Chapter 25 #2
“She wanted to put Leila and I somewhere else, didn’t she?” Isolde asks, her soft and demure air dropping completely.
My little omega is dangerous in so many more ways than the world knows. She’s a wonderful actress as well. I suppose that in her experience, being small and quiet when needed kept her alive when she was trapped in the auction house.
Fuck, I can’t think about that or I’ll be in a foul mood the rest of the day.
“I think she did,” I sigh. “It’s why I mentioned that you were mine. I wanted to offer you privacy, but—”
“People can be petty and human,” she murmurs. “I get it. I think I’ll be fine here with Leila. I might turn off half the lights still if that’s possible.”
Grant reaches out and pulls the level on the wall down to dim the lights.
“A meeting room often needs more lighting options due to media slideshows,” he says. “You can turn off or dim the lights until they’re where you want them to be.”
“I love that,” she says, the tension bleeding from her body.
Leila fusses a little and Isolde holds out her hand for the diaper bag.
“She wants to let out the wiggles,” she explains.
“I think she deserves it with how well she did in the car,” I admit, opening the bag to pull out her playmat.
I’m kneeling on the ground with Isolde as she takes Leila out of the carrier when Paula comes back with help. Someone trips on the carpet and I glance up to see it’s an intern that Paula grabbed to help her with the tray of food.
She looks away quickly to get back to work, and I turn my attention to the tiny baby laying on the playmat. Leila has a smile on face as she kicks her feet and arms in victory.
“You’re very proud of yourself, huh?” I ask, helping Isolde out of her coat when her arm gets stuck.
Grant takes the coat and carrier from us to lay it over a chair before glaring menacingly at my staff. Oh well, the only person whose face I can control is my own.
“There’s a tray of sandwiches on the table, a jug of water, as well as some fruit and cheese,” Paula explains as the intern hurries out.
Everyone is taught not to gossip about me, so I’m not worried about her. I do need the office gossip today from Paula once I have a moment for it.
“That’s a lot of effort for just me,” Isolde says.
“Not at all,” Paula says quickly. “Don’t be surprised if Lucas pops in later to grab something so he doesn’t eat the staff.”
“Your hanger is legendary,” Grant says. Isolde smirks since her back is to Paula, and I remember how we met. He isn’t wrong.
I was pissed that I missed out on my damn sub that day.
“I don’t have a problem sharing,” is all Isolde says, making my heart flip flop.
The words are very loaded.
Checking the time, I find that I need to get going.
“Okay, I have a meeting now. You know how to reach me if you need me,” I say.
Isolde meets my gaze, and I decide this is a good time for her to practice using our bond.
Seriously, just give me a shout, I say.
Isolde shivers, her gaze moving between Grant and I. Oh. I guess he had the same idea.
“She can also ask for me,” Paula says, wincing at how that might sound. “Your schedule is so full, sir.”
“We’ve got it covered,” I say, bending down to kiss Leila’s forehead. “Be good for your mama, sweetness.”
Isolde isn’t someone who appreciates public displays of affection so I wink at her instead before standing.
“Lead the way, Paula,” I say.
Grant grins down at Leila before smoothing his hand down Isolde’s hair. I realize that he’s looking for weapons when he taps his finger over a section in her braid. Good, she’ll be fine. Now if everyone refrains from bothering her, I won’t have anything to worry about.
Paula leaves the room and begins walking down the hall to the larger boardroom where I’ll be listening to a quarterly report of our fiscal year. It’ll be riveting, I’m sure.
That’s why I’m the CEO. To do the boring shit too.
Grant
I spend equal amounts of time between Lucas and my girls while he’s in meetings. I have no reason to be in the room with him if I don’t need to be, unless Lucas needs a second opinion on if someone may be lying. It doesn’t happen often, but snakes in the grass are the price of doing business.
Around one, I walk over to check on Isolde. Lucas is in his office with Paula listening to the latest episode of The Office, Reid Pharmaceuticals Edition. He says that knowing the ins and outs of his employees is important.
I thought he was crazy until it led to him catching someone in accounting skimming off the top of the books.
The door is closed and locked to the meeting room. Frowning, I use my master key to open it slowly and peek my head in. Isolde is curled up on the ground with the baby beside her. Isolde’s hand is on the baby’s stomach so she can feel her breathing, her eyes closed.
I didn’t realize the office was so boring. Smirking, I slip inside and close the door. Sliding down the wall, I watch them sleep. I think Isolde may have been snuggling beside her and it made her sleepy.
I’m not sure what it is about a warm, tiny baby, but Leila has done the same to me. It’s like she has sleepy dust on her.
Crossing my legs in front of me, I take a photo of them and drop it in the pack chat.
Oliver:
The sleepy dust got her, huh?
Alesso:
Nah, the office is boring, my little bambina would never put her mama to sleep.
Lucas:
There’s a blanket in the diaper bag, Grant. Were you born in a barn?
Rolling my eyes, I text the chat back.
Me:
It’s not my first day here, boss. If I touch her, I might get stabbed. I’m going to be a creeper and continue to watch them sleep. You just wish you were here instead of listening to Paula prattle on.
The chat is silent outside of Oliver and Alesso reacting with laughter to my message. Ten minutes later, there’s a knock on the door.
