Not Safe for Work (22 page)

“Well, I’m glad it does.”

“Me too.” The corners of his mouth rose slightly. “Maybe we should send a thank-you card to the people who made Leathr.”

I laughed. “You’re probably onto something.” Drawing him in again, I brushed my lips across his. “You were right in front of me, and without that app, I probably never would’ve found you.”

“God bless technology.”

“Damn right.” I slid my hand into his hair and claimed his mouth again. I didn’t pull back. He didn’t pull back.

Holy fuck. I hadn’t made out like this since I was a teenager. Hell, even that didn’t compare. Teenage me never kissed anyone who was as gentle and unhurried as Rick. This wasn’t frantic groping and gasping in the back of a movie theater or the front of a car, getting as hot as we could without going farther than we were ready. This was kissing for its own sake. Languid kissing, as tender as it was erotic, with no need to move forward. Sex and submission could wait.

Even that heavy fatigue that had been dragging me down all day couldn’t distract me from the taste of his mouth, the warmth of his body, or his cool breath rushing across my skin. Top drop was a bitch, and nothing would revive me completely except for time and rest, but Rick’s touch was soothing and arousing at the same time. Not a magic cure, but one hell of a painkiller.

I pulled his head back and kissed his neck. He pushed out a breath and tilted his head even more, as if to bare as much flesh as possible. I barely heard him curse, but his voice thrummed against my lips and damn near turned me inside out. No surprise there—tired or not, it was almost impossible not to get turned on in Rick’s arms.

It was also almost impossible to get comfortable while I was this hard.

I shifted as much as I could, still exploring Rick’s neck with my lips as he dug his fingers into my shoulders. We were both breathing hard now, my heart going ninety miles a minute.

Fuck being tired. I wanted him. I needed him. Fully clothed on the couch, wrapped up in limbs and a blanket—that just wasn’t enough.

Maybe I still had some energy tonight after all.

I ran my hand up the inside of his thigh. “We should go upstairs.”

“Thought…thought you weren’t—”

“Turns out I am.”

Rick shivered. “Upstairs?”

“Upstairs.”

Chapter Twenty-Eight

“Someone’s in a good mood.” Teagan eyed me suspiciously as I strolled into the NSFW Zone.

“What makes you say that?” Oh, who was I kidding? I could feel my own damned grin.

“He’s smiling,” Steve said to Bianca in a stage whisper. “I’m scared.”

Cal pointed sharply at me. “Don’t say it, McNeill. Don’t
even
say it.”

“Say what?” I showed my palms. “I have no—”

“You know exactly what I mean.” He stabbed his finger at me again.

I snickered. “Relax. I’m not going to say anything.”

“Yeah, Cal. Calm down.” Teagan shook her head as she picked up her coffee from beside her model. “He has to leave
some
things for you to hear over Thanksgiving dinner.”

The whole crew—Cal aside—roared with laughter.

Yes, this was going to be a good day. The banter was already starting, and Teagan was right—I was definitely in a good mood. My body still ached from fucking Rick twice, and my neck was stiff from falling asleep on his shoulder during an episode of
Golden Girls
, and I felt spectacular. Even the lingering top drop—that heavy fatigue deepening the ache in my muscles and slowing my brain down—was no match for this rejuvenated, nearly giddy feeling after waking up beside Rick this morning.

I took off my jacket and got to work. Today would be more time spent with my arch nemeses—uncooperative miniature windowpanes, each needing to be cut into unforgivably precise dimensions and coaxed into weirdly angled slots. Fine by me. As fiddly as these little bastards were, I could shape and place them in my sleep, which meant my brain was free to wander back to last night.

Top drop notwithstanding, I decided I wouldn’t mind more nights like that. Lying back on Rick’s bed while he sucked my cock. Fucking him until I didn’t even care if I came anymore because it felt amazing just like that. A shower that led to more sex before we finally made it downstairs for TV and pizza. Rick was amazing company. We really needed to spend more nights like—

The phone on my desk rang, startling me out of my thoughts.

I set my X-ACTO and ruler aside and reached across my desk to pick it up. “Drafting and modeling, this is Jon.”

“It’s Marie,” my boss said flatly. “Meeting in conference room three. Now.”

I bit down on a string of profanity. “But I need to finish—”

“Mitchell just called me and said it’s urgent. I’ll meet you there.”

And with that, the line went dead.

I exhaled. This was not going to kill my good mood today. I refused to allow it. Whatever my bosses had up their asses, it was rolling off this duck’s back and that was all there was to it.

“I have to go up and talk to Marie.” I turned to Teagan. “Can you handle these guys while I’m gone?”

“As long as they don’t try to light each other on fire or something.”

“Cal, don’t set Bianca on fire.”

“Thanks, Jon.” Teagan laughed. “You’re a big help.”

“Any time. All right, I’ll be back when I get back.”

