Bossed

by Sloane Howell

  “That’s great!” He paused. “Wait, why do you look like someone just kicked you in the balls then?”

  Kelsey snorted.

  I tried to smile through all the emotions swirling throughout my chest.

  “You didn’t say it back, did you?” Kelsey frowned.

  I didn’t know how to respond. Their reactions took me by surprise. I wasn’t expecting them to think I automatically said it, and then for them to be apprehensive. I mean it was only a few months. I love you’s seemed like they should be reserved for years, not months.

  Sure, we’d been through quite a bit in that short amount of time, but still. I didn’t even know the guy when the baseball season had started. I hadn’t yet run into the cocky self-centered bastard with a smirk and face that seemed purposely created for the front of a fashion magazine.

  I shook my head at them.

  “Oh, J.J.” Dad turned his head back to the television.

  “What?”

  What the hell was going on here? These two were supposed to be watching after my heart, and it seemed like they wanted me to put it willingly on a chopping block.

  “Are you trying to tell me you don’t love that boy?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “Yeah, you do.” Kelsey stood in front of me. “We’ve both seen you with him. The way you talk about him.” She waggled a finger between her and Dad as she spoke, then walked over and put her hands on my shoulders. “It’s okay to be in love with him. And it’s okay to let yourself be happy.”

  I pushed past her and sat down in the chair she’d just gotten up from. My heart knew they were right, I just had to get my brain on board. It wasn’t like I hadn’t already laid my heart out there for him again, so why was I so afraid to verbalize it? “I should’ve told him.”

  “Yes,” Kelsey and Dad both said in unison, as if they’d finally made a breakthrough.

  “Of course I love him. Why didn’t I tell him?”

  Kelsey leaned down as if to give some kind of sage advice. “Because you were being a pussy.”

  I snorted and Dad belted out a laugh. “Thank you.” I nodded sarcastically.

  She shrugged and said, “It’s what pussies do. Act like pussies.” She struggled to hide her smile. “And you’re welcome.”

  “God help me.” Dad looked up at the ceiling. “I took two innocent young girls and turned them into frat boys.”

  “You love us, you old prick.” Kelsey turned to Dad.

  His eyes fell back over to us. “You got that right.”

  “So what do I do?” I chewed on a fingernail, and then twirled a lock of hair with the same finger. “If I tell him now, it just seems like I’m trying to humor him.”

  “Personally, I think you should”—Kelsey moved her index finger into the circle on her other hand, and slid it in and out a few more times than she should have—“then tell him.”

  “I can still see, for fuck’s sake.” Dad shook his head. “This is why I watch baseball.”

  Kelsey continued without missing a beat. “Guys can’t have a serious conversation right after sex. He’ll forget all about tonight.”

  “Still here. Right here.” Dad stared at the ball game and mumbled, “She’s probably right though. It’ll work.”

  The Jackson-Martin comedy hour helped, but the worry remained lodged deep inside of my stomach and refused to leave. I needed to just be honest with him. Honest about the way I felt. Tell him I was just being cautious and scared. Yep, that’s what I would do.

  Chapter 28

  Ethan Mason

  A few days later we were in the office late. Nobody was there but the two of us. Over the past few days Jenny had come up to me several times and acted like she wanted to talk, but then quickly changed the subject.

  If I had one word to describe our interactions it was: “awkward.” We weren’t in sync like we usually were. Everything felt forced.

  She sat across from me, fidgeting with her pen on my desk. She had on a black top with a cut that dipped down along the top of her breasts. It wasn’t too revealing, but when she folded her arms across her chest, it pushed her high, ample tits up to form the perfect amount of cleavage. My cock surged to life in my pants.

  “What?”

  I stared right at them, practically salivating on the contract laid out in front of me. “What do you mean what? Look at those things.”

  She dropped her arms to her sides. “Sorry.”

  “Don’t be. I think they need a kiss.” I pushed back from the desk.

