Dirty Savage Boss
Terri E. Laine
A. M. Hargrove
Published By Wicked Truth Publishing, LLC
Copyright © 2021 Terri E. Laine and A.M. Hargrove
All rights reserved.
This book is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, write to the author, addressed “Attention: Permissions Coordinator,” at [email protected]
This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to peoples either living or deceased is purely coincidental. Names, places, and characters are figments of the author’s imagination, or, if real, used fictitiously.
Cover Design by Najla Quamber Designs
Cover Photo by Lindee Robinson
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Epilogue
Other books by Terri E. Laine & A.M. Hargrove
A.M. Hargrove
Stalk A.M. Hargrove
Stalk Terri E. Laine
Also by Terri E. Laine
One
One
If my head pounded any harder, my skull would explode. At two o’clock, my jerk of a boss had piled loads of work on me and given me a deadline of five-thirty.
I was good at what I did, but I wasn’t that good. Editing was a painstaking, time-consuming process. It required not only time but care to ensure these documents were clean and ready for print. My neck screamed from hunching over the computer by nearly five o’clock.
“Chloe, how soon will those be ready?”
It was my boss, the assface. He never knocked. He just paraded in and out whenever he wanted like he owned the place. Hell, what was I talking about? He did. Own the place, that was. This was his magazine, his publication. And he let everyone know it on an hourly basis. The fucker.
“I’m working as hard and fast as I can, Mr. Hampton.”
“That’s not good enough. I need a time.”
I checked the clock on my computer. “Forty minutes, sir.”
“That’s past the deadline. I’m going to have to dock your salary.”
“But, sir, you didn’t give me enough time to get my job done.”
“I’m sure any of the other copy-editors would’ve gladly taken this assignment. Now snap to it.”
He clicked his fingers, and I swung my attention back to the computer screen as I thought about how much I would’ve liked to slap that smug face of his. He thought he was God sometimes. Make that all the time.
By the time I finished, forty-five minutes had lapsed from when Mr. Hampton stood in my office. The jackass probably wouldn’t pay me for the day. At least it was Friday, and I could go home and suck down lots of vodka to drown my sorrows. I definitely needed a different job.
I gathered my things and left, turning off the lights as I went. I marched down to the asshat’s office to let him know I was done.
Deciding what the hell, because I wasn’t going to get paid for this anyway, I walked right in and, lo and behold, my boss was otherwise occupied. He had himself a tiny party going on.
I held in a laugh as I said, “Uh, Mr. Hampton, just thought I’d let you know I’ve finished.”
He stood up so fast poor little Lucie from the admin pool, who’d been getting her you-know-what lapped up, nearly fell off of his desk.
“Ms. Landon, why didn’t you knock?” my boss asked.
“Oh, I don’t know.” I tapped my finger on my chin as if I had to think about it. “I guess I thought you’d want to know about this since you were so pressed for that deadline.” I offered up a sweet smile.
“Don’t let it happen again,” he snapped.
“What? Me not knocking or me catching you with your mouth buried in Lucie’s—”
“That’s enough, Ms. Landon. You can go.”
“Oh, Lucie, you might want to hold on from now on.”
I giggled as I left. That had been bold for me. Okay, maybe not. I was still a little shocked by Lucie Cole and Hugh Hampton doing the dirty. I mean he was hot. Every woman in the office talked about him. But his jackass attitude was so off-putting, who in their right mind would want to have anything to do with him? Maybe just to tease him, give him a bad case of blue balls, and then leave him hanging. Nothing more. Then again, apparently Lucie did.
When I got home, I fed Tom the cat. He wrapped himself around my ankles and purred, which was the most action I’d seen in a while. My job had put a serious dent into my social life, and I wasn’t getting paid for all the overtime I worked.
I changed out of the business suit that my prick of a boss demanded we wear. Afterwards, I brought out the vodka, but decided to go with tequila instead, figuring that would be the better choice to calm my addled nerves. I was in a terrible mood. But before I even got the first shot to my lips, the phone rang.
Checking the caller ID, I saw it was my best friend, Molly. “Molly girl, what’s happening, chica?”
“Take those sweats off, because I know that’s what you’re wearing, and get dressed. We’re going to the party of the year.”
“Urrgh. I can’t. I am too exhausted.”
“What did the jerk do this time?”
Molly knew all about Mr. Hampton, only because she was the recipient of my daily bitch sessions. I explained what had happened.
“Hmm. I love your exit strategy, though.”
I giggled again just thinking about it. “Yeah, it was good, right?”
“Priceless. But listen, stop wallowing. This party has ‘fun’ written all over it and trust me, my friend, the most eligible men are going to be there and we are going to have a blast.”
“Oh, I don’t know.”
“Jeremy is going.”
