BOSS_His Wealth. His Power. His Demands.

by Maggie Carpenter

  "What the hell are you doing here?"

  "Things didn't go as planned."

  "Obviously," he growled, keeping his voice low as he leaned across the counter. "Why not? What the fuck went wrong? You got his license number I hope."

  "Don't get your boxers in a twist. Of course I did."

  "Just as well. I wanna score and get out of this town. It's getting old."

  "Then you'll like this," she said quickly, hoping to calm him down. "He's leaving town tomorrow for a few days."

  "Oh, baby, good work," he said, his grim expression instantly changing. "I'm gonna make you feel real good when we get home."

  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

  Pulling into his garage, Tony was starting to feel less foggy, though the headache was looming. Walking into his house he headed straight for the kitchen cabinet and some aspirin. Downing two, he poured himself a glass of milk, heated it in the microwave, then splashed in a dollop of whiskey. It was a concoction that never failed to soothe his soul. Carrying it into his den, he flopped down on his leather couch and pulled out his phone. He had a few messages, but he listened to the one from Colleen first.

  "Hi, Tony. I've been reviewing the latest offer from the Pink Petticoat boutique chain. Will you have any time to discuss it on Monday? David already has it. He's been talking to their lawyer. Email or call any time. I'm always up late."

  He glanced at his watch. It wasn't even 9 p.m. He decided to call her, but as he touched her name on the screen he knew it was because he wanted to hear her voice.

  "Tony, hi. I assume you're calling because you got my email. I hope I didn't interrupt your evening."

  "Not at all. I hope I'm not interrupting yours."

  "My computer will get over it."

  "You're still working?" he asked, her quip making him smile.

  "Nothing else to do, and it's not work if you love it, right?"

  "That's right."

  "When will you have time to get together and go over this Pink Petticoat thing?"

  "I'm leaving town early Monday morning. Why don't we meet at Mabel's for lunch tomorrow?"

  "That sounds perfect. Thanks, Tony. You sound tired."

  "I guess I am," then under his breath, he mumbled, "Maybe that's what this is. Maybe I'm just tired."

  "Sorry? I didn't quite catch that."

  "I've been feeling under the weather tonight, and I think that's why. I don't get tired, but I'll bet that's what it is."

  "You don't know if you're tired or not?"

  "I'm wide awake until I choose not to be. Tired doesn't come into it."

  "Then, yes, you probably are. It's bound to catch up with you at some point. Have an early night."

  "I'm going to. See you at Mabel's around noon."

  "Super. Bye."

  "Bye."

  Turning on the television to zone out for a while, he began to wonder why he'd been so intensely attracted to Jennifer, only to have it slip away so quickly. As he finished his drink he began to feel better, and switching off the television he called Frank.

  "Hey. Looks like you got home at a decent hour, or is witchy woman with you?"

  "No, she's not with me, and it was a very odd night."

  "Again?"

  "Again! We were sitting in a bar, and I had the same strong attraction, but by the time we finished dinner all I wanted to do was leave and come home. Mind you, I was getting a headache and feeling kind of sick. Regardless, I need you to wear your Sherlock hat and help me figure this out."

  "I agree. I'd like to talk to you about this in more detail," Frank said solemnly. "I'm glad you left when you did. Let's catch up tomorrow."

  "Sounds good. I'm meeting Colleen for lunch to go over some business stuff, but I'll be free in the afternoon. Why don't you come to the house?"

  "Sounds like a plan. I'll see you there."

  As he ended the call he pondered Frank's words. Whenever Frank said—I'd like to talk to you about this in more detail—it meant he was picking up on something. It was why he'd hired Frank in the first place. The guy had an uncanny ability to see past the obvious. Rising to his feet, he slowly ambled into the kitchen, washed out his glass, then climbed up the stairs and headed into his bedroom. Pulling off his clothes, he moved into his bathroom and stepped under the shower. The hot water helped his headache, and as he closed his eyes and leaned against the wall, Colleen's parting words earlier that day floated into his head.

