Taming Her Boss

by C. M. Stunich

  “Yes.”

  I purse my lips.

  “Are you going to stop by my place in the evenings?”

  “I don't know. Maybe?” Olivia keeps her gaze straight ahead, but I can see amusement in her eyes, twinkling like a reflection of the city's brilliance. I try not to get angry, but the muscle in my jaw twitches anyway.

  “If I stopped by yours, would you call me a stalker?”

  “Most likely.”

  I sigh and Olivia chuckles, turning to me and staring at the words on my sweatshirt.

  “You should consider not wearing suits occasionally.” She pauses, and I try to take that as a compliment. “Not that there's anything wrong with you wearing suits, but this look works, too. Casual, something that reminds me that there's actually a human being in there somewhere.” Olivia reaches out a hand and lifts up the bottom of the dark blue sweater, whistling under her breath as she flashes my abs and the V muscles that cut into my torso and disappear under the waistband of the jeans.

  “Something I can help you with, Miss Ashcraft?” I ask, feeling my body heat up and my cock stiffen in response to her examination. The majority of our interactions have consisted of disparaging remarks and scowling. It's nice to see her willing to show some appreciation for me.

  “Can I ask you a random question? I mean, since this is now officially a date.” Olivia makes a pained face as she asks the question. For once, it seems like I'm the one that's less afraid of some sort of commitment. It's usually women throwing themselves at me – more than likely because of the numbers in my bank account – so it's odd to see someone like Olivia look terrified of the prospect of a future anything together. I wonder, if like Lara Caliper, Olivia would accept a ring as a sort of contract between us? Or maybe I'm thinking too business minded again? Asking someone like Olivia to marry me after two weeks would not go over very well.

  “Go ahead,” I tell her as she lays her fingers across my abs and I suck in a harsh breath. Would it be too much if I asked her down to the bedroom, begged her to stand on my back in her high heels and then ride me like she did earlier this week?

  “How do you even get these? I mean, what are they exactly?” Olivia pokes at the V shaped indentations on either side of my crotch. “Maxi calls them the tasty V, but says only assholes and personal trainers have them.” Olivia smacks my stomach and withdraws her hand. “So. Question is, what kind of workouts do you have to suffer to get these?”

  “A myriad,” I say, which is true. Olivia narrows her eyes at me. I meet her gaze and we share another silent look. When she realizes what's happening, she groans and drops back into the daybed, turning towards me closing the gap between us. When her hips and legs brush up against mine, I have to clench my teeth to keep still. “I have a personal trainer,” I say when she leans in close, still glaring at me. “I don't know what he makes me do. I just tune out the pain and do it.”

  Olivia laughs at me, kicking off those beautiful heels of hers and curling her knees up next to me. A moment later, I put my arm around her and she doesn't gouge my eyes out – this is a good sign.

  “You really are a spoiled brat, Lex Lyndon.” I grit my teeth, but it's hard to argue with the truth. Unfortunately, I think Olivia is right.

  “What do you want me to do about it?” She just shrugs and then leans her head in against my shoulder with a yawn. The movement makes me stiffen, gazing down at her red hair splayed against my sweatshirt with no small amount of lust.

  “Nothing. It's just who you are, I guess.” Olivia yawns again. “This Peter and the Wolf thing we're going to, do I have to dress up like a corporate yuppie goon?”

  “No. Like a corporate Goddess. I'll select a dress for you.”

  Olivia scoffs.

  “Like hell you will.”

  “May I remind you, Miss Ashcraft,” I pause, “Oli, that you were able to choose my outfit for tonight's dinner party.”

  “You call that a dinner party?” she asks and then sighs. “But you do have a point. You know what? You wore the feminist T-shirt, so I will wear whatever dress you want, but only so that we're even Stephen.” Olivia yawns again and lets her body sink more heavily against mine. I have to curl my fingers on my right hand into a fist to keep still. “I am so freaking tired right now.”

  “And so fucking beautiful,” I purr, but Olivia doesn't respond the way I want, yawning again and doing her best to get me to feel tired along with her, despite the recent cup of coffee.

