Filthy Boss: A Forbidden Office Romance (Wynton Book 1)

by Bianca Cole

  He looks up from his lap and forces a weak smile. “I’m fine. I can’t believe Theo attempted to frame you.” He draws in a shaky breath. “I wish I’d listened to him and handed the company over to both of you. At least, he wouldn’t be in prison.”

  I feel torn at his sentiments. On the one hand, I don’t want my brother to spend time in prison, but on the other, he would have let me spend the time in prison so he could have the company. I shake my head. “Theo isn’t an honest person. He wanted the company so bad that he tried to submit me to prison and derision. That is plain wrong.”

  He looks up and nods. “You’re right, son.” He runs a hand through his graying hair. “It’s hard to see one of your children facing prison when you know you’re not going to be around much longer. I’ll be dead before Theo is released.”

  I nod in understanding. In the last months of my dad’s life, Theo will be locked away. I’d never seen my father look so broken in all my life. He is a tired old man who has lost all his spirit. Theo might have just killed him off with this. I’m not sure he can get over the heartache of his son going to prison.

  Detective Braxton entered the room and gave us both a weak smile. “Thank you for coming down here today, both of you.” He glances at my father. “I know you’re not in the best state of health at the moment, Mr. Stafford, it’s appreciated.”

  My father nods. “Of course, anything I can do to help.”

  The detective takes a seat. “As you’re aware, we’ve got all the evidence we need to charge Theo.”

  We nod together. “How long do you expect him to serve?”

  “He will serve a minimum of a year, and there will be a fine to be paid.” He turns his attention to my father. “Am I right to think you’ve volunteered to pay the fine?”

  My father nods, to my surprise. “Why can’t Theo pay it?”

  “Theo has no money. He has gambled everything he ever owned away for years.”

  My eyes widen. “Gambled? How did I never know about this?”

  My dad sighs. “He never wanted you to know. He’s suffered from a gambling addiction for a long while now. I’m happy to pay the fine.”

  I shake my head. All this time, I believed I was the only one with problems. It turns out Theo had his own weaknesses too.

  “I have to ask both of you whether you knew of Theo’s scheme. It’s just routine.”

  “Of course, I had no idea. Theo framed me for it, so he wasn’t keeping me in the loop.”

  Detective Braxton nods and then turns his attention to my dad. “How about you, Mr. Stafford?”

  My dad shakes his head. “I had a feeling he was up to something dodgy from some things he would say in passing, but I never knew the extent of what he was up to…” My dad’s eyes fill with tears, and he coughs violently.

  I stand and move to the other side, placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder. “Detective, my father isn’t very well at all. Is this really necessary?”

  Detective Braxton gives him a weak smile. “We need to know to what extent your father was aware of the embezzlement. He was after all CEO while it was occurring.”

  My eyes widen at his insinuation. “My father had nothing to do with it. This is to do with Theo trying to frame me so he could win the company.”

  The detective nods. “I need to hear that from your father, Bryson.”

  My dad pats my hand. “Let me speak with the detective. How about you wait outside?”

  What the hell is happening here? Is my father saying he had something to do with all this? Despite my curiosity to learn more, I nod and head out of the interrogation room. A young officer greets me. “If you would like to wait for your father, you can do so in the waiting area,” he instructs.

  I nod and follow him to the area. Tessa is waiting for me there. She agreed to come with me for moral support. “Where is your father?”

  I take a seat next to her. “They need to ask him more questions…” I hesitate, unsure whether to tell her that my father may have known more about the scheme than first believed. “The detective seems to think my dad had knowledge of the scheme.” The moment I say it out loud, my throat coats with pain. I hope to hell he had no idea that Theo intended to use it against me.

  “I’m sorry,” Tessa says, placing a hand over mine.

  We sit together in comfortable silence for what feels like forever. Finally, Detective Braxton comes out with my father in tow. “Bryson, can you come with us for a moment?”

  I glance at Tessa, and she gives me a smile. “I’ll see you in a minute.” I squeeze her hand one last time.

