Big Bad Boss (Romance)

by Mia Carson

  “Freddie?”

  “Sorry,” she said, wiping at her eyes before she made a fool of herself by blubbering all over him.

  “For what? You said she only passed a few years ago. If you want to cry over her, don’t stop on my account. I can’t imagine losing one of my parents,” he murmured.

  Their clasped hands rested between them on the couch. She wanted to let it all out. The loss of her mom and Clarice having to live in that home for an indefinite amount of time. For Mack cheating on her and insulting her to her face because she was never comfortable enough around him to take that next step. But Freddie didn’t want to cry, not with him sitting on her couch. She simply wanted to enjoy his company and remember what it felt like to have a friend.

  A very hot, sexy friend who stared at her like she was the most beautiful creature he’d ever seen.

  Her cheeks burned hot and she ducked her head. “I think we need more beers.”

  “Too many more and you won’t get rid of me,” he said jokingly.

  “That wouldn’t be such a bad thing,” she added, and the sudden zing of want inside her exploded outward.

  She tried to deny her strangely curious feelings, but why shouldn’t she take a risk? From the first time she spoke with Rhett, she could be herself, and he accepted it without even blinking an eye. He was even willing to open up to her about a life that some would see as easy and fun. But when he spoke about his past, there was an emptiness. She grew up without her dad, and though his parents were still alive, she recognized the tone of longing in his words. He wanted parents who were there for him, not as another legacy to their family name, but as a son. Freddie’s body shifted closer to his on the couch, her gaze slipping to his lips. She shouldn’t do it, but every instinct said this was right. Her eyes closed and the next thing she knew, her lips were pressed against his. The kiss was soft and gentle.

  Panic set in a second later and she nearly fell off the couch. “Oh, God, I’m sorry,” she whispered, trying to pull her hand free of his. “I wasn’t thinking. That was too much. Can we act like I didn’t just do that?”

  “Only if you’re willing to forget this.”

  His hand held the nape of her neck as he kissed her. She gasped in surprise but relaxed into his touch as his lips moved with a fiery passion across hers. In all her times kissing Mack, he never made her toes curl or goose bumps break out on her arms. Rhett’s lips were soft, and when he guided her towards his lap, she was too caught up in the moment to worry about what would happen once they came up for air.

  Freddie wanted more, so much more. She deepened the kiss, wrapping her arms around his neck as his hands ran down her back. He traced each vertebra through her blouse, and she trembled, imagining what his hands would feel like on bare skin. Her legs were trapped by her tight skirt, but that didn’t stop her. Giggling with excitement at this new-found desire bubbling to life, she tugged up her skirt so she could sit on his lap properly, straddling his thighs.

  His eyes narrowed, and when he captured her mouth with his again, his kiss was hungry. Ever so lightly, his tongue ran along her bottom lip, and Freddie’s mouth opened on a sigh. They explored each other’s mouths, and his arousal swelled between her legs. Her hips moved on their own, and his hands tightened on her hips, pressing her against the bulge in his pants.

  Fearful of everything Mack had called her back at the apartment, she pressed her hands against Rhett’s chest, interrupting the moment. “Wait… I want you to know something.”

  “What?” he asked, not annoyed at all, only out of breath.

  “I…uh, I don’t want you to think…what he called me…” Words failed and she sagged on his lap.

  “You’re worrying again.” He rubbed at the place above her nose. “And I don’t give a damn what that man said about you. You weren’t ready to have sex with him. So what? I’m sure you had a good reason.”

  “But this, what we’re doing right now, I don’t want you to think I’m a tease.”

  He tilted her head up and placed a kiss on her lips. “I’ve been with plenty of those women, Freddie, and trust me, you are nothing like them.” He sighed and leaned back against the couch, studying her face. “Can I ask you something, though?”

  “We’re friends, right? Of course you can,” she said, trying to keep her tone light.