  “This rooftop deck thing is pretty, but cliché – I hope you know that.” I purse my lips together but don't bother to argue. “I bet most people you bring up here eat this shit up, huh?” Another yawn. “I'm difficult, aren't I? But then, so are you,” Olivia mumbles, and when I glance down at her, I see her eyes are closed. She's falling asleep. My cock is sorely disappointed, but the rest of me doesn't seem to mind. This is one of the reasons that I know Olivia is different from anyone I've ever met. Not only does she speak her mind, act loopy and admittedly quite odd sometimes, but she's also the only woman I've ever let simply sleep at my house. And she's also the only one I've brought up to this deck. The bedroom is a good place to fuck, but up here? This is set up for romance, and I don't just waste that on anyone. That bit of information is twice as cliché as the rooftop itself, so I decide not to mention it.

  “Olivia?” I ask, and she doesn't respond. A few seconds later, she starts to snore, and I decide then and there that it may be one of the most beautiful sounds I've ever heard.

  I wake up with a start, to the smell of spicy sweetness and flickering lights.

  Candles. Again.

  I crack my tired eyes and gaze around Lex Lyndon's room. How I got down here, I'm not sure, since the last thing I remember is laying my head on Lex's shoulder. Not sure why I even did that. I mean … our date – I have to mentally choke this word out – hadn't exactly gone as planned. Lex didn't run for the hills and I made the terrifying discovery that we communicate like the moms, with just our eyes.

  I roll over, towards Lex and find that he's still fast asleep, despite the fact that there's sunshine streaming in through the curtains. It illuminates a perfect square space of floor, making me wonder what time it is. I'm still wearing my T-shirt, but no jeans, just my panties. Panties. I think of the crispy critters I found in the bathroom and wrinkle my nose. Fucking Lex.

  I force myself to sit up and sweep my hands down my face. If there's anything worse than falling asleep at a guy's house after sex, it's falling asleep at a guy's house with no sex. What excuse do I have for my actions? I felt comfortable enough to just doze off on his roof? Wrapped in his arms?

  I sigh and Lex shifts, the blankets falling back and revealing … a whole lot of him. Including that massive cock that keeps coming up in conversation. And it's already hard. Damn it.

  I should climb out of this bed right now, find my pants, sneak off before Lex wakes up, but now I'm tempted to stay. He groans in his sleep and drops his hand to his dick, wrapping his fingers around the base and mumbling under his breath.

  “Lex,” I growl, poking him in the shoulder. “Lex.” He snaps to and blinks at me like he's as confused about my being here as I am. Then he notices where his hand is and jerks it back with a small snarl. “You were masturbating in your sleep. Do you need my panties again?” He narrows his eyes on me.

  “I'd rather have your pussy,” he grinds out, rolling over and taking hold of my hips, pulling me on top of him to straddle his midsection. My initial reaction is to panic, to run back to my place, to hide. But that won't do me any good, will it? Besides, that's not exactly in my personality. Running? Bleh. If Lex and I are now somehow seeing each other, then fine. Whatever. Like I said to him last night, I can date like a badass. No big deal. The only thing that's big in this room right now is Lex Lyndon's erection.

  “Charming,” I tell him, but when I scoot back an inch, I feel the firm press of his desire against my ass. His gray eyes are tired but sparking with arousal, and his muscles are tense an
d solid beneath me thighs. Much as I hate to admit it, it really is a tempting proposal. When Lex opens his mouth again, I clamp my right hand across it and reach back with my left, pushing my panties aside and finding Lex's cock. When I slide it in, grinding my hips down into his pelvis, he bites my fingers. It's just a gentle nip, but it pisses me off. And turns me on. I jerk my hand back and give Lex a slap. He looks shocked at first, but then he rolls with it, scowling at me and taking hold of my hips, helping us work up a steady rhythm as I pinch his face with my fingers – hard. When he gets too rough on my hips, I give him another slap. See? I could get used to this dominatrix shit. Maybe I'll even Amazon Prime ship myself some fancy leather boots with five inch stilettos, make Lex shine them up with his tongue. Maybe this whole dating thing doesn't have to be so traumatizing? Provided he doesn't ask me to sign another contract, this could actually be good.

