He’s a man of impeccable tailoring and grooming, never a hair or stitch out of place.
“Thank you for cleaning that up, Miss Moore.”
The most breathless ever “you’re welcome” whisps from my lips. There’s no air left in my lungs to tell him to call me Natalie.
Jefferson comes out of wherever he’d been hiding but doesn’t leave as much distance as Lincoln kept. My head, while angled at my boss, rolls to the other side as I drift into a fantasy of these carbon copy gods teaching me all the things I’ve missed.
The awkward motion, and possible lightheadedness, cause me to tip. I slap a hand to the ground, highlighting my bobble, but as embarrassment tries to creep through me, Jefferson’s hand is on my shoulder, his strong fingers working their way under my arm, his other hand reaching around to help me stand.
The contact, the security of it, the lingering moment, and the sense that his efforts were much more than simple assistance, fortify my decision to accept this opportunity for the gift that it is.
Does he understand what he’s doing to me? Do guys like him have a sixth sense for fresh meat? Is that a horrible way to think about myself, or him?
I can’t be anything but doe-eyed as I stare up at him.
“Are you okay, Miss Moore?” The seduction in the way he draws out my name makes me question if I’m already in over my head.
Hands grip my waist, even more firm and secure than Jefferson’s, which are still on my upper arms.
Lincoln. The dampness in my panties is joined by an ache in my core. The heat from their bodies consumes me from both sides, but I want more than heat, I want pressure. I want words whispered in my ear, hands caressing my body, and lips stealing kisses from everywhere I’ve never been kissed.
The ache in my core twists into a knot that’s being pulled at both ends, tighter and tighter. Sanity and lines drawn by my workplace no longer matter.
“Are you okay?” Lincoln whispers, his mouth so close to my ear. Can he read my thoughts?
“You looked dizzy.” Jefferson steps closer.
Passing out won’t further this fantasy. Breathe.
It helps. I lift my hands to Jefferson’s waist, trailing them upward, stopping on his chest. My words are cut off by the contours my fingers memorize. Another breath.
“I’m fine now, thank you.”
“You better sit down.” Lincoln’s hands around my waist pull me backward, guiding me away from his brother.
He leads me to the sofa, holds my hand as I sit, and just when I think he’s taking the seat next to me, he clears his throat and moves to the nearby chair.
What should I make of that? I don’t know. But when Jefferson sits next to me, a mere inch between us, and slings his arm behind me, it no longer matters. While I can’t cross a line with my boss, his brother is a line I can definitely straddle.
A boom rattles the windows a split second before the lights go out. Reflexively, I lean into Jefferson. His arm tightens around my back, gripping my arm, and in the shuffle, his finger grazes the side of my breast.
Does he understand why I shudder? He slips his finger back a half inch but gives me no reason to move away. He’s protecting me, and Imore thanlike it.
Five
Lincoln
Aflashlightandalong-burn-time emergency candle are all I have to ward off the darkness. The power rarely goes out and normally, I’m the only one here so that’s enough. What irony that on the night I have two guests, I also have no electricity.
Finishing up the call to the power company, I return to the living room. The flame from the candle isn’t a lot, but it is enough to see how close my twin and my admin are sitting. Touching. Taking advantage of the darkness? Seriously? My guests are going to fuck under my roof?
The odd lighting could be an excuse for the irritation that surely shows in my expression. I’ve clenched my jaw so tightly it hurts.
I set the candle down so I don’t crush the container and send burning fuel all over my living room. I’ve held myself back from Natalie, respected corporate policy, respected her autonomy in the workplace…for what?
So she can shack up with my identical twin while we’re trapped under my roof?
Anger seethes through me.