Mister Bossy (Bad Boys in Love Book 4)

by Cassie-Ann L. Miller

  A smile slips across my face. Lordie lord. “Then get me naked, Boss Man.”

  Eli unzips my dress. He groans approvingly as the fabric tumbles to the floor. In an instant, my bra is gone and my breasts fill his hands.

  Our lips meet again. But this time, we aren’t speeding to the finish line. We take it slow and easy, making out till we lose track of time.

  He brings two fingers to my opening and they plunge in smooth like cream. I’m so utterly wet. I grab a condom from the night table. I hand it to him and he rolls it on.

  I moan when he sinks into me, slow, reverent, ocean-deep. He starts moving and I cling to his biceps, wrapping my legs around his back and giving myself completely to the pleasure.

  He whispers. “You okay, baby?"

  My eyes spring open and I meet his stare in the dark. "Better than okay."

  So much better than okay. I'm in love. Safe and happy and in love. With him, I feel powerful, beautiful, adored.

  He smiles affectionately then leans down and kisses me, drawing his knuckles up and down my side before circling my nipple with his fingertips.

  When he starts going harder, I work my hips, grinding and pumping in sync with him.

  He drives into my slickness. I cry out each time he bottoms out inside me. Each thrust sends the headboard slamming into the wall. I'm gasping for air, clinging for dear life. One final deep, hard thrust pushes me off the cliff. Then I'm freefalling into an abyss of pleasure and the man is diving right alongside me.

  We collapse into the bed and Eli pulls the blankets up to our chins. We lie between the sheets, skin on skin, limbs intertwined. We kiss deep and slow with starlight pouring in through the open curtains.

  Eli pulls back and looks into my face. “You're making me go soft, Jessa Robson.”

  I give his stiff cock a squeeze. “Oh trust me, you're hard in all the right places.”

  He offers a wry smile. “Seriously, though. I feel like my heart was in ice. And now it's starting to melt.”

  I snuggle close to him, blissfully content. “Well then, the score is even, Eli Kingston, ‘cause you’ve been melting me since day one.”

  46

  Eli

  I’m a lucky man.

  I’m standing at the floor-to-ceiling sliding door watching the day break over the river. The clouds look like marshmallows melting against the skyline. The sun crawls up the horizon, bleeding through the spaces between the mountains in the distance. And there’s an angel fast asleep in my bed.

  Not so long ago, my 24/7 view was concrete walls and orange jumpsuits. When I was released from jail, waking up to the sight of my ceiling ducts in the basement seemed like a major upgrade. But now? Now, life is truly a blessing.

  I feel skinny arms come around my middle and soft feminine curves press against my back. I smile when Jessa’s lips pucker against my shoulder blade.

  I hook an arm around my back and twirl her from behind me. She comes crashing into my chest, giggling and wrapped in the cotton bedsheets.

  “Well, good morning, gorgeous.” I bring my lips to hers and enjoy her lush mouth on mine.

  “Good morning,” she responds, looking like a glorious, beautiful, freshly-fucked mess.

  I brush hair from her face. “D’you manage to get a little bit of sleep?”

  “Eventually.” She side-eyes me. “But no thanks to you. You are insatiable, Eli Kingston.” She playfully slaps my chest.

  “I am. But I didn’t hear you complaining when you were riding my face at three in the morning.” I smirk.

  “Touché.” She smirks back.

  We fucked four times last night, each round of love-making punctuated by a roof-shaking orgasm. In between each session, we talked and we laughed and we played, whispering dirty, filthy words between dirty, lazy kisses. Getting to know more about each other. I want more nights like that. I want more mornings like this.

  She turns her attention to the view outside the window. She grips the sheets around her naked body with one hand. Her other palm lays flat on the sliding door. “The sunrise is always so beautiful here. I don’t think I’ll ever get over it.”

  “It really is.” I cross my arms around her stomach, holding her possessively to me. We watch the river meandering lazily through the valley. “When I was locked up in my cell, I really missed the views of these woods and the water out here. I missed the cookouts we had every month, inviting the whole crew.” I point to a clearing near the edge of the water. “That’s where I took Callie camping for the very first time.” I jab my finger toward a fallen tree near the back steps. “And down there, next to that big stump, that’s where I had planned to dig out a small pool for her when she got older.”