  Next time I behave like that, you have my permission to spank me.

  He could feel his cock stir to life. Spanking the smart, witty, sexy woman was a delectable thought, and he decided to indulge in the fantasy. Stroking himself, he imagined her bent over his desk with her skirt pulled up. She was wearing a garter belt and black stockings, but no panties. He roamed his hand over her glorious cheeks, then lecturing her about company policy, he began to slap her with gusto. Her skin turned a luscious shade of pink, and as she wriggled with the sting, he could see the telltale glistening between her pussy lips. The image sent him over the edge, and as his member jerked in his hand, he let out a long, low groan.

  A short time later, as he slid between the sheets, he knew his attraction to Colleen was real.

  So what the heck had happened with Jennifer?

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  After a dreamless night and sleeping late, Tony felt like himself again, and choosing to ride his Harley Davidson to Mabel's, he zipped through the empty city streets. Rolling to a stop in front of the cafe, he climbed off, removed his helmet, and ran his hand through his hair as he walked inside. His booth was empty, and as he settled in, Mabel arrived with a large thermos of coffee.

  "Enjoy the ride?" she asked, watching him unzip his leather motorcycle jacket.

  "It was great."

  "I can tell. What would you like to eat?"

  "A BLT please. Can you bring me another mug?"

  "Is Frank joining you?"

  "No, the redhead," he said with a wink.

  "Oh? I'm pleased to hear it."

  "I'm just teasing. It's business."

  "Sure it is," she quipped, returning the wink with a devilish grin. "I'll wait to put your order in until she arrives."

  "You won't have long to wait. She just walked in."

  "And she doesn't look very happy," Mabel remarked, lowering her voice. "I'll come back in a few minutes."

  "You're right, she doesn't. Thanks."

  Mabel walked away, nodding hello to Colleen as they passed.

  "Hi, Colleen. Why the deep frown?" Tony asked as she sat down.

  "You won't believe it."

  "Try me."

  "When I was taking a shower this morning the water pressure fell away."

  "Burst pipe?"

  "Pipes, plural. Why do these things have to happen on a Sunday?"

  "Gremlins. Do you know a decent plumber?"

  "I have a home warranty, but the plumbing service can't get out until Tuesday. I called a couple of local guys and one of them was nice enough to come out right away. He turned the water off for me. At least that's something."

  "Colleen. I'm so sorry. What a nightmare."

  "Such a nightmare! It was so good of him to drop everything and dash out on a Sunday morning. I wanted to use him to do the work, but he said it was a big job and I'd be better off waiting. I'll have no water until Tuesday, maybe even Wednesday. I have a suitcase in my car. I'm going to check into a hotel after we finish here."

  "You don't need to do that. I have to leave first thing in the morning to fly to Houston. You can stay at my place. I probably won't be back until Thursday."

  "That's so sweet of you, but I couldn't impose."

  "Impose? Are you kidding? My house has six bedrooms and it's eight-thousand square feet. Even if I was going to be there you probably wouldn't even see me."

  "Why do you have such a big home?"

  "I made the sellers an offer they couldn't refuse. It was a win/win. They avoided foreclosure, and I bought it for pennies."

&
nbsp; "Of course you did," she said, breaking into a grin.

  "At least that made you smile. It had a lot of deferred maintenance and I did some remodeling. I'll sell it in a couple of years and make a mint."

  "Again—of course you will."

  "So you see, you wouldn't be imposing. There's a small apartment off the kitchen if you'd be more comfortable, but you're welcome to one of the bedroom suites."

  "Tony, thank you. You're a life saver, you really are. I can't stand the thought of living in a hotel."

  "And you don't have to. I take it you haven't had anything to eat."

  "I made myself a cup of tea with some bottled water, but I've been so busy dealing with all the crap I didn't even have time for a slice of toast."

  "That's easily fixed," he declared, signaling to Mabel.

  "I honestly can't tell you how much I appreciate this. Will you let me cook for you tonight?"

