Page 24 of The Boss (Straight Men #2)

The second day of the conference unfolded in a seamless rhythm—back-to-back presentations, handshakes, strategy discussions over coffee, the constant hum of money and ambition filling the ballroom. Chris kept up well, his sharp mind soaking in every lesson I offered, his natural charm glossing over any gaps in experience. I could see the confidence settling into him, the way he squared his shoulders when introducing himself, the way his eyes sparkled with understanding when I broke down the nuances of a negotiation.

It was fucking sexy.

More than once, I caught myself watching him when I should have been listening to a keynote speaker. The way he pressed his lips together in concentration, the occasional flick of his tongue against his lower lip. The way his fingers tapped absently against his notepad, long and elegant, the same fingers that had clutched at my back last night, dug into my arms as I—

I let out a slow breath, forcing my focus back to the discussion at hand.

At intermission, Chris excused himself to find the restroom, and I made my way to the bar at the edge of the ballroom, in desperate need of a whiskey to take the edge off. The bartender had just slid my drink across the counter when I heard someone call my name.

“Isaac Steele.” I turned to find Kurt Spencer approaching with his usual smirk, his gaze sweeping over me like he was sizing me up. “So it was you. I’d come to say hi yesterday, but I thought you were one of the security guys.”

I took a slow sip of my whiskey before acknowledging him. “Spencer.” He hadn’t changed. Still lean, blond, sharp-featured, wearing his self-satisfaction like expensive cologne. He enjoyed getting under people’s skin, stirring the pot just to watch the ripples. “So they finally invited you here?” I asked coolly.

He tried to mask it, but my taunt hit its mark. “I’m not exactly small-time these days.” He motioned loosely toward the ballroom, where the logos of a dozen rival companies flashed across the screen. “Apex Solutions is the number one tech company in Concord. We’re making waves.”

We exchanged the usual pleasantries and work-related news—expansion plans, industry trends, a few thinly veiled jabs at each other’s companies. The same game as always. Kurt and I had never been close, but we’d crossed paths enough in the industry to keep up the facade of professional respect.

“Melissa couldn’t come?” he asked after a moment, swirling the last of his drink.

“She had a baby recently,” I said. “She’s on maternity leave for the next year.”

Kurt’s eyebrows shot up. “A year? Paid?”

I took a slow sip of whiskey. “Of course.”

He let out a sharp laugh, shaking his head. “Christ, Steele. No wonder you’re bleeding money. A year of fully paid leave for a mid-level exec? That’s charity work, not business.”

I set my glass down deliberately. “It’s called investing in talent, Spencer. The kind of talent you clearly can’t afford to lose.”

He scoffed. “Please. You think she’s coming back after a year of free money? She’ll take the payout and leave you hanging.”

“No, she won’t,” I said flatly. “Because she knows she’s valued. She’s not just a cog in a machine.”

Kurt’s smirk didn’t waver, but there was a glint in his eyes, like he was enjoying watching me dig in my heels. “That’s a cute little philosophy, but let’s be real. People don’t stay loyal to a company because you treat them ‘humanely.’ They stay because they need the paycheck. Period. You start handing out year-long vacations, and you’ll be bankrupt before the next fiscal quarter.”

I leaned in slightly, enough that he had to tilt his chin up to meet my gaze. “And yet, Nova Systems is still leading in three markets, with the highest retention rate in the industry. Strange how that works, isn’t it?”

Kurt’s smirk faltered for half a second before he covered it with a chuckle. “You’ve always had a soft streak. A little misplaced nobility. Thought you’d have outgrown it by now.”

I exhaled through my nose, my lips twisting. “And you’ve always been short-sighted. Someday, that will be your downfall.”

He only snorted, waving his hand dismissively. His interest in business ethics lasted all of five seconds before his gaze drifted past me, his attention already shifting. “So, who’s your new assistant? He seems so young.”

My jaw tightened. “Chris Landry. He’s got a bright future in the industry.”

“He’s got more than that, all right.” Kurt emptied his glass in one sip, eyes glinting. “Oh, come on, Steele. The boy is quite the looker. You’d have to be blind not to notice that firm, perky ass. And I’ve seen the way you act around him, how you can’t keep your hands off him.”

Something in my chest coiled tight. “What are you implying, Spencer?”

“I’m just saying, you’re lucky to have him.”

“He’s good at his job.”

“I bet he is.” Kurt chuckled. “So, you’re telling me he’s nothing more than a PA?”

It felt wrong to say it. To strip Chris down to just that when he was already so much more. But I wasn’t about to share the truth with the likes of Kurt Spencer. “That’s right.”

He smirked. “Well, then you won’t mind if I make a move, will you?”

The world snapped into a razor-sharp focus. I scarcely registered setting my drink down. One second, I was standing there, pretending to tolerate his presence, and the next, I had him shoved up against the wall beside the bar, my forearm pressing hard against his chest. The impact rattled the glasses behind the bar.

