BOSS: The Wolf

by Jolie Day

  I’d like to think my part of the presentation only helped build their confidence. I showed them all the ways in which Embry would move forward and inspire freshness by releasing its own line of natural fibers.

  The meeting adjourns with promises of getting the whole thing wrapped up by the end of the week. Once the paperwork was finalized, the date would be set for the stock to go public—what was left of it, anyway. Only this time, Joel could be reassured in knowing there wouldn’t be any snags like before.

  The men and I pop open a bottle of champagne once the rest had cleared the room. Of course, I stick to sparkling water.

  Max walks over to Joel and gives him a big bear hug. “I’m proud of you. I never thought I’d get a chance to be a part of things here at Embry.”

  “I definitely couldn’t have done this without you, man.” Joel smiles before turning to me. “And I want you to meet Charlie. My wife.”

  “It’s gonna take me a while to get used to hearing that.” He chuckles. “Hey, Charlie.”

  “Hi, Max.”

  “Let’s hit the road,” Eric suggests impatiently after they’ve drained their champagne glasses. “I’m itching to get a ride in.”

  “We can hit up one of the dive bars outside the city,” Clay chimes in. “Get in a good couple hours of bike time there and back, with some brews in between.”

  “Wouldn’t mind a stop at Suzi’s.” Eric nudges Clay, making them both cut their eyes over to me. They’re staring me down like I’m Joel’s mom who has to give him permission.

  “Don’t look at me.” I roll my eyes with a grin. “Joel’s a big boy. He can make up his own mind about whether he wants to go.”

  “Sure, I’ll go. What the fuck, guys? Get a grip.” He turns to me with a sexy smirk. “Wanna come, babe?”

  I shake my head and laugh, waiting for the others to leave before I pull him in for a kiss. “Go. Have fun. Get it out of your system now before we’re sleep deprived and cranky after being up all night with a newborn.”

  “Nah, that’s just when we hire the nanny and take off to Vegas.” He winks before taking off after the others.

  I have more than enough to keep me busy while he’s gone. We’ve been so busy preparing for the meeting since we got back, I haven’t had a chance to surprise Nora yet. I’d kill for a movie night with cosmopolitans. I pull out my phone and start Googling a virgin recipe as I make my way out to call a cab to her place.

  As I go, I can’t help but smile to myself thinking, Joel and I’s life together may be many things, but boring will not be one of them.

  Epilogue

  Joel

  Seeing Charlie walk down the aisle was one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen. When she stepped out in her short white dress with her hair and makeup done, it took my breath away. I was one of the luckiest guys on Earth.

  Even now, with her fingers entwined with mine, when she smiles up at me, I can’t get over it. It’s more than just looks. Getting to know her better over the past year and a half has shown me that she’s every bit as smart, wild, and ballsy as I thought she was in the beginning. Actually, more so.

  One thing we both agreed on was that we needed to have a real wedding for our family and friends. Of course, it was nothing like most weddings.

  My bike sat proudly on display behind me at the altar, while Charlie came walking down the aisle pushing our son Xander in a stroller that was also in the shape of a bike. He wore a leather jacket. But I did go the more traditional route of a suit and tie. Max told me he only wore suits for funerals, so we let him slide on the dress code.

  “I wonder if we did anything similar to this in Vegas.” Charlie turns to me while we stand behind a black curtain, waiting to be presented to all our friends and family as husband and wife.

  “Oh, I’m sure of it. The Elvis priest paraded us out in front of everybody in the casino.”

  “Shut up!” She smacks my arm playfully. “It was not an Elvis priest!”

  I smirk. “We don’t know that for sure, do we?”

  It’s become a game to try and remember the black holes of our first wedding night. I remember when she’d swung her panties up onto that chandelier, calling out, “Bull’s-eye,” jumping up and down on the bed with an excited smile—after throwing her heels somewhere across the room and cheering like she’d just won a lassoing contest at a county fair. After that, she demanded I try and beat her. That’d been my cue. I decided “that’s it,” grabbed her and pinned her to the bed beneath me.