  “Wait, before—”

  My mouth was on her neck, my hands kneading her soft flesh before she could get a word out.

  She gasped. “Ethan, wait—”

  “I can’t.” I tasted her neck and nibbled along her collarbone. “I’ve never fucked you on my desk before. I’ve been fantasizing about it forever.”

  “Mmm. Really?” She ran her fingers through my hair, and my balls tightened.

  “Spreading your legs on my desk. Watching you arch your back and come for me. Over and over.”

  “Mmm. You’re bad,” she purred.

  I leaned over and ran my hand up her skirt. No panties and she was practically dripping wet. “So are you, apparently.”

  She nodded and I claimed her mouth, kissing her with everything I had. I palmed her hot pussy and groped her breast, shoving my tongue into her mouth. Jenny gripped my shirt and squeezed her hand into a fist, trying to pull me farther into her.

  I swiped the contracts and everything else but the computer off my desk. Papers and office supplies rattled around on the floor. Jenny’s eyes widened when I grabbed her from behind and sat her up on the desk. She did things to me, brought out my wild side. I looked down at my cock tenting my slacks.

  She looked too. “Well, someone wants to play.”

  “You got that right.” I kicked her chair to the side and it tumbled over.

  She squirmed a little on my desk, and spread her legs just far enough to give me a glimpse of her shaved pussy.

  I stepped between her legs and weaved my fingers through her hair.

  “You know I like your hands in my hair.” She tried to shut her legs.

  I stepped between them. I spread her farther with my knee and jerked her hair back, forcing her head to face the ceiling. “You know I like my cock in your pussy.” I slanted my mouth over hers, kissing her deep and hard.

  She moaned against my lips. I released her from the kiss, biting her bottom lip as I pulled away. The temperature of the room clicked up a few degrees and she reached out and ripped my shirt open. Her breasts rose and fell while the cool breeze from the vent above brushed across my chest and down my stomach.

  “That was a three-hundred-dollar shirt.” I hiked her skirt up to her waist. “You’re gonna pay for that.”

  She shrugged. “Take it out of my check.”

  I shoved my cock inside of her, taking it to the hilt. Her hot, slick walls tightened around my shaft. “Fuck. So tight for me.”

  Her mouth opened wide, but no words came from her lips. She fell to her back on the desk. I reached down and ripped her shirt open. Buttons popped from her blouse and ricocheted off the computer and desk.

  “Now we’re even.”

  She clawed her hands across the hard oak behind her head until she got hold of the edge of my desk and shook her head. “Thirty dollars at Target for mine.”

  I stared at her tits, pushed together by a lacy white bra. With both hands I tore it open as I pumped into her at a steady pace.

  “Bastard.” She gritted her teeth and moaned with each repeated stroke, her breaths heavy. “That was actually expensive.”

  I leaned down and pressed my forehead to hers, my hands snaking through her hair. “Good.”

  I placed a palm on the desk next to each side of her and pushed myself up, then moved one hand down to her clit and circled it with my fingers as I sped up the pace of my thrusts.

  She tensed underneath me. I could practically feel her
orgasm building inside of her. I gripped the back of her legs near her knees and pushed them back toward her head while spreading them farther. It allowed me to go deeper inside of her and increase the hot wet friction.

  “Ethan, I’m gonna come.”

  Fucking her to the brink of an orgasm, her moans and words—the tension built in my balls and I could feel my load working up my shaft.

  “Come inside me.”

  As she said it, she tensed. Her wetness streamed down her thighs as I pounded into her and her pussy constricted around me, leaving no alternatives. Her words made it impossible to hold back, and I came with her, drilling into her as I unleashed my load deep in her core.

  I thrust a few more times, my balls tight, as she milked every last drop from the head of my cock.

  When she finally relaxed I collapsed on top of her, kissing her forehead and cheeks, and then her mouth. My cock stayed buried inside of her, though it was now semi-hard.

