Chapter 6 – Theo
6
THEO
I ’m in early the following day for work. I usually wait until it’s time to prep for lunch, as I don’t handle breakfast unless Claude is out for the day. A lot is going on today, and I needed to be here to get ready for the entire weekend. Also, I got no sleep last night.
It is an oddity for me not to sleep well. I can sleep about anywhere, which drives Milo crazy. The moment my head hits the pillow, I’m ready for sleep. Last night, all I could think about was Allegra.
I lean back in my chair and scrub a hand over my face. How is it I went from avoiding the woman to wanting to spend every moment with her? I mean, what the hell? I jacked off twice last night with thoughts of her running through my head.
Just watching her enjoy my food was another level of arousal that I never thought about before. Scratch that. Believe me, I’ve never hesitated to use food to seduce a woman. Still, for some reason, watching Allegra just made me feel different. Like, it has now become my mission to feed her.
“I heard a rumor,” Milo says. I blink and find him standing in my doorway.
“What are you doing here?”
“I’m here asking if you’re having an affair with my food and beverage manager.”
I should have known someone would run to him and tell him about what I did. And granted, it was probably stupid and entirely out of line. Even so, I would still do it.
“Come in and shut the door.”
I might not tell anyone else about this, but my brother needs to know what’s going on.
He does as I order. “So?”
“It’s all fake.”
He blinks at me…several long moments. He just stands there and stares at me.
“Say what now?”
“Listen, her brother was insisting she go out with some goober he brought here. And it was stressing her out.”
I’m still surprised that the dude hasn’t shown up. I mean, if her brother was trying to set me up with her, I would be there in a second. Her brother brought him up a couple more times while I was there yesterday afternoon. It was annoying. Still, he hasn’t shown up. I stopped by the front desk to check.
“A fake relationship?”
I nod. “Yeah.”
“Why?”
“I told you.”
“You don’t do things without something attached to it.”
“I did it to get her off my back. And get control of my menus at those stupid cooking weekends she sets up.”
“She picks the theme. That’s it.”
I shrug, not comfortable with this line of questioning. “I don’t like sharing control.”
“And she agreed to this?”
I open my mouth and realize that I did not get her to agree to anything. I just couldn’t handle the idea of another man touching her.
But I can’t say that to my brother.
“Sort of. We’re negotiating. But it puts me in her good graces.”
He purses his lips as he watches me, and I have to fight the need to shift in my seat. We are only a couple years apart in age, but we haven’t been that close until recently. Part of that is because Hazel insisted, and I love my sister-in-law. I can’t stand to think she wouldn’t be happy. It isn’t romantic, but she’s like the big sister I never had, even though we are close to the same age.
“Are you sure there isn’t another reason?”
“What do you mean?”
“Please tell me this isn’t about getting her into bed.”
Just that one little comment causes a flood of thoughts of having her in my bed. Simply thinking about the way she would taste has my dick thumping against my zipper. Milo studies me too closely to hide my attraction, but I will not mess up the working environment.
“You know I don’t sleep with staff.”
“She’s not staff. She’s management, and she actually oversees your work. This could cause problems, even with the faking of the relationship.”
I hate that he keeps using the term fake. Yes, I know that it’s not real. Still, sometime yesterday, I started realizing my animosity towards Allegra had more to do with my attraction to her than anything to do with work.
“Doesn’t matter. You know I don’t do things like that. My kitchen is my kingdom.”
He snorts.
“Fuck off.”
He sobers. “No, really, I want you to be careful.”
“Don’t worry. I won’t upset your little food and beverage manager.”
“I’m not worried about her, Theo.”
That catches my attention. “Don’t say you’re worried about me.”
“You haven’t had a relationship since Clarice when you were away at school.”
That much is true, but I learned at an early age that someone with the last name Darling in my industry ensures that people want you for one thing. And that’s what Clarice wanted. A job with one of our resorts.
“I can handle myself.”
He nods, but there is still a worried frown curving his downturned lips.
“It’s just for this weekend anyway.”
There’s a knock at the door, and I’m happy to get out of this conversation any way possible, so I tell whoever it is to come in. Of course, the woman we’ve been discussing is standing there smiling at me. She’s worn her hair down today, the curls tumbling over her shoulders. A bright red blouse is tucked into a tight pencil skirt that hugs her curves. And, of course, she’s wearing those fuck-me heels.
