“Renee! Stop, Renee!”
Renee turned away and jabbed furiously at the button. The elevator doors closed in his face.
CHAPTER NINE
Renee jumped into a cab and told the driver to speed away as fast as he could. She stammered out her address and slumped back against the seat.
“You okay, miss?” the driver asked, glancing at the rear-view mirror.
“Y-yeah. Just drive, please,” Renee begged.
The driver nodded and didn’t say anything more. Renee refused to look back to see if Zack had rushed out of the building after her. She just needed to get away from him.
Leaning her head against the window, Renee wrapped her arms tightly around herself and cursed softly. She had just thrown away everything she had worked so hard for in the last six months.
She had fucked up by fucking her boss.
She had never done anything so reckless before.
Sure, her boss was hot, hunky and sexy as hell. But he was way out of her league.
She was just a notch on his bedpost.
Renee hiccuped a bitter laugh. No, she hadn’t even made it to his bed. Zack had simply taken her on his desk. She had been spread out on his desk, naked and willing, but Zack hadn’t undressed for her. She had bared herself to him, but he had been clothed and covered the whole time.
Renee covered her face with her hands. God, she had let her lust override all her senses. Her sister was right. She should get out more and meet more people. She should go on dates and get laid. The only man she saw on a regular basis was her boss. No wonder he featured so prominently in her thoughts and fantasies.
“Pathetic,” Renee muttered into her hands. She swallowed hard and glared out the window. She was going to kill her sister! This was all Kim’s fault! Kim and her stupid dare. No underwear indeed!
Renee groaned inwardly. There was no way she could face Zack now.
How were they going to continue working together?
She had never, ever done anything like this in her life. She had always been the model employee, always prim, proper and efficient. She had a good working relationship with all her previous bosses, and she never, ever crossed the line with any of them.
Then again, she had never worked for a boss like Zack Howell before. Her previous bosses were brilliant, hardworking gentlemen. They were good bosses, but they were nothing like Zack.
Zack was about her age, but he was the most driven, dynamic and demanding boss she had ever worked for. There were very few people who could say no to Zack Howell. It had taken every ounce of willpower to resist Zack for as long as she did. He had been trying to take her out to dinner on nights when they worked late, but she had resisted his advances. She had sensed that he was interested in her, but a niggling voice at the back of her mind told her that he was just teasing her. How could a rich, powerful, desirable man like Zack be interested in her?
A man like Zack wouldn’t really want a plain, chubby girl like her. She had let lust and desire fog up her head. There were scores of beautiful women lining up for his attention. How could she even imagine that he would pick her?
She should have said no. Instead, she had allowed herself to be seduced.
Seduced and used.
He was just using her, wasn’t he?
Renee let out a long sigh. The sex was good, more than good. It was consensual, and the encounter was thrilling, erotic and exciting. Zack had brought her to orgasm, and it had felt amazing. Sure, her vibrator got the job done as well, but it wasn’t the same.
Renee winced.
Her boss had seen her naked.
Forcing herself to calm down, she scrolled through her options in her head.
The best thing to do now was to move on.
She had to screw her head back on properly and get back to reality.
And the reality was, she had just kissed her job goodbye.
Better to leave with dignity then.
It was better to resign than get fired.
CHAPTER TEN
Renee got out of the cab and stumbled the few steps to her apartment block. She sighed heavily as she let herself into her apartment and leaned against the door. If she lost her job, she wouldn’t be able to afford the rent any more. It was a real pity. She really liked living in this nice, spacious apartment. It was by far the nicest apartment she had ever rented.
Renee took a quick, scalding shower and made herself a big cup of tea to calm herself down. Then she sat down in front of her laptop and cracked her knuckles.
Time to update her resume and look for a new job.
She typed non-stop, refusing to come up for air or let her thoughts wander. She shook her head hard to get Zack out of her mind. She had to stop thinking about him!
Zack had probably forgotten the whole thing by now. It was just sex, and it meant nothing to him.
He had fucked her and gotten what he wanted. Well, to be fair, they had both gotten what they wanted. The sexual tension between them had been building up since day one.
Renee winced and bit her lip hard.
Stop thinking about him!
It was done and it was over.
She would just hand in her resignation first thing on Monday morning.
She couldn’t predict how Zack would react. Would he be upset or relieved?
Did she want him to be upset?
“Stop it,” she snapped at herself.
Renee gritted her teeth and continued typing with a vengeance. She didn’t know how long she had been typing. She was supposed to be hammering out her resignation letter but when she took a good look at the screen, she saw that she had typed a whole lot of gibberish.
Nothing made sense.
The phone rang, and she saw that it was her sister.
“Kim,” she snarled, snatching up her phone. She was going to give her a piece of her mind! Kim and her hare-brained schemes.
“So...did you do it?” her sister chirped into her ear.
Renee’s anger evaporated at the sister’s cheerful, excited voice. It wasn’t Kim’s fault. And she could never stay mad at her sister. Her sister meant well. Renee realized that for the first time in a long, long while, she felt alive and young again. She had done something reckless, stupid and crazy, and it felt...great.
