by L. A. Witt
My current model, a 1:10 scale likeness of the library going up downtown—assuming the city council approved the project and its budget—was nearly finished. The interior was done. I barely remembered putting in all the miniature bookcases, and I had to double-check I’d express-ordered the tiny tables and chairs from the dollhouse supplier we used for furniture that was too time-consuming to build. I had in fact placed the order, so I focused on the exterior. Specifically, the courtyard area.
As I fitted the foam-core piece that would represent the cobblestone patio, my phone buzzed on my desk, and my stomach fluttered. Though I texted with other people, I knew it was him. My kids were either still asleep or in class at this time of day, and Karen never texted me from work. Which left…
Hear you had some time off. Feeling better?
I wrote back, Almost human again. Will be much better once I’ve spent some time with you.
I stared at my message for a moment. Was that too forward? Did it sound too much like I was getting too into this? Too attached? Too—
Shit. My thumb had been hovering a little too close to the send button, and while I’d been overanalyzing my message like a teenager, I’d tapped it. Well, there it went.
I put my phone down beside the miniature patio. Before I’d even picked up the X-ACTO to shave off a tiny irregularity on the edge of the foam-core, my phone vibrated again.
Looking forward to it. *I’LL* be much better once we’ve spent time together.
I blinked a few times. No, it wasn’t my sleep-deprived brain rearranging the letters.
Let’s hope it’ll be soon, I wrote back. I need it.
Fingers crossed. GTG mtg.
Another meeting? Jesus. I did not envy him. I only had to suffer through a few every week, but his job seemed to be one after another. I had no idea how the man stayed sane.
My eyes darted toward his earlier message.
Looking forward to it. *I’LL* be much better once we’ve spent time together.
Ah. That explained it. No wonder he needed a Dom—getting topped and tormented probably shook all that death by PowerPoint out of him. Whatever the case, I was happy to give it to him. All the more reason to finish this fucking model ASAP.
“Hey, Jon,” Teagan said after a while. “Could I borrow you for a second?”
“Sure.” I set my pieces down and moved to her table. “What do you need?”
She held up a piece of the model’s roof. “Could you just hold this while I attach the brackets?”
“No problem.” I steadied the edges of the roof gently while she guided the piece into place. Once it was where she wanted it, I held it more firmly.
She picked up a thin wire bracket she’d made. It was one of her little innovations for modeling—carefully fitted and virtually invisible braces instead of cementing the whole roof into place. They made it easier to remove the roof if she needed to, and also provided some give in case the materials warped.
As she slid the first bracket into its place with a set of needle-nose pliers, she said, “Get any sleep last night?”
“More than I have in a while. You?”
She nodded. “It was nice to see my man for more than ten minutes too.” Her eyes flicked up, a piercing glittering in the overhead light. Voice low and discreet, she asked, “Did you have any, um, company?”
“Company? What are you—”
“Oh for God’s sake.” She laughed, rolling her eyes, and shifted her attention back to the thin brace. “You got laid. I know you.”
“What? How the hell do you—”
“You’re running on almost no sleep, with the partners and Marie breathing down your neck, and you haven’t made any noise about committing homicide. So are—oh, you little fucker…” She leaned in closer, scowling at the piece, and gave it a shove.
“Doesn’t fit?”
“No, it fits. It’s just—there it goes.” She nudged it once more. When it was apparently where it belonged, she started on the next bracket. “Anyway. So things must be going well with her?”
Oh hell. Why not? “So far, so good. But no, I didn’t get laid. We’re just making plans for my next day off. So I can finally spend some time with—” I caught myself before I used “him” and quickly said, “So we can spend some time together.”
“I’m sure.” Her eyes flicked up again, and she smiled. “I have to say, she really brings out an adorable side of you, you know that, right?”
I glanced at our coworkers, making sure they weren’t listening in. They were preoccupied with a lively conversation about something, so I turned back to her. “What are you talking about?”
“I’m talking about that silly little smile you keep getting when I assume you’re thinking about her or sending her millions of texts. And when I mention her, apparently.”
“What are you—” Whoa. She was right, wasn’t she? I was grinning like an idiot and hadn’t even realized it. I cleared my throat and put on a poker face. “Hey, I haven’t been with anyone in a while. It’s…a nice switch.”
“A nice switch?” She laughed, focusing on guiding the bracket into place. “I know you, Jon. A ‘nice switch’ was when you were getting laid a few months ago and looked like a giddy idiot.” She gestured at me with the pliers. “This? I think you like doing more than just rolling in the sheets with her.” Her eyes darted toward our coworkers as if she worried she’d spoken too loudly. Quieter now, she added, “Is it serious?”
Her expression dared me to challenge her. And in any other situation, I might have, but I was having a hell of a time coming up with any arguments.
So, I just shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe? Eventually? It’s still a new thing.”
“Well, it’s a cute thing, and it keeps you from being grumpy. So, I approve.”
I laughed, rolling my eyes. “Gee, thanks, T.”
“Any time.” She put the third bracket into place. “Okay, I think it’s solid now. Thanks.”