  "A home cooked meal? Absolutely, but you'll be doing me a favor as well. It will be good to have someone in the house while I'm gone."

  "That's nice of you to say, but you travel all the time."

  "That's why it's good that you'll be there. It gets lonely. It will love having you wandering through its rooms."

  "Stop it," she said with a giggle.

  "My housekeeper comes on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Her name is Rosemary. If you need anything just let her know."

  "What can I get you?" Mabel asked, arriving at their table with a mug for Colleen.

  "What the English call, a fry up," Colleen replied. "I'm ravenous. It's—"

  "I know exactly what that is," Mabel interjected. "It's even listed on the menu."

  "It is? I should have known."

  "Did you spend time over there?"

  "Just once, and I love everything British."

  "Then I'll make you some fried bread to go with it."

  "Fantastic. Thank you."

  "Fried bread?" Tony said quietly as Mabel walked away. "That sounds gross."

  "Don't knock until you've tried it," Connie replied, then reaching for the thermos, she poured the hot coffee into her mug, added cream and sugar, and took a long swallow. "Man, that's good. So, Tony McIntyre, how are you? I really like what you're wearing."

  "A black T-shirt and dog tags?"

  "Exactly. You look, uh, different. Is that a motorcycle jacket next to you?"

  "It is."

  "You ride?"

  "No, I wear a jacket like that as a fashion statement."

  "That's what I figured," she said with a twinkle in her eye.

  "I have a Harley."

  "Wow. That's so great. I love motorbikes. I horrified my father once when I came home on the back of one. Then I had an accident and it brought my bike-riding days to a screeching halt."

  "What kind of accident?"

  "This guy offered to teach me how to ride. He was a bad boy."

  "I'm sure he was."

  "He had a Kawasaki 350. I thought it was the coolest bike ever. He took me out into the country, showed me the gears and brakes, and off we went. I was doing really well, but we were at a T in the road, and when I started to turn right this huge truck came barreling towards us. He yelled at me to brake, and I did, but I used the front brakes, and it was in a patch of gravel."

  "Uh-oh."

  "The next thing I knew I was airborne. I landed in a ditch. When I opened my eyes it was completely quiet, except for Dennis. He was repeating over and over again—My bike. My poor bike."

  "But you got up and walked away."

  "I did, kind of. The bike was ridable but pretty dinged up. My father had forbidden me to ever get on a motorcycle, and not only had I been on one, I'd crashed it. But that wasn't all. I didn't have a driver's license, and dad had to pay for the damage because my bad boy didn't want to report the accident to his insurance company."

  "Colleen!"

  "Happy times," she said airily. "I was grounded of course, but I could leave my bedroom through the window and climb down a tree. I was a gymnast."

  "I'm not surprised about either of those things, but you are a very bad girl. It's amazing you made it out of your teens in one piece."

  "That's true. Those were crazy days. My mother's career was taking off, Patrick was gone most of the time, and dad was really involved in his work."

  "Sounds like there was no-one around to curb your wild side. What a shame I didn't know you then. I think I could have kept you out of trouble."

  She smiled, then laughed, but she couldn't do anything about the red blush crossing her face, and Tony knew he'd hit a nerve. Combined with the comment she'd made about giving him permission to spank her, he began to believe she shared his kink.

  "I still have my moments," she said, shooting him a mischievous look. "Life is much more fun if you break the rules now and then."

  "I'll take your word for it, but you'd better not break the rules at Allin Holdings."

  "That sounds like you just threw down the gauntlet. What will happen if I do?"

  "Break one and find out," he replied, leaning across the table and challenging her with a steely gaze.

  "Maybe I will," she retorted, staring right back at him. "That might be fun."

  He was sorely tempted to throw her over his shoulder, carry her out of the cafe, bend her over his bike and wallop her backside. He knew she'd love it, but it was out of the question.

  "Speaking of Allin Holdings," he said, sitting back and willing his cock to settle down, "with all the drama you had to deal with, did you remember to bring the contract?"

