Touch Me Boss: A Single Dad Office Romance

by Aria Ford

  Gabrielle sat back and watched him swim his laps, pondering his words. In reflection, she realized that her self-protectiveness was yet another aspect of having been a foster child. She’d never had a guaranteed permanent home or family. She didn’t have a bedroom that would always be hers alone. Once she’d gotten on her own, her privacy had seemed like a glorious freedom. Arran seemed to understand that, which was why he no longer required her to live at the compound. If he could be so considerate, perhaps it was time for her to open a bit and learn how to trust. She knew at the rate she was going, she would be alone for the rest of her life and that prospect didn’t make her happy at all.

  Inspired, she strolled over to the edge of the pool. “Arran?”

  “Yes, my Gabrielle?” he answered, coming to rest at the edge before her.

  “I was thinking maybe you are right. Maybe I need to learn to be a little less sensitive about my life. Would it be okay if I moved in here after all?” she asked, hoping he understood her indecision.

  “It would be more than okay; it would be welcomed,” he smiled and stroked her arm.

  She blushed. “Thank you. I’ll bring my things with me tomorrow, then.”

  “Don’t bother. I will send someone to get them now. All those clothes are waiting for you to select a suite. Go pick one now and find a bathing suit to join me. Let’s play today.”

  “You know? I would absolutely love that!” she grinned and set off to pick out her new home.

  She found the suites were relatively the same in size; they only differed in their decorating and the direction they faced. She chose one that was pastels and florals. It overlooked the courtyard and she could see the mountains in the distance. One of the servants had followed her and when she nodded, suddenly the cases began to appear and be opened. She asked for a bathing suit and was handed a selection of four. Choosing one, she changed in the bathroom and went out to join Arran.

  Dropping her cover-up on a chair, she tested the water with a tip of her toe and found it to be perfect. Arran splashed her and she objected, but it was fun to be the object of his attention. She was beginning to like the feeling more and more. They swam and chatted, casually as if he were not her boss and her his employee. He talked about growing up and how his father would fly them to the Mediterranean for extended vacations on the beaches.

  “You’ve seen so much of the world and I’ve seen so little,” she mentioned. “I’ve never been more than two states away from here. It’s beautiful, though, so that’s fine. I can’t imagine what could be better.”

  “Oh, my dear Gabrielle. There is so much to see in the world. You shall see some of it, you know. You’ll accompany me as I travel. That reminds me, do you have a passport?”

  “Me? No. Never needed one.”

  “Please go in the morning and apply. I have business interests all over the world. Where have you always wanted to go?”

  She looked at his animated face and the idea of travelling had never occurred to her. “I don’t even know if I like to fly,” she said.

  “I have a jet. It’s not really flying – it’s just like having your own set of wings,” he said, drawing a picture for her that made her look forward to the trips they would take.

  It had become late afternoon and Gabrielle pulled on her cover-up. Her skin wasn’t accustomed to the sun and she didn’t want to burn. Men in white jackets began to emerge from the house, pushing carts with serving dishes and dinnerware. They set up a buffet in the outdoor kitchen and stood by waiting for Arran and Gabrielle.

  Night fell quickly in the desert and by the time Gabrielle had changed, there were lighted candles and torches in the courtyard. The effects were dazzling against the last of the sunset. There was a warm breeze blowing and it made her feel rather sensuous. Arran was waiting for her and handed her a glass of wine.

  They chose to fill plates and sit by the water fountain as they ate. The mood was relaxed and they felt more like childhood friends; having shared so much about their early years. Gabrielle finished and as her plate was being clear away, she asked, “What do you want from your future?”

  Arran motioned his dishes away as well and picked up his glass of wine to sip, thoughtful. “I believe that my future will reveal itself. I know that I influence it by the things that appeal to me. You, for example. I did not expect to find you, and yet here we are. You appeal to me and therefore fate holds that you become a part of my life, in one way or another.”

