Boss Me Baby (Billionaire Boss Romance Book 3)

by R. R. Banks

  Hannah scooted her chair back from the table. “Mrs. Patel, you don’t need me now, do you?” she asked as a sly grin came across her face.

  Sulagna turned to see what Hannah was wanting before smiling. “You know what Hannah, we don’t need your right now since it looks like the only thing that will have to happen is for us to get everything in writing,” she said as she motioned for her to step away. “Why don’t you go keep the young lawyer company?”

  “I think that is an excellent idea,” she replied as she stood up and pushed her chair back under the table. “I’d love to have some coffee with him and listen to that accent some more.”

  Alexis turned her head as Hannah walked by, patting her on her shoulder before turning and biting her lip, making Alexis smile as she looked across the table at the two men as they completed the transaction. Hannah walked quickly out the door and into the hallway of the hotel before making her way out to the lobby to find the young lawyer waiting in line at the café to place his order. Without even the slightest hint of hesitation, Hannah walked up beside him and placed her arm around his, interlocking them as she looked up at the menu. “Something tells me that you’re going to want to try the coffee here,” she said as she surprised the young lawyer.

  “I got that vibe,” he replied as he turned his head to see Hannah standing beside him. “There is just something about this place that makes me want to try the coffee.”

  “I have no idea what would make you want to,” she said, continuing with the joke. “It could be the intense smell of the coffee or the employees behind the counter grinding beans.”

  Russell pointed out to a sign directly in front of them. “Or it could just be that sign that’s telling me that they have the best coffee in all of Sydney.”

  “Or that,” she continued.

  Russell pulled Hannah’s arm in closer, grazing the side of his ribs as they moved up through the line and toward the counter. “What are you going to have?”

  “Honestly?” asked Hannah.

  “Well, now isn’t really the time to lie about it,” joked Russell.

  Hannah laughed. “I’ll probably have the coffee.”

  Russell dropped his smile and shook his head. “That’s twice,” he acknowledged.

  “Stick around, it’ll happen at least nine more times before dinner.”

  “Does that mean I’m going to see you for dinner?” he asked as they moved up to the register and the young lady standing in front of them.

  “If you’re lucky,” she replied before turning to face the young girl. “I’ll just have a cup of coffee,” she said before turning and looking at Russell, who nodded. “So will he.”

  Russell quickly reached into his pocket and handed a few Australian dollars to the young lady before Hannah could reach into her small purse to retrieve her debit card. “What are you doing?” she asked as the young lady made change and Russell looked at her with a devious grin.

  “I just bought you a cup of coffee,” he said nonchalantly.

  “I’m perfectly capable of, not only buying me a cup of coffee, but also you,” she replied defensively.

  Russell grinned as he reached forward and grabbed the two cups and handed Hannah hers. “Well, then how about you get the next cup of coffee if it makes you feel better.”

  “How about I just get dinner when we you take me out?” she said abruptly as they sat at a small table in the corner.

  Russell tilted his head to the side as he sipped on his coffee. “Ms. Burchfield, are you asking me out? We just met.”

  “What? This is already going slower than every other encounter with a guy I’ve had recently,” she joked, causing Russell to spit his coffee out in laughter.

  “Excuse me?” he asked as he wiped off his chin.

  Hannah thought about her response before shaking her head. “You know what, never mind,” she said. “Forget I said anything about my previous encounters with any man.”

  “Oh please, I’m sure you and I have similar tales of our interactions with the opposite sex,” he retorted. “I’ve had more one night stands in the past year than I care to remember.”

  “Me too!” shouted Hannah. “My God, two weeks ago I was traveling through the UAE and I ended up getting hot and bothered by this sweaty Italian guy at an oil rig. Just out of nowhere, it hit me and I had sex with him.”

