Broken Boss Read online

  Grabbing my coffee, I noticed papers in my mother’s bag. They were from her doctor’s office. I picked them up and glanced at the bedroom door. She would be out any minute, so I read fast.

  My heart almost caved in. I couldn’t breathe, but when she came out, I hugged her. She held me, but as the hug ended, I showed her the papers. “Mom, what’s this?”

  She folded them. “You weren’t supposed to see that.”

  My heart racing, I held her hand. She was the only person in my life who mattered. “You have cancer and didn’t tell me.”

  She shrugged and patted my cheek. “Nothing I can do about it.”

  She had no follow-up scheduled on the papers. If she did nothing, she would die on me. Adrenaline coursed through my body as I asked, “What do you mean? The doctor said you had options on the report.”

  She shrugged. “The co-pays are more than I make in a year if I follow through. I spoke with the insurance agent for hours when I found out. It’s too much, so I want to spend whatever time I have left making some money so you can have a better life.”

  I had nothing without her. I crossed my arms. “Mom.”

  She finished packing her stuff for work and grabbed her badge. “My insurance doesn’t cover any of that.”

  Giving up on a higher college degree was one thing, but I wasn’t giving up on her. I stood taller. “I’ll help, Mom.”

  She patted my arm. “I need you to be strong. I’ll figure this out.”

  “We will figure this out.” My phone rang. For one second, I hoped it was Damon. However, Brad’s name flashed across the screen, and I hit Ignore and pushed it into my pocket. “Mom, if I get a credit card, will you—”

  She lowered her face. “No. Besides, you have no credit, and they won’t give you enough.”

  Right. I’d seen the ten-thousand-dollar estimate she’d printed out that covered just one month of meds. I knew someone with that money—Damon Dawes.

  I would trade him anything, including my body if he wanted me, for his help. I hadn’t stopped thinking about him anyhow, so it would be a dream for me too. If he would give me ten thousand dollars, I would do anything he asked.

  I sucked on my bottom lip, deciding to have that conversation with him today. I kissed her cheek. “You’re getting treatment. I know where to get the money.”

  She picked up her keys and headed to the door. “Don’t be reckless.”

  I followed her. I didn’t need a car or even heat in the winter. I needed my mom. She locked the door, and I said, “You’re all I have, and I’m not losing you, ever.”

  I pedaled to work and scrubbed everything. I would not have him thinking I was a slacker. In fact, I was in a sweat from working all day when he came in.

  He didn’t ask for me but headed toward the kitchen. He must be hungry.

  I waited until he’d gulped his glass of water, then I showed myself in. “Mr. Dawes, I need to talk to you.”

  He stilled, like he was shocked to see me, but he widened his stance and asked, “What’s going on, Mirabelle?”

  I took off my yellow work gloves but kept my head down. “I… need a job that pays more.”

  He shrugged. “What skills do you have?”

  The words stung, but I glanced up and stuck out my chest. He looked, and heat rose in my cheeks. “I don’t know, but I need to pay for my mom’s cancer treatment. I’ll do anything.”

  His gaze softened for a moment. He came closer, and with his every footstep, my breathing quickened. He stood with a kitchen counter between us. “What do you propose?”

  The idea of being his naked and waiting girlfriend was visceral and raw. I leaned forward and smelled his almond body lotion while I ignored how my hairs stood up. “I’ll do anything.”

  He didn’t even blink, but his voice lowered as he said, “You have no business skills. You clean my house and already get higher-than-normal wages because I like looking at you.”

  His nearness drew goose bumps over my skin. He seemed older, but the eight years between us wasn’t enormous. I licked my lips and followed my instincts. “You want more than watching me. I’m not stupid.”

  He glanced down at my chest and said, “I won’t deny I want you.”

  A small tremor rushed through me. This was all I had. I loved my mom and wanted Damon too. “I’m… a virgin. Would… sex cover cancer treatments that cost ten thousand dollars a month?”