  We enter a private room, and the detective shuts the door. “Bryson, your father was aware of Theo’s scheme. He brushed it under the carpet while CEO to protect him, unaware of the fact he was setting you up for the fall.”

  My mouth falls open, and I gaze at my father. “Why would you do that? You’ve always told us how important it is to make money.”

  My dad sighs. “I know, son. Theo is my child, there was no way I was going to hand him into the police, but obviously, I would have done things differently if I knew his true intention.”

  “Did you even try to confront him about it?”

  My dad shakes his head. “I didn’t want him panicking and doing something stupid, so I turned a blind eye.”

  “What does this mean?”

  Detective Braxton clears his throat. “It means your father could be tried as an accomplice to your brother’s scheme. Given his physical state, we won’t be pursuing that.”

  My dad’s eyes widen. “Is there no way that I could take the fall for this and save Theo from prison?”

  The detective shakes his head. “Sir, your son will answer for his crimes. There’s nothing you can do to change that.”

  My dad sighs, tears flooding his eyes. “I see.”

  “All of my questions have been answered. You’re both free to leave. I will be in touch if necessary.”

  I move to help my dad stand, and we head back out to meet Tessa. My dad gives her a thoughtful look. “Who is this?”

  “Tessa, she’s the accounting analyst who helped me investigate the scheme.” I pause a moment, wondering if he will scorn me for my next confession. “We’re also dating.”

  My dad looks startled. “Son, you do realize that’s against company policy, considering you’re the CEO.”

  “It’s not a fling, so I don’t see what the problem is. Tessa and I are in a committed relationship.”

  My dad rubs his chin. “I’ve got to admit. I never thought I’d see my son commit to someone. I’m happy that you’ve proven me wrong.” The smile on his face reaches his eyes for once. “How about we all head over to my place and I order in some food?” he asks, glancing at Tessa. “I’d like to get to know the woman who put a stop to my son’s philandering while I still have the chance.”

  “I’d like that,” Tessa says, gazing at me for an answer.

  “Let’s do it.” I take hold of my father’s arm and help him out to the street. Tom is waiting outside. “Hey, Tom, we’re all going to head over to my father’s if that’s okay?”

  “Of course, sir.” Tom scurries to help my father into the car. Tessa follows, and then I settle in beside her. She takes my hand and squeezes it.

  As I glance over at the woman next to me, I can’t believe how lucky I am to have her by my side.

  * * *

  Later that evening, we’re all getting on better than I could have hoped for. For the first time in a long while, I’ve seen my father smile. Tessa makes a joke, and my dad laughs.

  “I like this one, Bryson. You better keep hold of her. She reminds me of your mother.”

  My heart swells, and pain coats my throat hearing my father speak about my mother. She always was a very intelligent and independent woman. She died when I was six years old, and sometimes I struggle to remember her.

  Tessa excuses herself to go to the bathroom, leaving me alone with my father. “Bryson, I want you to know that I’
m proud of the man you’ve become.”

  I can feel the lump returning to my throat, hearing my father says those words. The words I’ve longed to hear him say.

  “I’ve always been proud of you, no matter what, because you’re my son. Now, seeing you happy with a woman who is too good for you makes me even more proud. I meant what I said, don’t let her go.”

  I sigh. “I won’t, Dad, she’s amazing.”

  “It makes me sad that Theo isn’t in as good a place as you right now. I know that he will find his way even if I’m not here to see it. At least I know the company is in good hands.”

  I smile, a sense of pride and happiness flooding me. I never thought my dad would say that to me. He believes I’m good enough to run the company. It means the world to me.

  “I’m sorry I haven’t been around much. I hope to make up for that now.”

  Tears cloud my father’s eyes, and I stand up and move to give him a hug. Tessa returns and looks unsure about entering, but I beckon her in. She walks toward me, and I wrap my arm around her. “How are you feeling, Dad? Would you like us to leave you to get some rest?”