  Russell chuckled as he sipped on his coffee and made sure to swallow this time. “Three weeks ago, I was in Japan and these two girls decided that my accent was enough for me to wake up next to them the following morning,” he countered, rivaling Hannah’s story with another of his own. “I’ve never been one to use sex or sexuality as a means of love. I want to, at some point, make love and have someone that I love, but for most of my life, it’s always just been a great feeling for me.”

  Hannah nodded in agreement. “I completely understand.”

  “Do you now?”

  “Yes, totally,” she continued. “It’s weird, because my best friend and I are incredibly close and she wanted a man in her life whereas I’ve always kept men at arm’s length. I enjoy men and I enjoy what men can do to me, but in reality, I’ve never had a man that I actually wanted to spend time with.”

  “So, coming out and having a cup of coffee with a random stranger was never on your list of things to do?” asked Russell as he continued to sip.

  “Would have never happened,” she replied. “Not in a million years would an event like this have happened.”

  “Then what made you change your mind?” questioned Russell as he set his coffee down in front of him and leaned forward. “What made you want to follow me out here to spend more time picking my brain and listening to my accent?”

  As the smile grew across Hannah’s face, she could tell something was different about this conversation and that something was different about her. For the first time in her life, she was actually enjoying making small talk with a man instead of simply treating him as the means to an end. “I’m curious about you,” she said. “I don’t know what it is or what you possess that other guys don’t, but something about you has me curious.”

  “The accent does that to some girls,” quipped Russell.

  “It’s not the accent,” she denied. “I’ll admit, when you walked into that conference room, I thought you were cute. The way your thick glasses rest on your face and the way you carry yourself, almost like a geek in high school, intrigues me.”

  “So I suppose I shouldn’t show you my space fighter underwear then,” joked Russell, continuing to keep the mood light.

  Hannah continued to smile as she leaned forward and gave Russell a light kiss on the cheek. “Russell, I don’t want to have to sex with you right now,” she admitted harshly, catching him off guard and causing him to shake his head.

  In confusion, he leaned forward more with his mouth agape. “Ok?”

  “I actually want to get to know who you are as a person,” continued Hannah as she clarified her comment. “I want to know about your family and I want to know about the things you like and don’t like. Jesus Christ, I actually want to spend time with you with our clothes on.”

  Russell nodded. “Well, I have good news,” he said softly. “Our clothes are on right now so I think you accomplished your mission.”

  Hannah chuckled. “There’s one for you,” she said as she realized that being with Russell would be a competition. “In the past, I’ve always viewed men as a chance for me to relieve some stress, have a great time, and then move on with my life. I’ve never been interested in having a long-term relationship or romance with one and I’ve never wanted to have a man at my side. For some strange reason, I’m intrigued to see how far this can go and actually spend a little bit more time with you.” She paused as she shook her head in disbelief. “This is totally weird for me.”

  “When will you be back in New York?” he asked as he leaned forward and grabbed her hand.

  Hannah shook her head. “Hopefully in the next month sometime,
I will be able to come home and at least sleep in my own bed.”

  “Well, give me your phone number and maybe we can start talking a bit more frequently and then, when you do finally come home, you can take me out to dinner,” he joked.

  “I’d love that,” she said with a hearty laugh as she pulled out her phone to exchange numbers with him as Mina Patel walked up.

  “Well, I see now why you didn’t want to sit through that,” she said politely as she walked up and placed her hands on Hannah’s shoulders before leaning in to hug her from behind. “You still owe me dinner and a good time.”

  Hannah placed her hands on Mina’s forearms as she embraced her from behind, allowing her to let go before turning to face her. “Yeah, I was compelled to come talk to someone,” she answered as she handed Russell her phone. “Just type your number in there and save it, and then take a picture of yourself to make it easy on me to remember you.”

  “Are there other men in your phone?” questioned Russell.

  “Of course, and most of them work with me,” she replied candidly before turning back to face Mina. “How did Alexis do?”

  “She was an absolute champ,” said Mina. “I’ve never seen her so business like before, but she looked at Nathanial and asked him if he knew what he was signing, treating him as if she had never met him before in her life.”

