Page 8 of Falling for Them

“Hey, check them out,” I say.“Your ten o’clock.”

He scans the dancers until his gaze lands on the threesome.He grins.“You think they’re up to something?Because I do.”

I nod.That’s fucking hot—the two men are directing the woman exactly the way King and I like to do with our playmates.

King smiles.“Glad someone’s having fun.”

I look away from them, not wanting to make them self-conscious or worried about attracting attention.My focus comes to rest on a familiar face.“They aren’t the only ones.That looks like Joel, over there.”

“We’re getting too old for this place if we’re running into my kid,” King says, his smile disappearing.

“He’s cozy with his date.”

King’s head snaps up and he looks for Joel.“Where are they?”

“Right over by the bar,” I say.“Making out.”

“The fuck?”His eyes widen.

“What is it?”I ask.Joel’s kissing the redhead, but not doing anything else I think King would object to.

“That’s not his girlfriend,” King says.“I saw him with someone at work.What a little prick.I can’t believe I raised that kid.”

“That’s because you didn’t,” I say.“His mother got her claws into him and turned him against you early on.”

“It wasn’t that bad,” he grumbles.

It was, but if he wants to tell himself a different story about it, that’s fine with me, I guess.

“Well, maybe it’s just casual with the other woman,” I say.

“That’s not the impression I got,” King says, frowning in the direction of his son and the redhead.

“Or he’s just screwing around,” I say, “and everyone involved knows the deal.In which case, he’s not cheating.”

King looks thoughtful.And pissed off.But that’s his usual mien, so okay.

I try to check on the threesome who were dancing and possibly getting their woman off on the dance floor, but they’re gone now.Well, wherever they went, I’m sure they’re having a great time.Too bad King and I don’t have a little princess to pamper like those other two lucky fuckers have.

Ella

I like working Fridays and cleaning at Tyler Analytics, because Joel will usually stay even later and he and I have a longer dinner.My stomach rumbles.I worked at my second job at the pub during lunch, but that feels like a long time ago.

The first time I walk past Joel’s office, he’s on his phone and he doesn’t look up and see me.The second time I walk past, though, he stands up and gestures me in.As I step through the door, he quickly moves to the windows that face into the hallway.Frowning, he yanks the blinds closed.

Because wow, how terrible it would be for anyone to even see us speaking in here.

“Hey, I tried to call you last night,” I say.

“Oh, yeah.”He checks that the blinds are covering every last centimeter of glass.Sorry I missed you.I had to help a friend with something.”

That’s weirdly nonspecific.“Is everything okay?”

“Yeah, Brent’s just going through some stuff.”He tugs me to his side and kisses my cheek.“Come here, baby.”

I wrinkle my nose.“I don’t like it when you call me ‘baby.’”

“No?All right, I won’t, then.”He unbuckles his belt.