Ruthless Daddy_A Romance Collection

by Emily Bishop

This isn’t right. I’m not the kind of girl who has sex with the boss in his office and talks about getting a promotion. I was raised to have integrity, not to have things handed to me because of relationships or sexual connection. I can barely stand to look at myself.

  Not to mention Booker. What kind of man does that make him? Is he really the kind of boss who would put me ahead of others because of this, over my talent? If there comes a situation where promotion is up, and the other person is more qualified, will I get it simply because I’ve had sex with him?

  Does Booker Knight really care about me? I think about his reputation. Everything I know about him tells me he’s a total jerk who uses women and then moves on. Is this simply a power trip he’s taking before he leaves me in the dust? How can I trust anything he says or does, when this is the standard of life we’ve reached? Sneaking around, having to hide what we have?

  Not to mention his cold demeanor this morning. I may be able to play the part of sexy vixen, but the truth is that’s not all I’m looking for. I don’t want to have to keep him entertained in order to maintain his interest. That’s not what a relationship is.

  Can I even have a relationship with Booker? Is that something I’ll be able to pull off, when all is said and done?

  My thoughts dart to Lucy and her suspicious glances. I’ve traded one fear for another. When I first came here, I was terrified I would lose my job because I kept annoying Booker. Now I’m terrified that any promotion I get will be seen as me simply sleeping my way to the top.

  I never wanted to be viewed that way.

  My gaze is heavy with worry as I stare at myself. I don’t know what to do. I feel frozen and alone. I can’t express my fears to Booker, because I’m scared it might push him away. I shouldn’t feel that way, but there’s so much about him I still don’t know.

  It’s maddening.

  A woman walks into the bathroom and nods before ducking into a stall. It’s enough to bring me back to the present. I can’t hide in the bathroom all day. I have to carry on as though nothing has changed.

  I have to believe I am capable of doing that.

  I wash my hands with the pretense that I was doing anything other than wiping traces of sex from my appearance. I dry them and walk out the door with my head held high. Even still, my gaze darts around the office. I can’t help but wonder who suspects. Am I being paranoid? Maybe I need to get a therapist.

  Maybe I need to get a drink.

  Great. Now I’m a sex maniac and a drunk. My mother always said that moving to New York was a bad idea—full of temptation and avarice.

  “Whoa, what is going on with you, Sasha?” Lucy pokes her head out of her office and watches me with concern etched into her brow when I walk out of the bathroom.

  “What?” I ask.

  “You look like you just walked away from a murder scene and don’t know what to do with the body. Care to talk about it? Then we can get to work as usual, maybe busy your mind.”

  A sigh escapes my lips, and I step into Lucy’s office. She closes the door, securing us inside, and I plop onto the chair opposite her desk. When she sits across from me, she leans back and waits in silence.

  “So, did you kill someone?” she finally asks.

  I laugh, but it sounds forced even to me. “No. I did not kill anyone. You can put that theory away.”

  “OK, then what is it? You’ve been acting really weird this past week, totally not yourself. I miss you, you know.”

  “Am I really that changed?” I ask.

  It’s something I’ve wondered for a long time. Would sex change me? Would a man like Booker Knight change me, inherently, just by opening me up to that world?

  “I mean, obviously you’re still you, Sasha, but you’re clearly troubled by something. What is it? You can tell me.”

  I sit in silence, contemplating how much I want to reveal. The secret sits on my chest like a boulder cutting off all my air. I can’t breathe if I keep holding onto it. I have to let it out, and consequences be damned.

  “I’m falling for Booker,” I blurt.

  Lucy nods. “Yes, I thought we established that before. I told you he’s bad news when it comes to relationships. Can you really not see past his handsome face?”

  “It’s more than that.”

  I let the phrase hang in the air, and Lucy waits with the patience of a saint as I collect my thoughts.

  “You know how we’ve all been testing the app to get the user experience?” I ask.

  She nods. “Yes. I’ve met a few guys. Nothing to write home about.”

