Protection is Best Served With Benefits: MM DDlb Romance

Chapter One

Not edited or proofread.

Max

I winced at the pain beginning to pulse at my temples. Living with migraines was difficult. It made it hard to regularly work. Some days, it made it hard to function. Sometimes, I could catch the migraine early enough, pop my medicine, and just deal with a dull ache all day. I was hoping I was catching this one early enough because I had a meeting in a few minutes.

Axel, my boss and the only person who'd ever been willing to work around my migraines—even if that meant I was out days at a time—was at an appointment with his wife, Novella and their baby, who was having his three-month check-up. So, Griffin, Axel's chief operations officer, was attending his meetings for him. And I needed to be there and fully-functioning to make sure everything went smoothly and that Griffin had everything he needed.

I swallowed the pills with a grimace and guzzled my lukewarm coffee in the hopes that the added caffeine would help relieve some of the pain. My migraine was quickly intensifying, so much so that my stomach was beginning to churn.

Maybe drinking that coffee hadn't been such a good idea after all.

A light knock sounded on my door, and I looked up at Griffin. His slacks hugged his thick thighs perfectly, and his black button-down was fitted just right. His shirt sleeves were rolled up to his elbows to reveal veiny forearms that always made me feel tingly inside. His dark hair was slightly messy, like he'd run his fingers through it already this morning. And his blue eyes... they were so mesmerizing. I could stare into them all day.

"Ready?" he asked, his deep voice washing over my hurting brain like cool silk on freshly shaved skin.

"Yeah." I quickly jumped up from my seat and grabbed my tablet, forcing a smile to my lips through the pain. "Sorry, I lost track of time."

He chuckled and shook his head, letting me brush past him before following me to the elevators. "No problem," he assured me. "You're a busy man."

Once upon a time, Griffin wouldn't have said that. He would've reprimanded me. Hell, one time, he had. He'd been so furious to find me asleep at my desk trying to ward off a migraine that he'd sent me home, where I had to navigate the subway with my vision blinking in and out. Ever since Axel made him come check on me and apologize for sending me home, Griffin had been super attentive to me.

It made me want him so much more. But I couldn't want the COO. It was forbidden. He was practically my boss, too. It would just be wrong. I had a good position here with an ever better boss that let me sleep, rest, or call-out whenever I needed. I didn't want to jeopardize that.

I couldn't jeopardize that. Not with my parents breathing down my neck.

Just the mere thought of not having money deposited into my bank account for them to snatch sent a fearful shiver racing down my spine.

The pain intensified, and I bit back a moan as I closed my eyes, willing my stomach to not revolt. Griffin gripped my shoulder, and my eyes snapped open, my gaze meeting his. "Max, are you okay?"

I licked my lips, my cheeks flushing when he tracked the movement. "Yeah, I'm okay," I croaked. "Sorry. Just not having the best morning. But I'm okay."

He ran his eyes over my face like he didn't believe me before he sighed, taking me at my word. He dropped his hand, and I leaned my side against the elevator wall, closing my eyes against the nausea churning in my gut.

Everyone was already in the conference room when we entered. Quickly, I set my tablet down as Griffin began greeting everyone, one hand in his pocket, the other out to shake everyone's hands and ask how their day was going. Axel did the same thing, which usually gave me time to get everyone their coffee before the meeting was officially set to begin.

Pain pulsed through my temple, making my vision go momentarily dark, and I tripped, the coffee in my hand sloshing all over my chest, burning through my baby blue button-down. Someone shouted, and then my knees cracked against the floor. Vomit spewed from my lips just as my vision came back to me, pain pulsing so badly through my head that tears slid down my cheeks.

"Fuck. Max, baby, it's okay. Stop gawking at him!" Griffin barked, making me flinch. He pulled me to his chest, his cool hand pressing against the side of my face as if he could hide me from everyone's panicked, startled, and disgusted gazes. "Someone please notify the janitorial staff that assistance is needed in the room. This meeting will be rescheduled. Please go back to work." Then, he looked down at me, his other arm sliding beneath my knees. "Easy, baby," he murmured when I moaned in discomfort. "Close your eyes. I'm taking you to my office."

I sank into his chest, closing my eyes as he'd instructed. My head was hurting so badly, I couldn't even bring myself to ponder what him calling me baby meant. All I knew at that moment was that it felt really good, and I never wanted him to call me anything else.

His steps were steady and sure as he headed toward the elevator. I swallowed more vomit when the elevator lurched into motion. Within minutes, we were in his office, the room blissfully dark and quiet. "Sit here," he gently instructed, settling me on the edge of his desk. I swayed a little, and he braced a hand on my shoulder. "Can you hold yourself up, Max? I need to get you out of these clothes and tend to the burns."

I slowly nodded, afraid to open my mouth in case I threw up again. Griffin made quick work of the buttons of my shirt and peeled the wet, sticky fabric from my body. My slacks went next, and then Griffin began putting something cool on my burning skin that made me sigh in relief.

Why couldn't they make something like that for migraines?

"Here," Griffin murmured, keeping his voice low. He began pulling a loose shirt over my upper body, and when I opened my eyes, I saw it was one of his. He fastened the buttons before picking me up again and carrying me to the couch. Gently, he deposited me on the soft sofa before pulling a blanket over me. "Where are your meds, baby boy?"

"Desk," I mumbled.

He brushed the backs of his fingers over my cheek before disappearing from the office. A minute later, he came back in holding a bottle of water and my migraine medication. He helped me sit up and swallow the pills, and then he tucked me in, brushing a kiss to my forehead that sent my heart into overdrive.

"Sleep for however long you need," he told me softly.

So, I did, thankful to have him to take care of me.

Too bad he wouldn't be there every time I had one.