  “Good,” said Hannah as she turned to see Russell taking a picture with his tongue hanging out. “Make sure you get your best features.”

  Russell pressed the button to take a picture before contorting his face to take another one. “Only the best for you.”

  “Mr. Williamson, it’s time for you to go inspect the documents so that this sale can be finalized,” informed Mina as he finished taking pictures and handed the phone back to Hannah.

  “Right, I’m actually here to work,” he said in realization. “I’ll talk to you soon, Hannah.”

  “I look forward to it,” she said with a smile as he stood up and walked away, leaving Hannah and Mina to stand there and watch him walk back to the boardroom. “He has an amazing ass,” announced Hannah as Mina started to blush.

  “He does,” she replied as she sat in his chair. “Are you going to try and see him?”

  “I want that,” said Hannah as she nodded. “I want to see him again.”

  Chapter 10

  “Look, I’m sorry about last night,” said Nathanial as he stood on the steps with Alexis. “I’m sorry that I lost my temper and took it out on you and I’m sorry for all of the hateful things that I said.” He paused as he turned to look at his limo pull up to the hotel. “Alexis, you are an remarkable woman who will make a man incredibly happy one day. You deserve the world to be brought to you, not because of how big your bank account is or how successful you are, but because of how much of an amazing woman you are. Whatever man is lucky enough to have you will be fortunate enough to have someone who is probably smarter, wiser, and a lot more patient than he can ever ask for. Whoever is fortunate enough to win your heart will be the luckiest man alive.”

  He turned again to see the driver stepping out of the limo and walking to the back door. “I know that you don’t want to have anything to do with me right now, but maybe one day you’ll find it in your heart to want to give us another try,” he continued as Alexis looked on with a blank gaze. “I know that I’m not ready for someone like you, but if you feel like giving us another chance, there will always be a place for you in Dubai.”

  Alexis nodded as she stretched her hand out to shake Nathanial’s, which he reluctantly obliged. “Mr. Jenkins, I appreciate your cooperation today during the transaction,” she said formally, prompting Hannah to spit out her drink in laughter in the background. “I will see to it personally that all of the documents from the numerous sales will reach your personal assistant in Dubai within the next seventy-two hours. If there is anything that I, or someone in my office, can do to help you with this transition, please feel free to call us.”

  Nathanial released her hand as he looked at her blank expression. “I’m sorry, and thank you,” he said as he turned to walk down the outdoor corridor toward the black limousine.

  “You shook his hand?” asked Hannah as she walked up from behind the door. “Alexis, that was ice cold.”

  Alexis turned away from watching Nathanial enter the limousine to face Hannah and immediately smiling. “It’s so good to see you,” she announced as she wrapped her arms around Hannah’s neck and embraced her. “It’s been too long since we’ve been able to actually hug each other. I’ve missed you.”

  “Are we dating?” asked Hannah with a hint of sarcasm. “I’m not really into girls, but for you…”

  “No!” shouted Alexis as they turned around and walked back into the hotel to see Dillon and Robert waiting for them.

  Robert walked up and stretched his hand out to shake Alexis’s. “Ms. Matthews, that was impressive,” he said as he shook her hand. “Clearly both of you have a future in this business.”

  “Let’s not fill them too full of confidence, Robert,” said Dillon as he looked off to see Marisol walking up. “This business changes daily, and unfortunately, you always have to stay ahead of it.”

  Hannah smirked. “Staying ahead of the game has never been either one of our issues. I think maybe, if anything, we get a little too far ahead of it.”

  “I can see that,” joked Alexis.

  Robert turned to see Marisol and Dillon kissing in front of the three of them. “You know I have a room upstairs if you’d like some privacy,” he announced, doing his best to make the moment as awkward as possible.

  “Don’t tempt me,” quipped Marisol once the kiss was over. “I’ve never been one to be patient waiting on my man. But, Robert, where is Camille? I thought you said she was coming?”

