Chapter 22
Hugh
Linden was sitting on the chair next to my desk, scrolling through his phone, while we waited for Atlas to bring us the lunch he’d ordered.
“He’s late,” Linden said, not taking his eyes off whatever he was doing on his phone.
“Maybe the restaurant is behind.”
“Or maybe, Atlas is being Atlas and choosing to be late to receive his usual punishment. I’ve never seen anyone wanting to be spanked so much in my life.”
“We’ve created a monster,” I chuckled.
My cousin smiled broadly and shook his head. “Such a princess.”
“He certainly loves the attention.”
“And we’re happy to give it to him.”
“Absolutely.”
I could be taking the time to get some work done. Instead, I stared at Linden for some reason. He had a perfect nose. It was just right, neither too big nor too small. Why hadn’t I paid attention to it before? The better question was, why was I even paying attention to it at all?
Ever since we’d been having this unusual relationship with Atlas, I’d been looking at my cousin differently, and I wasn’t sure I liked it.
It confused me because I’d been starting to fantasize about us together with Atlas, like a full-on polyamorous relationship where Linden and I also touched, kissed, and fucked.
Was it because Atlas had been prodding us to do so, and I was considering it?
Or was it because this was the first time Linden and I had someone under us who was a permanent fixture in our lives, so it was different?
Or was it because I now knew what it was like to have his dick rub against mine when we shared Atlas?
It wasn’t the first time I wondered what would happen if we ever did do more than we already were, but I’d always brushed it aside because we were related.
And I didn’t fucking bring it up because I didn’t want to freak him out.
While Linden was gay, he never once approached me or talked to me about any interest he may have had in me.
There had never been any indication. He’d just been along for the ride on my sexual journey.
Well, it was our journey, but I was the one who asked him to be a part of it.
His bright blue eyes landed on mine. “What?”
“What?”
“You’re staring.”
My face threatened to heat, but I quickly thought of something else to stop it. “Oh, sorry, I was just thinking. Didn’t realize I was staring.”
A sudden knock on my office door saved the day. “Come in.”
Instead of it being Atlas, as we expected, it was my father. Fuck. Whenever he came to my office, it was never about anything good.
He walked in and sat on the sofa, crossing one leg over the other. “What are you two doing just sitting here?”
“We’re waiting on Atlas to bring us lunch. Did you just come here to complain?”
Dad’s brow raised, and Linden coughed back a laugh. It wasn’t like me to talk to my father like that, but it didn’t take a genius to recognize that I was changing. Into what? I didn’t know. All I knew was that I was tired.
“You care to repeat that, son?”
I sagged like the fucking toddler I was around him. My bravery was clearly short-lived. “No. Sorry. It’s… just been a bad day.” It hadn’t, but I didn’t need to elaborate.
“Anyway, I came by to tell you that Tamara has been taken care of. We’ve reached a settlement.”
“Fucking bitch,” Linden said. “I wouldn’t have paid her the lint in my bellybutton.”
“Good thing you’re not in charge then,” Dad snapped.
“Sorry, sir. I only meant…”
“I know what you meant.” Dad’s hard eyes landed on me. “She has agreed not to disclose anything about you publicly.”
“How much did that set us back?”
Dad stood and brushed imaginary lint from his suit. “Let me worry about that.”
My blood started to boil, and my face heated as I stood.
It was getting on my damn nerves. “You know, I’m not a fucking child!
I’m a goddamn VP. You wanted me to work here, and I’ve done my part, starting out small and growing into this position exactly as you’ve wanted.
You keep telling me you want to hand over the business to me one day, but all I see is condescension, disdain, and holding me back. ”
“Holy fuck… Hugh,” Linden whispered, but I ignored him.
Of course, Dad was completely unfazed. Did anything fucking rattle him? Did he even have feelings at all?
“I’ll stop holding back as soon as I know I can trust you not to screw things up.”
“Screw things up?! I’ve brought this company millions!”
“And we just lost a lot of money because you can’t keep it—”
“Enough!” Linden snapped, shocking Dad and me into silence. “I love you and respect you, Uncle Hanley, but that’s enough. Hugh is an amazing son. He works so damn hard for this company… for you. We both do.”
Dad stood there, looking at Linden, debating on telling him off, too, no doubt, but he said nothing and walked out.
I fell back into my chair and ran my hands through my hair. “Jesus…”
“I’m impressed.”
I looked up at Linden with new respect and appreciation. The last thing I expected from him was standing up for me. Not that he’d never stood up for me before, but usually, he never talked back to Dad. “Thank you for having my back.”
