Chapter 27: Filthy Rich Bosses: Chapter 27

I can’t take it anymore. The tension in the room is suffocating, pressing down on my chest until I feel like I might explode. I shoot to my feet, my hands balled into fists at my sides.

‘That’s it,’ I huff, glaring at Grayson, Cole, and Chase in turn. ‘I’m out of here. You can’t sto me. And I’m not staying where I’m clearly not wanted.’

The words taste bitter on my tongue, but I force them out anyway. My heart is pounding so hard I wonder if they can hear it.

‘My contract is up,’ I continue, my voice rising. ‘Grayson offered a nice severance package, and I’m moving out. Today. That’s final.’

The silence that follows is deafening. I can hear the ticking of the antique clock on the mantle, counting down the seconds until I walk out of their lives for good.

Chase is the first to react. He leaps up, his hair flopping into his eyes. ‘What? No!’ he exclaims, his voice cracking. ‘Kitten, you can’t leave. You are wanted here. So much.’

His blue eyes, usually sparkling with mischief, are wide and panicked. He looks frantically at Grayson and Cole, silently pleading for backup.

‘Tell her,’ he urges them. ‘Tell her how much we want her to stay.’

I cross my arms over my chest, trying to armor myself against the hurt I know is coming. Because despite Chase’s words, despite the way my traitorous heart leaps at his declaration, I know better. I’ve learned the hard way not to trust, not to hope.

But a tiny part of me, the part I thought I’d buried long ago, can’t help but wonder. What if they do want me to stay? What if, for once in my life, I’ve found somewhere I truly belong?

I watch as Cole’s expression shifts from confusion to anger. His jaw clenches, and his eyes, usually a warm hazel, darken to almost black. He’s as still as a statue, his gaze locked on Grayson with an intensity that makes me shiver.

‘What severance?’ Cole finally speaks, his voice low with anger.

Grayson shakes his head, his piercing blue eyes flickering between Cole and me. The silence stretches, taut as a bowstring.

I can almost see the wheels turning in Cole’s head, his brooding nature giving way to something more volatile. Suddenly, he surges forward, closing the distance between him and Grayson in two long strides.

‘That isn’t what we talked about,’ Cole growls, his hands clenching into fists at his sides. ‘We came to an agreement and this wasn’t it.’

My heart races, and I can’t help but wonder what agreement they’re talking about. What have these men been discussing behind closed doors? And why do I feel like I’m at the center of it all?

‘Cole,’ I start, my voice barely above a whisper. But he doesn’t seem to hear me, his focus entirely on Grayson.

The tension in the room is palpable, and I find myself holding my breath, waiting for what comes next. Part of me wants to run, to escape this mess I’ve somehow found myself in. But another part, a stronger part, needs to know the truth.

I shift my gaze to Grayson, hoping for some explanation, but he’s not looking at Cole anymore. His eyes are fixed on me, intense and unreadable. That’s when I notice it—or rather, the absence of it. His wedding ring. The band that’s been a constant fixture on his left hand is gone.

My breath catches in my throat. ‘Your ring,’ I whisper, unable to stop myself.

Grayson’s jaw tightens, but he doesn’t look away. ‘Tessa,’ he starts, his voice low and husky.

I shake my head, cutting him off. It doesn’t matter. Even if he is ready to move on, it won’t be with me. I’m just the animal rescuer turned trainer who’s caused nothing but trouble since I arrived. I push myself up from the couch, ready to make my exit.

‘I should go,’ I mutter, but before I can take a step, Chase is there, dropping to his knees in front of me.

‘Don’t,’ he pleads, his usual carefree demeanor replaced by an earnestness I’ve never seen before. ‘You’re wanted here, Kitten. So very much wanted. Please. Please don’t go.’

I blink, thrown off balance by the raw emotion in his voice. ‘Chase, I—’

‘Let me show you,’ he interrupts, his green eyes searching mine. ‘Please, let me show you how much we want you here.’

My heart thunders in my chest, and I’m acutely aware of Grayson’s gaze still burning into me. This is dangerous territory, and every instinct screams at me to run. But Chase’s words have cracked something open inside me, and I find myself frozen, caught between fear and a longing I’ve denied for far too long.

I glance toward Grayson and Cole. Their heated argument is now in full swing. Grayson’s face is flushed, his usual composure slipping as he gesticulates wildly. Cole stands rigid, his jaw clenched tight enough to crack teeth.

‘Hey,’ Chase murmurs, gently cupping my face and turning it back to him. ‘Look at me, Tess.’

His lips crash into mine before I can respond, stealing my breath and scattering my thoughts. It’s not gentle or hesitant, but hungry and demanding. My body responds instinctively, melting into him as my eyes flutter closed.

I shouldn’t be doing this, I think hazily. But God, it feels so good.

Chase’s hands slide down to my waist, his fingers nimbly working at the button of my jeans. He rises up on his knees, pressing closer as he deepens the kiss. I gasp against his mouth as his hand slips beneath the waistband of my panties, his touch electric on my heated skin.

‘Chase,’ I breathe, torn between pushing him away and pulling him closer. ‘We can’t—I don’t—’

‘No,’ he growls, nipping at my bottom lip. ‘You’re mine. Ours.’

His fingers find their target, and I can’t hold back the moan that escapes me. My hips buck involuntarily, chasing his touch as the world narrows down to just this moment, just this feeling.

A sound escapes me—half gasp, half moan—and I’m not sure if it’s born of pleasure or protest. My mind is hazy, caught between the sensations Chase is eliciting and the knowledge that we’re not alone, that we shouldn’t be doing this.

The room suddenly goes silent. The heated argument between Grayson and Cole cuts off abruptly, and I can feel their eyes on us. My cheeks burn with embarrassment, but Chase doesn’t stop. If anything, he becomes more insistent, his fingers moving with practiced skill.

‘Chase,’ I whisper, my voice trembling.

He pulls back just enough to meet my gaze, his eyes dark with desire. ‘Kitten,’ he says, his voice low and husky. ‘Let them see how beautiful you are when you come undone.’

I risk a glance toward Grayson and Cole. Grayson’s face is a mask of shock, his blue eyes wide and his mouth slightly agape. Cole, on the other hand, looks like a statue carved from stone, his expression unreadable.

‘I—I can’t,’ I stammer, torn between desire and mortification. ‘Not like this.’

Chase’s movements slow, but don’t stop entirely. ‘Why not?’ he asks, his breath hot against my ear. ‘Don’t you want them to see how much you’re wanted? How much you’re desired?’

My body screams yes, but my mind hesitates. I close my eyes, trying to gather my scattered thoughts. ‘It’s not that simple,’ I manage to say.

‘It can be,’ Chase insists, his thumb circling in a way that makes me shudder. ‘If you want it to be.’