“Umm, kind of. I guess Nate broke things off with Becky today and told her it was because of me.”
“Oh boy.”
“Yeah. Needless to say, Becky didn’t take it well. The three of us had plans to go to a movie tonight, but she texted me that we were going to the city. I knew Dean would never let me go, so I stayed with the movie story. Well, we got out here and got dinner. When I went to the bathroom, she took my purse and left.”
“How did she get your purse?”
“I left it,” said Katy sheepishly.
“You didn’t have to reapply lipstick? Check your phone? You always take your purse with you!” yelled Victoria, much too loudly for the confines of the car.
“I didn’t know! Thank God I had my cell with me in case Dean called, but everything else is gone.”
Victoria crossed her arms over her chest and tried to imagine this horrid Becky person. “What a bitch,” she muttered.
“I’m inclined to agree.” Katy sat back with a sigh of defeat.
“And this Nate guy couldn’t take you home or give you cash?”
Katy shrugged. “He didn’t answer his phone.” Her voice wavered as a tear escaped.
Crap. Poor thing just had a major fight with her best friend and now had to face the wrath of Dean. Mostly deserved wrath, but it didn’t mean Victoria couldn’t feel bad.
Victoria thought back to the audacity of Becky. To strand her supposed best friend in the middle of a massive city with no money or way of getting home. That was a low move. Somehow Victoria suspected Becky wasn’t the best friend Katy described.
The rest of the drive was quiet as Victoria tried to think of a plan of attack. This wasn’t some mindless manbeast. It was Dean. A normally calm, rational being. But she knew how much Katy meant to him. Once he found out she’d lied and put herself in danger, he was going to completely lose it.
Although Victoria couldn’t say she approved of Katy’s methods, she felt bad for the girl. She’d lost her “best friend,” was crushing hard on a man who was probably no good for her, and, after being completely stranded, would have to face the wrath of Dean.
Victoria could handle him. She’d handled irate employees for over a decade. One hotheaded handyman shouldn’t be a problem, she told herself.
She shook her head. What was she thinking? Dean wasn’t a plant manager or analyst on her payroll. He was her friend, maybe even more than that. He wasn’t something to be handled. He was going to be hurt and pissed off and probably not too happy to see her after this morning.
“What happened with you and my brother today?” Katy cut through the silence as the driver pulled into Dean’s neighborhood.
Victoria put on her best lie face. She had no idea what Dean told Katy, so she decided to tread lightly. “We decided that, in light of the recent media attention, we should keep our distance.”
“I’m not a reporter, okay? I’m family. He was upset.”
“Really? How upset?” Victoria winced. Just because she was talking with a teen didn’t mean she needed to sound like one.
But it was too late. Katy’s little smile was evident. “You know. Grumpy upset. So you like him too, right?”
Victoria looked out the window and debated just climbing out at the next light. Any way to get out of having this conversation. “I do like him,” she finally admitted.
“So I don’t get it. You like him. He’s an ass when you’re not around. What’s the problem?”
Victoria snorted. “An ass when I’m not around? It’s been a day and I’ve only known him for a week.” Ten days to be exact, but who was counting?
Katy shrugged. “Just sayin’. Seems like two smart people being stupid if you ask me.”
“I didn’t ask.” Victoria shot Katy a sweet smile.
That shut her up, but her smug expression remained. Luckily, the car pulled up in front of Dean and Katy’s house.
“How are we going to do this?” asked Katy as the car rolled to a stop.
Victoria rolled her eyes. Interrogate her about why she broke up with Dean one minute, ask for the “plan” the next. “I’ll go first, I guess.” Maybe her mere presence could shock Dean into silence long enough for her to tell Katy’s side of the story.
“If I’m not back in fifteen minutes, you can head back to the city,” she said to the driver.
He simply nodded. She didn’t need to give him a credit card because the company that worked with her building had her information on file. They made it super convenient to spend massive amounts of cash on transportation.
“Let’s do this.” She climbed out. The summer breeze made the street unusually cold. She pulled her coat more tightly against her body as she and Katy moved up the walkway to the front door. She eyed Katy’s bright dress once more. “Were you wearing that when you left?” she whispered.
Before Katy said anything, her sheepish look gave her away. “My other clothes were in my purse.”
Victoria shook her head.
“That’s why I didn’t take the purse with me! It was so packed with stuff!” whisper-shouted Katy.
Before Victoria could knock on the door, she heard a deep bark come from the other side of the wood. Great. Rigby was announcing their presence.
She stood up straighter and tried to look like the situation wasn’t nearly as messed up as it probably was.
The door swung open and there he was. Dean wore a pair of flannel pajama pants that hung loosely on his hips and a t-shirt that hugged his biceps.
Get it together! “Hello,” she said with a fake smile.
For a long moment, he stared at her. She fought the urge to fidget under his intense scrutiny. But then his gaze bounced between her and Katy. “You have ten seconds to explain what’s happening.”