“Yeah?” Jeremy was one of our friends who we’d joked that we wouldn’t mind having a one-and-done with. He was super-hot.
“Wouldn’t it be fun to lick —"
“Stop!” I called out before she had a chance to continue, but then I laughed.
“Come on, party pooper. We’ll have so much fun.”
“Yeah, okay, dammit. I’m not driving. Come pick me up.”
I speed-showered and did my hair and it actually energized me. After I finished, I stared at that shot of tequila I’d poured earlier. Tom the cat watched in fascination as I downed it and then hurried to slap some makeup on.
“Sorry, dude, but your mom is hitting the town. She needs some fun because it’s been ages. You’ll be fine and I promise to rub your ears a lot tomorrow.”
Then it was time to decide what to wear. I chose red, a festive party hue, because why not. I put on a red lacy thong with a matching bra and pulled out a short, sexy red dress to show off my toned legs. I’d worked hard for those. Might as well let them be seen. A pair of black stilettos finished off the outfit. I was ready. Who knew? I could meet the man I’d marry. Okay, unlikely, but I could dream.
When the doorbell rang, I let Molly in.
“Oooh, you look awesome,” she cooed.
&n
bsp; “You too. Love that purple on you. It looks divine with your blonde hair.” I’d always envied my best friend’s gorgeous hair, not to mention her perfect body. She was tall with legs that never ended.
“And that red is puuurfect on you. Come on.” She grabbed my arm and dragged me out the door to her car.
“Are you sure it’s okay for us to crash?” The party was in an exclusive part of town.
“Remember? My coworker said the host gave us his stamp of approval.”
When we arrived, they had valet parking. We hopped out of Molly’s car and walked up to the mansion. From the looks of the place, a lot of movers and shakers would be here. The place sure reeked of money. The outside and inside were all lit up and inviting. Through the glass windows in front I got a glimpse of a few people standing around. Maybe someday I’d have a home like this, even if it was a pipe dream.
The first thing I noticed was the waiters and waitresses barely wore a thing. They were topless and had on thongs. Interesting. They handed out champagne as we entered.
Molly immediately saw her friend and coworker and introduced us. Joe was pretty hot and, instead of shaking my hand, he pulled me in for a quick peck on the lips, taking me aback.
“Now that was quite an introduction,” I said after he released me.
“I aim to please,” he said with a wink.
This place was wild and crazy, and I began to wonder what kind of party Molly had brought me to. There were exotic dancers and half-naked people everywhere.
“Um, Molly, I feel overdressed.”
“Yeah, me too.”
“Is this a swingers’ party or something?” I whispered.
“I don’t know, but if it is, I’m in.”
I laughed because the Molly I knew wasn’t that daring. I wasn’t either. Yet, as thoughts about my ex-boyfriend borrowing money he promised to pay back but never did crept in, I needed a night of not stressing over anything. I was hip-deep in debt and stuck working for Mr. Douchebag as I struggled to meet my bills every month. It was time to have some shameless fun.
I glanced across the room to see a man leaning against a wall and a huge entourage of women surrounding him. They were walking up to him and kissing him.
“Hey, who is that?” I asked, pointing to him.
“Must be the host. Wanna go kiss and find out?”
“I’ll pass. You go and let me know if he was worth it. I’m going to scope out the place.”
As I did, people were so friendly and some even asked if I wanted to go have some bedroom fun. I laughed it off and said maybe later. I was grateful when I spotted Jeremy. He was smiling at some lucky girl when he noticed me. He left his fangirl in favor of me.
“Chloe, where’s your partner-in-crime?” he asked.
My cheeks heated as his eyes dipped to my lips. “We’re not joined at the hip.”
“I know that. But you guys are usually together. That’s what I meant.”
I pointed to the dude leaning on the wall. “She’s over there.”
“Ah… Smart Molly. Getting to know the owner.”
“Yep. Hey, do you happen to know where I can get a drink?” From everything I’d seen so far, I would need something to loosen me up if I was going to come out of my shell.
“Follow me.”
I did, which wasn’t a hardship considering his magnificent ass. Too bad he was a one-and-done kind of guy. Maybe with a couple of tequila shooters I could give into desire and make a play for him. Unfortunately, the tequila didn’t give me enough liquid courage. I switched to Jack and Coke.
While we drank, Jeremy and I caught up. Apparently, he was smitten with someone, though they hadn’t made anything official. I managed to keep the disappointment off my face when Molly found us.
“What’s up, guys?” she asked.
“We’re catching up,” he said, giving her a flirty smile.
Then the most beautiful man I’d ever seen walked up to me. Tall, dark-haired with hazel eyes that sparked gold and a mouth that I wanted to kiss, he stepped between Jeremy and me as Molly and Jeremy traded hellos.
Two
RYAN
The day had been long, and I wasn’t exactly in the mood for this party.