“Oh, Kim, you’re crazy, you know that?” Renee passed a hand over her eyes. “Yeah. I did it.”
Kim whooped and cheered. “I knew you would! That’s the fearless, gutsy Renee I know. So, what happened? Tell me everything!”
Renee found her face heating up. She took a big gulp of her cold tea and stammered, “Well...”
Her sister gasped. “No! Renee, you didn’t!”
Renee opened and shut her mouth, unable to get the words out. But Kim heard every unspoken word. Her sister squealed and shrieked, “Renee! Oh my God! In the office? Really? Wow, Renee! All right! You go, girl!”
“Oh Kim,” Renee said, half laughing even as tears sprang to her eyes. “You’re out of your mind.”
“Am I?” Kim teased. “Or are you?”
Renee was saved from answering by the jarring chime of the doorbell. “I’ve got to go. Someone’s at the door,” she said, jumping out of her chair.
“Who? Are you expecting someone?”
“I ordered pizza,” Renee lied. “I’ll talk to you later, okay?”
“Fine, I’ll let you go,” Kim grumbled. “But I want details. Every single, juicy, naughty little detail. Don’t leave anything out!” Her sister gave her a loud smooch and hung up.
Renee put her hand on the doorknob and froze when she heard Zack’s voice.
Shit! What was he doing here?
“Renee!”
She took a deep breath. A part of her had hoped that Zack would come after her, but now that he was here, she wasn’t sure she wanted to see him.
“Renee!” He began to pound on the door. “Come on! I need to see you. We need to talk. I’m not leaving until you open the door. Renee!”
Renee kn
ew he was serious. The man was bloody stubborn, dogged and persistent. When Zack wanted something, he was unswerving and single-minded in his pursuit.
There was no way to avoid him.
Better to get it over with then.
Bracing herself, Renee opened the door.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Renee swung the door wide open and stepped back. Zack stood in her doorway, his expression dark and stormy.
“Why did you run away, Renee?” he demanded.
“I didn’t...”
Zack stepped into her apartment and kicked the door shut behind him. She started to back away but in two strides, he closed the distance between them and locked his arms around her.
Renee struggled to free herself but Zack gripped her arms and pinned them to her sides.
“Why did you run from me?” he repeated in a low growl.
“I...we...it shouldn’t have happened,” she whispered.
“Why not?”
He held her tighter as she squirmed against him. The more she struggled, the harder he pressed her to him. All she was doing was creating the most delicious, maddening friction between their bodies. Renee could feel Zack’s erection pulsing against her, and she let out a soft moan as her pussy grew slick with need.
“Answer me, Renee,” Zack demanded.
“Because...you’re my boss,” she squeaked. And because you’re Zack Howell.
“I think you and I both know that it was bound to happen,” he murmured, lowering his mouth to her neck. “I’ve wanted you since the moment I saw you. You’ve been driving me out of my mind, Renee. And I know you want me back. I can scent your arousal, and I see how hard you try to keep me at a distance. You refuse to even have a simple dinner with me. Why? Don’t you trust me?”
Renee bit her lip. The truth was, she didn’t trust herself.
“Zack, please...” she pleaded.
She didn’t know if she was begging him to let her go or hold her tighter. Zack began kissing down her neck, moving his mouth down her chest. Oh shit, she wasn’t wearing a bra under her t-shirt. She never wore a bra at home.
When Zack pushed her t-shirt up, she didn’t stop him. His kisses were too drugging, too addictive. She wanted him to kiss her everywhere and she didn’t want him to stop. She knew she should tell him to leave, but she couldn’t get the words out. Instead, she dug her nails into his powerful shoulders as he kissed her breast and tortured her nipple with his tongue.
Renee gasped. Zack’s tongue was relentless, skillful and so damn sinful. She could understand now why women tripped over themselves to get into his bed. Zack certainly knew how to pleasure a woman. She was just melting against him, her body craving and needing his.
Zack suckled her and pushed his hand past the waistband of her sweatpants. He pushed her panties aside and fingered her wet pussy. Renee let out an incoherent plea as he rubbed her swollen, sensitive clit.
“You’re wet, Renee,” Zack growled against her mouth. “You’re so wet for me.”
Renee’s eyelids fluttered. She could only nod and whisper, “Yes...”
There was no point denying it. Her body had betrayed her. Zack could turn her on with just a caress. She was ruined, utterly ruined.
Now that she’d had a taste of him and felt him inside her, she wanted him even more. And she wanted him all to herself. She wanted Zack, only Zack.
This was crazy. This was her lust talking.
Zack was her boss and he was out of her league. She worked for him, but she didn’t live in his world. Zack rubbed shoulders with the rich and famous. He was somebody, one of the sexiest, richest bachelors in the city. She, on the other hand, was a nobody.
Zack tightened his hold on her as if he sensed that she was about to push him away. “Don’t doubt, Renee,” he said. “Don’t doubt that I want you. I can’t get enough of you. I don’t think I can ever get enough of you, Renee.”
CHAPTER TWELVE
“Zack...”
Renee’s protest turned to a gasp when Zack yanked her t-shirt over her head and cupped her heaving breasts. Renee arched her back as she felt his hands, lips and teeth all over her breasts.
