Boss: A Novel Read online

  I’m asleep before my head hits the pillow.

  Chapter 6

  I wake early to the sound of my door closing and let out a happy sigh when I hear Kaden’s familiar footsteps.

  I don’t say anything, just watch silently as he undresses then slips into bed beside me.

  His mouth is hot on mine.

  Urgent and needy, I give myself over to him.

  He pulls my shirt over my head and growls at the sight of my naked breasts. Before I’m even fully awake, he has one erect nipple in his mouth and he sucks and licks it before moving to the other and doing the same. Every suck, every lap of his hot rough tongue sends rivulets of hot arousal straight to my already damp pussy.

  “Kaden,” I moan, combing my fingers through his thick sandy-colored hair. “What are you doing here? I thought you were in meetings in India?”

  “Finished early,” he mumbles against my ribs as he kisses an exciting trail lower and lower. “Decided I needed a hot breakfast.”

  My laugh turns into a delighted cry as he spreads my thighs wide and licks his tongue between my sensitive folds, and again, and again.

  “So you - decided to eat out?”

  My stupid joke is rewarded when he swirls his tongue around my swollen clit and he works me till I come apart under his talented mouth.

  He surges up and over me, lifts my hips and plunges his rock hard erection home where it belongs.

  He takes me hard, pulling almost all the way out before thrusting back in, long rough thrusts that make him grunt like some kind of primal beast.

  It’s like he wants to imprint himself on me, in me.

  Resting his weight on his elbows he cups my face and forces me to look into his almost black eyes.

  “Tell me you’re mine,” he growls, spearing me with his cock over and over.

  “I am,” I manage to say, “I’ll always be yours.”

  I wrap my arms and legs around him, opening myself to him completely, every part of my body cradling and holding him.

  My whole body is on fire and Kaden has my gaze captured, never looking away, letting me see the deepest regions of his soul.

  “Claire - you feel so good,” he grunts, his whole body trembling. “It’s been too long… I don’t know if I can…”

  I tighten my wicked muscles around his length and meet him thrust for thrust.

  “Don’t hold back, lover,” I rasp. “I want to feel you come.”

  He thrusts hard and deep and bellows against my throat, into my hair as his cock throbs and swells.

  I let out a surprised cry of my own as my body follows, tightening then flooding with the sweetest pleasure as his seed fills me.

  We spend a long time just kissing and touching afterward but when I catch sight of the clock, I groan.

  “I have to go to work,” I say. “Are you staying?”

  “I was going to take you to dinner tonight,” he replies, placing a lingering kiss on my shoulder. “If the busy producer can spare the time.”

  “I’d like that,” I smile up at him and giggle when he leans down to lap at my nipple again.

  “I think Wade’s been hinting for a while that he’d like to meet you. Do you mind?”

  He shakes his head and kisses me again and I gasp when I feel something growing thicker next to me.

  Oh my.

  I’m in love with a sexual beast.

  Chapter 7

  It’s nearly two hours later that I escape Kaden’s grip, showered, dressed, and in need of coffee.

  I arrive on set and wonder if I can tiptoe through to my office before Luke sees me.

  I’m pretty sure I’ve made it by the time I slip through the door and close it with my back against the hard wood.

  I almost yelp when I see him sitting in my chair.

  “Luke.” I don’t know what else to say.

  Is there a social rule for the day after you nearly cheat on your boyfriend with a movie star?

  “Hi Claire,” he says, his voice gruff. “I couldn’t get started today without talking to you first.”

  “Oh?”

  “I’m so sorry.” He looks up at me and I see his eyes are bloodshot. “I really enjoyed spending time with you last night. I thought we really connected… Then I went and screwed it up with that sleaze ball move.”

  “Yes you did,” I reply. “Even if I wasn’t in a relationship, I’m not the kind of girl who - has meaningless sex. I will never be one of your little bunny girls, fawning at your feet and begging for your attention.”

  I open my door and hold it for him, my signal clear.

  “It’s not what I want either,” he says standing to his full height. “The meaningless sex or the fawning. I was hoping you’d give me another chance.” Before I can say anything, he rushes ahead. “I totally respect that you’re in a relationship. If I keep my hands off, do you think we could have a go at being friends?”

  I let out a breath.

  What could it hurt?

  We have to work together anyway, wouldn’t it be easier if we were friends?

  A part of me thinks it’s a bad idea but I nod and even manage a smile.

  Chapter 8

  An hour later, Wade calls me out to help him iron out the critical seduction scene between Luke’s character and the young wife.

  Overall, I don’t have a lot of say in the actual making of the film but with my experience, Wade trusts my judgment and often calls me out for a new perspective.

  He tells everyone to take a break and we sit together over coffee and something covered in sugar.

  “There’s something wrong with this scene,” Wade says, rubbing his chin and frowning at the script. “I don’t think it’s the lines…” He sighs and slaps the script on the table. “Maybe I’m just not feeling it.”

  We watch the take together and right away, I can see what’s wrong.

  It’s a pivotal scene where Grey seduces his friend’s young wife.

  Set after a dinner party where the husband’s callousness is most prominent, leaving her vulnerable to the seductive, attentive stranger.