I think she might be trying to kill me.
“Oh, Milo, I had no idea you were here. I can come back.”
He shakes his head. “Hazel and I are headed back to the city. We try to avoid Rachel and Jason as much as possible.”
“Oh, okay.”
Then silence descends on the small space, and I continue to watch Allegra. She has always been a mystery to me, but now I am picking up on all the little tells she has. Like when she’s nervous, she tends to fidget with her hair. She brushes some of the heavy curls back over her shoulder, giving me a better view of her tits. God, she’s not stacked, but I can just imagine cupping one and teasing the nipple, all the while sucking on her other nipple.
I shift in my chair, trying to ease the pressure but all that does is cause friction, heightening my need.
Allegra blushes because she apparently realizes what is going on.
“Remember what I said,” Milo says as he steps out of the office, closing the door.
“He knows,” Allegra says. She’s not stupid.
“Yeah. He heard the rumors, and I thought I should tell him it was fake.”
She nods, frowning a little. Is she like me? Does she hate calling it fake also?
“So, whatcha need, FG?”
“FG?”
“Yeah. Fake girlfriend. I know you like acronyms.”
She shrugs. “Kind of went with the territory I inhabited as a kid. But that would make you the FB.”
I nod.
“Which also stands for fuck boy.”
And just like that, the temperature of the office goes up about ten degrees. My already unruly dick is throbbing with need, wanting me to pull her to me, bend her over and fuck her on my desk.
“What’s that look?”
I reach out, grabbing her hand, then pull her over to stand in front of me.
“Your fuck boy is kind of…interested in how you’re doing this morning.”
“I-I was just kidding.”
I rise out of my chair as I crowd her closer, placing one hand on her hip to hold her steady. I cup her face with the other.
“Theo, what do you think you’re doing?” Her question comes out in this sexy breathless voice I have never heard from her. It makes me think of how she would sound when she was coming on my dick.
“I thought maybe we should have a little taste test.”
Then, without waiting for an answer, I press my mouth against hers. At first, she doesn’t really respond until I slide my tongue along the seam of her mouth. She moans and opens her mouth to me, and I’m lost. She tastes like the coffee she’s been drinking and need. Her hands come around to clutch my shirt and urge me closer.
I’m lost in her, in anything I shouldn’t be doing, and everything I want to do with this woman. I want her in my bed, screaming my name as I plunge into her again and again.
And in this moment, I realize this isn’t just lust. This is something more profound, needier, something that I know will consume my entire existence.
I growl as I press closer, irritated that we aren’t both naked right now. I’m contemplating that very thought when she pulls away from me. I growl again, but she puts a hand against my chest.
“Theo.”
I’m forced to open my eyes and look down at her. Her lips are swollen, her face flushed, and her pupils are dilated.
“What was that?”
Her voice is huskier than usual, arousal threading every syllable. Fuck, I want her, almost need her as much as I need the air I’m breathing to survive.
“I thought that was obvious.”
“Listen, I know you have a reputation and that women fall at your feet.”
For the first time in my life, I’m embarrassed by my past.
“No, don’t look like that.”
“Like what?”
“You have nothing to be embarrassed about. So you sleep around. Don’t ask me about my brothers because they would probably put your conquests to shame. It’s just not normal for me. Do you understand what I mean?”
I frown. “I get that you aren’t promiscuous.”
She closes her eyes and sighs. When she opens them again, there is regret and a little bit of embarrassment.
“No. What I mean is that I have never had sex. I’m a virgin, Theo.”
I blink. “What?”
Okay, not the most intelligent answer, but hey, it’s hard to think this woman, who is one of the most sensual women I have ever kissed, is a virgin. I don’t fool around with virgins.
Another sigh and this one is sad. “I get it. In this day and age, it’s weird, and most guys don’t want to have anything to do with a virgin.”
She’s trying to scoot away, but I hold onto her. She’s right that I usually wouldn’t want a virgin, but the idea that she could be mine—and only mine—has my dick rejoicing. Just thinking about being the first man to take her has me getting even harder.
Before I can say anything, there’s a knock at the door, but whoever it is doesn’t wait for me to respond. Instead, the door opens to reveal Raine standing in front, his arms crossed over his chest. Standing behind him are the other three brothers. All of them look like they want to tear my head off my body.
Well, fuck.