  His face paled. I’d shocked him. Still, I held my breath and hoped he would say yes. Ten thousand dollars was nothing to him. His credit was unlimited. I’d read the statements I shredded for him.

  Then he reached out and took my hand. A shock rushed through me, but he said, “You need to think this through. It will hurt.”

  I curled my lip. I needed the money more than anything else. “I have.”

  His gaze narrowed. “Then come back tomorrow, with a hospital bill I can pay.”

  I jumped, and a smile quickly grew on my cheeks. “Seriously!”

  He came around the counter and stood inches from me, scratching his cheek. “For now, show me your tits again and then kiss me goodbye.”

  Every cell in my body tingled. I blinked and pressed my hand to my heart. “What?”

  He shrugged and tapped his shoulder as he stared at my body. “If you’re serious, then you’ll take off your shirt and bra. Then kiss me goodbye.”

  I sucked on my bottom lip and curled my hands at my sides as adrenaline rushed through my veins. I had to tell him the truth. “I’ve never been kissed.”

  His eyebrows rose in surprise, but I met his gaze and waited. He widened his stance. “The cheek will be fine until we make our deal.”

  Every night in my dreams, he’d asked me to be his. Urges I didn’t understand pulsated through me, but I only nodded and said, “I… okay.”

  He tapped the table.

  My face was hot, but I reached for my T-shirt, and the cotton fabric caught in my hand. Desire mixed with fear as I lifted.

  Even my legs were a little wobbly. No one had ever paid attention to me back in school, and as I peeled the shirt off my body, it was like Damon saw straight through me and turned me on without words. My heart raced as I pulled it over my head and couldn’t see him.

  As I dropped it on the floor, I saw the curl of his lips. His approval caused a wave of confidence, but he pointed to his shoulder to indicate my bra.

  I nibbled on my bottom lip, imagining him kissing me. I reached behind myself, and awareness raced through my body. My breasts perked out of the white demi bra, but he didn’t see anything, not yet.

  My fingers shook as I unhooked my bra. He’d seen me the other day. With butterflies in my stomach, I slipped it off while holding one arm across my breasts.

  He nodded. Part of me cringed. Good girls don’t do this. Still, I lowered my arms and my head, and my hair covered my breasts.

  His black shoes stepped closer, and he reached out and pushed my hair behind my back.

  Now I was bare, and he whispered, “You’re beautiful.”

  I glanced up. “No touching.”

  He stepped back and nodded. “Until you come back and sign a contract that includes a naked photo you take of yourself that you text me along with your signature.”

  This kept getting more intense. Part of me wanted to refuse. My gut twisted, but all I said was “Okay, thanks.”

  He walked away like his dinner was ready. I turned from him and quickly put my bra back on. As I rolled the shirt on, he said, “Mirabelle?”

  I turned around and met his gaze. He’d made himself a plate of chicken and potatoes, which I’d made for him and left on the stove. I swallowed. “Yes?”

  He grabbed a bottle of wine as he said, “If you only want to clean the house and not sign the contract tomorrow, that’s fine. I won’t ever touch you without it, so you’ll be safe to turn me down.”

  My lips tingled. I had one more first to give him. I walked to his side. He didn’t move as I said, “Thanks, Damon.” Then I rose onto my tiptoes and kissed his cheek. His skin tasted sexy, salty, and absolutely forbidden. I stepped back then waved. “See you tomorrow.”

  Damn. My heart raced a mile a minute. I needed him and not just his money, but I would never tell him, ever. We were wrong for each other.

  Chapter 4

  Damon

  Mirabelle lives in this fucking dump? There is no way this place is clean. I glanced up the fire escape. Anyone could break in. How she was still a virgin was unreal.

  I turned my Mercedes around and headed home. If she would let me, I would pay for more than cancer treatments. If she were mine, I had the means to ensure she never stepped foot in any place like this again, ever.

  I parked in my driveway and returned to my office. I drew up a contract stating what we discussed. However, as I typed, I went to a new page—contingency options. Cancer payments were easy, but if I kept her as mine forever, she would get far more benefits, like a better house and a car.

