by Mia Madison
Forbidden Intern
Mia Madison
Contents
1. Mr. Hottie
2. There Is No Us
3. Week-Old Oatmeal
4. Insanity
5. Scrumptious
6. The One
7. Velvet Claws
8. Breaking Point
9. My Good Girl
10. Good Night
11. Go Straight Home
12. Come On In
13. Well, Yeah
14. Frustration
15. A Roll Of The Dice
16. Perfect
17. Beautiful
18. Whatever You Want
19. Again
20. Exactly What You Are
21. Fugitive From Love
22. Under Radar
23. It’s My Job
24. The Woman Who Left Town
25. Abandoned
26. What I Need
Epilogue
Also by Mia Madison
About the Author
Copyright © 2017 by Mia Madison
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
Lily
My new neighbor is the sexiest man I’ve ever seen. Ripped, handsome, and with all the experience I lack.
I’ve been flirting with him for weeks, trying to get him to notice me, but he won’t give me the time of day.
Until I start an internship on my summer break from college – and it turns out my hotter-than-sin neighbor is Hunter Drake, billionaire CEO.
And my new boss.
Just when I need to ignore him and act like a professional, I have all his attention.
How can I be good when he orders me to be bad?
Hunter
Lily Whitaker is the sweetest, most curvaceous bundle of temptation who’s ever tormented me.
I’ve spent weeks being a good neighbor and ignoring her abundant charms. But now she’s in my building.
In my office.
Innocently flaunting her delicious assets.
I’ve made my billions by aggressively seizing opportunities. This one couldn’t be more clear.
Lily is mine … and I’m going to teach her just what that means.
Created with Vellum
1
Mr. Hottie
Lily
I can’t help fidgeting as the elevator rises, carrying me to the very top floor of the Drake Building. The executive suite, where the CEO of Drake Industries carries out his plan of world domination. The car’s ride is so smooth I’m scarcely aware that I’m moving.
Hunter Drake is a big deal, or so they say at school. “This is a very prestigious internship,” Ms. Jenkins, my department coordinator, told me. “Students from all over the country competed for a chance to work alongside Mr. Drake this summer. I trust you’ll make the most of this.”
No pressure or anything.
I didn’t tell her that I have no idea who Hunter Drake is, or what his company does. I’m not even sure how I got this internship. Yes, my grades are excellent and so are my letters of recommendation; I just don’t remember applying for it.
But I did fill out a general internship application, so somebody in my department, or the internship program, must have thought I’d be a good fit and put my name in.
The elevator dings, the doors open, and I smooth down my skirt before stepping out into the thickly-carpeted hallway. The decor is simple, but very classy. I could be in some kind of minimalist museum, instead of an office. Straight ahead of me is a reception desk with a woman behind it. She’s in her fifties, with gray hair she doesn’t bother to color, dressed in a conservative black business suit. Her eyes, behind heavy-framed glasses, are light blue and icy cold.
Yikes. My skirt feels way too short all of a sudden. Well, nothing to do but put a brave face on it.
I approach her doing my best impression of outward confidence. “Hello. Lily Whitaker, reporting for my internship with Mr. Drake.”
Her gaze flicks over me lightning fast, and seems to dismiss me just as quickly. My hands start to ball into fists and I force them to relax. There’s no name plate on her desk, but whoever this woman is, she’s an admin, not my boss.
“Follow me,” she says in a voice as cool as her eyes. Rising, she moves around her desk with an elegance that a corner of my mind admires.
I hope I don’t mess this up. And even though it’s totally shallow of me, I hope Mr. Drake isn’t too bad looking. He’s probably some old potbellied geezer, but if I’m going to spend my summer in an office instead of enjoying the great outdoors, I’d at least like the view to be some consolation.
We go down a short hallway that ends in wide double doors. The woman raps twice and pulls one open.
I follow her inside. I expected the office to be huge, and it is, with furnishings on the same scale. Floor-to-ceiling windows line the walls, bringing in so much light that it feels more like a spa than an office, especially with all the plants.
Straight ahead of us is an enormous desk, a slab of dark, polished wood that anchors the space. There’s a man sitting behind it with his back turned to us, listening to the disembodied voice of another man coming through hidden speakers. Even from here, I can tell the guy’s suit probably cost as much as my annual tuition.
The back of his head looks familiar, and for a moment I have a strange sensation of vertigo. Then I tell myself not to be silly. It’s just my imagination.
No way could Hunter Drake be the man I’ve been lusting after for weeks.
Then his caller stops speaking, and he replies. “Take care of it, John. And send me a full report. I expect this to be handled by the end of the week.”
His words are crisp, not quite curt, but that’s not what sends seismic waves through me. It’s the rich, dark timbre of his voice. One I’ve heard before, though never aimed at me.
