Authors: Jodi Redford
Midway to the Carleton Towers’ main elevators, Sidney’s cellphone chirped. The display showed the incoming call was from Jane. Normally Sidney would let it go to voicemail when she was in a rush, but she still felt bad for ducking out on her friends last night. And truthfully, she could use another pep talk to steel her nerves for the admission she was about to make to her bosses. Maybe she should have left a note on their desks about breaking the test tube. Then again, that kinda seemed like the coward’s way out. Better to face the music in person—and fall sobbing at their feet, begging them not to fire her. She clicked the Talk button. “Hey, sorry again about yesterday.”
“No problemo. I’m glad you were able to find your wallet. You ready to face the music with your bosses?”
Sidney blinked at her friend’s choice of words. It was absolutely scary how in sync their brains were sometimes. So much so, she was half convinced that neither Jane nor Marissa had believed her story that nothing happened beyond her accidentally dropping the elixir in the lab. “No, but I’m pulling up my big girl panties as we speak.”
“Don’t stress yourself out too much. Shit happens. You’re a damn good employee. They’d be stupid to get rid of you over one teensy mistake.”
She appreciated Jane’s faith in her, but the mistake was far from miniscule. She wouldn’t fool herself in that regard. Glancing at her watch, she winced and hastily wrapped up her chat with Jane. The last thing she needed was to get in any hotter water than she already was by being late. Tucking her phone in her purse, she ducked inside the elevator.
By the time she reached the eighteenth floor she was more tightly strung than a Stradivarius. Knees shaking, she stepped inside the office and deposited her purse in the cubby underneath her desk before making the trek down the hall. She stalled on the other side of Leo’s doorway, her heart pounding.
Suck it up, you big baby.
Squaring her shoulders, she entered the room. Both of her gorgeous bosses were parked at the small conference table. Well, at least this way she killed two birds with one stone.
She had a second to silently drool to her heart’s content—might as well, since she’d likely get her ass booted out the door in five minutes. Possibly sooner, depending on how long it took her to stammer through the most awkward apology in history. Not wanting to push her luck, she cleared her throat.
Devlin’s and Leo’s gazes jerked in her direction fast enough to give
her
whiplash. She took a hesitant step forward. “Are you busy?”
Both men shook their heads. Clasping her hands behind her back, she took a deep breath and expelled it slowly. “I accidentally destroyed one of the vials of Xtacy.”
Leo thumbed the outer edge of the papers stacked in front of him. “We know.”
“I didn’t mean for it to happen. It just sort of slipped from—” Her tongue tangled on the last word as his statement registered. She ping-ponged her stare between him and Devlin. “Y—you know?” How was that remotely possible? Even if they’d noticed one less test tube on the workstation, she wouldn’t have thought they’d automatically assume she was to blame.
Devlin gave her a look that was hard to decipher. “The security cam caught everything.”
His announcement was akin to having Freon injected into her veins. Her stomach bottoming out, she wobbled in her heels. “Security cam?”
“We had it installed several years ago after a previous employee stole a formula out of the lab and sold it to the highest bidder.”
She gaped at Devlin, the contents of her stomach dangerously close to making an appearance on the carpet. Desperately swallowing against the rising acid in her throat, she pressed trembling fingers to her mouth. “H—how much did you see?”
“All of it,” Leo replied, the gravel in his voice noticeable.
“Oh my God.” She swayed, the tempest in her belly swirling. Moaning miserably, she clamped a hand over her mouth. Before she could add to her complete mortification by tossing her cookies in front of them, Leo abandoned his chair and swept her into his arms. He gallantly carried her to the small sofa and sat down with her cradled against his chest.
Too weak and stunned to properly process the fact she was snuggled in his lap, she pressed her clammy cheek to his collarbone. “I’m going to feel doubly horrible if I puke on you now.”
He smoothed a palm along her scalp. “If you do, you do.”
“No, this shirt probably costs more than I make in a month. And you’re being awfully nice to me, despite everything that happened.”
