by L. Nicole
Beauty and the Boss
L Nicole
Beauty and the Boss
Copyright © 2020 by L. Nicole
All rights reserved.
No part of this publication may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever, including but not limited to being stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the written permission of the author.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, groups, businesses, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual places or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Cover Designer by LJ Anderson with Mayhem Creations
Model: Johnny Kane
WARNING: This book contains sexual situations, violence and other adult themes. Recommended for 18 and above.
Created with Vellum
Contents
Synopsis
1. Jessa
2. Stone
3. Jessa
4. Stone
5. Jessa
6. Jessa
7. Stone
8. Jessa
9. Stone
10. Jessa
11. Jessa
12. Stone
13. Stone
14. Jessa
15. Jessa
Epilogue
Keep Up to Date
Also by L. Nicole
Stone Greer
Commanding.
Sexy.
Cocky.
Domineering.
My new boss.
They nicknamed him the Dragon.
He not only breathes fire when he’s mad, his anger incinerates.
When people see him coming, they quickly go the other way.
That’s always been my motto—even if I did hide in the shadows to watch him.
I can’t hide now, though.
I’ve been promoted at work and I’m now Mr. Greer’s personal assistant.
I didn’t ask for the job. I didn’t want it.
He asked for me.
Me. Quiet, shy, overly curvy me.
In fact, I’m terrified to work under him.
Still, Mr. Greer wants me and only me.
In the office and out of it.
And what Stone Greer wants... he gets.
Welcome back to the land of happily ever after. Where every book is safe and a complete standalone romance with no drama. L. Nicole has a new fairytale for you and this one comes with a side of extra hot, dominating Alpha, and he’s steamy enough to make sure you have very sweet dreams.
1
Jessa
I breathe out looking in the mirror with a look of acceptance, not happiness. I pull out on my shirt, hating that it’s just a little too tight around my breasts. I didn’t think I was gaining weight, but it’s clear I am. I’ve tried hard to watch it, but I have a love of ice cream and I don’t see that changing any time soon. Plus, I spend a lot of time alone. A good book and ice cream are my go to evenings.
I moved here to Tulsa, from a small town in Nebraska. Maybe it’s not a big move to some, but it sure feels like it to me. In Fingerpoint, Nebraska, the population is nine hundred and eighty—at least that’s what the welcome sign says when you enter the city limits. In truth, it was probably more in the eight hundred range, because people left the town in droves and the majority of the population are older. Not to be morbid, but the town’s only funeral home does great business.
Tulsa has skyscrapers, an actual transit system and rush hour. In comparison, Fingerpoint had one stop sign—that most people, including me, ran. It has no bus system, no taxi service and instead of rush hour, we have to worry if old man Roberson’s cows are out and blocking the road.
Heck, traffic is rarely a thing you experience at all here. That said, a Fingerpoint driver’s greatest fear is getting behind Amish buggies on Sunday. We have two lane roads and I’m not ashamed to admit that I might have passed a buggy or two in a no passing zone.
I loved live there—even if it might sound like I don’t. Yet, I knew I wanted more.
So, after I graduated college with my Associates Degree in Applied Sciences, I packed up my belongings, kissed Gramma Georgia on the cheek and headed out for better things.
That was three years ago and in some ways it feels like yesterday. I started working at Greer Industries, in data entry and haven’t looked back.
It’s not all good, money isn’t great at the data entry level, but I manage to pay my rent and car payment. Plus, I don’t starve.
I’m actually kind of proud of the life I’ve carved out. My grandmother says she’s proud of me too. I try to talk to her often and I go back to visit with her as much as possible. I wanted her to move here, but she refuses. She’s happy and settled in Fingerpoint. There are days that I can’t blame here. I miss sitting out on the porch and listening to the birds chirp and the crickets call.
I pull on my shirt, trying to stretch the fabric. It doesn’t work, but I knew that before I tried. I’ve tried it a lot of times.
“Jessa? Are you in here?” I hear Kim call.
“Yeah,” I mumble, trying to stick a strand of hair that escaped my clip back in place.
“Corvo is looking for you,” she says when she comes inside. Frank Corvo is our manager and mostly a jerk. I mean, he’s not a bad person, but he has zero sense of humor and is definitely demanding, which wouldn’t be bad if his expectations weren’t unreasonable—and often they are.
Like now.
“I still have thirty minutes left on my lunch hour,” I complain.
“You know that doesn’t matter to him. It never does,” she says and she’s telling the truth.
“What does he want?”
