Pulling up a Word document, I let my fingers hover over the keyboard as I tried to come up with how I wanted to word my resignation.
My eyes drifted to the envelope, then back to the screen.
Shit.
Fighting the urge to open the letter, I began typing:
Dear Sirs,
After giving careful thought to the matter, I’ve decided that it’s in the best interest of the company for me to resign my position. I’ve enjoyed my time here, enjoyed getting to know each of you. It’s been an experience I’ll never forget. I know I should be giving you two weeks’ notice; however, I don’t see how that could possibly help matters. I’ve left a detailed list of my job duties and things that will need to be handled going forward for when you hire my replacement.
Luciana Wagner
As I typed my name, a tear slipped down my cheek. This wasn’t how I’d ever envisioned things going, but honestly, it was the best way to handle it. I wasn’t the right person for these men. I couldn’t keep my emotions from interfering and that was my downfall. They deserved someone who could tend to their needs without entanglements. As it was, chaos had ensued and I knew it was all my fault.
If they were smart, they would keep their playtime limited to the club. It was proving true that mixing business with pleasure was a bad idea.
I copied the details and pasted them into an email. I added the subject: Thank you for the experience, then added their names in the To field.
Pushing back from my chair, I stared down at the screen before hitting send. My eyes shot over to the envelope. No matter what it said, it wasn’t going to fix things. As much as I wanted to read it, it would only make this that much harder.
Rather than risk changing my mind, I grabbed my purse and headed for the lobby. I locked the double doors, then placed my keys in Jordan’s desk, pushing them to the far back behind some stuff. I would call him tomorrow and let him know they were there.
I did my best to ignore the way my heart was shattering into pieces, the shards piercing my very soul. As I stepped into the elevator, it became difficult to breathe. This wasn’t what I wanted.
Then again, not getting what I wanted was something I was familiar with.
It was time I accepted that fact.
It was time I moved on.
As the elevator descended to the main floor, breathing became more difficult. I was doing my best not to cry. I didn’t want anyone to see me breaking down. I would reserve that for when I got back to my apartment. At the very least, until I was in my car.
The second the doors opened on the main floor, my eyes widened when I noticed Landon and Langston standing there. It was as though they knew that I was coming.
Landon held up his phone.
I couldn’t see what was on the screen, but I figured it was my emailed resignation. Damn it. I knew I should’ve printed it off and put it on their desks.
“Going somewhere, pet?” Langston asked, his tone hard, his eyes narrowed on my face.
“I’m going home. Now, if you’ll excuse me,” I said politely, trying to move around them.
They stopped my progress and redirected me back into the elevator.
“What are you doing?” I hissed. I was trying not to make a scene, but they were pushing my limits.
“Where’s the letter?” Langston asked.
“On my desk,” I snapped. “Unopened.”
“Looks as though our little sub is looking for some punishment,” Landon stated coolly, his hand curling around my elbow, while Langston did the same with my other arm.
“I’m not yours,” I countered.
“No?” Landon didn’t sound as though he believed me.
“I need to get home,” I told them.
They weren’t listening and the elevator was going back up to the thirty-second floor.
When I tried to pull away, their grips tightened. It didn’t hurt, but it was enough to ensure I knew they weren’t letting me go.
When the elevator stopped, they led me into the darkened lobby.
“Go get the letter,” Langston instructed me.
“No.” I was done with this crap. “I quit. You can no longer tell me what to do.”
Landon spun me around to face him, his hand curling around behind my neck, his thumb beneath my chin as he tilted my head back.
“Did you think we only told you what to do because you worked for us?”
Langston left us there, heading down the hallway.
“Yes,” I lied. “And I’ve given my notice. You can find someone else to put up with your crap.”
Even as I said the words, I hated speaking to him that way. Although the man thoroughly confused me, he’d never been mean. At least not when I hadn’t deserved it.
“Keep it up, sweetness. You’re gonna get your little ass paddled.”
For whatever reason, I felt the need to push him. This was the most reaction I’d ever gotten out of them and I wanted to see how far they would go. I felt alive for the first time in a week.
“If you think you’re man enough,” I goaded.
The next thing I knew, I was laid out across Jordan’s desk.
“Lift your skirt,” he commanded.
I didn’t move.
“Do it,” he insisted.
I remained still.
“I won’t tell you again. Either use your safeword or lift your skirt.”
I wanted to defy him, but my inner submissive was terrified he would walk away forever. Although that was what I’d been planning to do, I hadn’t expected this.
With trembling hands, I lifted my skirt. My bare ass was on display and I knew if anyone stepped off that elevator, it would be the first thing they saw.
“We’ll start with ten,” Landon said, his tone harsh. “Count.”
Smack!
“One,” I ground out, pretending not to be affected although my ass was smarting from the sting. Landon certainly wasn’t being gentle.
Smack!
“Ow! That hurts!”
“It’s not supposed to feel good. Did you count?”
“Two,” I hissed.
Smack!
I sucked in a sharp breath as his hand landed on the bottom curve of my ass. “Three!”
