Page 34 of Laken's longing

“Whatever, big brother.” Jupiter tapped the side of his nose and winked. “You and me, we know different. Back to theboringbusiness.” He gave one last look at the desk shielding Laken’s hand and lost the joking expression when he gave Laken his full attention.

“I want the data on department stores’ clothing sales post Milan. Has there been any surge in sales? The feedback from the runway designs hasn’t been what I’d hoped for. I think we missed the mark in marketing. Kari spread everything a little too thin with too many marketing projects happening at once, which means there could be an issue with transference of brand to the everyday market.”

The seriousness of Jupiter’s tone had Laken bring his hand up to grab his mouse, his mind on work, only to realize his mistake when he opened it to find Isley noticeably dangling from his finger. He clutched him back into his palm, observing that hawk eye Jupiter missed nothing, when the seriousness disappeared and a wide, knowing grin appeared.

“Fuck off,” he scowled and reached with his other hand to use the mouse, listening to Jupiter’s bawdy laugh fill the office as he had to move it across the desk to work it.

“You could just tell him to stop the hand snuggling while you're busy?” Jupiter offered in choked laughter.

Temper climbing, Laken held out his hand and shook his fingers open and revealed the clinging little monster.

“You tell him, he doesn’t listen to me!” he exclaimed in a miffed tone, at the end of his tether with how mortified he was. Because he was never in a million years going to confess how much he enjoyed the feel of those tiny fingers wrapped around his. How the soft head rubbing against the pads of his palm made them tingle with awareness and soothed at the same time.

“He shifted to make a point, and here we are!” He dangled Isley over his desk, being watchful in case he needed to catch him if he lost his purchase.

Next thing Laken knew, Isley let go and glided straight at Jupiter’s face. As his mouth was open, the tiny paws ended up holding onto his lower lip.

No fucking way!

“And what point would he be making?” Jupiter didn’t hide any of his enjoyment of Laken’s current predicament after peeling off Isley and grinning widely at the sugar glider. “By God, you’re cute.”

“Stop that and hand him over, now! And you can drop the act!” He gave Isley a pointed glare, waving and holding out his hand. He muttered more to himself than Jupiter, “I’ll get the information to you today, once I deal with this tiny terror.”

Jupiter carefully placed Isley in Laken’s hand, his lips twitching as he stood.

“Go away, I’ll sort what you want.”

“If you want my advice—”

“I don’t,” snarled Laken, wanting his brother out of the office already, fearing what Jupiter would put in the alphahole group chat about this, except that wasn’t his priority right now. “I’ll deal with Isley.”

Who the hell knew how when he was more stubborn than a mule and Laken didn’t like the feeling gnawing at the pit of hisstomach at Isley touching anyone that wasn’t him when in his animal form.

“Alrighty then.” Jupiter strolled to the door, whistling a pop tune from the eighties only to stop as he opened the door. Glancing back a devilish light in his eyes that warned Laken he hadn’t finished messing with him he said, “When you deal with… what did you call him?”

Laken braced, hating that he was right about the fucker, and the tiny body quivered in his hand.

Jupiter tapped the side of his skull. “That’s it, ‘tiny devil’. Maybe you should do it where no one can interruptyour fun.”

He gave a flirtatious wink and disappeared out the door, closing it quietly, leaving an uncomfortable silence in his wake.

Chapter Fifteen

Isley

What had started out as teaching Laken a lesson had become a nightmare with Jupiter’s arrival and his animal half wanting to play games.

Why did you scent Jupiter? Seriously, isn’t one alpha enough to deal with?

I don’t mean to, it kind of happened. I was aiming for his neck, not his mouth.

It hadn’t mattered how much he’d pushed his animal to give back control, the ‘tiny devil’ wouldn’t. It was unfortunate that Isley’s animal spirit was as strong—despite its diminutive size—as his human half. Now Isley was stuck in his animal form and convinced the second he shifted back he was going to be sacked.

His sugar glider was acting like he’d gone deaf and dumb while clinging on to Laken for dear life once back in his hand.

Let go, please. I know you can hear me. You won’t like it if we have to starve because I’ve gotten sacked!

No.