“You… Really?”
“Well, yeah.” Cal shrugged. “Dude’s loaded—he can buy the booze!”
Everyone burst out laughing.
“All right, all right,” I said. “Get back to work, you guys.”
As Silent Dave put his headphones back on, and everyone else resumed chattering and working, Teagan came around her table. She hugged me gently. “That took some serious balls. What you said to Rick, I mean.”
“No, it didn’t. It just needed to be done.” As she released me, I added, “I was going crazy without him.”
“I know you were. I could tell. But you also stood up for all of us by doing that.”
“I wish I could say that was why I did it.”
She smiled. “Even if it was a side effect, it was a good one. And you got your man back.”
“Thank God,” I breathed, my shoulders dropping. “Another day of that, and I—”
“Don’t. You’ve got him. Don’t work yourself up over what might’ve happened.”
“You know that’s about as effective as telling you not to put your coffee so close to your model, right?”
“I know, but it was worth a try.” She patted my arm. “Now get back to work so you don’t get fired.”
She returned to her table, and I was about to return to mine, but my phone buzzed on my desk.
It was a text from Rick, and his five simple words ensured I wasn’t getting a goddamned thing done for the rest of the day:
What’s the plan for tonight?
Chapter Thirty-Four
We didn’t make any plans beyond his place, ASAP. I didn’t bother stopping to pick up any toys or implements, and I didn’t spend the afternoon thinking of ways to tie him up and tease him and make him go crazy. What would happen when we stepped through that front door was anyone’s guess.
Throughout the day, I made sure to drink a ton of water to appease my throbbing temples. No way in hell was this hangover coming with me tonight. It had almost fully faded by lunch anyway, but I was taking no chances.
At four thirty, my desk phone rang.
“Modeling and drafting, this is Jon.”
“Why don’t you cut loose and head home for the day?” Marie said.
“What? But it’s—”
“I know what time it is. Get out of here.”
“I—” Even as I reached for my keys, I hesitated. “Listen, um, thanks. For having my back.”
“You’re welcome, Jon. I’m sorry you had to go through this whole fiasco.”
“Did Mitchell give you a hard—”
“Don’t worry about me. Besides, I’m pretty sure your boyfriend put the fear of God into him, and he won’t be giving anyone a hard time for a while.”
I laughed. “Yeah, he looked pretty scared.”
“He was. And let me tell you, Rick wasn’t done with him after we left your office. He called the Forsythe boys into the conference room to discuss those contracts, and he must’ve let them have it for a good twenty minutes.”
“Wow, seriously?”
“Seriously. Anyway, get out of here.”
“I’m out of here. Thanks.”
“You’re welcome.”
After we’d hung up, I grabbed my wallet and keys. “See you all tomorrow. I’m out.”
“What?” Bianca piped up. “You’re leaving early?”
“Boss’s orders.”
“Lucky bastard,” Scott muttered.
I just chuckled and got the hell out of there. Knowing this group, when I came in the next morning, there would be a pile of gifts on my desk. Probably a jumbo bottle of ibuprofen, along with some safe-sex pamphlets, a pack of extra-small condoms and a coupon for a walker.
Whatever. Let them joke. Even if they were going to rib me for it until the end of time, it was good to be out about who I was and who I was seeing.
Especially now that I was seeing him again.
I texted Rick on my way to my car and drove like a bat out of hell across town to his neighborhood.
Normally, when I arrived at his place, he’d be out the front door before I’d made it up the walk. This time, the door stayed closed.
As I started onto the porch, though, my phone buzzed. Another text, this time with a single word:
Upstairs.
I laughed to myself. Calling the shots now, are we?
The front door was unlocked, so I stepped inside and hurried up the stairs to his bedroom.
And there beside his bed, the most gorgeous thing I’d seen in a long time:
Rick. On his knees. Completely naked. Completely hard.
Our eyes met, and we both grinned.
“You know…” I crouched in front of him. “Any other time, I might’ve given you hell for giving me orders.” I touched his face, warm electricity rippling up my arm as my fingertips brushed his freshly shaved jaw. “But you look so good like this, how can I say no?”
His grin got even bigger as he let me draw him in, and the instant our lips touched, he moaned.
“God, I love you,” he whispered.
“I love you too.” I kissed him once more and had every intention of drawing it out, but this position was quickly getting uncomfortable. And I had no idea how long he’d been kneeling like this, so I broke the kiss, stood, and extended my hand. “Come up. Let’s not piss off your knees.”