Chapter Thirty-One
Harmon
I’m stuck at the office late and though I shouldn’t have, I asked Cassius if he would come here instead of my home. It was wrong, but I need him right now. All I can think about is running my hands through his soft hair. It’s the only thing I imagine will settle me through all this bullshit.
Gerard, my lawyer, keeps telling me he’s handling things, but the media is getting out of control and Diamond Russo is breathing down my neck, sending more threats to not only cut ties but get the other companies and other clients on board with her, too.
Unfortunately, she’s quite persuasive, but I told Oliver I won’t speak to her again and if she feels the need to leave, she can do so.
Other people will invest. This will blow over. Issues always do.
Cassius shows up at about six with a brown paper bag in one hand and a coffee in the other.
“I brought you food and caffeine.” He sits in the chair across from me, offering the coffee to me.
“You didn’t have to do that,” I say as I take it.
“I wasn’t sure how long we’d be here, and it’s been a long day. I thought you’d like it.”
“We have food and coffee here.”
“Yeah, but that’s Starbucks.” He points to it with a smile.
I look at the cup.
“It’s just coffee.”
“Just—you know what? You’re cranky. Which is why I brought you food.”
“I am not cranky.”
He pulls out what I can only assume is a sandwich wrapped in foil.
“I’m sure it’s not something you would typically eat, but I promise it’s so good.”
He offers that to me next, and I look down at my desk that’s covered in papers.
“Oh, right… uh—”
“Close the door and come around here.”
He takes the sandwich with him to close the door. I laugh but do so quietly so he can’t see me. Then he comes around the desk.
“Kneel.”
He does, looking up at me with a calmness in his eyes.
“Open it.”
Cassius unwraps the sandwich, and I am grateful to see it isn’t full of grease. I take it from him, take a bite, then hand it back. The bag is stuffed with napkins, so I used those to wipe my hands. He watches me carefully as I turn back to my computer and keep working.
I respond to emails then and work on the letter that I’m putting out to our board members and the investors about the issue at hand.
I keep going back and forth because I’m stuck on what to say and don’t want to come across as an asshole.
Of course, I won’t send this before there are more eyes on it, but I want this to come from me. Which is why I am the one doing it.
I turn back to Cassius, take the food and another bite, then hand it back. Wipe my hands. Do more work.
We do this until the food is gone, and he stays in his spot, kneeling while I type on the computer.
Once the draft of the letter is done, I lean back and reach for him, running my hand through his hair as I read it over.
I fix a few things one-handed, not wanting to stop feeling the softness of his hair.
I swear it’s the only thing that grounds me.
Despite needing to focus on work and wanting to get the hell out of here, my mind drifts to last night. To the sound of Cassius coming on the phone, begging me to let him, and him actually listening. The fact I called him my slave during hours he shouldn’t be referred to as such…
Sometimes it feels like a word you say in the heat of the moment. It helps him get off. There’s something about it that he likes, and that makes me want to do it even more. Still, it’s another rule broken. I’m not sure what the point is in having any with him since we don’t follow a single one.
But they need to be there because without rules there is chaos.
After fixing typos and rearranging sentences, I’m satisfied with the letter. I email it to Oliver to look over and get to my feet.
“Up.”
I lead him out of my office and down the hall to the cafeteria where I pull a bottle of iced tea from the fridge and hand it to him. I turn to face him, planting my hands on the counter top behind me.
“What do you think about being here?”
He twists the cap off and takes a sip.
“It’s… interesting.”
“How?”
“Everything about it is foreign to me.”
“Everything seems like a stretch.”
His eyes narrow. “I don’t think you grasp how different our lives really are, Harmon.” A small smile crosses his lips, and he takes a step closer.
“Oh, there you are,” Oliver blurts as he walks into the room.
Cassius immediately steps away, his cheeks turning pink.
“Oliver,” I greet coolly.
“I looked over the letter, made a few adjustments, and sent it back to you.”
“And telling me this couldn’t wait five minutes?”
“I know how important it is to you to get the letter out on time, sir.” His eyes flick to Cassius before coming back to me. “I wanted to make sure you knew that I was finished with it.”
I nod. “Thank you for that. You may go home.”
“Are you sure? I still have—”
“I’m sure, Oliver. Thank you.”
“Good night, Mr. Stone,” he says before turning to leave.
When I look back at Cassius, he’s watching Oliver with a strange look on his face.
“You were saying?” I prompt.
Cassius stares after Oliver before bringing his attention back to me.
“Does he like you or something?”