  Jessa clutches my forearms around her. “It’s not too late, Eli. It’s not too late to have all those things you dreamed about.”

  Maybe she’s right. Maybe it’s not too late.

  I used to think it was all over for me, that my best days were far behind me but when Jessa beams at me like that, the future seems bright, and I can’t help naively thinking that I might have some pretty good days up ahead.

  But the thing is, all my dreams for the future now include her.

  I don’t know how to communicate that to her. I don’t even know if I should. Would it scare her away?

  God—she means so much to me. She has no damn idea.

  I lift her hair off the back of her neck and kiss her there. I stroke a palm down her side and she moans into the air. My hand slides between her legs and I find her already wet for me. The sheets fall to the floor when I slide two fingers into her, exploring, patiently feeling around for the tiny bundle of nerves that sets her off every time.

  When I get her going, I drop to my knees, jerk her ass against my face and finish the job with my tongue. She presses her palms to the door and fogs up the glass saying my name. The orgasm knocks her knees from beneath her and I rise quickly, catching her against my chest.

  She’s still shaking from her climax when she kneels before me, cradling my cock like it’s the love of her life. She strokes it, sucks it, licks it. I lean on the glass and clench my fingers in her hair. My entire body buzzes, from my scalp to my toenails and everything in between.

  I come so hard it feels like my spirit is trying to escape my body through my boner. The aftershocks rock me and I don’t trust my knees to keep me upright. So I pull Jessa to her feet and carry her over to the bed with me where we lie in each other’s arms for the rest of the morning.

  I don't understand it. Not too long ago, I was tense, pissed, explosive. And now, with Jessa in my arms, I feel...calm and relaxed and safe. I don't know what to make of that.

  Propped up above her, I stare down into her face. “I used to feel like it was me against the world,” I whisper. “Sometimes it felt like the dragons were closing in on me…But I don’t feel that way anymore.”

  She scoffs with a grin. “Let ‘em come. It’s you and me now. We’ll slay those dragons together.”

  47

  Jessa

  If he drops my child into the mashed potatoes, will you back me up when I smack him?” Alexia levels her husband with a no-bullshit look.

  Cannon chuckles and kisses his wife’s cheek. “Always, Stormy. I’ve always got your back.”

  Unaffected by the plot against him, Jude whizzes Baby Di’s chubby little body over the dinner table. “Drooling, fussy, adorable airplane, incoming!” he screeches. “Drooling, fussy, adorable airplane, incoming!” The child’s squeaky giggles pour down on the meal as her uncle abruptly swerves her in the opposite direction.

  The Kingston family dinner is always chaotic. But tonight is extra wild. It’s Lucas and Diana with Callie snugly cushioned between them. The four Kingston brothers are spread out around the table with their plus-ones. The twins and Di are squawking and babbling the entire time. It’s madness. But the love is so thick in the air, you can actually taste it.

  Diana calls in the receptionist from the front desk to come take a
picture of us. Everyone huddles close and makes silly faces for the camera.

  I feel Eli’s hand drop to my thigh beneath the table. He gives me a little squeeze and we share a smile.

  I still can’t believe it—Eli is here. And it makes me so excited, I can barely stay still in my seat. Seeing him a part of this—after he tried for so long to isolate himself from his family—it makes my heart do happy flips in my chest.

  Eventually Jude hands Di back to Lexi and turns his attention to where Iris is refilling a cup of his favorite tea for him. The baby sits on her mother’s knee, happily gnawing on her teething giraffe. Iris and Diana are gushing over new pictures of the twins on Penny’s phone. Cannon disappears to grab something from his car.

  Right then, my sister’s phone rings and she glances down at the screen. “Oh, I’ve been waiting on this call all day,” she announces. “It’s a consignment shop from London and they claim to have gotten their hands on some of the flower girl dresses from Princess Eugenie’s wedding. I need those dresses in my boutique!!” She’s practically drooling. She turns to Eli and pins him with pleading eyes. “Do you mind?”

