The Boss Upstairs (Orchard Heights Book 3 (standalone))

by Roya Carmen

  He nods. “Condoms can be unreliable. I don’t want to take chances,” he explains. “I prefer using condoms, but in the event that we don’t…” his words trail off.

  “I understand. I guess I’ll have to go see my physician.”

  “There’s no rush,” he tells me. “I’d like to take things very slowly with you.”

  Damn.

  He fiddles with his silver cufflinks, not quite looking at me. “The best part of sex is the slow seduction, the delicious foreplay… the chase,” he tells me. “Why in the heavens would we want to skip all that? I’m a patient man, and I expect you to be patient as well. Trust me, it will all be worth the wait. You can’t be too eager. I want to drive you crazy with desire.”

  I feel the blood rush to my cheeks. I close my eyes for a second. “You are quite the tease, aren’t you?”

  He smiles wide. “Guilty as charged.”

  “Is it hot in here? Or is it just me?” I joke.

  He laughs out loud, and I love his laugh. I kind of love everything about him.

  I dip my head and look down at page two of the agreement. “We will need to amend a few things.”

  “That’s perfectly acceptable,” he assures me. “It’s welcome in fact.”

  I wince. “So perhaps add the word ‘light’ to the spanking and biting. I don’t want to be left with marks.”

  He smiles as he flips to the right page and adds a note. “Done.”

  “And…” I bite my lip. “Anal intercourse…”

  He swipes his pen across the paper. “It’s crossed out.”

  “Thank you.”

  “What about anal play?” he asks “Are you comfortable with exploring—”

  “Very,” I say playfully. This is officially the weirdest conversation I’ve ever had.

  His grin is impish.

  “And… the restraints,” I go on, quite uncomfortable. “What are we talking about here? Ropes and stuff? I’m not sure I’m comfortable with that.”

  He smiles. “Boss Man favors scarves and ties.”

  Phew. A vision of me tied up to a post and tortured like a captured spy fades slowly.

  Unfortunately, another image quickly replaces it. I’m cuffed to a bed, and Weston has croaked from a heart attack and left me helpless and bound, just like in Gerald’s Game, the Stephen King novel. “What about handcuffs?”

  He laughs. “Only if you like.”

  I shake my head. “I do not… I do not like.”

  He laughs.

  I fidget in my chair, not really wanting to address this stuff, but knowing I need to. “And I don’t know about the special requests. I don’t know if I feel comfortable undressing for you, or masturbating for you.”

  He nods. “Fair enough. Do you want to cross those terms out?”

  “Well, no… not exactly.”

  “Tell you what,” he says. “You can consider it if I ever ask, and if you’re not comfortable, I’ll completely understand.”

  I stare down at the agreement. “You like that kind of thing?”

  He smiles. “I’m a bit of a watcher… I admit. And I love the idea of seeing your beautiful body completely bare.”

  I laugh. “How do you know it’s beautiful? You haven’t really seen it yet.”

  He presses a finger under his chin. “I’ve been imagining it for ages.”

  “Well, I hope it measures up.”

  “I’m sure it will.”

  I tear my gaze away, and peruse the agreement again. I flip through it carefully. “I like the pet names… very clever.”

  “I knew you would,” he says. “My little grasshopper.”

  “Boss Man is very naughty,” I tease. “Very particular.”

  He shrugs. “What can I say. I like what I like,” he says. “But mostly, I’m a sensualist.”

  I lift a brow. “A sensualist?”

  “I love to pleasure women. When I’m in a relationship, I’m highly devoted to a woman’s physical and sexual pleasure. Being a witness to their pleasure arouses me intensely. Nothing makes me harder than the sound of a woman’s orgasm.”

  Damn.

  “But not any woman, mind you,” he tells me. “Only women I’m infatuated with.”

  I swallow hard.

  He clears his throat. “Because I’ll warn you now,” he goes on, his words deliberate. “I tend to become quite obsessive when I fall for someone. And you should know that now, before you sign anything.”