  “Well, I met an amazing guy. He’s sweet and funny and really smart. He’s sexy as hell.”

  “Sounds like a real winner. I still don’t understand what this has to do with Mr. Knight,” she says, reminding me of our place. I shouldn’t be calling him by his first name. We are supposed to know our station here. Just another little thing that puts me in a different category than my colleagues.

  “Well, we talked for the requisite amount of time, and then just the other day our pictures were revealed. Lucy, the guy was I talking to was Bo… Mr. Knight.”

  Her eyebrows lift at this revelation. “You two fell for each other over the app? That’s insane!”

  I stand and pace around the room. There’s too much stress bottled up inside me. If I don’t move, I might explode. Thank goodness the door is closed.

  “I know! I was falling so hard for him. He’s not like his reputation, Lucy. He’s so much more behind the scenes. The things that he’s been through, the trials he’s faced to get to where he is… he’s an amazing person.”

  Lucy processes that for a moment, her lips pursed in thought. “All right, that’s fair enough. So the pictures were revealed, and then what happened?”

  I frown at the memory. “He deleted his account.”

  Lucy scratches her face as realization dawns. “That was the day he locked himself in his office. You were a complete mess, constantly looking at his door. That’s when I decided to warn you off of him.”

  “Yeah,” I say, glum. “My perfect romance kind of died overnight.”

  “But you said you’re still falling for him. Something must have happened to keep your interest. Otherwise, I imagine you would have moved on when he expressed no interest.”

  Heat warms my cheeks, and Lucy perks up.

  “You didn’t,” she says.

  I sit back across from her. I can’t look her in the eye. I’m not ashamed of what we’ve done, per se. I’m more afraid of how it will be perceived by others. A reputation can make or break someone in any industry, but scandal is the last thing we want right before a major launch.

  Eek. So much at risk. Somehow, through it all, I have no regrets. If I had to do it all over again, I’d do it just the same.

  Giving my virginity to Booker was one of the best things I could have ever done.

  “Wow. OK. Well, that certainly changes things a bit. Or at least that explains why your feelings are so strong.”

  “Yeah. You won’t think less of me because of what we’ve done, will you? I promise not to let it interfere with my work. I will be just as productive as I’ve always been.”

  “Of course, you will,” Lucy says. She reaches out a hand and grasps mine. “You’re going to be fine. And who knows? Maybe you’re the woman who will break his cycle. Maybe the app helped him realize that women can be more than just a passing hobby.”

  “Well, when you put it that way,” I grumble, and Lucy laughs.

  “Come on, Sasha. You have to be real about this situation. Anyone can change for the better. Maybe this situation will help you both in the end. No matter what, you have a friend here who you can confide in, OK? I’ll be here for whatever you need.”

  When I look back up at Lucy, I have tears of gratitude in my eyes.

  “Thank you,” I whisper.

  Somehow, with Lucy’s kind words, I feel like less of a harlot and more like a woman seeking love, like any other. Still, I have to find a way
to balance this, to keep things professional at work. It will be a discussion Booker and I will need to have, soon. We need to set up guidelines, parameters.

  Some kind of rule book to get us through the complicated nature of this relationship. Man, do I wish there was a handbook!

  “Well, now that that’s off your chest, let’s distract you with lots of fun work talk,” Lucy says, cheerful.

  I grin at her and sit back. I release a breath and let go of my fears.

  For the moment, I don’t need to worry about Booker. I’ll find him soon enough.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Booker

  When I call Sasha’s office, it goes to voicemail after a few rings.

  Strange. She’s usually always in there. I have a meeting with Kieran in a few minutes, and I need someone there to take notes. I suppose I’ll have to tap Lucy.

  When I call Lucy’s line, she’s laughing when she answers.

  “This is Lucy.”

  “Miss Shone.”

  “Mr. Knight.” Her tone changes in the beat of a second. “What can I do for you, sir?”

  “I’m looking for Sasha. Have you seen her?”