Smack!
“Four,” I choked out on a sob.
Smack!
“Five.”
The sound of footsteps had me turning to see Langston returning, the envelope in his hand.
Smack!
I squealed from the shock. “Six!”
Smack!
Tears were forming and I couldn’t hold them back. “Seven.”
Smack!
“Eight.” I sobbed, letting the tears come.
Smack!
“Nine.” My voice was raspy from the tears clogging my throat.
Smack!
“Ten.”
Warm hands caressed my stinging ass before Landon helped me up. He adjusted my skirt, then turned me to face him.
“Are you ready to have a conversation?”
I didn’t respond.
“We can go for ten more.”
I shook my head. “I’m ready to talk.”
“Good, then let’s go home.”
I had no idea what home they were referring to, but at the moment, I was on emotional overload. I didn’t care where they took me or what happened. I needed a few minutes to compose myself.
They flanked me again, each taking one of my elbows and escorting me back to the main floor. We exited the building and headed toward the black truck sitting in front of the doors. Landon passed his keys over to Langston, then joined me in the back seat. I thought for sure they would leave me back there alone to think about what I’d done, but Landon surprised me by buckling me into the middle seat and pulling me against his side.
I relaxed against him, my tears finally drying up. With his arm over my shoulder, I felt the urge to cry again, but I managed to hold it in.
No one said anything during the drive,
and it soon became obvious that we weren’t going to my apartment. Which meant we were headed to their house.
I wasn’t sure how I felt about that.
Part of me was eager to hear what they had to say to me; the other part was dreading it. I wouldn’t put it past them to have a sit-down chat explaining why this wouldn’t work any longer but asking that I didn’t resign my position.
If they did that, I would certainly be leaving the company. Although I considered myself a strong woman, I could only tolerate so much. The thought of watching my bosses move on with their lives without me wasn’t something I could contemplate.
At least for now, I had a little time to think about what I wanted to say to them.
God only knew I had plenty on my mind.
•
My ass hurt.
An hour later, I could still feel the sting on my skin. It made it difficult to sit down.
Well, that and the scrutiny of Landon’s and Langston’s gazes as they watched me from their positions on the sofa.
When we first arrived, they gave me a few minutes alone, directing me to go into Landon’s bedroom. I took my sweet time, trying to regain my composure. It wasn’t easy when I was presented with Landon’s bed. I remembered the last night I was here, when they had both taken me together. It was one of the greatest nights of my entire life.
Finally, I managed to force myself back to the living room, where they instructed me to kneel. Which was where I was now, at their feet, with my sore butt resting on my heels. With every shift, I could practically feel the heat of Landon’s hand coming down on me. As angry as I wanted to be at him for it, I couldn’t quite get there. I had deserved it.
“Are you ready to talk now?” Langston asked, staring down at me.
I shrugged.
“Not a good answer,” he growled roughly.
Sighing, I glared up at him. “I’m not sure what you want from me. I already gave you my notice, so you should be thrilled. You can move on with your lives without having to worry about hurting my feelings.”
“And why would we hurt your feelings?” Landon questioned.
Damn it.
I should’ve known they would back me into a corner with this.
Before I could come up with a reasonable response—one that wouldn’t give away everything I felt for them—Langston held out the envelope that had been on my desk earlier.
“I don’t want to read it,” I said belligerently.
He didn’t budge. “I wasn’t asking.”
Swallowing hard, I took the envelope and glanced between it and them, then back. I really didn’t want to read it. I didn’t want to know who I was supposed to belong to next because it wouldn’t matter anymore. I didn’t want to play their games, didn’t want to be passed around. My heart was too fragile to endure any more.
“Open it, pet,” Langston insisted.
I could feel my throat constricting as tears threatened.
I slid my finger beneath the flap and unsealed it before pulling out the sheet of paper. I took a deep breath, then unfolded it.
Luci,
We’re sure you’re expecting this letter to tell you who you belong to next. However, that’s not the case. It doesn’t matter who has the honor of having you for their submissive, that’s something we’ve all enjoyed. The fact of the matter is, we have realized something.
There’s no need to do that anymore.
We already know who we belong to.
L & L
My heart nearly burst right out of my chest as I read and reread the letter over and over. The tears started to fall and there was nothing I could do to stop them, even as they splattered on the paper and caused the ink to run.
I couldn’t look them in the eye. They weren’t telling me who I belonged to. They were telling me who they belonged to. Had I read the note before I’d sent my resignation, I would’ve never gotten myself to this place.
Yeah. Even I could recognize that I was far too stubborn for my own good sometimes.
Forty-Nine
“IS THIS REAL?” I MANAGED to choke out, still staring at the paper.
“It doesn’t get any realer than that,” Landon said, his voice a mere whisper.
“That is…if you’ll claim us.” The emotion I heard in Langston’s voice broke me open.
My love for these men was the only thing I knew for certain. It was the very reason I’d gotten to the point in my life where I was now. Submission was an act of trust and could be given freely if so chosen. However, it was also an act of love. And in order to give every part of oneself to another, your heart had to be in it.
