Chapter 17 Beck
Beck
Icould tell her I have a memo she needs to read. I could ask her to bend over, then hike that cute little black skirt up and bury my face in her pussy…
I toy with an excuse to get Maddy into my office. It’s been longer than twenty-four hours since we fucked, and I’m desperate for her. I reach for the phone to call her in when…
The fire alarm goes off.
The whole office launches into pure chaos as someone yells for us all to leave—like that’s not already implied by, you know, the alarm.
My brain is running through all the possible reasons the alarm could be going off. Gas leak? Electrical fire? Is this how I’m going to die?
Outside my office, people are already stampeding toward the staircase. I spot Maddy at her desk, frozen mid-keystroke like a deer in headlights. She looks around, grabs her phone, then stands so fast that she nearly tips her chair over backward.
I head straight for her without thinking twice. Maybe it’s years of liability training, maybe it’s all the stupid firefighter videos I watched as a kid, or maybe it’s just that it’s Maddy, and something in my chest beats extra fast when I see her.
She’s halfway down the hallway now, when some intern plows into her. Her phone clatters to the floor.
“Whoa, whoa, Maddy, you okay?” I call out, accelerating into a jog to reach her faster.
I close the distance and bend down to scoop up her phone. Maddy’s already chasing it, and we do that thing where both reach for the same object at the same time and then freeze, face to face, close enough to share breath.
Why is she so gorgeous?
Her eyes are wide, her fingers warm against mine. The air is thick with the scent of burnt popcorn now, and I’m guessing that’s why the alarm went off.
I hand her the phone. “You okay?”
“Um,” she says, trying to breathe like a normal person, “I’m not really a crisis kind of person. And I didn’t review the stupid fire escape plan, so I don’t even know which exit I’m supposed to take.”
“Lucky for you,” I smirk, “I’m certified in Basic Panic Management. I got you, babe.” Her eyes widen at the endearment, but I just place my hand on the small of her back and guide her toward the emergency exit. “Let’s go.”
We funnel into the herd heading down the hallway. It’s a madhouse with the alarm wailing and everyone shoving for the stairwell.
Some panicked idiot shoves the whole group forward, and we get wedged against the wall. Maddy’s back presses up against my chest, her hair catching in my jacket zipper. I feel the heat of her, and the gasp of her breath as her ass is suddenly pressed against my quickly hardening cock.
This is the best fucking fire ever.
I lean down so my mouth is at her ear. “If this is the end, you should know I’m glad I get to feel your ass on my cock one more time.”
She lets out a nervous laugh, but it comes out more like a hiccup. “Oh my God, shut up,” she says, but she leans into me, her perfect little backside cradling my dick.
I put my hand on her hip, letting more people slip past us. I want to keep her right where she is for as long as I can. She goes quiet and doesn’t move away. The crowd lurches, pressing us tighter together.
And my smaller head takes over. Fuck it.
I let my hand slide a little lower. Just a fraction. The way her breath catches, the way her body goes still, it’s like flipping a switch.
My other hand comes up to her stomach. It’s crowded, and loud, and every nerve in my body is on fire. I feel her hand come up and cover mine, squeezing it.
“Beck,” she whispers. “What are you doing?”
I duck my head, lips just grazing her temple. “I just want to die doing what I like best. You.”
She laughs again and turns a little, enough so our faces are nearly touching, and for a second, I think she’s going to kiss me right here, with the entire company as our audience.
Instead, she whispers, “You’re going to get me fired.”
The crowd surges, shoving us toward the exit, but I keep her body angled toward the wall and out of sight. My hand slips beneath the hem of her black skirt, just high enough to feel the bare skin of her thigh. I can’t help myself. My fingers slide up further, tracing little circles.
“Oh god,” she gasps, so quietly no one else could possibly hear it.
“Fuck,” I murmur. “You have no idea what you do to me.”
She shoots me a sideways glance, eyes wild. “Maybe you should show me… later.”
“I don’t know,” I smirk. “I kind of like the idea of an audience.”
