Boss: A Novel Read online

  “Yes,” he replies before giving me a gentle push towards the screen.

  “Claire will take it from here,” he announces to the people waiting around the table.

  And I do.

  I comfortably step into the business role. This is what I know and where I am most comfortable.

  After a quick demonstration of how to use the screen, I begin, “I’m not sure how much Mr. Blake has told you already, so I’ll start from the beginning.”

  My voice comes out strong and I can feel my confidence skyrocketing as I continue.

  Every so often someone stops me with a question or a clarification, and I find that can answer easily. I quickly pick up exactly what it is they need me to tell them by their inquiries and as my explanation goes on, they have fewer questions.

  They seem to be as interested in my idea as Kaden had been on that first day.

  The meeting ends with a discussion of the capabilities and possible expansion of Gifting Elf. It’s so exciting to finally have input from seasoned professionals at the top of their fields.

  When it’s time for the meeting to end, I’m actually buzzing with energy and excitement.

  Wow.

  That went well.

  The room clears out and I turn to find Kaden standing very still.

  He’s staring at me, his expression unreadable…

  Chapter 15

  I know the meeting went well since three of the board members approached me to shake my hand and tell me how impressed they were.

  My new team was also impressed and their eagerness to get started was clear. We arranged to have lunch in the next week so we could get to know each other better.

  As the last of the attendees closes the door behind them, the shock starts to sink in.

  Wow.

  That was unexpected.

  I turn to look at Kaden and he is already staring at me.

  He tips his head to the side, studying me the same way he had that day at the gym, like I’m some strange being.

  “You did exceptionally well, today,” he says. “I wish more of my new ideas received such a reception.”

  “Thank you.”

  There is a long silence between us.

  We both know why but I have no idea how to breach it.

  With every passing second the tension gets thicker.

  I’m fighting not to fidget under his penetrating gaze but he stands like a statue, totally unfazed.

  I frown.

  I was wrong about him when I thought he was paying me off?

  When I think about it more clearly, the whole idea was crazy.

  Why would he contrive such a convoluted scheme just to get me into bed?

  Sure there have been wealthy men and women who enjoy using their money and position to play with people, just for the fun of it.

  But as I stare back at Kaden, I know that he’s not one of them.

  “You just left,” his words are so sudden and firm that the sound makes me jump.

  “I’m sorry,” I respond automatically.

  Everything has spun around so quickly that I don’t know how to respond to him.

  I don’t know how to feel anymore.

  An hour ago, I was raging mad.

  I wanted to rip him apart.

  I wanted to give him a piece of my mind.

  But now, I feel unusually calm.

  “I…” I can’t find the right words.

  I feel like I need to be honest with him.

  Since we are going to be business partners, we can’t avoid each other. We need to understand each other.

  I wish I were prepared for this moment. If only I had time to think. If only I had time to prepare a response to this.

  “I don’t do that,” I finally say.

  “Do what?” he asks firmly.

  “I don’t just have… sex. At least not with men I don’t know. I don’t do one-night stands and I’m not very good at casual sex. Actually, I’m not very good at sex altogether,” my confidence drops under his gaze.

  “That’s not true,” he replies.

  I wait for him to elaborate further but I realize this isn’t the time to discuss my lack of sexual prowess.

  “I need more.”

  “More than what?”

  “I need more than just sex. I need… something more.”

  “Was it just sex for you?” he asks.

  Oh great.

  Now he is turning the tables on me.

  “It was more than that for me…”

  “Did I hurt you?” he interrupts me.

  I blink.

  The question is unexpected.

  “I don’t understand what you’re asking?” I reply.

  He rips a hand through his soft hair, “It’s a perfectly straight forward question. Did I hurt you? Did I…”

  “I told you I’m not good at casual sex,” I reply defensively.

  I don’t want to come off as needy but at the same time he should know what my needs are, right?

  “You didn’t answer my question.”

  “I guess I was a little hurt after… I didn’t expect you to be declaring undying adoration or anything but…”

  “What are you talking about?” he snaps and I jump back.

  My own temper rears up and I feel its heat behind my eyes, “You asked me a question and I was answering it.”

  “Well I didn’t mean…”

  “Well, maybe you should have clarified when I asked for clarification!”

  I’m not even sure what we’re arguing about.

  I take a breath and stare at him.

  He looks deflated somehow and I feel like I’m missing something.

  “Look,” I start, “What happened, happened. We had sex and so we’re clear – I don’t know how you felt about it or how I… performed… but for my part, I enjoyed it very much. It was possibly the most incredible experience of my life.

  What am I saying?

  I should just keep my mouth shut!

  “And I want to thank you for the night,” I continue hopelessly, “But I don’t expect you to drop everything and…”

  My words falter when he starts moving towards me.

  I back up but his legs are longer, and when his long fingers lock around my wrists - I’m trapped.