“I don’t know, but…”
My gaze moves to lock with Kim’s through the mirror, my heart beating irregularly because of fear. Fear because I know Kim’s tone. She knows something that I’m not going to like. The last time she used that tone on me it was to tell me that Grayson—the guy I liked at the time—was in the break room telling all the other guys how he bagged me and popped my cherry. I took two personal days and buried my sorrows in a pint of salted caramel ice cream. The only bright spot was when I got back, Grayson had been transferred to the Alaskan branch. I didn’t even know we had an Alaskan branch, but I thought it was karma, since the man hated anything to do with the cold. It wasn’t true about him sleeping with me, but everyone thinks he did, and there’s nothing I can do to make them stop thinking it. I vowed never to date another man that I worked with. That’s not hard to do, since none of the guys here really look at me like I’m girlfriend material.
“What?” I prompt Kim when she doesn’t say anything more. “Oh God, did I get fired?”
“No, I mean, why would you have? You haven’t done anything wrong,” Kim says, but she sounds far from reassuring.
“Then, what do you know that you aren’t telling me?”
“It could just be a coincidence,” she hedges.
“Just tell me already,” I practically beg. She’s driving me crazy drawing it out like this.
“Before Corvo came over to ask me where you were…”
“Kim, spit it out.”
“He was talking to Dragon.”
“Shit,” I whisper, literally feeling the color drain out of my face.
“It doesn’t have to be a bad thing, Jessa. It’s not like you have done anything to get fired. You’re always here thirty minutes early.”
“I hate being late,” I mumble.
“You’re the first to volunteer for overtime,” she points out and I shrug, b
ecause it’s true, but it’s not like I have anyone waiting for me at home.
“And you found that big discrepancy in the accounting numbers two months ago, remember?”
“Yeah, I remember.”
“See? There’s no reason the Dragon would be looking to get rid of you.”
“Except, I took two personal days off last month when Grayson lied about me.”
“Oh my God, Jessa, you have like a gazillion personal days stored up.”
“I didn’t give them any notice, though and I didn’t have a doctor’s excuse.”
I see the indecision warring on Kim’s face and sigh.
I’m getting fired. There’s no other explanation.
“Don’t panic yet. Let’s go out and talk to Corvo first,” Kim cautions. I nod my head in agreement and follow her to the door. My heart is pounding as I wonder about what all this could mean.
Dragon is the owner of Greer Industries. His full name is Stone Greer, but everyone calls him Dragon, because he’s hateful, grouchy and his anger can burn you alive. It’s best to avoid dealing with him at all. The last guy that tried disappeared. Seriously, it’s been six months, and no one has heard from him.
As I walk into the main office for data entry, my heart is beating hard against my chest. I ignore the maze of desks which are sectioned off into gray cubbies. I pass my desk, even though the urge to sit there is overwhelming. I feel eyes on me, but I ignore them. When I make it to Corvo’s office, I’m relieved the Dragon doesn’t seem to be around. Instead, it’s just Frank Corvo, behind his desk.
“You wanted to see me?” I ask, when I get tired of Frank ignoring me.
“Yes, Miss Morris. I need you to clean out your desk and pack up your things.”
Even thought I was kind of expecting this, it doesn’t mean the pain lessens.
“Mr. Corvo, may I ask what I’ve done?”
“I’m sorry, what do you mean?”
“I’ve always tried to do my best job. I was just wondering what it was that made you decide to fire me.”
“Fire you?” Corvo responds, sounding surprised.
“Yes, I know I took off a couple of days, but I worked overtime to make up for the inconvenience. And, yes, I’m not supposed to question management, but it just doesn’t seem fair.”
Corvo stares at me a minute an expression his face that I can’t truly read.
“Miss Morris you’re not being fired,” Corvo denies.
“I’m not?” I ask, almost afraid to believe it.
“Of course not. You’ve been given a promotion.”
“A promotion?” I parrot, almost giddy. A promotion in the company will move me up to management level. It seems too good to be true.
“Yes, Mr. Greer’s personal secretary quit yesterday, and he requested you take her place.”
“Me? Are you sure?”
“Positive. Now get your stuff together and get upstairs. It wouldn’t do to leave Mr. Greer waiting.”
I walk out of the office, and if you asked me how I did it, I couldn’t tell you. I don’t remember anything. I’m pretty sure I’m in shock. When I get to my desk, Kim is there waiting.
“Well? What did he want?” she asks. “Did he fire you?”
“No. He didn’t fire me,” I murmur, my throat tight.
“Yay! I told you. I knew he wouldn’t. So, what did he want?”
“I…uh…it seems I’ve been promoted,” I tell her, as I start sorting through the crap on my desk.
“Promoted! Killer! We have to go celebrate tonight after work.”
“Can I take a raincheck?” I ask her.
“Why aren’t you happier? Not a lot of people get to move up so quickly! You rock.”
“I’m supposed to be Mr. Greer’s personal secretary.”
Kim’s eyes go wide and I nod my head yes.
