The Boss' Everything

by Michelle, Nadia

  Contents

  Title

  Copyright

  Dedication

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Epilogue

  About the Author

  The Boss’ Everything

  A Ridiculously Cheesy Romance

  By

  Nadia Michelle

  Copyright © 2017 Nadia Michelle

  All rights reserved.

  ISBN:

  ISBN-13:

  This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real places are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and events are products of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or places persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  The scanning, uploading and distribution of this book via the Internet or any other means without the permission of the publisher is illegal, and is punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions, and do not participate in or encourage the electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated.

  Cover art done by

  nerDgirl Necessities

  https://www.facebook.com/nerDgirlNecessities

  Dedication

  To Alexa Riley, Ruby Dixon, Alaska Angelini and all the other beezies who make men IRL completely inadequate.

  I simultaneously love and hate you.

  Never stop doing what you do!

  Chapter One

  Josie

  Click.

  Click.

  Click.

  Pacing the small anteroom that housed the firm's tiny reception area, it seemed to Josie that the tap of her shoes against the tiled floor was abnormally loud.

  Click.

  Click.

  Click.

  Maybe it was just her own nervousness that was to blame. Anxiety always caused her to become overly sensitive to stimuli.... it stood to reason this would be no different. Continuing her trek from one side of the room to the other, Josie clutched the files tightly to her chest with her left arm as she nervously bit the nails of her right. How had it come down to this? Josie thought. Almost a year with the firm and never had she been more than a blip on management's radar. Now she was being called into his office after hours, with a request for the Dickerson files.

  Her project.

  Her mistake.

  And he would want answers.

  He always did.

  Jaxson Montgomery was a formidable boss. One did not mess up with one of his clients... not if they wanted to stay employed. Smart, successful, and absolutely gorgeous, Jaxson, also known as Jax to the myriad of busty blondes who so frequently came and went from his life; was a devil to work for. Although he was scrupulously fair, and not above rolling up his sleeves and pitching in when the situation called for it, he was also extremely exacting, didn't suffer fools gladly, and had a zero tolerance policy when it came to mistakes of this magnitude.

  "Shit!" Josie muttered heatedly under her breath "shit, shit, shit!"

  "Is that commentary on the decor, or was there something on your mind Ms. Yandel?" Jax's deep baritone caused a shiver to run down Josie's spine, and not all from anxiety. There was something about Jax that had the power to stun Josie to stupidity every time she heard it. At the weekly company meetings, while addressing a coworker, or worse, small talk in the company's minuscule break room, whenever Jax opened his mouth, she lost the ability to put two words together and always came away looking like a moron. In any other situation, Josie could dominate any project, commanding the respect of her coworkers and clients alike. But when Jax was in the vicinity, she instantly transformed from a confident twenty eight year old woman with several degrees on her wall, to the gawky teen with braces and frizzy red hair of her past.

  "The filerson dicks you wanted sir." Josie stuttered, "I, I, I mean I have the Dickerson files you requested." Josie was sure her face was as red as her hair. With the milky white skin one would expect from a green eyed red-head, she was cursed with a complexion that telegraphed her every emotion.

  Jax stared down at her with an unreadable expression from his considerable height. Almost a foot taller than her 5'5 frame, he towered over most everyone in the office. Never had she felt at such a disadvantage as she did in that moment.

  "Come on in Josie. I'm sorry I kept you waiting, but the conference call lasted longer than anticipated."

  Ushering her into his office, she took the opportunity to discretely sniff Jax's alluring fragrance. She often dreamt about that scent, waking up to the sheets twisted around her legs, her body craving his touch. Having escorted her to one of the chairs facing his desk, Jax surprised her by taking the other seat, sitting so close she could feel the heat of his skin against her calves. Attempting to gather her wayward thoughts, Josie almost missed the look Jax shot towards her chest. Glancing down she was mortified to realize somewhere along the way, one of the files she had been holding so tightly had caught on the buttons of her silky blouse, leaving a good portion of her fair skin and lacy purple bra to show through the black garment. Setting the files aside hurriedly, Josie quickly attempted to button the offending item of clothing, somehow only succeeding in exposing more flesh.

  "Oh my god. I'm so, so sorry." she stuttered, turning slightly away from Jax. At this point she would gladly welcome termination if it meant never having to relive this awkward moment.

  Jax

  With a Herculean act of will, Jax was able to tear his gaze away from all the alluring flesh his little Josie accidentally exposed. Months of planning, and plotting were finally coming to fruition, and it wouldn't due to show his hand too quickly, lest he scare away his prey. He was so close to collecting his woman...and make no mistake, Josie was his woman; she just wasn't aware of it yet. For eleven months, seventeen days, and... glancing down at the watch to check the time... ten hours, Josie had been his. Since the first day she stumbled into his life, Jax had done everything in his power to make her his own.