  What the… What exactly does he mean? I have so many questions.

  11

  “Can you expand on that please?” I ask. “I don’t quite understand what you mean.”

  “I will want to spend as much time with you as I can, and I will love you fiercely,” he explains. “I use the word ‘love’ in the physical sexual sense of course. And if you ever want to end this agreement, I will agree to do so, as those are the terms, but just know, that I will be heartbroken as I will have most likely invested a lot of myself.”

  My mouth hangs open, without words.

  “That said, I understand that you have a full life independent of me and this job. You have a son, friends, hobbies, and I fully respect that. I promise to respect your space and time as much as my compulsions allow.”

  As much as my compulsions allow…

  I was ready to sign and clear the desk so he could have his way with me, but now I’m suddenly very wary. I’m afraid of what I’m getting into. And there are so many terms to look over.

  “I’ll need to look over this agreement thoroughly,” I say, all business. “And I’ll get back to you as soon as I can.”

  His face falls. “No worries. You take the time you need.” He’s clearly disappointed, but is being quite understanding.

  “Does this happen often?” I ask. “You obsessing over a woman? Have you drawn up many of these types of agreements?”

  He smiles. “I can assure you that it does not. In fact, it’s been four years…” his words trail off. “And I’ve never drawn up an agreement like this one before. I’ve never been involved with an employee. This is all new to me, as much as it is to you.”

  “Oh,” I shrug. “I’ve had sex with my bosses before. It’s what I do.”

  His jaw drops, and I burst into laughter.

  “I’m kidding!”

  He blows out a breath of relief. “You had me for a second there.”

  “This is new to me too,” I confess. “I’ve never been involved with an employer before.”

  “It’s certainly a slippery slope, hence the need for an agreement like this.”

  I read further down and review the Limits clause. I’m not sure how I feel about having no emotional attachment with him, but let’s face it, we barely know each other. I’ve never been the type to have sex just for the sake of sex, but I desperately crave his touch. And I’m not ready for anything more. I still love Donovan, and I’d feel guilty having any kind of emotional connection with anyone else. As it happens, this clause suits me just fine after all.

  We both sit quietly, the silence between us heavy. I slowly stand, not sure what else to add. “Well, I should get going,” I say. “I’ll get back to you on this by tomorrow morning.”

  He smiles and offers me his hand, as if this were just a typical business meeting. The man is certainly strange, but strange in a very sexy way.

  I shake his hand politely, wondering what he might be like in bed. It’s kind of hard to imagine, but my instincts tell me he might just be amazing.

  Or he might be weird and plain awful.

  What have I gotten myself into? We should probably not do this. What if it ends badly, and then we’re stuck working together? What if I end up losing this job over this? Sure, my monetary compensation is guaranteed, but this job really isn’t about the money. Our savings and Donovan’s insurance policy insure that I never need to work a single day again.

  My head aches as I excuse myself. I steal one last glance before I turn the corner. He stands tall and smiles sweetly.
“I love what you’re wearing, by the way. It’s perfect.” He raises a hand to tuck his unruly lock of hair behind his ear. Misbehaving hair notwithstanding, he’s impeccable. Beautiful. Irresistible.

  And I know there’s no way I’m not signing that agreement. The consequences be damned.

  I can barely focus for the rest of the day. I’m a zombie, doodling aimlessly. I read the agreement over and over, and scribble notes. I really don’t know how to handle this. I desperately need to confide in someone. Yet, I can’t. It’s right there in the Confidentiality clause.

  Perhaps if I don’t divulge too many details…

  As soon as I get home, I wrap Ethan in a big bear hug. Above all, he’s my top priority. Can I do this without affecting him? I don’t see why not. A happy Mommy makes for a happy child, doesn’t it? And Weston makes me happy. And I’m sure that an orgasm or two would certainly make me very happy. Truth be told, I’ve been kind of testy and stressed lately, and that’s not good for Ethan.

  Weston seems to understand that my priority is Ethan. It’s right there in the agreement, under the Availability clause. He knows my time is limited because I’m a single mom.