  He shakes his head. “I think I’ll retire now, but I asked Tom to head home. Avery has set up a room for you and Tessa to stay the night. I thought it might be nice for us to have breakfast together in the morning and then maybe go for a walk in the park?” He looks so hopeful that there’s no way I can say no.

  “Sure, if it’s okay with Tessa.” I glance at her, and she is beaming at me.

  “That sounds wonderful, thank you, Mr. Stafford.”

  “Perfect, I’ll see you both in the morning. Avery will show you to your room.” He nods toward a woman standing in the corner. “And, Tessa, please call me Abraham.”

  She nods. “Good night,” Tessa and I say in unison, as we watch my father make his way toward the door where his caregiver is waiting for him.

  He may not have long left, but I intend to make the most of the lost time. Tessa pulls me into a hug as we stand there together in silence for a while.

  She makes me believe I can tackle anything. Perhaps, with her by my side, I can.

  Epilogue

  Tessa

  I run a hand through my long, thick hair and sigh, as I scan the deal in front of me. Although it’s almost five o’clock, I’m still going over some important last-minute details of a deal I’ve been working on for the past three months.

  This client is one of the hardest I’ve dealt with. I thought everything was fine until he sent back some revisions. I need to get it finalized today, and the time is ticking away. If I don’t get it done before the end of the day, the client might go elsewhere.

  The click of the door opening draws my attention. Bryson stands in the doorway, smiling at me. It’s been tough on him since his father died three months ago, so I’ve been taking more of a lead here at the firm.

  “Hey, beautiful,” he says, shutting the door behind him.

  “Hey, what’s up?” I ask.

  He shrugs. “I want to take you somewhere.”

  I frown at him. “I’ve got to complete this deal for the Braithwaite account tonight.”

  He shakes his head. “I’ve asked Roger to deal with it. It will be in capable hands. We’re going on vacation right now.”

  “Bryson, we can’t up and leave with no warning. I’ve not even packed.”

  He walks toward me with a mischievous grin on his face. “I’ve already packed for you. We’re going now, and there is no discussion. You’ve been working far too hard.” He lifts my hand to his lips and kisses the back of it.

  I sigh. “Okay, let me get my–”

  He presses his lips to mine, silencing me. I moan against him. It is crazy how even after a year together, we can’t seem to get enough of each other. In fact, my need for him only grows the more I get to know him.

  “No need to get anything, come on.” He pulls me from my seat, and I grab my handbag on the way out. He gets in the elevator and presses the top floor. I frown at him. “Why are we going to the roof?”

  He smiles. “It’s the fastest means of transport.”

  My heart rate accelerates. I hope he doesn’t intend to put me in a helicopter. That is not my idea of a good time. Those things are death traps. He pulls me back against him and rubs my shoulders. “Relax, I’ll protect you,” he whispers into my ear.

  “Bryson, you know I hate helicopters. They’re dangerous.”

  He shakes his head. “We won’t be in it for too long, relax, baby.”

  The elevator opens to allow us onto the roof, and the sight of the helicopter only increases my anxiety. He grabs hold of my hand and leads me toward it. “Don’t worry. Everything will be all right.” I gaze up into his eyes, knowing I can trust him. I never thought I’d trust a man again after Ted, but I trust Bryson with my life.

  We sit in the helicopter, and Bryson straps me in. “Are you going to tell me where we’re going?”

  He shakes his head. “No, it’s a surprise.”

  My heart beats as the propellers whiz above us. The drone of the helicopter makes the anxiety worse and even more so when we lift into the air. My nails dig into the seat as I cling on for my life. Bryson’s arm snakes around my back, pulling me into him. The protective move is sweet, but It doesn’t help the sickness twisting my gut. It feels like we’re in the air forever. Bryson keeps gazing out the window, but I daren’t look.

  Finally, we touch down, and I let out a long exhale. Bryson helps me down from the helicopter, and I gaze around to find we’ve landed in a field in the middle of nowhere. “Where are we?”

  “I told you it’s a surprise. You’ll find out soon enough.” He kisses me before stepping out of the helicopter.

