Chapter 10
CHAPTER 10
AARON
I stalked off, leaving the bathroom, Harrison, and a shit ton of regret behind.
I’d screwed up plenty of times in my life, but this was next-level fucked. Bad enough I kissed my employee, but then to blow him, while we had our client waiting nearby? What the hell was wrong with me? Was I having a breakdown or something? One moment, Harrison and I were trading barbs, and then we attacked each other’s mouth. Well, to be fair, he kissed me first. And that angry kiss was, ngh, I had no words.
Reason, logic, ethics—obliterated in a single kiss. It was too good to stop. And then I couldn’t. Stress wreaked havoc with my control. Stress, and the most annoying man I’d ever met. I just had to shut him up. That was the only possible explanation for doing what I did.
Would Harrison go to HR? He could ruin me with one confession. Or maybe he’d demand payment for his silence. My shock turned to icy fear. Shit, Harrison would probably sue me, and go to the press, and then, and then…panic clawed at my chest. Even though what happened in that bathroom was consensual, I was still his boss.
He’d kissed me. He started it. It didn’t matter, it was done.
Anxiety gave way to anger. Fuck him for pushing me, for kissing me like that.
I stalked back into the club to grab a much-needed drink, but I didn’t know how I’d be able to make conversation with Ollie. My lips tingled, my hands shook, fuck, my whole body thrummed with an energy that was more than irritation; it was pure fire.
Heading for the bar, I ordered a glass of bourbon and drank the whole thing in one gulp. It was fine, I was good.
Nothing happened.
An hour passed, but it could have been ten for all I was paying attention.
I sat in a corner booth and watched Harrison, surrounded by Ollie’s friends, recounting our bathroom lock-in. Well, the PG parts. Like we hadn’t just fucked everything up. Not surprising, everyone found the story hilarious. I nursed another drink, slowly this time, and prayed that Ollie would still take me, and this deal, seriously. Harrison didn’t appear worried but then again, this was just a job to him. Not his life, or his legacy.
“He’s quite a character,” Ollie declared as he sat down beside me.
Hopefully it was dark enough in here that Ollie didn’t notice my swollen lips or red face.
“He’s something,” I replied and took a long sip of my cocktail.
The less I said about Harrison the better. Being alone with him was frightening enough, but the intense emotions he was churning up inside me were even scarier. That kiss. If you could call it that. More like a battle that we both needed to win. I’d won. I think. A strange restlessness took hold of me, and I wanted to take my frustration out on Harrison again. On that pretty mouth that was just begging for another lesson. Silencing him was so satisfying. And Jesus, that was screwed up. He was my employee for fuck’s sake. I could only imagine the shitstorm that would erupt if anyone in the company found out what had happened.
“I’m sorry you’ve had a rough year,” Ollie added, distracting me from my panic. “It’s tough when you’re initiating changes and things don’t go to plan. And there’s the weight of expectations; employees, shareholders, the board. I want you to know that I understand what you’re going through.”
Tearing my gaze away from Harrison, I studied Ollie.
“I knew coming into this role that it wouldn’t be easy,” I replied, despite the lump in my throat. “But I’m confident I can turn things around.”
Bullshitting was the only thing I could do at this point.
“And your father?”
“He’s not in charge anymore. Still, it’s not easy for him to let go.”
That was as diplomatic as I was going to get.
“That’s what happens when you mix family with business,” Ollie paused and leaned in close. “You know, Rian isn’t just my chief product developer and co-founder, he’s also my stepbrother. My father married his mother when I was twenty and Rian was eighteen. He uses her name though.”
“I didn’t know that.”
How did I not know?
“We’re not as high profile as you and your family, and Rian is a very private person. He doesn’t like most people knowing our bond since they might assume favoritism,” Ollie explained. “I started my business when I was twenty-four. I was still living in Helsinki, and I needed support. Rian gave me that. Then, and every day since.”
“I imagine that’s what Taylor-Ladner was like at the beginning,” I muttered.
“But not now?”
I shook my head vigorously. “Several of my relatives sit on the board, but they don’t get their hands dirty in the day-to-day stuff.”
Not like me. Getting dirty with my employee…
“But you enjoy your job, yes?”
That was a complicated answer. One I was still grappling with.
“I…don’t know anything else.”
Ollie looked at me curiously but said nothing.
“Am I interrupting?”
Suddenly, Harrison stood in front of me, an odd expression on his face. I couldn’t tell if he was smirking or about to snarl at me. When I met his icy blues, I realized that yeah, he was pissed. What did I do now? Breathe?
“Not at all. Come join us,” Ollie offered.
Harrison slid into the booth and when his leg brushed mine, I moved farther away. Or, I tried to. I was trapped between the wall and Harrison, so where else could I go? I reached for my drink, taking another long sip. It wasn’t enough. I needed way more than alcohol to deal with him.
“This is cosy,” Harrison murmured. “You good, boss?”
After draining the rest of my drink, I stared at him. Up close, I noticed the glassiness of Harrison’s eyes, and the dilated pupils.
“As much fun as this has been, it’s time we leave,” I suggested.
