Chapter 11
Linden
I parked across the street from Atlas’s apartment and waited for him.
I didn’t want to meet his roommates. It wasn’t that I had anything against them, but Atlas was still new to us, and we weren’t familiar.
Meeting friends and family pushed it to newer levels we weren’t ready for… I wasn’t ready for.
Honestly, I could get down to trying something serious with Atlas. I was still getting to know him, but from all his chatter, it was clear he loved his family and friends, was kind and smart, worked hard at his job, and was a quick learner. Not to mention how beautiful he was sexually.
Getting close to him would affect Hugh, though.
What if Hugh wanted something more serious with Atlas?
The fucked-up thing about our situation was that we were communicative with Atlas, but Hugh and I weren’t communicative at all.
Sure, we talked about all sorts of things about our lives, but we hadn’t talked about what would happen if we grew attached to Atlas.
Before, it had only been sex, but this was the first time Hugh had brought someone into our fold for more than a one-time bang.
Atlas was a special case, and I wasn’t sure we were prepared for the outcome.
The lack of communication was partly my fault—all my fault.
If we’d been open, then I would have come clean about my feelings, which could potentially ruin our relationship, or at least our dynamic.
I’d like to think Hugh wouldn’t shove me off to the side, no matter how he felt about it.
Unfortunately, if I wanted more with Atlas, I’d want more with Hugh.
God, I should tell him. In the meantime, I’d wait to see how things played out.
When our princess approached the car, carrying a Tupperware container, with a backpack strapped to his shoulder, I quickly got out, rushed to the passenger side, and opened the door for him.
His eyelashes fluttered at me. “Such a gentleman!”
I grinned at him. “I’m always a gentleman.”
“That you are, gorgeous.”
When he got in and sat down, I closed his door and climbed into the driver’s seat. “Got everything you need?
“I think so. I hope so.”
“I’m sure Hugh has extra stuff if you’ve forgotten anything.” I glanced at his lap with the container resting on his legs. “What’s that?”
“Baklava for dessert.”
I raised a brow. “You made baklava?”
“Sure did, hun. My mom’s a better cook, but she’s taught me a lot.”
“He’s cute, and he can cook,” I winked.
“What can I say? I’m a Renaissance man.”
“Can you speak Greek, too?”
“Eh, a little. My parents were born here, but my grandparents came from Greece, so I had to learn how to speak to them.”
I couldn’t take my eyes off Atlas as he stared out of his window. He looked beautiful with his pearl earrings and necklace. The red blouse paired with his dark wash jeans was sexy as hell.
“You look gorgeous,” I said.
He frowned when he looked at me, then he quickly smiled, making me question what I saw. “I am? Thanks.”
“I look forward to our little party tonight.”
“Oh god… so am I. Dinner, sexy fun times, and a sleepover? Consider me over-the-moon excited.”
When we finally reached the Rock Creek area and Hugh’s home, Atlas was staring at the house as we headed up the driveway.
“Huh, I thought it’d be bigger.”
“That’s what she said,” I snorted.
“God, you did not just say that,” he giggled. “The house is beautiful. I only meant I thought Hugh would have some mansion or something. I like that it’s understated.”
“Homes around here are incredibly expensive, but it’s only him. I don’t have a massive home either.”
“It looks old.”
“Yeah, it was built in the early 1900s. It took a lot of work to fix her up, and I helped with that. It’d been a fun project. It was the job that made me fall in love with woodworking. I’d always loved it, and I used to dream of having my own business.”
“Did your uncle push you all to work for him?”
“Yeah, and it’s fine. We make a lot of money.”
I turned off the car and stared at the house. Mine was much newer, so it hadn’t required as much fixing up. But Hugh’s home is stunning on the inside, and I’d like to think I played a big part in that.
“Well, I can’t wait to see the inside.”
I rushed to open Atlas’s door again and gave him my hand to help him out. “You’d better stop before you sweep me off my feet, gorgeous.”
“Wait until I toss you over my shoulder and manhandle you into submission.”
Atlas fanned himself with his free hand. “Do tell… Phew… Hot!”
I chuckled as I led him to the front door, where I knocked. Hugh was quick to open it. He stood there looking sexy as fuck in jeans with strategic rips in them and a form-fitting navy-blue T-shirt. Seriously, he looked good in anything, but I especially loved it when he was dressed casually.
“Hey! There’s my favorite princess,” he said, smiling and taking the Tupperware from Atlas.
“Hello, handsome.”
Hugh grinned and glanced at me, still smiling. His smile always made my heart melt a little. “Hey there, cuz.”
