Chapter 3
Griff
When I sat down in the conference room, waiting for the other VPs and Executive team to stroll in, I sifted through the mail Taylor had dropped off.
It was mostly memos that should have been emails, and a few pieces of junk mail from vendors.
The last envelope didn’t even have my name on it.
It wasn’t sealed, so I opened it and pulled out the papers inside.
Grysten held my wrists above my head, his dark eyes staring down at me and his hard cock pressing hard against my belly. He straddled me, pinned me against the forest floor. I was caught. Captured by this ogre.
His smile curled, revealing more of the tusks that jutted from his lower lip.
What the fuck? Was this… Who sent this?
I sifted through the papers, looking for any indication of who it’d come from.
There was nothing. No header, no page number, no identifying information at all.
It had to have come from Taylor. Since my name wasn’t on the envelope, he had to be the one who decided it was for me.
Did he write this? Did he intend for it to land in my hands or was that an accident?
I scanned the rest of the page. The scene unfolding around me, painting a picture of two men, well, one ogre and a man, fighting the attraction they had for one another.
They were in a forest, and whatever scene had unfolded before this one must have been intense because the two characters were sweaty messes by the time Grysten had captured Tobias.
The fight didn’t last long. Whatever circumstances brought Tobias to Grysten’s door meant he couldn’t escape. Lucky for Grysten.
The scene ended all too soon, just before the good part. Tobias was naked on the forest floor. Grysten was kind enough to lay his cloak down for some comfort. Tobias made it clear he was willing. Whatever this fight was between them was a game… Primal play? I think that was what it was called.
I had to focus back on the meeting I was in. I tucked the pages into the folder. They would be safe with me until I could pin Taylor down and get some answers out of him.
But first, I had to get through this day.
The palpable energy that infused my body after reading the chapter or scene or whatever it was that Taylor had left for me had to go somewhere.
After my meeting, I read the scene again.
And again. I couldn’t put it down, and I found myself wanting more of this work.
Especially if it was from Taylor. Thankfully, tonight was amateur MMA night, and I took that energy, bottled it up, and let it explode out of me in the ring. My opponents never stood a chance.
I would have liked to have used this energy in a more enjoyable situation. Perhaps with Taylor himself.
Taylor didn’t know it yet, but he was mine, and I would have him.
Until then, fighting was what I had.
The only good hit my opponent got happened at the end of the third round, when I caught sight of a certain twink walking through the crowd. Our eyes met. His widened, almost comically, turning his elfin face into more of a doe-eyed view. Adorable.
I grinned, letting out a low rumble in my chest.
My prey was here.
Did he come because I was here? How had he even known that I was going to be here? No matter. We were here now and my pursuit could begin in earnest.
It was then that I realized I was still in the ring, and my opponent got a hit off.
Pain exploded on the side of my face where his fist landed.
I turned my attention back to what I was doing and unleashed hell.
I wished that I could see Taylor’s reactions in real time, but all of my attention was focused on landing punch after punch to my opponent.
He ducked and tried to weave away from me, but I kicked out a leg, and he fell to the ground.
It was over for him.
I won that round easily, and lucky for me, Taylor was there to witness it. Once I was finished in the ring, I showered, because I didn’t want to go out into the crowd smelling like somebody else’s sweat.
I was afraid that Taylor had left. My hunt would be over before it even began.
He was difficult to find, because there were so many people and he was short, but I located him.
He and the person he was with were gushing over my opponent.
Taylor’s eyes widened again when he saw me.
His friend must have noticed a change in him, because he followed his gaze toward me.
They exchanged some words I couldn’t hear.
The crowd parted for me as I walked through. A perk of being six foot seven.
“Taylor,” I said. “It’s good to see you. Did you come to see me fight?” I held his gaze, watching closely for any reaction out of him. I suspected that he had not come to see me and this was purely coincidence.
At work I avoided looking at him too often, for fear that I’d make him uncomfortable, but now that I’d read his work… seeing him squirm would be well worth it.
There was no attention left in my body for anyone else. I was being rude, of course, completely ignoring everyone around me. A few people slapped my shoulder, shouting congratulations, but all I saw was Taylor.
He licked his lips. “I didn’t know you did this. I can go if it’s—”
I raised a brow. “If it’s what?”
“I don’t know,” he said, and he tucked his hair behind his ear in a nervous gesture.
“I thought perhaps maybe you came to get your… work.” I leaned closer as I said the words.
He sucked in a breath and swallowed thickly, his Adam’s apple bobbing. My gaze narrowed in on it. Once again, I was hit with the undeniable urge to bury my face there and lick him. I was so distracted, I almost missed his next words. “You have it?”
I nodded. “Would you like it back?” A slow smile worked its way over my lips.
He nodded. “I—”
“I’m Trav.” His friend stuck out a hand, forcing himself between us. Not because he wanted attention, it was almost like he was protecting Taylor, getting defensive.
“Griffin. I work in Taylor’s office,” I said.
Taylor snorted. “It’s not my office. He’s the VP that works with Sawyer.”
“Ah,” Trav said, and nodded. “And you fight on the side for funsies?”
I shrugged one shoulder and ignored the twinge of pain. “It keeps me in shape.”
“Keeps you in very nice shape,” Trav said. Not flirting. Instead, his gaze bounced between Taylor and me, as if scheming. Perfect. Having the friend on board would certainly work in my favor.
“Were you about to head out? Or do you have more to do here?” he asked.
“I’m leaving. Actually, I don’t usually come out to the crowd, but when I saw Taylor, I thought I would say hi.
I wouldn’t want to waste the opportunity to return something to him.
” I kept my eyes on Taylor as I spoke, even though I was addressing Trav.
A strawberry-red blush crept its away over Taylor’s cheeks and down his neck.
“Yes,” Trav said. “It is very important that certain possessions be returned to Taylor promptly. It’s a good thing that you have them. You know, I’m feeling tired, Taylor. I was thinking I might leave, go straight home. Perhaps Griff can give you a ride.”
There was a flash of panic in Taylor’s eyes. “Oh, no, that’s—”
“That’s a fantastic idea, Taylor.” I kept my eyes trained on his face, looking for any indication that he truly didn’t want to be alone with me.
He had a nervous energy to him, but not fear.
“I would love to take you home.” Whether I meant my home or his home, I would leave up to his interpretation.
“Perfect. It’s settled,” his friend said, and then disappeared into the crowd.
Taylor’s panicked eyes met mine.
“If you would prefer to go straight home, I can take you, or even just order an Uber. Or we can call your friend back and I’ll leave you alone. But perhaps you’d like a cup of coffee?”
He swallowed again. Damn, that Adam’s apple. That skin on his neck. I wanted to lick it, bite it, leave marks there that would be just visible over the collar of his shirt. Leave everyone wondering who would have done such a naughty thing to such an adorable man.
“Coffee sounds great,” he said after he composed himself.
“Perfect.” I put my hand into his and led him through the crowd.
Time to take my prey somewhere we could be alone.