Her core began to throb, and Renee unconsciously moved her hand between her thighs to try to ease the tormenting ache.
Zack caught her hand and smirked. Pulling her sweatpants and panties off, he unzipped his jeans and freed his huge, hard cock.
Pushing Renee against the wall, Zack lifted her legs and grabbed her waist and buttocks. Instinctively, Renee wrapped her legs around his hips.
Zack held her body and supported her weight effortlessly. She wasn’t a skinny little thing, but in Zack’s arms, she felt almost tiny and delicate.
Zack pushed his cock into her pussy and began to pound into her. He fucked her hard and fast against the wall, and Renee cried out as she orgasmed suddenly. Zack’s eyes blazed as he thrust into her. He was setting her whole body on fire, igniting every nerve ending.
An inferno burned through her, the heat spiraling through her body until she threw back her head and screamed. Zack continued fucking her, thrusting furiously into her until she came again. This time, he came with her and Renee could feel her pussy milking his cock hungrily as he shot his seed into her.
When she lowered her legs to the floor, she could hardly stand up straight. Zack held her and pressed his forehead to hers.
“You are so incredible, Renee,” he said hoarsely. “So damn addictive.”
Renee let out a shuddering breath.
The sex was incredible and addictive indeed. But that was no excuse for her behavior. She shouldn’t have fucked her boss. Again.
Why couldn’t she control her libido?
She liked sex, but she’d never had a particularly high sex drive. But with Zack, she seemed to want sex every minute of the day. She craved him, almost like a drug. She’d had a taste of him, and now she couldn’t stop.
This couldn’t be healthy. This wasn’t right.
She should have stopped him. If she’d said no, he would have stopped. She knew he would. Zack would never take her without her consent. The trouble was, she didn’t want him to stop.
“Zack,” she said in a shaky voice.
She saw that the button of his jeans was undone but he had already zipped up his jeans. He had removed all her clothes, but again, he hadn’t removed a single item of clothing from his body.
He was the one in control all the time.
She was just putty in his hands, a silly, malleable plaything.
Renee pushed away from the wall and grabbed her clothes off the floor. She dressed quickly and faced Zack with as much dignity as she could muster.
“This...”
“You’re going to tell me that this shouldn’t have happened either.” Zack smirked. “But it did. We can’t keep our hands off each other.”
“Why are you here, Zack?” she said, her eyes flashing. “To fuck with me?”
“I came to see you,” he answered simply and smugly. “And to fuck you.”
“You!”
“We both enjoyed it immensely,” he said, cutting her off. “Why shouldn’t we enjoy each other?”
“You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?” She clenched her fists.
“What’s wrong with enjoying sex?” Zack asked, a half smile playing on his lips. “You’re a very beautiful, sensual woman, Renee. I love touching you and pleasuring you. Why deny yourself? We both want this. We’re adults, and we know what we’re doing.”
Renee gulped. Zack knew what he was doing. He always did. But she couldn’t say the same for herself.
She mustn’t let herself get carried away and develop feelings for Zack.
Losing her job was one thing. Losing her heart…
She couldn’t afford to have her heart and ego crushed and shattered again.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
“I don’t think...I can continue working for you, Zack,” Renee said.
Zack frowned. “My firm doesn’t have a non-frater
nization policy. In fact, quite a few of my staff are married to each other.”
“I know,” Renee replied tersely.
“So what’s wrong?”
“You don’t see anything wrong with sleeping with your PA?”
Zack shrugged. “You’re not just my PA. You are...”
Renee held up a hand. “I am just your PA,” she said firmly. There could be nothing more between them. She mustn’t get carried away. She had already gotten herself into a right mess. If her heart got involved, it would be disastrous.
Renee shook her head. “I’ll hand in my resignation...”
“You are not resigning. I’m not letting you go,” Zack said, and she detected a note of anger in his voice.
“You can’t hold me against my will. I can resign. It’s my contractual right...”
“No.” Zack gripped her wrist. “I won’t let you run from me.”
“I’m not running...” She tried to twist out of his grip.
“Yes you are,” Zack sneered. “What are you afraid of? Are you a coward, Renee?”
She inhaled sharply and glared at him. “Excuse me?”
“Face it, Renee. We’re attracted to each other. We want each other. In fact, I can’t seem to stop thinking about you.”
“I...I have to go...” she said weakly. I can’t fall for you!
“Have you found another job, Renee?” Zack asked calmly. “A better paying one?”
Renee bit the inside of her cheek. Zack knew that he was paying her top-dollar. Finding another job that matched her current salary wouldn’t be easy, and Zack knew that.
“You’re good at your job,” he went on reasonably. “Why quit? I won’t let you quit. I’m not letting you go.”
“You...”
“I want you to continue working for me. And I want to date you.”
“D-date?” she spluttered.
Zack smiled. “Yes.”
Renee forced air into her lungs. She knew what he was saying. Zack didn’t want their sexual relationship to end. Not yet anyway.
Billionaire Boss Bear: Paranormal Shapeshifter Romance (Bad Bears Book 1) Page 3