  “Camille’s plane will be landing in the next couple of hours,” he explained. “She had a long meeting at the football club and had to catch a later flight out of Milan. She ended up having to take the train there and then get on an airplane to bring her here.”

  “That sounds dreadful,” continued Marisol. “You couldn’t get her a private jet?”

  Robert shook his head. “She didn’t want it,” he said. “She wanted to fly commercial.”

  “Why would she want that?” asked Marisol as she turned to look at Dillon.

  “Because she’s dating that asshole,” he joked out, prompting a laugh from all three ladies present. “She has to enjoy things being more difficult than they should be.”

  Robert shook his head. “I see you’re in good spirits,” he said before turning to look at the two American girls. “Ladies, would you like to join the four of us tonight for dinner and drinks while we are in Sydney? It’d be great to celebrate with the two of you.”

  Alexis and Hannah looked at each other before simultaneously shaking their heads. “No, I’m sorry, but we’re going to take the night to catch up,” answered Alexis. “And we have to leave tomorrow for New York.”

  “We do?” asked Hannah.

  “Yes, we’re going home for a couple weeks to work out of our old office,” Alexis stated, surprising Hannah. “There are a few loose ends the consortium needs us to iron out while we are there, plus it might be a good time to finally see our families and actually sleep in our own beds.”

  Hannah smiled earnestly. “I do enjoy my own bed.”

  “As do I,” said Alexis.

  “Oh, I want to go to New York,” said Marisol as she turned to look at Dillon. “Can we go?”

  “Maybe,” said Dillon as he looked over at Alexis and Hannah, shaking his head. “We’ll have to see how all of these transactions go.”

  Hannah turned away from everyone and stepped to the side to see Sulagna and Jacoby sitting together on a bench. “That looks fun,” she said as she broke away and walked over. “Mrs. Patel! Mr. Burgess! Thank you for your hospitality today during the meeting,” she said awkwardly.

  “It’s my pleasure,” replied Jacoby as he stoo
d up to shake Hannah’s hand. “You and your friend did wonderful in there.”

  “Yes, thank you,” replied Hannah as she looked back at Alexis listening in on the other conversation. “Mrs. Patel, Alexis just told me that you’re sending us home? Is that true?”

  Sulagna remained seated but nodded. “You’ve been all over the world in the past few weeks working for us. I believe it is time that we work for you,” she explained. “I told Alexis that there are a few things that we need sorted out in New York over the next couple of weeks. Everything can be handled from there without much of a struggle.”

  Hannah smiled. “So, one more time. You’re sending us home?”

  “Yes, dear, I’m sending you home.”

  Chapter 11

  Hannah arrived at her apartment building in New York City after several weeks of being away. With two suitcases in tow, she walked into the lobby and over to the elevator where the attendant greeted her. “Ms. Burchfield!” he announced in excitement, much like he always did. “I thought you forgot about us”

  “Rodrigo,” she said with a light huff from exhaustion. “I could never forget about you,” she continued, looking on at the young Hispanic man, wearing a suit, in front of her. “How has everything been over these past few weeks? Anything good happen?”

  “On your floor, absolutely nothing,” he answered with a smile as she stood in front of the elevator. “Now, above you, there was some drama involving the neighbors fighting over the property in the hallway between their doors and what painting the landlord was going to hang there.”

  Hannah laughed. “What does it matter? It’s a hallway.”

  “To some people, it’s an extension of their home,” explained Rodrigo as the elevator door opened with a loud ring.

  “And to some people, they only want another reason to complain,” she quipped as she pulled her luggage behind her and stepped onto the elevator. With the doors closing behind her, she pressed the button for her floor and waited on the large metal box to start its ascent. The elevator started to climb up the building, floor by floor, illuminating the number at the top of the box while Hannah was left to think about her trip and what all had happened while she was away. From spending nights in Dubai, to traveling through Northern Africa and even spending a weekend in China, Hannah was thankful to finally be back in New York City. She was happy to finally be back home.