitive spot behind my right ear. The elevator dings, and this time, it’s Owen, Marshall, and Grant stepping off at the same time.
“Wow,” Grant says. “Looks like we missed our invite to the party.”
Conrad points at me and holds up his half-eaten pastry. “So good,” he mumbles as he takes another bite.
“Thanks, sis,” Marshall says, digging in.
I swallow hard at the nickname, sis, the same one that Owen used Friday night. These men have quickly accepted me as a part of their lives, and being around their family brings tears to my eyes. It’s something I’ve missed terribly since my parents have been gone.
“You good?” Owen asks. He’s the most observant man I’ve ever met.
I nod. “There’s a copy of this week’s schedule on each of your desks.” I need to get into work mode. I can’t forget that I’m not a member of the Riggins family.
“Thanks, babe.” Royce places a kiss to the top of my head, grabs a pastry, and strolls to his office.
Grant looks at Royce retreating back and then turns his gaze on me. “I don’t know what you’re doing, Sawyer, and I don’t care. You’re bringing our brother back to life. Keep that shit up,” he says, holding his hand up for a high-five.
I can’t help but laugh as I slap my hand against his. “I’m just me, Grant.”
“Well, ‘just you’ are doing great things for him.”
“He’s right,” Owen agrees.
“And these.” Marshall holds up his second pastry. “These do great things,” he says, taking a huge bite, “for me.”
“Eat up. If you leave them here, I’ll eat them, and my ass doesn’t need all that.” I point to the box and make a circling motion.
“Sawyer!” Royce snaps. My head whips to look at the doorway of his office. “I don’t want to hear that shit come out of your mouth. Ever.”
“I can feel my ass expanding just looking at them,” I say in reply.
He stalks toward me. He doesn’t stop until he’s bending over me, bracing his hands on the arms of my chair. “You’re perfect.” He kisses the corner of my mouth and stands to his full height. “Don’t you all have something better to do than harass Sawyer?”
“Your girl brought us breakfast.” Conrad smirks.
Royce looks down at me. “See what you started. You’re never going to get rid of them.”
“They’re not so bad.”
He shakes his head, a smile tilting his lips. “I got shit to do.” His hand reaches out and tucks my hair behind my ear. “Lunch today?” he asks.
“You have a lunch meeting,” I remind him, and he curses under his breath.
“Go, get to work. That is why we’re here.”
“Fine,” he grumbles. “Don’t be bothering her all damn day.” He makes a point to look at each of his brothers before walking away and disappearing into his office.
“So bossy,” Marshall mutters, reaching for his third pastry.
I smile as each of them, pastries in hand, head to their offices. I should have known there was no need to worry. These Riggins men are one of a kind.
This week has flown by. Royce had a packed schedule, and I’ve barely seen him. We had dinner Monday night, but he ended up having meetings that ran late Tuesday and Wednesday, and I already had plans to have dinner with Hadley last night. Royce tried to convince me to come over after, but Hadley came back to my place, and we stayed up way too late talking about anything and everything. Her wedding is just a couple of months away, and we had a lot to catch up on. I’m so excited for my best friend. Derek is a great guy, and anyone who sees the way that he looks at her can tell how much he loves her. They are definitely my example of couple goals. I want that one day.
I can’t help but think about Royce. We’ve shared stolen kisses, and any excuse he can find to touch me while we’re at work he takes full advantage of. I can’t help but wonder if he could be my future. If he will one day look at me the way that Derek looks at Hadley. My phone ringing pulls me out of my thoughts.
“Riggins Enterprises, this is Sawyer.”
“Hi, Sawyer, this is Sasha, Mr. Peterson’s assistant. Something has come up, and he’s going to need to reschedule his meeting this afternoon with Mr. Riggins.”
My eyes quickly scan the books, and I see a Mr. Peterson on Royce’s schedule for three o’clock. “Would you like to go ahead and reschedule?” I ask, hoping she’ll volunteer the reason for canceling before I have to ask her.
“Yes, however, we’re not sure when. Mr. Peterson has had a death in the family. Can I call you next week once I know more?”
“Certainly, and please give Mr. Peterson our condolences.” Ending the call, I click on Royce’s calendar and remove the meeting. I then pull up my email and send him one letting him know why the meeting was canceled, before diving back into typing a few letters that Grant dictated yesterday. I’m focused on what Grant is saying, which is why I startle when I feel Royce’s hands on my shoulders. Tilting my head back, I smile. “Hey.”