Victoria took a deep breath. “Katy lied to you and went out to the city with her friends. When Becky found out her boyfriend like-likes Katy, she stole her purse and left her stranded. Your sister was afraid to call you, but luckily she swiped my number from your phone, so she called me to get her a ride home. I decided to make sure she got home safe and now that you’re both together, I’m leaving.”
But for some reason, her body refused to turn and walk back to the car. Dean’s confusion slowly turned to a simmering rage. Thankfully, he turned that rage to Katy as he finally seemed to notice her dress that was obviously not for a casual night at the movies. “What the hell, Katy?””
Shame flooded Katy’s face. “I’m sorry, Dean. I didn’t think anything like this would happen.”
Victoria let out a breath. Even she knew that was a horrible thing to say.
Dean sputtered for a moment. “Wh— I— How does that make it better? You thought it was okay because you didn’t expect to get in trouble? Is there something wrong with you? I thought you were smarter than that!”
Victoria took a step closer. “Hey, she got screwed over already. I think you should cool down.”
“Cool down? She was stuck in the biggest city in the middle of the night and the only reason she made it home was because she stole your number out of my phone? Please tell me why I should calm down.”
Victoria tilted her head back and met his eyes. “Because I asked.”
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
“Because you asked,” repeated Dean. His fingers pressed into the doorjamb, and he focused on the corner of the wood that pushed into his palm. He tried to breathe. To calm himself. But he couldn’t stop thinking about the damn nerve of the woman in front of him. Both of the women in front of him!
Who the hell was Katy to go running out behind his back? He’d never been unfair or unreasonable with her. She asked; he provided. What more did she want from him?
And Victoria… For her to look down—well, up—at him with that smug expression. It took everything in him to keep from punching a wall. Even the damn dog seemed to sense something was off as he skittered away from the door.
But Victoria didn’t back down, not that he truly expected her to. “Dean,
if you take a minute to think about this—”
“No. There’s nothing to think about. Katy, get in the house.” He gave her just enough room to squeeze through the door. He glared at her the entire time. ““I am going to deal with you tomorrow, understand.” She quickly nodded before turning to run up the stairs. When he looked back to Victoria, she was already turning back to the still running car. “Where the hell are you going?””
She twisted around, eyes wide. “Katy’s home safe; my job is done. I’m going home.”
“Alone?”
He could see the tension creep back into her. “With a driver who I’ve used plenty of times before. I’m going straight back to my apartment.””
“Like hell you are. Get your ass in here.”
Her jaw dropped at the gruff order, but he didn’t regret it at all.
“I’m not your little sister you can boss around,” she pointed out.
Fuck this. He pushed away from the door and reached her in two long strides. “I said, get your ass inside the house, Victoria.” Before she could form an argument, he cut her off. “Or I’ll carry you over my shoulder and then the driver will have a hell of a story to tell the press.”
She narrowed her eyes, and for a second, he thought she was actually going to slap him. But after a moment, she trudged past him and to the front door. He was right behind her and gave the driver a hand signal to take off before he shut and locked the door behind him.
She twirled around, shooting daggers with her eyes. “I’m here. You have effectively kidnapped me, even though I have work and a funeral and fifty thousand other important things to worry about.”
“More important than me?” He closed in on her.
“What are you talking about?”
He closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose, taking a second to try to find any sense of calm he could. But when he opened them again, all he felt was anger. “You come in here, asking for my help, decide for the both of us that we aren’t fantastic together and then have the nerve to show up on my doorstep and tell me how to handle my own sister?”
At least she had the grace to look the tiniest bit guilty. But not enough. “Your sister had a hard night. She doesn’t need you punishing her too.”
“You’re doing it again! Stop telling me what to do!”
“I’m not going to keep my mouth shut when I’m right!” she fired back.
“You left! You don’t get to come back and boss me around, okay? You gave that up this morning.”
Her mouth fell open in shock. “That’s what this is about? You’re mad at me for leaving?”
He stared her down, completely speechless. Was she surprised? Of course he was mad! “Is this normal for you? Do you go around having sex like that with all your contractors?” he asked in a lowered voice so Katy wouldn’t hear.
Her eyes widened at the question. But he already knew this wasn’t par for the course. What they had was different, and he’d be damned if he’d let Victoria walk all over him just because she knew he would take it. “If you want to leave, then be my guest. But don’t you come back into my house with my sister and tell me what I’m doing wrong.””
“Dean, I—”
“You what? You’re sorry? I’d rather go back to cleaning toilets at the local bar than hear you say that to me, understand?”” The last thing he fucking wanted to hear was her apologizing for what they did. What happened. He’d spent the entire day thinking about her, only to see her show up all high and mighty and telling him what to do. No. She sure as hell wasn’’t sorry.
“What do you want from me, Dean? I’m just trying to help, okay? Tell me what I can do.”
He met her eyes and told her the one thing he’d been thinking about all day. “You can go upstairs and take off all your clothes.”