  “Fuck, that was amazing.” I brushed some of her sweaty hair from her face and kissed down to her breasts, nipples still hard and erect.

  “You think?” She panted along with me, and we sat there, our faces inches apart, staring at each other.

  A few seconds went by that seemed to last an eternity.

  “Ethan?”

  “Yeah?”

  She put a palm on each side of my face. “I love you too.”

  Warmth and elation rushed through my entire body. I kissed her with everything I had left. Our tongues rolled and swept.

  “I don’t know what life looks like without you anymore.”

  She shook her head, grinning. “So cheesy.”

  “I don’t care. It’s true.”

  At that moment I knew what I had to do. I didn’t want any more misunderstandings—and if there were any, I needed her to know I was committed to her for the long haul, and that we’d work them out.

  Chapter 29

  Jenny Jackson

  Over the past several weeks, Dad’s condition had improved drastically. He was able to move more, and had more range of motion in his joints and limbs. Kelsey or I would stay with him each day, but his hospice nurse had recommended the doctor reevaluate him. It was promising enough that they’d called Dad in for some new scans to see what was going on.

  Today we were going to the hospital to have some kind of CT scan done and to meet with the doctor for an assessment.

  “I hate that asshole.” A vein bulged in Dad’s neck. He despised all doctors.

  “This is a good thing, okay?”

  “Whatever.”

  I chuckled, trying to hold it together, but my insides were tangled in a web of hope and worry. I pulled out my phone.

  Me: I’m so nervous.

  Ethan: It’s going to be fine. You sure you don’t want me to go?

  Me: No, no, you have the Rodriguez deal going on. I’ll update you as soon as we leave.

  My phone flashed and Ethan’s face appeared on the screen. I traced a finger down his cheek and smiled before answering.

  “Hey.”

  “The deal can wait. I can come with if you want me to.”

  Ever since I told him I loved him back, his attentiveness had gone through the roof. I’d tease him about it occasionally, but he didn’t falter.

  “No, we’re okay. I promise. I don’t want to get Dad more worked up than he has to be. Kelsey isn’t even going.”

  “Okay. But—”

  “But what?”

  “You tell me if you need me.”

  “I will.”

  “I mean it, no matter what the news.”

  “Okay, I will. Geez.” I rolled my eyes, but secretly my heart fluttered at his incessant pushiness.

  “Thank you.” He drew out his words as if mocking me.

  I sighed into the phone so he could hear. “You’re welcome.”

  “Hey, Jenny?”

  “Yeah?”

  “I love you.”

  “Love you too, babe. You’ll be the first to know anything.”

  “All right. Gotta run.”

  “Bye.”

  I shoved my phone into my bag and looked at Dad. “Ready?”

  “No!”

  The nurse chuckled as she started to wheel him out of his room.

  “Last time they took me to a ball game. You’re going to disappoint me, aren’t you?”

  She laughed again. “Afraid so.”

  “Assholes.”

  “Dad!” I bugged my eyes at him.

  He turned to the nurse. “Don’t mind her. She’s just in a good mood because she’s in love.”

  I shook my head at him. “You’re on a roll today.”

  He reached out for my hand and I took it. “No, I’m just happy for you, J.J.”

  —

  The doctor came to the hospital room, grinning wide. My heart jumped into my throat. That had to be a good sign, right? Dad had obviously fought the scans with everything he had. He was always a bit claustrophobic so being shoved into a giant magnet or whatever it was wasn’t his idea of a fun way to spend a day.

  “I have some news, Mr. Jackson.”

  “Well, I don’t have a lot of time left. So you might want to get to it, Doc.”

  I placed a palm over my face and shook my head. Dad had a way with words. The doctor brushed it off with a laugh.

  “It’s not miracle news or anything, so I don’t want you guys to get your hopes up, okay? But the tumors have shrunk a tiny bit.”

  I let out a squeal before I could catch it from my lips. The doctor jolted when I wrapped him up like a linebacker after a quarterback. I caught a small smile on Dad’s face before it turned back to his usual frowny face.