On my way up to the fourth floor, I tried to guess what this was about. Impromptu meetings weren’t that unusual, but clients were usually involved. Rick wouldn’t even be here until later today, so God knew what they wanted this time. Probably another time-waster meeting. Or maybe it was a brainstorming session about cutting costs. Those were always fun. Nothing like watching boys with yachts wring their hands over the price of foam-core and model cement. And then they’d be on my ass for not finishing the model in time for their presentation this afternoon.

Whatever. In a few hours, Rick would be in my bed, and I just couldn’t bring myself to get indigestion over anything that went on in this building.

I stepped off the elevator and nearly collided with Marie.

“Oh, sorry.” I fell into step beside her. “So, no idea what this is about?”

“No.” She scowled. “They probably want us to bend space and time to get something done ahead of schedule.”

“Again?” I sighed dramatically. “I’m running out of Spice, damn it.”

She eyed me. “Out of what?”

“Never mind.” I made a dismissive gesture. “Science fiction reference.”

“Probably one from before my time.”

I shot her a glare. “You’re not that much younger than me.”

“Young enough, apparently.”

We glanced at each other, and both laughed. Apparently she was in a good mood too. That was a positive sign—if she and I could banter a little here and there, it meant things were calming down. Enough work to keep us all employed, not enough to keep us here for a hundred hours a week.

Yep, this was going to be a good day.

We stepped into the conference room. All three partners were there, which was unusual when there wasn’t a client around, and as soon as we walked in, their heads turned toward us.

No. Toward
me
.

Great. What did I fuck up this time?

“Mr. McNeill.” Mitchell narrowed his eyes. “Would you have a seat, please?” He gestured at an empty chair that was rapidly beginning to resemble a hot seat.

I glanced at Marie. I was probably imagining it, but I swore she’d put a little more distance between us, as if avoiding the inevitable lightning bolt.

Without a word, I did as I was told. Marie stayed standing behind me.

“We won’t keep you long,” Mitchell said flatly. “But something has come to light. And we have some…questions.”

Sam Mitchell—his brother—sat silently, hands folded and gaze fixed on the screen on the wall. Beside him, Forsyth squirmed in his chair like he either didn’t want to be here or desperately needed to take a shit.

Mitchell cleared his throat. Without any further comment, he pressed a button on a little black remote, and a video came to life on the screen.

And my heart stopped.

On the same screen where they’d bored us to death with countless PowerPoint presentations, where we’d looked over schematics and aesthetics for dozens of structures, was a grainy black-and-white video from one of the parking garage surveillance cameras. And front and center, there we were—Rick and me.

Fuck. Fuck!

A lightning bolt, a heart attack or a goddamned grizzly bear—any of them would have been welcome at that point. Just take me out and make it quick.

I’d been so fucking cocky about the fact that they couldn’t fire me for getting involved with Rick, I’d gotten careless. Stupidly careless. And things in this room were going to get incredibly awkward in three…two…

The looks we were exchanging, and the way we were obviously wrapped up in conversation—we could’ve just been a couple of guys who’d bumped into each other in the garage. Except we were standing too close. And I’d been warned how many times about having the audacity to breathe the same air as Rick. But there we were.

My hand on his arm could’ve been a platonic gesture. It could’ve been anything. But the video wasn’t going to stop there. I knew it wasn’t. Like a train wreck in slow motion, we went on—talking, smiling, touching, careening toward that moment when there’d be no denying what was going on.

Onscreen, I moved in closer.

Hostile work environment in three…

I smiled up at Rick.

Two…

My stomach lurched as we all watched me draw Rick into another longer kiss.

Mitchell shifted uncomfortably. Forsyth cleared his throat. Marie swore under her breath.

And right then, they froze the image.

With my hand in Rick’s hair, his arm around my waist, and both of us locked in a deep kiss.

All heads turned toward me again.

“Mr. McNeill,” Mitchell said in a low growl. “Would you care to tell us what’s going on in this video?”

Someone muttered something, which I had no doubt was homophobic and obnoxious, but I couldn’t make it out over the thumping of my heart.

I gulped. “This, um, wasn’t exactly how I wanted to come out at work, but—”

“I couldn’t care less about you being gay,” Mitchell spat. He pointed a pen at the image. “What I want to know is what’s going on
here
?”

Fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck.

Marie cleared her throat. “Mitchell, I think—”

“I’m asking him.” Mitchell glared at her, and I thought I felt her shrinking back behind me. She wasn’t one to be cowed by these guys, not even when they were being utter assholes, but this had apparently caught her off guard too.

Mitchell shifted his attention back to me and folded his arms across his chest. “Was I not clear about the owners of Horizon Developing?”

“You were, sir.” My mouth had gone dry, and I struggled to hold eye contact with him. I refused to stare at the floor and cower, but holy shit, they had me by the balls. They couldn’t fire me, though. Right? I’d thought that through. They’d be stupid to fire Rick Pierce’s lover.

