Chapter 22: Chapter 22

After an amazing couple of days with her guys, Sabrina wasn’t eager to get back into the grind of work. Her mind was far away from schedules and appointments and meetings and was back in her bedroom, her apartment, the pool, and every available surface they could find to have sex on.

Between Conner, William, and Oliver, it was a wonder she could walk at all this morning. She’d been taken every which way from Sunday, multiple times a day and even more throughout the night, until the point she thought she’d surely break from being ridden so hard and often, but she learned she was made of tougher stuff than she realized because here she was, still standing—er, sitting, as the case was.

In fact, Sabrina was not only sitting, she was in a board meeting where she was supposed to be paying attention to a sales pitch followed by a briefing on some of the company’s plans moving forward, including acquisitions, which was what she’d truly come for in the first place. Acquiring fledgling and failing companies was her specialty, and she’d brought a lot of revenue to her father’s business through it. It was what had pulled her up in the ranks and given her the clout she now held and everyone was forced to recognize and respect, even if they didn’t particularly want to.

As her mother once told her, a woman had to work twice as hard and long to receive half the credit of any man. Sabrina had not only taken that advice to heart, she’d executed it in spades.

“What is your take on that, Miss Colloway?”

Sabrina snapped out of her musings and focused her attention on the white screen at the head of the table. On it was a projection of graphs and figures in a multitude of sensible colors. She had no idea what they’d been discussing or what an appropriate response would be, so she decided to wing it.

With an air of superiority and a touch of dispassion, she said, “Sounds good to me. I have nothing to add.”

James, one of the newest members of the board and arguably the most handsome eligible bachelors, if talk at the watercooler were to be believed, stared at her for a moment, as if he’d expected more, and then nodded and turned back to the presenter, a young Asian man with a taste for expensively tailored suits, and waved his hand for him to continue.

Sabrina cast a quick glance to her left at Conner, who’d been glued by her side all morning, and cocked an eyebrow. He smiled in response. Clearly, he hadn’t missed her distraction, and judging by the sly look he now wore, he’d guessed why.

Sabrina could feel her cheeks heating, but not from embarrassment. She was back in that apartment, reliving all the naughty things he’d done to her and wanting more. If only the workday wasn’t so damn long, she’d have him on the fast track to naked and under her right now.

It was obvious, at least to the two of them, that her head wasn’t in the game this morning, and as soon as the meeting was over, Conner followed Sabrina back to her office under the guise that he needed to “run something by her.” Once they were finally alone, he pushed her up against the wall beside the closed and locked door of her office and kissed her thoroughly.

“You’ve been driving me crazy all morning.”

Sabrina panted as she turned her head away and allowed his mouth to travel down the side of her neck. “I can’t imagine why,” she purred.

“You know why. Giving me those looks, like you want me here and now.”

“Because I do,” she breathed, reaching between them to cover his cock with her palm. It was already hard and insistent, begging for release. “Looks like someone wants to come out and play.”

“We’re at work.” He stated the obvious, as if it were a deterrent, but he was the one initiating everything.

“If you’re so concerned with getting caught, why are we doing this now?”

He paused for a breath and then returned to kissing a path down her neck until he reached the small open space left by two unfastened buttons, and burrowed in to lick the tops of her breasts.

“Because you’re delicious,” he finally answered, “and mine. I can’t keep my hands off you, and it’s driving me crazy.”

“If you’re crazy, then I’m certifiable. I shouldn’t even want this after all the sex we had.”

She’d lost count after twelve, when it all became a blur of skin on skin and heavy breathing and orgasms galore.

“Are you saying you’re already sick of us?”

“I’m saying I should want a break. Hell, my body needs one, but I sure as hell don’t want one.” The last thing she wanted was to miss out on any opportunity she had to feel their eager touches and kisses. At this point, it felt necessary to get through the day.

How had she reached this point? From distrusting them and preparing to throw them all out of the country to never wanting to spend a moment apart? It was crazy, just like her, and she wouldn’t have it any other way.

She’d have to send a thank you card to Janet for encouraging her to give them an honest shot. She’d been so wrapped up in her own fears that she almost threw away a chance at something that was starting to feel like the best thing that had ever happened to her.

She’d distrusted them? The very notion seemed almost laughable now. Even though she didn’t have a shred of evidence to clear their names, she also didn’t have any to condemn them. This whole venture into a relationship with her guys was based on trust and trust alone. It was a leap of faith, trusting her heart in their hands, and she was coming to think that it wasn’t misplaced after all.

The fact still remained, though, that Conner was right and they shouldn’t be doing this. At least, not during work hours.

“Okay, okay,” Sabrina forced herself to say as she flattened her palms on his shoulders and pushed. “We’re at work. We have to play nice.”

Conner’s face was strained with desire, red from exertion, and it was clear by the way he grabbed hold of the large bulge in his pants and shifted it around that he was in desperate need of attention.

“You’re right. You’re right.” He made a face as if he couldn’t believe he was agreeing with her. “No playing at work. It’s bad for business.”

“And worse if we get caught.”

“And since we already have someone who apparently knows…”

His words trailed off, but Sabrina didn’t need to hear them to know what he was referring to. They had a witness, a leak…somehow. She couldn’t imagine who could possibly know their secret. Until today, they hadn’t made any moves in public.

