20. Shane
“Hi there, Mr. Kelly,” the receptionist at Athena greets. “Go on back.”
In the week since we went to Lex’s place, Linc and I only coaxed her away from everything else once. Declan glared as we left the house to meet her, jealousy and hurt warring in his gaze. Linc hadn’t noticed, though I knew there would be a confrontation at some point. Today is not that day.
“Thanks, Ruthie.” I toss her a small wave.
Ruthie, and most of Lex’s staff, have gotten used to my random visits over the last five weeks. As I walk toward Lex’s office, I nod at those who wave. Cami, who I met a few times during lunch drop offs, beams at me.
“Shane!” She pulls her trolley cart to a halt. “Miles mentioned you had her covered today.”
“Not as good as yours, I bet.”
She laughs. “I’m sure it’s delicious. She eats way more of your deliveries than mine. I’m just glad Lex’s got someone else looking out for her.”
I’m inordinately pleased to hear it. With a smile, I duck my head and continue on my way.
“Shane! Thank goodness you’re here.” Miles rushes over, cheeks pink. “I’ve cleared her calendar for ninety minutes today. It’s been a doozy.”
My brow furrows. “Everything okay?”
He waves his hands around. “It’s fine. We’re fine. Everything’s fine.”
“Right,” I drawl.
Rolling his eyes, he thrusts a hand toward Lex’s door in clear demand. I’m all too happy to oblige, letting myself in with a soft knock.
Her office is bright and open, with floor-to-ceiling windows and a comfortable seating area in neutral colors with jewel tone accents. Lex sits at her desk, eyes intent on the screen. She’s turned toward me, as though she knows someone’s here but can’t tear her eyes away from her work.
“Miles said it’s been a day,” I say as I pull the door closed.
At the sound of my voice, her gaze jerks to mine. “Shane.”
She says my name like a prayer, like all she needed in that moment was for me to appear. My lips quirk up as she relaxes into her chair for a moment, then springs to her feet and walks over to me.
“Am I happy to see you.” She slides her arms around my neck and draws me to her, pressing her lips to mine.
I sweep one arm around her, crushing her to me, as I devour her mouth. Her lips part and I push my tongue past them, stroking hers, deepening the kiss. She stretches up on her tiptoes and matches my passion, her lips soft and unyielding.
When we part, she sighs happily and looks up at me through her lashes. “How did you know I needed you today?”
My heart squeezes at the idea of being the perfect cure for her neediness. “Linc mentioned you worked late again last night.”
She leans away, eyes wide. “I’m sorry, what? Since when does Linc report on me?”
I cock a brow at her. “Did you work late and have crackers for dinner last night?”
“...yes?”
“And how do you feel right now?”
She looks away. “Hungry. Cranky. Annoyed.”
I hold up the bag containing her lunch. “Problem solved.”
“I don’t know how I feel about you two conspiring–”
“Lex, it’s for your own good; you’re terrible at taking care of yourself.” I move over to perch on the couch and unpack lunch.
“I am not!”
“You are. Sit down.”
“Shane, I am not a child.” Her voice wavers between indignation and confusion.
“No shit, you’re not. You’re a driven, focused, powerful woman. But I’ve never seen you put yourself first, so sit your ass down and let someone else step up.”
She blinks, lowering herself slowly to the couch next to me. “You’re bossy today.”
“Linc would argue I’m bossy every day.” I hand her a container and a set of chopsticks. “Miso rice bowl with tofu and veggies.”
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
We open our lunches in peaceful silence, Lex stealing glances at me. After she finishes her first few bites, she turns to face me with a thoughtful expression.
“This is divine, Shane. Where did you learn to cook?”
I swallow my bite, then take a sip from my water bottle.
“Dec and Linc’s mom. She stayed home and loved to cook.” Memories rush up, some less wholesome. “My mom…struggled for a long time. My dad was never around. I learned from Mrs. Wilde, then I’d make simple things so my mom and I had food at home. When Declan and I went to college, I started experimenting with recipes on my own.”
“Let me guess: Linc and Declan weren’t as keen to learn?” Her eyes sparkle.
“Not a bit.”
“So Declan’s the leader at Solum, but you run the house?”
Reaching out, I pinch her side lightly. As she laughs, I move closer to her, our knees knocking together.
“Next you’re going to ask me who wears the pants.”
She sobers quickly, nodding. “Yes, please. I’ve been dying to know.”
“Haven’t you learned by now?” I lean closer, whispering conspiratorially. “We all do.”
Heat flashes in her eyes as she giggles, relaxing back against the couch and regarding me. “Tell me more. I know so little about you, Shane.”
“It’s not like you give us time for pillow talk.”
“Oh, please! You’re not the pillow talk type.”
“Fair.” Taking another bite, I watch as she does the same. “What do you want to know?”
“Everything.”
“That sounds like a string.”
She glances down at her lunch, swallowing. “Maybe it doesn’t have to be. Two people can get to know one another without getting attached, can’t they?”
“Can they?” I challenge.
Her nose scrunches. “Some level of attachment is probably inevitable. But…there can be attachment between friends.”
Friends, my ass.There’s nothing friendly about the way I crave her. “Maybe we start with topics that are already on the table.”
“What, work and sex?” she quips as she takes another bite.
“Exactly.”
She considers my words. “I can get on board with that.”