  “Why didn’t you have sex with Mack? I mean, how far did you two even get?” His lips thinned and he shook his head. “Sorry, I shouldn’t be asking that. It’s way too personal.”

  “No, it’s fine, actually.” She cupped his face in her hands. “For some strange reason, I’m extremely comfortable around you, something I never was with Mack. He never… I mean we never… he never kissed me like you just did, and he, uh… he never did anything with me that made me want to go that far.”

  Rhett sat up and the bulge in his pants rubbed against her, arousing her instantly. She gripped his shoulders, and his cocky grin spread across his face. “Wait, you’re telling me he never made you squirm in pleasure? Not at all?”

  Freddie chewed her bottom lip and shook her head. “Not even close.”

  “And you’re comfortable with me?” he asked mischievously.

  “I am,” she replied slowly.

  “I’m about to show you what that asshole never could,” he whispered, and the promise in those words sent chills of delight down her spine. “I’m going to make you squirm.”

  ***

  Since they’d reached Freddie’s quaint house in the suburbs, all he wanted to do was draw her close and kiss her. He maintained control, not wanting to push her after dealing with Mack, but they started talking and it was as if he’d found an old friend. She cared about what he told her and was curious to learn more. He was eager to share more of his life with her, too, but she’d kissed him and everything changed.

  She straddled his lap, and his hands squeezed her hips, pressing himself against her body. Her lips parted and she wiggled in his arms. Her nails dug into his shoulders at his words about making her squirm. To think this woman had never experienced pleasure from a man was insane. It awoke some carnal need deep inside him to be the first man to hear her scream in ecstasy, to feel her body tremble at his touch and come alive beneath him. Sex with Freddie would be incredible, of that he had no doubt, but he wasn’t in this for a quick fling. For the first time in as long as he could remember, he wanted more from a woman he liked and who obviously liked him. He wanted a relationship, something real and tangible.

  A relationship that made him feel like he mattered in someone else’s life for who he was.

  He craved to feel her bare skin and slipped his hands slowly under her blouse at her lower back. Goose bumps broke out beneath his fingers as he moved his hands higher, gliding them along soft skin that made him eager to touch more. The couch, thankfully, was wide enough, so he gripped her around her waist and turned, laying her on the cushions. He settled between her legs, her skirt hiked up around her thighs, and stared in awe at her radiant beauty. Her black and blue hair spread out around her face like a dark halo. When his fingers moved to the buttons on her blouse, her chest rose and fell with each heavy breath.

  The buttons came free one at a time, parting the fabric and giving him a glimpse of the lacy bra she wore underneath. The black fabric cupped two mounds of creamy flesh, and he licked his lips in anticipation of tasting those breasts, seeking out her pert, pink nipples, and hearing her moan. He opened her blouse, then laid his hands on her stomach before moving to her ribs, tracing his fingers along the bones. A quiet laugh escaped her lips at his feather-light touch teasing her skin and the rest of her body. His mouth fell to her collarbone and kissed lower, inching his way to her breasts.

  When his tongue flicked out, her body lifted, begging him silently for more. His hunger outweighing his desire to go slow, he tugged the fabric down, exposing her full breasts to his gaze. Her nipple, already a hardened point, greeted him. Her eyes on him, he closed his lips around that pink nub and she gasped. H
e sucked and nibbled, licking every inch of her chest he could reach with his mouth. The salty taste of the tender skin swelled his cock, but tonight was not for him. Oh no, tonight was all about his Freddie. Before he left, he would hear her scream.

  She buried her hands in his hair and pressed him against her body as she moaned. Her nipple came free of his mouth with a pop, and he shifted to the other, tugging the fabric aside with a growl of annoyance. If it wouldn’t take her away from his hungry mouth, he would sit her up and tear the clothes from her body.

