Twin Boss: Gemini (Zodiac Alphas) Page 6

  She nodded. “I promise.”

  He went to button up his shirt, but she put her hand on his. “Leave it.”

  “Bennett─”

  She moved his hand away so she could move hers over his bare, solid chest.

  “We shouldn’t be doing this,” he said.

  “Isn’t this what you wanted?” she asked in a hushed voice. She was very close to him now. “Isn’t that why you gave my wardrobe an upgrade? And why your eyes have moved over me when you thought I couldn’t see.” She snaked her arm around his waist and pressed herself to him. “I’ll be gentle with your shoulder.”

  His breath quickened, and he tried to think clearly with little success.

  Lori brought her other hand up to caress his face. “Oliver,” she murmured. “You brought me here for a reason.”

  “To m-make you feel better,” he said. “His steely eyes were glazing over with evident want.

  “No, I mean you brought me to this building for a reason. You didn’t have to. You could have kept toying with me in the other office. Could’ve kept looking at me,” she brought her lips just out of reach of his. “… Toying with me.”

  He closed the gap instantly and kissed her, his hands coming up to encircle her. His lips felt incredible against hers, and she was surprised by her own boldness. Where had this come from?

  She wasn’t the type to pursue and hunt men, but on the other hand she couldn’t resist a damaged soul. She couldn’t resist the way he looked at her and she couldn’t stop herself from whilst trying to fight the attraction and spark she felt. Yes, he was her boss and yes, their liaison was off limits, but right now it didn’t feel that way. It felt like he was just a regular, handsome man who’d opened up to her and shared his scars, both inside and out. Who had come to make things better instead of letting her leave to sort things out alone. And who was kissing her now as if he was as thankful for the connection as she was. She brought both of her arms around the small of his back and held him against her, enjoying the feel of his taut abs against her body. She knew he was thinking something similar as his kisses became more heated.

  She felt a moan rise in her throat and didn’t bother to hide it. Just as she brought the tip of her tongue to his lips, he quickly pulled away.

  “We can’t, Bennett!” he said quickly.

  “Yes, we can,” she urged, trying to get closer again.

  “This isn’t right. I can’t do this to your father.”

  She stopped. “My father?”

  “You’re his daughter, I can’t just…” he trailed off, not able to finish the sentence. She searched his face for a chance he would change his mind. But as quick as it had started, he straightened up and redid the buttons on his shirt. “This isn’t professional at all.”

  Now she was stung all over again. She set her jaw and kept her head up, even as her eyes fell to the floor.

  “I understand today’s been hard on you,” Oliver said. “You can go home for the day if …”

  She was already out the door.

  Oliver heaved a sigh.

  Chapter Seven

  Lori was tempted to call in the next day, but she didn’t want to appear as humiliated as she felt. So, she went back to her office, bringing only one coffee per brother this time. For a while, no one showed up, and she was almost glad to think she wouldn’t have to interact with anyone all day. But then the main door opened.

  Lori was on her computer, doing more research on the twins’ business now that she knew what to look for. At the sound of the door, she looked up to see only one Mr. Jones enter. Judging by his expression, it was Owen.

  “I thought I’d find you here,” he said.

  “This is where I’m supposed to be, isn’t it?” she asked in a flat tone.

  “Not today,” he said. “You’ll be coming with me.”

  “What for?” she asked.

  “Because I said so.”

  “That’s not what… never mind,” she said, grabbing her purse. She followed him out the door and to the exit.

  It felt strange, sitting in the back of a private car that matched the one she had been in the other day. Only now, she sat on the right side of the back seat, with Owen to her left; the mirror image of where she’d been before.

  For a while, neither of them said anything. She was still a little peeved at him for snapping at her, even though she understood the reason. But more than anything she just didn’t have patience for nonsense today. They eventually pulled up to a curb across from a vacant building.

  “Since you have a better understanding of what we do now,” Owen spoke up, “We’ll be scouting out new buildings for a client. They want to upgrade their shop and they need a better location. I’ve had several spots picked out, and we’re going to inspect all of them so that we can narrow down their search.

  “Alright,” she muttered.

  He looked over at her. “What’s your problem?”

  “Nothing,” she said a little defensively.

  “Well[TMW1], I hope you’re not going to talk that way around the estate agents.”

  She turned away from him and rolled her eyes. “I won’t.”

  She heard a small huff behind her. “I didn’t think I’d gotten to you so much.”

  “You didn’t.”

  “Sure, looks like it.”

  “Maybe it wasn’t you.” She turned to look at him directly. “Ever think about that?”

  He looked amused. “Really? What did he do?”

  She looked away without answering.

  “Whatever is was, it must’ve been bad. He’s not usually the one who gets to people.”

  “He’s your identical twin. I’m sure it happens from time to time.”

  “Well, whatever the case, get a grip before we meet with the agents. If you make us look bad, you’re out on your ass.”

  She huffed and opened her door after he did.

  As promised, she gave her best smiles and friendliest tones to the agents as she was introduced, but had little more interaction with them after that. So, she simply tried to keep a pleasant look on her face as she listened to what they had to discuss with her boss.

