Tempted by Her Boss: The Renaldis, Book 1

by Karen Erickson

  The man had the heart of a monster. Slick, charming, always smiling, always friendly on the outside, yet dark, foreboding and so incredibly cruel within. Those few moments of stark terror she’d experienced when he yanked her into his arms and tried his best to maul her still lingered in the back of her mind.

  Would she ever be able to completely banish what Paul Leonard did to her from her memories? God, she hoped so.

  “Are you okay, Paige?” Worry was written all over Matty’s face as he dried his little hands with a bunched up paper towel and her heart went out to him. He was so sensitive to other people’s feelings and at such a young age too. She always believed it had something to do with his relationship with his mother. He’d known even as a very small child—a mere baby—that something was wrong with the woman. Stasia had told her more than once Matty had worked extra hard to earn the approval and love of his mother but she’d always pushed him away. Ignored him.

  Paige didn’t know how she could’ve stood it. Matty was like a shining little happy light wherever he went. She’d fallen in love with him.

  Just as easily as she’d fallen for his father.

  “I’m fine, Matty. Just…I saw someone I don’t like very much out there.” She dried her own hands, tossing the crumpled towel in the trashcan. Matty followed suit.

  “Who? And why don’t you like him? Is he mean?”

  “Well, it’s not nice to talk bad about other people but…yes. He was very mean to me once and I can never forgive him.” Shaking her head, she offered a reassuring smile. “But he’s no one you know or should worry about, trust me. Now, are you ready to go?”

  “Yeah!” He beamed at her, his little wiggly body looking ready to sprint forward. She grabbed hold of his hand before he ran off, led him out of the bathroom and walked straight into the chest of the waiting Paul Leonard.

  “Paige.” His voice was warm and inviting as he curled his hands around her forearms, pulling her to him for a hug. “So good to see you again.” The overt friendliness that was so clearly an act disgusted her.

  She stiffened within his arms, everything within her trying to recoil from his touch. She had no choice but to let go of Matty’s hand so she could forcibly remove herself from Paul’s embrace.

  “Let go of me,” she whispered, the temptation to knee him in the balls so strong it took everything within her to fight it off.

  “You never protested before.” He withdrew from her, slowly dropping his hands away from her arms. He was a handsome man. Tall with light brown hair and sparkling hazel eyes, his expression at the moment deceptively easygoing, though she noted the shrewdness in his gaze.

  He wasn’t pleased that she spotted him with another woman. She knew it, felt his worry and irritation vibrating off of him in palpable waves, and she stepped back, taking Matty’s hand in hers once again. “Goodbye, Paul,” she started to say, but he stopped her, his hand resting on her shoulder, fingers digging into her flesh.

  “Wait a minute.” His voice was low and he stepped close, his mouth near her ear. “You best keep this to yourself, do you understand? I will destroy you if you leak one word of this to my wife.”

  Like she would. The very last person she wanted to talk to was Carolyn Leonard. Paul may have intimidated her physically, but his wife flat out abused her verbally. The woman could cut with a single word, slice with a look and utterly devastate with a few precisely chosen sentences.

  “You don’t have to worry. I won’t tell.” She jerked away from Paul’s touch and fled down the little hall with Matty in tow, bursting into the main dining area. She saw that everyone at her table was getting up, looking ready to leave, and she rushed over, thankful that they would be making their escape.

  Hopefully Paul wouldn’t interfere again. She didn’t know if she could endure a confrontation with Matteo as a witness. Bad enough he knew mere hints of what happened between her and her former employer by the small bits she’d fed Claudia when she was first hired. For him to discover exactly what happened and how guilty she felt in the entire situation, even though she wasn’t? She knew she hadn’t done anything wrong, but still.

  She’d want to shrivel up and die of embarrassment if Matteo thought less of her.

  “Are we all ready to go?” she asked brightly when she returned to the table.

  Stasia offered her a wan smile. “I’m suddenly exhausted and Gavin refuses to let me sit here one minute longer. Bossy man.”