“Eh.” He shrugged. “The shirt is replaceable, and I couldn’t very well let you faint in the middle of the room.”
Leo continued stroking her hair and she melted into a puddle of goo with a contented sigh. Any moment now she’d probably wake up from this crazy dream. Might as well enjoy this good part while it lasted.
Devlin settled on the opposite end of the couch and stretched his arm across the back. His smile warmed her as much as Leo’s touch. “Feeling better?”
“Yes.” Her thoughts drifted to Leo’s pronouncement from moments ago, and she broke from the bubble of hazy serenity she’d been suspended in. They saw her diddling herself on their laboratory floor. Good grief. She’d never be able to look them directly in the eye again. Averting her gaze from Devlin’s, she attempted to extract herself from Leo’s hold, but his soothing caress along her nape lulled her into limp compliance.
Her noodle-like state took a hit for the worst when Devlin removed her high heels and pulled her feet on top of his lap so he could massage them. It could have been a scene straight out of one of her fantasies. Only they’d all be naked by now. Reminded of the dastardly cause for her current predicament, she groaned. “Really, you two are being amazingly sweet, and it isn’t that I don’t appreciate a man who knows how to use his hands—” Jeez Louise, why couldn’t she zip her lips before thoroughly decimating her dignity? “But none of this is helping my problem.”
“And what problem is that, sweetheart?” Devlin’s thumbs did delicious things to her instep, almost making her skip over his endearment.
Almost. Collecting herself so she wouldn’t stammer like a complete idiot, she gaped at him. “Hello? Do you not remember what I did in your lab?”
Devlin’s gaze turned smoky. “I most certainly do remember. It’s all I’ve been thinking about for the last three hours.”
She blinked, the carnal hunger in his eyes slamming her dead center in the solar plexus. He was staring at her like she was a big ole juicy T-bone he couldn’t wait to sink his teeth into. The sensuous nature of his lingering caresses on her feet suddenly didn’t seem like a mere coincidence or figment of her overheated imagination. Additionally, there was no denying the intimacy of being cradled in Leo’s arms. And if she wasn’t mistaken, that was definitely
not
a cucumber in his pocket.
Not being one to second guess herself, she wiggled her hip slightly to the left, and bit her tongue at the hefty solidness of Leo’s erection. She swallowed hard. “Um, correct me if I’m wrong, but there seems to be something going on here.”
Devlin deliberately settled her ankle against his fly, letting her feel his own impressive hard on. “And what do you think is going on, Sidney?” A wicked, teasing glint sparkling in his eyes, he rubbed her toes, his cock blatantly stiffening beneath her foot.
There was no way this was real. She pinched herself, and smothered a yelp. “I—I think you’re attempting to seduce me.”
Leo’s mouth brushed her ear. “Is it working?”
Oh my God. I was
right
?
When exactly did her life turn into a never ending Twilight Zone episode?
Then again, did it really matter? She’d been fantasizing about this for a year and a half. Why was she focusing on anything other than getting her mitts on these beautiful men? Intent on rectifying that immediately, she scooted closer to Leo, happily cozying up to that glorious erection while she smoothed a hand along his chest. His rumbling moan making her giddy, she loosened the top button on his shirt and gave in to the urge to nip that sexy whiskered jaw of his. “Mm, that would be a hell yes.”
Tangling his hands in her hair, he angled her head back and slammed his mouth over hers. His kiss felt like a claim of ownership. And if the instant soaking of her panties was any indication, it excited her beyond reason. His tongue delved past her lips and stroked along hers, increasing the heavy ache between her legs. In her wildest imaginings she had never created a kiss so ravenous and consuming. He slid one hand to her nape and cupped the other around her breast, squeezing with a firm confidence that stole the little oxygen remaining in her brain. She clung to him, dizzy. He broke their kiss, his breaths ragged and strained as he tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear and caressed her cheek. “Dev insisted you’d be on board with this, but I was too afraid to believe you’d go for it.”