  I chuckle to myself at the memory. Her face. She was so beautiful that night. She’s even more beautiful today.

  Charlie stares at me. “What are you laughing about? Did you smear my lipstick?”

  I’ve got to grin again. “Nah, your lipstick’s fine. I was thinking of chandeliers. We need one in our house.”

  Her mouth opens and closes a few times, and then she bursts out laughing. “Want a rematch, do you?”

  I pull her close and breathe against her neck. “You were the only one playing if I remember right, but I’d like to see you do it again. This time, naked.”

  I hear her breath catch. “Oh, you’ve got yourself a deal, Mr. Embry.”

  “Deal.” I kiss her jaw and the corner of her mouth. “I can’t wait to get you alone.”

  She pulls back and smiles. “Oh, we’ll have plenty of time for that, and believe me, I’ll make you work for it.”

  I smirk. “Will you now?”

  “Oh, yes.”

  As soon as the announcer says our names, we step out into the reception hall where we’re met with cheers and applause from everybody. I definitely never imagined what my wedding would be like, because I didn’t expect to have one. But seeing it all now, it makes perfect sense. Especially when Clay and Eric shove shots of whiskey into our hands while rock music blares over the speakers.

  Both of our moms rush over for Xander’s stroller. “You two go enjoy your night. We’ve got this little guy all taken care of.”

  The two of them have become good friends, forming a super-grandma team—it makes for convenient babysitting. My mom lets Charlie’s mom stay with her when she comes into town. It’s finally put her big empty house to good use.

  I’m hesitant to let the little man go and can’t resist giving him one last kiss before she carries him off. I never knew babies smelled so good, but Charlie’s always quick to remind me that everybody knows that. They talk about it all the time, and it’s what makes everybody want babies so badly. I always shrug it off. It’s just another thing I was immune or allergic to before, but now I couldn’t be happier.

  Mrs. Loughty wobbles over to congratulate us and wraps Charlie in a hug. “I’m happy for you, dear.” Then she pulls away and stares at some redheaded dude. “Oh, that’s him. That’s him!” She leans in close and whisper-shouts, “The one I told you about. Herbert. Linda’s son, the gynecologist! Isn’t he fine? Don’t be sad now, dear?”

  Charlie chokes and a blush creeps up her cheeks. “Mrs. Loughty!”

  I’m trying to hold back a chuckle while Mrs. Loughty goes on about this guy. Charlie’s face is priceless. “You’ve got yourself a fine-looking groom. However, if it doesn’t work out, you know, he’s still single if you change your mind.”

  Charlie tries to compose herself and looks to me. I just shrug with a smirk. “It’s great to see you, Mrs. Loughty. I’m so happy you could make it.” She hugs her again and the older woman pats her on the arm.

  “You certainly do make a beautiful bride, dear. The gown you’re wearing is a dream! I’ll get going now. Nice to see you, Joel.”

  I nod and pull Charlie close. “You, too, Mrs. Loughty.”

  She waves and calls over her shoulder with a wink, “You kids have fun on your honeymoon!”

  Charlie’s hands fly to her face. “Oh, my God. I love her. She’s funny!”

  “What? Got thoughts of trading me in for a gyno now?”

  She drops her hands. “Shut up. The only man I want between
my legs is you.”

  I lean in and nibble her neck. “You’re damn right, Mrs. Embry.”

  “If you don’t stop, we’ll never make it through the reception!”

  I chuckle and lead Charlie out onto the dance floor, waiting to see what song will play for our first dance. The guys picked it out and refused to tell us what it would be. Of course, Waking Up In Vegas by Katy Perry starts blaring over the speakers. Charlie blushes a little, but we join in on the fun, dancing with everybody else.

  Once that song fades away, a slower, serious tune comes on. China in your hand by T’Pau. I take my chance to pull Charlie in close, relishing the sight of her. She left her golden-brown hair down to hang over her shoulders with a short veil, but opted for a shorter dress instead of a traditional gown. She’s even got her own leather jacket to top it off when she gets cold.

