Chapter 22
“ I knew before all of y’all,” Mason proudly says to the team.
“By thirty minutes,” I feel compelled to specify.
“Still counts.”
“Did it happen in Seoul?” Stephen wonders.
I’m about to answer when Mason says, “Nah, it’s been going on for way longer than that.”
Because I’m okay with not answering their questions and letting Mace do it despite how little he knows, I return to my computer, ready to dive back into work for half an hour. And then, lunch with the boss while everyone knows I’m screwing said boss. Ugh, it’ll be a miracle if I have any appetite.
Mace is still entertaining them, leaning against Brian’s desk, when Oli comes to sit in his chair near me. “So, it’s finally official,” he says with a small smile.
“Yeah… Mace and Brian kinda figured it out, which pushed us to come clean to HR,” I explain with a wince.
“How does the hierarchy work? Does dating the boss put you above us?” he asks with unmasked amusement.
“Oli!” I scold him. “Don’t say things like that; I already feel awful about the whole thing.”
He laughs and shakes his head indulgently. Some kind of tense silence falls between us, and I know we’re both thinking about what happened back then.
“I… I’ve been meaning to apologize,” I start, sheepish.
“For what?”
“For what happened that day in Lex’s office.”
“You have nothing to apologize for, Andy. I’m the one who needs to ask for forgiveness. ”
I look away from my screen and at him, surprised.
Oli nervously scratches the back of his head, avoiding my gaze as he thinks of what to say next. “I’ve been meaning to talk to you and apologize for weeks, but I didn’t have the courage to do it. Plus, it was pretty clear you and Lex had ended things, and I didn’t want to twist the knife in the wound. Also, I worried you’d think I was making another move.”
“I’ve wanted to come talk to you so many times, too,” I confess. “You were an amazing friend, and I hated lying to you about what was going on with Lex.”
“You didn’t lie, though. You told me you were seeing someone, that it was getting serious, and that you’d never like me that way. And I was an absolute asshole because I was convinced I could make you happier than anyone else. But I should have listened to you when you repeatedly said no. I’m so sorry I didn’t, Andy.”
Hearing all this heals a small crack in my heart that I’ve gotten used to. I still believe I could have handled things better, but hearing Oli take some accountability for all that mess is cathartic.
“I should have apologized after Lex came to talk to me, but—”
“Wait, Lex did what?”
“He came to apologize for what happened that day. Didn’t he tell you?” I shake my head, stunned. “It was maybe two weeks later. He asked me to come up to his office and told me you valued me immensely as a friend and that he didn’t want his actions to end it. He insisted none of it was your fault, and that you never meant to hurt me.”
I don’t know how to process any of that. Lex was alarmingly jealous of Oliver, but in the midst of our painful breakup, he looked out for my relationship with him. Maybe he knew I needed all the support I could get, no matter how much it would hurt him.
“I’m sorry I didn’t talk to you sooner,” Oli insists. “You deserved better from me, especially since you did nothing wrong. I guess it all came crashing down when I saw you with him. The man you were seeing was Lex , whom I idolize and aspire to become. My stupid ego was crushed because it suddenly made sense why you’d pick him over me.”
“I’m sorry, Oli. You’re an amazing guy, and any woman would be lucky to have you. And I wanted to be that woman—God knows I tried. But life had other plans, and I fell in love with the last man I wanted it to happen with.”
He smiles indulgently. “I didn’t get why at first, but the more I thought about it, the more it made sense. You guys are a good match, and I’m happy to see you two are back together. ”
My heart warms up at his approval. “You’ll find your match, too. I’m sure of it.”
“I actually met someone,” he says with a mischievous smirk, leaning closer.
“You did?!”
“Well, I guess I started seeing someone is more accurate—since I already knew her.”
My jaw goes slack. “Do I know her?” He pretends to zip his lips together and throws away the key. “Oli, you can’t drop that and then expect me to move on!”
“You kept your secrets, Hulkette. Allow me to keep mine.”
I’m about to insist when Mason returns. “Alright, back to your desk, carrot top,” he sassily orders.
Oli chuckles, and as he gets up, he says, “Watch your tongue, you fastidious queen.”
As soon as Oli’s away, leaving only Joseph close to us, Mace turns to me and says, “Girl, I’ll need to be sat next to you at Dakota’s Friendsgiving.”
“Wait, aren’t you going back to Atlanta?”
“Nah, my dad pissed me off already.”
I grimace, aware of Mace’s complicated relationship with his family, especially his father, who’s a pastor with a substantial congregation. While his mom learned to accept their son’s sexual orientation, his father still denies his queerness. Mason came all the way to Seattle for work to get away from him.