  “I want to hear you say my name,” he growls at me, but I refuse, clamping my mouth tight and moving my hips with a ferocity that's surprising. Maybe I really am starting to like the boss? When he's not acting like the CEO of a major real estate investment group, he's a hell of a lot easier to get along with.

  “Fat chance of that happening,” I whisper, leaning down and crushing our mouths together. I'm still holding his face, squeezing it tight, taking control of him and letting my eyelids flutter as our tongues dive into one another's mouth, our bodies slipping and sliding together as wetness blooms on my thighs. I work really hard at holding myself together, fighting an orgasm – it's a shame, I know – and jamming my hips against Lex's until he groans into my mouth and his body spasms beneath mine. I take great pleasure in sitting up straight, splaying a hand on his chest and riding him as he growls and bucks beneath me. A smile teases my lips as he struggles to pull in enough air to catch his breath.

  “Oli,” he says, and I clench tight at the sound of my nickname. Lex groans again. “You're a devil in disguise.”

  “Maybe,” I say, sliding off of him with a groan of my own and nestling into the pillows. I glance over at Lex and find him staring at me with rapturous attention. If I said I didn't like it, I'd be lying. “Now. Get your ass down there and clean up the mess you made.” His dark brows rise up and a smirk curls his lips, but Lex doesn't protest. He really does drag the covers back and take hold of my panties, sliding them down my hips and off, tossing them aside – for later, I guess. I take a tight handful of his hair and try not to think of the elevator situation, shoving him down between my legs and groaning as his tongue slides hot and wet against my heat. I know what he's tasting down there – my arousal and his, mixed together into a heady concoction. I just want him to fucking eat it.

  He works his mouth expertly around my opening and then back up, towards my clit, teasing it with a very, very light scrape of teeth and then a flutter of tongue that makes me go cross-eyed. And the really nice thing about Lex? He doesn't do a rush job. He takes his time, putting me into an almost trancelike state before he finally inserts a pair of fingers and fucks me slowly, swirling his tongue in circles around my clitoris until my stomach muscles start to flutter and gasps break from my throat like musical notes. A steady, even beat plays out until I find my back arching and my vision blurring, the candles flickering around me like fireworks.

  “Lex,” I groan, and then realize as I'm doing it that I just fucking gave the asshole what he wanted. “Damn you!” I scream as Lex pulls away with an infuriating smirk, moving back up to lay beside me. I punch him, right in his man tit and he grunts. Little beads of sweat streak our bodies as I move over and lay in the crook of his arm. See? Dating equals not such a bad thing. There's no better way to kick off a weekend than with a nice, big, fat orgasm. “That was a cheap move.”

  “I assure you it wasn't. How was I supposed to know you were going to moan my name?”

  “Whatever. Go fuck yourself.” Lex reaches a hand down, but I manage to grab his wrist before he actually gets started. “Stop trying to sneak extra shit in under the guise of following orders. You're a crappy sub, Lex. I told you, you weren't really that interested in it.”

  “I just want a partner, apparently,” he rumbles and I sigh, blowing hot air across his skin and making him shiver. I hate how comfortable the jackass makes me feel, like it's okay to just lay here with my head on his chest. “That is what you said, isn't it?”

  “Don't even,” I begin, but he's not done.

  “What if I said I thought you might be right?” I'd be turned on because there's nothing I like more than knowing I'm right. I clear my throat. This conversation could go bad, very quickly.

  “I'd say good for you for realizing that. But I'd also warn you not to stick me into that category.”

  “But you yourself said we were dating last night, Olivia. We have fun together.”

  “We fight constantly.”

  “The sex is good.”

  “The sex is great.”

  “What are you trying to say to me right now?” I ask, sitting up and staring at him. The sunlight behind the curtain shifts, most likely from clouds rolling in off the bay. I wonder what time it is?

  “In the real estate world, when you find a property you think is a good investment, what do you do with it?” I raise an eyebrow and stare down at Lex. His strong jaw and sharp cheekbones make it a hell of a lot more difficult to concentrate properly.

  “Uh, if this is a hint about the Eugene, Oregon property, then don't worry about it. I am on it as soon as we get back to the office on Monday.” Lex frowns at me, probably wondering if I'm being willfully ignorant. I may or may not be.

  “Olivia,” he begins, but I wave his words away.