  He has to hunch his shoulders and dip his head to bring his lips to my ear.

  “Don’t you dare think for one second that pounding you didn’t blow my mind.”

  My body floods with heat and my hands clench into fists.

  I want to touch him.

  I want to feel his chest and arms under my fingertips.

  I want to kiss him and taste him the way he tasted me.

  “I need to be in control,” he says, his voice so quiet that I have to strain to hear, “Some women in the past found that… disturbing. I haven’t had a relationship - at least not a meaningful relationship - in a long time because I don’t want to be with someone who is afraid of me.”

  “Afraid?” I return, confused, “Why would I be afraid?”

  His eyes look into mine and my heart skips a beat.

  “I might find you infuriating and arrogant,” I continue, “And I may call you on it more than once over the course of our… partnership. But I can’t imagine being afraid.”

  “I smashed through a locked door to get to you,” he whispers and the memory sends exhilarating thrills through my entire body.

  “After which you proceeded to give me two of the best orgasms of my life.”

  His fingers tighten around my wrists, “I thought maybe after we’d gotten the sex out of the way, we could move on and I wouldn’t waste so much time wondering what you tasted like, what it would feel like to sing myself into your hot depths.”

  Arousal floods my pussy and I can feel my nipples pressing hard against my bra.

  I look away.

  Is this his way of telling me that it was just one night, that he didn’t want me anymore?

  He slips a finger under my
chin and forces me to look at him.

  “I spent the entire weekend hard as a rock thinking about the taste of your lips, the way you screamed when I licked you, how fucking incredible it felt to ram my cock deep inside your unbelievably tight pussy.”

  The words rip from his mouth in a raw growl that forces my pussy to clench and I feel heat racing through my veins to the tips of my fingers and toes.

  “Then you walked in wearing this.”

  His gaze lowers to where my breasts are pushing against the front of my red dress.

  “It took every ounce of control I possess not to clear the room and bend you over the table.”

  I can’t get enough air.

  My heart is pounding so hard I swear he must be able to hear it.

  Feeling that same boldness that came over me the other night, I look into his eyes and smile, slow and sensuously.

  “The room’s clear now,” I whisper.

  Chapter 16

  Before Kaden can take control again, I drop to my knees.

  My hands run all over his fitted grey trousers…

  Kaden’s expression darkens but he doesn’t make me stop. Instead he reaches down to unfasten my hair, allowing it to flow over my shoulders as I look up at him.

  “You may come to regret this course of action, Miss Snow,” his voice is deep and authoritative.

  He wants to own me.

  I smile innocently up at him, “Why would I regret doing this?”

  I place my hand over the very hard bulge now tenting his trousers.

  I put my mouth over the tip, wrapping my lips around him through the soft material, and then bite down gently.

  His groans, “Oh Claire.”

  That is all the encouragement I need.

  I might be insecure about my general sexual performance but this is something I know I’m good at.

  Trent demanded it a lot. He loved nothing more than having his cock in my mouth, and I learned fast that it was the best way to get him off quickly without actually having sex.

  That is not the case with Kaden.

  I don’t want to get him off so he’ll leave me alone.

  I want to make him feel good. I want to show him how he made me feel that night when he put his mouth on me, when he’d made me scream with the most incredible pleasure I’d ever felt.

  I realize with Trent this act was to keep him at an emotional distance, but with Kaden I want to feel that connection.

  I quickly unzip his trousers and gasp when his cock springs out.

  I knew he was big but being this close is almost scary. I have to move my head to the side and back a little to get the full view.

  I run the tip of my tongue along the shaft before circling around the swollen head. His fingers comb into my hair but he doesn’t apply any force.

  I think he just needs to touch me.

  Smiling, I take the wide tip between my lips and suck him as deep as I can take, which isn’t as much as I’d like but the moan that escapes him tells me that he doesn’t mind.

  Wrapping one hand around the shaft, I suck him deeper into my mouth and start up a tight rhythm of sucking and bobbing, occasionally pausing to swirl my tongue before sucking him deep again.

  “Stop!” he grunts, his fingers tightening in my hair, pulling me back.

  Before I can argue, he pulls me to my feet and covers my mouth with his own.

  I can feel his erection pushing against my belly as he gathers my dress up around my hips. He grabs my panties and with one forceful twist of his wrist I feel them rip.

  He lifts me effortlessly, his mouth hungry on mine, and he sits me on the edge of the boardroom table.

  “There’s only one place I want to be when I come,” his words are rough and in the next second, I feel the wide hot hardness of him pushing into my soft heat.

  He feels so incredible pressing inside my eager slit that I can’t help tightening around him – forcing us to both groan deeply.

  “You’re going to send me mad, woman,” he grits between his teeth before gripping my hips and pushing forward, driving his rock hard erection home.

  I love touching him.

  I knew I would.

  Under my fingers, the muscles on his arms bulge and flex, and his wide chest is as rock hard.