“Err, you watched the scene in the lab too, right? At what point did it look like I
wouldn’t
want to be with you?”
Leo chuckled. “Point taken.”
“Good. Then feel free to take
me
.” She nibbled her way along his chin, purposefully bee-lining for his lips.
He stalled her before she could reach her intended target. “Sidney, we need to go over some things first.”
“Mm hmm, I’m listening.” Distracted, she traced her fingertips over the enticing ridge of his pectoral muscle visible through the gap in his shirt. She glanced over and found Devin watching her with blazing heat in his eyes. It struck her that he must have been aroused by watching Leo kiss her. Would he be equally turned on if he was the one administering the kiss?
Determined to find out, she leaned sideways and pressed her lips against his. It required no more invitation than that for him to get in the spirit of things. He coaxed her lips open for him by licking the bottom seam and flicking the tip of her tongue with his. She submitted to a shuddery moan as he sucked her tongue into his mouth. His technique wasn’t as dark and edgy as Leo’s, but the sensual way he made love to her mouth was no less intoxicating. And like Leo, Devlin couldn’t seem to keep his hands off of her breasts. He pinched her nipples between his fingertips and sucked the side of her neck with a growl when her head fell back against Leo’s shoulder.
“Dev, you’re not helping matters here.” Despite the dryness in Leo’s tone, there was no mistaking the continued firmness of his erection poking her thigh. He was just as aroused as he’d been two minutes ago. Possibly even more so.
After treating the sensitive tendon beneath her ear to one last nip, Devlin kissed her on the lips before reluctantly awarding Leo his full attention. “The floor is all yours, Boss Man.”
Leo’s mouth tipped upward in a wry slant. “Much appreciated.” He shifted his scrutiny to Sidney and his expression turned serious. “We’re treading into unchartered waters. Before we get in over our heads, the proper precautions need to be taken. For each of our sakes.”
She settled onto her butt and tucked her skirt over her knees. “If this is about the boss and employee issue, I want to reassure you that I would never take advantage of anything that happens between us.”
Leo squeezed her hand. “We know that, querida. But you also need to be protected and feel safe in knowing that we wouldn’t abuse the situation either. So it’s important that we do this the legal way with a consent form and signed guarantees from me and Devlin that your participation in the program by no means jeopardizes your position as our PA.”
She frowned. “Program?”
“Yes, for the test trials on Xtacy.” Leo’s fingers loosened from hers and stroked her thigh. “Your response to the elixir is unlike anything we’ve encountered before. You’re the key to helping countless women enhance and recover their sexuality, and in many cases, achieve a climax for the first time.”
His words took a moment to fully digest. This was about Xtacy. Not that he and Devlin didn’t necessarily desire her beyond clinical research, but the realization that it was a major component to this startling turn of events still deflated her ego a bit.
What did you expect, you delusional nincompoop? That they’d secretly harbored similar fantasies of you all this time?
Why not go a step further, and suggest they were using this situation as a means to woo her into a relationship that would end in a happily ever after and a nursery full of mini geeks for them? Yeah, even
she
couldn’t clutch at that fantasy without acknowledging the insubstantial consistency of its illusion.
Concern etched into his features, Devlin smoothed aside the lock of hair that’d fallen across her eye. “Your involvement in the program would be strictly confidential. Your privacy means everything to us, Sid. Your name won’t be attached to anything outside of the consent form.”
He thought she was worried about her reputation. While she did find that undeniably sweet and reassuring, it didn’t change the fact that she had far bigger uncertainties on her plate than the potential judgment of her colleagues. She had an overwhelming weakness for Devlin and Leo. Signing up for this experiment might very well set her up for a devastating fall.
No, not might.
Would
. She couldn’t stick her head in the sand and delude herself that the outcome would involve anything more than a pat on the back for bringing women the world over a big screaming O. Would that be enough to satisfy her? Of course, she’d most likely be treated to plenty of those orgasms too. That certainly wouldn’t be a hardship.