“Oh shit,” Kim manages to say, and that pretty much sums up what I’m feeling.
I’m in trouble…
2
Stone
I tap my fingers on my desk. It seems like I’ve been waiting for hours. That’s not something I like. It’s not normal for me either. I never wait on anyone—especially a woman. Then again, a woman hasn’t caught my attention like the one in question. Jessa Morris. I look at the unopened file on my desk. I don’t need to look at it. I know what it says by heart. I’ve been studying her for years. There’s something about her that caught my eye and I haven’t been able to get her out of my mind since.
I’ve held off making my move. I’m not a man that likes being out of control and that cost me. I let another man get to Jessa first. He hurt her.
I came to the office one morning and saw Jessa in the employee break room talking to another girl. It killed me to see her tears. When I asked Frank Corvo, who is over Jessa’s department, if he had heard anything about the girl, he filled me in on office gossip. It took everything I had to stand there and appear calm, while inside I was seething. He told me about the messy breakup she suffered with another employee and how that man destroyed Jessa’s reputation.
I immediately had Grayson Baker transferred as far away from Jessa as I could get. Firing him wouldn’t have worked, although I longed to do that. I had to get him away from her. I couldn’t stand the thought of him breathing the same air as she did.
Jessa doesn’t realize it. I’ve been biding my time since the moment she moved to town. Hell, before that really.
Her father was a close friend. We served together overseas. When he and his wife died in a tragic automobile accident, I immediately wanted to check on his daughter. I expected a small child, and while she was young and underage, she was temptation. It shocked me to my core. For the first time in my life, I was tempted to go against everything I knew to be right. I gave Jessa time to grow up, spread her wings. I stepped back, but I never got her sweet face and beautiful but sad, blue eyes out of my mind.
I doubt Jessa even remembers me. She was seventeen when I shook her hand at the funeral home. Her touch sent a jolt of electricity through me. My hand engulfed hers and I had never felt so protective in my life. I was made to take care of this woman, to love her. I can’t explain it, but I felt it in my soul.
I kept contact with Jessa’s grandmother and sent monthly checks to make sure they had everything they needed. When she wanted to move to the city and find a job, I encouraged her grandmother to have her apply with my company.
I know most would view that as controlling, maybe even as an unhealthy obsession, I can’t deny it. I’ve been called cold and calculating. I suppose I am. With Jessa however, although my actions could be described as calculating, there’s nothing cold about the way I feel for her.
It seems like forever before she finally makes it to my office. Hearing her timid knock on my office door gives me the first moment of clarity I’ve had in months.
My waiting is over.
I clear my throat, lean back in my chair and beckon her inside.
3
Jessa
“Come in.”
I beat my nerves down. This is my job. I can do this. I have to do this. Mr. Greer can’t be as bad as everyone is saying. I tug on my shirt yet again, really wishing I’d worn something else now. I had no idea that I’d be going to Mr. Greer’s office, though.
“I…I was told to report to you Mr. Greer.”
“Come in, Miss Morris.” I don’t get but two steps in when he speaks up again. “Close the door behind you.”
There’s nothing strange about that request. Especially since I’m supposed to be his executive secretary now. Still, hearing him tell me to close the door sends a strange and unfamiliar feeling through me. The sound of the door closing also seems abnormally loud.
“I assume Mr. Corvo told you about your reassignment?” he asks. I swallow nervously, putting my hands behind my back and worrying them together.
“He did. I promise to give the position my all. I hope you will find me satisfactory.” When I realize what I just said, I can feel
heat bloom across my face. “My work I mean,” I add hastily, and immediately wishing I could take the words back.
“I have your employee handbook here,” he says, reaching a binder out towards me. My brow knits in confusion.
“I have a handbook, Mr. Stone. I’ve been working here for a while—”
“I’m aware of that Miss. Morris. This is specific to my personal assistants. It is what I will expect of you.”
“Oh, of course. I apologize,” I murmur, hastily making my way to his desk. I take the spiral folder, my gaze going to his without thought. The moment our eyes meet, however, all thought flees my brain. I’m frozen, unable to move, unable to do anything but stare at him.
“Is something wrong?” he asks.
“I…uh no. It’s just…”
“Just?”
“Have you ever had a moment of déjà vu?” I ask, knowing I shouldn’t, but doing it just the same.
“Déjà vu?”
“Like you are in a place or a conversation that you could have sworn you had before?” I ask, continuing to be insane when I should shut up.
“And you feel like you’ve had this conversation with me before?” he asks, his dark eyes studying me so closely that my breath stutters in my chest.
“Not this conversation, but there is something familiar in being this close to you.” I breathe the words out. I think I might be in a trance. That can be the only explanation for the way I’m acting.
“Perhaps that’s a good thing,” he responds.
“What do you mean?”