“Is that a promise?” she teases.
My hand answers for me, sliding into her panties and reminding her—quietly, unmistakably—exactly which promise I intend to keep.
She hisses. Then moans.
I pull my hand away just as abruptly, leaving her soaked and wanting.
“Such a greedy girl,” I rasp against her mouth, teasing her with it.
I slip my fingers between her lips and repeat the promise, softer this time. “Later, Mama. We’ll finish this later.”
Comfort and Cornbread
Max
Later.
The word keeps looping in my head.
Later.
The way he said it wasn’t a suggestion. It wasn’t flirtation, either. It was a promise sharpened into a warning, wrapped in restraint so tight it almost vibrated. And yeah, I’m more than a little disappointed that he is so restrained. Controlled. Anyone with a pulse would be. But disappointment isn’t the loudest thing I feel.
It’s awareness.
Eli doesn’t lose control. Not often. Even when he’s furious. Even when his jaw is tight enough to crack teeth and his eyes look like he’s deciding whether someone deserves mercy. He holds the line. Which somehow makes the promise of later more dangerous.
And sexy as shit.
But I didn’t miss the way he looked like he was one bad second away from murdering his own employee when I was outsidelaughing with him. That wasn’t just jealousy or irritation. That was a man on the edge of snapping.
And it made me want him more.
Later.
There’s a knock at the door.
“Come in,” Eli calls, already back in Business Bear mode like nothing just happened.
Lara steps in, poised and polished, but also seems aware she’s walked in on something… fragile. “Just a reminder. You’ve got a meeting in five minutes. And we’re still on for the team lunch afterward.”
“Thanks,” he says. “We’ll be there.”
She nods, eyes flicking briefly to me before she leaves.
Team lunch.
Good. Perfect, actually.
As a consultant, regardless of what the project is, getting to know someone’s team is just as important as learning the business itself. A company can’t reach its full potential if it doesn’t have a strong team supporting its growth. This is a phase that usually takes weeks and is being crushed into a few hours, but this isn’t a step I’m willing to skip. I want context. The rhythm of a place. And if I’m going to help Eli sell his vision, I need to understand the people behind it.
Eli and Lara head out together, talking logistics, and I’m left alone in his office with my thoughts and a nervous buzz that hasn’t settled since I first got here.
I pull out my phone and call my mom.
Straight to voicemail.
That isn’t like her.