“What did I say about telling me what to do?” Harrison growled and placed his arm on the back of the booth. Any closer and he’d be crawling onto my lap. My dick perked up at that idea, but my brain said ‘abort’.
“Harrison,” I warned, suddenly aware of Ollie staring at us. “I’m your boss, it’s my job to do just that.”
Harrison leaned in, his lips brushing the tip of my ear. I shivered in response.
“We’re not at work, remember?” he taunted me with a husky whisper. “And you don’t get to give all the orders.”
My dick started to fill and goddamn it, what the hell was wrong with me?
Everything. Every fucking thing.
“Right?” Harrison chuckled and licked his provocative lips. “Boss?”
I wanted to wreck that smug mouth of his more than I wanted my next breath. And my stupid cock agreed with this plan.
“Time to go,” I insisted with a rough voice.
The sooner we got out of here, the better. Then again, we had to go back to that hotel room. The shared room. Oh fuck, this was not good.
“I’m going to call it a night myself,” Ollie interrupted. “But you two stay however long you like. My driver can drop you guys off at your hotel whenever you’re ready.”
Harrison turned his attention back to Ollie.
“I was just trying to get a rise out of Aaron,” he replied with a smirk and pulled his arm away. “I’m ready to leave.”
Son of a bitch.
Punching a hole through the wall with my fist was tempting, but I resisted. Barely. Instead, I got up and reached for my wallet. When I insisted on paying for tonight’s tab at the club, however, Ollie refused.
“No way. My city, my treat,” he announced.
“Ollie—”
“There’s no negotiating this, Aaron. Save your breath for tomorrow. You’ll need it.”
Despite my nerves, I smiled at that. The deal wasn’t done by a long shot, new friend or not.
“Okay, but the next time you’re in Seattle—” I offered.
“Rian and I will make it happen. You and Harrison can show us around.”
“Well, I—” I started.
“It would be our pleasure,” Harrison responded. “You like hockey?”
“I’m Finnish, so I don’t like hockey,” Ollie replied with a wicked grin. “I love it. There’s nothing like sweaty, aggressive men and cold ice. Hockey players are hot, yes?”
Ollie was into guys?
Harrison chuckled. “Absolutely. When you visit, we’ll go to a game. I’ve got season tickets.”
“It’s a date.”
Wait, was Ollie flirting with Harrison? Date? What the actual fuck?
“I’ll meet you guys out front, I just need to say goodbye to Rian and Zeb.”
Ollie got up and walked off towards the bar.
“You ready to go?” Harrison asked.
“Huh?” I stared at him.
Harrison snapped his fingers. “Earth to base leader, Aaron.”
“So freaking funny.”
“Apparently not given that you haven’t cracked a smile since we met,” he replied tartly.
“No shit,” I blurted out. “I’ve never met anyone as annoying as you.”
“Right back at you.”
“Are we going to sit here for another hour bickering or can we go already?” I asked. “Wait. Base leader? You’re a Star Wars fan?”
“It’s only the coolest movie franchise in the history of ever.”
The fact that we had something in common was beyond frightening. It was almost as scary as what happened in that bathroom…
Harrison slid out of the booth and finally, I could breathe again. We said our goodbyes and by the time we made it outside, Ollie was right behind us. The wind was wicked and wild, and the snow was falling fast as we shuffled from the club to the car.
Ollie’s driver dropped us off at the hotel and then it was just me and Harrison, alone again.
We stepped into the elevator and suddenly I remembered Keegan, the bartender, the guy I was supposed to meet at eight. I glanced at my phone, and it was already way past eleven. Oh well, it was a potential hookup, that’s all. I’m sure he found someone else to fuck around with. It was fine. I’d wait until after this deal was signed, then I’d go out and celebrate by getting my dick sucked. Scratch that. A deal this big called for screwing. A long, hard, sweaty fuck, since I was overdue. There was nothing like the incredible pleasure of getting my ass railed. A vision of me and Harrison doing exactly that played in mind like a reel of sexy porn. No. Bad enough I’d let him goad me into showing him exactly who was boss. It wouldn’t happen again.
“You don’t get to give all the orders.”
Harrison’s comment circled in my mind like an earworm. Was he a top? Vers? Why was I even going there? The man was just trying to rattle me with his stupid innuendo.
Get out of my head.
Was Harrison standing this close to me before? Just like in that bathroom I couldn’t breathe, never mind think, logically or otherwise.
“I’m going to head up to the bar for a nightcap,” he announced. “And FYI, I can’t sleep on that shitty couch so get ready to share the bed.”
Share the what now?
“No way!”
“Grow up, Aaron. It’s only a few nights. Surely you can handle it?”
Oh, I knew exactly how I wanted to handle Harrison Fucker.
Harrison
With Aaron gone, I sagged against the wall of the elevator. Truthfully, I didn’t want another drink. But I needed a distraction from my boss. My stubborn, infuriating roommate. The one I kissed. The one who kissed me back. The guy who gave me the best damn blow job I’d had in…maybe ever?
