Her words are slurred, and I giggle at her expense.
“Well, we’re back together now, but he stood me up the other night for our date.” She shoots daggers at me, but I ignore her. “I was pissed, but we worked it out. He’s got some family issues going on.”
“Mads, that’s a shitty excuse for treating you like that.” She eyes me over the top of her glass.
I don’t want to divulge too much, but I feel like I need to give her something, or she’s not going to like my boyfriend.
I run a finger along the rim of my glass.
“I don’t know the whole story, but when his dad died five years ago, his brother took off… he didn’t even show up for the funeral.” I wave a hand in the air. “Anyway, he showed up at the office unannounced the other day.”
She whistles in disbelief. “Damn, Mads.” She takes another sip, “Well, it was still shitty what he did to you.”
I can’t exactly disagree with her, but I think she has a better understanding now.
“How’s work?” I attempt to change the subject.
“Ugh, I’m so over Nancy’s shit. She’s got us doing this huge ass article now, and I think taking a pitchfork to my eyes would be less painful than having to work with those people.”
I pop an olive into my mouth. “You’re dramatic.”
“Hey, ladies. Is this seat taken?” A husky voice from beside Greta interrupts us. He’s a good six-four and has dark blond hair. He’s good looking, but definitely not as nice to look at as my sexy boss.
“Actually,” she looks back at me, “I was kind of wanting to dance. Want to come, Mads?”
I wave the bartender down again. “Nope, I’m good. I’m gonna get another drink. You two go have fun.” They disappear into the crowd in the middle of the bar.
I dig my phone out of my purse and a text from Ian lights up the screen.
Ian: Hey, sexy. I’m stuck at work, but I can’t get you off my mind. What are you up to?
I smile at the thought of being on his mind, just like he was on mine.
Maddison: Hey, you. Sorry you have to work :( I’m at The Red Door Tavern with Greta, but she ditched me for some guy.
“Here you go, miss.” My new drink slides in front of me and I thank him. Seconds after I send my text, my phone goes off in my hand.
“Hey,” I say loud enough for him to hear me over the noisy crowd. “Let me go outside.”
I push the large red door open and take in a deep breath when the cool air hits my face. That damn place is always hotter than hell.
“Are you having fun?”
“Yeah, it’s been fine. I haven’t seen G in a while, because someone else has been occupying my time.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Uh-huh, sure, mister. How late do you think you’ll be at the office?”
“Probably another hour or so. But I wish I was with you instead.”
I smile at his admission. “You’ll see me tomorrow, Mr. Bossman.”
He sniggers but then he goes serious. “Maddison, I don’t want this to be some kind of work hookup. I’m in this. I want to date you and spend as much time with you as I can.”
His words send tingles down to my nether regions. I don’t think I’ll ever get used to the way he makes me feel.
“You there, gorgeous?” he asks when I don’t respond.
“Yeah.” I sigh. “I want that too.”
Other bar goers come out of the building, stumbling along the sidewalk, and I giggle into the phone.
“What’s so funny?” He sounds amused by my laughter.
“These drunk people are cracking me up.”
“Are you drunk, Ms. Monroe?”
“No, I’ve only had one drink. You called me when they brought me my second martini.”
“Good. I need to get back to work, but I’ll see you in the morning?”
“Yep. Bye.” I’m about to cut the call when he interrupts me.
“I love you.” This man likes to act tough all the time, but inside he’s got a soft core that he doesn’t often let others see.
“I love you, too.” I end the call, before going back into the bar with a damn smile on my face.
This place is so freaking loud, and it’s starting to give me a headache. As much as I’d love to bail, I’d feel bad for doing that to Greta since I haven’t seen her in forever.
I walk through the crowd and find her sitting at our same spot along the bar, yet another drink in her hand. She jumps when I place my hand on her back.
“Jesus!” Liquid splashes out of her glass. “You scared the shit out of me.”
“Sorry.” I pull out a stool, climbing up on it, “Where’s that handsome devil you were dancing with?”
She wiggles her eyebrows at me as she takes another sip. “He had to go outside to make a call, but said he’ll find me when he comes back in.”
“Wanna go dance until he comes back?” I surprise myself when the words come out of my mouth.
“You dance?”
I slap her arm, “Shut it! I’m a damn good dancer and you know it.”
She finishes off her drink and we both make our way out to the dance floor. The lights above us make it even warmer, so I tie my hair back behind my neck.
I get lost in the music, swaying my hips back-and-forth, my arms up in the air.
Hands land on my hips and I start to yell at the douchebag touching me, when I’m interrupted.
“Get your hands off my girlfriend, asshole.”
I spin around and I’m met with the familiar pair of green eyes that I could get lost in… his signature smirk covers his face.
The stranger holds his hands up in surrender and walks away as Ian wraps me in his arms.
“What are you doing here?” I look up at him, and damn, does he look sexy in his tight black shirt and jeans that should be illegal.
“Someone has to make sure no one is touching my woman.”
“You’re such a caveman.”
“Your caveman.” He leans down, taking me into a smoldering kiss.