  “You’re the sexiest bride in history, you know?” I groan against her ear.

  She swats at my wandering hands. “Watch it, buddy. Everyone is watching us.”

  “Then we’d better give them a show!”

  I dip her down into a passionate kiss, already feeling impatient for the honeymoon. But first, there’s a night of dancing, food, cake, and a lot of alcohol to get through. I can’t complain.

  While we take a break from dancing and hit up the bar, the guys come over to check in with us. Max and his wife Regina are the first to congratulate us. He gives me a hug and then turns to Charlie. She almost tears up when she looks at him. They’ve become very close since we got back from London, and he was kind enough to walk her down the aisle and give her away. Charlie and I are both grateful for it.

  “The Mrs. and I are gonna cut out early.” He shoots me a wink. “I’ve got a little something to go take care of.”

  “Max Stormwell!” Regina rolls her eyes.

  We’re left standing with Clay and Eric who act like we’ve got the plague. Not that they’re against me and Charlie getting married, they just want no part of the couples’ scene. They want to keep their bachelor lifestyle, and I get it. Hell, that was me before I met Charlie.

  I elbow Eric and smirk. “Dude, if you touch me, married life won’t rub off.”

  He scowls. “Shut the hell up, man. That shit’s not even funny. Never gonna happen.”

  “Me either.” Clay throws back a swig of beer.

  Eric stares at him with a cocky-ass grin. “Bet I get laid before you tonight, dickweed.”

  Clay slams his beer on the table. “You’re on, asshole.”

  I can’t help but laugh. The idiots crack me up.

  “I think a few of the bridesmaids are single,” I tell them, remembering how they like picking up chicks at weddings.

  “Here comes one of them now!” Charlie throws her arms around her maid of honor.

  “Hey, Clay, this is Nora,” I introduce them, pulling him in for a bro-hug. “I don’t believe you’ve met yet.”

  “Hey.” She smiles back at him, trying to play it cool. But I can tell she’s got the hots for him.

  “Nora.” He pulls her hand to his lips. “Beautiful name.”

  She turns to Charlie and mouths, “He’s hot. See you later, girl.”

  Charlie thinks she’s being sly, but she’s almost as loud as Mrs. Loughty—at least she cups her hand around her mouth. “Don’t scare him off.”

  Nora winks and leans forward. “Not planning to. Can’t wait to find out what he does for a living or what his hobbies are. Hope he’s got a whip.” That last part was a whisper, but by the look on Clay’s face, he probably heard it.

  We chuckle at Nora just being Nora, and I pull Charlie close to lead her away again, taking the hint that they’d want some time to get to know each other. “See? The right woman can turn any biker brute into a gentleman.”

  “Well, your buddy is in for a spanking good time!” She tosses her head back and laughs. It’s got to be an inside joke between her and Nora—whips and spanking? Fuck, Clay won’t know what hit him. “Thankfully, though, you were already a perfect gentleman when I met you.” She looks up at me and grins. “But I guess neither of us really knew it yet.”

  She holds little Xander in her arms when we get ready to cut the cake. He’s the perfect mixture of both of us and looks adorable in his leather jacket, matching his mom’s. My heart swells when I see the two of them together. And the perfect cake only adds to the feeling—black with white frosting and a figure of a bride and groom on a bike to top it off.

  By the end of the night, we’re both ready to ride off into the sunset for the lavish hotel I booked for the weekend. The guys have strung toilet paper and tin cans to the back of it, complete with a “Just Married” sign and somebody wrote, “You lucky sons of bitches!” underneath. We ride through a tunnel of sparklers that everybody’s lit for us. They spark around us, with a perfect pink and purple sky on the horizon.

  But instead of going straight to the hotel, I make a short detour. Charlie tries to shout in my ear and ask where we’re going, but I pretend like I can’t hear her. There’s a surprise waiting for us off the highway down a winding back road. We pull up to a quaint house in the middle of nowhere.

  She looks around the property. “Where the hell are we?”