I’d never crossed the line with anyone I’d worked for. With, sure. But not for. My dick grew hard, and what I thought was one and done, was now a recurring problem. Why did Aaron lock us in that fucking bathroom to begin with? Why had I let him goad me? And what did it matter? I couldn’t undo it. As long as I didn’t panic, everything would be okay. I’d be ready to face him again. Or, rather, sleep with him. Not with him, beside him. And Jesus, the idea of being in bed with Aaron made my dick even harder.
When I arrived at the twentieth floor, I waited in the hallway until my boner relented. Once I was calm again, I made a beeline for the bar, where I found Sam and Riley chatting with the bartender.
Distraction, thy name is flirtatious men.
“Hey guys,” I offered with a wave.
They motioned for me to come join them, so I grabbed the closest bar stool.
“Where’s your sexy boss?” Sam asked with a wicked smile.
I let out a loud groan. “Back in our room. And he’s not sexy.”
Liar.
Now I was picturing Aaron in our room, in that bed. A vision of him lying in those sheets and jerking off played in my head. Maybe I had altitude sickness or something.
Sam’s eyebrows shot up. “You’re sharing a room?”
“Entirely by accident,” I explained. “A pipe burst on the third floor and because of the affected rooms, the hotel had to rearrange bookings. So, we’re sharing a room. And one bed.”
“One bed? Honey, what are you doing here with us?” Sam teased.
“Babe,” Riley warned.
“It’s okay, and I’m sorry to disappoint you, but I’d much rather be here,” I replied, amused by Sam’s line of thinking. Amused and slightly horrified that maybe he was on to something. “I need another drink before I face him again and the fighting starts. I’m sure I’m going to end up sleeping on the floor. Or, Aaron and I will just yell at each other until we both collapse in the middle of the room.”
Or, we’d fuck until we have no fight left.
“God, angry sex is so hot,” Sam commented and reached for his drink.
“Aaron and I aren’t having sex,” I insisted, licking my suddenly dry lips.
Sam’s eyes narrowed as he studied my face. My comment wasn’t a complete lie. We’d had sex, but we weren’t having any more. I took pride in the fact that I learned from my mistakes, and I didn’t repeat them. And kissing Aaron was the biggest mistake. I’m sure he felt the same way. Then again, I didn’t know much about the man and only what I dug up online. It’s almost like Aaron didn’t exist until he started working at the company, and even then, it was all business-related stuff. The man was a total mystery. And he’d stay that way.
“What can I get you?” the bartender interrupted and greeted me with a wide smile.
“A gin and tonic with lime, please,” I replied. “Heavy on the gin and the ice.”
The bartender chuckled. “That’s funny. It’s the exact same order I got from a customer I had in here this afternoon.”
“They have good taste.”
“I don’t know about that. He was supposed to meet me here at eight when I was done my shift, but he never showed.” The bartender shrugged his shoulders. “Doesn’t matter. My colleague called in sick, so here I am, still working.”
He leaned on the bar top and made eye contact with me. I didn’t miss the obvious once-over.
“Harrison.” I offered my hand. “Nice to meet you.”
“Keegan. A pleasure.” He shook my hand and then stepped back. “I’ll be right back with your drink.”
“Sounds good.”
Keegan was pretty, but unfortunately, I wasn’t feeling anything. Not a lick of interest. Which wasn’t like me. I was never too tired to flirt or fuck, and now look at me? Aaron had fucked with my patience, my control, and now my goddamn sex drive. My unsettled mood took another nosedive. How was I going to survive two more days of this hell?
“He’s really cute,” Sam whispered to me. “Should we leave you two alone?”
I shook my head. “I’m not feeling it, but thanks.”
Sam patted my hand and Keegan returned with my drink.
“So, who was this guy you were supposed to meet?” I asked, curious.
Bartenders always had interesting stories to share, and I needed an entertaining distraction now more than ever.
“A corporate type in town on business. Dark eyes, beard, very intense.” Keegan leaned over and whispered. “And his lips? So sexy. People pay good money for lush lips like that.”
“Sounds hot as hell,” I replied as I took a sip of my drink.
It sounded a lot like a certain dickhead I’d kissed…
“He was,” Keegan chuckled. “Nothing like a handsome man in a three-piece suit, am I right?”
My gut clench hard at his statement.
“A navy suit?” I croaked. “With a blue and yellow striped tie?”
“Yeah.” Keegan nodded. “You know him?”
“Um, I think I saw him in the lobby or something,” I muttered.
Aaron was looking for a hookup with the cute bartender? For some reason, that idea made my stomach twist even harder. Maybe drinking gin on top of beer was a bad call. Besides, it was none of my business who Aaron fucked around with.
I needed sleep. Sleep, and a plane ride back to Seattle.
And, a new job.
“Excuse me a moment,” Keegan added and headed for the other end of the bar.
Sam nudged me with his elbow. “I wonder why Aaron failed to show up here for his date?”
I turned to Sam. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“You don’t?” Sam raised one eyebrow, tapped his lips, and gave me a knowing smirk.
I sighed. “You’re a troublemaker.”
Riley coughed and smiled at his husband. “You have no idea.”