  “Sasha?” Am I imagining things, or did her tone just go up an octave? “She’s right here. We were working through some of the logistics for the opening gala.”

  “That’s great. I need her to come and take some minutes for me though. Can you continue that work on your own for a while?”

  “Of course. I’ll let her know to join you.”

  “Great, thanks.”

  I hang up the line. Was it suspicious of me to ask for Sasha when Lucy was clearly able to work the same task? No accounting for it now, but I want to make sure Sasha is protected from office gossip. The last thing we need is word spreading about any kind of special favors.

  I’m not really sure how I want this thing to go, but I know I don’t want her to get hurt.

  I grab my files and walk out my door just in time to see Sasha step out of Lucy’s office with a notepad in hand. When she looks up at me, my throat goes dry.

  I can’t believe I was inside her not an hour ago. My body craves her again. Every time I see her, I want more.

  “Miss Ellis,” I say. We are in a public hallway, after all. Things need to be as usual.

  She nods to me. “Mr. Knight. Where are we meeting?”

  “Kieran’s office. This way.”

  I step ahead of Sasha and walk on with her a few paces behind me. I know she’ll keep up. I know this is what I would do with any other staff member. That is the only reason why I’m not walking alongside her, perhaps grabbing her hand. I wonder what it would feel like, just to hold hands with someone.

  No one’s ever done that with me before.

  The realization is a little shocking. Have I really never held someone’s hand, as an act of open affection? No. I haven’t. The first time was in my town car last night, when I grabbed Sasha’s hand. Even then it was a strange, unfamiliar sensation.

  Not for the first time, I curse my parents and every foster home that came after them. What kind of man would I be, if it weren’t for their abandonment?

  A far less successful one, I suppose.

  We reach Kieran’s office. The door is open, and Kieran sits at his desk as he plays some kind of game on his phone.

  “Market research?” I ask, my tone bone dry.

  “Word puzzle. I’m having a hell of a time solving this one. The last time this happened, I threw my phone against the wall and had to get a new one. I think there’s a new version out, so it might be time to get mad again.”

  “Wasteful, but typical. You remember Miss Ellis.” I gesture toward Sasha, who walks over to a chair in the corner. Kieran’s eyes light up at the sight of her, and in an instant, I realize my mistake.

  Fuck. It’s too late to kick her out now, too.

  “Sasha Ellis,” Kieran says in a sing-song voice. “Of course, I remember you. How are you, dear?”

  “Fine,” Sasha says. Her gaze is wary, as it so often is around Kieran. What is it about him she doesn’t trust? Maybe just the fact that he hits on her every time he sees her, whether she appears interested or not.

  And she’s definitely not.

  “Stop harassing my staff, Kieran. She’s here to take minutes, not to get motivation to reach out to HR.”

  Kieran rolls his eyes and winks at Sasha. She frowns at him.

  “Don’t mind my unworthy colleague, Sasha. I still live in the twenty-first century, where people call one another by their first names and treat staff like family. Bo here has yet to catch onto modern times.”

  “The way I manage things is effective. Just as a military general directs his troops to victory, so do I. Now can we end this chain of discussion and get to work, please?”

  “All work and no play makes Bo a dull boy,” Kieran taunts.

  Asshole.

  “All work and no play makes Bo rich enough to buy out Kieran and kick him off the payroll.”

  “OK, OK. I’ve pissed you off to the point where you’re threatening to cut me off. Let’s move on before our friendship really suffers. Marketing. It’s time to finish up our platform.”

  Finally, he’s stopped bullshitting. I sit across from him and glance back to see Sasha with her notepad out and gaze down, ready to take diligent notes.

  What I wouldn’t give to bend her over my desk after this. I wonder if we might be able to give that a try, once everyone’s gone. Maybe I’ll ask her to work late. Enticing prospect.

  “Earth to Bo, come in, Bo. Is anyone home?”

  I clear my throat and open up my files. Get it together, Booker. If you can’t work with her in the room, you shouldn’t have slept with her.

  Still don’t regret it, though.

