Chapter 8
Linden
With a cup of coffee in hand, I stepped into my office and locked the door behind me.
It was Atlas’s first day of work, and I was vibrating with excitement.
Not only do I not have to go through my fucking emails anymore, filtering out legit messages from spam—what a tedious fucking job that was—but we would probably have some playtime. Or so I hoped.
I did want to experience more with Atlas.
I really did. He was stunningly sexy. But this agreement between the three of us would allow me more time with Hugh.
Maybe I’d even have a chance to touch him more.
It wasn’t often I got to do that. Every once in a while, if he was being sucked off, and I was finished, I leaned against him to watch, and he’d let me.
No one had any idea how hard it was to watch Hugh naked, getting off, and not be involved in his pleasure.
It was pure torture sometimes. Sure, I could’ve asked him or even tried to touch him, but the whole cousins thing held me back; well, that and Uncle Hanley.
He’d blow a fucking gasket if he found out.
Besides, playing with Atlas was risky enough.
If I were being honest with myself, I could’ve used a relationship.
Playing around sexually was fun. A lot of fun.
But I mostly did it for Hugh. He had sexual needs, so I went along with them.
However, after fifteen years, it had become increasingly lonely, which was another reason I jumped at Atlas being our PA and plaything.
There would be more longevity in this. I could spend more time with a person than for one night.
I wanted to get to know him beyond the bedroom.
God, I just needed to fucking hold someone in bed.
Sure, I tried to have relationships, but they got in the way of what Hugh wanted.
Yeah, I was too much of a people pleaser.
I knew that. It’s what happens when you lose your parents early in life, and you don’t want to be abandoned.
You go out of your way to make others happy.
Needless to say, I was fucking excited about this arrangement. Would Atlas let me hold him sometimes? I hoped so. We’d have to see how it all played out.
I took a sip of my steaming coffee, set the mug down on my desk, and dropped my bag onto the leather couch. Instead of sitting and getting ready for my day, I pulled out the small brown paper bag from my laptop case.
Inside were a pair of women’s sheer black pantyhose.
I opened the packaging and draped them on the couch, then I unbuckled and unzipped my slacks.
After removing my shoes, socks, and slacks, I sat down and gently put on the hose, careful not to snag them.
God, how did women wear these all the time?
I couldn’t stand them. I hated the way they rubbed against my skin.
My legs were smooth after shaving them last night, because the hose were even worse to wear when you were hairy.
I stood and pulled them up over my hips and waist. Was it weird that I wore these for Hugh? Probably. When I put them on, I hoped he would notice somehow. Like he could sense I was wearing them for him.
I’d hoped Hugh would come to me eventually with questions about his sexuality, but he never did.
Hugh was sexually turned on by femininity and elegance.
It made sense to me that he was gynosexual since he would also get involved with men as long as they had some femininity or androgyny about them.
And that right there was another reason Hugh would never want me.
I was too masculine and dominant. But if it meant I could have him at least once, I would dress in fucking drag for him, if he wanted.
I adjusted my cock and nuts in the snug fit and put my clothes back on.
As soon as I straightened my tie, the receptionist texted me that Atlas had arrived. I stepped out of my office to greet him. Hugh was busy with Uncle Hanley in an early morning meeting.
Atlas was waiting in the reception area, and when he saw me heading his way, he stood with a huge smile on his face. He looked attractive in his olive-colored suit, the same one he’d worn to the interview, and paired with a teal tie that complemented it.
He wasn’t supermodel beautiful, but he had a unique face, which made him highly appealing. He was gorgeous in his own unconventional way.
I reached out my hand and took his to shake, and was suddenly engulfed in something flowery, feminine—that little stinker. I couldn’t help but smile. He was already trying to please us and bring a more feminine touch, even when wearing a suit.
“Atlas. Right on time.”
“Hello, Mr. Pierce.”
“Hugh’s in a meeting, so I’ll show you around.”
“Thanks.”
“Do you need some coffee?”
“I had some this morning already.”
We started with the receptionist. I leaned against her desk and waved at Atlas.
“Mia, you’ve met Atlas. As you know, he’ll be our assistant.
If you need us for any reason, you reach out to Atlas.
” Then I turned to face Atlas. “And Mia’s the go-to for reaching anyone you need in the office.
She can also help you set up catering and such for meetings. ”
“Hi, Mia,” Atlas greeted.
“Hello.”
I walked off with Atlas in tow. “We have a smartphone for you that’s for business use only. You’ll also receive a laptop, which you can take home, along with a tablet, which is mostly used for appointments and scheduling.”
As he walked next to me, I leaned in close. “For anything else, we’ll use our personal phones.”
Atlas’s face pinked, and he gnawed on that cute bottom lip. “Yessir.”
“Here’s the kitchen.” I waved into the room. It was large, with several tables and chairs for people who preferred to eat in the office. Atlas headed toward the refrigerator and put his lunch inside.
“If you ever have to order food for Hugh and me, you can also order some for yourself on the company’s dime. Oh, that reminds me, we’ll issue you a company card to be used for anything business-related.”
