The Boss & The Intern: A Single Dad Next Door Romance

by Tia Wylder

  Sean came over and sat down next to her. She was giddy with the champagne and his close proximity. He leaned closer.

  “Jennifer,” he whispered, but he held back, as if unsure of what to do.

  “Kiss me," she said, and before she had finished talking, he had taken her into his arms, his mouth on hers. She felt herself kissing him back, answering his passion with her own. Her robe came undone, and he gazed at her body in total adoration. "My God, you are so gorgeous," he said, kissing her neck and breasts. It felt fantastic, and Jennifer knew it was too late to turn back now.

  She wanted him too much and what he was doing to her now simply felt too good. His touch was tender and yet firm, he was doing things with his tongue that stirred something deep inside her groin. She felt her desire awaken, and it was a force she could not resist. When Sean carried her to the romantic four-poster bed, she did not complain but could not wait for him to take off his clothes. His body was stunning, as she had known it would be, tight with muscle and tanned a deep golden brown. She pulled him down on top of her and moaned when he entered her with a deep thrust that made her long for more.

  It was an unforgettable night. They made love several times, barely speaking; only their bodies communicating. Skin to skin, Jennifer felt him move beside her, and he only needed to touch her for her to respond in kind.

  When she finally fell asleep, she was completely at peace.

  Chapter Seven

  When she woke up the following morning, the bed was empty. She felt for Sean next to her, but there was no one. Perhaps he had gone to the bathroom. She lay in bed for a while, savoring the fine cotton sheets and the oversize pillows. Jennifer had never been in such a big bed before either. She allowed her thoughts to go over the previous evening, the night they had spent together. It had been mind-blowing, truly amazing.

  Jennifer never thought it was possible to feel such ecstasy and desire. Sean had awakened in her emotions she had not experienced before. She’d had sex before, of course, not many times, but she knew what it was about. Or at least, she thought she had. This was other-worldly though. They had spent hours playing with each other’s bodies, exploring every inch. For the first time, Jennifer was willing to believe that there really might be something between them; something real and meaningful.

  She had no idea what this meant for the future. The feelings she had for Sean mattered, of this she was sure. He was meant to be in her life; she was certain of it. She didn't know what he thought about all of this, and as she waited for him to come back to bed, she wondered how the night had been for him. She remembered some of the things he had said to her in the night, blushing as she recalled how he had admired her body, the suppleness of her legs, kept slim by miles of walking to and from work each day.

  After a while, Jennifer got up and walked through the hotel room, looking for Sean. It dawned on her that he was not in the suite at all. This made no sense to her. Where would he have gone? There was no note, not message for her. But his clothes were gone. It was as if he had never been there.

  Slowly, Jennifer came to the realization that he had left her there, alone.

  Perhaps, this was what he had been after all along. He wanted to get her into bed, have his way with her and nothing more. It was all part of a game, one he had played extremely well and in which she was a total amateur.

  Tears streamed down her face when she realized how he had used her, how he had played her and she had fallen into his arms like a bimbo. How stupid she had been! She had never been much good at relationships or with men; had deliberately kept away from them, in fact, precisely for this reason. How many friends did she have who had big dreams for their future, only to have them derailed by pregnancy and a man?

  Even her own sister, Joanne, had her life ruled by her heart. And what good did that bring her?

  Jennifer thought bitterly of her last meeting with her sister, how selfish and ungrateful Joanne had been. Jennifer was going back home, empty-handed, her money gone and her heart broken.

  After a good cry, she went to wash her face and got dressed. She went down to reception and found out that the rooms had been paid for. Mr. Perry had left very early that morning, she heard, leaving his key behind. She asked the hotel to call her a taxi to the airport. She wanted to get out of Texas as quickly as possible and go home.

  She sat down in the lobby of the hotel, waiting, thinking about the last few days and everything that had happened to her. She couldn’t believe what had happened to her. She was devastated.

  The taxi arrived, and she gathered her things and went out to meet it. As she opened the door to get in, she heard someone call out her name.

  “Jennifer?”

  It was Sean, looking at her in shock. “You’re leaving?”

  “What are you doing here?” she asked. “I thought you’d gone.”

  “I ….I went to get Joanne,” Sean said.

  Jennifer saw that Joanne was standing behind Sean.

  “I saw how distressed you were last night and thought you guys needed to sort this out before it tore your family apart.” Sean came forward and took Jennifer’s hands. “I would never leave you like that,” he whispered to her.

  “Madam, do you want the taxi or not?” the taxi driver asked.

  Jennifer was confused by everything that had happened and once again, Sean took over.

  “No, she doesn’t. Thanks, man,” Sean said, paying the taxi driver for coming out.

  Joanne stepped forward.

  “Sean came to our place this morning, telling me of all the trouble you went through to find me. I’m sorry I made you and mom worry about me like that. I’ve really messed up. Can you forgive me?”

  “I am just glad that you are okay,” Jennifer said, pulling her sister into a hug. It felt good to set things right between them.

  “Sean has offered to pay for a divorce lawyer to sort out Ken’s problems with his first wife,” Joanne said. “They’ve been separated for years so it should be a formality.”