  With his mouth busy at her nipple, his right hand landed on her thigh, massaging as it moved up. He moved his body to the side of hers, pressing his back to the couch, and turned her so she was on her side, too. Planting kisses along her neck, his hand found that enticing warmth between her legs. He moved her thighs enough so he could palm her sex, pressing the heel of his hand into her nub. She sucked in a harsh breath as he nibbled her earlobe, letting her feel his cock against her ass while his hand moved against her body. He felt her juices wetting her panties, and he groaned in her ear. Her thighs parted more for him, as much as they could, and he moved his hand to the hem of her panties. They felt like lace and he wondered if they matched her bra. His fingertips pushed through her tangle of curls, and with a single finger, he circled her bundle of nerves. She was soaking wet. He employed all the control he had not to rip her panties from her body and plunge within her folds.

  She pressed her ass into the cradle of his hips as he licked the shell of her ear. His fingers slid along her wet cleft, and with a tender touch, he parted those folds, spreading her for him. As his thumb rubbed her clit, he penetrated her with one finger, twisting it inside her tight sheath. She was tight, but the moan that escaped her lips caused his hand to move faster. He pumped that finger inside her body, rubbing her clit with a fury as she grabbed the couch cushions hard enough to turn her knuckles white. He slipped another finger in to join the first, twisting and stretching as he sought that one special spot.

  “Rhett,” she whispered with a moan of passion. “I can’t… it’s too much.”

  “No, not yet,” he grunted in her ear. “I want to hear you scream.”

  She bit her lip, and he pressed his swollen shaft harder against her ass. She ground herself against him while she moved her hips, riding his hand. Suddenly, he no longer wanted his hand to have all the fun. In a few quick moves, his hand slipped free, and she whimpered at the loss. He was between her legs, dragged her panties off her body, and tossed them aside. With a wicked wink, he went down on her. A cry tore from her mouth as his tongue laved her slick folds and his fingers twisted and rolled her bundle of nerves. He thrust his tongue in that tight sheath, holding her hips fast.

  She screamed as her body convulsed in his arms. The throbbing of her sex against his tongue nearly made him spend himself in his pants as she rode his mouth hard and the orgasm rippled across her body. He licked his lips when she gasped for air, smiling down at her glowing cheeks and satisfied gaze staring back at him.

  “What…was that?” she managed to ask.

  “Perfection,” he answered, setting her legs back on the couch and laying down beside her. They snuggled on the couch for a few moments while she caught her breath, every now and then shuddering when she shifted her legs. “How do you feel?”

  “Amazing,” she whispered. “But what about you? I can tell you’re in need of release yourself,” she murmured. Her hand reached back and rubbed him through his trousers.

  Rhett removed her hand gently, kissing her fingers. “We can worry about me another time—if you want to, I mean. I didn’t do this to get you to feel guilty or anything,” he rambled. She rolled over and silenced his worries with a kiss.

  “I know, and I loved every second of it.”

  He hugged her, resting with her on the couch as easily as if they’d been doing it for years. “Good, because that is only the start.”

  He smoothed the back of his fingers down her cheek, her messy hair and her eyes hazy with the look of a great orgasm almost making him regret his words of not going further tonight. But he could manage himself at home if need be. Thoughts of this moment would stay with him for a very long while.

  “I should probably head out,” he finally announced sadly. “I have a few calls to make to my brothers to update them.”

  “You should be able to give them a great report. Everyone’s happy—me especially,” she added.

  “I’m very glad to hear it.” Reluctantly, he removed himself from her arms and stood. The taste of her lingered on his lips and he licked them, considering showing her other ways he could pleasure her, but the throbbing shaft in his pants said he wouldn’t last much longer. “I’ll pick you up in the morning?”

  “Crap, I forgot about my car,” she said as she sat up. “How far away do you live from here?”

  He rolled his eyes and grinned widely. “Barely ten minutes. I quite like that, being so close to you.” Her answering grin was all he needed to know she liked that fact too. “Until tomorrow.”

  She walked him to the door, caught his hand at the last second, and kissed him hotly. He backed her against the wall, their mouths moving in a perfect, frantic rhythm all their own. As they stopped to catch their breath, he rested his forehead against hers.