“Are you okay with not celebrating with them?” I ask.
“I’m much better here, with the family I chose. And I’ll have the opportunity to get some alcohol into you.”
“Why do you want that?” I chuckle.
“Because I need some deets, bish. I need to know if my hunch about Mr. Bossman is right.”
“What hunch?”
“That man has the most big dick energy I’ve ever seen, and you’re the only person I know who can confirm it.”
I laugh out loud, only half shocked by his concern. “Mace, there isn’t enough alcohol in this city to make me talk about that,” I reply. “And it’ll be my first Thanksgiving, so I’m not getting wasted.”
“Girl, that ain’t gonna be Thanksgiving. There won’t be any dysfunctional family members or drama.”
“Those are mandatory?”
“Yeah. It ain’t Thanksgiving until you’re arguing with your far-right uncle or watching an auntie bring up some twenty-year-old drama after drinking too much. ”
I laugh at the image. “Alright, noted.”
With everything that happened, I barely have time to dive back into work before Lex pops back in, a little more tense than he wants to let on. I save the script I was working on and get up to join him in the doorway. As we walk to the break room, I can’t tell if it’s paranoia or if everyone looks at us. The two people from the design team must have started spreading the word, or the guys did, via texts or whatever.
I’m tense the whole time we take our food out of the fridge, reheat it, and walk to an empty table together. Even when the guys join us there, acting as if nothing’s different, I can’t relax.
“Are you alright?” Lex asks after a moment. I’m not eating, which isn’t a very raccoon thing, so he must sense something’s going on with me.
“Yeah, I—I feel like everyone’s watching us,” I explain, eyes scanning the surrounding room.
He looks around, and because he doesn’t deny my worries right away, I know I’m not being crazy. “Let them,” he decides. “Whatever they might think doesn’t matter.”
“You’re right. Most of them probably don’t even believe it anyway,” I dismissively explain.
“Why?”
I quirk an eyebrow and wave up and down at myself, then do the same on him.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” he asks, genuinely confused.
“That you’re you, all tall, muscular, handsome, and smart, and I’m me . So, people probably think it’s some kind of fake rumor circulating.”
“I don’t see why.”
“Lex, I can barely believe I’m dating you on most days. I’m sure they’re feeling the same.”
He stares at me like I’ve gone mad, as if my argument makes no sense at all. Then, he surprises me by wrapping a hand around my nape and pulling me in for a quick but unmistakable kiss. Mason lets out a shocked gasp on the other end of our table as Lex releases me, but he doesn’t look away. Instead, he stares into my eyes.
“Do you think they believe it now, freckles?” he asks.
“Lex,” I scold, covering my mouth to contain a small giggle. “I’m sure that’s not allowed in the PDA rulebook.”
“I haven’t read it yet, so I’m not liable to repercussions.”
I look around, cheeks flushed, and then look at him again. “I feel like a second kiss would really seal it in. You know, before we read the rules and have to follow them to a T.”
We share another short but adamant kiss, which has Mason gasping again .
Alright, Lex has made his point. If people in the office start questioning this relationship, then that’s on them, not me.
From now on, no more regrets, and no more doubts. I’m dating my boss, and I’m not letting anyone make me feel bad about it.
T he best thing about everyone knowing Lex and I are dating is that we can leave and arrive at work together. There’s no more having to be discreet and dropping me off a couple of blocks away.
So that’s what we do. We stop by my place on Monday so I can get enough things to last me a while, and we head to his place after work every day of the week. A routine quickly settles between us, and I swear I could do exactly this for the rest of my life.
Lex usually has more work to handle once we get to his place, so he does that in his home office while I read a few comics in the next room. Then, either of us lures the other into a little naughty session—on his desk, the lounge chair in the comics room, a random wall… After that, we eat something while watching a movie, or at least half of one, and then we shower together and get ready for the night. If we somehow manage to behave in the shower, we fuck again in his bed—we do both on Tuesday evening. And in the morning, the first to wake slowly and tenderly wakes up the other with kisses and grazes, and we have sex again before getting ready for work.
I won’t lie, all that physical activity is exhausting, but I’m also the happiest I’ve ever been. The rest of my life will be fucking amazing, and I can’t wait for it.
We have to go our respective ways on Thursday since we don’t have the same Thanksgiving plans. But a break will do my chocha some good. I’m not saying I’m getting tired of Lex’s gigantic dick, but there’s only so much a girl can take.
