Chapter 16
CHAPTER 16
A ce let out a weighty sigh. The post orgasmic glow dying down as the reality of what he’d just done settled in. The scent of juniper and sex hung in the air reminding him that he’d just had sex with an employee in the back of his family’s distillery.
“I can hear your freak out,” Millie chuckled softly, her fingers stroking the hairs on his chest. “Relax, Ace. Enjoy the moment.”
He was. He had. For the first time in his life, he’d be completely in the moment. Millie had been all his mind had seen. All his body had felt. It had been a unique experience. One free of worry. He’d had good sex before, even amazing sex, but nothing like the experience he’d just shared with her.
“What was that?” he asked the question before he could stop himself.
“Fun,” Millie answered, propping her chin on his chest and staring at him with a cheeky smile. “Something you could use more of in your life.”
He wanted more of her, that was for damn sure. The only problem with that was, “You’re my employee. This was completely unethical of me.”
Guilt soured his stomach, erasing all the blissful feelings in his body. How could he have done this? What had he been thinking? He hadn’t been thinking. That was the answer. Ace’s big head handed the reins over to his little head and the only thing possessing his body had been a driving need for the woman of his desire. Consequences be damned.
Millie pushed off the floor and grabbed Ace’s discarded flannel, slipping her arms into the sleeves and covering her naked body adorned with an array of flower tattoos. He mourned the loss of such a beautiful sight. Millie’s body was a work of art. It should never be covered up.
No. Scratch that. Something primal in him burned at the thought of anyone else seeing her in all her bare glory. He wasn’t a fool. He knew she’d been with other people as had he, but now that they’d been together, he didn’t want to share.
“Okay, let’s get one thing straight,” she said as she leaned against his desk. “You’re one of my bosses and I have multiple streams of income for a reason. I never put all my eggs in one basket. Plus, we both know this job is temporary until I can open my studio so if this thing goes south, it’s not like I’m worried you’ll tank my career or anything. Serving is a fun gig, but it’s not my dream job, as you know.”
She was right about that, but it still felt wrong.
“Do we need to fill out an HR report or something?”
“We don’t have an HR department…” his words trailed off as he noticed the mischievous smile on her face. “You’re teasing me.”
She lifted her fingers, holding the thumb and pointer up in a small pinching motion. “Little bit.”
He glared down at her but couldn’t stop his lips from curving into a smile. “Most people don’t tease me.”
“That’s because they don’t know how fun it is.” She winked.
No, it was because most people were scared off by his “standoffish attitude” as his siblings called it. Not Millie. She poked and prodded him until she got a reaction. What the hell did it say about him that he liked it?
He liked her.
“Do you have a rule against dating employees,” she continued with her questioning. “Do you and your siblings have an agreement or anything?”
He shook his head. They’d never really discussed relationships in the workplace. It had never been a big issue and now it was a non-issue considering all his siblings were involved.
“We’ve had employees date each other and break up. Most handled it fine. One or two had some issues we needed to have a sit down about, but nothing that caused anyone harm.”
“Have any of your other siblings dated employees before?”
He stood, grabbing his boxers and slipping them on because he was not about to be the only naked one in this conversation.
“Del dated a server before he and Cassie got married. It was only a few dates, and they ended on good terms. She worked for us for another year until she got into grad school and left.” His little brother had some wild days, but somehow always managed to remain friends with his exes.
“Well, there you go then,” Millie said with a smile.
“It doesn’t bother you?” He asked, needing to make sure.
“What doesn’t bother me?”
How the hell did he phrase this without sounding like a creep? Ace rubbed the back of his neck, trying to form words that wouldn’t offend.
“Fucking my boss?”
His jaw dropped at her brazen words. Guess he didn’t need to worry about being polite. Not that he should have been worried anyway. Millie always spoke her mind. It was hot as hell. Frustrated and turned him on at the same time.
He took the few steps to his desk, placing his hands on the cool wood surface on either side of her, caging her in as he leaned in close. Softly, he brushed his lips against hers as he spoke against her mouth.
“Fucking? Is that what we’re doing?”
