Dangerous black ties

Who's Carter

I look at Jermery confusedly, my eye brows furrowed.
Confusion is heavily present on my face.

His honeyed eyes look at me. As do Alex and Dexter, who are waiting for my response to what he said.

"Take my phone away?" I ask him questioningly.

"Yes," he says plainly.

"I'm assuming that this is something that I will not be able to change your mind on." I ask him carefully.

"No, if your phone is distracting you from sleeping, it's best you don't have it when you go to bed." Dexter says as he closes his laptop.

I blink a couple times to calm myself down a bit. I didn't understand the big deal. I was just reading; that's it. It's not like I was out partying or anything.

"Fine." I say it in a slightly annoyed tone.

Alex chuckles. The vibration from his laugh is felt in my back.
"We aren't doing it to be mean. It's only to help you." He responds to me.

Dexter says.
"I know that it made you upset; this is all new to you. It will get easier, okay?" He says with a small smile, his gray eyes looking at me intently.

I climb off of Alex's lap, sitting beside him, his hazel eyes looking at me with a smirk on his lips.

I was slightly upset, if I'm being honest, but I already knew the paperwork I had signed.

I stared at the TV for a bit, pulling out my phone. I text Carter from the copyroom.

"Who's Carter?" I hear behind me startling me.

I jump. "Jeez, you scared me." I say this looking at Edison's sky blue eyes.

"Are you going to answer the question?" I heard from Dexter.

"He's just my friend. I met him at work." I replied if it was obvious.

Alex practically rips the phone from my hand.
"You messaged him yesterday and asked if he still wanted to go for lunch. That doesn't seem like he wants to be your friend."

"He is my friend?" I was slightly sassy and annoyed at the questions that were being asked.

Jermery asks
"Do you want to sleep with him?"

I laugh audibly.
"God no." I said, wiping the tears that had fallen from my laughter.

"It's not funny, Meredith. Explain now." Edison tells me in a stern voice.

I still find the situation funny, as Carter was an openly gay man. I mock Edison.

I was talking with my hand, lowering my voice.
"It's not funny, Meredith. Explain now." I say this before laughing again.

All the men are sending daggers my way.

I stopped laughing almost instantly; their stern looks killed the amusement I felt instantly.

I gulp on my spit.
"He's gay." I say quickly.

"Well, how do you know that?" Dexter asks me, arching his brow as he leans his elbows on his knees. Staring at me intently.

"He told me?" I say, How else would I know?

"Meredith. Stop with the sassy nonsense now." Alex says getting tired of it quickly.

"He could be lying." Jermery says, rubbing his hand down his jaw in frustration with me, it seems.

"Well, I don't think he is." I am attempting to grab my phone back from Alex. He hits the button and slides it into his pants.

"No. You lost it for the rest of the day. You keep being sassy. Now I think you should apologize to Edison for mocking him." Alex tells me sternly.

All the men have similar looks on their faces.
"I don't understand the big deal, he's gay." I said I was not really listening to what Alex had said.

Jermery, look up.
"You need to apologize now, Meredith, before you actually get yourself in trouble. After you apologize for being rude to Edison, we can talk calmly about the whole Carter situation." He says his honey eyes are darkening with my lack of response from the direct order.

Edison still stood behind me. I could feel his body heat behind me.

I swallow my pride and turn around. Edison's arms crossed over his chest, making his muscles even more noticeable.

I gulped on my spit. His height towers over me, and I look up at him.
"I'm sorry for being rude and mocking you; it wasn't nice." I say as I pick at my fingers to help me maintain eye contact with his intimidating stare.

He uncrosses his arms, his hands trapping my own, stopping my actions.

He kneels a bit so our faces are eye level.
"Hmm. I think a kiss might make up for it." He says his eyes are slightly seductive.

"Then you won't be upset anymore?" I ask him softly.

"Nope," he says with a smirk.

His hand still trapping my own. He wasn't moving, having me close the distance.

I softly place my lips on his. He uses his free hand to grab my throat, softly resting his hand as if to gaze at my reaction.

His tongue runs along my bottom lip, asking for entrance.
I slightly open my mouth, and his tongue slides into my mouth.

Our tongues were once again fighting for dominance, and I was determined to win at least one time.

Until he pulls away. Kissing my cheek. He leans close to my ear.

"Next time you act like that with me, I'll put you over my knee." He says it in a silky, hushed tone meant only for my ears.

He stands up slightly, brings my hands to his mouth, and kisses them.

"We have to work on you not doing that. You are ours, Meredith; we don't want you to hurt what belongs to us." He tells me slightly sternly.

Softly placing my hands in my lap, he tenderly kisses my forehead.
The smell of his cologne lingers on my nose with his close proximity.

He moves to the other side and looks at all of us.
"Do you boys think we should have the Carter talk after everyone eats?" Edison asks.

"Probably best." Dexter replies
Alex and Jermery nod in agreement.

I fight the urge to roll my eyes.
"So can I have my phone back?" I ask Alex quietly.

