Page 6

Silas

The noise in the kitchen was deafening as Silas’s brothers competed to be heard over each other. He had forgotten how irritating it was before he’d had his first cup of coffee. “Can’t you lot shut the fuck up for five minutes?” he groused, shoving past Laken to get to the coffee pot.

He cursed loudly at finding the thing empty, his gaze dropping to Laken’s mug of black coffee.

“Touch it and I’ll break your hand,” Laken threatened. He lifted the mug to his lips, inhaled, and gave Silas an evil grin before he sipped and groaned for effect.

“Why are you making sex noises?” Kodi asked around a mouthful of food. He was leaning against the counter, out of the way, eating what looked like fruit and yogurt.

“How do you know what his sex noises are?” Booker fired at Kodi, making choking noises.

“I heard him making out with Lewis behind the bleachers in his freshman year.”

Laken sprayed his mouthful of coffee over the floor and Kodi’s shirt sleeve, who was stupid enough to have stepped closer to Laken.

Silas chuckled at how miffed Laken looked, along with Kodi. Karma never missed.

“You asshole, you sprayed me in coffee,” Kodi snapped, chin thrust forward, the temper sizzling in his eyes.

Kari laid a restraining hand on Kodi’s arm, halting his forward motion.

“That’s what you get for fucking spying on me,” Laken muttered crossly, glowering at Kodi.

“Children, do I have to get your dad?” Popi questioned, in a tone that suggested he was deadly serious, as he busied himself at the cooker making pancakes.

“It wasn’t me,” Silas murmured while brushing his lips over Popi’s cheek.

“Suck up,” Booker chuckled on his way to the sink, where he placed his dirty mug.

Fucker had gotten his coffee and hadn’t bothered to save Silas one. “Selfish asshole,” Silas fired back.

Booker, on his way to the door, paused and glanced back at Silas. “What the fuck you say that for? How am I selfish?”

Silas pointed at the empty coffee pot, not feeling he needed to say more.

Laken slapped Silas on the shoulder, seemingly unconcerned about the mess on the floor or that Kodi was still glaring at him. “Snooze you lose in this house. Or have you forgotten?”

It was hard to resist punching the fucker in the face when it reminded Silas of why he was late down. He’d slept for shit over a certain tattooed snake, resulting in him oversleeping. “Fuck off!”

He stomped out of the kitchen, past Booker, to the sounds of his brothers laughing and Rue calling out, “Some things never change. Silas was never a morning person.”

“How did I end up with this bunch of fucking idiots?” he muttered, dragging on the suit jacket he’d left on the side in the hallway, along with his laptop, when he’d come downstairs.

“Just lucky, I suppose.”

He didn’t jerk at the sound of Booker right behind him, who he’d not heard follow, but it was a close call.

“You taking your car?” Silas asked instead of giving a reply.

“Yep, wanna lift?”

Silas nodded and followed Booker out of the house moments later, after he’d grabbed his own laptop and car keys.

Out of the drive Silas waited a beat, then said, “Go through the drive through coffee place on Harden avenue.”

“Bossy fucking much?” The grumbled response and Booker complying with his request were both just as Silas had expected. “I suppose that’s why you wanted a fucking lift. How to make me feel used.” He glanced sideways, briefly giving Silas a ‘woe is me’ expression.

Silas shook his head, aiming a ‘are you fucking kidding me right now’ look right back at him.

Booker’s rumbly laughter drowned out the radio. “I missed this.”

“Me too,” Silas admitted, grinning at his brother.

Booker had been his best friend before they’d become brothers. His defender. His person. Should I mention about the coincidence?

He hesitated and debated with himself. Before he could decide, Booker pulled to a stop at the window of the empty drive through. “Want a large black?”

“Yeah, but make it the extra-large.”

Booker relayed the order, getting himself a hot chocolate, causing Silas to chuckle. “You and your damn sweet tooth. You never did grow out of it.”

“It’s Popi’s fault for feeding me hot chocolate late at night after…” Booker lost the jovial smile, his lips thinning.

“I’m gonna tell Popi you’re casting the blame on him,” Silas said, knowing exactly how to switch the topic to stop Booker from brooding. His nightmares had kept Silas up some nights, listening to his cries of pain and terror.

They had talked to death about what had occurred the night that Silas had gotten beaten badly and Booker had lost his family for protecting not only him, but Popi too.

“You do that and I’m gonna squeal about the time you brought back that stupid twat with the nose piercing who wanted to make out on Dad and Popi’s bed.”

Silas’s jaw dropped open as the lady in the window said, “here you go,” while not looking at Booker, but at him with wide eyes and red cheeks.

“You’re a fucking asshole,” he muttered, only loud enough for Booker to hear.

“You already said that,” Booker replied, giving him a big toothy grin while handing him the tray of drinks.

“Okay, how ‘bout I drink your hot chocolate while you’re driving,” he smirked, bringing the drink to his lips.

“You dare!”

Booker put his foot hard on the accelerator and they shot forward, meaning Silas had to take evasive action to avoid wearing Booker’s drink.

“Honestly, I would have thought you’d have grown out of acting like this?” he said in all seriousness, then caught Booker’s wide grin and burst out laughing. It was a good feeling. The continuity soothed his soul.

“Why would I grow out of it when it’s so much fun?”

He laughed all the way into the office, right up until he saw Ziggy sat in front of his desk, smelling sublime and looking good enough to eat.

Fuck a damn duck!

“What are you doing in my office?” he growled through clenched teeth, hating how the scent in the room warmed his blood as he walked to his desk and not so gently plonked his laptop case down.

