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  Broken Boss

  Victoria Pinder

  Steamy Risk

  Copyright©2020

  This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemble to actual events, business establishments, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.

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  Published in the United States of America.

  Copyright © 2020 Tori Pine Love in a Book

  All rights reserved.

  Contents

  Series information

  Join Victoria Pinder

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  End of Books stuff

  Also by Victoria Pinder

  About Victoria Pinder

  Series information

  DECADANT DAWES

  Broken Boss

  Broken CEO

  Broken Ex-Boyfriend

  Broken Daddy

  Broken Bully Coming Soon

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  Chapter 1

  Mirabelle

  The white graduation gown and cap on my head meant I’d succeeded where my mother had not—earning a nursing degree. When I graduated with a bachelor’s degree, that would be an achievement. But I didn’t have anybody else funding my education, and since universities weren’t beating down my door to offer me a full ride, I would have to work for a while before I could start school again.

  Besides, if I went to back to school now, I would be leaving my mother without heat in the winter. She’d done everything for me, and I’d loafed too long. As I crossed the threshold of our small apartment, I sighed, and she hugged me.

  She had a cupcake for us to share as she said, “Congratulations, sweetheart.”

  I blew out the small candle she’d lit, then I hugged her, saying, “Thank you, Mom.”

  She took out the paper plates, and I shivered, noticing that the plastic over the drafty windows had snapped off. I turned toward her as she handed me the plate.

  “So no more school means you can start cleaning full-time,” she said.

  Right. With only an associate’s in nursing, I wasn’t likely to find a job that would pay nearly as well as my cleaning job did, not that I minded. Damon Dawes had hired me two months ago, after I’d overheard him talking to someone in my checkout aisle and say he was looking for a housekeeper. I’d lost my minimum wage job the same second he hired me part-time. But he’d let me work around my class schedule and mentioned I could go full-time once I was finished with classes.

  My shoulders dropped. I’d hoped for at least a day as I said, “I wish I could afford university in the fall to get my bachelor’s degree. Hospitals respect that more.”

  My mom worked at a superstore, but her benefits were as awful as her pay. Cleaning one house netted me enough to afford more for us, but not enough to pay for all of that and my nursing degree. At least the housekeeping job gave me a backup that wouldn’t land me in a grocery store if I failed the board exams.

  She shrugged. “You know your other choice, until you find another job, or you…”

  A chill raced through my veins. Eww. No.

  Every girl at our small church hoped to be Brad Evans’s next wife. I didn’t understand his interest in me. So far, I’d avoided him by studying. I’d never even tried to talk to him. Besides, Barbara, Bernadette, and Bambi, the blond triplets, spent every hour trying to get his attention. Thinking about Brad asking my mom for my number made my stomach flip. Brad was a no-go.

  Besides, cleaning the mansion and yacht full-time wasn’t that bad. No one was breathing down my neck, and it paid more than my mother ever earned in her life. Truthfully, Damon was sweet to me, and not demanding at all, as he’d pretty much signed off on whatever hours I needed for school. As long as he never married or brought a woman home, I would have enough money. And now I had a backup plan for myself too.

  I picked up my fork and said, “No, that’s not a choice.”

  My mom bit into her cupcake half and shrugged. “He says he loves you, and he has an in-law suite for me.”

  I ate my cupcake. Brad was blond, blue eyed, and the opposite of Damon, my sexy boss, whom I would never really know. I’d never said anything about him before, but this time, I said, “No. He’s horrible.”

  She finished cupcake. “I can’t afford the rent without you. With you working full-time, we might get a nicer place.”

  Right. That meant that I would have to speak to Mr. Damon Dawes about starting full-time tomorrow. Mom would expect me to do it right away, but I knew he had a business party tonight, so it would have to wait. I would ignore how every cell in my body felt alive when I was near him.

  I tossed my trash then held out my hands to hug her one more time. “I love you.”

  She walked me to the door and said, “Try to finish early so we can celebrate some more.”

  On my bicycle, I pedaled down the same streets. The trip took me twenty minutes. Coming home, the route always made me hyperaware of every sound or movement around me as fear rushed into my veins, but that was later, when the moon was out and I was alone.

  I took out my keys to the mansion and let myself in. No one was home—as usual. I scrubbed the toilets, cleaned the office, and made his bed, which always smelled like toasted almonds.

  Damon could never know about my little crush—or that his smell alone made me hungry for more. He was rich, successful, cool, and confident. And I was… me. None of those words applied to me or my life.

  I hummed while I worked, and when I finished, the moon was high in the sky. Temptation to do something fun soared. I’d never had fun. I nibbled my bottom lip and gazed at his pool. Last month, I’d swum in the pool to clean the bottom, and it had been so much fun. My shoulders ached, and a fresh dip would surely help. Damon would be out all night, anyway. No one would ever know if I swam a few laps to calm down if I only took maybe ten minutes.