  “Are you saying you didn’t hire me for my secretarial skills?” she asked, laughing and growing very comfortable with the idea.

  “I really have no use for a secretary, if you must know the truth. I asked you to be my companion – my assistant for business purposes. I value your companionship more highly than to leave you there. I am giving you time, Gabrielle. Time to discover who you are when exposed to more than you’ve known in your life. I wish for you to lose your fear and open yourself to the possibilities. It is my hope that you can see me in that future happiness for yourself.”

  “You’re a very philosophical man,” she commented, sipping her glass and crossing her legs. This did not go unnoticed. Arran’s eyes travelled down the length of her and he could feel himself harden.

  “I’m open to what comes and believe there are patterns to be recognized. A good businessman sees the patterns. A fool seeks to alter them.”

  She was thoughtful at this. She leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes, letting the warm breeze ruffle her silvery blonde hair and brush against her face. She was in a very mellow mood at that moment.

  Tentative warm lips touched hers. Her eyes flew open and a pair of dark brown eyes looked into hers. Her mouth opened in surprise and Arran took advantage of that – delving into her mouth with his tongue. Gabrielle knew she should resist, but she didn’t want to. Instead, she melted beneath the heat of his mouth and her arms rose to wrap about his neck. His muscular body arched over her, and Gabrielle felt an enormous rush of longing. He sensed this and lifted her to her feet. He was gentle and luxurious, showing his vulnerable side to her and she knew this. Leaning into his chest she broke the kiss and took a deep breath, turning her head away.

  “Don’t resist me,” he urged her.

  She shook her head. “It’s too soon.”

  “You’re feeling the same as I,” he persisted.

  “Shhh… give me time,” she pleaded and pushed away from him. “Goodnight Arran, I need to go to bed. I’ll see you in the morning,” she said with regret that she felt, but did not show.

  He nodded. He understood. That made all the difference.

  Chapter Seven

  Gabrielle was up early and put on her swimsuit and headed for the pool. She wanted the physical release that she hoped would quell the longing she’d felt for Arran all night. Knowing that he was just a few walls away had kept her awake. She lay there and reexamined her life, as well as what the future looked to hold for her. Although she tried, there were few negatives she could summon up to worry about.

  She began with smooth strokes and was soon doing laps as the sun rose above the horizon. Someone brought out a cart with coffee and pastries and as she donned a thick, terry bathrobe, she helped herself to both. She felt, rather than heard someone approach from behind and the question was answered as warm lips left a kiss on the nape of her neck. She heard a splash and knew Arran would be occupied for the next hour.

  “I’m going into town to apply for that passport,” she called out and he waved to her. Gabrielle showered, dressed and headed to the door. Serra was waiting but Gabrielle didn’t like the idea of company on this short trip. She wanted some time to think and to talk to Ben and explain she was permanently quitting. “Serra, I’m running some errands and prefer to do them alone,” she said and saw Serra’s face fall. It must be some point of honor or something, she thought, but she couldn’t worry about that now.

  She opened the roof on the Ferrari and headed to town. Her first stop was at a photo studio to get her pass
port shot made. Then came the post office where she filled out the application, filed it and was on her way.

  The Bellagio was a bit quiet this morning and Gabrielle realized she’d never been in the bar at that time of the morning. Ben wasn’t in yet so she killed some time at the penny slots and ended up winning two hundred and fifty dollars. She played a while longer and then headed to some of the shops nearby, armed with credit cards and the house account Arran had established for her. She wanted some sexy lingerie, something Arran knew he couldn’t include in the wardrobe he had provided for her. She would have taken that the wrong way and never followed through in moving in with him.

  She found a shop that was very exclusive, very quiet and sedate. The saleswoman sized Gabrielle up the moment she walked into the front door and asked her to take a seat on a tufted ottoman while she bought out some selections from which to choose.