  “Okay, fine, I'll bite. When you find a good investment, you swoop down on it, make the purchase before anybody else does. If you wait too long, you risk either losing the property or getting into a bidding war with other investors.” Lex's mouth turns into a smirk, and I wait for the punch line of this joke. I'm not going to like it, am I?

  “Exactly. That's why I want to ask you to seriously consider what's happening between us as a relationship in progress.”

  I blink at him stupidly for several seconds.

  “Wait, did you just compare me to a real estate investment?”

  “When I see something I want, I go for it. Olivia, I've decided now that what I want is you.”

  “No!” I groan, rolling onto my back and putting my hands over my face. “You seriously did not just say that. What did I tell you I would do if you said that in the parking garage? That I'd run over your feet and drive away. That's it Lex – I am driving away right now.”

  “I hadn't realized what I was feeling in the parking garage, Olivia. The reason I so adamantly wanted that contract was because I wanted you to be mine. I want to be yours.”

  “O. M. Fucking G. Lex Lyndon, you are thirty-four years old, worth billions of dollars, attractive, please don't do this to me right now.”

  “Because you're tempted? I hate long, drawn out courtships. Let's consider this official.”

  “I can't even believe this is happening. I hate to sound sexist because I'm absolutely one hundred percent not, but you sort of sound like a stereotypical, societally influenced girl. Didn't we just reluctantly agree last night that we're dating. Dating. Not getting married or shacking up together, dating.”

  “Fuck dating. I had all of last night to consider this, Olivia. I see what I want. I've decided to go for it.”

  “You are unbelievable, Lex. Absolutely unbelievable.”

  “You want me to beat around the bush? Spend months wooing you? Fine. I'll do it. I just thought I should let you know how the situation stands.”

  “Oh, Miss Ashcraft,” I grumble, imitating Lex's sultry purr of a voice with an insulting undertone, “would you do me the honor of being my next real estate investment? I not only want to be the CEO of Lyndon Realty Trust, but if you'll let me, I'd also like to be the CEO of your heart.” Lex growls at me and tries to pry my hands from my face, but I won't bud
ge. He loosens his fingers and waits there, the whorls on his fingertips brushing against the soft skin of my wrists.

  “There's nothing wrong with being a man who knows what he wants. Nor is there anything wrong with being a woman who knows what she wants.”

  “What I want right now is to pretend this conversation never happened.” I pull my hands away from my face. “I want to get up, go home, shower, have breakfast.”

  Wait.

  Breakfast.

  “Shit!” I jerk away from Lex – fully aware that I'm completely nude from the waist down – and stumble into the kitchen to grab my purse, digging out my cell phone with stiff fingers. I'm twenty minutes late for my breakfast meeting with the moms and Craig. I ignore their text messages and call Carol directly. “Hey!” I say before she even gets a chance to tell me hello. “I just wanted to let you know that I am on my way.”

  “Long night at Lex's, I take it,” Carol says, making me grit my teeth. “No problem. We'll hold off on ordering until you get here.” She pauses. “If you want to bring him with you, you can. We were very impressed with Lex last night. See, I told you there was something about him that I liked. He's not a judgmental person.”

  “That's nice, Mom, thanks, but he's actually busy today.”

  “I'm actually not,” Lex purrs from behind me. I resist the urge to turn around and look at his naked body. As nice a sight as that would be, I'm still weirded out by our conversation. All I want to do right now is scrub it from my brain and go eat some fucking pancakes.

  “He's working today, but maybe next time?”

  “Oh, that's too bad,” Carol says, and I can just imagine her sharing a silent look with June. “But okay. Tell him we said hi.”

  “Will do,” I say, with no intention of actually doing it. I hang up the phone and throw it back in my purse, just a split second before Lex's warm body pressed up tight against mine, his hands clamping on my hips, lifting me up those few inches needed to lean my body over the countertop. Once again, my feet don't even come close to hitting the floor. “Lex,” I snarl, but he isn't doing anything too inappropriate – not yet. His mouth touches my throat and his hands scald my skin, making my lashes flutter and giving the lady boner all the fire she needs to burn my brain and take control of my actions. Disclaimer: I cannot be held responsible for anything that happens after that moment.