  I put away the cleaning tools and walked to the edge of the pool. If I wore my clothes, I would be wet on my ride home. I glanced around one more time to ensure I was alone. No one would ever know. The walls around the estate were twelve feet high. I was the only staff. And the huge yacht blocked the view for anyone who might be passing on a boat.

  Ten minutes at most. I started the timer on my phone. I couldn’t risk staying too long and potentially losing this job. Then I stripped off my clothes, put them on the edge, and hopped in, completely naked. If I wore even my underwear, I would have to ride home on those streets wet, and someone might notice me. Drug deale
rs usually ignored me because I pedaled fast.

  The water was warm tonight. A few laps made me forget all the scrubbing. And for a few minutes, I was blissful.

  Then a dark shadow loomed. I glanced up and hoped I’d imagined being seen. My phone rang. My ten minutes were up; my skin had goose bumps.

  I let out a sigh, wishing Damon had seen me and would sweep me up in his arms. The daydream where I lived here with Damon played in my mind as I dressed, but my skin still trembled. Hopefully, Damon wasn’t here, and he had no idea that I’d taken a little advantage. If he had seen, I wasn’t sure what I would do. The NCLEX results weren’t in, and rent was due soon.

  I put my hair in a bun on top of my head and headed out to leave. Maybe one day I would figure out how to run my life and have a place like this with a pool. Still wet but clothed, I crossed the threshold of the door to get my stuff and leave, but as I closed the gate behind me, I saw the brown eyes of my boss staring at me. In my fantasy, he’d have seen me naked and waiting for him.

  My heart raced. I was caught, and if I lost this job, we had no way to pay the rent or buy food. I blinked, rubbed my eyes, and hoped I was wrong.

  When I opened my eyes, he was gone. I let out a breath. Maybe I’d imagined him. Being seen naked near him would never, ever happen. We weren’t from the same universe, even if it was my dream.

  I grabbed my backpack and found my headset as music helped me work and pedal fast. My back had a tremble, though. I quickly checked my bra, shirt, pants, and shoes. They were all proper, and I looked like a housekeeper.

  Then I headed toward the side door I used. With every step, I grew more confident that no one was here. No one had seen my infraction. I could just lock up and go home.

  As I reached the door to leave, Damon’s deep voice called out, “Why shouldn’t I fire you right now?”

  I pivoted, and in the dark corner of the servants’ hall that faced the kitchen, I saw the outline of his handsome face.

  Oh no. I’m done. People like me didn’t get to be in places like this. Tears escaped my eyes, and I swallowed. “Please don’t. I need this job. I’ll never do this again.”

  As he came toward me, I could have sworn I saw a glimmer of a smile on his lips. I smelled that sexy aftershave of his and something else, something forbidden. I licked my lips as he stared at me and circled like a lion.

  “You look tempting. How old are you now?”

  My age? Heat rose in my cheeks. He didn’t need to fear I was too young. I hugged my waist and hoped I could explain. “I graduated community college today. That’s why I took liberties to swim. A small celebration, not that you asked…” I stammered and looked away from him before finally answering his questions. “I’m twenty.”

  He glanced at my chest, and I could have sworn he was interested, but he massaged his neck. “Fuck. You have to go.”

  I reached out for his hand, wishing I had the guts to kiss him, but I figured as close as I would get was asking him not to fire me. He stepped back, and I knew I’d overstepped. I lowered my head. “I can’t lose this job. I have no money for anything and wanted to work for you full-time.” I swallowed, realizing I’d fantasized about him taking me right there, next to his pool.

  He covered his mouth and stared at me. “We’ll talk tomorrow, when you’re not… wet.”

  Right. We aren’t in the same class. He would settle for some beauty with lots of cash, and they would be rich together. I rushed out the door and headed to my bicycle. I absolutely didn’t belong in his world or to him.

  Chapter 2

  Damon

  I had billions of dollars in my accounts, and I’d never once been so ignored. Mirabelle was the only woman I’d wanted and not taken. After watching her swim, I was tortured and turned on by the naked, sweet girl I never should have employed.

  The light in her eyes always struck me to my core. She was sweet and good—and my black heart should never have let her into my house. She’d snuck past my defenses when she popped out of the aisle at the grocery store and asked to have the housekeeping job, so I’d given her my card and my word.

  Now I’d seen her naked, wet body as she stroked the water. And last night, I’d dreamed about breaking all the rules. Mirabelle wasn’t from my world and would never help the company, so she would never be welcomed into the Dawes family. Yet all I could imagine was fucking my maid and taking her in all the places she’d scrubbed and cleaned for me.

