Year-End Bonus (Ours to Worship Duet #1)

Chapter 1

Chapter one

Skylar

"Pancakes?"

I startle at Reid's voice and quickly lower the screen on my laptop so my brother can't see what I'm looking at.

"Uh, yes. Please." I squeak out.

He grins at me across the counter where I'm sitting. "Didn't mean to scare you, Sky."

He bends to grab a pan from the cabinet next to the stove and moves to the refrigerator to gather eggs and milk. "Mom would say that means you're feeling guilty about something."

I bark out a nervous laugh, clearing my throat as I reach for my water. He's right. Not about me feeling guilty, although technically, I am lying to my brother about why I'm in town. But it's not guilt that has me on edge.

I open my laptop again, eyeing Reid over the top to make sure he's occupied before I go back to drooling over the pictures of the three men who have offered to make my deepest, darkest fantasy come true tonight.

The sexy men of EcoStarTech stare back at me. Darlings of the technology world, billionaires multiple times over, and my bosses... until yesterday.

Paul Ludlow, CEO of the fastest-growing tech company in the nation, wears an expensive pinstripe suit and a no-nonsense expression on his handsome face. His gruff attitude and direct manner make him the grumpy asshole boss of my dreams.

My eyes slide over to the dazzling smile of Hunter Price, the chief technical officer, who looks like he belongs in Hollywood instead of behind a computer.

As if his chiseled jaw, blond hair, and six-foot-four build aren’t enough of an indication that he's one of God's favorites, he’s also a tech genius, appearing on multiple 30 under 30 lists before founding the company with his best friends eight years ago.

And because two sexy bosses aren't enough, there's also Mark Warner. Last but by no means least, he’s the chief operating officer and a former fitness model. He’s as sweet and friendly as he is dreamy.

I’ve worked with these men as a graphic design consultant for the last four years. I gave my notice a month ago, and last week, they proposed an extra-special year-end bonus.

I wiggle on the stool at my brother's banquette, squeezing my thighs together in anticipation of tonight.

"Morning, Sky."

My long-time best friend and brand-new sister-in-law, Holly, towel-dries her hair as she walks over to me in a festive red bathrobe covered in candy canes.

She rests her arm over my shoulders, and I bite my lip, leaving my screen open for her as I glance at my brother again.

I don't have to hide anything from Holly.

When I peer up at her, she's intently studying the headshots of the guys on my computer.

After a moment, she darts a glance at my brother, who still has his back turned to us, pulls an oh my god face, and fans herself.

She’s the only person who knows what I'm doing tonight, and she's been sworn to secrecy.

We had a strict “sisters before misters” policy long before she fell in love with my brother.

Truthfully, I would have gone to my grave with the plan for tonight, but as part of the agreement I signed with the guys, I had to tell one person.

Holly is the best friend a gal could ask for.

She never judges me and listens with an open heart.

Her only words of caution were, "Don't fall in love, and pee a lot so you don't get a UTI. "

Holly saunters over to the stove, standing on her tiptoes as she wraps her arms around Reid's middle. "Morning."

Reid turns and pulls her against him, capturing her lips with his and squeezing her terrycloth-clad butt. "Morning."

I pretend to gag.

Reid chuckles and turns back to flipping his pancakes. Holly grins at me and pulls out plates for breakfast.

The truth is, I would love to find someone who looks at me the way these two moon over each other, but I don't think I'm wired for domestic bliss.

Call it childhood trauma, or daddy issues, but all my fantasies involve.

.. more. At least tonight, I'll be three someone's everything.

Butterflies erupt in my belly at the thought.

I shake my head. As I try to stay grounded in the present and stop obsessing about the sexy, steamy future ahead of me, my eyes land on Holly's wet towel.

"By the way, why do you have liquid dish soap in your shower?"

"If it's good enough for the ducks, it's good enough for me." My brother flips a pancake onto a plate. He slides it over to me as I close the laptop and stare at him in disbelief.

