Page 34 of Balance

“But first,” Matthew swooped in and captured me in another kiss. And I say captured because that’s how it felt to have him command my lips to part. Somehow Matthew had programmed an override where he was concerned and, with a single kiss, he could turn my brain off.

He rolled me onto my back and pinned me there. As if I’d have tried to move away. My face was cradled in his palm, and he deepened the kiss, devouring me. All I could do was lie there and let him lead.

His mouth was soft and warm and perfect. His kiss demanding, but not overpowering, not off-putting. He wasn’t actually trying to consume me, but it felt like he was succeeding anyway. My hands finally joined the program as my body woke up. I slid them around his waist and pulled him closer to me. When he groaned into my mouth, it let me feel how much he wanted me, right down to my toes. His pleasure reverberated through me and stoked my need for him.

And then Matthew pulled away. The kiss broke with the softness of the sun rising over the horizon. It happened so slowly that I didn’t realize we’d stopped until his forehead was pressed against mine, and his breaths were puffing out against my skin like he was trying to exhale his arousal.

“We can’t stay in bed all day,” he murmured, regret filling his voice.

“Well, at least you had the decency to sound gutted about it.” I stole a kiss from him and let my eyes fall shut again. Up close, eye contact would feel weird. He was too close and it made me feel too exposed.

“Breakfast.” Matthew kissed me again. Softer and faster, like he didn’t trust himself to go slow and sink into another kiss in case it got out of hand. Which I would have fucking loved.

He got out of bed first and used the bathroom while I enjoyed an extra few minutes surrounded by his scent and his residual warmth. And when he was finished, he sent me in there to take care of my morning needs. He’d left a new toothbrush on the counter for me, and I tore it out of its package, telling myself that it wasn’t a big deal as I dropped my toothbrush into the cup next to his.

By the time I was finished, Matthew was dressed in jeans and a tee shirt. He’d also found clothes for me to wear. The jeans were a little loose, so he loaned me a belt. It was thick and black, and it made me wonder what it would be like against my skin.

My cock didn’t know whether to get hard or not. It couldn’t decide if the belt was terrifying or arousing. And, honestly, my brain was in the same boat.

That was a question for another day.

We climbed into Matthew’s car, and we were halfway to breakfast when his phone rang. He ignored the first call, but when it rang again immediately, his lips thinned into a tight line. “I have to get this.”

“Oh, for sure. Go ahead.”

“I’m sorry, but Jett never calls unless it’s important.”

“It’s fine.”

Matthew gave my knee a squeeze and answered the call. All without taking his eyes off the road.

“Good morning, Jett.”

A frazzled voice filled the car. Realizing that, of course, Mathew was on speakerphone, I held my breath and tried not to make a single sound.

“Matthew, we need you here, man. I know you booked the day off, but there’s an issue I’d like your input on.”

“Jett, I—” Matthew cut me a questioning look, not answering Jett until I nodded. “I’ll be right there. Have a guest pass ready for me at the front desk, though. I’m bringing someone.” He ended the call and offered me an apologetic smile. “Looks like we’re taking a slight detour before breakfast.”

Holy shit. I was going to the headquarters of Gemstone Games. This was like a gamerboy’s wet dream. Okay, it was my wet dream. It might have a lot to do with the man sitting next to me. Maybe.

“Are you ready to see where Daddy works?”

Okay, definitely. It definitely had a lot to do with Matthew. He was hot enough when he was just in charge of me, and now I was going to see him act as the head of his company. I might not survive. RIP me. It was nice while it lasted.

CHAPTER 18

MATTHEW

February and winter clung to each other like they never wanted to be separated. Troye had come to my house wearing nothing but pajamas and a thin jacket, but overnight the temperature had dipped, and it had yet to climb back out of the deep freeze. We arrived at my office, me in my coat, because he patently refused to deprive me, and him in one of my sweaters.

Turning up at the office with him wearing my clothes felt like I was showing him off. And maybe I was. The people at Gemstone were more like family to me than employees. Okay, some were just employees, but only because they hadn’t been there long.

I dragged Troye with me, hand in hand, through reception, where he dropped the visitor badge around his neck and then did his best to look like he wasn’t going to climb out of his skin. His giddiness was contagious because by the time we rode the elevator up to the third floor where Gemstone was located, we were both grinning.

“This doesn’t feel real,” Troye said as the doors opened. His gaze slid over the office, taking everything in. To me, it looked like just another office, but to him it must have looked like heaven.

“Do you want a tour?”