Ziggy didn’t so much as look remorseful as he lounged—lounged, for fuck sake—back in the seat like he had every right to be in Silas’ office.

“Waiting for our nine o’clock meeting that you requested I be here sharply for, to run through the different manufacturing companies I need to familiarize myself with,” he said softly, in the honey coated voice that made everything inside Silas hot and tight.

Mother-damn-fucker! He’d forgotten he’d gotten his secretary to set up this meeting. Silas wasn’t sure who he wanted to blame, but the man sat in his office was far too easy a target.

He glowered at Ziggy.“I didn’t invite you into my office.” He folded his arms over his chest defensively, his suit jacket feeling constrictive.

Ziggy rose in a fluid move, the sleeves of his rolled-up shirt revealing several tattoos that moved with the sinews as he tucked his iPad under his arm.

His fingers going to his brow in a salute, he walked wordlessly out of the office, carefully closing the door.

A second later, there was a gentle knock on the door.

Silas ground his teeth together while his jaw bunched in frustration.

His wolf howled with laughter. He’s fun.

No, he’s fucking not. He’s a damn menace.

In the best possible way. It’s been too long since you cut loose.

Cut loose? Who has fucking time in their day for that?

The second knock caused a flood of embarrassment at how Ziggy could perceive his behavior.

“Get your ass in here,” he shouted, grabbing his seat and yanking it out. Feeling far too hot, he ripped off his suit jacket. He flung it onto the back of his seat, doing his utmost not to think about the man who returned to the seat he’d vacated less than two minutes ago.

Ziggy sat, iPad in hand, wearing a smile that gave Silas no clue what was on his mind or what he thought about this whole damn situation.

Silas took a deep breath through his mouth, not stupid enough to breathe in Ziggy’s fresh smell. He reached for his laptop case, congratulating himself on his hands being steady, and got his laptop out. He used the time to compose himself, if that was at all possible when he wanted to…

“Would a coffee help? I could make you one if you like?”

Jerking his head up, he met those pale eyes that were far too captivating and lost his train of thought.

“What?” he asked, blinking slowly, doing his best to get his remaining brain cells in the right damn order.

“Coffee. Would you like me to get you one?” Ziggy asked softly, his lips curving into a slow, sexy smile that hit all the right places for Silas.

He glanced over to where his office coffee machine was. His secretary set it up first thing, and then if Silas needed more, he’d do it himself. At the lack of coffee, he frowned.

“It’s not your job to make me coffee,” was all he could think to say with his brain on the fritz.

“Maybe not, but I don’t mind.” Ziggy rose once more with no prompting, placing his iPad in his seat.

Silas would like to say he had the willpower to resist letting his gaze drop to the round bouncy ass in black slacks that the woolen vest Ziggy wore over his shirt didn’t quite hide.

His mouth dried at how he recalled it covered in silk, or the peak he’d caught three days earlier. Was he wearing lingerie now?

His skin burned at how vivid his memory was of how good Ziggy had looked wearing the scraps of silk while riding him. He groaned in distress, burying his head in his hands. What happened to his ability to walk away from the omegas he fucked at Hidden Desires without a backward glance?

He didn’t need to reassure himself this hadn’t happened before, because he fucking knew he’d never reacted this way. And never in front of the other employees he’d worked with.

They never rode your cock or used that amazing, forked tongue to—

Don’t you fucking dare!

The snarl was out of his mouth before he could stop it, his groin tightened with the need pooling in his lower body.

His nipples budded and the feel of his shirt brushing against the sensitive flesh was too much—and not what he wanted.

To all that was fucking holy, he wanted Ziggy’s mouth. The hot, intense suction…

A choked cough brought his head out of his hands to reveal his flushed face to the man whose nose wrinkled. “I’m not sure what you’re thinking about, but the smell in here is making my snake hard to control.”

Alarm came from him and delight came from his wolf side. “How so?” he croaked out of a dry mouth.

“Now he’s gotten your scent, he’s…” his arms moved at his sides like he was struggling to find what he wanted to say.

“He’s?” Silas persisted, since he’d lost his damn mind.

“He’s… interested in you.”

It wasn’t quite what Silas had expected Ziggy to say and disappointment came for some reason he didn’t dwell on. “Oh.”

A dirty laugh came from the man scratching at the side of his beard, eyes dancing with merriment. “He’s wanting a proper introduction.”

Silas’ stomach rolled, his body thrumming at what that meant. “Are you always so forward?” came out of his mouth before he could consider the ramifications.

Not so much as a blush appeared as Ziggy held his gaze.

It seemed for now the coffee was forgotten as he came back to the desk.

He placed his hands down on the wood, coming forward, close enough that Silas could scent mint on his breath.

“When we want something, yes. What happened at Hidden Desires…”

“Yes?” Silas’s ears pounded from how fast his pulse beat, waiting for Ziggy to continue.

Was he going to suggest a repeat? Fucking again really shouldn’t happen. They were work colleagues and Silas made it a strict rule, after all of Jupiter’s drama’s with those he randomly fucked, to never fuck a colleague.

You already broke that rule.

I didn’t know!

“Was hot. So hot, I can’t stop thinking about it.” Ziggy’s hand moved to adjust his junk right in front of Silas’s eyeline, making sure he noticed the bulge.

“Do you wear the lingerie… to work?” Silas decided he had lost his goddamn mind when he spouted out exactly what was in his head, spurred on by how forward Ziggy was being.

He never took his gaze from Ziggy’s hand, holding his breath as the air was thick with their combined lust.

“I do.”

The sound of Silas’ gulp was the only one in the room as he lifted his gaze to meet Ziggy’s. “Show me?”