  He pushes me down so I’m lying flat on the table before pulling almost all the way out.

  Oh…

  Yes…

  I need him back inside me.

  Deep inside me.

  He thrusts back inside so hard, so deep, that my back arcs off the table and my hands stretch back over my head, searching for something, anything, to anchor myself.

  Oh…

  He takes me hard and rough…

  The way he likes it…

  And the way I like it.

  I know realize why he was asking if he hurt me.

  Because this is what he wants – control and domination.

  In this moment, there is nothing else in the world but him.

  I can’t move.

  I’m his captive and I couldn’t get away if I wanted to.

  I can see why women in the past pulled away from him. I’m not sure how I feel about it. All I know is how he’s making me feel right now.

  He’s looking down at me like I’m everything.

  His hands grip my thighs and I know there will be bruises tomorrow but I don’t care.

  His rhythm is long and hard, his gasping breaths and animalistic grunts mingle with my own cries as he drags me higher – forcing us closer.

  I don’t want to be passive this time.

  Just as he needs to dominate my body, I need to be an active participant.

  I open my eyes and look at him.

  Wow… he’s beautiful.

  His trousers are around his thighs but otherwise his suit is intact.

  Something about that is so exciting.

  I feel my body tighten as more arousal floods through my system.

  I know what he wants.

  I know what he likes.

  I can feel my body getting hotter. I’m so close that I can’t even draw breath.

  Looking into his deep eyes, I cross my wrists above my head, as though they’re tied.

  “I’m yours,” the words are a whisper but he hears them clearly.

  “Oh yes, Claire!”

  I feel his control shatter and I love it.

  Yelling and moaning, he pounds me with the kind of violence and passion I’ve only ever read about before and I swear his cock is getting bigger.

  I love it inside me.

  Yes!

  Gripping my thighs, he is not only thrusting his thick shaft into me but he is also pulling me onto him, bending and molding me to his pleasure.

  My orgasm hits hard…

  White-hot light explodes behind my eyes as pleasure rips through me - flooding my body over and over with the sweetest waves.

  He pulls me up and wraps his arms around me, still grinding his erection deep and hard.

  Yes!

  His whole body shudders against me.

  He gasps and moans against my throat, his mouth hot and wet.

  I feel his cock swell inside me and a new warmth floods my pussy.

  Feeling and hearing him come is so exciting that I feel my own body inexplicably tightening again.

  I wrap my arms around his back, wanting to feel him against me while my body comes apart.

  My orgasm is so much sweeter, lasting longer, than I have ever felt before.

  This is my place.

  I belong here.

  When I come back to myself, he’s kissing me intensely.

  We spend a long time kissing - his arms around me and mine around him.

  Yes…

  This is my moment…

  Wow…

  The sweetness seems to linger forever.

  I hold him tightly as I don’t want this moment to stop. I want it to last forever.

  “I know we’ve only just met, but I want to know you,
” he says, stroking my damp hair out of my face.

  “I feel the same,” I whisper into his ear.

  “If you’d give me a chance I want to try a relationship… with you. I don’t know if I can make very good boyfriend…”

  “Shhh…” I hush him.

  “I’m probably going to screw up more than once and…” I muffle his words with a finger to his lips.

  “Stop talking,” I say then cup his strong face and kiss him.

  This is probably a bad idea.

  I will probably regret this one-day…

  But something tells me, he’s worth the risk.

  His lips land on my neck again.

  Oh yes, he’s worth the risk…

  Part Two

  Chapter 1

  Two Years Later…

  I wake with the taste of him still lingering in my mouth.

  Growling, I try to wriggle closer to the sexy beast that rocked my world last night. My whole body is still aching from the hours of pounding that Kaden put me through and I’m eager take another ride. I have never felt closer to anyone when our naked bodies are pressed intimately together. I love the feeling of emotional closeness that we have – I never knew two people could experience such wonder together.

  It’s not until my hand reaches the edge of the bed that I fully wake up.

  I’m alone.

  Again.

  Kaden has been leaving for work earlier and earlier. I ask him to wake me before he goes but he never does.

  “You look so peaceful when you’re sleeping,” he always says. “I can’t bear to disturb you.”

  I know I shouldn’t let it annoy me, but I can’t help it. We see each other so rarely - is it too much to ask for a few minutes of his time before he goes to work?

  I stretch and sigh, feeling the annoyance draining out of me. After two years together I should be used to his constant absences. Even when we were first together and he couldn’t keep his hands off me, he was always between meetings or running late for something.

  Two years.

  Two years since that first incredible meeting in his office when he’d agreed to fund my app in exchange for a partnership in the venture. Right from the start our chemistry had been sizzling, but it was never just sexual attraction - I saw in him a fellow independent spirit. As a self-made billionaire he understood my need to make my own way in the world, to carve out my own place. And he admired it.