Twenty-One
Ian
It’s been a little over a week since Maddison forgave my sorry ass. I’ll be the first to admit that I didn’t deserve it, but I’m thankful, nonetheless. Unfortunately, we haven’t gotten to see each other much outside of the office because I’ve been swamped. Tonight is the first night in a while that I’ve left before the sun went down, but I won’t get to see her. I’d much rather spend the evening wrapped up in her body than what I’m about to do.
My mother sent me, Bri, and Seth a group text this afternoon, demanding our presence for dinner. She knew better than to ask, because none of us would have shown willingly.
I pull up to my childhood home, suddenly feeling nostalgic. Despite the shit that went down with my brother, and losing our dad, we had a hell of a good time growing up.
I park my Bentley next to Bri’s red Jeep before making my way to the front door.
“Uncle Ian!” My nephew comes sprinting out the front door, his dark, unruly hair blowing in his face.
I swoop him into my arms and rub the top of his head. “Hey, Sammy. Your momma know you’re out here?” I know he’s notorious for taking off.
“Samuel James, you do not run away like that!” Bri hollers as soon as the front door swings open.
I set him back on his feet, not wanting to get between him and his irate mother. I love my sister, but she scares me sometimes.
“Sorry, Momma,” he mumbles before racing toward the house. I look up at my sister to see her blowing a stray hair out of her eyes.
“Jesus Christ,” she huffs. “This is exactly why I have an alarm system at home.”
“How you doin’, sis?” I wrap her in my arms and kiss the top of her head.
“Besides my kid aging me about ten years every day, good.” She smiles up at me.
We head inside and the smell of tomato sauce infiltrates the air. Our mother has always been
an amazing cook, and I don’t remember one time we ate anything that wasn’t homemade. Dad always told her she should open a restaurant, but she insisted she stay home for the three of us.
“Hey, Mom.” I bend down to kiss her cheek before snatching a cookie off the counter, and she swats at my hand.
“Trying to sweeten me up, are you?” She winks and then goes back to stirring the pot on the stove.
I swallow the last bite, a smirk playing on my face. “It worked, didn’t it?”
She turns from the stove, wiping her hands on her apron before crossing her arms over her chest.
“What?” I know I’m about to get a lecture.
“Can you please be pleasant to your brother for me?”
I walk toward her, pulling her into my arms. “Anything for you. I just hate what he did to you.”
She pushes away from me. “Ian, he lost your father, too. Did you ever think about that?”
I nod in agreement, even though my brother had a fucked-up way of grieving.
“Uncle Ian, can I show you my new car?” my nephew asks, and I can’t help the smile that spreads across my face when I hear him. He’s come a long way from the kid who hardly said a word last year.
“Sure, Sammy.” I ruffle his hair and wink at my mother before following him into the other room.
I hear the front door open, but keep my mind busy with Sam, for my mother’s sake. I promised her I’d behave, so I will. There are answers I want, but they’ll have to wait. Last time I let Seth have control, I nearly lost the one woman I’ve ever truly loved. He’s not worth that.
“Time to eat,” Mom hollers from the kitchen.
“Come on, Sammy. Nana made spaghetti and chocolate chip cookies.” I scoop him up in my arms, tossing him over my shoulder. Bri has had a few boyfriends since he was born, but none of them were good enough for them. He’s never had a father figure, so I’ve taken it upon myself to be there for him when I can. I’d do anything for this kid.
Dinner is thankfully uneventful. Don’t get me wrong. The tension in the room is thick enough to slice with a butter knife, but Sammy keeps us all entertained. The kid has no idea that he kept me from throttling his other uncle.
“I’ll do dishes.” Bri stands from the table collecting plates. “Sam, go pick up your toys. We need to head home soon.”
Sammy huffs dramatically before sprinting into the other room, leaving me with only our mother and Seth. I haven’t spoken to him all night, not that he’s tried either.
“So…” He breaks the uncomfortable silence between the three of us. Our mother and I both stare at him, me with a bit more hatred in my glare.
“We’re so glad to have you home, Seth.” Mom clears her throat before standing to her feet. “I’m going to go help your sister in the kitchen.”
I reach for my water in front of me. Our mom would typically let us each have a beer when we get together for a meal, but I’m sure she knew I wouldn’t be able to have only one when facing my brother again. I’m purposely avoiding eye contact with Seth, when he interrupts my thoughts.
“Are you planning on hating me forever?” He looks over the rim of his glass.
I clear my throat. “Yeah, that’s the plan.” I glare at him.
He exhales heavily. “Reasons I can’t explain pulled me away right after Dad passed. You wouldn’t understand.”
I roughly push away from the table, my chair screeching loudly across the tile floor.
“You’re right.” I hit the table. “I’ll never fucking understand how someone could leave their family when they needed them the most.”
I make my way toward the front door.
“Goddamn it! I came back to make things better, but I should have known better than to ever expect forgiveness from a stubborn bastard like yourself.”
Seth storms past me and in the next second, he’s out the door.
“What the hell is your problem?” Bri whisper-yells. Clearly trying to keep her son from hearing her. I momentarily forgot he was in the other room.