  I wouldn’t make more demands, but my dick was hard and wanted her. I unbuttoned my shirt as I finished typing, then I called my secretary, Calista. She answered on the second ring, and without bothering with pleasantries, I said, “Buy me the apartment building on Elm Street and the surrounding properties.”

  “Why, sir?”

  Right. My father or brothers wouldn’t understand using the company for anything other than business, but my company title was the vice president of redevelopment. I could get Mirabelle and her mother a condo. “I want to redevelop the area into upscale apartments.”

  “I’ll get on the project specs for the address, sir, and start the announcement calls for plan submissions.”

  “Excellent, Calista.” I quickly added, “One more thing.”

  She stopped typi
ng. “What?”

  This was the harder sell. Her mother had worked where I met Mirabelle. I remembered seeing her briefly when Mirabelle was begging for a job. I tugged my ear. “There is a small grocery store chain in the area, named Goodness—buy that for me too.”

  “Would you like me to set up a meeting with Zane?”

  The hard question. My brother Zane was the vice president of food distribution at our company. I shifted my weight on both sides. “I’ll speak to him myself tomorrow about my plans. In the meantime, go ahead and get started.”

  “Is that all?”

  “Yes. Thank you.” I hung up the phone.

  I took a shower and pleasured myself, imagining Mirabelle kissing me with that hot mouth of hers as her hands rubbed my cock. She would moan when I shoved her against the shower wall and took her tight, sweet pussy for myself, claiming her.

  My cock was half sprung again, but I turned off the light. A moment later, my phone beeped as I was fluffing my pillow.

  I picked it up and there was a photo of Mirabelle, naked, though hiding her core. Her sweet breasts made me harder again. Fuck. The message under the photo read, “See you tomorrow.”

  If the deal is on, she’ll do more than see.

  In case she changed her mind, I would always have the photo. I saved it to my cloud and put my phone down.

  For a few hours in between heated dreams, where I imagined fucking Mirabelle senseless, I slept. The day came, phone calls were finished, and I stopped for lunch, worked out, cleaned up, and could hardly make it through the day. I typed some memos, set my calendar, and finally heard my alarm for five o’clock buzz.

  I rushed home, and my heart pounded when I didn’t see her, but then I heard the side door. I returned to the kitchen to get a glass of water as she slipped inside. She wore jeans and a black fitted T-shirt.

  She stared at me while I poured myself a cup of coffee. Then I put it down, and she stepped forward with her hands folded in front of her. “Did you print the contract?”

  Right. Business first. If I let myself taste forbidden fruit, I needed rules. That way, there was no ugliness in how things ended and no tears or broken hearts.

  I waved my hand toward my office. “I did.”

  Following her, I wondered if she knew how sexy her hips were as she swayed. She stepped inside my office, and I closed the door. She flinched at the sound, so I asked her, “Where is the hospital bill?”

  “Here, sir.” I walked around the desk like this was a normal business deal. Her fingers clutched the papers, which she passed across the desk. I handed her a pen as I read the estimates and scheduled appointments. “These are the most bills I could get in a day.”

  “It’s fine, and ensure my name is listed for payment.”

  “I will.” She sucked on her bottom lip then slumped in the seat. Flipping through the pages, she asked, “Can I ask one question?”

  I sat in my office chair and towered over her. My throat was tight as I stared at her. She was here, making the deal. My dick was already growing, but I nodded, in full control. “Yes. What?”

  She tapped the paper with the pen. “After today and I give you my first kiss and virginity…”

  I guessed she was shy, but I folded my hands on the table. “Yes?”

  She wiped a glistening tear from her eye. “I’m nervous but ready.”

  “This isn’t something you need to do.” Money—that was what we’d discussed. She needed it, and I had it. I slumped back in my seat. “But did you read the contract?”

  Her gaze narrowed. “Why?”

  I was hard, but I stayed in total control. “On page three, there is a contingency that explains how I take all your firsts and I pay.”