  The pilot grabs two hiking bags out of the luggage hold and hands us each one. “Is that all you need, sir?”

  Bryson nods. “Yes, thanks, Arthur. You can return to the city.”

  “Are we going hiking?”

  He smiles at me. “Sort of, you said I need to go on a vacation in the countryside. That’s what we’re doing.”

  I throw the hiking bag over my shoulder and follow Bryson toward a forest. We walk for what feels like forever in comfortable silence. A small cabin comes into view with a lake in front of it.

  My heart skips a beat as I recognize it. My family used to come here for vacation all the time. Tears trickle down my cheek as I remember the last time we came here. It was the summer before Jack’s death.

  “How did you know about this place?”

  Bryson glances at me. “Your mom told me about it. She said you used to love it out here, so I thought…”

  I nod and step closer to the lake we used to swim in as children. “I haven’t been here since…”

  “Since your brother died?”

  I nod, and more tears flood my eyes. He moves to pull me into a hug. “I’m sorry. I didn’t want to upset you.”

  I shake my head. “No, it is perfect. I want to enjoy this place again with you.” I smile at him.

  “Good,” he says, dragging me toward the cabin. “Because I bought the place.”

  My eyes widen as he grabs a key out of his pocket and waves it in the air. “You did what?”

  “I bought it for you and me to enjoy. A place we can escape to whenever we want to be alone, together.” He kisses me hard before pulling back and winking at me. “Not to mention, no one can hear your screams here while I fuck you, and we can be as loud as we want.”

  I chuckle at that. We’ve had some noise complaints in our apartment building. I can get too loud. It was embarrassing when we had the call from management, but Bryson argued that it was our damn apartment, and he could fuck me as hard as he wants. Afterward, once he calmed down, he agreed to keep the sound to a minimum.

  He opens the door, and it’s as I remember it. “We can do it up how we want, or keep it as it is.”

  I smile at him. “I like it how it is, but I wouldn’t mind adding a few touches to it.”

&nbs
p; He kisses me. “Get ready for dinner. I’ve got something set up for you by the lake.”

  I cock my head and give him an uncertain glance. “What are you up to?”

  He shakes his head. “Nothing put on the sexy dress I packed for you. I will see you down by the lake.” He turns away and leaves me staring after him.

  I get dressed, looking around the cabin as I do. It’s bittersweet as I gaze around the cabin I spent so many happy summers with my brother and parents. My hand settles on my belly, knowing that I need to tell Bryson tonight.

  Perhaps, we can make some new happy memories here as a family. I’ve known I’m a few weeks pregnant since last Thursday. It was a shock, considering I’m on the pill, but it seems it’s not one-hundred percent safe.

  I step into the main bedroom and set my pack down on the floor. The dress Bryson has packed more like an undergarment. I can tell he intends to make sure we make the most of being so isolated.

  It is so short you can almost see my ass. The cleavage is more revealing than I’d ever show in public. I might as well go out there wearing my underwear, but it makes me smile. He’d never let me wear this in front of anyone else. He is far too possessive, and I love that about him. He owns me. I wouldn’t have it any other way.

  I step out of the cabin and head down the overgrown path toward the lake. My heart skips a beat as I notice a candlelit table and light music playing. It looks stunning. Bryson is wearing a tight shirt and pants.

  “What’s all this about?” I ask.

  He turns and smiles at me. “Goddamn, you look sexy in that dress.” He pulls me into him and kisses my neck, making me moan. I’m not going to be able to focus on dinner if he keeps doing that to me. I notice the metal platters resting on a table. “Did you order in?”

  He nods. “Kind of, Avery came over earlier and got everything prepared for us.”

  I twirl around, taking in the lake lit by fairy lights strung around trees. It looks more magical than it ever has before. I turn back to Bryson to find him down on one knee. He smiles up at me as my brow furrows.

  “Tessa, ever since I met you, I knew I couldn’t live my life without you by my side. Will you marry me?” he asks, holding out a box housing a large engagement ring.