  I heat up a frozen lasagna and give Ethan a bath after dinner. He’s happy splashing in the tub, and I take the opportunity to call Abigail. She answers on the third ring.

  “Hey girl,” she says. “What’s up?”

  “You need to come over. Now!”

  “Why? What’s up?” she asks, curious.

  “I’ll tell you later.”

  “When do you want me over?”

  “In an hour. Ethan will be in bed by then.”

  “I’ll be there with bells on.”

  I’m smiling as I end the call. I haven’t even signed the agreement yet, and I’m already breaking rules. But how can I possibly be expected to handle something this big all by myself?

  I’ve chosen Abigail as my confidante because she’s my most level-headed friend. Mischa is too uptight, and Claudia is too wild. Mischa wouldn’t approve. She’d probably tell me that having a sexual relationship with the boss is a terrible idea. Claudia would most likely encourage me to move into his penthouse and become his sex slave. And the fact that Abigail is a social worker doesn’t hurt either. She listens and advises on people’s personal issues for a living. She’s basically a professional listener.

  Abigail is wearing pajama pants, an oversized t-shirt and fuzzy slippers when she shows up. And I’m pretty sure she’s not wearing a bra.

  “What?” She shrugs. “I wanted to be comfy. Here you go.” She hands me a bottle of Pinot Noir, which I gladly accept. I could really use a nice glass of wine.

  She makes herself comfortable on my sofa, and I pour us both a glass. “What is Abe up to?”

  “Oh, he’s working on a new gig, a jingle for a vacation company. He keeps playing the same tune over and over, and it’s driving me crazy.”

  I hand her a glass. “Trouble in paradise?”

  She smiles. “No… not at all. I just need to get out once in a while. Or sometimes I just put my noise cancelling headphones on. Or I’ll watch TV or listen to music on my headphones. And closed doors are a godsend.”

  I settle in next to her. “The perils of being engaged to a musician, I guess.”

  She laughs. “He’s so worth it though.”

  “I’m so happy for you,” I tell her. “You deserve it.”

  She smiles and blows me a kiss. “Enough about me. What’s going on, Gretch? Why did you want me to come over?”

  I’m excited. I’m scared. I don’t know where to start.

  “Well… you know how I almost kissed my boss last week—”

  “I knew it was about him,” she squeals. “Keep going.”

  “Wow, I’m glad to be entertaining you so, my friend.”

  She giggles. “You are… now stop being a tease, and tell me everything.”

  I trace circles around the rim of my wineglass. “Well, I thought I might get fired or something after what happened, because he didn’t seem very happy about it all. But I could tell that he really wanted to…”

  “To bang you?”

  I shake my head, embarrassed. “Yes. Anyway, I show up at work this morning, and he immediately calls me into his office.”

  “Uh-oh.”

  I smile. “So I get in there, and I’m scared out of my mind. And then he hands me this four page agreement.”

  “An agreement? What kind of agreement?”

  “It’s basically an agreement to ensure that I won’t accuse him of sexual harassment if we go ahead and sleep together.”

  She tilts her head, pondering my words. “Makes sense. He’s just covering his ass. I would too if I were him.”

  “Yeah… I guess so.”

  “What’s in the agreement?”

  “Well, I can’t really tell you because there’s actually a Confidentiality clause in the agreement.”

  “Oh, you big tease. You can tell me a little, can’t you?”

  I laugh. “Well, maybe a little.”

  I don’t mention my second thoughts about certain requests Boss Man has made, but I do confide in her about my doubts about getting emotionally involved with him.

  “I feel guilty,” I confess.

  “Oh, Gretchen.” She strokes my hair. “It’s been over two years.”

  “I know, but I still love Donovan. I can’t love anyone else.”

  “Of course you do. You always will,” she tells me. “But who said anything about love. From what you’ve told me so far, this sounds a lot like sex.”

  “It is,” I admit. “It’s all sex. There’s even a clause about not getting emotionally invested.”