  But her mind wasn’t really with it. She was too concerned that Owen knew what had happened. That he was just waiting for the opportunity to rub it in her face. But did he really know? Would Oliver have told him just because they were close? She hated not knowing. The trip throughout the property went by quicker than she expected, and before she knew it they were back in the car, following the agent to the next location. And the next and the next. Another agent met up with them midway through to give a second opinion about the properties, which led to much more discussion than Lori was willing to pay much attention to. Owen left her alone for the most part, but every so often he would give her a look that was more than just a casual glance.

  Finally, the agents left them alone for a while to get a feel for the place themselves. And Lori took the opportunity to catch a second alone to let her face relax. It felt like such a chore to hold a believable smile for so long, and somehow that made her feel even worse. She meandered into one of the restrooms, pretending to inspect the state of things, but became distracted by her own reflection. Now that she wasn’t wearing a fake mask of pleasantness, she saw what Owen had been talking about. It wasn’t just her tone. It was in her posture and her overall mood. Lori felt disappointed in herself, knowing her father would probably feel the same. His belief was that one was meant to hold themselves to the highest standard when they were representing a business. But she just couldn’t help it. She was human after all.

  She jumped a little when she saw something in her peripheral. Owen came through the doorway, looking less snarky and more determined. Lori resisted the urge to roll her eyes in plain sight. Owen came into the bathroom, and closed the door until it was only open a crack before looking at her in the mirror.

  “So, what do you think about this place?” she asked, trying to dissuade what she knew was inevitable.


  “I’d say the overall feel of the interior isn’t as positive as I would like.”

  She gave him a slight look. “I’m being serious.”

  “So am I,” he said in a quieter tone than usual. His eyes moved from her reflection to the back of her head. “What’s bothering you, Bennett?”

  “Nothing. I’m fine.”

  Owen, gave the corner of the room a sarcastic look, knowing she could see it.

  “Really,” she said. “I’ll be alright. I can do this.”

  “Do what, exactly?” he asked.

  “This,” she turned around to face him. “I can be a good assistant, and keep myself in check in front of your associates.”

  “But it’s clearly a struggle for you.”

  “I won’t…[TMW2]” She let her eyes stare right through his chest as she fought to keep herself steady, “I won’t make you or your company look bad. I can handle myself.”

  His eyes studied her, his expression unreadable. “If you won’t talk about it, then let me say this at least. For my part… for being hard on you, I admit I have a tendency to go overboard. And I know it can be extra stressful for people. But I’ve seen you handle all of it with… I don’t even know what to call it. But it’s better than I’ve seen anyone else do.”

  She said nothing, though he could tell it meant something.

  “I won’t say it wasn’t my intention to push you so far, or that it wasn’t my goal to get to you,” he went on, “But even still… it was only meant to go so far. If I make someone feel bad, I don’t actually like them to stay that way.”

  “Is this your roundabout way of apologizing?” she asked.

  “Seeing you irked was one thing,” he said. “Seeing you like this… I don’t like it.”

  “I’m fine.”

  “The biggest lie women ever tell.”

  “I’m fine!”

  “Then why are you crying?”

  “I’m not,” she said, even as her vision began to blur beyond denial.

  “I know I can be an ass, Bennett, but I’m not actually a bad guy-”

  “I never thought you…” her voice broke and she closed her eyes as the first hot tears fell heavily down her face. She let her head fall forward as more quickly followed.

  They remained this way for a moment, Owen trying to decide whether it was best to leave her be or stay beside her. Out of nowhere though, Lori wiped her cheeks, took a breath and looked up at him with fresh determination.

  “We have a job to do, remember?”

  His eyes widened with some surprise and she forced to brief smile to aid her reassurance.

  “So?” she said, tossing her head enough for her hair to find its place behind her shoulder. “Shall we get on with it?”

  Owen stared at her for a moment more before he quickly leaned in and brought his lips to hers.

  Lori gave a muffled cry of surprise before trying to push him back, her breath increasing from surprise. “What are you doing?”

  He didn’t answer but brought his hand to the back of her head to bring her close again. His other arm wrapped around her middle to press against him. Immediately, she could feel the hard excitement he had between their hips. It sent a bizarre fluttering sensation through her stomach.

  She struggled for a moment, even as his lips continued to move against hers. She felt the strength in her hands begin to fade and instead move to her fingers where they tightened on his shirt. His hand moved down to squeeze her butt without any subtly, earning a muffled squeak from her as his other hand moved down to lift her thigh. Lori broke away for air and felt herself get lifted off the tile floor, and sat on the countertop.

  Owen came closer until he stood between her legs and claimed her mouth again as one hand moved up her stomach to squeeze her breast. The idea of such actions might have disgusted her, but feeling it now just felt hot.

  Lori couldn’t help but realize how well she fit into his hand. His thumb rolled over her covered nipple as she moaned into him. Her thighs gripped his waist as his other hand slid up her outer thigh. His hands left a trail of heat behind every part of her he touched. He was dominant in the way he kissed her and moved her so she fit snuggly against his body with room for his hands to continue exploring her. This kiss was powered by lust and need, and she tried to give him the same in return. All her frustration and emotion balled up into the outlet that was the man who ravished her.