Though, I might need to be institutionalized because when Lex offers to come pick me up on his way home from Kevin and Shelly’s Thanksgiving, I immediately agree. Like my abuela always says, I’ll rest when I’m dead.
I still get a few hours with my friends and colleagues, sharing delicious food, playing games, and having fun. As much as I want to spend every waking moment with Lex, I can’t neglect the other people who matter to me. He already has me all night every night. Several times per night, even. That has to be enough.
F or the first time in thirty-five years, I’m excited about my birthday. There’s never been much to it except a few overpriced gifts and a cake. I didn’t have friends to invite as a child, and because I was born in the shadow of Thanksgiving, it was never properly celebrated. But this year, everything changes thanks to the sleepy woman plastered onto me.
The day has barely even started, but I already can’t fucking wait for the next thirty-five birthdays we’ll celebrate together. I’m looking at her in the morning light, in awe, when she lets out a little whimper as her eyebrows twitch. “Hm, baby,” she mumbles.
Because we’ve spent almost every night together this past week, I’ve realized what an active sleeper she is. I’ve known for a while that she kicks and turns around a lot, which is why I often trap her in my arms or under my body to get some sleep. But I’ve now learned that she talks as well. She’ll even respond sometimes when I talk back, which offers amusing interludes in the middle of the night.
“Are you dreaming of me, freckles?” I whisper in her ear.
Her frown deepens as a small moan rumbles in her throat. Only when her body arches slightly do I understand what’s happening. My naughty little woman is having a sex dream.
Delicately, I maneuver her on her back and position myself over her. I kiss the warmth of her throat and whisper in her ear, “Andrea, wake up.”
But she doesn’t, so I keep kissing, lowering down her lax body. As I reach below her breasts, I halt my exploration to say, “Andrea, my love, wake up.”
She moans again, her body lifting into mine. She’s exhausted, but that’s on her for waking me up at exactly midnight to wish me a happy birthday. And then it’s on me for keeping her pinned under me for an hour as a thank you.
Leisurely, I continue kissing every inch of her, getting closer to my final destination. When I get to her pretty pussy, I admire the wetness already gathering there, holding back the urge to lick it. Instead, I run my tongue up her thigh, near the pink expanse.
“Andrea, wake up,” I ask again.
“Lex…” she begs. “Take the cape off.”
She’s clearly still asleep, so I gently bite the creamy skin of her inner thigh, hard enough to properly wake her up.
“Ah, fuck,” she whimpers, jolting under me .
Seconds later, she whips the covers away, looking down at me with hooded eyes while I kiss the spot I bit. “You’re finally awake,” I mumble with a smile.
Her fingers tangle in my hair as she tries to bring me where she needs me. But I resist, asking instead, “What were you dreaming about, Andrea?”
“Nothing.”
“It must have been one hell of a nothing because you were moaning and calling out my name.”
She tries to shove her needy cunt in my face, but again, I don’t allow it. She gives up with a groan and says, “I was dreaming of you.”
To reward her, I lick up the right side of her drenched slit, purposefully missing her swollen clit. A satisfied grunt rolls in my throat as her taste spreads on my tongue. “What were we doing?” I insist.
“We were floating in space, about to have sex in zero gravity.”
Another lick on the other side. “Sounds like fun. Anything else?”
“Lex, please! I need—”
“Tell me about your dream, and I’ll give it to you. Why did you mention a cape?”
“We were… We weren’t exactly ourselves. I was Wonder Woman, and you were… Superman.”
“Mmh… I see someone has been reading New 52 comics.”
“Yes. Please baby,” she begs again. Determined to get what she wants, she arches and shoves her pussy onto my mouth.
“You’re such a fucking dork,” I mutter right before I give her what she so desperately needs.
She cries out when I lock in on her clit, gently sucking on it and flicking my tongue at an intense pace. When I look up, she’s got a hand on the headboard, pushing herself further onto my mouth. My greedy little… I rhythmically run my tongue over the little bud between my lips, knowing precisely what she needs to come. I’ve learned so much about her that I could probably set a timer, any length, and manage to make her come on the dot.
High on her scent and taste, I let myself be absorbed by her pleasure, rubbing my aching cock into the mattress as I rip moans and cries out of her. She grinds against me, shamelessly taking what she needs, and it drives me insane. It doesn’t matter how many times I make her come in a day, she always craves more. Such an eager and desperate woman…
When she comes apart, I feel the pulsing of her walls against my tongue. Precum leaks out of my tip and dribbles down my cock at the thought of being crammed in there, getting strangled by her wet pussy as she moans my name like I’m her god. I definitely feel like a deity with the way she grinds against me, her body jolting with pleasure. This will never get old.