Kurt’s smirk vanished, his expression contorting into shock. “What the hell, Steele—”

“You stay away from him.” The words came out low, lethal. A promise of violence.

He lifted his hands in mock surrender, but the flicker of fear in his pale eyes shifted to something vicious. “Bit possessive, aren’t we? Thought he was just your PA.”

My grip on his collar tightened. “If you so much as look at him the wrong way,” I said, my voice little more than a growl, dark and venomous, “I will make sure you regret it.”

Kurt wasn’t small, but I dwarfed him. We were hidden by a column next to the bar, obscured from view, but all it would take was one wrong move from him—one more word—and I’d have him flat on his back, breathless, regretting every syllable. And he fucking knew it. I could see it in the way he swallowed, the way his throat bobbed under my fingers.

“All right, calm down. Message received,” he said with a shaky breath.

I released him with a sharp shove, barely resisting the urge to throw a punch.

He straightened his rumpled shirt, exhaling like he’d just walked away from a loaded gun. His smirk returned, but it was edged with something warier now. “Say hi to Chantelle for me,” he said smoothly, and then he was gone, vanishing back into the crowd.

I exhaled, rolling my shoulders, willing the fury to drain from my limbs. Around me, the murmur of the conference continued as if nothing had happened, oblivious to the storm of violence barely contained in my fists. That’s when I noticed Chris walking up to me.

He frowned, glancing between me and the direction Kurt had gone. “What was that about?”

I shook my head. “Nothing. Just an old rivalry.”

He didn’t look convinced, but I wasn’t offering more than that. Instead, I reached out instinctively, resting my hand against the back of his neck, my fingers brushing the warm skin beneath his collar. Grounding myself. Claiming.

Mine .

Chris stilled, his lips parting slightly, his eyes flicking up to mine. He didn’t pull away. He didn’t say anything, either. Simply let me guide him back toward the ballroom. Back to the world where none of this—my jealousy, my possessiveness, my inability to let him go—was supposed to exist.

* * *

By the time we made it back to my room, I could hardly keep myself from humping him. The door had barely shut before I had him against it, my mouth crashing down on his, all the tension, the jealousy, the unchecked hunger of the entire day boiling over. His hands were in my hair, gripping tight, his body arching into mine like he needed this just as badly.

“Bed,” I growled against his lips, but he was already pushing at my suit jacket, yanking my shirt loose.

We stumbled backward, stripping as we went, leaving a careless trail of clothing behind us. By the time we reached the bed, I had him naked, flushed, and hard, his lips swollen from my kisses, his pupils blown wide with need.

I didn’t waste time. I pushed him onto the mattress, rolled him onto his stomach, and gripped his ass, spreading his cheeks open. His skin was hot beneath my hands, his muscles flexing as he exhaled, already anticipating what was coming. I reached for the lube, drizzling it down his crack, watching as it glistened over his clenching hole. Another slick stroke over my cock, and I was ready—aching to be inside him, to feel him raw again, just like last night. I lined myself up and thrust in, a single, long, unrelenting stroke.

Chris gasped, his ass arching, fingers clawing at the sheets. “Zac—fuck!”

I was already moving, driven by the memory of how he’d looked all morning—so put together, so fucking professional while I sat there, barely restraining the urge to drag him away and maul him. Now, I could. And I did.

I drove into him, hard and deep, gripping his hips in a bruising hold as I fucked him into the mattress, until he was gasping, pleading, mindless with pleasure. Until his eyes rolled back into his head, his body trembling beneath me, clamping tight, his moans turning into broken cries as he came, spilling into the sheets.

I followed him seconds later, burying myself as deep as I could go, shooting inside him with a groan, inseminating him, my entire body shuddering from the force of it.

For a long moment, there was nothing but the sound of our ragged breathing, the slick heat of our bodies tangled together, the slow thrum of satisfaction settling into my bones. I rolled us onto our sides, still inside him, still holding him close.

Chris made a soft, contented sound, pressing his back against my chest. His body was warm and yielding against me, his breath deep and slow. I ran my hand down his abs, smoothing over the sweat-damp skin, anchoring myself in the feel of him—solid, real, mine .

“Think we made enough noise for the entire floor to hear?” he mumbled, voice drowsy, amused.

I smirked, pressing a lazy kiss to his temple. “Let them.”

He chuckled, but it faded into a sigh, his muscles loosening further as exhaustion took hold. “We still need to go out and grab something to eat.”

“Or, we can stay in, order room service, and spend the rest of the day fucking.”

A sleepy hum. “Mmm. I like your idea better.”

I held him as he drifted off, my own eyes growing heavy. Outside this room, the world kept turning, but I didn’t care. Right now, nothing existed but us. And for now, that was all I needed.