  Unhappily, it seemed fortune was against him. Jax had a strict policy never to mix business with pleasure; a rule he had learned the hard way back when his firm had been in its infancy. Had he been in charge of hiring, he would never have found himself in the situation he now did. Unfortunately, his good friend and business partner Michael Malone has seen to the hiring of the firm's paralegals, and Jax had been stuck. From the moment Jax had set eyes on Josie, he knew his life would never be complete until his ring was on her finger and his baby at her breast.

  Jax thought back to the day they met, how their eyes had caught across the crowded restaurant. On his way to the 'getting to know you' luncheon the office had set up when the influx of new staff had been brought on, Jax had been heading to the reserved banquet room the company often rented, when he caught sight of the curvaceous redhead exiting the establishment's restroom. What could only have been moments in reality, seemed like a lifetime to Jax as his gaze caught hers and his world stopped spinning on its axis. About to ditch the get together in favor of meeting the woman who would one day be his, Jax had been struck dumb when his office manager came up to the redheaded goddess and led her to the banquet room. The loss of her gaze had had almost a physical impact on his body and it had taken everything he had not to go up to the woman, bend her over the table and breed her right then and there.

  While Michael had seen to the introductory speech, and handled the fine points of the meeting, Jax's agile mind was tryi
ng to find a way out of the quagmire he now found himself in. He could always break his iron clad rule, and take her regardless of her employment status, but then he had the problem of his future wife thinking he dallied with his employees often. He couldn't begin his married life under a cloud of suspicion, and didn't want his spouse to have any doubts where his loyalties lay. He briefly entertained the idea of finding her employment at another firm, but quickly dismissed that notion as he would then have the issue of others spending hours upon hours in her presence; working on projects, sharing lunches, stealing her time and attention away from him.

  Never having had a jealous nature, Jax was surprised to find he was envious of anyone who had a claim to her time. Still at a loss on how he would handle the issue, Jax had attempted to approach her, but one problem after another had kept him from her side. From clients with interests in multiple countries needing his council oversees, to his own family being constantly in the way, Jax's time in the office was limited.

  The few times he had managed to be around her, Josie either answered his attempts at conversation in stilted monosyllabic replies, or ignored his presence all together. Had it not been for her body’s involuntary responses signaling her attraction to him, he would have given up hope completely. As much as he wanted her in his life, he would never do or say anything that would make Josie feel pressured or harassed. Jax cherished those unintentional signals: Every quickened breath, every blushing glance. He lived for those moments of proof his attraction wasn’t all one sided.

  Month after month, there had been no progress in his campaign and Jax’s formidable patience was nearing its end. Noticing his odd behavior, one of his many cousins, Mandy, had suggested he kidnap the girl and spirit her away to a deserted island where he could ravish her in style. Or blackmail her into marriage by threatening her livelihood if she did not consent to become his wife! At the time, Jax had suggested his cousin lay off the Harlequin romances, and concentrate on reality, but as time went on and he made no further progress, Jax began to seriously consider Mandy's outlandish suggestions.

  At almost forty, Jax was tired of waiting to start his family, and his hand was beginning feel abused from the number of times he had been forced to take care of himself at the thought of his beautiful Josie. When the Dickerson case had landed on his desk, Jax was finally in the position to have all of his dreams come true. Yes, blackmailing your future bride was frowned upon in most circles, but Jax didn't care. Josie was in his grasp; all he had to do was take hold of this chance.

  Chapter Two

  Josie

  How had she found herself in this position? Mistress for a month. Her? To Jax Montgomery; the most sought after bachelor in the city? Granted, he hadn’t specified she would actually be sharing his bed, but for all intents and purposes, she was now the live in paramour to her boss.

  When Jax had first laid out the terms for her continued employment, Josie was sure she had been dreaming. Over six feet tall, golden blond hair, the cerulean blue eyes of a tropical sea, and the chiseled physique of a Greek god, Jax had no need in stooping to blackmail for companionship. Hell, half of her coworkers were in love with him; male and female alike! Blinking stupidly at his demand, Josie had been unable to find her voice for several minutes.

  Noting her confusion, Jax had gone on to explain that his wealth and status had made casual dating a minefield fraught with strife and conflict. If seen with the same woman more than once, the public jumped to the conclusion of impending nuptials. If he was spotted with different women, he was then cast in the role of heartless playboy. Added to that was the unwanted status as one of the most eligible bachelors five years running in the tabloids. Most of the women he came in contact with viewed him as a trophy to show off, or a notch on their belts.

  The firm, Jax went on to explain, was in a critical stage of negotiations to acquire the holdings of a prestigious, family run business that had recently gone on the market. Being a conservative group, Jax’s personal affairs were under close scrutiny and could result in the firm losing the out on that business. In addition, the coming month held a series of family get-togethers, critical social obligations and work related events, Jax couldn’t have this potentially lucrative transaction put at risk by rumors and speculation about his love life. In exchange for her mistakes to be handled quietly, and being able to keep her job, Josie had agreed to move in with Jax and act as his fiancée for the entire month.