Just like I did on my way down, I kiss her soft skin as I climb back up, enjoying its slight saltiness. I take my time, and by the time I’m up to her pretty face, her breathing has returned to normal, and she isn’t too flushed.
“Why does it feel like it’s my birthday instead of yours?” she breathes out, grazing the side of my face with a loving gaze.
“This is exactly how I wanted to start the day.” I kiss her so we can share her addictive taste for a second and then pull away. “Actually, there’s something I’ve wanted to try.”
“Oh?”
“Yes. Will you let me try, Andrea?”
Even though she has no idea what it is, she immediately nods. Her blind trust in me is one of the most gratifying things I have ever experienced. As I kneel by her side, I promise to myself that I’ll never give her a reason not to trust me. Not ever again.
Her lashes flutter as I bring my hand between her legs and slip two fingers inside her. Fuck, she’s so warm, soaked, and tight that my cock twitches. I give her a few tentative thrusts, letting her adapt to the girth, but the pace quickly hastens. Her slim hands clutch the sheets as I fuck her with energy, my fingers curled to hit that sweet spot within her.
I’ve just found my rhythm when she instinctively clenches her legs together with a strangled moan. My arm is trapped, so I can’t keep going. “Spread your legs, Andrea,” I demand.
She shakes her head, worried the pleasure will be too much to take. I kiss her knee and say, softly this time, “Trust me, you can take this, freckles.”
Pearly white teeth sink into her plump bottom lip as she considers it. “Come on, Andrea. Do it for my birthday.”
After a deep breath to gather her courage, she slowly releases my arm, spreading her knees wide. “That’s it, my love,” I approve, bending over to kiss her.
Our tongues are still tangled together when I resume the torturous pumping of my fingers. Her moans come in the way of our kiss, so I stay right there, inches from her face as she takes it like a good girl. The moment is intense, harsh, and raw, and I revel in the way she cries out my name like she doesn’t know if she wants more or less. I can feel how hard it is for her to keep her legs open like this, but she fights the urge and stays spread like I want her.
Between the position of my arm and the fast pace of the repetitive motion, I feel a cramp settle in my hand. But if she can lie there with tears of pleasure streaming down her temples and helpless hiccups as she struggles to catch her breath between moans and cries, I can certainly endure a little pain for her. It’s clear it isn’t for long anyway, as I feel the first spasms of her pending orgasm already clamping around my fingers.
The second it happens, she lets out a helpless cry as her hips lift. I rip my eyes from her flushed face and look down at my hand drilling her slit. The pride that floods me at the first splash that hits my palm is uncanny. Fuck yes, I knew it. My messy girl had the potential to squirt all along. She just needed a little help.
“Aaah! Lex, please…” she begs, her entire body convulsing under the intensity of her pleasure. When she tries to crawl away from my hand, I follow her. I’m as insatiable as she is, so I keep going, demanding more fluids, more screams, more everything.
“You can take it,” I mutter through gritted teeth.
My hand is drenched, and the wet noises of my fingers in her fill my ears. This is the hottest fucking thing she’s ever done. She’s making a mess, wetting the sheets, and when she tries to press her knees together this time, I keep one leg parted with a firm hand while the other keeps going.
“Fuck! Pigasus!” she cries out. “Oh God, pigasus!”
The safe word has something clenching hard in my chest, and I immediately rip my hand out and away from her. Shit, I went too far. I pushed her so much it came to this… I fucking failed her, and it has my heart torn in half.
She pants as I lie against her, wanting to cradle her to make up for what I did. “I’m so sorry, Andrea. I didn’t mean to—I thought you could—”
Her nebulous gaze struggles to focus on my face, but she lays a hand over my arm and taps it gently. “You’re fine,” she says, her voice uneven. Still worried, I hold her for what feels like an eternity, waiting for her to regain her senses. “Jesus fucking Christ,” she eventually breathes out, still stunned.
“Are you okay?”
“ Okay?! Baby, it was so fucking good I almost passed out.”
A reassured chuckle comes out of me as tension slowly leaves my body. “Andrea, I thought I hurt you, not that you were coming too hard,” I gently scold her, kissing her temple.
“I don’t think anyone ever came that hard, Alexander.”
I laugh again, and when she tries to tug me closer, I comply and come against her. We stay like this for a while as she recuperates, and she eventually asks, “Did you actually call me ‘my love,’ or was my brain that far gone?’ ”
“That’s what you are, isn’t it?”
She twists her head to face mine, and the wonderment in her eyes nearly undoes me. “I am. And you’re mi amor .”