  “You need to slow this scene down,” I say. “She’s emotionally tired and he’s a little drunk. Luke’s character is talking and behaving as though the party has just started not ended.”

  Wade chews his lip thoughtfully. “If we make this scene longer, we’ll have to cut something else.”

  “Then cut something, trim something. The whole film is going to hang off this scene. Everything so far has led to this moment and everything that comes after will be impacted by it. We get it right or we go home.”

  He compresses his lips into a thin line. “You’re right.”

  When the crew starts filing back in, I take a seat next to Wade as he gives the new directions to Luke and Nikki Bloom, who’s playing the young wife.

  It strikes me as odd that I’ve never really met Nikki.

  She’s one of those actresses who refuses to talk to anyone but the director and her fellow leads, nothing like Luke who’s made it his personal business to meet and charm everyone on set.

  Luke grins when he spies me sitting on set. “Come to watch the magic happen?”

  His flirtatious tone isn’t lost on me but I manage not to flush too badly, even though my mouth is suddenly so dry I have to take a sip of my water before I can respond.

  “Just sitting in. Wade wanted a second set of eyes.”

  Nikki comes up beside him sparing me a cursory look before taking his arm, a possessive gesture.

  “Bobby, is my lipstick alright? It feels smudged already.”

  He looks at her lips for a long moment before smiling and touching his nose to hers, a clearly affectionate move. “You’re lipstick is perfect - for now.”

  I feel something nasty shifting in my stomach and have to force myself to unclench my fists.

  I have no right to be jealous.

  I have a boyfriend, who I love.

  “Alright! Places! Luke, Nikki you’re up. Everyone else, shu
t it.”

  He calls for action.

  It never ceases to amaze me how fast a true actor can fall into character.

  In a matter of seconds, Nikki switches from a snooty bitch into a wide-eyed young wife, lonely and hurt, right down to the slight shimmering of tears in her eyes.

  Luke saunters through a side door and leans against the frame.

  His tie is gone and the first few buttons of his shirt are undone. His chin and jaw is dark with freshly sprouting stubble and his eyes are droopy.

  Tired and maybe a little drunk.

  He’s carrying a shot full of something brown and bringing it to his full sensual lips he swallows it down in one jerk, his throat working.

  He comes closer and sits on the edge of the table and they say their lines, but slower now, more deliberate. In this take, Luke is a predator, slowly closing in on Nikki, a scared but desperately controlled gazelle.

  She watches him, fearful but curious and all the while, he closes in.

  It’s like watching a dance.

  He sits in the chair opposite and demands responses to questions she can’t answer. He leans closer and whispers secrets that make her want to run away and hear more all at the same time.

  I look at Wade to see him nodding.

  It’s working for him too.

  Suddenly, she’s on her feet and he’s on his.

  The table is no longer a table, it’s a wall between them.

  As he moves around it she’s careful to do the same, keeping that boundary, and herself safe behind it.

  He tells her what he wants. He tells her what she knows she wants. And this time when he moves, she stays where she is, watching as he draws closer.

  As Luke and Nikki move through the scene, Wade hisses instructions to the camera crew through his headset.

  Nikki pulls away from Luke and runs, but he’s faster, catching her before she can open the door and pinning her against it. He drags his thumb across her mouth, smearing her lipstick over her cheek before kissing her.

  He picks her up roughly and carries her to the table.

  He’s not gentle.

  Shoving her thighs apart, Luke mimes opening his pants and ripping her panties.

  From my angle, Nikki has her back to me and all I can see is Luke.

  He mimes that first thrust and his deep groan matches her cry and against my will, I feel my core tightening and my nipples pressing hard against my bra.

  His strong arms flex and bulge with every thrust as he takes his best friend’s young, vulnerable wife, hard and rough, grunting with every thrust, his face a mask of victory and pleasure.

  Suddenly, Luke’s eyes open and focus on me.

  He must see my flushed face, the way my chest rises and falls faster, the way my nipples poke through my thin blouse.

  The look of victory and lust is so raw.

  He never takes his gaze of me as he mimes the violent love scene.

  “I think you got the scene,” I whisper to Wade, mainly to break the tension.

  Chapter 9

  I spend the rest of the day hiding in my office but eventually I hear Wade calling it a day.

  My office door opens and my something in my belly flips.

  Luke can’t seriously have anything to say to me, can he?

  Not after that performance!

  But when I look up I’m surprised to see Kaden leaning against the door frame.

  “Hey, you,” I say, standing on tiptoes to kiss him on the mouth.

  The sting of guilt makes me smile a little too widely, not that I’ve done anything to feel guilty about.

  He smiles and settles his hands on my hips, kissing me back and pulling me harder against him.

  “Introduce me to this Wade guy so I can drag you out of here already.”

  Smiling, I take his hand and lead him out of my office only to almost slam into Luke. I let out a squeak and I’m sure my hair stands up on end.

  I look at Luke then at Kaden, then at Luke again before clearing my throat.

  “Kaden, this is one of the stars of the production, Luke Hart,” I say. “Luke, this is my boyfriend Kaden.”