  “I think it’s time to get the ball rolling on our ads. Let’s put out something on social media and really get people interested. I’ve got a good budget to start running these today on several different platforms. Let’s get people excited. Let’s get them talking about this.”

  I nod, and Kieran goes on.

  “You know what would really get people talking about this? A real human-interest story, something that people can relate to.”

  I have a bad feeling about where this is going. I have no idea how to stop him. I never have. “I think that’s a bad move. Let’s continue on this vein,” I say.

  Kieran ignores me, as he always does. “Oh, come, now. You haven’t even heard my pitch. Picture this: a boss and his assistant both create accounts on the app to test it out, but then they realize they’ve fallen madly in love. When the picture clears, they see one another for the first time. They never knew they were so compatible, but now they have a shot at true happiness! Don’t you think that sounds like a great story for a commercial? We could even get you guys to do interviews, like the other sites do, only you’re actually real.”

  I hold my breath and look back at Sasha. Her face has gone ash gray. Her lips are pressed into a thin, angry line. Her eyes are fire. Worse.

  They’re filled with betrayal.

  “How could you?” she whispers at me. Without another word, she storms out of the office, and before I can even address the issue, she’s long gone. When I turn back to face Kieran, he has the gall to look amused.

  That motherfucker.

  “What did you hope to accomplish by doing that?” I ask. My voice is low. I can barely contain my anger, so I let it simmer just beneath the surface. Much like lava boils just before exploding from a volcano.

  I am beyond ready to erupt.

  Kieran shrugs. “It’s a good story. I’m not going to let it slide through our fingers just because you two haven’t figured out what you are or whatever. This is the kind of stuff that can make us money, Bo. This is gold!”

  “No, this is my fucking life, Kieran! Last I checked, it wasn’t for sale!”

  “Dude, I don’t know why you’re getting so upset. I’m not saying anything it didn’t happen, and it’s not
like you guys did anything wrong. What is the matter with you?”

  “With me? What’s the matter with me?” I can hardly breathe. I force myself to take in air before I lay into him. “From the beginning I have tolerated your asshole behavior, because when we were kids, I was an asshole, too. But we grew up, Kieran. Only you didn’t seem to notice because you’ve been too busy with your head up your ass this entire time to realize you’re acting like a child in an adult’s world. It’s one thing when it affects no one but you, but when you affect my company, my business…”

  “This has nothing to do with our business! If it did, you would see that it’s a marketable story and not get your fucking panties all in a bunch.”

  Kieran stands and faces me head-on. This might be a fight we’ve been needing to have for a lot longer than I want to acknowledge. I’ve let him get away with too much for too long.

  Not today. Not when Sasha’s angry expression is burned into the back of my eyelids.

  Kieran carries on with his rant. “No, this has nothing to do with work. This has to do with that girl, who you have officially just put ahead of your own damn company. I can’t believe you of all people would put a woman ahead of your own success! What has she done to bewitch you? Huh?”

  “Watch your mouth,” I say.

  “No. Not with you. We’re practically brothers, so I’m going to ask you again. What the actual fuck are you doing with that woman, and why would you sabotage your own success over her?”

  “There are a million ways to market the app that don’t require my story being told. That’s beside the fact that I told you that in confidence, only to have you mock not only me, but her! To our faces. I will not put her at risk because you think you’ve figured out how to use us as marketing pawns. That’s not how I do business.”

  “And how do you do business, Bo? Because last I checked, you were a smart and savvy businessman who knew better than to get entangled with women who could drag you down. Now you have an assistant who apparently can take you down with one blow, not to mention the rest of us. Is that a chance you’re willing to take? You?”

  I lean in so my face is close enough for Kieran to really hear and understand my next words. “That woman is not just some secretary. She is not someone who works for this company. She means more to me than almost anyone I’ve ever met, and I know her character. She is not the kind of person to destroy everything we’ve worked toward. You will not tease her. You will not ever bring this up again. In fact, I want you to stay away from her.”