My heart belonged to them.
Wiping the tears from my face, I looked up at both men. They were watching me, obviously waiting for me to say something.
A smile tilted my lips and I smacked Langston’s leg with the paper. “What took you so long?”
A watery laugh escaped as I said the words, more so when they pulled me up from the floor, settling me on their laps. I shifted so that I was straddling one leg of each of theirs.
Landon cupped my face and turned my head so that I was staring into his eyes. He wasn’t wearing his glasses.
“I honestly thought there was no one as stubborn as my brother.” His voice rang with amusement. “Then I met you.”
I couldn’t help but smile although I still had tears streaking my face.
“There’s one lesson we will be workin’ on, sweet girl.”
I was pretty sure I knew what Landon was going to say, but I cocked an eyebrow anyway, waiting for him to finish.
“Your need to run and hide isn’t something I’m fond of.”
Yep. I knew that was coming. And he was right.
“But I love you, Luciana. And I’m willing to put in the effort as long as you are.”
My heart flipped, spun, then burst in my chest.
I didn’t get a chance to respond, because Langston was turning me to face him.
“I don’t consider stubborn to be a bad quality,” he said, obviously defending himself. “But I agree that the running will stop.”
I could hear the insistence in his tone. Langston was the more commanding of the two and I was okay with that.
“But I’m here, for as long as you’ll have me.” He brushed his finger down my cheek. “I love you, Luci.”
I sniffled, my heart so full I could hardly breathe.
“I love both of you,” I told them, glancing between them. “And it’s not new for me. I’ve known it for some time.” I forced another watery smile. “But I think you already knew that.”
“We tried to get you to open up to us,” Landon told me. “Unfortunately, that’s easier said than done. Without communication, we’ll get nowhere.”
He was right. However… “Whenever I tried to open up, even accidentally, you both shut me down.”
Landon looked remorseful. “You’re right. We did.”
“In our defense,” Langston stated, “it’s not easy for us. We never thought we’d get to this point. You blew in like a hurricane, Luci. Surprising us all.”
I could feel the sincerity of his words and my heart possibly missed a beat or two.
“So, you’re done runnin’?” Langston asked, his drawl slipping through.
I nodded. “Yes, Master. I’m done running.”
Landon grabbed his phone and tapped out a message.
“What are you doing?”
“Reassuring your other bosses that you haven’t abandoned us all.”
My eyes widened. I hadn’t even thought about Justin or Ben. “Wait. What about them? Won’t they be angry?”
Langston turned my head so I was looking at him again. “They already know.”
Landon put down his phone. “In fact, they’ve been waitin’ for us to figure it out for ourselves.”
Ben had pretty much said that very thing to me.
“So, now what?” I asked, not sure what was supposed to happen next.
I mean,
it wasn’t every day that someone (or two someones) professed their love for me, or me to them.
“Well, first, you’re gonna make dinner,” Landon said, sounding as though that was the most natural thing in the world.
“Okay.” I wasn’t opposed to doing that.
“Then we’ll eat,” he said before glancing over at Langston.
Langston finished for him. “Then, we’ll show you the dungeon.”
My eyes widened. I’d totally forgotten that Langston had mentioned they had a dungeon in their house. I’d never seen it, not even when I stayed with Landon for those two weeks.
Admittedly, I liked that they weren’t making this weird. In most of the romance novels I’d read, they were all about professing their undying love, then getting naked and consummating the relationship. We’d already consummated ours in many, many ways.
Langston glanced over at Landon. “That okay with you?”
Landon shrugged. “Makes sense.” His eyes shifted back to my face. “After all, I think a good amount of punishment is still in order.”
“Punishment? But…”
Langston put his hand over my mouth. “Dinner first. Then the dungeon.” He smiled. “If you’re really good, we might even let you negotiate the terms of your punishment.”
I nodded, keeping my mouth shut, although I was highly tempted to lick his hand. Perhaps I could give the bratty submissive thing a go at some point in the future. That would sure keep them on their toes.
They helped me to my feet, then urged me toward the kitchen.
“You have one hour to get the meal prepared,” Landon informed me.
“Yes, Sir.” And with that, I trotted off to the kitchen to do their bidding.
•
I managed to use my hour wisely, preparing spaghetti, meat sauce, and garlic bread for Master and Sir. They seemed very happy with my choices, and while we ate, they talked about work, while I mostly listened in. Every now and then they would include me and I contributed as best I could. It wasn’t easy since my mind was already on other things.
Such as this punishment they had in store for me.
Well, that and how things were going to play out from here. Since I had retracted my resignation, I had to be at work in the morning. With Ben and Justin out of the office, I was already trying to figure out what I needed to do to help them out. Plus, tomorrow was Valentine’s Day. I needed to do something for them to show them how much I loved them. Since I wasn’t used to celebrating holidays, it had completely slipped my mind. However, the idea of spending holidays with them in the future…
Intrigued Out of the Office Page 33