  She’d left my house at close to midnight, so I knew that was short notice, but this morning, I’d texted her to meet me at nine o’clock—or never. Then I dressed in my tailored suit and headed downstairs to grab a coffee.

  The side door opened, and I knew she had arrived. I settled into my office and pressed the button on the speaker to call for her. I imagined her breasts bouncing under me like I was a fucking animal, but I’d promised to never be like my father with the hired help. Hearing her light knock on the door, I squared my shoulders and called out, “Mirabelle, come in.”

  She had her head down, but her breasts were ample and smooth. My fingers ached to hold them, so I kept my hands on my desk as she slipped into the chair and said, “Thanks for seeing me this morning.”

  I didn’t blink when I gazed at her, but in the back of my mind, I saw myself move across the room, encircle her wrist with my hand, and pull her to me. Would she protest? She might, but with just a small push against my chest before succumbing. Her lips… God… those lips. I pushed her against the wall and—

  She cleared her throat, interrupting my fantasy.

  Oh. Damn. I leaned back and said, “I don’t have much time. I have to leave for the office.”

  “Yes, sir.” She nodded. “I came as fast as I could.” Beads of sweat dotted her brow.

  I swallowed, ignoring my base thoughts, and asked, “Now why do you want to work for me full-time? I thought you’d continue with your college.”

  Her face pinkened. “I… I can’t afford a bachelor’s.”

  Money. Part of me wondered how much it would cost to possess her tight, sweet body, but I shrugged. “Surely a state college wouldn’t be that expensive?”

  She tugged her chair closer to the desk and met my face. “Look, my mom and I need the money. I can’t abandon her when she needs me.”

  If she would let me, I would take her everywhere. “Is she sick?”

  She shook her head. “No. She’s not sick. She just works all the time and doesn’t make enough money.”

  Good. I never wished bad on people. If I wanted something badly enough, though, I could always find a way to buy it. I could be her new landlord tonight, but I just nodded and said, “I see.”

  She folded her hands between those breasts of hers. “I will make your house and yacht spick-and-span. I’ll do whatever you want if you let me work.”

  I wanted to ask if she would strip naked for me or clean with those tits of hers in the air. Damn. I’m seriously turning into my father near her.

  I raised my eyebrow and asked, “And swim naked in my pool?”

  She covered her lips and squeezed her eyes shut. For a second, I thought she might bolt to the door, but she sat back, lowered her lips, and let out a sigh as she glanced at me. “We’re going to talk about that.” Mirabelle was expressive, and she leaned forward as she said, “I’m sorry. I never get to have fun, but I’ll never do that again.”

  It’s better this way. I reached out to pat her hand, but her soft skin electrified me. Lust rushed through my veins. “It’s okay. Look, I’ll pay you the same rate, but at forty hours a week.”

  She sat up, and her lips curved into a smile. “Yes.”

  My gaze narrowed. In business, I never hesitated and demanded almost insane things during negotiations, but with Mirabelle, I held back my demand that she clean naked. I refused to ever use and abuse staff. “But…”

  The brightness in her eyes grew cloudy, and her voice rose as she asked, “Yes?”

  I leaned back. “I expect you to do some li
ght cooking, as well.”

  She swung her feet and the light returned to her gaze.

  I said, “Be here early to have my breakfast ready and be available in the evenings if I need help. Of course I pay more to have you here, whenever I need.”

  She saluted me and stood. “Thank you.”

  Fuck. Those breasts of her bounced. My cock grew hard, but I pointed her to the door. “Now go. Get to work.”

  She sashayed those hips of hers, but her lips were still curved high on her face as she said, “I will, sir.”

  She closed the door behind her, and I pivoted toward the windows overlooking the bright-blue waters. My body burned to have her, but if I acted on that impulse, I would prove my father right. He’d said that one day I would understand when I’d caught him cheating on my mother with the maid.

  Now here I was. I had no wife, but Mirabelle wasn’t the type that fit in my world. It would be better for both of us if I left her alone.

  Chapter 3

  Mirabelle

  I dreamed that I was naked in Damon’s pool. The water caressed my breasts as I swam. A shadow appeared above me, and when I looked up through the shimmering water, he was looking down at me. His lips were moving as if he were saying something, but I couldn’t understand because I was under the water.

  Then I woke up, my body on fire with desire for a man I knew would never be mine. What was he saying to me? What would have happened if I hadn’t woken up? Would he have touched me? Would he have held my body against his and taken me on the lounger?

  I shook off the crazy dream as I cleaned myself up and sprayed a little eau de toilette sample on my skin. The bottle usually just sat in the tray of useless bathroom items, but today, I kept imagining my boss and wanted him to think I smelled nice.