  The two eye each other at such a tall height. I feel dwarfed by these two large men.

  After a few moments of masculine eyeballing, Luke holds out his hand with a wide charming grin. “Great to meet you.”

  “Likewise,” Kaden replies and takes Luke’s offered hand.

  They shake but it’s more like some kind of wrestling match, both squeezing the hand of the other, trying to see who winces first. A muscle in Luke’s jaw ticks and he looks slightly pained before Kaden lets go only to wrap his arm around my waist, a clear sign of ownership.

  “Well, ah…” Luke grins again. “I better get going, big plans tonight.”

  I lead Kaden through the studio until we find Wade packing up.

  “Claire,” he says, smiling. “I feel like I haven’t seen you since this morning. And this must be Kaden.”

  Wade dusts off his hands and he and Kaden shake. I notice the caveman chest beating and dick measuring is absent from this meeting and I’m glad.

  “We’ve heard all about you,” Wade is saying. “It’s good to finally put a face to the stories.”

  “All good stories, I hope?” Kaden eyes me and I smile.

  “Are there any others?”

  He pecks me on the mouth before turning back to Wade. “It’s good to meet you too, Wade, but if you don’t mind, I have plans for this young woman and nearly all of them include an obscene amount of nudity and explicit language.”

  “Kaden!” I think I might resemble a goldfish but he just grins down at me.

  The sound of Wade’s laughter follows us out of the studio.

  Chapter 10

  “Where are you taking me?” I demand as our cab stops outside a deserted looking warehouse.

  We stopped off at my apartment and he handed me a box and ordered me to change because he was taking me out.

  But that was all the information he was giving and even now that we were apparently here, it seemed even the place is set on keeping the secret.

  We climb out of the cab and it speeds off, leaving us alone in the dark alleyway. I suddenly wish I’d brought a coat.

  I feel exposed.

  The dress Kaden brought me is a red halter.

  Straps holding the front of the dress in place clip together at my nape.

  It dips low, showing an almost obscene amount of cleavage and the skirt drops to mid-thigh.

  Kaden places his hands on my arms and turns me to face him and I instantly feel less naked and cold.

  “Claire, do you trust me?” he asks, his voice steady and calm but his eyes piercing.

  “I trust you. I always trust you, Kaden. But where the hell are we?”

  Now he grins.

  It’s the kind of wicked grin he gets when he wants to do something really kinky, like tie me up and play hide and seek.

  “It’s an exclusive club, invite only.”

  A limo pulls up and a very wealthy looking couple emerge, both laughing and sharing an intimate joke.

  The man is wearing a black tailored three-piece suit and the woman is wearing a dress cut so low and so high it may as well be a belt.

  Jagged strips have been cut out of it, leaving long stretches of flesh exposed. Her navel, the curve of her waist, a whole side of her very large breast.

  They lean against each other, chortling and speaking in hushed tones till they disappear into a small door at the side of the warehouse.

  I look up at Kaden, wide-eyed. “Is this a sex club?”

  He grins wider. “I’m not sure it’s called that officially.”

  I think my mouth actually falls open.

  “Come on, I’ll keep you safe.” He gives me a challenging look. “Unless you’re scared.”

  “I’m not scared,” I snap, indignant and clenching my teeth at his low chuckle.

  He takes my hand and pulls me close, looking deep into my ey
es, his darker, more intense.

  “It’s been a long time since we’ve had the chance to really be together. Tonight is all about you and me and fucking.”

  My breath catches in my throat.

  The things Luke’s character had said to Nikki did nothing compared to the rush of pure arousal coursing through my veins at this moment.

  “Are you ready?” he asks and all I can do is nod.

  He takes my hand and leads me to the tiny door and we step into another dimension.

  Chapter 11

  Inside, the warehouse is dimly lit with variations of black light and blue and red bulbs.

  The walls are covered with black and red cloth and sheer curtains cordon off various sections of the vast space. One area has tables and a bar, people a dancing slow and close to one another. In a far corner, there’s a stage with someone being whipped by a tall woman dressed all in black and all around there are small spaces, shrouded by sheer lace curtains.

  Kaden leans closer and whispers that those areas are for privacy and I shiver just thinking about making love so close to everything. It’s both scary and exciting at the same time.

  Everywhere, there are men and women dancing on pedestals, in cages. There’s one couple in a cage together, up high above the party, writhing and swaying to their own intimate rhythm.

  “Shall we start with a drink?” he asks.

  “I think we should start with a couple,” I reply and laugh, a mixture of nerves and excitement.

  I never would have thought this was my scene but just walking in, I feel alive in a way that I never have before.

  After a drink, I can feel my nerves fading and pull Kaden out on the dance floor. He settles his hands on my hips and pulls me close. Under the dim light, the beat thrumming through my whole body, we sway together.

  Later, there’s a show on the stage and Kaden sits me on his lap, a noticeable bulge pressed against my bottom.

  “Remember, this is just fantasy,” he murmurs and kisses my earlobe before sucking it into his mouth. “I don’t expect you to do anything that we see here. But I think you’ll enjoy watching. And I’ll enjoy touching you while you watch.”