But that was unrealistic.
I left the hallway, nodding my thanks to Laurent. The party-like atmosphere of Triple X grated on me. This would have been fun with Max. My stomach jolted. It would have been a blast to see his reactions to the show. It would have been entertaining to get him tipsy, until his cheeks stayed rosy, and then take him home and spend the rest of the night with him in my personal, germ-free playroom.
I left because the what-ifs clanged in my brain so loud I couldn’t even have a decent conversation with someone if I tried, never mind that I didn’t want to put in any effort with anyone else. The drive home was a blur. When I got in the house, I plugged in the tree lights since Max was out and sat down to stare at them. After a bit I went to the kitchen and poured myself a glass of wine. Ambling around the house had me turning on the fireplace for comfort, but it didn’t help my mood. I sat down again, glass clutched in my hand.
My house was too quiet now.
It wasn’t as if Max even made much noise when he was here, so that was ridiculous. But the fire crackled and the tree glowed, and I couldn’t stop wondering if Max had put those pretty lips on Vic’s cock. I could practically see what he would look like with Vic fucking him over an office desk, wrecked and helpless and hopeful—and just a little scared. Hell, Vic was attractive, so I should enjoy the thought. They fit together.
There would be no drama between them. It would be healthy.
I sipped my wine and stared at the tree and tried to see the difference Max had made in it, and I thought I could tell the spots where he’d moved a few ornaments around.
“Fuck,” I snarled and knew I’d wait up until Max got home, even if he didn’t roll in until the morning. I went to the kitchen, refilled my glass, and then settled in with my phone on my knee—in case he called and was upset—to wait.
Besides, he didn’t have a key. I had to stay awake in order to make sure he got in okay. I snorted a laugh into my wineglass and tried really hard to believe my own bullshit.
12
Max
“Sit down.” It was an order, but unlike JP’s, in his sweet, deep tone that commanded my attention, I didn’t want to follow the instructions. I listened anyway because I also didn’t want to upset JP by pissing off his friend. Vic was a nice man, with a hard edge to his voice that if I was anyone else, I might have liked, but I was too used to JP now, and he was the only man I wanted to get orders from.
I sat in the chair Vic pointed to in front of his black steel desk and stared around the room. The top of his desk was the first thing that caught my eye, not only because of the neat arrangement of his papers and pens, but because it was made from the same black metal as the door we’d passed through to get into his office. Everything about this room was tidy, from the leather couch sitting behind a dark wooden coffee table to the wall of paddles that reminded me of JP’s playroom. Vic had fewer toys, but I imagined he put them to good use in here.
There were still things I’d change around to organize the room better, but as far as what I’d seen from other people, Vic was highly organized. If I had it my way, though….
I shoved my hands between my thighs to stop myself from reaching over and changing anything. JP accepted my quirks with ease, but I didn’t know about Vic.
Vic smiled and it was a lot gentler than the smirks he’d been giving me since I’d arrived. There was something friendly about it, and I returned the gesture. He sat down in his black leather chair and rolled it in closer to the desk, his back straight, as though we were in an important business meeting. Maybe we were.
“Let’s talk.”
I flushed as I thought back on the playroom; how I’d freaked out at the mere mention of getting on my knees, how the unorganized room had my anxiety flaring until I couldn’t stand to be in there. Vic had held my arm to stop me from escaping, and I’d panicked. I’d quickly worked out that he thought it was part of the game and there was no way for me to show him I wasn’t playing, so I’d just bolted, running right into JP. I didn’t know why he was there, but I’d never been so glad to see him.
I’d agreed to go with Vic to his office because I felt bad. I never meant to ruin his night, and I probably had.
“Maxwell?” Vic’s voice made me jerk and I blinked at him. His gaze was harder than before, but there was also a knowing look that had me feeling like he was staring into my soul. I hated feeling this bare. The only other person who made me feel this way was JP. Not even my family could reach that deep inside me. They wouldn’t know the first thing about the real me. “Tell me.”
“Tell you what?” I swallowed and pressed my thighs against my hands even tighter to stop from fidgeting with nerves.
“What’s going on between you and JP?”
I took a moment to appraise his good looks. With short, blond hair and light green eyes, Vic was a handsome man. He had a perfectly proportionate face and a barely there beard. He’d taken his shirt off in the playroom, and while I wasn’t the hugest fan of the furry chest, it wasn’t disgusting, either. Overall I shouldn’t have been disappointed JP offered me a chance with Vic, but no matter how attractive he was, I didn’twanthim. Not like I wanted JP.
“Nothing.” I pressed my lips together tightly. “JP and I are coworkers.”
His smirk returned. “Coworkers don’t look like they want to rip off my balls and throw them in the meat grinder when I take one of them into a playroom.”
“I don’t understand.” I hated how quietly I spoke, but I couldn’t make myself talk louder. My gaze traveled back to his desk and the pens standing in a holder on the right side. They were tidy, but the colors weren’t stacked together, and I didn’t like that at all.
He cocked his head, his eyes narrowed like he was assessing me. “JP wanted to strangle me for taking you into that playroom.”
I shook my head immediately because that couldn’t be right. JP had been clear—we weren’t anything but coworkers now. “That’s not true. I swear. JP and I—”
“Tell me something, boy. Have you and JP had sex?”
I flushed harder, and his grin told me he knew what I was hiding.Fuck.