  “So what’s that mean? We start radiation again or something?” Dad leaned up slightly. A month ago he would’ve winced but this time it was with little effort.

  “I’m not sure yet. We want to look at things some more. See how the next week or so goes. Maybe do some more scans. This happens sometimes. We still don’t know a lot about how these things work.”

  I cut him off. “Is that wise? To let him sit for even a week? Why not attack it right now while it’s shrinking?” The idea of sitting around doing nothing bothered me. I liked to take action when there was momentum in our favor.

  His gaze dropped to the floor. “Look, this is good news for sure. But you have to face the reality here. I don’t want to sugarcoat anything for you. Sometimes this happens. It can come back just as fast, and shocking him with radiation when he’s like this could possibly worsen his condition. Create an environment where if the cancer does come back it’s easier for it to take over.”

  The wind was officially gone from my sails. Reality, that ugly bitch, smacked me hard across the face. But, after months of dealing with doomsday scenario–ing and countdowns, I would take whatever little bit of hope I could.

  I turned my head and smiled at Dad. “We’ll take it one day at a time.”

  “Okay, kiddo.” He winked.

  Chapter 30

  Ethan Mason

  Two weeks had passed since Jenny called, ecstatic with the news. She was so damn happy I couldn’t help but let it rub off on me too. Brian was a fighter, that was for damn sure. A pretty sharp observer too. The more time I spent with him the more I realized why Jenny was the way she was.

  If there was ever a cynic in the world, it was me. Yet her dad was doing so damn well, even I was starting to believe a miracle might just be possible.

  I had to go meet with a kid a few hours outside of town. Jenny had taken the last few weeks off work, and I’d been scarce around the office, working from her father’s house so that I could hang out with them. But she insisted I go to this meeting. The prospect was projected to go number one in the draft, and landing his contract would be huge from a monetary and PR standpoint.

  “Turn right in fifty feet.”

  The Australian chick on my navigation system had to be wrong. I wasn’t used to driving myself with these things, but my dri
ver was on vacation. So there I was, in the middle of butt fucking nowhere with an Aussie lady telling me to turn onto a nonexistent road.

  Coming to a complete stop in the middle of the road, I stared. I noticed a trail of two parallel tire tracks and a hint of gravel strewn over it, not much else.

  “How did this road even make it onto the map?”

  I was a pretty smart guy but technology baffled me sometimes. I made the turn, worried about my car the entire way as I weaved around and worked my way up a hill to a shithole house in the middle of nowhere.

  I was half-certain I’d be met with a militia or the cast of Deliverance.

  A large man in overalls stepped out onto the front porch and an even larger body with a baby face followed behind him.

  I parked and grabbed my phone. No reception. Shocker.

  I tossed it back down and stepped from my vehicle.

  “See ya found us?” They all glared.

  Yep, this would be fun.

  —

  It took about four hours but eventually the Clampetts and their son with a flamethrower of a left arm warmed up to me. Signing clients was an entirely different ball game from negotiating with owners on contracts.

  Charm was the key, and I could turn it on when needed. The trick was to relate to them and woo them, but still be honest and straightforward. The type of people who lived in a shed in the middle of nowhere didn’t respond to money the way a lot of prospects did. Family values, moral code, loyalty—these were the selling points.

  Confident their son would sign with Mason and Associates, I waved and hopped into my car.

  I pushed the button on my steering wheel to call Jenny and check in as soon as I was back on a main highway. The screen in my car kept telling me the phone wasn’t connected. What the fuck?

  I picked it up and hit the home button. Nothing. “Shit!”

  I’d had problems with the phone before in remote locations. It would keep searching for a signal and run the battery down the whole time. What I should have done was shut it off before I got out of the car, but when the possibility of having a shotgun shoved in your face is in the back of your mind, you don’t think those kinds of things through and you kind of want your phone on so people can find you.