  She flipped to the page to read then asked, “All my firsts?”

  As a virgin, she’d never done anything. One day was not enough time, but I let her read then repeated what was on the paper. “We’ll see what you want next. If the next twenty-four hours goes well, then we can continue with everything, with the offer up to a million dollars.”

  Her cheeks flushed, and her eyes were almost glazed over as she asked, “A million?”

  I licked my lips that might taste her soon. “Would you want more?”

  She scooted closer to me, and I could smell her vanilla body lotion. “A million dollars for all of my firsts? Are you for real? What if I’m no good? What if you don’t enjoy yourself?”

  “I’m sure I’ll enjoy myself. You have eyes—you’ll be able to see that.”

  She signed the papers and initialed the contingency page. She then handed it back. “Here.”

  I took the papers and snapped photos with my phone. I let her sit there for a minute as I transferred the pictures to my cloud then folded the papers into a folder, which I labeled with her name.

  She clutched her seat like she expected me to pounce on her. I closed the file then stared at her. She was gripping her seat, clearly scared. I stood, and she shook.

  Fuck. I needed her. Those brown eyes of hers were haunting. I walked over and traced her exposed arm. Goose bumps grew, but then I let her go. “Now strip, put your clothes on my desk, and meet me at the pool.”

  For a second, she didn’t say anything, but then her voice was high as she asked, “The pool?”

  I nodded. “That’s where I wanted to kiss you the first time. You definitely need to be naked.”

  I refused to say another word and walked out. Mirabelle was about to be mine. She should be absolutely off-limits to me. But I was no better than my old man after all, it seemed. I needed to be inside Mirabelle’s pussy. Now I would be, because I was a fucking bastard.

  I stood near the edge of the pool, wondering how she would taste. Sweet, like sugar even, from a kiss.

  I should let her go. I would pay for her mother’s cancer treatment anyway. She deserved a better man than me.

  She tapped me on the shoulder. “I’m here.”

  There she was, with those brown eyes, which she lowered, and pert nipples that were already hard. I crossed my arms like I could keep my distance from her. “I’m here, sir.”

  She nibbled on her lip then nodded. “I’m here, sir.”

  I reached out and curled my big hands around her hips. Her skin made mine feel alive. “Very good.”

  My muscles were tense with need. My lips opened, and I lowered my head. Finally, I would taste the bit of heaven she offered. As our mouths met, a tremble rushed through me. My muscles spasmed like I’d tasted cake, but she was more. I went deeper and smashed my lips down on hers. She was fucking mine now to have, and I would never let her go.

  Chapter 5

  Mirabelle

  I was Damon’s. I had always been his if he’d wanted, but as his lips sucked on mine, I was all goose bumps and aching with needs I’d never experienced. The boys in high school or college had always seemed uninteresting, which was easy to ignore. But my hair stood on edge, and my skin was all jumpy.

  We were outside by his pool, and I was naked, with zaps of electricity running through me, and being kissed and warmed by his starched shirt. Now my mouth tasted like him, and I hoped to never lose this. My skin was alerted when he massaged the back of my head and let my hair out of the ponytail. My nerve endings were raw when he moved me around like I was an object to be seen for him. Then when he kissed my neck, suckled on my earlobe, and even placed his fingers in my mouth for a moment, I was awakened and ready for more. I would do whatever he wanted.

  He didn’t let go of my hair, but with his hand on my bare ass, he directed me to get on his yacht. I’d been on the sleek white yacht before to clean the marble floors and leather seats. For one second, he had to let me go so I could step onto the ramp without falling, but the second we made it to the deck, his hands were on me again. He towered over me, and his hand curled around my waist. My heart pounded, but he directed me up to the front deck with the lounge chairs and sun seats designed for guests to enjoy the hot sun.

  With the lights on and the fading daylight, other ships might see me, but I forgot that thought when he kissed me again. I reached out to hold him and his hard muscles underneath the cotton shirt, but he stopped me.