  "I guess it's back to business," she said with feigned sadness, and reaching into her large handbag, she pulled out a manilla envelope. "Here you go. I've yellow-lined the clauses I'm worried about."

  As he took the contract from her hands, their fingers touched and their eyes met. Chemistry. It was crackling. Tony suddenly flashed back to Jennifer. His attraction to Colleen was happening in the clear light of day, in the midst of a bustling little restaurant. Had it been the intimate ambience of the dimly lit room and Jennifer's mystique that had affected him? He frowned. Possibly, but there'd been no dim room or Tarot Cards when they'd been sitting in the lounge.

  "Tony?"

  Blinking, he grinned sheepishly.

  "Sorry, something just came to me. Nothing to do with this. I've had a couple of strange things happen over the last couple of days."

  "Including our dinner at The French Tart?"

  "Yeah," he said with grin. "That too. Let me take a look at this."

  Colleen sat quietly as he perused the document. He had been on her mind every waking moment. When she'd walked in and seen his tousled hair, and the sexy black T-shirt that showed off his muscles, she'd wanted to slide in next to him, kiss him passionately, and beg him to wrap her up in his big strong arms and never let her go. He was the ultimate catch, though common sense told her there were probably many women who wanted him just as much as she did.

  But she wasn't interested in his money.

  He made her heart stop when he looked at her, and she'd chided herself continuously since their dinner. He'd looked sexy as hell, and she'd been so nervous she'd become defensive. The following morning when she'd found him in his office and he'd hugged her, it had been bliss. Divine, unadulterated, bliss.

  "You're right. This won't fly," he declared, snapping her out of her thoughts. "I'll take it with me and study it when I'm in the air. About your new product lines. You'll have the preliminary layouts and information when I get back, right?"

  "Most of it."

  "Wrong answer. Say—yes, boss, they'll be ready."

  "Yes, boss. They'll be ready," she repeated, feeling her butterflies flutter to life.

  "I hope you're hungry," Mabel exclaimed as she set the food on the table. "We don't mess around with a full English breakfast. And here's your BLT, Tony."

  "Looks great, and don't worry. Whatever Colleen can't finish I'll be happy to clean up."

  "How's your coffee? Do you n
eed more in the thermos?"

  "Can't hurt," Colleen replied, eyeing her meal. "This looks amazing."

  "Eat it while it's hot. I'll be back shortly."

  "Why do I love that woman?" Tony murmured. "Besides the fact that I've known her for so long."

  "She's real. You can believe what you see. There's nothing phony about her."

  "Shit."

  "What? Did I say something?"

  Tony had lifted the sandwich, but had frozen, and he had a faraway look in his eye.

  "Yeah, you sure as hell did, but I'll tell you about it another time. Right now we need to eat. By the way, Frank will be stopping by the house this afternoon. I'll be meeting with him privately."

  "Don't worry about me. I'm under orders from my very strict boss. He's demanding I finish a month's worth of work in four days."

  "Then you'd better hop to it. I hear he spanks his employees if they don't perform."

  Colleen had just placed a fork filled with fried eggs and potatoes into her mouth. She was sure if she tried to swallow it she'd choke. Her stomach was flipping, her pulse had ticked up, and when she looked across at him, Tony's bright blue eyes were full of mischief.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  Colleen's butterflies continued fluttering throughout their meal, and as she followed Tony as he rode his bike through town, she wished she was on the saddle behind him, her arms clinging to his body as she smelled the leather of his jacket. He led her up a winding hill, then turned towards tall iron gates that swung open as they approached. Moving up an impressive driveway, she caught her breath as his majestic home came into view. In spite of its imposing size, trailing ivy gave it an old-world, inviting presence, reminding her of the charming homes in the English countryside. There was a motor court opposite the garage, and he waved his arm signaling that she should park there. Pulling to a stop, she stepped from her Lexus SUV and stared out at the city. The surrounding trees blocked out the nearby homes and offered complete privacy. But for the scene below, she would have thought she was in the middle of a forest.

  "You like the view?" Tony asked, walking up behind her.