  “Well, there you go.”

  My glass of wine is almost empty. I’ll need another.

  “The question is… do you want him?” she asks. “Do you want him to fuck you, to do all the things he wants to do?”

  I blush crimson. I do. I desperately want it. “It’s all I can think about.”

  She smiles. “Then don’t deny yourself. You haven’t been laid in almost three years, Gretch. I think it’s time.”

  “I know. I’ll still feel guilty though.”

  She worries her lip. “Well… just keep telling yourself that it’s just sex, and maybe, don’t kiss him on the mouth.”

  “Really?”

  “Yes, kissing is the most intimate act of all. You take that out of the equation, and it’s just sex.”

  I mull over her advice for a long beat. “How very Pretty Woman, but you do make a good point.”

  “Maybe you could include that in the agreement… no kissing.”

  “He probably won’t like that.”

  She smiles. “Who cares? You’re in charge too. You need to be comfortable with this agreement.”

  “Do you think I’m a weirdo? Be honest.”

  She laughs out loud. “No… I think he might be a bit of a weirdo, but I think you just might be the luckiest little bitch on earth.”

  I bite my lip, and drain the last of my Pinot.

  God, I love this woman.

  12

  It’s Tuesday morning, and I can’t eat a thing for breakfast because I’m just too nervous. I force down a clementine because I don’t want a completely empty stomach. Ethan, on the other hand, has a great appetite this morning. He scarfs down his cereal and eggs, all smiles.

  Patricia cheerfully takes over as I head off upstairs. If only she knew what I was up to. She’s basically looking after Ethan so I can engage in sexual shenanigans with the beautiful man in the penthouse. I’m not exactly getting much work done.

  I shake my head and press the P button. I can’t think like that. I haven’t been laid in almost three years, and I deserve a little action. I stare at my reflection in the elevator mirror. I hope he likes what I’m wearing. It’s basically a different version of yesterday’s outfit. A flowery skirt, a frilly blouse and blue rounded toe Mary Janes with a two inch heel. Luckily our tastes in women’s f
ashions are in sync. Otherwise, I’d need to get a whole new wardrobe.

  I’ve worn my hair up in a clip today. I can easily let it down if he prefers.

  My heart is tap dancing when he greets me at the door. He’s in good spirits, and so am I. We’re really doing this.

  “Meeting in my office?” he says eagerly.

  “Yes. Let me just put my stuff on my desk first.”

  He dashes to his office, and I practically run to mine. I retrieve the marked-up agreement from my briefcase, and scurry down the hall to his desk.

  I’m flustered when I arrive, and he seems surprised to see me so early.

  “I couldn’t wait,” I confess.

  He smiles. “Please sit down. I look forward to seeing the changes you’ve made.”

  He takes a seat across from me, and retrieves his copy of the contract. He revises the date, and asks me to proceed.

  “Well… first…” My heart is misbehaving and my voice cracks at the edges. “First item… I’d like to remove kissing from the list. On the lips,” I clarify. “We can kiss other parts of the body.”

  His mouth opens, ever-so-slightly. “Interesting… well, I didn’t expect that.”

  “I just… it’s just so intimate, and this is about sex, right?”

  “Uh, yes. I suppose,” he concedes. “This will definitely be a challenge for me… keeping my lips off of yours.”

  I smile. “I’m sure you can handle it.”

  But can I handle it?

  I turn my attention back to the agreement. “Next, I’d like to specify ‘soft spanking’ and ‘soft’ biting’, and remove ‘anal sex.’”

  “Already done.”

  I toy with a strand of my blue hair. “I’d also like to remove intercourse, and oral sex for the time being.” After countless hours of mulling over this, I’ve come up with my own rules. No sex. No oral sex. And no kissing.

  He nods as he makes a note. “Fair enough. Like I told you… I like to take things slow anyway. We’re not quite ready for that quite yet.”

  “And I’d like you to add another term,” I’m quick to say. “Underwear stays on at all times.”