Chapter One
Charles
I’d been sitting in a meeting with Declan and a few members of the board, thinking about my plans for tonight when my phone buzzed. It wasn’t really my fault I looked. The meeting was in session for two hours, and my brain had had enough. I’d stopped paying attention about half an hour ago, and I blamed it all on August.
He’d kept me up late last night, and the sun was rising when I’d hauled ass home. Now here he was distracting me again.
I glanced up. Everyone else was engrossed in whatever Declan was saying. I carefully swiped my phone from the table and into my lap, sitting back in my chair so I could see the screen.
I felt like a kid in high school, trying not to get caught texting in class. It was in moments like these that the forbidden felt exciting instead of something I should dread. So far, we’d lasted one whole week having an affair, but the potential scandal should we be discovered was never too far from my mind.
Auggie: Hey, checking up on you. How’s my favorite pet doing?
Silly name. Yet I got all warm and fuzzy inside whenever he referred to me as his pet.
Charles: In a meeting. It’s quite boring. Are you going to keep me entertained?
Auggie: I shouldn’t distract you.
He really shouldn’t. Technically our relationship should be confined to his bed. Well, it could extend anywhere in his house. I wouldn’t mind sex in the kitchen, and we’d already done it on the couch. Twice. But we had agreed our affair shouldn’t overlap with our personal and work lives.
So much for the latter.
Charles: Please, do. Or I’m going to fall asleep, and that’s even worse.
I double-texted him before he could respond.
Charles: What are you doing?
August: I’m installing a cupboard inside my man cave. Want to see?
Charles: Yes.
I’d give anything for a peek in his man cave, but whenever I asked him to show me, he never did. He always kissed me or did something to distract me. Maybe I could finally find out what the huge secret was with that room.
A few minutes passed, and when he didn’t respond, I left the phone in my lap and returned my attention to Declan. He was arguing with one of the board members who wanted to sell off some stocks in the company while Declan was trying to convince him that it was way too early.
“I’d trust Declan’s word about that stock,” I said when both men paused.
I needed to contribute something other than stifled yawns to this meeting. These used to excite me in the past, but I couldn’t stop thinking about life outside these nine hours.
The baby. August. Everything else seemed to pale in comparison.
“Of course, you’re going to say that,” another board member mumbled, and I glared at him.
“Are you saying you disagree with Declan that selling the stocks right now will be in the best interest of the company? We’d get way more for them if we wait until it matures.”
No one contradicted my statement; they knew it was true. I didn’t just side with Declan because he was my son. He had a good head for business, and while my passion might be waning for the company, his had increased.
He gave me a grateful look for backing him, and I felt conflicted. Like I was betraying him. I was sleeping with his stepson. If that wasn’t bad enough, I had signed that agreement with Poppy on how to divide up my shares when I died.
I should eventually come clean with Declan and tell him all about that, but things between us had improved a lot over the past month. I didn’t want to return to the relationship of mistrust, miscommunication, and unreliability we had before.
Then end things with August before it gets even deeper.
My phone vibrated on my leg, and I jerked up, almost dropping the phone. Eyes peered at me around the table.
“Sorry, leg cramp,” I lied.
“As I was saying.” Declan pulled back their attention to him.
I cursed beneath my breath, and the first thing I did was to change the ring volume from vibrate to silent. That done, I tapped his name to open the message.
“Holy shit!”
The word burst from me as I stared at the photo August had sent me. I’d asked for a distraction, and he’d delivered. He must’ve taken so long to return my message because he was priming for this picture. August was dressed in…a utility belt. Otherwise, he was gloriously naked.
Long and hard, his cock jutted upward to his belly, making my mouth water.
“Charles, is something wrong?”
I tore my eyes away from the phone. Declan managed to look both puzzled and frustrated.
“I’m sorry.” I swallowed hard and shifted in my chair at the uncomfortableness in my groin. It was rather difficult to be serious when I couldn’t get a naked August from my mind.
I’d never thought he would do something like this. It seemed more like what his twin would do. And even though everyone at the table was staring at me as if I was insane, I had to fight the urge to leave.
Holy shit! I was forty-eight and only now had gotten my first dick pic.
“I think this is the point where we wrap this meeting up,” Declan declared, gathering all his papers and sliding them neatly back into the folder. “Does anyone object?”
No one did, thank fuck. We’d been at this since eleven, and I could do with a lunch break. Hmm, how long would it take to drive by August’s for a nooner? I’d skip lunch for the sex. It was so worth it.
“Charles, can I see you in my office in five?” Declan asked.
There goes that plan.
“Sure thing.”
I waited until everyone filed out of the office, then returned to mine. I closed the door and locked it behind me as I dialed August’s phone.
“Hey, what’s up?”
“Are you still naked?”
He laughed, the sound sending a tingling down my spine. This was possibly the best affair I’d ever had, and I’d had quite a number of them, both short and long term.
“No, my dad’s here,” he replied, his voice lowering. “Almost walked in on me naked wearing a utility belt. Some explanation I’d have to come up with.”
“Anything but the truth.”
Even the slightest thought of Owen finding out about us made me feel sick. The first person he would corner about his discovery would be his husband. My son. That wasn’t a conversation I was looking forward to having.
The aim was to have it…well, never.
“So you’d rather he thinks I’m crazy instead of sexting you?”
“Is that what you were doing?” I asked, neatly avoiding his question. He already knew where I stood when it came to us sleeping together. It was our secret never to be shared with anyone.
If I couldn’t be responsible and refrain from sleeping with him, I could do the next best thing. Fake it like hell that nothing was going on. And so far, so good. Although we hadn’t been put to the test yet. I was still dreading the first instance of us all being in one location.
“You know damn well what I’m doing.”
“I was planning to come over now while I’m on lunch,” I told him.
“Yeah, probably not a good idea with Dad here.”
“Is that Oscar?” Owen asked in the background. “Ask him when he’s coming to visit.”