  “Your eyelids are drooping,” Gavin pointed out. “You’re about to fall asleep at the table. I think that’s a clue you need to get some rest.” The love and concern on Stasia’s husband’s face was unmistakable. How she wished for a man to love her like that…

  Paige shoved the wistful yearning deep inside her. No time for that tonight.

  She needed to get out of here.

  “Thank you for including me in your celebration.” Paige went to Stasia and drew her into a quick embrace.

  “Thank you so much for coming. You know you’re always welcome to spend time with us. You’ve become part of the family, Paige.” Stasia smiled, then looked at her brother. “Take her home, Matt. She looks as tired as I feel. No offense,” she said quickly to Paige.

  “None taken.” Tired and scared, more like it.

  The faster they got out of this restaurant and away from Paul Leonard, the better.

  Chapter Three

  Paige was quiet the entire ride home. Matteo had driven them all to the restaurant, meeting Gavin there. Paige and Matty had sat in the backseat, his sister in the front, Stasia rambling on about baby names and colors and how she was going to redo one of the bedrooms and make it into a baby heaven, direct quote.

  Matteo had half-listened to her, nodding, making all the right noises at the appropriate times. His gaze had constantly gone to the rearview mirror, where he could watch Paige as she spoke with Matty, ruffled his hair or laughed with him. She’d gone pensive as she stared out the window, her profile so heartbreakingly beautiful he’d wanted to pull over the car, open the back door and pull her into his arms. Whisper that he made a mistake, pushing her away after their one explosive night together.

  But he didn’t. He couldn’t. Over ten years older than her, he’d lived his life whereas she was just starting hers. He would be a burden. Too old, too responsible, too…everything. She deserved more than what he could give her.

  She looked much the same now as she had on the ride over to the restaurant, though she sat in the passenger seat next to him. Her expression once again pensive, her gaze locked on the window as the city passed them by. She’d said not a word since they’d piled into the car. Even Matty was quiet in the backseat, talking softly to himself, his imagination fueling him on.

  “What did you want to talk to me about?” she asked, her soft, seductive voice breaking the silence, making him achingly aware of her nearness, her soft, floral scent.

  “We should wait until we get home.” He flicked a glance at her, saw that she was studying him, her lips tight. She looked angry, though over what he couldn’t be sure.

  “No, I’d rather talk about it now. If you don’t mind,” she hastily added, her expression contrite.

  “Paige.” His voice was overly stern and he knew he sounded like he was her father. But he couldn’t help it. “Not now.” He flicked his head in Matty’s direction. Speaking of the upcoming trip in front of his son would only lead to endless questions and nonstop anxiousness on Matty’s part. He wouldn’t know they were leaving until the morning they got on the plane if Matteo had his way.

  “Fine.” She crossed her arms in front of her chest, her lips formed in a little pout. Angry and sexy as hell with it. He didn’t know what had set her off, but he’d never seen Paige so defiant.

  Was he a pig if he admitted he liked that little show of defiance?

  The moment they arrived home, Paige was ushering Matty to his room, helping him change into his pajamas before urging him into the bathroom to brush his teeth. The hour was late,
Matty was tired and whiny about it too, but Paige kept on him. Her sweet, lilting voice never filled with anger, was always encouraging and kind as she helped him along.

  Matteo heard smacking noises come from within his son’s bedroom a few moments later and he knew Paige was smothering Matty with kisses, the sound of his son giggling with joy touching Matteo’s heart. He stopped in the doorway, watching as Paige tucked Matty into bed. The scene was quaintly domestic. He could almost imagine Paige as the mother of his child. Sweet and loving, indulging their son in his every whim, she would always be gracious, always with a smile on her face.

  But Paige wasn’t his son’s mother. The greedy, never-happy bitch he’d married was forever Matty’s mother, though she’d hardly looked twice at their son when she’d been alive.

  Thinking of Lucia made his chest hurt. Thinking of the way Lucia neglected their son filled him with inconsolable rage. He wondered what she’d be like now, if she were still here. Would she have finally come around? Or would she still be locked up in her room, doped up on prescription medication? Or out shopping with her bitchy friends, spending all of his money on useless crap?