This should be fun. I wait for her to go first.
“When did you know you liked…being in control? In the bedroom.”
“I guess I’ve always known. I mentioned my mom earlier.” Lex nods, focused on me. “She…didn’t have a stable source of income, and there was always a new guy around, someone she thought would take care of her. Of us. I didn’t know what a healthy relationship looked like until I met Dec’s parents.”
“I’m glad you had them.” Her tone is gentle.
“Me, too. But I’d seen enough with my mom to know I wasn’t going to leave my future up to someone else, not unless I trusted them completely. And…that’s kind of extended into all aspects of my life.”
“I can relate, in a way. On our first night together, Linc asked me if I was used to being in control in the bedroom. I was, but if I’m honest with myself, I used that control as a defense mechanism.”
I take her hand in mine. She threads our fingers together and smiles softly.
“For me, it might have started that way…but I realized pretty quickly I got as much of a rush from being the one directing the scene as I did from participating. Now, it’s more about maximizing pleasure–for my partner or partners, and for myself.”
Her eyes glaze as she looks off to the side.
“Where’d you go?” I whisper, squeezing her hand.
She flushes. “Just thinking about the other night.”
My cock twitches at the memory of the three of us in bed together, the muscles in Lex’s back flexing deliciously while she rode me, Linc’s fingers between her legs. I clear my throat.
“Which part?”
Her mouth opens on a deep breath, and she grips my hand tighter. “When you told Linc to fuck his hand.”
“What about it?” I murmur encouragingly.
“I mean, it was hot, but I was also surprised you were…telling him what to do, too. He’s so dominant when it’s just the two of us.”
“Yeah, Linc’s great at reading people. Sometimes I think he knows what the people around him want before they do. He knew I would want to be in control, and you’d want us to take the lead. If we’re all enjoying the scene, he’s happy.”
“So you get off on the control, and Linc gets off on…everyone’s pleasure?”
A lazy smile tugs at my lips. “Something like that.” I tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. “What do you get off on, Lex?”
Her pupils dilate as she studies my face, that flush creeping up her neck.
“The freedom.” Eyes glassy, she sighs.
Seeing she’s finished, I take both of our containers and set them on the table. I turn to lean back against the armrest of the couch, my legs spread.
“Come here.”
Lex stands and walks over, then sits with her back to my chest. Once she’s settled, I wrap my arms around her and hook a leg over hers, snuggling her against me. Her body melts into mine, and I kiss the top of her head.
“Tell me more,” I whisper.
She rests her hands on my thighs, thumbs stroking back and forth. “When you first asked if I’d ever been shared before…I’d already been asking myself why I’d never had a threesome. Ever since Linc mentioned it, I’d been…wondering.”
“It’s not unusual, you know. We didn’t have any expectations.”
She chuckles. “I know, but…I’ve had opportunities. Multiple. I’ve never said yes, not until you and Linc.”
I can tell it’s not easy for Lex to share about herself. She’s used to owning the conversation in a corporate setting, and it’s new territory for her to be open and vulnerable. I don’t want to push her, but I’m dying for her to truly let me in.
After a few moments of silence, I press my cheek to the side of her head and tighten my arms around her. “Did you think of the answer?”
“I think so? Being with the two of you…it’s the most vulnerable thing I’ve ever done. I’ve built a business from the ground up, put my professional reputation and entire life savings on the line more than once, but none of that compares.” She inhales deeply, her fingers gripping my thighs. “There’s never been anyone I was willing to surrender to like that, no one I trusted enough with my body, or…”
Her words trail off, as though there’s something else she was about to say and swallowed instead. Tell me, baby. Don’t hold back now.
“That’s why I thank you, you know,” I say as I shift slightly. She snuggles closer, hands moving to rest on my forearms. “I don’t take it for granted, Lex. Not ever.”
“I know you don’t,” she breathes. “If you did, it would all be over.”
The thought of anything being over chills me. Shoving the feeling aside, I drop my lips to her neck, kissing her softly. She tips her head to give me better access, and I press open-mouthed kisses along her flesh.
“Tell me about the freedom,” I mumble against her skin.
She squirms in my lap, her thighs squeezing together. I’m desperate to slide my hand into her skirt, relieve the pressure I can tell is building, but her rules stay my advance.
“It’s kind of hard with your mouth on me.”
I smirk. “I could stop.”
As I draw back, she reaches a hand up and clasps the back of my head. “Don’t you dare.”
Chuckling, I obey, bending back to put my lips on her.
“I just…there’s so much I’m responsible for, Shane. Everyone at Athena, all of our clients. And even though it sounds silly, I feel some level of responsibility to the VC and startup communities, female founders, groups of people I care about and want to support. Any given moment, I’m thinking of how to better serve and support them…”
“Sounds exhausting.”
“It is. But on my knees for you, for Linc…”
My cock thickens against her backside at the image, burned into my retinas after seeing her in that exact position on my bedroom floor.
“When I’m there, with you…everything else falls away. I’m not responsible for anything. I don’t have to make any decisions. I can just be…Lex.” Her voice cracks. “I’m not the founder of the most successful VC in the Bay or the sponsor of some event or the mentor of a rising entrepreneur…”
I hold her and breathe her in, feeling the impact of the emotions rolling through her as she takes a shaky breath.
“It’s the only time I’ve ever felt like I’m enough.”