He turns and stands in one smooth motion, and my body locks. When his gaze lands on me, he goes still too. His face is unnaturally calm, except for his eyes. They’re blazing.
I manage to compose my features an instant before the woman glances back at me. “Mr. Drake, may I present Lily Whitaker from Xerxes College. Your summer intern.” She seems completely oblivious to the tension in the room, for which I can only be thankful.
Because it’s him. Mr. Hottie. The way-too-old-for-me, impossibly sexy, totally built man I’ve been shamelessly flirting with for the last several weeks.
My new neighbor.
My new boss.
2
There Is No Us
Hunter
Holy hell.
This is Lily Whitaker? The sweet young thing who’s been teasing me by day and haunting my dreams by night is my new intern?
She’s wearing a black skirt that ends about an inch past “just barely decent” territory and a soft, silky, sleeveless blouse, both of them hugging her delicious curves. Her dark hair is down, brushing her shoulders, and she’s wearing heels that are better suited to a night on the town than a long day in an office.
I want to bend her over my desk and fuck her. Hard. I want to spank that gloriously round ass, and do that hard too. I want to tie her to my bed and play with her for hours.
Shit. I’m in trouble.
With a hard-won composure earned through high-stakes poker games and even higher-stakes negotiations, I pull it together and nod to my admin. “Thank you, Miss Collins.” She’s old school, doesn’t like Ms. “That will be all.”
She nods and goes out, closing the doors behind her. No sooner do they click shut than Lily burst
s out, “You’re Hunter Drake?”
I don’t think she’s faking it. Unless she’s an Oscar-worthy actress, her shock isn’t feigned. And it’s understandable; billionaires usually live around other billionaires, or on secluded estates. While Lila’s area is very nice, it’s not the domain of the mega-wealthy.
Still, there’s no reason to go easy on her. I fold my arms and set my face take on a remote, no-nonsense, forbidding mien. It’s an expression I’ve perfected over the years, one that serves me well in business. “Who did you think I was, all these weeks?”
Lily hitches one shoulder. “I had no idea. Just a new guy on my street.”
“So you flirt with all the men in the neighborhood?” I have no business asking – or caring about the answer – but that notion doesn’t sit well with me.
She flushes, but holds my gaze. “Most men in my neighborhood don’t look like you.”
My face stays impassive, but my cock twitches. A woman innocent enough to blush, but bold enough to speak her mind … it’s a tantalizing mixture.
And I’m an idiot if I let myself think about her that way. Once the summer is over and she’s no longer even a nominal employee, Lily might make a delightful plaything. I already knew that taming her would be immensely satisfying.
But for the next several weeks, she’s part of the job – nothing more. I can’t afford to indulge myself, especially with the threat of a hostile takeover hanging over my head, possible industrial sabotage to deal with, and unknown members of my board turning traitor.
My focus must be absolute. Lily Whitaker is the sort of distraction I’d like nothing more than to plunge myself into – pun very much intended. Which makes her absolutely off-limits, even apart from her working with me.
If she tries to flirt with me here, all bets are off. I give her a look. “I don’t have to tell you --”
“No, right, absolutely. I understand.” Her hands slice through the air, palms down, in a no more gesture. “Nothing. At all.”
If not for the fact that she’s adorably flustered, I’d punish her right now for interrupting me. Well, that plus the fact that punishment would inevitably lead to more. Much more.
I unfold my arms and hold out my hand. “Welcome to Drake Industries, Lily Whitaker.”
Relief washes through her features. No, this girl’s no actor.
It makes her a refreshing change from most of the people I deal with on a regular basis.
“Thank you, Mr. Drake.” She puts her hand in mine, and heat shoots from my palm to my groin. Damn. Note to self: do not touch Lily, even in the most casual of ways.
Especially since her face went soft at the contact. Her eyes are big; the soft, full lips I can’t help but imagine wrapped around my cock are parted. I want to pull her to me, wrap an arm around her, and slide my other hand up her thigh, under her skirt, inside her panties. If she’s not already wet, she’d get that way fast.
Bloody fucking hell. She’s been here five minutes and I’m in rut like an animal. How am I going to get through an entire summer?
Releasing her abruptly, I say, “Let’s get to work.”
Hurt, quickly suppressed, flashes across her face at my brusqueness and it makes me feel like a heel, but it’s for the best. Lily can’t afford to get ideas about us.
There is no us.
3
Week-Old Oatmeal
Lily
This summer is going to be hell.
When he shook my hand, an electric shock went through me and arrowed down between my legs. I wanted to stick my free hand in my panties and rub my clit, right in front of him.
But now he’s my boss and I need to act like a freaking nun. I couldn’t bear it if Mr. Drake changed his mind and fired me from the internship. I’d rather be tormented by his nearness than not be near him at all.
So long as he doesn’t touch me again, I’ll be okay. I think.