“It’s what we did,” Millie said, taking a small love nip at his bottom lip, earning a low growl. “And it’s what I’d like to keep doing if you’re up for it.”
If she looked down right now, she’d see he was very much up for it.
“Hell yes,” he answered, pulling her into him for a devouring kiss.
Millie’s legs wrapped around his waist, grinding against his hard cock. Her wetness soaked the thin cotton. As much as he was looking forward to round two, he knew there was more they needed to talk about. With restraint he didn’t know he possessed, Ace grasped her hips, pulling away from her delicious mouth to put a few inches of space between them.
Millie whimpered her discontent. Yeah, he was right there with her, but they still needed to hash out a few things.
“Rules.”
“What?” the word panted out breathlessly.
“We need some rules if we’re going to keep doing this.”
She let out a frustrated groan. Her head falling back. “Only you would stop a bang session to discuss rules.”
“It’s important so that no one gets taken advantage of,” he insisted, only trying to look out for her.
Millie sat back up, staring into his eyes with that soft smile that made all the air leave his lungs. She placed a warm hand to his cheek. Her palm was slightly rough. He could feel the small calluses he assumed were from her aerial training.
“You, Alfa Jackson, are the sweetest man ever. Even if you hide it under that gruff exterior. You’re kind of adorable.”
He frowned. Adorable? Adorable was for stuffed animals and second grade plays where everyone forgot their lines. Adorable was not a word for a six-foot two man who scared people with a look.
Millie burst out laughing. Placing a fast kiss to his lips, she pressed her forehead against his. “I promise not to call you that in front of anyone else, even though it’s true.”
“Thank you?”
“You’re welcome. Now what are these rules you want to implement?”
He took a deep breath, gathering his thoughts. This had happened so fast. Normally he took his time with big decisions, especially when they affected Jacks. One could say this thing with him and Millie had been a long time coming, but he’d been denying it for so long he hadn’t let himself even think of the possibility of them getting together and the repercussions of it.
“First, as much fun as this was, we probably shouldn’t have sex at work anymore.” He glanced around his office to the wide-open door leading into the distilling area. “It’s gotta be a health code violation.”
She giggled. “Probably. At least there was no one here to catch us.”
He breathed out a sigh of relief that his siblings had gone home. He’d never be able to live it down if one of them caught him hooking up at work.
“No naughty times at work, got it.” She tilted her head in thought. “We probably shouldn’t tell anyone either, right?”
A sharp prick of pain jabbed his chest at her words. Schooling his features, he tried for an even tone as he asked, “Why?”
Millie placed her hands around his neck, her fingers toying with the hair at his nape. He really needed to get it cut. Then again, the tingles running along his scalp at her touch made him reconsider his standard cut. Maybe BJ was onto something letting his hair grow long.
“Well,” Millie said, absently twirling his hair. “If you want me to keep spying for you, people would be less willing to talk to me if they knew I was sleeping with the boss.”
Fuck, she was right. A small part of him eased knowing her reasoning for keeping them a secret wasn’t because she was ashamed to be with him, but to help him. Damn, she was amazing.
“You’re right. We should keep this between us for now.”
And after the thief was caught…they’d deal with that when it came.
“And no one else,” Millie insisted, her brow furrowing. “I know I’m pan, but I’m also monogamous. Some people in the past thought since I was pansexual that meant I was up for open relationships or polyamory. I’ve got nothing against either, but I’ve tried it, and it didn’t work for me. When I’m with someone they’re the only person I’m with.”
“Same,” he agreed. He didn’t want to be with anyone else and the thought of Millie with someone made his blood boil.
“Well then.” She slipped his flannel off her shoulders. It pooled on the desk near her bare hips. “Should we go for another round before we implement the no fucking at Jacks rule?”
Her delicate hand slipped into his boxers, grasping his cock and squeezing softly, making his eyes cross. She stroked him from base to tip, earning a growl from deep in his chest.
He grasped her hips, pulling her to the edge of the desk.
“Hell yes,” he said before covering her mouth with his and slipping back under the spell of this woman who drove his out of his mind and made him lose complete control.