Dear Grumpy Boss: A Brother’s Best Friend Office Romance (The Harder They Fall)
Dear Grumpy Boss: Chapter 17

THE MORNING SUN SHONE like a spotlight on the unlocked door that separated my room from Weston’s. I stared at it from my bed, my fluffy covers pulled up around my ears, willing myself to get up and lock it.

But it would be fruitless. If Weston wanted inside my room again, he would undoubtedly replace a way, lock or not.

Last night had probably been a one-off anyway.

It was good that it was. Smart. The best decision.

That was what I told myself until I flung myself out of bed to trudge to the shower and the dull ache between my legs made my breath hitch.

Oh, Weston. Why did he have to be so…good?

It had been the best sex of my life. I couldn’t remember a time I’d ever been so desired on a visceral level.

I brushed my teeth while the shower warmed up. The woman staring back at me in the mirror had been thoroughly fucked. My hair was in a rat’s nest on top of my head. There were bite marks and bruises all over my chest, one dangerously close to my neck. My lips were still a little swollen and dark pink.

Weston Aldrich had marked me, and he’d done it with purpose.

He’d wanted me to see in my reflection.

It had been his intent for me to feel him when I walked.

Guys like him, with giant dicks and egos to match, were probably flooded with testosterone. It was all they could do not to beat their chests at every chance they got. Giving me hickeys and bowing my legs during sex was the socially acceptable equivalent.

I was glad I’d gotten to experience it once.

It would be silly to even think about doing it again.

The rain shower beat down on my head, and water sprayed me from both sides. This shower was more luxurious than any I’d ever been in. I stood there for a long time, my head back, eyes closed, muscles loosening.

A sudden slice of cool air brought me back to reality.

The reality of Weston stepping into my shower, naked and hard, his gaze trained on me.

He stopped in front of me, framing my face with his hands. “Good morning.”

I straightened, sucking in my stomach. “Hi. You’re in my shower.”

“I am.”

“I didn’t invite you.”

The corner of his mouth hitched. “You left all the doors between me and you unlocked. I took that as an invitation.”

“Presumptuous,” I muttered.

“Sexy,” he muttered back as he dipped down to lick the side of my neck. “Did you sleep well?”

“I slept fine, thanks. You?”

He kissed up my neck to my jaw. My insides were waking up, showing interest in what this ridiculous man was doing to me at this ungodly hour.

“Terrible. I was hard all night. It was like trying to sleep on a log that kept stabbing me. Your fault.”

I narrowed my eyes. “Are you trying to say I didn’t satisfy you properly?”

“That’s what I’m saying. Once wasn’t enough and you sent me on my way with your scent all over me and the memory of your tight pussy. It was cruel.”

He dragged his palms across my stomach. I sucked in even more. He grunted and squeezed my sides before slamming me against him, the air knocking loose from my lungs. My stomach went soft as his rock-solid abs pressed into it, and the look he shot me was nothing less than proud.

“What are you doing?” I uttered.

“I’m going to fuck you, then I’m going to take a shower and get dressed for a long day of work.” He grabbed my ass with one hand, my face with the other and kissed me hard, all minty and fresh. It pleased me more than I liked that he’d brushed his teeth before coming to me. He’d put thought into this.

This was Weston. Of course he had. Weston didn’t do anything without thinking it through.

He backed me into the wall, licking the inside of my mouth until I was breathless and panting. Sliding his fingers along the valley of my ass, he slipped forward to my core, found my entrance, and thrust inside. I sucked in a breath, and he took that as an opening to kiss me even deeper, stealing the little oxygen I’d gained.

I was dizzy from him. And needy. Every time I started to think, to question what we were doing or worry about how revealing the bright bathroom lights were, he rubbed a spot inside me that made all rational thoughts flee.

An orgasm washed over me in record time. Weston pulled back to watch me moan from parted lips. His fingers pressed and rubbed my inner walls, stretching my pleasure out until I needed more than fingers and he couldn’t wait.

Cracking open the shower door, he grabbed the condom from the shelf where he’d left it, rolled it on with steady, urgent movements, then spun me away from him by my hips, molding his chest to my back. His cock fit between my cheeks, and he rocked, wedging it even more snugly while his mouth devoured my shoulder and neck.

I leaned my head back, kissing the side of his jaw, licking the rough stubble he’d yet to shave. His skin slid against mine, hot and slick.

“Need to get inside you,” he murmured. “I have to know if you feel as good as I remembered.”

“I do. I promise.”

He breathed a laugh on my shoulder and pinched both my nipples. “I know you do. That sweet little pussy of yours is perfect, and I’m going to ruin it.”

With that, he pressed on the center of my back, leaning me forward.