  Guilt swamped him. She was dead. He thought of her as a cold, unfeeling bitch, and the poor woman was dead. He was a complete ass for thinking of her this way.

  “Do you want to say goodnight to Matty?”

  He breathed deep, pulled himself from his thoughts. Paige stood by Matty’s bed, her expression unreadable as she watched him. “Of course,” he answered as he slowly entered the room.

  Approaching the bed, he bent over where Matty lay, dropping a soft kiss to his son’s forehead and ruffling his hair. “Goodnight, son.”

  “’Night, Daddy.” Matty reached up, looping his arms around Matteo’s neck and they embraced, Paige standing to the side of the bed close by.

  Again with the realization of how domestic this moment was. If Matteo didn’t know any better, he’d think he actually wanted to be domesticated by Paige. After swearing he would never marry again, the idea of coming home to this woman day in and day out held a certain—if not forbidden—appeal.

  They left the room together, walking down the hall side by side toward the living area, both of them silent. His thoughts were a jumble. He needed to figure out how to best approach her with his suggestion. Would she think he was being too forward, asking her to accompany them on such a trip? He had no lewd intentions behind wanting her there. Not really. Matty needed a nanny. He couldn’t do it all alone considering this was a working vacation, and he didn’t expect his mother to step in completely either, though she would be glad to.

  Damn it, if he was being honest with himself, he needed to admit he wanted Paige there. Not to be a nanny to his son, but because he liked having her around.

  Paige exhaled loudly as she stopped in the living room, turning to face him dead on. “What is it that you wish to tell me?”

  He was surprised by her abrupt candor. Rather unlike the Paige he’d spent time with these last few months. Her spine was stiff, her expression void of any emotion, and he realized she must be nervous. After all the talk at the restaurant after dinner, she most likely thought he was demoting her or worse—firing her.

  Hell, he couldn’t bring himself to do such a thing, no matter how much he knew he should. Having her in his home was a temptation he found harder to resist as each day went by. But Matty loved her…

  And Matteo wasn’t ready to let her go.

  “It’s not a bad thing,” he reassured, noting the subtle fall of her shoulders when he said that. “I wanted to ask you to accompany us on a special trip.”

  That got her attention. “A trip? Where to?”

  “Sit down.” He indicated toward the couch. “I’ll tell you all about it.”

  She slowly shook her head. “I’d rather stand, if you don’t mind.”

  Huh. She was being…odd. “Very well then.” He clasped his hands behind his back. Best to stay in that position so he wouldn’t do something rash, like reach out and grab her. Haul her in close and mold that slender body to his. “I need to go back to Italy for business and I want you to accompany Matty and me for the trip.”

  Her jaw dropped open, her eyes went wide. “Y-you want me to go to Italy with you? When?”

  He winced. Here was the bad part. “Next week. I remember you telling me you had a current passport. That’s still correct, right?”

  “Well, yes, but next week? That’s so close.” She frowned, wrapped her arms around herself.

  Unease crept up his spine. Would she refuse him? Hell, he hoped not. “I only confirmed that the trip was necessary this morning. It’s why I came home early, so I could talk to you about it. But then Stasia showed up and distracted us all and now…here we are.” He spread his arms out wide, indicating the entire room, and let them slowly fall to his sides.

  She sunk her teeth into her lower lip, letting it go when she started to talk. “How long would we be gone?”

  “A week, maybe ten days, but no longer than that. We’ll stay at my family residence.” It was a favorite place of his. He’d grown up there, and since he’d come to the States he hadn’t a chance to go back and show his son where he’d lived and dreamed as a child. He couldn’t wait to share that with Matty.

  And Paige.

  “Isn’t that where your mother lives?”

  “Well, yes…” What did that have to do with anything?

  “So Claudia could take care of Matty, couldn’t she?” She nodded once, as if she just solved the matter.