“No problem.” I let go of the model’s roof. She tested it, and sure enough, it wasn’t going anywhere now. There were still half a dozen brackets left to put on, but she didn’t need help keeping it still, so I went back to my own model.
My conversation with Teagan echoed in my head as I carefully measured and marked a new piece of foam-core that would be the parking lot beside the library I was building. I always felt weird pretending to be dating a woman when I was with a man, and every single time, I weighed whether it was worth just coming out and, well, coming out. No one in this room would’ve been obnoxious about it. But coming out was never easy, especially as I got older.
This time, though, I wasn’t hung up on whether or not to come out, but what she’d said about things getting serious with “her”. Mostly because I couldn’t argue. Mentally I tried, but I couldn’t.
Maybe she was right, and Rick really did make me grin like an idiot without even realizing it. Normally, I’d have resisted and protested for as long as I had plausible deniability—we’re not serious!—and once that ran out, then I’d admit it. No rushing in. Not for this guy.
But any attempts to deny it to myself didn’t even make sense. It was still too early to tell. I barely knew him. Still, even after just a couple of weeks together and almost as much time spent hanging on my texts and surreptitious glances, Rick was farther under my skin than he should’ve been. In any other situation, that would’ve made me panic, and I’d have backed off, but…not this time. Back off? Forget it. I was getting in over my head and enjoying every second of it.
And as soon as I had some time off, I fully intended to dive in again.
* * * * *
At the vending machine for my forty-eighth Red Bull since breakfast, I was counting out a buck twenty-five when sharp footsteps erased my entire brain. Half the people in this building wore suits to work, so dress shoes were hardly unusual, but something about the gait, the way the hard soles clicked on the laminate, told me this wasn’t just anyone.
They stopped behind m
e.
“Feeling better?” Rick’s voice made my skin tingle.
I turned around and nodded. “Amazing what a little sleep can do.” After a little time with you, I’ll be—oh God. This is that smile Teagan keeps talking about, isn’t it?
“All-nighters are a bitch,” Rick said.
“Says the man who’s the reason I keep having to pull all-nighters.”
Rick’s eyebrows rose. “Are these… I mean, are these only Horizon projects?”
“Uh, well.” I cleared my throat. “Not all. Look, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to—”
“No, it’s okay. But seriously—are they working you into the ground on my company’s behalf?”
I exhaled, regretting my ill-judged joke. “Not always. But we have yours, and we have others, so if anything’s a rush, or we get backed up…” I shrugged.
“Hmm.” He pursed his lips.
“It’s okay. It’s kind of feast or famine. We’re used to it.”
Rick shook his head. “No, I don’t want you killing yourself over this stuff because of my company, and I’ve explained that to your bosses already.”
“It’s my job. Don’t worry about it.”
He held my gaze, lips taut. Then he nodded down the hall. “Well, I won’t keep you, and I have to get to a meeting myself. Don’t work yourself into the ground, okay?”
“That goes for you too. You’re going to need your energy once they turn me loose.”
His eyebrows shot up, and he gulped.
“Get to your meeting,” I said in my Dom voice, and tamped down a laugh when he jumped. “We’ll get together soon.”
“Can’t wait,” he said in a hoarse whisper, and as he turned to go, I licked my lips and went back to counting out change so I could get that Red Bull that suddenly didn’t seem quite so necessary.
More footsteps. This time, I cursed soundlessly. I was so not in the mood for—
“Mr. McNeill.” Mitchell huffed behind me. “We have talked about this.”
I turned around and didn’t bother playing stupid. “He was just asking how I was doing.”
Mitchell stiffened and his eyes widened, and I had to replay what I’d just said to be sure I hadn’t really told him that Rick had expressed how much he wanted to get back in bed with me. I was pretty sure I hadn’t, though. Right?
I cleared my throat. “He thought I was out sick. So he asked how I was doing, said he was glad to see I was all right, and that was the end of it.”
Mitchell held my gaze, suspicion etched all over his lined face. Finally, he grunted, “Keep it that way,” and stalked off with no further comment, no further question.
I ground my teeth. Motherfucker.
I finally got my Red Bull and headed back toward the Zone. It had always annoyed the hell out of me that the partners were so particular about us speaking to clients, especially the rich and powerful ones. God forbid they come in contact with the great unwashed and decide Mitchell & Forsythe wasn’t as elite and mighty as they’d thought.
I snickered to myself. Oh, how my crew and I could horrify clients if we were so inclined. We never would, of course, but it was entertaining to imagine clients coming into contact with our daily antics. I could just imagine.
In the Zone, I downed my Red Bull and got back to work. Fatigue and urgency aside, it was a normal day, more or less. Building, drafting, bantering and my coworkers occasionally catching me spacing out. They cautiously blamed it on my advanced age or fantasizing about Cal’s mom instead of my recent long hours.
I didn’t correct them. What they didn’t know wouldn’t hurt me.
* * * * *
Teagan and I had just come back from lunch, and had resumed our umpteenth hour of balls-to-the-wall work when the music suddenly shifted to The Imperial Death March again.
Teagan made a sound that was halfway between a sob and a curse.
I dropped my X-ACTO knife and stood to stretch my aching back. What now?