  Jennifer turned to Sean. “You’d do that?”

  Sean smiled, having eyes only for her. “For you? Are you kidding? I’d do anything to make you happy.”

  Jennifer could not believe her ears. She thought he only wanted to get her into bed, but here he was, offering to sort out her sister's boyfriend troubles, the very woman who had caused him so much trouble.

  Joanne seemed to be thinking the same thing. “This one’s a keeper!” she said, laughingly pointing at Sean. “How come you were never like this with me?”

  Sean put his arm around Jennifer and pulled her close. “Turns out I wanted the other sister,” he said, kissing Jennifer’s cheek.

  Joanne didn’t seem to mind, though. She said she was happy for them and told Jennifer she would call their mother right away to talk to her about what was going on in her life. Sean gave her some money to get a cab back home.

  “You and I need to have a little talk first!” he said to Jennifer, pulling her back into the hotel lobby. Then he went to check that their room was still available and asked that a full breakfast be sent up.

  “After a night like last night, a man is hungry!” he said, winking at Jennifer.

  Then he picked her up and kissed her long and hard. Jennifer wanted to kiss him back, but it is hard to get over the feelings she'd had only a short while ago.

  She wasn’t sure of him anymore.

  Chapter Eight

  As soon as they were back in their room, Sean embraced Jennifer and kissed her again, deeply. He felt her holding back and pulled back.

  “Are you okay?”

  Jennifer bit her lip. “Last night….”

  “Was wonderful, right?” Sean said. “Or is it only me?”

  “I woke up and you weren’t there….why didn’t you leave a note?”

  “I woke up very early. To be honest, I didn’t get much sleep last night,” he said, with a dirty smile at Jennifer that made her blush.

  “I was watching you sleep an
d you looked so lovely, so peaceful. I wanted to do something to make you happy and I thought about how upset you were after seeing Joanne last night. I figured if you guys couldn’t smooth things over, you’d feel much better.”

  “That was very thoughtful of you,” Jennifer admitted. “I am glad I saw her again before I leave.”

  “Now about that,” Sean said, pulling Jennifer back to bed to lie next to him.

  “Please say you can stay a little longer. Let us get to know each other better, see where this develops?”

  “I don’t know,” Jennifer said, hesitantly. “I have a job in New York, my mom needs me to contribute financially.”

  “I can help with that,” Sean said, quickly.

  “No, I can’t take your money,” Jennifer insisted.

  “I can’t have my fiancé worrying about something as unimportant as money,” said Sean.

  It took Jennifer a moment to process what he was saying.

  “Pardon me?”

  Sean laughed. “I know it is early and that we barely know each other, but after last night, I know this is right. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Come on, Jennifer, don’t you feel the same way?”

  She could not believe her ears.

  “I have the money to help you, please let me? Nothing would make me happier. As for you studies, of course, I will help you with that too. There are some great universities in Dallas, you know?”

  Jennifer was stunned.

  Only a few hours ago she had been ready to fly back home, start all over again in New York with her mother and brothers, working hard every day, getting up early and saving every penny. Now it seemed, her money troubles were over.

  Sean gently traced the lines of Jennifer’s face with a finger.

  "Money doesn't fix everything, believe me, I know this. In my family, it did not help at all. But it does help with some things. And if I can make things a little easier for you guys, I want to do it.”

  He kissed her lips. “Ever since I’ve met you, my life has changed. You are all I think about every day. With you in my life, I know that I will be a good person, a man who can make a difference in the lives of others. If anyone can keep me on the right path, it is you. I love you, Jennifer Keys.”

  He put his arms around her. “I am not letting you go ever again.”

  It felt so good to be in his arms. His words soothed her and all of her doubts melted away. She didn’t know what the future held for them but she was sure that one way or another, they would make it work.

  “I love you too,” she said with a smile and Sean kissed her again. There was a knock on the door.

  “Room service!”

  Jennifer moved to get up but Sean pinned her down laughingly.

  “You are going nowhere, my angel,” he murmured, calling out to the waiter outside, “Leave it outside! Thanks!”

  Then he unbuttoned Jennifer’s blouse, loosened her bra, cupping her ample breasts in his hands before kissing her again.

  “I think I will have you for breakfast instead!”

  Jennifer smiled, then became serious.

  "Thank you, Sean, for everything," she said. "I don't think I have thanked you for helping me find Joanne and sorting things out. As for the hotel room and …all of this….I don't know how to thank you."

  "Oh, I can think of one way," Sean said, a wicked twinkle in his eyes as his hand traveled up her thigh, caressing her.

  Jennifer wanted nothing else but for Sean to touch her again, make the same kind of magic happen that she had felt the night before. She didn’t care about eating ever again as long as Sean was with her.

  “Then I will keep thanking you until you have had enough,” she teased.

  "Oh, rest assured, that will never happen!" Sean said and their laughter rippled through the air, reaching the ears of the waiter who placed their breakfast tray outside their door, walking away with a big smile on his face.