“Hands on the wall, baby. This is going to be hard and fast.”

One hand, then the other, braced on the tiles. Weston held on to my shoulder, his index finger brushing my throat, and lined himself up with my opening. He nudged forward, slipping an inch inside me.

“West—”

Whatever I’d been about to say was swept away at the thrust of his hips. One powerful move and he was fully seated inside me, slapping against my ass. He gripped my hip, slid his other hand to the front of my throat, and fucked me hard and deep, his thick length igniting every one of the nerves inside me. My body had awakened and was finely attuned to this man.

Weston was on a mission, rutting as deeply as he could get, barely retreating before he buried himself to the hilt. His taut, muscular body slammed into my much softer one, groans rumbling from his chest.

He loved the feel of me.

I more than loved the feel of him.

He knew how to hold me, to make me forget my inhibitions and give myself over to this thing…this mistake we were going to keep making.

My back arched, and I used my arms to push myself onto his cock. We met, collided, retreated, and met again. Weston grunted, squeezing me, desperate and wild, bringing me back to last night, back to feeling his visceral desire and believing it to be true. For now, while it lasted, I believed I was the only woman Weston wanted.

The knowledge was heady.

“Come on, West. Come for me,” I panted.

He leaned over my back, kissing my shoulder blade. “Can I come on you, baby? I want to paint your pretty ass, make it even prettier.”

I clenched at his words, nodding vigorously. “Please, please.”

“All right. I’m going to give you exactly what you want.”

His movements sharpened, fingers digging into me. The air around us heated to a boil, and I could barely breathe. My head was light, floaty, and when his hand came down on my wet backside, my moans echoed off the tile. He slapped me three more times, enough to keep me with him but not truly hurt me, then yanked out of me with a sudden swiftness in time to see him ridding himself of the condom and tossing it aside.

“Changed my mind.” He took his angry red cock in his fist, pumping it hard. “I want you to watch what you’ve done to me.”

I wrapped my hand around his, moving with him as he stroked himself, and pressed my thighs together. This was too much. Too hot.

I cupped my breast and rolled my nipple between my fingers, making Weston grunt and shuffle closer.

“I’m coming,” he gritted out.

The first splash of his release hit my stomach. I bent down, then dropped to my knees so the rest of it sprayed all over my breasts, catching a few drops on my tongue when I opened my mouth. Then I leaned in and wrapped my lips around his broad head, suckling the last of his release from his throbbing erection.

His hands went to my head, gripping the sides as I cleaned him with my mouth.

“Elise.” He sighed my name. “You’re too good to me. I’m going to get hooked.”

I popped off the end of him and smiled up at him. “I thought I was already in your veins.”

He ran a finger along my cheek and bottom lip, shaking his head. “You are.” Then he took my hand in his, helping me to my feet. His mouth pressed against mine in a slow, melting kiss. “I’m going to need more of your lips around my cock.”

I tapped on his chin. “We’ll see.”

I wanted it too, but if he ignored me again all day and made me ride with the two bores, he could suck himself off.

Perhaps it should have been no surprise, but Weston started the day far less grumpy than usual. After we dressed, we grabbed a quick breakfast and he actually spoke to me instead of silently glowering at everyone in his vicinity.

We didn’t flirt. By tacit agreement, that didn’t happen when we were working.

Well, except for the time he got me off in his office. But we’d been alone with no witnesses so that didn’t really count.

Marisol, Dev, and Jeff were waiting for us at the first factory, like yesterday. The men acknowledged me this time, but Marisol’s gaze barely flitted over me. She was all about Weston, immediately latching on to his side.

I didn’t have to stick around to see if he was going to ignore me in favor of her. Melinda from HR whisked me away for my first interview with Cherise, an avid mountain hiker.

Today was already going much better. Cherise was sweet and enthusiastic. A manager on the factory floor, she told me a lot about her job first then we talked about her hobby. She’d brought all her Andes gear with her, and I made a mental note to send her more when I got home.

As our interview wound down, she walked me out of the meeting room to show me around the factory floor.

“Do you see the Andes field team a lot?” I asked.

She rolled her eyes. “All the time. They spot-check us every other day.” She laughed. “At least, that’s what it feels like. We all hold our breath when they’re here.”

I nodded at the suits, almost a football field away from us. “Have you been here when Mr. Aldrich comes through?”

“Yeah, of course. He used to stop by a lot more often.” She leaned closer to me. “I think he and Ms. Davies broke up, so he doesn’t fly out to California as often as he used to. At least, that’s the rumor.”

“Oh?” I blinked at her and let my gaze shift to Weston, deep in conversation with the general manager of the factory. I couldn’t read Marisol’s expression from this distance, but I was certain she was hanging on to his every word.