  The woman found Gabrielle’s coloring very fascinating and she brought out crimson and deep purple, as well as the more expected black – but none of these seem to be just right. At last she brought out a diaphanous creation in silver and they both knew it was perfect. Gabrielle tried it on and it gave the impression of her body being lost in a cloud of sparkling silver and lit her seductive eyes.

  Gabrielle bought it immediately, as well as one in crimson so she’d have a bit of variety. She had lunch in a small café the tourists usually frequented and then headed back to the Bellagio to talk to Ben.

  As hoped, he was behind the bar, stocking bottles. He looked up briefly to see her coming and greeted her with, “So you’re quitting again, are you?”

  “How did you know?”

  “Honey, when you’ve been around as long as I have, you begin to see the pattern.”

  She thought about Arran’s remark regarding patterns and nodded. “I don’t want to leave you short-handed. Do you need me to work a few shifts until you can find and train a replacement?” she offered.

  “Nah, you go on. I can tell it’s a better fit for you. You were too skittish to wait tables, anyway – cost me perfectly good glasses,” he added in a sardonic, kindly tone.

  She reached out to shake his hand. “See you around, Ben. I appreciate all you did for me.”

  “Aw, go on with ya,” he guffawed and gave her a half wave, half salute as she left.

  Gabrielle stood for a moment on the gaming floor and looked around. She hadn’t had the time to make any friends, so there was no one to whom she needed to say goodbye. She took a moment to mentally bid farewell to the best job she’d had until then, and left. As she was waiting for them to bring her car up, she felt an arm beneath her elbow, propelling her forward into the crowd of people. She laughed. Arran always manages to surprise me, she thought to herself.

  She looked up and to her horror, it wasn’t Arran. Carl was grinning down at her. He had an iron grip on her arm, to the point that it was hurting her. He dragged her to the curb where a taxi waited. He opened the door and shoved her inside, sliding in next to her. The cab pulled away from the curb and Carl held a switchblade to her side, out of the driver’s view. He tossed a hundred-dollar bill over the front seat and said, “Train station and don’t stop.” The driver nodded.

  Gabrielle knew it would be useless to cry out or plead with the driver to help her. This was Vegas and those who lived and worked there knew to keep their mouths shut or it would not work out in their behalf. The driver sped on and Gabrielle began to shake.

  When they reached the train station, Carl didn’t take her inside the depot, but forced her toward his car and made her get in. A small revolver replaced the knife now that they were alone. He made his way down the highway and they were soon surrounded by desert.

  “What do you want?” she asked.

  “You thought you were rid of me, didn’t you?” he said through gritted teeth.

  “I tried not to think of you at all,” she responded, trying to keep her voice cool and disconnected. Her mind was reeling. Why didn’t I do as instructed and bring Serra with me? she admonished herself in fear.

  “What is it you want?” she asked again.

  “Yeah, I saw the guy – that rich guy with the bodyguard. You thought you were so smart, tagging up with him. You always were one to look out for yourself. Well, I’ve got you where I want you now.”

  “Money? Is that what you want? I’ll give you all the cash I have. Just let me out of the car now and I won’t say anything to anyone.”

  “Your money? Hell, no, that’s not even the beginning. I saw how that guy looked over you. He considers you his property. He’s probably worth millions. I wonder what he’d pay to get you back?”

  “Carl, don’t be stupid. This is considered kidnapping and you’ll go to prison.”

  “Not if there’s no evidence,” he said – words that made a cold chill run down her spine.

  “You won’t get away with it, Carl. This guy is connected,” she said, hoping to intimidate him. “He’s got diplomatic immunity. He can have you killed and nobody will blink an eye. You can’t put one over on him. He’s smart and he’s vicious. He’s got all kinds of people who work for him. For all you know, they’re tailing us right now. Give it up, Carl. You don’t want me. He might pretend to give you the money, but then he will kill you, take me and his money back. You’re sealing your own death here.”

  Carl snickered. Stupid people seldom realized their deficiencies and the result was they tended to repeat their mistakes and always paid the price.