He looks at me with dominant eyes.
"What did I tell you, Mer?" He asks me, feeling all the eyes on me.

"Well, you said that I lost it the rest of the day?" I question.

Jermery chucked, "Don't sound so unsure."

I repeat my answer more confidently.
"You said I lost it the rest of the day." I tell him quickly, becoming humiliated by the second.

Alex nods. "That's right, princess, and it's been less than 5 minutes. So no, I'll give it to you tomorrow at work." He tells me his voice, showing me there wasn't room for arguing.

I want to glare at him and explain how I thought it wasn't fair.

Dexter says
"Honestly, Mer, it could have been a lot worse than you just getting your phone taken away for the night." he says Standing up off the couch

"Come on, baby, time for lunch." Edison says pulling me off the couch with a good arm.

Following his long strides.

"Jeez Louise, can you not walk so fast? It's not a marathon." I whisper to Edison, who slows his walking.

"Not everyone is short like you." Jermery replies from behind me.

I scoff insulted
"I am not short." I say, glaring at him.

"Yes, you are." He says it more smugly.

"Well, in comparison to you guys, obviously I am." I say this in reply.

"Most girls too; the national average height for a woman is 5'6; what are you anyway? 5'1/5'2," Alex says with a playful smirk.

Dexter says, "Definitely 5'2; I'm 6'2; she's a foot shorter than me." He says he is answering Alex's question.

Finally, we make it to the kitchen.
The take-out boxes are lying on the island.

"Pick out whatever looks good to you." Edison says to stand off to the side.

"Why don't you guys pick, and I'll take what's left?" I suggest.

"Because I asked you to pick something out." Edison replied, his face seemingly turning stern instantly.

Feeling all the intense looks on me, I look at the food and grab something.
"Good girl." Edison was praised for grabbing another box.

"I had a feeling she'd pick that one." Dexter replied.

My eyes widen.
"Did you want it?" I say, slightly panicked, as I hold the box out to him.

"Meredith, I'm not sure where you got the idea that I wanted from my statement. So please don't do that again. I don't like it. It's yours." He says it softly and sternly, lightly pushing the food back to me.

"Princess, I think that goes for all of us." Jermery says

"Definitely," Alex says.

I slightly shift my weight, which is uncomfortable.
I start to sit down at the bar. All the men are sitting down at the table; there are no empty chairs available.

"What do you think you are doing?" Edison asks, looking at me.

"Uh, sitting down?" I ask softly, unsure of his question.

"Come over here." Edison continues his intimidating gaze, staring into my soul.

"Uh, there aren't any other chairs, and the bar chair is too tall." I replied softly, glancing at my hands anxiously.

"There are four chairs you could sit on." Dexter replied with a small smirk.

I furrow my brows in confusion before I realize the insinuation he was implying.

My eyes widen.
A blush heats up my cheeks.
A chuckle leaves my lips not moving and not eating either.

"Meredith, that wasn't a request. Come over here. Now." He tells me sternly.

I grab the takeout box and make hesitant steps to the staggeringly built man before me covered in tattoos that might make someone run the opposite way, but I found it oddly attractive.

Once, I was by the table.

"Pick someone." Edison replied, taking a drink of water.

"I can't." I replied softly.

"Shall we pick for you?" Alex asks.

"Yes, sir." I said quietly.

Causing a couple smirks.

"I'm sorry, what was that?" Alex asked me.

I gulped on my spit.
"Yes, sir." I say it louder, not making eye contact.

Alex says, "I think Dexter would like it. What do you say, Dexter?"

Dexter's smirk noticeably widens.
He lightly pats his lap.

I make slow steps toward him, my anxiety rising with each step.

I sit down on his lap softly.
He kisses my cheek.
"Good girl." He says this to me in my ear before he returns to continue eating.

My cheeks heat up yet again.
I eat slowly. The men were casually talking about really nothing of interest to me.

All the men are done eating. I've eaten a little less than half and attempted to get off Dexter's lap.

"No, ma'am, you have to eat at least half." He says against my ear.

The conversation was only heard between the two of us.

I picked up the fork I had placed down and began eating again, finishing when I'd eaten half.

"So who is this Carter fellow?" Jermery asks me.

"I met him in the copier room. He asked to go to lunch with him and his boyfriend." I replied, looking at him.

"How exactly do you know he's gay? Just because he said so?" Alex asks me.

"Well yeah, I don't know how many people would lie about that. If it makes you feel better, one of you can go with me." I offer with a smile.

"One of us?" Edison asks

"Well yes. He originally only asked for me; I can't show up with the four of you." I say it with a small laugh.

"We'll talk about it." Dexter said, looking at me before kissing my cheek softly.

Sending butterflies into my stomach instantly with this quite simple gesture.

"Awe, Dexter, you're making her blush." Edison says with a chuckle, teasing me further.

"Thank you for the food." I say with a smile.

"You're welcome, bambina." Edison says, looking at me.
{baby}