  Before he can answer, she plops Baby Di into his lap and bolts up from the table.

  Eli looks adorably lost with his niece in his lap. “Um…hi?” he says hesitantly, peering into the kid’s sweet face.

  Di squints at him, scrunches up her nose and bops him in the face with her squishy toy giraffe. Her tiny body shakes as a shower of laughter comes pouring out of her.

  Eli wipes slobber from his forehead. “Wow! Of course Cannon’s spawn would do that.” He chortles.

  He and the child sit there, making faces at each other and Callie laughs from across the table. I don’t know how to stop grinning.

  When the meal is over and it’s time to clear the dishes, Walker volunteers to handle it. I hop up alongside him. Iris offers to join us but I insist that we don’t need help. Walker gives me a suspicious look but says nothing as I follow him over to the sink.

  For weeks now, I’ve been hoping to get a word with him. He’s Eli’s closest brother and I have a feeling he might have some insight into the events that landed my man behind bars.

  On multiple occasions, I’ve tried speaking to Eli directly but he’s shut down the conversation every time. I know I should let it go since he clearly wants to put it all behind him and move on, but I just can’t. My intuition won’t allow me to let it go because I just know there’s more to the story than Eli has divulged.

  Walker and I share anecdotes about growing up with our crazy siblings as we rinse the dishes and load the dishwasher. The farmer has just finished telling me the story of the time he fell asleep in a toolshed only to wake up and find Eli giving him a haircut with a pair of garden pruners. I’m laughing so hard I have to hold onto my belly.

  “That kid was destined for a life of crime,” he jokes. He instantly looks like he regrets saying it.

  I sober up and finally, I get the courage to ask what I’ve been meaning to. “So, you think he did it, Walker? You think he committed those crimes?”

  The man sighs. “I’d like to think that he didn’t but who pleads guilty to something they didn’t do.”

  I lean against the sink and fold my arms over my chest. “It’s just…nothing adds up. I can’t shake the feeling that he did not commit the crimes he was convicted of.”

  Walker glances at me as he wipes off a serving dish. “I know that you have…feelings for my brother, Jessa. So you don’t want to see him as the bad guy. But you have to be realistic.”

  I shake my head. “I’m certainly not saying he’s not capable of committing crimes and landing himself in a prison. Because he is. Everybody is.” I glance over to where Eli is playing with Baby Di at the table. Callie has now gone to cuddle right next to him. Seeing him surrounded by beaming children pokes at my soft spot. “All I am saying is that this man didn’t commit this crime. I believe it deep down in my soul. Eli Kingston didn’t do if.”

  Seeming to consider my words, Walker takes a look over at the table. He speaks hesitantly. “Eli told me he was innocent.”

  My eyes bulge. “What?”

  “When I went to visit him in jail, he said that he was innocent.”

  I knew it! I knew it, I knew it, I knew it!

  “But I didn’t take him seriously.” The farmer shrugs. “I mean, if I had been facing a jail sentence like his, I’d be claiming my innocence, too. All I know is I’m happy he’s home now. I’m ready to let go of the past and maybe you should, too, Jessa.”

  “Uh, yeah…” I say. Just to appease him as my eyes settle on Eli again.

  I understand what Walker is saying but I can’t just look the other way. Eli’s reputation has been torn to shreds. He’s been walking around with a badge of dishonor that he doesn’t deserve. I can’t just let that slide.

  There’s one piece of the puzzle I can’t get to fit.

  Why on earth did Eli take the fall? Why would he plead guilty to a crime he didn’t commit, knowing it would take him away from that sweet little girl sitting beside him at the dining table?

  48

  Eli

  Dad drops into the chair next to me. “Looks like you’ve made yourself a friend, huh?”

  He tickles Baby Diana’s foot. She gurgles and bounces with laughter on my knee. “Looks like it,” I agree.

  “I just wanted to check in with you.” He eyes me with curiosity. “Make sure you’re okay.”