  She kissed him back with excitement of her own and felt his tongue come into play. She opened her eyes, hoping to see the anticipation on his face, but what she saw was…

  Oliver.

  She gasped a little, which he must have mistook for arousal, because his hand moved to his belt. “Wait, wait,” she said breathlessly as his lips attacked her neck. “Owen, stop!”

  “What?” he asked gruffly, pulling back to look at her.

  “What about…” her eyes moved to the door, “the realtors?”

  “Never mind them,” he said, kicking the door closed with his foot. He went for her mouth again.

  “But they’ll hear us,” she said between kisses.

  “God, I hope so,” he said huskily, grabbing her sides with both hands.

  She wrapped her arms around his neck, her body just as anxious for this. But as she felt his hands move up her thighs and under her skirt, her brain wouldn’t stop shouting at her. This wasn’t right even if he did give her body something it needed. This wasn’t her first choice. No matter how sexy it might be now, she knew she would regret this later when she saw Oliver again. He had been there first. He had been kind to her and seemed like he wanted to be close to her as bad as she had to him.

  Owen ran his tongue along her neck and began to work at bringing her panties down. She winced a little at the internal struggle she was having. She really wanted this, she wanted to feel what Owen could do to her. But in the end, she was sure it was just lust, and that she would regret her decision to choose him over his brother.

  “Damn it,” she said under her breath. She put her hand over his to stop him. “We can’t do this.”

  “Why not?” he asked, looking her in the eye again. He was visibly irritated.

  “Because of your brother,” she said pointedly, forcing herself not to look away as realization crossed his face.

  He looked at her like he was trying to think of a comeback through his hazy thinking, but ultimately glared at her like he’d been betrayed. All at once, he let go of her and yanked the bathroom door open, causing it to slam against the wall. Lori closed her legs and tucked her hair behind her ear uneasily. She didn’t like how she was feeling now.

  The realtors were quickly dismissed, which Lori felt sure would cause problems later. But more than anything, she felt bad about the car ride. Owen got there first and told the driver to take Bennett back to the office before he began walking down the street on his own. Lori thought about going after him, but after the driver kindly invited her to the car, she decided to give him his space.

  She spent the whole ride quietly going over everything in her head, wondering what it was she was doing and what it was that she wanted. And what was the right thing to do here?

  Once she got to the office, her feet took control and brought her to Oliver’s office before she was sure what she was doing. She opened the door without knocking, pleased to see that he was there and he was alone. He looked up at her with some surprise, then concern as she shut the door behind her. She looked miserable.

  “What’s the matter?” he asked.

  Lori knew the knot in her throat wouldn’t let her answer even if she did have the words. She walked over to the couch where he sat and looked down at him, determined not to cry again. It was bad enough she’d cried in front of Owen. And that thought made her realize just how much these two looked alike. No wonder she felt confused. Somewhere deep down she knew that they were individual people with unique traits that distinguished them, but now she just needed to feel sure.

  “Oliver…” she
murmured.

  “What happened?” he asked. “Why aren’t you with Owen?”

  Owen. She wanted to forget the way Owen had made her body react to him. She needed to forget about that. For the moment, she just wanted to be consumed by Oliver.

  Lori leaned down and took his face in her hands, bringing their lips together. A sense of urgency overtook her before she realized it and her kisses became more intense. He was her remedy, and she needed the fix being with him could provide.

  Oliver made a muffled sound and tried to get her to stop for a moment. “Bennett, talk to me. What’s going on?”

  “Don’t,” she pleaded, caressing his face with both hands. “Please don’t.” She climbed onto his lap and claimed his mouth again. He didn’t pull away as she deepened the kiss. Her fingers immediately began working on the buttons of his shirt, and she felt his hands on her, though not in the most inviting way. Although he didn’t stop kissing her, she could sense the hesitation lingering in him and the tension of his body under hers.

  Afraid he might try to stop her again, she rolled her hips to grind over his and wrapped an arm behind his shoulders to hold him tightly against her. Once in her grasp, she kissed him with all the emotion that was welled up inside of her. When she felt him reciprocating, she began to grind herself against the swelling bulge in his trousers purposefully. She circled her hips around him to create more intense stimulation, but it wasn’t enough. She had to get skin on skin.

  “God,” he said breathlessly when she finally broke away. She tugged his shirt off his shoulders, careful not to put too much pressure on the injured one, and marveled at his finely-toned chest before trailing kisses over his exposed skin. She moved back up to his mouth and outlined his lips with her tongue. When she got to the bottom lip, she sucked on it and circled it with her tongue. She sat back on his lap and with one quick movement, she tugged her own blouse off, over her head.

  Oliver’s eyes immediately fell on her lacy bra and the eager movement of her chest with each riled breath. He looked back up at her as she put her hands to the back of the couch and leaned over him. His eyes seemed darker than before, and she got off on the way they looked at her with unspoken desire.