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Victoria’s breath caught in her throat as she tried to decipher whether she heard him right.
“You get your ass up there, or you walk out that door and I never want to see you again.” He pointed at the door to emphasize his point.
She should leave. She’d explained very clearly why they didn’t work. Hell, she’d been telling herself over and over all day. “And if I go upstairs?” she breathed.
He took a step closer. “Then you’re in this. No saying it’s a onetime thing. No calling it a mistake and apologizing. You and me for as long as we can stretch it.””
She stared at the door. The safe option. Secure and familiar and completely doable. But no Dean. Without a word, she moved past Dean, her shoulder brushing his, the contact unavoidable due to his oversized shoulders and the narrow hallway. If she hadn’t made up her mind before, the electricity shooting through her settled it. Right before she reached the door, her hand reached out and rested on the stairway railing.
As she moved up the stairs, she could feel Dean’s eyes bore into her. A strange mix of calm and excitement swirled in her belly. Calm that she was making the right decision. Excitement at the prospect of what he was going to do to her in his bedroom.
He was already a ferocious lover when he wasn’t pissed. What would he do now? When she finally reached the top landing, she didn’t waste time. She softly shut his bedroom door behind her, aware that Katy was only a few doors away, and made quick work of her decidedly unsexy outfit.
She folded her jacket and pajamas before she set them on his dresser. She glanced to her body in the mirror. The pink lace panties and matching bra were sexy enough, but Dean explicitly said naked. And who was she to say no to that?
She slid the panties down her legs and unhooked her bra, setting them on top of her already folded clothes. Biting her lip, she stared at the bed. The comforter was a worn, soft green and she already knew exactly how good it felt against her bare skin. Did he want her under the covers?
No. On top was definitely better. She took a steadying breath and climbed up, positioning herself on her back in the middle. Before she could worry too much about how to look sexy, she heard Dean’s footsteps come up the stairs.
She stared intently at the door, every nerve in her body anticipating what would happen when it slid open. Her heart beat faster in her chest as she tried to control her breathing.
And then he was there. Dean calmly walked into the room. His eyes roamed up and down her body. All doubt left her in a rush as she saw the heat in his gaze.
He crossed to the foot of the bed, not taking his eyes off her. The silence stretched and filled the room with an almost palpable tension. Victoria couldn’t speak. Couldn’t even breathe as she watched him and waited for his next move.
“Turn around,” he ordered in a husky voice.
She took a deep swallow as the words sunk in, but she never considered disobeying. This was his room and his rules. Victoria twisted around to face the bed, coming to a rest on her hands and knees. Her hair fell over her shoulder and she felt the bed dip as he crawled on behind her.
Before he even touched her, the heat of him burned into her back, and then the gentle sensation of his lips on her spine shot through her. She arched into him as he kissed his way up her back; his tongue traced a tantalizing pattern along the sensitive skin. She sighed and her head fell forward as he reached the base of her neck and gave her a soft nip.
She jerked at the unexpected feel of his teeth. Her rear came into contact with his rock-hard erection that was evident through his soft pajamas. The sudden reminder that he was fully clothed while she was naked and at his mercy was almost as erotic as his hand reaching around to run down her stomach and into the soft curls at the junction of her thighs.
He pushed his fingers into her as he traced the outside of her earlobe with his tongue. Victoria forgot how to hold herself up. Dean must’ve felt her arms shaking, because his big forearm wrapped around her and rested right under her breasts as he pulled her back against his body so they were both kneeling on the bed.
But his fingers didn’t stop their torture. As he inserted a second, his thumb
traced circles around her clit, and his other hand pinched a nipple.
She whimpered as she pushed frantically against him. She never wanted this delicious torture to stop, but at the same time she needed him inside her with an intensity she’d never felt before. “Dean, please,” she begged.
But he wasn’t interested in her pleas. “I don’t think you’re ready yet,” he whispered. At the same time, he rubbed himself against her and teased her with what he wouldn’t give her.
Her head fell back against his shoulder as she let out a whimper of frustration. “Believe me, I’m ready.”
“Not until I get something from you first.” He pushed a third finger into her.
She covered his hand with her own, trying to get him to move faster, harder, anything to let her come. But he knew exactly the torture he was putting her through. “What do you want?”
“You need to promise me something.”
“This is blackmail.” She gave up trying to move his fingers faster within her, instead moving her hands up to cup her breasts. She felt him stiffen against her back as she pinched her own nipples and moaned at the pleasure she gave herself.
But Dean wasn’t one to be outdone. His arm around her torso moved in a flash and his fingers wrapped in her hair, pulling her neck back. Even though he was gentle enough that it didn’t hurt, she still reached up to cover his hands with hers. ““Dean…” For the first time, she was unsure.
“You can’t come until I let you, understand?”
She took a deep breath. Arousal and uncertainty swirled within her.
“This is what it feels like to have no say. This is what you did when you decided for the both of us this morning that we shouldn’t even give this a chance.”
Tempting The Boss Page 12