After an intense kiss, she wriggles around to have her face inches from mine.
I admire her, forever overwhelmed by the feelings she triggers in me. “Do you have any idea how much I love you?” I ask.
“I think I do,” she answers with a tight throat.
“You’re the best thing that ever happened to me. You know that, right?”
“And you’re my best thing, Alexander.” She kisses me again, and her slim hand travels between us to my cock—which is still hard and begging for release.
“You’ve had enough for one morning,” I protest, ripping myself away from her to roll out of bed.
“But it’s your birthday!”
“And I got everything I wanted. I’m not asking more of you until tonight.” To take the temptation away from her, I pick up a pair of jogging pants discarded on the floor and slip them on.
“I’m feeling better,” she pouts.
“Andrea, I said no.” I throw a T-shirt at her, and she begrudgingly sits up to slip it on.
Still feeling feisty, she crosses her arms and says, “Right, you’re nine years older than me now. You gotta pace yourself, old man.”
“Don’t make me bend you over my knee and spank you, young lady.” That gets the best of her bad mood, and she giggles.
“Come,” I tell her, offering my hand to help her out of bed. “There’s something I want to show you.”
She slips her soft fingers into my palm and follows me to the dressing room. The idea came to me as I was getting dressed to go to Kevin and Shelly’s Thanksgiving, and I immediately gave in, refusing to overthink it.
I guide her to the chest of drawers and try to think of a way to tell her. “It’s probably too early,” I cautiously start, “but it feels right to me. And you’ve been saying how you want the authentic me, not the one who contains and internalizes everything. So…”
Nervously, I point to the piece of furniture. She doesn’t get what I’m trying to say, staring at it with a frown, then at me.
“It’s for you,” I explain.
“For me?”
“Yes. I emptied it to make space for your things if you want to bring some over here.”
Her eyes go round as she looks at the drawers again, surprised .
“I mean, we can keep doing what we’re doing—I don’t mind dropping by your place to pick things up every other day. But if you find it inconvenient, I want you to know these drawers and the hanging rail above are yours. You can bring whatever you want, at whatever pace you prefer. And when it’s full, I’ll empty another one to make room for more of your stuff. And then another one.”
And then, one day, all of her things will be here, and this will become her home. Our home.
She still isn’t talking, and I wonder if her brain isn’t entirely back yet from the crazy orgasm I gave her. “Andrea, say something,” I practically beg.
“You want me to bring some of my stuff here?”
I want her to bring all her stuff here, but it’s definitely too early to admit it. “Yeah. For convenience.”
She raises an eyebrow at me. “Just convenience?”
“No. It’s because I enjoyed having you in my bed nearly every night this week, and I really hope next week will be the same. And the ones after that. If you have things here with you, it would make it easier.”
My answer seems to please her as she goes to open a drawer and then runs a flat hand on the smooth surface. “I’ll accept on one condition,” she negotiates, twisting to face me.
“What?”
I watch as she lifts herself to sit on the wooden surface. Then she wriggles her index at me, beckoning me to step closer. Her smile is like a siren’s call, and like a helpless sailor, I’m powerless against it. So I come closer, even though I’m perfectly aware of where this will take us.
“That you fuck me on it,” she continues.
She’s already pulling down my sweatpants before I can protest. “Andrea,” I mumble. “I told you there would be none of that for you this morning.”
“I can’t leave you aching like this, baby. Especially not on your birthday,” she coos right into my ear, her small hand circling my cock. I groan, and she takes it as an encouragement to tighten her grip on me. Her lips graze my neck, tempting and soft, just enough to drive me nuts with the need for more.
“This must hurt so much,” she teases, massaging me up and down. “I know a place, soft like silk, warm like a tongue, and always wet for you. It would feel so much better than this pain.” She moves back to meet my eyes, ready to administer the final blow. “Do you want me to show you, mi amor ?”
Jesus fuck, my balls tighten at her invitation. My locked jaw must be enough of an answer, because she guides my cock to her opening, running the swollen head over her wet slit .
“I can’t wait for your birthday, Andrea,” I threaten as I slam into her. She cries out, arms hooking over my shoulders. “I will fuck you until you pass out, and no safe word will save you from it.”
“Promises, promi—Aah!” She loses her words as I fuck her on the chest of drawers, exactly like she asked for.
God help me, she finally realized how much power she has over me. I always feared the day this would come. But we’re there now, and I have to make peace with it. There isn’t a single thing I could refuse her. Not when she asks so nicely. And when she adds sex to the mix like this…
I’m a fucking goner.