I’d asked him if he’d had sex with her. He hadn’t answered.

Which had been answer enough.

It didn’t matter, not really, except I couldn’t help wondering if I’d been a consolation prize last night when he couldn’t have Marisol.

Cherise shook her head. “I shouldn’t have said anything. You’re so easy to talk to, I forgot you work for him for a minute.”

I reached out, squeezing her upper arm. “It’s fine. Don’t worry about it. I work for his company, not him, you know? I don’t think you said anything wrong anyway.”

Her lips were pressed tight with worry. “It was gossip about my boss.”

“Harmless,” I assured her. “Can you introduce me to a few people? Would that be okay?”

She tore her gaze from Weston, still frowning. It took her a moment to snap out of her worry. “Oh, sure. No problem.”

I met up with the suits in the parking lot. We had one more visit to make today and an hour drive to get there. Weston scanned me from head to toe then spun around and headed toward his car. I stayed back, watching to see what would happen while expecting to be stuck with Dev and Jeff again.

As expected, Marisol walked straight to Weston’s car. As she reached for the door, he cleared his throat.

“Actually, Elise will be riding with me today.”

Everyone seemed to hold their breath, waiting for him to offer more of an explanation, but he swiveled on his sleek, fancy shoes, brushing past Marisol and opening the passenger door. When I didn’t move, he raised an eyebrow and gestured for me to get in.

Marisol also hadn’t moved, forcing me to slide by her. Weston laid a hand on the center of my back and waited until I was seated to carefully close my door. I watched Marisol speaking to him in the side-view mirror, but Weston quickly dismissed whatever she said and walked away.

Climbing into the seat next to me, he checked his mirrors and drove out of the parking lot, Dev, Jeff, and Marisol still standing there.

“I don’t think she’s happy.”

Weston hummed. In agreement? It was hard to tell.

“How was your visit?” he asked, changing the subject. His superpower.

“Interesting. You should send Cherise a whole Andes wardrobe. She takes a lot of pictures of her hikes for her social media. She has over thirty-thousand followers on Insta. It would be really good advertising.”

He turned his head and gave me a disconcertingly warm smile. “Can you email Renata Cherise’s information? She’ll take care of it.”

“Already done.”

He reached over the console to squeeze my leg. “Very nice work, Elise.”

“Thank you.”

His hand remained, inching higher. I was wearing pants, so I didn’t know where he thought he was going.

“Weston—”

“Shhh.”

He reached the top of my thighs and slid inward, tucking his fingers into the rounded crease at the apex, grunting with satisfaction as he nestled in.

“I like this.” He curled his fingers into my flesh, testing the give. “I’m going to be putting my face here later.”

“Oh, are you?”

I tried for haughty, but that was difficult with Weston appreciating a part of my body I wasn’t sure I even liked.

“I am.”

So certain, but I couldn’t blame him.

I was pretty much a sure thing for the rest of this trip. I’d already crossed the line, why deny myself something that was so good? The consequences would be there whether we stopped now or ten orgasms from now.

“By the way…”

He glanced over. “Yes?”

“You and Marisol were a couple, right?”

His fingers clamped down on my thigh, and he exhaled a hard, heavy breath. “We were, but we haven’t been anything to each other besides colleagues for some time.”

“Okay. Thanks for sating my curiosity.”

The insecure beast in the back of my mind wondered how Weston could possibly be attracted to me when he had been with a woman like Marisol. We were not the same. When Weston put his hand on her thigh, he probably slipped right through.

He was looking at me instead of the road. “You don’t look so sated. This was why I didn’t want to answer you yesterday.”

I turned to him. “What do you mean?”

“Are you, or are you not, comparing yourself to her?”

“What woman wouldn’t?”

“There’s no comparison.”

I snorted. “No kidding.”

He squeezed my thigh almost too hard. “Stop that bullshit, Elise. You know you’re fucking gorgeous. You and Marisol are nothing alike. Quite frankly, I wouldn’t want you to be anything like her. There’s a reason we aren’t together.”

My fingers curled around his flexing wrist. “You’re going to leave bruises.”

“Good. Then you’ll see them and remember it was your thighs I couldn’t wait to bury my hand between. You’ll remember I’m going to be walking around the next factory, trying to hide an erection while counting the minutes before I can get back to this spot and replace my hand with my face.”

“Oh.”

The corner of his mouth hitched. “Yeah. Oh. So get anyone else out of your head. They’re out of mine.”

Biting down on my bottom lip, I slowly melted into my seat. His hold on me loosened slightly, but he didn’t let go.

And I didn’t want him to.