Next, we headed to HR to obtain his paperwork for benefits.
“Jessica, do you have Mr. Stavros’s benefits package?”
“Oh, hello, Atlas. It’s nice to see you again.”
“Hey, Jessica. Nice to see you, too.”
She tucked her straight brown hair that fell to her chin behind her ears and opened her file drawer. She pulled out a manila folder marked with Atlas’s name and handed it to him.
We wove our way around the large office that occupied the entire floor of the building, meeting employees of each department, chit-chatting, and introducing ourselves.
Atlas needed to know everyone in my sales department and Hugh’s operations department.
Eventually, we made it back to our offices, which were right next to each other.
We stepped into the space where Atlas would be working. “This will be your desk. You obviously don’t have a door, but you have more privacy than the rest of the staff. The wall here blocks off the rest of the office, and you have a large window with a view of the city.
The area had a contemporary desk, file cabinets, two bookcases, a credenza, an ergonomic leather chair, and two chairs for guests. He also had a desktop computer and a landline phone.
“Wow, this is really nice. Much better than where I used to work as an assistant. You all are much nicer than my last boss, too,” he chuckled. Then he turned to face me with large black eyes. “Oh… sorry. I shouldn’t have said that about my boss.”
I smirked and stood close to him. “Careful, you know where mistakes will lead you.”
Atlas visibly gulped as he looked up at me. “Sorry, Mr. Pierce.”
I shrugged. “Hugh and I talked to your previous employer, and while he was gruff, he said nice things about you.”
“Wow, I feel bad now.”
“Eh, sometimes people don’t mesh. But Hugh and I think you will with us.”
“As you’re aware, I’m the Vice President of Marketing and Sales. I set the direction for the department’s efforts to drive revenue and market share growth. I oversee budgets and analyze trends to identify new opportunities.”
Atlas boldly lifted one of my hands and rested it palm up on top of his. He looked down and stroked the calloused skin on my fingers. “Worker’s hands. I’d noticed them before that night. Can I be honest?”
I enjoyed the electrical current passing between us. It had been a while since I’d experienced it. “Always, Atlas.”
“You don’t seem like a salesman.”
“Well, look at you… observant, too. I make things with my hands. Wooden things. Not like art, but for interior design, I guess.”
He looked up at me. You could get lost in his thick lashes and those dark eyes. Like falling into a pitch-dark pit, but you’re not afraid because at the end of it is light. “Like cabinetry or something?”
I smirked at him. “Or something.”
“That’s still artistic. I like that. I’m an artist, too.”
Now, that surprised me. “Really?”
He nodded, still keeping my hand resting on his, or perhaps I was holding it there. “Yep, I’m a painter, mostly watercolors, but I enjoy charcoal drawing, too.” He shrugged. “I’m not good enough to make money at it or anything, but I enjoy doing it.”
“You’re going to have to show me your work.”
That made him smile. I thought for sure he’d be reluctant since he was self-deprecating about his own work. “Okay. I’d like that.”
I dropped my hand, back to the task at hand, before I did something stupid, like kiss him.
“Hugh is the VP of Construction and Operations. He oversees all projects from pre-construction to completion. He makes sure everything stays on schedule and remains within budget. So, you won’t only be grabbing coffee and going through our emails.
You’ll be arranging meetings, taking notes, setting up dinners, and going with Hugh to sites to oversee projects.
The rest is on our own time.” I winked, so Atlas understood what I was referring to.
With no one to see us, I took a little risk and fingered his pretty tie. “Were you tested?”
He quickly nodded. “Yes, Mr. Pierce. I have the results on my phone.”
“Good job, Princess.” I rubbed the material between my fingers. It was a nice suit and fit him perfectly. “Is this the only suit you have?”
Atlas looked away and down, pink blossoming on his cheeks again. “Yeah. I don’t make a ton of money. I didn’t have to dress up when working at a coffee shop or waiting tables. My last admin job was business casual.
I let go of his tie, reached for my wallet, and pulled out my personal credit card before handing it to him. He looked down at it, not moving.
“Is that the company card?”
“No, Atlas. It’s mine. Go buy yourself a couple of suits, some dress shirts, ties… whatever you want.”
He shook his head, making his curls bounce. “No… that’s a lot… I can’t.”
“You can. You will.” I leaned forward to put my mouth close to his ear. He stiffened, but his hand landed on my hip. “Maybe you can buy a pretty blouse to wear under the new suit, or… some pretty panties.”
He looked up at me with uncertain eyes, but he plucked the card from between my fingers. “It doesn’t seem right.”
“Hugh and I told you we’d take care of you. That wasn’t a suggestion. It was a promise. As long as you’re with us, we’ll make sure you have all that you need.”
“Okay. Thank you, but I’d like to pay it back.”
“No,” I said, leaving no room for negotiation or debate. “Now, let’s go see my uncle. He would like to meet you. He’s… gruff and very controlling, but he’s taken good care of Hugh and me. Don’t let him make you nervous. You work for us, not him. We’ll watch over you.”
“Okay,” he said again with a trembling voice.