“Maybe it’s just a stab in the dark,” she suggested. “Someone who saw us all together…after dinner maybe, and made some half-assed connection before there even was one just for sensationalism.”

Conner busied himself straightening his suit and tie and running his hands through his hair, while Sabrina seated herself behind her desk. “Could be, but the fact still remains that it’s true. We don’t need the bullshit that will come with it if word spreads any further and someone takes it upon themselves to get evidence.”

Sabrina scowled at the desktop. This was all so complicated. And worse, it felt dirty, as if her caring about more than one person was a crime. Indignance filled her. While she’d always been on the right side of history, silently advocating for people to be who they were born to be and love who they wanted to love, she’d never been part of the equation personally. Now that she found herself there, Sabrina was filled with anger that anyone would think they had the right to judge her based on who she chose to have relations with in the privacy of her own home and life.

She wasn’t a criminal. She wasn’t hurting anyone. So why did it matter?

They were just nosey, that’s all, she decided. People wanted something to complain about. They wanted to judge others instead of themselves. As the saying went, people who lived in glass houses shouldn’t throw rocks.

“Better safe than sorry,” Sabrina conceded. “You should probably unlock the door in case anyone comes knocking.” It was an afterthought, but if anyone, even Shawna, stopped by, a locked door would be suspicious. If they were trying to maintain appearances, then that was a good place to start.

Conner flipped the lock and stood for a moment, thinking. “I guess I came in here for something, huh?”

Sabrina shot him a wan smile. “Well, we’ve already had our discussion. It seems we should have another? Just in case anyone asks.”

“You’re probably right.” Conner took hold of his jacket lapels and gave them a sharp tug, then strode across the room to the chair that sat opposite her—the one reserved for clients. “So, Miss Colloway, I couldn’t help noticing your distraction at the meeting earlier.”

Her smile grew. “I believe we’ve already gone over the details of that.”

“True. True.” He slapped his knees, the sound loud in the small space. “Well, I guess that’s it. I’ll get out of your hair so you can get back to work.”

“Thank you, Mr. Hargreaves. I appreciate you stopping by.”

“Oh,” he said with a smirk and a playful wink as he rose from his chair, “the pleasure was all mine.”

On his way out, there came a knock on the door, and Conner and Sabrina shared a brief but knowing look. They’d likely just dodged a bullet.

Opening the door, Conner greeted a surprised Shawna, who stared up at him as if standing in the presence of a god. “Oh, good morning, Mr. Hargreaves. I was just bringing Miss Colloway a message. I have one for you as well.” She held out a yellow post-it note for him to take. He gave it a cursory glance and nodded.

“Thank you for your promptness, Shawna.”

“You’re most welcome. Is there anything I can get you for lunch?”

Conner appeared taken off-guard for a moment and frowned, pulling back his suit sleeve to look at his watch. “Huh, lunch already. I completely lost track of time. Tell you what, Shawna, just get me my usual.”

She nodded as if grateful for the command and watched Conner go, her eyes glued to his backside. “Mm-mm, that is one hunk of a man. I don’t know how you work so close with all of these hotties and not get a little…flushed.”

Shaking herself as if to clear her head, Shawna cleared her throat and turned a bashful smile toward Sabrina. “Sorry. I probably shouldn’t have said that. I blame my grandma for raising me on romance novels and movies. Ever since the 80s action hero phase, I’ve had an appetite for good-looking men.”

“Don’t we all.” Sabrina couldn’t hold the observation against the woman. After all, they had eyes and they weren’t dead. “What do you have for me?” She lifted her chin to indicate the yellow post-it in Shawna’s hand that she assumed was the missive she’d mentioned to Conner earlier.

“Oh! Right.” Shawna shook her head as she approached. “I swear, I’d lose my head if it wasn’t attached. Here ya go!”

Sabrina took a look at the note, seeing that it wasn’t anything in need of her immediate consideration. Just a request for signature of some documents that had been sent via her corporate email that were due by the end of the week.

“Thanks, Shawna. Why don’t you go take your lunch now. You deserve a break.”

“Thanks. I think I will. But before I do, I have to run down to pick up Mr. Hargreaves’ lunch and a few others. Would you like anything? Tuna on rye or a salad maybe?”

Shawna was always on point with her work, and that extended to every aspect, right down to the meals she delivered but didn’t have to. Early in her job, Sabrina’s father had made a habit of asking for regular coffees from the café downstairs. Eventually it turned into a donut on the side and then a sandwich, and eventually, she’d gotten a little pay bump to accommodate gathering food for everyone in the office under her supervision.

Shawna made their lives easier, and Sabrina was grateful to have such a dedicated worker under her wing.

“Umm…I think I could go for a muffin, or whatever looks good to you. Just get something wherever you’re going. Don’t go out of your way.”

Shawna looked a little taken aback, and for good reason. Sabrina was usually certain and decisive about everything, right down to the food she put in her body, but today, she was in an exceptional mood and wasn’t inclined to think it through too much. Anything that was loaded with sugar and carbs would do.

“Are you sure?”

“Very. Thank you, Shawna.” Her tone was friendly but dismissive, and Shawna being the awesome lady she was, got the message loud and clear and was gone from the room in a flash, leaving Sabrina to sit back and ponder the rest of her day while trying to get some semblance of work done.