  Touched

  Chapter One

  The ivory-skinned skinned woman quirked a grin as she flipped through the pages of her latest book purchase, sitting on a small stool behind the counter in a small Brooklyn restaurant. Ghosts in the Wall was a small and relatively unknown restaurant in the city, but those who knew of the location could speak nothing but positivity about the place. Especially, the gorgeous waitress who worked most evenings; Kira Fling. Though she was notably single, she seemed to prefer to keep it that way. There was the occasional banter with male customers, but there was a line in the metaphorical sand that she seemed unwilling to cross. Truth be told, Kira was a romantic at heart. As much as she enjoyed the company of her customers in The Wall, she wanted something more exciting. She wanted an adventure of the likes that she read in her favorite stories. She longed for a wealthy prince, a brooding vampire, things of the like that either didn't exist or were just unreachable.

  “Kira! Customers at your table! What about that book has you so engrossed?” The Evening manager called out to her, and she flinched visibly, looking up from the worn pages of the book in question. It wasn’t her typical fare, she’d snagged it from an estate sale in one of the nicer parts of the city. It was a simple leather-bound diary, written some ages ago. Non-fiction usually wasn’t her cup of tea, but the lives that the people described within the diary’s pages were nothing short of exhilarating. Their lives were so extravagant that she was truly growing dubious regarding the truth behind the story. All the same, it was rather entertaining to read about the exploits of handsome billionaires.

  “Sorry, Joan. You know how I get wrapped up in my stories,” Kira mumbled, carefully folding the corner of her page and sliding the book under the counter. She trusted the staff and her customers well enough to leave her stuff untouched, so saw no need to tuck the book in some secret hiding spot. She grabbed the small notepad that she wrote orders on, approaching the table with a small smile. It was one of her regular groups, a group of three construction workers who always came to the restaurant after a long day of grimey work. They were a bit rough around the edges, but she knew they were also three of the kindest men in the city. “What’ll it be, boys?” She inquired softly, cocking her hip and flipping to a fresh page in her notepad.

  “Aw, Miss Fling. Or should I say, Miss Thing!” One of the men teased, leaning across the table and offering her a friendly wink. “You know we get the same thing every time we come in here,” he grinned, and she smiled fondly in response.

  "Oh, but I never know if you wild men will mix it up with me," she teased. The men rumbled out their laughter, and she returned the first man's wink before jotting down their orders.

  “So three lumberjack specials, then? I sure can see the three of you in flannel, choppin’ down trees in the middle of nowhere,” she smirked. The men howled in laughter, and she flashed her pearly whites before sauntering away. She slapped the order ticket through the window that led to the kitchen, returning to her spot at the counter. She resumed reading her book, drawing her plump lower lip between her teeth as she traced her eyes along the lines of the pages. It was certainly interesting, not to mention rather racy as well. Whoever had written this went into meticulous detail regarding certain… encounters. Though Kira rarely searched for erotica in her readings, she certainly wasn’t complaining. She allowed herself to drift away into a world long time passed.

  The rest of her shift at the restaurant passed with little trouble, and the construction workers were the last to leave before closing time. They offered to see her out, but she declined, knowing that it would be busy work cleaning up the restaurant before she could leave. It happened to be her night to close, and that meant she had to tie up any loose ends that happened to present themselves by the time everyone else clocked out. When the night manager slipped out the door, she called out her farewells before flipping the open sign to closed. She leaned heavily against the door, exhaling a weary sigh before straightening and surveying the empty restaurant. It was a mess, but that was nothing new. She strode towards the back of th
e restaurant, opening the door to the kitchen. She continued inside, approaching the closet that housed the cleaning supplies. She grabbed a bucket and mop, humming softly under her breath as she moved to fill the bucket with water and cleaner. It was somewhat chillier than usual in the kitchen, but she thought very little of it, focusing on her task. As she continued to fill the bucket, her mind flickered to the diary she had been reading. She quirked her lips in a smile, excited to get the book home and curl up in bed with it. Just as that thought crossed her mind, the lights in the kitchen began to flicker. She glanced upward, inwardly cursing the fluorescent lights.

  “This is just what I need. I’m not cleaning this damn place in the dark,” she huffed, waiting until the flickering seemed to cease. She thought little more of it, pulling the mop and bucket to the front of the restaurant. As she stepped through the door to the kitchen, she could make out a masculine figure sitting at one of the tables. For a moment, she began to panic. She had forgotten to lock the front door, and anyone could just bust in and rob the place. However, the man at the table made no effort to move from his place. She stepped further into the room, clearing her throat. “H-hello? Sorry, sir, we’re closed,” she managed. The man hesitated for a moment before turning to consider her.

  “You can… see me?” He inquired softly. Kira thought to reply snidely, but all at once she became aware that she could see clear through the man. Almost like a…

  Ghost. It was a ghost.

  A scream tore past her throat, and for a moment, the whole restaurant seemed to spin.

  Chapter Two

  She felt a hand rest on her arm, and it seemed to be enough to ground her. She stumbled back as she realized it was the ghost man who had touched her, and he considered her with a reproachful look.