Chapter 168: Not fair.
Theresa.
A soft, electronic chime echoed through the small space as the silver elevator doors glided open, revealing the brightly lit hallway of the top floor.
I slowly lifted my head from the warm center of Lugard’s chest, stepping away to smooth down my clothes.
I turned and walked out onto the plush carpet of the corridor, but I had barely managed to take three steps before a warm grip wrapped tightly around my fingers. With a quick, smooth tug, Lugard spun my body around until I was facing him all over again.
"Theresa," he murmured, his voice dropping to a low, velvety whisper. His throat bobbed as he swallowed hard, his dark eyes widening with a soft, desperate look. "Can we please just go to my office instead?"
The sheer intensity burning in his gaze sent a sudden shiver down my spine. The way his eyes locked onto my lips told me everything I needed to know; if I walked into his room right now, he was fully prepared to completely devour me.
I brought my hands up, pressing my palms flat against the firm muscles of his chest. I applied a small amount of pressure, intending to push his heavy frame backward to create some space between us. Instead, his large hands shot down to my waist, his fingers digging into my hips as he easily pulled my body right back against his.
"Don’t say no to me, Theresa," he whispered, leaning his head down until his lips were brushing the sensitive shell of my ear, as his hot, rapid breath hit against my bare skin, making my goosebumps flare up instantly. "Leonard is a total workaholic. I am completely sure he buried his face in those folders and doesn’t even realize you left the office yet."
A slow, amused smile tugged at the corners of my lips as I looked up at him. Lugard was truly something else; he was always the type of man to use every trick in the book to ensure he got things exactly his own way.
"Lugard, I actually have plenty of my own work to do today, too," I said, stopping for a brief second to let him hear the reason in my voice. "And those documents really need to be attended to before the day ends."
But Lugard wasn’t paying a single bit of attention to my words. Instead of replying, he tilted his chin down and pressed his lips to the side of my neck, his teeth gently catching my skin in a slow, deliberate bite.
Before my brain could even process what he was doing, he began tracing a trail of warm, feather-light kisses all along my neckline.
My eyelids grew heavy and closed on their own, my fingers automatically curling tight around the fabric of his button-down shirt just to keep myself steady.
’Damn it,’ I thought to myself, my heart hammering wildly against my ribs. ’These triplets really aren’t about to give me a single moment of peace today.’
Lugard slowly dragged his lips upward from my neck, his hot breath brushing my chin before he claimed my mouth all over again.
This time, there was no hesitation. His kiss was completely possessive, his tongue moving with a rapid, burning urgency as it parted my lips and searched the inner warmth of my mouth.
The heat of his touch sparked something inside me, and I wrapped my arms tightly around his neck.
I kissed him back with that exact same wild intensity, my mind spinning so fast that I completely forgot our surroundings. I lost all track of time, totally forgetting that we were standing out in the open, just a few feet away from the main corridor where anyone could walk by.
"Theresa!"
Leonard’s sharp, booming voice sliced through the air and echoed loudly inside my head.
At first, I was so deeply lost in the haze of Lugard’s kiss that I thought my mind was just playing tricks on me. I assumed I was hallucinating the sound, but the illusion shattered instantly as a strong pair of hands suddenly wrapped around my waist and violently pulled me away from Lugard’s embrace.
"These are official work hours, Lugard," Leonard said, his voice dropping into a firm, icy tone that left absolutely no room for debate. He stood tall between us, his shoulders tense as he adjusted his cuffs. "And I happen to need Theresa to help me with something extremely urgent right now."
Without giving Lugard even a single second to open his mouth or protest, Leonard gripped my wrist firmly. He marched me down the hallway, dragging me right along with him as we headed straight back into his spacious office.
He didn’t stop at the entrance. He led me directly into the quiet, inner room, his steps quick and deliberate. The moment the door clicked shut behind us, he turned me around in one swift motion and lifted me up, placing me right onto the edge of the smooth, mahogany desk.
Before I could even slide off, he stepped into my space and slammed both of his palms flat onto the wood on either side of my thighs, completely trapping me between his arms.
"If you wanted to be kissed so badly, Theresa..." Leonard began, his voice low as he suddenly paused, letting the heavy words hang in the space between us. He drew in a deep, ragged breath, his chest expanding as his dark eyes stared deep and unblinking into mine. "You could have just informed me. I am your mate too!"
I sat there completely speechless, my mouth slightly open. My mind went entirely blank, and I really did not know how to respond to the fierce emotion rolling off him. What in the world was wrong with these three brothers?
"Look, Leo—" I started, raising my hands to place them on his shoulders.
But the words died in my throat. Leonard lunged forward and claimed my lips hungrily, his mouth crashing down on mine with a desperate force.
The sudden shock of it made my spine curve, and I tilted my head backward, my balance slipping as I almost fell flat onto the top of the desk. Sensing my movement, Leonard’s firm, heavy hand shot behind my spine, gripping my back tightly to stabilize me against him.
"You aren’t being fair to me!" Leonard growled against my lips, before he deepened the kiss even further, pressing his body flush against mine.
My mind whirled in confusion as the room spun around us.
How exactly was I not being fair?