As Marie walked into the Zone, my hackles went up, but to my surprise, she said, “Jon, Teagan, you’re both off for the rest of the day.”
I blinked. Teagan looked at me, confusion written all over her features.
“But it’s not even noon,” I said.
“I know.” She smiled. “But you’ve both earned it. You’ve got a lot of work left to do over the next week or so, and we’ve got some new projects coming down the pipe.”
“But…” Teagan gestured at her model. “But we’ve still got—”
“You can pick it up tomorrow. In fact, you’re both off for the next two days. I want you both well-rested.”
Teagan and I exchanged wide-eyed glances. Then we both shrugged and stepped away from our modeling tables. I didn’t know if this was Rick’s doing, or if the powers-that-be had suddenly grown a mercy bone, but should I look this gift horse in the mouth?
Teagan apparently didn’t feel the need to. Throwing a “Thanks, boss!” over her shoulder, she headed for the door, half sprinting out into the hallway as if she thought Marie was a few seconds away from rescinding our parole.
I picked up my water bottle and keys. “You’re sure about this?”
Marie glanced after Teagan and shrugged. “Well, unless you can catch her…”
I laughed. “I head out that way, I’m not coming back.”
“Good. Enjoy the time off. Get some rest and recharge.”
“But, I could’ve sworn you—”
“McNeill! What are you doing?” Scott waved his arms toward the door. “You’ve got the day off. Go!”
Marie laughed. “He’s got a point.”
“Noted. I’m out of here.”
In the elevator on the way down to the parking garage, I pulled out my phone, and a text from Rick had come through.
You’re welcome.
My pride wanted to rear up and say oh hell no, and technically, he’d done this even after I’d expressly told him not to, but we’d also agreed that what we were doing outside of work didn’t exist when we were here. Either way, at this point, I was too tired to protest.
So I texted back, Thank you. I’ll let you know when I’m awake.
And then I got the hell out of there.
* * * * *
I awoke to daylight and the clearest head I’d had in days.
The clock on the bedside table said nine forty-five in the morning. Panic surged through me, followed immediately by apathy. I’d just slept away over eighteen hours that could have been productive, and it felt great, so I just didn’t give a shit.
I closed my eyes and exhaled, simply basking in the luxurious feeling of being rested. I was a shower and a cup of coffee away from being human again.
First things first, though, I grabbed my phone off the nightstand. Unsurprisingly, I had two texts from Rick:
Get some rest. Looking forward to seeing you.
Also bring a toothbrush. Not letting you go home tonight. ;-)
Oh God. Yes. Finally.
Giving orders now, are we? I wrote back.
When my phone buzzed again, it was a call, not a text, and Rick’s number on the screen made me grin.
“Hey,” I said. “Calling to give orders this way instead of via text?”
He laughed, sounding sheepish even over the line. “No, nothing like… I mean, I—”
“Relax. What’s up?”
He cleared his throat. “So how much time off is your boss giving you?”
“Today and tomorrow.”
“Well, the invitation is definitely open. I have to be in the office tomorrow afternoon, but I’m yours until then.”
My skin prickled with goose bumps. Jesus, the idea of having him all to myself made my mouth water. Pity my body was so fucking tired. “Full disclosure, though—I am fucking exhausted. Much as I’d like to, I can’t promise much tonight.”
“It’s okay.” The smile in his voice made me dizzy. “I’ll be home around six. Why don’t I make some dinner, and we can just kick back for a while?”
>
“I am one hundred percent on board with that idea.”
“See you tonight.”
Chapter Seventeen
I forced myself to stay awake the rest of the day so I didn’t screw up my body clock even more than it already was. When Rick texted me to say he was on his way home, I didn’t fuck around. After a quick shower, I grabbed my overnight bag and hurried over to his place.
As he always did, he came out the front door before I was even up the walk. Our eyes met. We both smiled the way we didn’t dare when we saw each other at the office, and barely contained excitement swelled in my chest. When was the last time the sight of someone made me giddy like this? I had no idea, but the sight of him was damn sure doing it now, and I couldn’t get to the top of those steps fast enough.
I’d just cleared the top step before we were in each other’s arms. I didn’t know or care who was in charge right then, who initiated or led that deep, hot kiss. All the domination and submissive games could wait until I wasn’t so tired, and until I’d just spent some time with him. Some time like this—arms around each other, lips and tongues meeting for the first time in too long. My head spun and my heart pounded, and it wasn’t because my heels were precariously close to the edge of the top step.
We finally came up for air, and I whispered, “I needed that.”
“Makes two of us.”
I let my lips graze him again. “Pity we can’t do this at the office. It’d be enough to keep me going for days.”
Rick laughed, running his hands down my sides and drawing me closer. “Sorry, I only use this power for good, not evil.”
“Keeping me awake at work is evil?”
“Giving you a reason to spend more time in that office and less time on top of me is definitely evil.”
Yep, I was awake now. “I can’t argue with that logic.”
“Didn’t think so.” He kissed me once more, and then gestured for me to come inside. “I can’t believe how long it’s been since you’ve been here.” He laughed. “Guess I should’ve made sure you could still find the place.”