Lucas:
Open the door. You can’t throw down like that when I’m on the same floor as you.
Thoroughly amused, I move away from where my ass is against the door and open it. Isolde’s body jerks as she pushes herself awake, her hand moving to a pocket smoothly.
“It’s just me,” Lucas says. “I don’t enjoy being stabbed unless it’s during foreplay.”
I smack my face because anyone could walk by the door and hear him, but the door is already closing behind him. Isolde blinks as she wakes up, sighing as she sees where her hand was traveling to.
“I locked the door,” she says, awareness returning to her gaze.
“I have keys to the entire building, Little Nightmare,” I say, showing her my key ring.
“Of course you do,” Isolde sighs. “I wasn’t planning to fall asleep, but Leila is so cute. I locked the door, laid down to watch her, and must have closed my eyes.”
“Have you eaten yet?” Lucas asks, moving over to the fridge. I put everything in there at one point when I realized that she wasn’t going to eat yet.
“I haven’t,” she admits. “I mean, I had some cheese while I was feeding Leila her bottle. Watching her eat reminded me to.”
Nodding, Lucas pulls out the tray and sets it on the counter.
“Turkey, salami, or veggies?” he asks.
“If you’re offering,” I say lazily from the ground, “I’ll take salami.”
“Cute,” he mutters, picking up a sandwich to place it on a plate.
“You know what I’d like. Veggie, please,” Isolde replies.
“Perfect,” he says, getting everything together. I see that there are also little bags of chips, and stand to grab a few.
“Now you’re up,” Lucas grumbles, handing me my plate.
“You need to eat,” I grunt, ignoring him as I walk over to sit next to Isolde.
“Come here, grumpy,” she teases him.
Lucas pouts and pulls out a blanket from the diaper bag to lay it out on the floor before bringing over the food and water glasses.
“I can be grumpy and adorable,” he mutters, taking a large bite of his sandwich. “Goddamn, why do I do this to myself?”
Shaking my head, I say, “You’re a glutton for punishment.”
“Probably,” he sighs, swallowing his food. “I have a few more meetings now that I have the rundown of the office gossip. Apparently Theresa O’Neil is fucking one of the new interns.”
“Isn’t he like twelve?” I snort. I’m not serious, but he’s fresh out of college. Theresa is in her fifties.
“Please don’t be serious,” Isolde says, making a face.
“Don’t lose your appetite, darlin’, the intern is twenty-two.
She is going to have a very uncomfortable conversation with Human Resources soon,” Lucas says.
“I have a non-fraternization policy unless it’s explained to HR.
You can’t help who you’re attracted to, but you do need to be transparent about it. ”
“Is this a new fling?” I ask, continuing to eat. Maybe I also enjoy gossip. I’ll never tell.
“Paula says they’ve been fucking in her office after work for the past six months at least,” Lucas says.
“This is a very odd office catch-up conversation,” Isolde teases him.
I glance at her as I polish off my sandwich, worried she might feel territorial or jealous. I can’t feel anything like that through the bond, but it’s still a concern.
Lucas will often have a closed door meeting with his assistant once a week, but there’s nothing sexual or inappropriate about it.
“You’d be shocked about what I find out from her,” he says. “I’ve caught criminal activity, fired people for breaking company policy, and more over the years. People think they can get away with shit just because I’m not here every day.”
“It’s rare that things go down like people stealing from the company,” I add. “I’ve heard staff members say that they think Lucas is clairvoyant and omnipotent which doesn’t help his large ego.”
“Damn, you’re very lucky that my ego is impenetrable. Years of building it all by myself has helped,” Lucas chuckles.
Isolde has a private smile teasing her lips as she finishes eating.
Lucas and I roughhouse and spar at home.
There’s no audience, and it’s how we act with the rest of our newly formed pack as well when we’re in private.
I think our omega enjoys the way we can just exist when outsiders remain where they should be.
Outside.
I’d much rather hang out in my bubble.
The three of us talk until Leila wakes up and there’s a knock at the door.
“Back to work I go,” Lucas says, popping a mint into his mouth. Rubbing Leila’s tummy, he grins down at her. “I’ll see you later, alligator.”
“In a while, crocodile,” I finish. “Be good, you two. I’ll swing by to check on you later. Unless you need to use the restroom, Isolde? Then, I’ll get my baby snuggles.”
“Suck up,” Lucas says, standing.
Paula waits at the door as he opens it, and he nods.
“I came to have lunch before I ate someone,” he confesses.
“Then they’ve all dodged a bullet,” she says patiently. “Ready?”
“I am,” he grunts, walking out the door.
“Actually, can you hang with her while I run to the bathroom?” Isolde asks, standing.
“Oh, you don’t have to ask,” I say, picking up Leila. She makes an adorable face, and then lets out a horrible sound as she fills up her diaper. “Ugh. It’s fine, you were waiting just for me, huh? Go on, Isolde. I got it.”
Bringing the bag closer to me, she pulls everything out so it’s in easy reach and lays down the changing pad.
“May the odds be with you,” she giggles. “Sorry, I really have to pee!”
Isolde escapes out the door, and I kiss Leila’s nose before laying her down on the changing pad.
“Just you and me, kiddo. Let’s do this.”