Before I can make it any further, the alarm cuts out as abruptly as it started. There’s a mass groan as the herd loses momentum, then a garbled voice on the intercom.
“We apologize for the inconvenience. There is no fire and the situation is under control.”
There’s a collective, disappointed sigh, and everyone shifts their direction.
Maddy and I are still pressed together, both of us breathing hard. I withdraw my hand, but not before running my thumb along the inside of her leg, just for good measure, as she shivers.
She steadies herself on the wall, turning to face me. “Well,” she says, trying for a normal voice and clearing her throat, “I guess that’s over.” I can’t tell if she’s disappointed or pissed off at me, but regardless, I’m still ready to fuck her right here in the hallway.
“I think we should go to my office,” I say, straightening my tie. “You owe me a thank you for rescuing you.”
She snorts, raising her brows as she smooths out her skirt. “I think you owe me, actually.”
I lean in, grin wide. “Then let’s negotiate the situation.”
She bites down on her plump lower lip, suddenly looking unsure. “Are you sure that’s a good idea…”
“It’s an emergency.”
She shakes her head, rolls her eyes, but follows me back down the hall.
Half the office is still milling around, gossiping about who burned the popcorn, but we make it back to my glass-walled den of iniquity. I open the door, gesture her in, and close it behind us. Quickly, I hit the button to make the glass opaque, protecting us from prying eyes.
Maddy stands in the center of the room, arms crossed, but her eyes are on me. “I really don’t know about this.”
“I do.” I place my hands on her waist and pull her in. She doesn’t resist. She tips her head back, mouth parted, and I kiss her—slow at first, just a hint of tongue, the taste of her lip gloss sweet and familiar. She meets me, pushes back, fingers tangling in my hair.
“This is stupid,” she breathes into me.
“You seem tense,” I say to her, kissing my way down her jaw. “Let me make you feel better.”
I let my hands slide down to her ass, grab a handful, and pull her against me. She presses her hips forward, grinding against my erection, and it takes every ounce of self-control not to just bend her over the desk right now.
But I break the kiss and lean my forehead against hers. “You’re going to ruin me, you know that? I want you all the fucking time.”
She laughs, but I see the hesitation in her eyes. “But I don’t want to get in trouble…”
“The only one in trouble is me.” I kneel in front of her, drag her skirt up, and run my hands along the outside of her thighs. She’s wearing black lace underwear, and the sight of it makes my cock jump.
I nuzzle her through the fabric, kissing up the inside of her legs, and she gasps, steadying herself on my shoulders. I tug her panties down, letting them drop to her ankles.
“You smell so good, Maddy.” I look up, meeting her eyes as I lean my head against her body. “Let me fucking have you.”
She nods, and I don’t wait another second. I slide my tongue along her slit, slow and deep, then up to her clit. She arches her back, fingers tightening in my hair.
She’s sweet, salty, perfect. I lose myself in it, alternating hard flicks of my tongue with gentle sucks, until she’s biting back quiet little whines and her thighs are shaking against my face.
It’s a fucking rush.
“That’s it, babygirl.” I work her up, slow at first, then faster as I feel her get closer to coming. “I want you all over my face.” Her hips rock against me, small gasps turning to desperate whimpers. She’s right on the edge.
And then there’s a goddamn knock on the door.
We both freeze.
“Beck!” Oh fuck. Fuck. It’s Adrian.
Maddy shoves me off her, jerks up her underwear, and then shoves her skirt back down. I stand to my feet, wipe my mouth on my sleeve, more annoyed than panicked.
Talk about a fucking cockblock.
I open the door to see him standing there, arms crossed, face a thundercloud of authority. He jerks his head, a silent command for me to come out. Now.
I turn back to glance at Maddy.
Her entire body goes rigid. “Oh shit,” she whispers. “Am I in trouble?”
“No,” I mutter. “If anyone’s getting a talking to, it’s me.”
She smooths her skirt once more and then moves to her hair, as if I’d wrecked it. Unfortunately, I never even got the chance.
