Chapter 20

The days flew by faster than expected, and by Wednesday morning, I found myself anxious about submitting my report. Devin hadn't visited since that night run, and on the few occasions Ara stopped by, he explained his caution was necessary to prevent Carl from detecting my scent on him. The secrecy was beginning to wear on me.

I was half-tempted to tell Carl directly about his brother and me. My mounting sexual frustration was affecting my concentration, and if my report received anything less than perfect marks, I would absolutely lose it. Focusing on work had become nearly impossible.

"Good morning, Lina," Baron Clark greeted me with a smile as I entered the conference room. Young for an executive, he was admired by the female staff with his tall physique, striking black hair, and captivating gray eyes. Attractive, certainly, but he didn't compare to Ara, Devin, Barry, or even Carl, whose presence commanded a room in ways Baron couldn't match.

"Good morning, Mr. Clark. Hope you're well today." I tried to sound professional despite my distracted thoughts.

As I made my way to my seat, I could feel his gaze following me, sending unexpected shivers down my spine. The meeting began, and from my position at the back, I had an excellent view of the presentation screen. I genuinely enjoyed Baron's meetings—until thoughts of the brothers began flooding my mind, pulling my attention from the material being presented. Their faces, their touch, their words—all competed for my mental space.

My phone lit up with a notification. I never checked messages during meetings, but since the brothers had started texting me, I found myself eagerly awaiting them. Seeing Ara's name, I opened it to find an explicit message and photo that made my face flush crimson.

'God, I want to taste you right now. Look how excited you have me.'

No matter how hard I tried to be unaffected, I couldn't be. It only intensified my frustration. I desperately wanted to feel him inside me, and the more I thought about it, the more my core ached for him. The memory of our night together played vividly in my mind.

'Don't act like these messages don't turn you on, Lina.'

Ara's follow-up text made me smile and roll my eyes at his confidence.

'I'm in a meeting, Ara.'

'Yes, I know. That's what makes it more exciting. Tell me how wet you are for me.'

Ara was deliberately pushing boundaries, and I wasn't sure if I was ready for that kind of exchange. He was playful and fun—not to mention incredible in bed—but sexting during a work meeting was testing my limits.

'I'll talk to you later. Goodbye.'

I smirked as I sent my response and put my phone down, only to notice Baron's eyes fixed solely on me before he turned and continued. I felt immediately embarrassed, thinking he'd caught me not paying attention. The last thing I needed was for him to think I wasn't taking my position seriously.

As the meeting progressed, my phone signaled another message. With a sigh, I discreetly checked it behind my laptop. I smiled when I saw it wasn't Ara but Devin who had messaged me.

'I enjoyed our time together the other night. I'd really like to see you again tonight.'

Biting my bottom lip, I considered his message. With Ara, it was purely sexual attraction and fun. With Devin, it was something entirely different. I had thought extensively about what he'd said regarding mating with the twins, and I had to admit that more than once, the idea had aroused me. There was something about Devin's intensity that drew me in differently than Ara's playfulness.

'How about later tonight? If you're capable of escaping, that is.'

I wasn't typically a tease, but I loved pointing out how they always followed Carl's directives and worried about him discovering our involvement. I was their dirty little secret, and surprisingly, I didn't mind. I actually enjoyed the clandestine nature of our relationship—though I didn't want to sneak around without the physical benefits that made the secrecy worthwhile.

'Oh, don't worry about that. I'm capable of far more than you think.'

The playful tone of Devin's message made me blush. 'I look forward to it.'

"Lina? Are you alright?" Baron asked, his voice pulling me back to reality. Looking up, I realized the meeting had concluded, and everyone had departed except for my boss and me. I'd been so lost in my thoughts I hadn't noticed the room emptying.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I was so engrossed in my notes that I wasn't paying attention." Quickly, I gathered my belongings, hoping he wouldn't question me further.

"Hey—" he hesitated momentarily and cleared his throat, "don't worry about it, but do me a favor, Lina—"

"Sure, anything..." I responded cheerfully, relieved he wasn't upset.

A grin spread across his face at my response. "Please call me Baron. You're one of my star employees, and only my stars get that privilege." His eyes held mine a beat longer than necessary.

Stunned by his admission, my smile widened. "Thank you, Baron. I'll see you Friday morning."

"Oh, I'm looking forward to it," he replied in a sultry tone that sent unexpected shivers down my spine. Perhaps my lack of intimacy was making me attracted to anyone with legs.

Exiting the conference room, I headed across the courtyard toward the café when Jessica's excited voice called my name. I turned to see her with Ara, Barry, and Devin at the courtyard wall, alongside two strangers—one with his hands all over Jessica, marking his territory.

"Well, what do we have here?" I teased, approaching them with a smirk.

"This is Silas—" Ara replied as he took my reports while Devin took my bag, pulling me between them protectively. "And that's Jacob."

"Brandon's somewhere around," Jacob added, "always with someone new every time we turn around."

Laughter rippled through the group as I tried to focus despite Devin's fingers tracing patterns across the small of my back and Ara's arm draped around my shoulders. Their touch was possessive yet gentle.

"I need to get back to my apartment. Silas is helping," Jessica said with a suggestive smirk.

"Don't be silly, wrap your willy!" Ara called out, causing onlookers to stop and laugh at his crude joke.

"I really need coffee," I sighed, leaning against Ara's shoulder, enjoying his warmth.

"I actually got you one," Barry replied, returning to our group. I hadn't even noticed his disappearance, and I found it surprisingly touching coming from the most reserved brother.

"Thank you, Barry. That's incredibly sweet." Taking a sip, I was amazed by the perfect balance of flavors. "You know exactly how I take my coffee?"

The others looked shocked as Barry maintained his tough persona while shrugging nonchalantly. "Medium roast, cream, two sugars, two pumps of vanilla."

Such a simple gesture, yet so completely romantic. I was easily pleased by thoughtful actions, and this meant the world to me. Out of all the brothers, quiet, angry Barry was the one who knew exactly what I liked.

Handing the coffee to Ara, I approached Barry, who tensed visibly as I drew closer. "Come here," I whispered, pressing against him boldly.

I wrapped my arms around him and felt his tension gradually release beneath my touch. My eyes drifted up to meet his, and without hesitation, I pulled his lips to mine. His eyes widened in surprise before I pulled away with a satisfied smile.

"Barry—" I whispered, my lips traveling down his neck, stopping beneath his throat, "thank you for the coffee. That was very sweet."

As I stepped back, all the men stared in shock, their mouths parted as if they couldn't comprehend what had just happened. The expressions on their faces made me smile with newfound confidence.

Retrieving my belongings, I took my coffee from a still-stunned Ara and smiled.

"You boys have fun. I have another meeting to attend."