  “Give me your cell phone,” Carl ordered her. Gabrielle pulled it from her bag and handed it to him.

  “No, you dial his number and give me the phone.”

  Gabrielle nodded and tried to look unconcerned as she did so. Carl cocked the revolver and Gabrielle decided this was no time to play games. Carl was not only stupid; he was overly self-assured. He would make a mistake, she told herself.

  She dialed Arran’s private line and handed the phone to Carl.

  He quickly pulled off onto the sandy shoulder and turned, holding the gun directly at Gabrielle. Arran answered, expecting to hear Gabrielle’s voice.

  “No, this ain’t her. But I got her. You want her back you’ll put two million in suitcases and lock them in locker number thirteen at the train terminal. I got a duplicate key so just lock it in there, good and tight.”

  Gabrielle watched Carl’s face go white. She didn’t know what it was that Arran was saying, but she doubted it contained any sort of pleasantries.

  “Just do as I told you,” Carl said. “You got until midnight tonight. It ain’t there, I got a gun and a shovel and you’ll never find her body.” He tapped the phone and pocketed it. “There, now let’s see how much you mean to that boyfriend of yours,” he sputtered, drooling in anticipation at the riches he was about to receive. With that, he pulled back onto the roadway and headed further from town.

  Chapter Eight

  Carl pulled into a retro-looking motel lot, the sort of place that only stays open along old highways that used to be the lifeblood of American travel. He took Gabrielle’s arm and forced her into a room. Locking the door, he peered out the window to see if they’d been followed.

  Gabrielle decided to play it cool. “You’ve been watching too many cowboy movies, Carl. If Arran was going to follow you, you’d never see him coming. He has professionals working for him. You’re dust – start saying your prayers.”

  His head whipped around and there was a brief look of fear in his eyes. Gabrielle knew that at heart he was nothing more than a stupid, greedy bully. She only had to keep away from him and Arran would figure out a way to get to her. Or so she hoped.

  * * *

  Arran listened to the phone click and motioned to Alahan, speaking to him briefly in low tones. Alahan disappeared and returned immediately, Serra in tow. Her eyes were huge. She had failed in her only assignment and the Sheikh was known for his temper when it came to people who were close to him.

  Arran kept his voice even. “Where did she go?” />
  “She said she had errands and insisted on going alone.”

  “You take your orders from me. She does not understand the potential dangers. You will locate her and report back to me.”

  Alahan’s face remained impassive but inside he knew Serra was probably in greater danger than she realized, and certainly more than Gabrielle. Serra bowed briefly and immediately sprang into action.

  Arran began pacing. He knew how to deal with professionals. That was like a chess game with anticipated moves and strategy that had purpose. In this case he was dealing with an ignorant amateur, and that’s what made Gabrielle’s safety all the more at risk. There were no rules here. His cell buzzed and he saw it was a business call, but ignored it.

  Serra stood on the perimeter, waiting to be recognized. She handed him a printout and he now knew exactly from where the call had been made. The rotating blades of a helicopter could already be heard in the distance. Arran disappeared momentarily inside and emerged in more rugged clothing and wearing a bullet-proof jacket to which was strapped several weapons and ammunition. Serra and Alahan were likewise outfitted and the three of them climbed into the waiting aircraft.

  They approached the coordinates from the cell call and headed over the highway as it led from town. Scanning the landscape, they spotted the motel and one lone vehicle parked in front of a room. At this time of day, travelers had not yet stopped so it was easy to pick out. Arran tapped Gabrielle’s phone number and within one ring, Serra signaled him that their tracking had confirmed his suspicion.

  The copter landed three miles down the road where a black, unmarked vehicle waited. It sped down the highway toward the motel and its occupants leapt out as soon as they hit the parking lot. Arran strode determinedly toward the building, while Serra and Alahan fanned out at ninety degree angles to him. Arran dialed the phone once again and Carl answered it.

  “Hello?”