  There was nothing to be solved, though. And he wasn’t going to let her get out of this so easily. For this, he would get his way.

  “But I want you there,” he said quietly. “And so does my son.”

  She stood incredibly still, watching him. He noted the delicate movement of her throat as she swallowed, the way her body seemed to quiver with her every breath. He made her nervous. Hell, she made him nervous. The two of them together in a room, alone…the potent physical chemistry between them arced and spun, bouncing off him straight to her. Again and again.

  “Why do you want me there, Matteo?” she asked, her voice a thin whisper. “For Matty or for…you?”

  It was his turn to be shocked. What she asked, what she implied, it could never be. No matter how much he wished for it. “Paige…”

  She closed her eyes and shook her head, a false little smile curling her lips. “Don’t say it, please. I don’t think I could bear it.”

  “You don’t even know what I was about to say.”

  Her eyes opened, pain glittering in their depths. “I’m sure it was going to be some sort of gentle let down so you wouldn’t hurt my feelings, right?”

  Paige was one hundred percent right, but he had a feeling agreeing with her at this moment would be the wrong thing to do. “No.”

  “Don’t lie, Matteo. I know what you’re going to say. What you’re always going to say. And maybe, just maybe I’m overstepping the line here, but I can’t keep it inside me any longer.” She rushed him, one moment standing across the room and the next she was upon him, raining her fists on his chest, her upturned face full of anger. “It’s pointless to deny what we both feel. I know I’m your employee. I know you’re my boss. But the attraction is there. I’m sick and tired of denying it. Are you?”

  Her outburst came as a complete surprise. Yes, he felt exactly that. All of what she said, he was experiencing. But he certainly hadn’t expected her to call him on it. Grasping her slender wrists, he stopped her from pummeling him, holding her hands close to his chest. “I must deny it, Paige. I have to.”

  Hope flared in her gaze—he would recognize that look anywhere. He wanted to dash it. He wanted to light the flame and watch it flare higher.

  “Why?” she asked. “Why must you deny it? Certainly you haven’t forgotten what happened between us before?”

  She brought up that one moment in their past and he wanted her. Just like that. He thought of that one night constantly. T
he taste of her sweet lips, how responsive she’d been and how she’d clung to him as if he were her lifeline. “It’s best we forget it ever happened once and for all, Paige. I—lost control that night. I shouldn’t have done that with you.”

  Her hands curled, pressing against his chest. “What if I told you I wanted to see you lose control again?”

  A ragged breath escaped him and he shook his head, his grip loosening on her wrists. She curved her fingers into the front of his sweater, as if testing the fabric, and he wondered fleetingly if she was really just testing him. “Losing control would be the last thing you’d want me to do. I couldn’t be held accountable for my actions. I might do something…”

  “Passionate?” she supplied for him. “Wonderful?”

  “Risky,” he answered. “And I’m not one to take risks. At least in my personal life.”

  “You took a risk on me. Hiring me when you didn’t know me.”

  “That was my mother’s choice.”

  “You could’ve vetoed her choice and you know it. You decided to keep me anyway.” She lifted her chin, studying him with those intense eyes that seemed to see all. “Why?”

  “Months after I hire you and you have to ask this question?” She brushed her fingers against his chest and he felt it as if she touched the very tip of his cock. Lord, he had it so bad for this girl. “Matty adored you. He still does.”

  “I adore Matty.” She paused, her fingers tightening in his sweater, pulling him in, closer to her. “I adore his father too.”

  His eyes filled with emotion. “You shouldn’t talk like that,” he whispered harshly, surprised at her words.

  Trembling against his frame, she stood on tiptoe, her mouth brushing against his when she spoke. His entire body stiffened in reaction to the fleeting touch, her potent nearness. “Why not? It’s the truth.”

  Their lips met. Clung. Broke apart to meet again. Her entire body trembled, he could feel her vibrating against him, so tense he was afraid she’d shatter like glass. He touched her. Circled his hand around her slender arm and drew her closer, positioning her body so it nestled close to his.