  Max and his wife appear at the front door of the house. It was perfect timing for them to make it back before us.

  “Max!” Charlie calls, eyeing me suspiciously. “Is this your house?”

  “Yep, welcome to my castle.” He grins, wrapping an arm around his wife.

  I’m taken back to their wedding when all me and the guys could think about was snagging some pretty bridesmaid and getting the hell out of there. I’d say that’s what Eric and Clay are still trying to do.

  Max’s wife is a feisty beauty. Regina’s curvy with a bit of a wild streak that shines in her eyes. Her eyes remind me a lot of my mom.

  “What are we doing here?” Charlie laughs, hugging them both. “Not that I’m not happy to see you, but…”

  “Follow me,” Max tells her.

  We walk toward his four-car garage, and she jumps at the sound of the automatic metal door sliding open. Waiting inside is a shiny new motorcycle with a big red bow on it. It’s smaller than mine, and Charlie immediately picks up on the fact that it’s meant for her.

  “Are you kidding me?” she gasps. “Is this for me?”

  Max’s wife chimes in. “You can blame me for it. I’ve always been too scared to drive one of those damn things, but Joel was telling me you wanted to learn how to ride on your own.”

  “I have!” she shrieks and barrels toward it like a kid on Christmas morning. “Can I give it a try?”

  I can’t help but laugh. Here we always thought the dream was to find a chick who’d jump on the back of our bikes. I found one who wants her own.

  Max and I teach Charlie how to take the bike around in circles in the yard and driveway, and before long, she’s driving it up and down the long dark road in front of their property. I’m not the least bit surprised when she pulls back up to the house like a pro and yanks off her helmet, asking if she can drive it to the hotel.

  “Well, you don’t have a license yet. But we can come back and pick it up after the honeymoon. You’ll have your license before you know it and be driving all over town.”

  “Oh, come on.” She slides the helmet back over her head. “I’m an Embry now. The men in your family always push the rules a little. Why should you get to have all the fun?”

  Before I can argue, she starts the engine and takes off. I look to Max for help, but of course he can’t do anything for me.

  “Go on and get your wife, man.” He smirks.

  Regina leans into his chest and laughs. “You asked for it when you gave her the damn thing.”

  “Thanks,” I answer sarcastically.

  Whether I like it or not, Charlie’s flying down the street on her bike. I’ve got no choice but to rush and jump on mine to chase her. I manage to do so fast enough to catch up to her down the road. She’s
howling out into the night, looking happier than ever, still in her wedding gown and all. It’s such a turn on to watch, that by the time we reach the hotel parking lot, I can’t wait to lift her off the thing and push her against the wall in a deep kiss.

  “Thank you for my wedding present,” she whispers against my mouth. “I love it.”

  “Well, I thought about the chandelier, but we’ll get that soon. I figured the bike would be a better wedding gift.”

  She laughs, her voice low and sexy. “Oh, we’re getting it. But I’m glad you decided on the bike first.”

  “Okay, but after the honeymoon, you’re back to being a wife, mother, and Procurement Manager at Embry. No taking off from us on this thing, okay?”

  “That goes for you, too.” She winks before running off to the hotel door.

  When I watch her running, laughing as she looks back at me, I get the feeling there were a lot of similarities between our “real” wedding night and that night in Vegas—ones that maybe neither of us will ever remember.

  All I know is, I’m glad we got drunk and accidentally married. I’ve now got a life I never knew I wanted: a gorgeous wife and a beautiful son. What more could a guy ask for?

  The End

  Dear Reader, thank you for reading my novel. Phew! Is it getting hot in here? If you LOVED BOSS: The Wolf, make sure you check out SOLD: Highest Bidder.

  I bought her at an auction.

  My best friend’s sister.

  Joe Francis, an ex member of the Hell’s Seven MC, has one mission: to close one of the largest business deals in the history of his company. And to do that, he must agree to meet his client at a seedy underground auction. Joe’s priorities shift when he sees his late best friend’s sister on stage, auctioning off her virginity. Joe decides to place a bid…