“Always, cuz. He was wrong.”
Cuz. That word right there was clear. We’d never be more than that. As long as he stayed in my life and we took care of Atlas, it was enough. Inwardly, I laughed at myself for being ridiculous.
“God, I shouldn’t have talked back to him like that.”
“Yes, you should have, and I’m fucking proud of you for doing that.”
I managed to smile at him, feeling even more appreciative. “Thanks.”
“Meh, he’ll get over it. He’s just pissy because he lost a lot of money.”
“Yeah, well… fuck him. And fuck Tamara.”
Just then, Atlas knocked and walked in. “Knock, knock…” As soon as he saw us, he stopped and closed the door behind him. “Uh-oh. What happened?”
“Dad happened.”
“It wasn’t pretty,” Linden agreed.
Atlas looked so sexy today. He wore a lacy black blouse that buttoned up to the top of his throat underneath his black suit.
It was frilly like you’d seen on women’s dresses way back when.
He accessorized it all with red earrings and a necklace.
Even his lipstick was fire engine red, a color he knew I was a sucker for.
I loved how he paired his suits with increasingly feminine touches. I’d been overhearing the women on staff gush about him.
Atlas walked over to me, sat on my lap, and wrapped his arms around my neck. “Do you need some control back?”
I furrowed my brow. What did he mean by that? “Control back?”
He nodded and pressed his lips to my forehead. “Don’t be mad.”
“I’ll… try, but when you say things like that, the probability of my getting mad is high.”
“I’ve come to know you and Linden quite well over the past month and a half. You get especially sex driven whenever you have a hard time with your dad. I think you like to reclaim some of your control. I can help you with that.”
The epiphany hit like a sledgehammer. Atlas hadn’t meant it to hit so hard, but the punch went straight to my soul. Was he right? I’d always been highly sexual and chalked it up to that, but yes, whenever I had a harder time with Dad, I pushed my sexual boundaries.
“Oh,” was all that escaped me. Then I looked at Linden, who eyed me with concern. Fuck, did he notice it, too? He smiled sheepishly and shrugged.
How had I been so obtuse? I always thought I had good self-introspection, but perhaps not. Then I reflected on the moment Chloe asked whether I was intentionally sabotaging my job. Yeah, I was pretty dense. I had things to think about, but not today.
Atlas placed his smooth hands on my face.
“It’s okay. Don’t feel bad or question it.
Whatever you need to do to be in control of your life.
I’ll give you what you need, darling.” He adjusted his body so that he was straddling me before dragging a finger down my face, throat, and to my chest. “Oh, and I forgot your lunch. I’m so, so very sorry, honey. ”
I grinned crookedly, feeling the onset of panic wash away quickly with his accepting words. Atlas wasn’t being critical at all. He just implied that he accepted me in all my flawed forms.
I tried not to dwell on this recent discovery and made a mental note to see a therapist. Instead, I jumped at Atlas’s offer to be naughty for me so I could punish him and get my stress out.
I reached around him and fisted his hair from behind. “You don’t sound sorry.”
“Nope, he doesn’t at all. I think our princess needs to be severely punished,” Linden said, his voice tinged with humor.
Linden. Another person who’d always accepted all of me and never once complained.
“What do you think, Princess? Do you need to be punished?”
Atlas chewed on his bottom lip as he was prone to doing when he wanted to look cute, and it worked. “I think I need to be taught a lesson. I was really, really bad for forgetting your lunch, Mr. Cross.”
I growled when I stood and took Atlas with me. I set him on his feet, spun him around, and before I shoved him against my desk, I ran a hand across the surface, sending everything scattering onto the floor, and I didn’t give a fuck. It was cathartic. “Punishment it is.”
Atlas was right. I had this urge to feel in control. To feel like I was in charge of my life. But it was never about hurting others. It was all about bringing pleasure to my partner and me.
“Hot,” Linden whispered.
“How should we punish him, Knight?”
Atlas wiggled his cute butt in response, making Linden and me laugh. We just couldn’t help ourselves whenever Atlas was involved.
“I think he wants some spankings and a good railing, King.”
“Oh, no, not spankings and railings…”
I leaned over his prone body and nipped his ear hard enough to sting. “You need to sound more convincing than that.”
His response was to thrust his butt against my hardening cock.
I straightened and looked at Linden, keeping my hand pressed to Atlas’s back. “Lock the door.”
He flipped the lock and came back to my desk to await further instruction.