“Hi, beautiful.” He bends to place a kiss on the tip of my nose. “I got your email.”
“Gives you a little catch-up time,” I say, swirling around in my chair to face him.
“My thoughts exactly. We
leave in thirty.”
“Wait. What do you mean we leave in thirty? It’s two o’clock in the afternoon.” I’m sure I’m looking at him like he’s lost his mind.
“It is, and I’m using my time to catch up.”
“And that includes us leaving because?”
“Because it’s been a hell of a week without you. Stolen kisses here at the office are not going to cut it. I need you in my arms.”
“We’re having dinner tonight,” I remind him.
“Change of plans. Our night starts in thirty.”
Grant walks past and stops when he sees Royce at my desk. “Hey, man, got a minute? I got Scott on the line for an update on Idaho. Thought you might want to sit in. I saw your schedule was clear.”
“Fuck,” Royce sighs. “Yeah, I’ll be right there.” With a nod, Grant turns to head back to his office. “I’m sorry. I’ll make this quick.”
“Royce, I can’t leave. We can’t just slip out early.”
“I’m the boss.”
“And I have responsibilities.”
Another heavy sigh leaves his lips. “Fine. Come with me.” With my hand in his, he leads me to Grant’s office. Peeking his head in the door, he says, “I’m going to hop on the call from my office.” With that, he turns and leads us to his office. Once inside, he shuts the door and takes a seat behind his desk, pulling me into his lap.
“What’s going on?” I ask, looking over my shoulder.
“What’s going on is that I can’t wait a minute longer to hold you, so you’re going to sit with me while I take this call. Then, I’ll give you thirty minutes to wrap up whatever it is that you need to do, and we are out of here for the weekend.”
He doesn’t give me a chance to respond before he hits the conference button on his phone, and Grant’s voice fills the room. Not willing to make my presence known, I lean back against his chest, and he wraps his arms around me. I feel his lips press to my temple. He keeps one arm around my waist, while the other rests on my thigh. I’m wearing pants today, and I make a mental note to never wear pants to work again. Only skirts from here on out. Anything that gets me closer to him and gives me the chance to feel his skin against mine.
“Thanks for your hard work, Scott. I think the two of you can take it from here,” Royce says, not bothering to say goodbye before he taps the button on his phone that ends his connection to the call.
I move to stand, and I’m surprised when he lets me. Although that’s short-lived when his hands land on my hips. He turns me to face him and lifts me from the floor, setting me on his desk. “I missed you this week,” he says, circling his arms around my waist.
“You’ve been busy,” I say, placing my arms around his neck.
“I don’t like it.”
Ah, broody Royce. “Well, there’s not much we can do about that. You’re a big boy now with a multi-million-dollar company to run. It can’t all be fun and games.”
“Sassy,” he says, pressing his lips to mine.
“Hey, Royce.” I recognize as Marshall’s voice as he walks into Royce’s office.
“You didn’t lock the door,” I hiss.
He grins. “I’ve got nothing to hide.”
“Me!” I shriek. “Me on your desk specifically.” I try to stand, but he’s not willing to let me go. Instead, he tilts his head to the side to look at his brother. “What’s up?”
“Sawyer, have I told you how glad I am you’re here?” Marshall asks.
“What?” I turn to look over my shoulder.
“This guy. He’s much more relaxed when you’re around.” He points at Royce.
“Until my time with my girl that I’ve been missing all week gets interrupted by my little brother. What’s up, Marsh?” Royce asks with no heat in his tone.
“I have the final mock-up of the new marketing campaign for Idaho, the rebranding of sorts. Thought you might want to take a look at it.”
“Sure, send it over, but I doubt I’ll get to it before Monday,” he says, running his hand up and down my back. I’m not even sure he realizes that he’s doing it.
“You’re taking the weekend off?” Marshall asks, and his surprise is more than evident in his voice.
“Yes.” Royce’s gaze is locked on mine. “I’m taking the weekend off. In fact, Sawyer and I are heading out early.”
“I can’t. I have some letters I need to finish for Grant,” I tell him.
“What about me?” Grant asks from behind me.
I give Royce an “I’m going to kill you for putting me in this situation at work” look, and his grin only grows.
“Sawyer and I are heading out, starting our weekend early,” Royce explains.
“She doesn’t want to go. She has some letters she’s typing for you,” Marshall adds.
“Yeah, but I asked you to date them for midweek next week. So, they don’t need to be done today,” Grant tells her.
