His thumb brushes over her cheek. She’s giggling about something. Do they even notice I came into the room?
“I talked to a rep at the power company. They’re not sure how soon they can fix the power. A transformer blew, but it’s in Eggplant Canyon and with the mudslide the repair crews can’t get to it.”
“Everything will be fine.” Jefferson’s fucking laid-back attitude has grated on my nerves ever since he lost custody of his kid and practically checked out of having responsibility.
The flickering flame turns Natalie and Jefferson into an old movie, offering a stuttered vision of him touching her while she looks up at him adoringly. Does she see me when she looks at him? Is the thing between them physical? Or does she prefer his casual attitude over my control?
“Yeah, everything will be fine because I have plenty of food in the pantry, and I’ll take the couch so Natalie has a bed to sleep in.” It’s my surefire way to separate them and make sure she’s cared for.
“It’s okay, Mister Adams, Jefferson offered to do that already.” She giggles.
First names and giggles. She’s already closer to him than I’ve been with her in the months she’s worked right outside of my office. The notion gets under my skin, but the mission of separating them is accomplished. I can live with that.
“I’ll get sheets and a blanket for you.”
“You don’t have to. Your sweet little admin is making your life easier long after the workday is over. She wants to share my bed.”
My chest tightens, constricting my ability to talk, which is good since I’d tell him to keep his hands off my girl. What grown-up reason can I think of that they can’t share a bed?
His hand slides onto her thigh. I’m about to blow. How do I get him to stop touching her? If I want to respect her autonomy, don’t I have to respect a choice that I have no say in?
Fuck.
“That's not a good idea.”
“What?” My brother asks as if he can’t remember that he just said he was going to sleep with my admin.
“I’ll take the couch. Natalie takes my bed. You stay in the guest room.”
“I…well, we were…” Natalie can’t quite bring herself to say something, and if she can’t say it, she shouldn’t be doing it in my extremely biased, possessive, pissed-off opinion.
“Natalie and I are going to work on a little project. Sharing a room will be perfect.” Jefferson’s vague statement insults me. Like I don’t understand what sharing a bed with a gorgeous, giggling woman or working on a project means.
Give me a fucking break. The jealousy that’s been threaded through our lives tightens itself around my chest. I’ve worked on a ton of projects with Natalie, and never did a single one make her giggle, require me to put my hands on her, or cause her to look up at me with her big doe-eyes.
But I will be the bigger man. I will hold a place of respect in her world. I won’t ever let her down.
“Natalie, my offer stands, my bed is yours, just say the word.” That came out closer to the truth than I’d intended. I try to cover. “Whatever happens between you and my brother won’t have any bearing on our working relationship, is that clear?”
“Yes, Mister Adams.” The way she lowers her voice haunts me.
There are so many other statements I long to hear that response to. The weight of the situation is nearly unbearable. I consider declaring that there will be no fucking or anything akin to that under my roof, but the last thing I want to do is treat her like a child.
I don’t want to be the stick-in-the-mud. Work requires me to make harsh decisions. That’s not what I want in my house. Butfuck, I want her.
Watching her snuggle up to my brother, my cock is thickening. It could be me. It should be me. If only she hadn’t been given a choice. I’ve never hated Jefferson more than at this moment.
“I’m going to bed.” I storm out of the room, angling my body in the dim light to keep them from seeing my erection.
Six
Natalie
Iworrymylowerlip as my boss strides out of the room. Despite his declaration, it seems that whatever’s happening between Jefferson and me is already affecting my work relationship with Lincoln.
It all just feels so right. I’ve been wanting to meet a guy I felt comfortable learning about sex with, and possibly getting the whole virginity thing knocked out. Jefferson’s perfect. I’ve been physically attracted to his twin, my boss, since my first day of employment, and the more I got to know Lincoln, the more I understood how reputable he is, which makes his brother all the more appealing.
Basically, I get to explore my fantasy about my boss with a carbon copy of him, thus I’m not breaking the rules.