  It’s been a while since I’ve really talked to my dad, and I’ve treated my parents like shit. They’ve done so much for me and Callie. And it’s clear they hold no grudges for my past behavior.

  I glance over to the other end of the table where Callie is now happily eating pie crumbs out of an empty casserole dish. Jessa is at the sink, laughing with Walker. The two most important girls in my life are good so… “I’m good,” I say plainly.

  Dad’s eyebrow lifts slightly. “I have a feeling you could be doing better if you’d just stop being stubborn and get back to work.”

  I huff, already becoming annoyed. How many times am I gonna have this conversation? “Dad, I’ve told you. I can’t work with Cannon. He hates me.”

  “Nonsense,” my father argues.

  “I’m pretty sure about that,” I insists. The baby squints at me. I don’t think she likes me talking shit about her dad.

  My father looks at me through narrowed eyes. “Tell me this—if Cannon hates you, why did he instruct his lawyer to work on your case?”

  I furrow my brows, shocked and confused. “Excuse me?”

  “Who do you think sent Frank to get you out of jail?”

  “I-I…Well, I’d assumed he was working pro bono.”

  My father chuffs. “Lawyers of Frank Lawman’s caliber do not work pro bono. And only businessmen with Cannon’s bank account can afford that kind of legal representation.” He takes a sip of his bourbon.

  Shit—how did I not put this together before? I feel like a fool. And an ungrateful asshat. Cannon paid the lawyer who got me out of jail, who got me back here with my daughter.

  Dad drops his head and shakes it. “You seem to think we moved on without you when you were in jail but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Yes, your brothers were disappointed in you, they were angry, but they still loved you, Eli. And they made sure that Callie felt loved too.” His eyes grow distant. “Cannon and Lexi taught her to swim. Walker taught her to write her name. Jude—”

  “Jude turned her into a football maniac?” I smirk.

  “Among other things.” Dad smiles. “But also, he’s the one who hired Jessa to take care of Callie.”

  “Really?” I barely whisper. I have Jude to thank for bringing Jessa into my world?

  He nods and my chest goes so painfully tight with gratitude toward my youngest brother. I glance across the room to where he and Iris are wrapped up in each other, snuggling and slow dancing even though there’s no music on. In an instant, I’m viewing my baby br
other in a whole new light.

  “Yes, Cannon took over Kingston Realties. Yes, it was supposed to be you. But let’s be real, Eli. You were in jail for years. Did you really expect that the CEO position would just stay vacant and the company would run itself until you finished serving your time? Let go of your damn grudge and move forward with your life.”

  Dad’s words sink all the way in. I know he’s right. I need to make amends with my brothers once and for all. Starting with Cannon.

  I plop Baby Diana into her grandfather’s lap. The little thing stares affectionately at her grandpa and caresses his face with her slobbery hand. The man makes a face that’s a cross between a cringe and a smile.

  “I’ll be right back,” I tell him as I head off to where my brother is tossing back a whiskey and fixing his man-bun over by the antique cabinet in the corner.

  I approach him.

  “Hey, man,” he says warily, turning to face me like he’s preparing for a fight.

  “What about…what about my reputation?” I blurt out. Uttering the words is humiliating but it’s time I face the real reason I’ve been staying away from the family company. My shame. I’m ashamed of the state of my reputation. I’m ashamed that, in the eyes of the world, I am nothing but a crook. “I’m a convicted felon. I saw the way everybody acted that day when I came to the office. The minute they realized who I was, they were on edge. What would people think if I was back working at the company? No-one would want to do business with Kingston Realties.”

  Cannon pauses. He straightens his shoulders. “Then fuck ‘em. Fuck ‘em all.”

  I furrow my brow at him.

  “Our family owns ninety percent of the commercial properties in Crescent Harbor. So good luck to anybody trying to boycott us. We run this town. If employees want to quit, let them quit. If tenants want to leave, let them leave. We will replace their asses. Simple…” He ends his rant and sighs big. “You’re a Kingston, Eli. Gramps and Dad built this company for all of us. The only one keeping you from your rightful place in Kingston Realties is you.”