“Haven’t you ever heard do today’s work today, because you don’t know what tomorrow will bring?” I ask, exasperated with the Riggins men in the room.
“It’s all about balance, sis,” Grant says. I’m not looking at him, but I can hear the smirk in his voice.
“See, babe. It’s all good. Go close down and do what you need to do. We leave in thirty.”
“Royce—” I start, but he presses his lips to mine, effectively shutting me up.
“Please. I miss you.”
He gives me the saddest look I’ve ever seen. “Pouting Riggins?”
“If that’s what it takes, yes.”
I can’t help but laugh. “Fine, but this is not going to become routine. I’m still an employee of this company. I can’t just go making my own hours.”
“You can when you’re mine.”
I don’t have a reply for that. Especially not with two of his brothers within earshot. Instead, I push back on his shoulders, and this time he lets me. With his hands on my hips, he lifts me from his desk. I ignore all three of them as I leave his office and make my way back to my desk. I try to act irritated and hide my excitement at the same time. I’ve missed him too, and I can’t wait to spend some time with him.
Chapter 20
Royce
When I told Sawyer we had plans this weekend, what I meant was I wanted to stay locked away at her place or mine, shutting out everything but the two of us. I should have been more specific because when my brother called and said everyone was going out to the lake, Sawyer chimed in and told him we would be there. It’s not that I don’t want to see my brothers or my parents, but seeing her at work and not being able to hold her is torture. Last week, I had to practically drag her out of the office early. This week, I had hoped to do the same, but it didn’t happen. Instead, Sawyer stayed to help me with a few reports and ordered us dinner. We were at the office until after seven last night.
I promised her no more working on the weekend—that I had plans for her, and she was all mine. All of that is true, and I should have been more specific. I should be lying with her naked body next to mine. Her bed or mine; I’m not picky. Although I admit, I do enjoy having her at my place. It feels more like home when she’s there. Instead, we’re headed to my parents’ place for another Saturday of sun and fun on the lake.
“Come on,” she says from the passenger seat of my truck. “It’ll be fun. You love the lake.”
“I do, but I wanted some time with you.”
“I’m right here.”
“Naked time.”
She throws her head back and laughs. The sound fills the cab of my truck and has my heart beating a little harder inside my chest. “We had naked time last night, and this morning,” she reminds me.
“I can’t help that I crave your body next to mine,” I say, keeping my eyes on the road.
“My sweet Royce,” she whispers, reaching over and placing her hand on my arm.
“I’m always sweet.”
“Uh-huh, you are, but sometimes you take it over the top, and it makes my belly flutter. Like a
swarm of butterflies are having a party in there or something.”
Checking my rearview mirror, I move the truck to the side of the road and put it in Park. Taking off my seat belt, I turn and lean over the console. I take her face in my hands and press my lips to hers. Hearing her description just now, it’s exactly what happens every time I’m near her. Knowing that she feels the same way, I had to kiss her. I needed my lips on hers, her taste on my tongue. Waiting wasn’t an option.
A blaring horn pulls us out of the kiss. I turn to look, and I see Marshall’s truck flying by us. “I feel it too,” I say, turning my attention back to Sawyer. “All of it.” I take her hand and place it over my heart. “You feel that?” She nods. “That’s what you do to me. Just looking at you causes my heart to race.” Another blaring horn, and this time I don’t bother to turn to look. I’m positive it’s another one of my idiot brothers. “We should go,” I say as her phone rings. I pull away, giving her space to answer.
“Hello,” she says as I lock in my seat belt and pull back out on the road.
“Hey, Had.” She listens. “Sorry, Royce and I are going to his family’s lake today. We’re taking the boat out.”
“Hey.” I reach over and place my hand on her thigh. “Invite them.”
“Hold on a minute.” She covers the speaker of her phone. “Are you sure?”
“Of course, I’m sure. We have friends out there all the time. Besides, I think it’s time I met your best friend.”
“Are we there?” she asks, smiling.
“We’ve been there. Tell her to join us. You can text her the address.”
“Hey, Had, why don’t you and Derek join us?” She listens. “No intrusion at all,” she assures her. “I’ll text you the address. Come on, and you’ve been dying to meet Royce, so now’s your chance.” Another pause. “Yay. Okay, I’ll text you the address. See you soon.” She ends the call and glances over at me. “Thank you for that. She’s been hounding me to meet you.”
“Why didn’t you say anything?”
She shrugs. “I didn’t know if we were there yet. I wasn’t sure what this was exactly.” She waves her hand between us.