I followed Atlas inside, where we took off our shoes and left them by the front door. The house smelled of wine and garlic, making my mouth water. “Are we having your ribeye steak with red wine reduction?”
“We are.”
“Sounds yummy,” Atlas said before stopping in his tracks. “Oh. My. God. Is that a Sphynx?” He squatted to pick up the cat and hold her.
“She is. That’s Mrs. Peach,” Hugh said.
I would never understand that man and his infatuation with that cat.
He was what you’d usually call a ‘manly’ sort of man.
You would never have assumed he’d have a hairless cat named Mrs. Peach, and that he dressed her up in little outfits.
He was obsessed with her. The hairless part made sense since he was allergic to cats and dogs.
His cat was probably the most chill pet I’d ever seen in my life.
She pretty much let you hold her in any way you wanted.
“Her little pink hoodie with the big ears is to die for!” Atlas gushed.
“You should see her during the Halloween season,” I said, chuckling. “Hugh here has all sorts of costumes for her to wear.”
“Oh, god… I’m going to die of sweetness overload.”
Surprisingly, Hugh’s face pinked at the adoration of Mrs. Peach. He rubbed his neck and didn’t look at us. “Yeah, I’ve got like a whole drawer full of clothes, costumes, and accessories.”
Carrying the cat like an infant, Atlas walked straight into the living room and directly toward the fireplace.
I smiled at that. I’d worked my ass off creating a new wooden mantle using reclaimed wood, since the previous one was mostly rotted.
It was a replica of the original, but you could tell it was newly built.
It was still a stunning piece, if I said so myself.
Atlas fingered the wood like caressing a lover. “Wow,” he said before looking back at me. “This has to be your work.”
“It is.”
“God, your talent is… I’m in awe. And you said you weren’t an artist. Psh.”
“Right? I keep telling Linden that, but he never listens,” Hugh said. “Feel free to look around while I plate our dinner.”
“Can I help?” Atlas asked.
“Nope, I’m good. It’s your time off from working. Show our Atlas around, Lind.”
After Hugh walked off, Atlas put the cat down and surprised me by taking my hand in his and threading our fingers together. He led the way as if he’d been there countless times. His hands were softer and smaller than mine. I liked them against my skin.
I showed him the areas where I had to restore some of the wooden floors, the crown molding in the main bedroom, and I added chair molding in all the rooms of the house, maintaining the traditional vibe of the old home.
We stopped in front of the guest bedroom. “You can have this room,” I said. “You’ll sleep with us tonight, but you can dump your things in here.”
Atlas leaned against the doorjamb and looked up at me, now holding both of my hands. “Can I be blunt?”
“By all means.”
“You’re way too talented for sales. VP or not. Money or not. This house and your work are absolutely stunning.”
I smiled sadly. “Yeah, well… Unfortunately, we’re not all destined for the things we want in life.”
“Did you have to work for Cross Corp?”
“Yes, I did,” I admitted, feeling a bit vulnerable as a flicker of grief hit me.
“My parents died when I was fifteen. Uncle Hanley and Aunt Liz took me in and raised me as one of their own. Sure, they loved me in their own way, but they’re not the most affectionate.
Still, they didn’t have to take care of me either.
And Hugh’s sister, Chloe, is amazing. So, I wanted to give back, you know? ”
Atlas nodded thoughtfully as he stared at the bedroom. It was bright green, and the wooden trim was stained a walnut color. Like all the other rooms, this one had its own fireplace. “I get that. I’m sorry about your parents.”
“Thanks.” I played with his fingers and couldn’t stop looking at him.
I wanted to tell him about Hugh, but it was too early for that.
Eventually, I hoped Atlas would be someone I could confide in.
No one knew my feelings about Hugh. And while I resigned to the fact that I’d never have him, it’d be nice to have a person to talk to about it. “Let’s head down to dinner.”
After our meal, we opened up the container full of baklava. As Atlas served us, Hugh yanked him onto his lap, and I moved to sit in Atlas’s seat so I could be closer.
“Dinner was delicious, handsome,” Atlas said.
“Thank you.”
I took a bite of the delicate, sticky pastry, which melted in my mouth. “Wow, this is delicious, Atlas.”
“Thanks.”
When I set it down and before I could wipe my hand off on the napkin, he grabbed it and sucked the honey off my thumb. My cock went from zero to a hundred in an instant.
“It tastes even better on your fingers,” he said before grabbing Hugh’s hand, too, and doing the same thing. “Yum.”