I huff a laugh. “No one in this office likes me, Cassius. What were you saying?”
“What was I saying? Oh, right. The way we live. I was going to suggest something, but it’s stupid.”
“I’m sure it isn’t.”
“It is.”
“Tell me anyway.”
He stares at me, so I step toward him, brushing some hair away from his forehead.
“You are a smart man. Wise well beyond your years. I’m sure whatever idea you have, it’s wonderful.”
Shaking his head, he says, “It’s not.”
“I’d really like to hear it anyway.”
He sighs, chewing on the inside of his cheek before giving in and telling me what I want to hear.
“I was going to say that my sister’s birthday is on Saturday. We’re having a small party. Me, my sisters, and a couple of Chrissy’s friends. She’s turning fifteen, so it won’t be a big thing, but maybe you coming by would be nice. You know, so you can see the difference.”
“The difference in how we live?” I ask to be sure.
He nods. “Yes. That. I told you it was stupid.”
I can’t help but smile… and read between the lines.
“I’d love to celebrate your sister’s birthday with you and your family, Cassius. Thank you for inviting me.” I kiss his cheek.
The more time I spend with him, the more the lines blur… and the less I care.
Cassius helps me organize some papers when we get back to my office.
I finish the coffee, which gives a burst of energy, but I can’t say it’s any better than the coffee we have here.
I’ve had gross coffee and I’ve had good coffee, but it’s not something worth rating.
If it’s good, then it’s fine for me. That’s all I need.
“Are we good to go?” Cassius asks, looking around the office. Maybe for something else to do.
“I don’t know. Are we?” I say with a smirk as I get an idea.
“Um… I don’t know. Did I forget to file something?” He looks around frantically, but he won’t find anything. He did everything I asked of him—as he always does.
“No, but there is something I’d like to do before we leave.”
“Oh, okay. Yeah, no rush.”
I move around my desk and wrap my arm around his waist, tugging him to me. He gasps. I smile.
“The door is—”
I cut him off with a kiss that he does not deny me. He melts against me, his tongue sliding against mine, his lips as soft as ever.
“It’s only us here,” I whisper, dragging my lips along his jaw and along his neck where I kiss and lick him more. “And I would love to fuck you right here.” I tap my desk. His gaze goes to it, eyes frantic.
“On your desk?”
“Mm. I think it would be great. Don’t you?”
“Well, I, uh, thought that we weren’t doing that here—during these hours?”
His words are a bucket of ice water being dumped on my head. I step back, putting distance between us.
“You’re right. I’m sorry.”
“No, that’s not what I meant.” He steps toward me, grabbing my arm. “I’m… trying to make sense of this. That’s all.”
“I think sense with us has gone out the window.”
He smiles. “I think you’re right. It’s just that…” He licks his lips, taking a breath.
“What is it?” I cup his cheeks. “Tell me what it is.”
“I don’t want to do anything wrong.”
“You won’t.”
“You say that, but you put all these rules in place. We agreed that we wouldn’t do this during certain hours, and it’s not that I don’t want to, but it feels like you want to. I can’t understand why you keep making these rules only to break them. I don’t want to ruin this. I need this, you know.”
More ice water.
“Because of the money.”
“No, it’s not—” He stops, his eyes falling closed.
“It’s not just the money, Harmon. I like this, too.
It’s good. I’m happier. I like everything we do together, and I don’t care that there aren’t rules.
I’m perfectly fine going with the flow and doing anything you want whenever you want it.
Trust me, I am totally fine with it. But I’m worried about you. ”
“You’re worried about me?”
“Yes,” he blurts, sounding slightly annoyed.
“You’ve been stressed out with this legal stuff for weeks.
I can see it. You put these rules in place to keep things in order, and then we break them, and don’t act like it doesn’t bother you.
Because I know it does. I see that too.” His hand slides up to press against my chest. “It’s not that I don’t want to do it, but I want to make things easier for you.
That’s why I’m here, right? That’s my job? ”
“We both know this is more than just a job now, Cassius.”
The admission is freeing, like a weight slipping from my shoulders.
Hope blooms in his eyes for a split second before it disappears.
“I know that. It’s a mess. But it’s our mess… and it doesn’t have to be messy. If that even makes sense…”
“Surprisingly, it does.”
“Look, if you’re fine with bending me over this desk and fucking me right now, when I’m supposed to be your slave, please do it. But if this is going to bother you later, then don’t.”
“It won’t bother me later,” I state.
He leans forward, pressing his lips to the corner of my mouth then moves closer to my ear and whispers, “Then what are you waiting for?”