I feel stiff all over as I reach the front door, my stomach jittery. Pausing to study my reflection in the glass, I double check that I look presentable. Alek said the dress code is casual, and based on what I’ve seen other employees wearing, I think I’ll fit in okay. But it doesn’t stop me from running a hand over my hair, tied into a tight bun today. I’m wearing the nicest pair of black skinny jeans I own, paired with a dark gray shirt. Thrown over that, I have a red and black plaid jacket. Onlyoneof my black painted fingernails are chipped today and honestly, that’s a success for me. I grin wide at my reflection, running my tongue along my teeth to make sure I have no pieces of leftover breakfast hanging around.
Then I swing the door open and immediately come face-to- face with a smirking Alek. He’s standing there with his arms crossed, his twitching lips confirming he just had a front row seat to my little appearance check.
So much for playing it cool today.
“Are you done making out with the front door, Mr. Parker?”
Two things happen simultaneously: embarrassment heats my entire body from head to toe, my face flushing even as a shiver runs throughme at the smooth way he saysMr. Parker.My reactions to him are confusing, to say the least.
“I wasn’t—I, uh…”
Just like every other time I’ve interacted with him, my mouth goes dry and I become a fumbling mess. And then my stomach does this weird flippy flop thing Ido notappreciate. Straight or not, I can admire how attractive another man is, right? Alek Cromwell is a fucking bear of a man. His biceps strain against his white dress shirt, almost like they disagree with being contained. Not that biceps are sentient beings, but damn. Even his muscles have muscles. He has a thick head of black hair, a sharp and cleanly shaven jaw, and icy-blue eyes that feel a little too intimate. There’s the barest hint of salt and pepper around his temples, and the beginnings of laugh lines around his eyes.
The man is clearly aging like fine wine. Give it ten years’ time, and he’ll be a sexy silver fox.
I pause my idiotic stuttering when I notice his sleeves are pulled up to his elbows again. My eyes automatically dip down to those corded forearms. I have the insane urge to run a finger down the length of one, and the thought makes my cock twitch.Do I have a forearm fetish?
“Mr. Parker, my eyes are up here.”
“I wasn’t looking at your forearms,” I blurt out, immediately wincing when I realize how stupid that sounds. Alek’s eyes darken as they roam down the length of my body with an appraising look that makes me want to bend over backwards to give him anything he wants.
Holy shit, is Caleb’s dad checking me out?
Before I have time to question why that doesn’t bother me as much as I think it should, he crooks two fingers in a come-hither motion before spinning on his heel and striding through the lobby. Instead of being irritated that he just beckoned me like a fucking dog, I follow him like an overly eager puppy.
Do I have a crush on my best friend’s dad?
I march obediently beside Alek down a hallway and into a large, open area with several rows of cubicles. Despite the relative quiet, it’s full of the typical office sounds one would expect: fingers typing away on keyboards, mouses clicking, printers spitting out paper, and someone popping bubblegum. Some of the sounds cease as I walk in with Alek, heads popping up and sending me curious glances as we stride towards the back of the room.
In the very, very back, next to a corner window, are two cubicles sitting side-by-side. The one on the far left is empty, but the other one is occupied by a young man about my age. His brown hair is flopped over his left eye, and his head is subtly bobbing along to whatever music is currently playing in his headphones. His hands fly away at the keyboard with a speed that shouldn’t be possible.
“Finn,” Alek says.
Finn continues bobbing his head, humming something that sounds like an old-school Britney Spears tune. Alek rolls his eyes, a sigh dragging from his lips before he plucks an earphone out. Finn jerks, his limbs flailing as he screeches like a damn banshee.
“Son of a monkey and holy baby Jesus, Alek!” Finn gives Alek a stern glare, spinning in his chair to fully face him. “Stop sneaking up on me. My heart can’t take it anymore!”
“I think it’s your hearing you need to worry about,” Alek says wryly.
Alek’s face remains neutral, but I swear I see a spark of light dance across his eyes. I, however, am unable to stifle my spluttering laughter. Both heads swing towards me, and Finn beams at me like he didn’t just make a dramatic scene in front of his boss.
“Oh, is this the new guy? He’s pretty.” Finn waggles his eyebrows. I shuffle around on my feet a little, unsure how to take his compliment as I rub the back of my neck.
Alek frowns. “Finn, this is Luke Parker. I need you to show him the ropes this week.”
Finn honest-to-God flutters his eyelashes at me. “I can show him the ropes all right.”
“No flirting with this one, Finn. I mean it.” Alek’s voice goes stern in a way I haven’t heard yet, so I peek over at him. His eyebrows are bunched together, his lips pursed. When Finn gives him a quizzical look, Alek adds, “He’s Caleb’s best friend.”
Finn performs a mock salute. “Whatever you say, boss man.”
Alek rolls his eyes again, but his stance visibly relaxes. He nods once, his gaze roaming briefly to me. “Let me know if you need anything. My office is always…”
I smirk. “Always open?”
He snorts. “I hate sounding cliché, but yeah.”
As soon as he’s out of earshot, Finn holds a hand up with his knuckles bent in a way that resembles claws. “Rawr,” he purrs, his gaze sliding to me. “Alek has hot daddy energy, am I right?”