  “Where have you been hiding over the last few years?” he mused.

  “I’ve been right here, waiting for you.”

  He grunted and kissed her one final time before hastening out the door. If he didn’t leave now, he never would. Once behind the wheel of his car, he gripped the wheel. His cheeks ached from smiling so much.

  Yeah, she’s happy with you now. What happens when she finds out about the bet?

  “Shit.” He rubbed his hands down his face. The bet with Zach… he had to tell his friend the bet was off. There was no point. Freddie wouldn’t go for what Zach had to offer, and she was already leaning towards him. If she did sleep with him, he didn’t want any bet attached to it. He simply wanted Freddie.

  Tomorrow, he’d tell his friends the bet was off and pray they left it alone.

  Chapter 6

  The rumble of the corvette as it drove away from her house excited Freddie, and she clenched her thighs together, reeling from the intense pleasure he’d delivered. Spinning her ring on her finger, she hummed as she walked through her tiny house towards her bedroom, amazed at how different the world appeared. She’d just slipped into her yoga pants and tank top when her doorbell rang.

  “Rosie,” she said, not surprised at all to see her neighbor on her porch, grinning. “What can I do for you?”

  “Who was the gentleman caller?” she asked, bustling inside.

  “Please, come on in,” Freddie teased and closed the door behind her. When she faced Rosie, the older woman’s eyes lit up and she clapped her hands together loudly. “What are you so happy about?”

  “You finally got some, didn’t you?”

  Freddie’s jaw dropped and she stomped around Rosie into the kitchen. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.” She turned back around, picked up the empty beer bottles, and trudged into the kitchen a second time, Rosie still grinning like mad.

  “That’s not what your face says, or your very red cheeks. You are positively glowing, my dear.”

  “We didn’t have sex,” she corrected.

  “No? That’s a shame,” Rosie admitted on a sigh. “But you came pretty close, did you not?”

  Her lips curled in an unintentional smile and Rosie burst out laughing. “We might have done a few things…on the couch.”

  “It’s about damn time. He’s a handsome fella too. You should keep him around.”

  “I’m not sure that’s a good idea. Beer, or would you prefer your nightly scotch?”

  “Scotch, if you would.”

  Freddie pulled out the scotch and poured a glass for Rosie. She picked up another beer for herself and pulled out the leftover pizza from the day before to snack on. “I don’t know what I’m t
hinking. I just dumped Mack and I’m hooking up with Rhett?”

  “What’s so wrong with that? Mack was not the man for you.”

  “I figured that out a little too late I’m afraid,” she grunted, annoyed.

  “It’s never too late. How many times do I have to tell you that? Do you have feelings for this Rhett?”

  Freddie certainly felt something for this new man in her life, but she was baffled by it. She only broke up with Mack a week ago, but in reality, they’d been broken up long before. Mack was never really her boyfriend, not one who cared about her or her life.

  And then there was Rhett, who was willing to take a few hits for her.

  “He decked Mack,” she finally told Rosie.

  “Well now, he sounds like quite the man. How’s his right hook?” she asked with a squinty glance and a wide grin.

  “Not too shabby, actually. I’m pretty sure he broke Mack’s nose.”

  The women laughed together at the table like they’d conspired some great scheme. The only scheme Freddie had in mind was making it through the next few months of this transition with a job. She picked up a piece of cold pizza and nibbled on the cheese.

  “He’s not the man I expected him to be.”

  Rosie held up her glass in toast. “I’ll drink to that one.”

  “And that cocky grin of his drives me crazy,” she mentioned. “He’s far from arrogant, though, and I think he actually cares about me for some weird reason.”

  “Because you are a likeable person.”

  Freddie bobbed her head. “Oh, yeah, and did I mention he’s my boss?”

  Rosie whistled. “Well now, that changes things.”

  “I know,” Freddie groaned and her head sank to the table. “What was I thinking! I can’t do this… I shouldn’t do this. I need to put a stop to it before we go any further.”