“How are you okay with him being here?” I seethe, breathing heavily. “After everything he did to this family, we should all hate him.”
“That is enough! Ian Wright, until you can learn how to be a decent human being, don’t bother showing up for gatherings.”
I look toward my mother, anger radiating from her face, and I know that she’s dead serious.
“Maybe one day when you have your own family, you’ll understand the importance of keeping them all together. But since you have your head so far up your ass for now, you can leave.”
“You’re serious?” I look between her and Bri.
When neither of them says anything else, I walk to the other room and kiss the top of Sammy’s head before leaving.
Once I’m out on the front porch, I breathe in the fresh air, desperately needing to clear my mind. I’d love nothing more than to go see Maddison, but I won’t do that to her. No, I refuse to let my brother screw things up for me again.
Twenty-Two
Maddison
“I want you to myself all weekend.” Ian pulls me into his arms before kissing along my neck. Everyone else from the office is gone for the day.
“Okay, bossy.” I push away from him, making my way to the chair behind his desk.
“You like when I’m bossy.” He wiggles his eyebrows, causing me to giggle.
“Maybe.” I shrug, fidgeting with his stapler.
He struts toward me, clearly on a mission.
“Miss Monroe, you’re a naughty girl.” He rests his hands on both arms of the chair, staring down at me, want in his eyes. If I were wearing any panties, they’d be dripping wet about now.
“Are you going to punish me, Mr. Wright?” I bat my eyes, my resolve hanging only by a thread. In this second, I’d do just about anything he asked of me.
“I think you leave me no choice,” he whispers into my ear, his breath becoming erratic.
I pull his shirt out of his pants and he shakes his head.
“Nope. I’m the one doing the punishing, not you.” He pushes the chair against the wall and then slides my dress up my legs. “Fuck.” He grunts. “You’re definitely getting it. No panties?” He arches an eyebrow at me.
The want on his face keeps me from being able to respond. He slides a hand up my leg and I’m thanking the sex gods that I shaved every last inch of myself this morning. His touch robbing my speech and my breath comes out in moans.
“You’ve been running around this office without panties all day?” As the question leaves his mouth, one finger enters me at a punishing pace.
“Yes.” I throw my head back in desire. How can just his finger do such a thing to me? I swear the man has magic hands.
“Look at me,” he demands and I do as he says. I’m at his mercy right now. “Do you like the way I make you feel?”
“So much.” My head goes back of its own accord, but I quickly look at him again. He likes being in charge, and I like him taking control of my body.
“Good.” He lifts my dress up a little farther, and then his finger is being replaced by his tongue. “You taste delicious.” His hand grasps one of my breasts before tweaking my nipple through my bra. “Your body responds so much to me.” He pulls away from my core.
He continues with his ministrations, and with one final stroke, I’m coming full force.
“Oh, God!”
“You can call me master, sweetheart.” He winks up at me before lapping up my juices.
“Asshole.” I swat at his chest as he stands to his feet. “I am not calling you that.”
He throws his head back in laughter and then pulls me to my feet, righting my dress.
“Your turn.” I start to undo his belt, but he grabs my hands and shakes his head.
“I want to take you home and lock you away all weekend. In my bed.”
The thought of spending the entire weekend with him makes me wet all over again. Visions of what he might do to me race through
my mind and I shiver at the thought.
“Seems I’ve robbed you speechless.” He leans in and kisses my cheek.
“I need to run by Chloe’s first to get some things.”
“No need.” He backs away to grab his suit jacket off his desk. “I’ve got a spare toothbrush and you’ll be naked. You won’t need clothes until Monday morning. I’m not sharing that body with anyone.”
“Why not, Mr. Wright?” Innocence laces my tone, earning me a scowl from my big, controlling guy.
He walks toward me. “If I wasn’t in a hurry to get you home and into my bed, I’d bend you over my desk and smack that sexy ass.”
I’ve never been into that sort of thing, but with Ian, I don’t think I could turn him down.
Once we’re at his penthouse, he makes well on his promise, and takes me straight to his bed.
“If I could, I’d stay in that wet, warm pussy for the rest of my life.” He flops onto his back after making me come for the third time in a row.
“I think it would be a bit frowned upon if you stopped showing up to work. Plus, sex won’t pay the bills.”
He waggles his brows at me and I swat at his chest.
“Ugh. I totally set myself up for that one.”
He lets out a laugh before pulling me into his arms, kissing the top of my head.
We lie in comfortable silence for a few moments, before I ask what I’ve been dying to know since last night.
“How was dinner at your mom’s?” As soon as the question is out of my mouth, I feel him tense beside me, and I look up at him.
He pulls away from me and I’m worried I shouldn’t have asked, but he gives me a reassuring smile as he leans against the headboard.
“She told me not to bother showing up for more dinners until I make things right with my brother.”
I lean against a pillow. “What happened?”
He runs a hand over his face. “He gave me some bullshit excuse for leaving after Dad died and I kind of went off on him before he stormed out of the house.”
I cringe. “Damn.”
Her Arrogant Boss (The Wright Kind of Wrong Book 1) Page 9