“Tell me again, why are we here?”
My college buddy and the guy I most trusted my life with, Ian, grinned. “You used to like these parties.”
“That’s when I was fascinated with pussy,” I said.
“You still love pussy,” he replied, with an amused grin.
That was true. “This whole thing with my grandfather is taking all the fun out of it.”
Ian leveled a deadpan gaze on me. “I’m sure you’ll find a way to get over it. Besides, I’ve found the perfect woman.”
I tilted my head and held his stare. “And what am I supposed to offer this woman to go along with this ridiculous plan?”
“Ridiculous or not, what other options do you have? Are you—or I should say, have you ever been—in love with a woman?”
I held up a finger, intending on refuting him, until I gave up and said, “No,” because I was certain my first crush in middle school didn’t count.
“Are you going to give up and let your cousin win?” he asked.
Hugh. There had been a time I would have called him brother because he’d been the closest thing I had to one. Not so much anymore. Somewhere in our desire to be the best, we’d become more like enemies.
Caught up in introspection, Ian continued. “And what better way for you to beat him than bedding his most valuable employee? I’ve done a background check on her. She’s perfect. No doubt Hugh sees it too.”
“If you think that’s the right move, why are we here?”
He shrugged. “Tonight is about one night of unadulterated fun before you have to focus on the task.”
“I don’t know. Maybe I should just choose someone here.”
His head fell back as he laughed. “This is the mother of your child you are talking about. Someone you’ll have a tie to for the rest of your life.”
“I think many women here tonight are open to unconventional things.”
“True enough, but you’ll have to start from scratch with the vetting process.”
I hated this. “You sound like Grandfather. He set up my parents for the good of the lineage and they hated each other. I don’t want that for my child.”
“Exactly why I’ve had Hugh’s employee checked out for you. I know what you like. She’s likable and fuckable.”
“You haven’t shown me a picture of her,” I stated.
He grinned. “I want to see your reaction when you see her in person.”
Ian and I shared similar taste when it came to women. No doubt she’d be my type. But he was too sure. “Have you fucked her?” We’d shared women in the past.
“No. But I do hope you’ll share after you see her.”
There’d never been a woman I’d cared enough about not to as long as she was willing. I looked at the house, all lit up, and sighed. I wasn’t feeling festive tonight. “Remind me why I have to make an appearance here tonight?”
He lifted a brow. “You may need him one day.” The ‘him’ in question was the owner of the house and one of the wealthiest men in town. “Besides, once you get inside, I’m sure you’ll find someone to…”—Ian held my gaze with a smirk on his face—“get you in the party mood.”
“Fine. I need a drink anyway.”
We got out and the driver was there to close the door behind us. I saw familiar faces as we entered the house. There were gorgeous women everywhere, but no one who caught my interest. Someone snagged Ian by the arm. I kept moving in search of a drink.
That was when I spotted her. Beautiful beyond words. Light brown hair that swept down her back framed a face more pleasant than most. Light brown eyes danced in the light as she laughed. But it was her body that captured most of the male attention in the room with all the right curves from full breasts to hips a man could grab onto. Yet it w
as more than her beauty that gave me pause. She seemed out of place. There was an innocence about her that didn’t go with the type of party I’d entered. I felt what amounted to jealousy as she gave a shy smile to the man standing way too close to her.
“Holy shit,” Ian said, handing me a tumbler.
I nodded. “She’s fucking incredible,” I said before downing some of the glass’s contents.
“She is, but you will never believe…”
“What?” I asked.
“That’s her.”
He didn’t have to say her name for me to know exactly who he was talking about. I should have never doubted him. Ian and I had known each other long enough to know each other’s likes and dislikes.
My predatory instincts kicked up in high gear. I wasn’t sure if I was one hundred percent on board with Ian’s baby plan. But I was sure I would have her tonight. The rest I would decide later as I moved in her direction.
Lucky for the guy who had held her attention, he was now focused on another woman. I slipped next to her and said, “Are you taken?”
When her eyes widened, I assumed that naive look meant she had no idea what kind of party she’d stumbled into. All I knew was my dick snapped to attention when I laid eyes on her. I watched her to see if she was what I was looking for. Her shy smiles lit the room, and I knew she was the one. No matter what I had to do, she would be mine.
She glanced at the two people she’d been talking to and said, “I came with my friend, if that’s what you’re asking.”
I moved closer, wanting to touch her, but not yet. I wasn’t giving her any room either. Bending my head, I inhaled her scent and asked, “What will it take to get you into my bed tonight?”
Her eyes nearly doubled in size. “First, you don’t even know my name, which is Chloe, by the way. Second, you have the wrong woman. I’m not for sale.”
Dirty Savage Boss: A Cocky Billionaire Duet Page 1