I straighten my tie and do my best impression of someone who hasn’t just eaten out his assistant—and is now pissed off because neither of us got to even finish.
Adrian’s voice is icy. “My office. Now.”
He walks off without waiting for a reply.
I follow, hands in my pockets. I’m not nervous, not really—I’ve known Adrian since college, and we’ve had more screaming matches than most married couples.
But something in his face tells me this is not the usual.
He’s been going through something, and hopefully, he’s finally ready to actually talk about it.
I step into his office and immediately shiver. “Why do you crank the a/c so low in this place? Because you’re so cold-hearted?”
He glares at me and closes the door behind us, then sits at his desk, fingers steepled. Obviously, he’s not in a laughing mood. “Do you know why I called you in here?” he asks, eyes never leaving mine.
“Because you missed me?” I laugh, but his expression doesn’t shift.
He’s silent, long enough to make it uncomfortable.
“Look,” I sigh, now actually fucking annoyed, “If this is about the quarterly rental statements, I’ll get the numbers in by tomorrow—”
His jaw clenches. “It’s about her.”
I tilt my head, intrigued by the indirect use of her name. “You mean… Maddy? You do know she has a name, right?”
He doesn’t say anything for a full minute, just stares at the skyline.
Finally, he turns back to me. “I lost control with her yesterday.”
The words land like a punch, but I don’t fully understand what he’s trying to tell me. So, I stare at him, searching for a clue. How could Adrian have possibly lost control?
“What are you trying to say?” I make a face. “Did you hit her? Threaten to fire her? I’m confused.”
He shakes his head, his cheeks turning a shade of crimson. “It was unprofessional. It was reckless. It’s never happened before. She’s just… so fucking hot.” There’s a crack in his armor I’ve never seen, and I suddenly understand.
“She’s not like the others,” he says, before I can clarify. “She makes me… not myself. I had sex with her.” He meets my gaze. “In my office.”
I want to laugh, but it catches in my throat. I realize it’s probably smarter to just fess up at this point.
“I get it,” I say carefully.
He scoffs. “Do you? Because I don’t think—”
“I slept with Maddy, too,” I cut him off.
He blinks, jaw tightening. “What?”
I stand my ground. “Before she started working here. We had a one-night stand. Then again. Recently.”
He closes his eyes, lets out a slow breath, like he’s trying not to lose it. “You’re fucking kidding me.”
I shrug. “Sorry to break it to you, but no. But it’s not that big of a deal. We’re both adults, it was consensual, and she’s great at her job. End of story.” I’m not going to be a jealous asshole, even if the thought of Adrian fucking her makes me a little angry.
I’m not against sharing. It’s actually kind of hot.
But Adrian… clearly disagrees.
He stands, fists clenched on the desk. “Not that big of a deal? You—fuck. You have no idea what you’ve done.” His voice wavers, and I can’t tell if he’s pissed or hurt.
“Adrian…”
He paces behind the desk, then spins back, a wild look in his eye. “You’re going to ruin everything, Beck. You always do.”
I match his anger, now offended. “Me? You’re the one who can’t handle it. She’s not your property, Adrian. You don’t get to decide who—”
He comes around the desk and gets in my face. We’re inches apart, both ready to swing.
“You can’t keep your dick in your pants,” he growls.
But I don’t back down. “I’m pretty sure she liked it.”
He bows up and we stand there, staring each other down. Suddenly, there are years of loyalty, business, and brotherhood on the line. For a second, I think we’re actually going to fight.
But then, just as quickly, it’s gone. He backs off, runs a hand over his face.
“I’m taking a personal day,” he says, voice flat. “If anyone asks, tell them I had a meeting.”
He grabs his coat, storms out, and leaves me alone in his office. I stand there for a long time, staring at the empty chair.
I don’t know what the fuck I’m supposed to do now.
But I hope like hell Adrian can get over it, because I’m not quitting Maddy. No matter how jealous he gets.