"Do you use it on your hair or your skin?" I ask, horrified and already making a mental list of K-beauty skincare products to buy him for Christmas.

"Both."

I look at Holly, who rolls her eyes in a tell-me-about-it gesture. "Oh, my god, Reid. That is not good for either."

"I don't know, Skylar. His downy feathers have never looked better," Holly says, handing me a fork.

I snort out a laugh, and even Reid chuckles.

"You two can gang up on me all you want." Reid fills another plate and hands it to Holly with a shrug. "But Santa might bring you coal for being mean."

I laugh as I dig into the fluffy mountain dripping with golden syrup, groaning with appreciation at the first bite. "Hmmm. Thank you. I need to come visit more often."

"I won't argue with that." Reid grins at me before he pours more batter into the hot pan. "It's supposed to snow soon. What time is the party tonight?”

My entire body heats with my blush, and I can’t meet his eyes. "Um, later. Not sure."

If my brother clocks my cagey behavior, he doesn't mention it.

Thinking about the party makes the butterflies start up in my stomach again, and I practically choke on my next bite of pancake.

My heartbeat picks up, and I'm pretty sure I might burst into a spontaneous orgasm at the mere thought of what is going to go down later.

Preferably me.

On my knees.

With my mouth wrapped around at least one cock.

"Have you heard from your dad yet?"

Well, those seven words are designed to kill a lady-boner.

"'Tis the season," I quip, eyeing Reid, who smirks as he fills his plate with the last of the pancakes.

Reid is technically my half-brother, but we prefer not to use labels like that.

Neither of our dads was in the picture much, so Mom raised us on her own.

Reid's dad was a complete deadbeat, but my dad took me out every other Saturday until I was eleven.

That was when he moved away, and I heard from him via a weekly phone call—every Monday night, like clockwork.

Dad lives in a remote little town near the Smoky Mountains, with no cell reception.

The town probably owns the last working payphone in existence.

It's pretty busy half the year due to the impressive tourism in the summer months, so it's not entirely podunk.

In fact, it's quite cute, and the people are friendly and fun.

I visited when I was in college. Once. It was kind of awkward being with Dad for any length of time, and after that visit, I decided our relationship was better over the phone.

Dad lives in the apartment above his friend's bar. He doesn't even have a landline. Says he prefers to use the payphone, so he can only call me, not the other way around.

These days, I usually get a call around Christmas and another near my birthday in May, so Reid is right; I'm due to hear from him soon.

"Why are you going to the company Christmas party again?" Reid asks around a mouthful of pancake. "Didn't you quit?"

I swallow hard. "Yes, but I worked there for four years, and they invited me, so I might as well attend one more work event."

"Yeah, go drink the good liquor and have some fun before you get off." Holly gives me a devilish grin.

"Get off?" I repeat, glaring at her.

"To the airport tomorrow," she clarifies with a smirk.

I grimace at her terrible attempt at a double entendre.

"Can't you wait and leave after Christmas?" Reid asks, blissfully ignorant of the other conversation happening around him. I can't imagine he wants to know that his sister is bouncing off the walls in anticipation of getting railed by three men.

"No. Unfortunately, this is the most expensive time to travel to Paris, and I found a deal, but I had to leave on Christmas Eve."

He frowns. "Choosing Paris over Christmas with your family?"

"Yes," Holly and I respond at the same time and break out into giggles.

Reid rolls his eyes. He says we gang up on him, but he's the one who fell in love with my best friend, so he can deal with it.

"Okay, I have a few errands to run, then I'm going to stop by to see Mom. I'll be back in a bit."

"Have fun!" Holly says with a wink. Her arms are wrapped around my brother, who seems to have cheered up with her snuggles.

I double-check the inside pocket of my purse, my fingers gripping the Amex card delivered via messenger earlier this week, with a note that read: 'Spend this on anything that makes you feel sexy.' H.

By tonight, I will be freshly waxed, pedicured, and ready to have my body ravaged by three sex gods.

I must have been a very good girl this year.