Right?

Forsyth sat up, his expression twisted with disgust. “How long has this been going on?”

“Since…” I swallowed. “A while. A few weeks, I guess.” Had it been that long? Had it
only
been that long? It felt like forever. My whole life.

“I see.” His jaw tightened. “So all those times you told me that you and Mr. Pierce were having benign conversations…” His raised eyebrows finished the question.

I cleared my throat again. Words failed me. The English language vanished from my mouth altogether. How the fuck was I supposed to explain myself?

Finally, I managed, “You know what’s going on between us.” I gestured at the screen as if that kiss was even the tip of the iceberg. “I’m assuming I should go clean out my desk.”

“No.”

I blinked. “No?”

“No.” He folded his hands tightly on the table and glanced at his business partners before glaring at me again. “Let’s get one thing perfectly straight here, Mr. McNeill: Rick Pierce is the client who will make or break this firm. We cannot afford to lose his account. Am I clear?”

I nodded, my throat constricting.

“So whatever this is”—Forsyth gestured at the image, wrinkling his nose—“must continue.”

My jaw fell open. “I beg your pardon?”

“I think you understand us.”

“Are you…” I swallowed hard. “Are you telling me that for the sake of the firm, and the Horizon account, my job now hinges on whether or not I keep my boyfriend happy?”

Forsyth cringed, disgust radiating off the old bastard.

“You’ve chosen to get…involved with a client,” Mitchell said coolly. “Like it or not, you are a part of this firm. And since this firm needs to do whatever it takes to keep Rick Pierce happy, so do you.”

I coughed to get my breath moving. “This is our personal life. It—”

“It ceased to be private and personal when you brought it onto company property.”

“That was a lapse in judgment,” I said through my teeth. “It doesn’t give Mitchell & Forsyth jurisdiction over my bedroom.”

Forsyth made a subtle gagging noise. Then he rose. “Mitchell, I think you have this handled.” Without waiting for a response, he walked out and let the door slam shut behind him.

Mitchell and Sam exchanged scowls, and Mitchell turned to me again. “The last place Mitchell & Forsyth wants to be is in an employee’s bedroom. However, you’ve complicated the situation by choosing to get involved with our biggest client. Mitchell & Forsyth cannot afford to lose Horizon Developing’s business, which means you, Mr. McNeill, cannot afford to upset the relationship we have with them.”

“Which means maintaining the one I have with him,” I said through tightly clenched teeth.

“Exactly.”

I just stared at him, disbelieving we were even having this conversation. This couldn’t be legal. They couldn’t… Could they?

“I think we’ve made our point.” He clicked off the image on the screen and set the remote down. “We’ll see the both of you at this afternoon’s meeting.”

And just like that, he and Forsyth got up and walked out.

The door banged shut behind them. I was alone with my shock. And my boss. Slowly, she turned toward me, eyes narrow and lips pulled tight. I opened my mouth to speak, but she beat me to the punch and growled, “What the hell were you thinking?”

“I—”

“Could you have maybe given me a heads-up?”

“What if I had?” I asked. “What would you have told me to do?”

“Oh, I don’t know. Maybe I’d have smacked you over the head and told you not to kiss the guy at the office
while you knew you were on camera
!”

I swallowed. I’d known damn well there were cameras in the garage, but I’d been so raw in that moment, I’d gone ahead anyway. In an impulsive, needy moment, I’d thrown the dice and chanced a kiss on company property. Getting caught was a gamble I’d been willing to take right then, but in all my wildest dreams, I’d never imagined the consequences being…this.

I exhaled. “Look, I don’t know what you want me to say.” When had my hands started shaking? “It just… It happened. We started seeing each other, and we wanted to keep it on the down-low. Up until now, we did. Then yesterday…” I closed my eyes, goose bumps prickling my neck at the memory, and the pit of my stomach sinking as if to remind me how I’d felt when he’d pulled me aside in the parking garage. Sighing, I met my boss’s gaze. “I didn’t think anyone would see it.”

I didn’t think anything could taint that kiss. I didn’t think anything could kill my mood today.

Oh God, Rick’s going to be here today…

Marie’s expression softened. So did her voice. “For the record, I think this is bullshit. They have no right to put you in this position. I don’t even think something like this is legal.”

“I’m pretty sure it’s not, but what can I do about it?”

“Not a whole lot. Aside from going to HR.”

My shoulders slumped. “Even if I go to HR, it’s not going to change anything. All three partners are on board with this. HR can tell them to back off with that ultimatum all they want, but the fact is, if Rick takes his business elsewhere, I’m out of a job. They’ll
find
a reason.”

Marie’s resigned sigh didn’t instill much confidence.

“It’d be like if they wanted to fire me for being gay. As long as they don’t come out and say it…” I half shrugged.