Mr. Drake indicates a desk set up in the corner of his office. It’s normal-sized, but compared to his it looks tiny. “You’ll be working there. For security reasons.”
I try to keep the dismay off my face. Interacting with him a few times a day would be manageable. Spending the whole summer in the same room as the hottest man I’ve ever met, unable to act on it, is going to drive me crazy.
“Great,” I say, forcing a smile to my face. I don’t think I fool him for a second, but he doesn’t say anything, just leads me over there. Sitting behind the desk, I force myself to focus and get acquainted with my new prison work space.
There’s a laptop already set up, and basic office supplies in the drawers. I open the laptop and see that it has no browsers installed. “Internal only?”
“Not even internal. This machine is connected to nothing at all, and it needs to stay that way. All the information you need is pre-loaded, but you can ask me if you have questions about any of it.”
I nod, hoping my rising excitement doesn’t show. Whatever I’m going to be working on, it’s something big. I can’t wait.
“The announcement was very vague about the parameters of the internship,” I remark as casually as possible. I didn’t even read it until a few days ago, after I found out I’d be working here, but he doesn’t need to know that.
“Deliberately so. In fact, before we go any further, I need you to sign a non-disclosure agreement.”
“Okay.” I say it with a bit too much alacrity, and his mouth twitches before he goes back to his stern face. If he only knew how hot that is.
We go back to his desk. Mr. Drake takes a key from his pocket, unlocks the bottom left-hand drawer, and extracts a sheet of paper that he hands to me. “Read through that and tell me if you have any questions or concerns.”
I scan it quickly, keenly aware of how close he’s standing. The NDA is for something called the Proteus Project, and it covers pretty much every conceivable way in which I might, deliberately or otherwise, let slip to anyone what I’m doing here.
Still reading, I say, “I have one question. Why would you have an intern work on something so sensitive? Wouldn’t you want someone with, I don’t know, a security clearance or something?”
“You have one.”
My head jerks up. “What?”
He arches one dark brow. “You don’t remember signing the release for the background check?”
Damn. I don’t. “I signed a lot of things.” He doesn’t say anything, and I try not to squirm. “I’m sorry. They called me in when I only had a few minutes between classes, and I trust my department head, so I just signed everything they put in front of me.”
“Well, that was one of them. As for why an intern …” His dark gaze holds mine. “I wanted someone from outside the company.”
I swallow. The implications of that are not good at all. “I understand.”
Mr. Drake nods. “Ready to sign?”
“Yes.” For some reason, this feels more momentous than agreeing not to talk about my internship. He hands me a pen, and I sign where indicated and give the pen and paper back. Our fingers brush as he takes them from me.
Another jolt goes through me and I bite my lip. His eyes drop there. I could swear heat flares in them, but then he turns away and I convince myself I imagined it.
It’s better if I believe Hunter Drake finds me as attractive as week-old oatmeal.
4
Insanity
Hunter
By the time lunch rolls around, I’m as randy as a teenaged boy. I’ve spent the whole morning trying to concentrate on my work, but instead I’ve been obsessing over all the things I want to do to Lily Whitaker.
When Miss Collins buzzes me, I grab the phone like it’s a lifeline. She says, “Mr. Thorne has had a conflict come up for this afternoon. He wondered if you might be free for lunch.”
“Yes.” Did that sound as desperate as it felt? Escaping this building, and Lily, is just what I need. “Tell him I’ll meet him at El Greco.”
“I’ll let him know.” She clicks off and I stand up, stret
ch, and grab my jacket. In the corner, Lily’s watching me from the corner of her eye, pretending to be absorbed in her project.
She’s been working steadily all morning. I told her to take a break a couple of hours ago, but she said she preferred not to break the flow while she’s getting her head into the project.
Her diligence is salutary, but it’s no good for my peace of mind. I’m not used to backing away when I want something. Of course, part of that is timing – knowing when to strike.
Too bad my libido doesn’t see the point of waiting where she’s concerned. I want to claim her, brand her with my cock, ruin her for other men. Knowing how foolish my desire is doesn’t change it.
Shoving my self-destructive hunger down deep, I approach her corner, but stop several feet away. “I’m heading out for lunch. There’s a cafeteria a few floors down, and plenty of restaurants within a few blocks. Miss Collins will see to the rest of your paperwork and getting you an employee badge.”
She nods, not speaking, not quite looking at me. I suppress a spike of irritation. The primitive animal she’s brought to life doesn’t want distance. It wants to provoke her, force her to respond to me.
Insanity.
Pissed at myself, I shake my head, turn on my heel, and go out without another word.
5
Scrumptious
Lily
I let out a breath. I’m not sure if Mr. Drake was angry at me, or himself, or both of us, but I could feel it coming off him in waves. And I still wanted to jump him.
Thank goodness he’s gone. An hour without him will give me the chance to shore up my defenses. I need my shields at full strength, and he batters at them just by existing.