  “You’re a valued employee Josie” Jax had started. “Everyone speaks highly of you and your work has always been superlative, but this mistake isn’t something I can easily overlook. Emile Dickerson has been with this company for nearly a decade, and trusts us with the most intimate of his business dealings.” Jax had stated solemnly. “A mistake of this magnitude can easily cost this firm his business and millions of dollars in potential income.”

  Josie had been unable to maintain his penetrating stare, eyes falling to the hands held so tightly clenched on her lap. “I’m sorry Mr. Montgomery. I know I messed up, but once I realized my mistake, I did do everything in my power to rectify it. I, I, I don’t have any defense for my actions. I can only promise you I will never let it happen again.”

  Risking a glance upward, she found him studying the files she had spent so many hours attempting to fix. Cringing, she thought of the original documents that now resembled a pile of confetti after its impromptu trip through the firm’s industrial sized shredder. Realizing her mistake too late, Josie could only stare in horror as the only copies of the valuable files were obliterated in a mechanical whirl. Knowing the mistake was the end of her career at Malone Montgomery, she had attempted to recreate the papers from her limited notes and memory, but even as she scrambled to undo the damage her momentary lapse had caused, she knew her time with the firm was coming to an end.

  Breathing out in a large exhale, Jax placed the files aside and captured Josie’s nervous stare with his own. “I can see only two options here Josie, and I’ll leave it to you to decide which route we will follow.”

  Nerves beat at Josie as she contemplated the possibilities. Hope began to spark within her: Perhaps termination wouldn’t be necessary.

  “Normally a mistake of this magnitude would result in immediate termination.” Jax continued “But there is another option, one that would be beneficial to us both if you choose to go that route.”

  Holding her breath in anticipation, Josie almost missed his next words as her heartbeat sounded abnormally loud in her ears.

  “Either you will be terminated immediately and security will escort you out….or you can keep your position after you spend the next month with me, living as my fiancée. The choice is yours.”

  Shock, she must be having an out of body experience from her panic attack in the hallway, all the oxygen deprivation caused her to go into shock that must explain what she had just heard. Normally, being faced with such a demeaning proposition, she would have slapped the offending party's face, and told him to cram the job where the sun doesn't shine. Somehow, Josie was unable to call forth the expected outrage such a proposal would garner.

  In addition to needing the income from her position to fund her aspiring writing career, she couldn’t deny the chance to be in close proximity to Jax held some appeal. So, an hour later, Josie was ushered to Jax's wildly expensive, cherry red Jaguar. Once bundled in the passenger seat, still processing the turn of events, she began to question the proposition...and her reaction to it. Sure, crushing on her boss from afar was one thing; actually, acting on it was far different. And Jax; she still could not understand his motivation in such an arrangement. Something was off about this arrangement, and until she could gather her scattered thoughts, Josie was just going to ride it out. Sigh… yeah, it wasn’t what she wanted to be riding, but she’d take what she could get.

  Thirty minutes later, Josie woke with a start. With a huff of annoyance, she realized she had fallen asleep. As far back as she could remember, Josie couldn’t ride in a car for m
ore than five minutes without falling asleep; a habit that had driven her ex-boyfriend Lawrence, crazy. Glancing at her surroundings, she was surprised to find herself in the driveway of a gorgeous Tudor style house. With an amazing stone vestibule and a lush lawn, the residence was everything she had ever envisioned in a home. Looking in surprise at Jax, who was watching her every move with rapt attention, Josie was unable to contain her curiosity.

  “You live here?” The corners of his mouth tilting upward slightly at her surprise, Jax simply nodded. “But” she continued in confusion, “I thought you lived in the high-rise downtown? I remember Mr. Malone having me send documents to you at an address downtown?” Brow crinkling in confusion, Josie thought about the incident, and how after gathering and addressing the documents, she had did a quick online search to see what his home looked like. She had been pleasantly surprised to find he lived less than a block away from her, indeed, if he chose to walk to work, he would have to cross in front of her own apartment on the way.

  Josie had plenty of naughty daydreams of Jax jogging along the street and bumping into her on her way out of the building. In her fantasies, she was dressed to kill, and Jax had been unable to stop himself from throwing her over his shoulder, and up to her apartment, where he would ravish her until she no longer remembered her own name! Of course, in all her fantasies, she was twenty pounds lighter, her skin held none of the damned freckles that plagued her existence and she was the temptress who could lure a man with the crook of her little finger. But oh, such a pleasant way to fill the boring hours at work, when it seemed the stack of documents waiting to be filed only multiplied as she went.

  Looking back at the dream house, Josie’s mouth turned down in a moue of displeasure. All this time, she had thought he lived within arm’s reach, and in reality, he had been here, in this amazing house in…. Wait, where were they again? Looking back at Jax, Josie asked bluntly “Where are we? How long have we been on the road?” In a surprising move, Jax leaned forward and kissed the tip of her nose before unbuckling both of their safety belts.