Dirty Boss

by Crystal Kaswell

  Blake: I'm at the office.

  Kat: I'll take the subway.

  Blake: I can send a car.

  Kat: I'd rather do it my way.

  Blake: As you wish.

  He sends the address.

  Blake's building is all steel and glass. It's little pockets of yellow light framed by silver metal.

  It's the tallest skyscraper on the block.

  And it's beautiful. Downtown is always quiet at night. It's always still. The only movement is the wind.

  I step into the old-money lobby. My heels squeak against the marble floor. My reflection stares back at me from the mirrored walls. She looks tired. Worn.

  At least my boobs look good. This is the most flattering dress I own. I dig my lipstick from my purse and apply another coat. It helps add color to my face, but it does nothing to chase the exhaustion from my eyes.

  The security guard behind the desk waves me through. I step into the massive elevator and press the PH button. Penthouse. Blake's office is the penthouse floor. The entire floor.

  I've never been to a penthouse. Do they really exist?

  I'm not convinced.

  The shiny doors slide together. My reflection stares back at me. She looks even more uncertain than she did a minute ago.

  That's no good. I'm here to negotiate.

  I'm holding the cards. I'm not sure what Blake sees in me—he could have any woman he wants—but I don't care. He wants me for this job. I need to use that to my advantage.

  Ding.

  The elevator doors slide open.

  A bright sign greets me. Sterling Tech in luminous white. It's the only light in the lobby.

  My heel squeaks against the hardwood floor. This place is beautiful. The steel and glass of the city on one side. The deep blue of the river on the other.

  That royal blue—the mix of indigo and fluorescent bulbs— fills the cloudy sky. It never gets dark here. Not really. Certainly not dark enough for the stars to shine.

  Yellow light peeks out from under an office door. The one in the corner.

  When I move closer, I see the chrome sign. Blake Sterling.

  I move towards it. Knock softly.

  "It's open." Blake's voice flows through the door.

  I take a deep breath and turn the handle. It's cold. Metal. Like him. Well, like what I know of him.

  He's standing behind his desk. It's one of those trendy desks that changes positions. His computer is like Lizzy's. Two screens. A fancy keyboard. A vertical mouse. A mesh ergonomic chair in the corner.

  He moves out from behind the desk.

  His eyes find mine. "Have a seat." He nods to the couch to my right, then moves to the bar in the corner. "What do you drink?"

  Shit. That's a lot of top-shelf stuff. "What do you have?"

  "Anything you want."

  "Really? What if I want iced rooibos tea with a hint of lemon and a splash of lime vodka?"

  "Then I'll get it." He stares back at me. "Is that what you want?"

  No. I want money. And understanding. And his hands on my body.

  He's not even touching me and I'm on fire from the proximity. His blue eyes are so intense. And his voice is so strong.

  He drips power.

  Is he like that when he fucks?

  I want to know.

  It's ridiculous— I never think about sex. I certainly never think about kinky sex. But my head is filling with all sorts of images of Blake.

  Him staring at me with that demanding look in his eyes, ordering me to strip out of my coat. To sit. To wait at his beck and call.

  Him pinning my wrists to the bed.

  Throwing me against the wall and tearing off my panties.

  "Kat?" His voice is soft. "What do you drink?"

  "Gin and tonic."

  He nods and gets to work mixing drinks.

  I take a seat on the plush leather couch, fold my legs, smooth my dress.

  Blake crosses the room. He sits next to me. His fingers brush mine as he hands over my cocktail.

  The light touch sends desire racing through my body. I want those hands on me. I want it more than I've wanted anything in a long, long time.

  It doesn't make any sense.

  But the closer he gets, the less I care.

  I haven't kissed anyone since high school. I haven't even thought about dating since the accident. And now there's a tall, handsome man next to me. One who looks at me and says he wants to fuck me. Who says it with confidence. Like it's normal to admit your desires in a crowded restaurant.

  I take a long sip. The drink is smooth, crisp. Nothing like the gin I have at home.

  But it doesn't cool me off.

  Not at all.

  I try to hold Blake's stare. "Your office is nice."

  "Thank you." He takes a long sip of his whiskey. "Would you like a tour?"

  "Sure."

  After another sip, Blake sets his drink on a side table. He stands and offers his hand.

  Again, my body buzzes as our skin connects.

  I swallow hard. Suck a deep breath through my teeth. He wants to fuck me. I want to fuck him. We can do that. After we negotiate.

  I follow him into the main room. It's still a big, wide open space. The view is still gorgeous. But it doesn't call my attention. Not with him this close.

  He reaches for a light switch.

  "Don't," I say. "I like the dark."

  He raises a brow. Really?

  "The view goes forever. See?" I move to one of the tall windows and look out at the Hudson. The deep blue water flows away from the city.

  There's Midtown, all tall and silver and iconic. The Empire State Building is its usual shade of white. It stands out against the dark sky. It promises all the secrets of the city.

  I've lived in Brooklyn all my life. I've always looked at Manhattan from afar. Considered it a place to work or visit. A place I'd never afford.

  But here, the view… god, it's intoxicating. I want to move into this office and draw the city twenty-four seven.

  "You love New York." His voice is even. Like it's a meaningless observation.

  "Of course. I was born and raised here. You don't?"

  "I lived upstate until college."

  "You prefer the quiet suburbs and the trees?"

  "The city is easier."

  "That's it? It's easier?"

  He nods. "My meetings are here. My office—"

  "You spend all your time in your office, so what's it matter?"

  "No."

  "No?"

  He half-smiles. "I also have an office in my apartment."

  I laugh. "With windows?"

  "They look out on the park."

  "And you're too busy looking at your computer screen?"

  "Worse."

  "What could be worse than that?"

  "I have blackout curtains."

  That is worse. I'm not sure if I want to laugh or shake my head in horror. Blackout curtains blocking the park— "That's wrong."

  He nods. He actually looks happy… happyish. He's teasing me. Maybe. I think.

  "I guess you're used to the beauty of the city. But I never get tired of it." The Empire State Building is my favorite. Sure, it's a cliché, but it's famous for a reason. I can't tear my eyes away from it.

  Okay, that's not true. I'm staring to keep from staring at Blake. His intensity does something to me.

  Or more… it undoes something in me. That part of me insisting on keeping my clothes on.

  Ahem.

  "Would you like to work here?" he asks.

  "Doing what?"

  "I can find an entry-level position for you. Any department you want."

  "Better for your wife to work in an office than in a restaurant?"

  "You want to keep waiting tables?"

  "I haven't thought about it." I don't mind my job, but it's not fun either. It doesn't bring me joy or fulfill me in any way.

  "Appearances are important."

  I stare back at him, trying t
o figure out where this judgment is coming from. Is it him or someone he knows? It must be someone else. Blake is doing this for someone. Not for himself.

  But he doesn't seem like the type who cares what anyone thinks.

  I take another long sip. It's still crisp and refreshing. It still fails to cool me off.

  Ahem. I need to keep this conversation… well, a conversation. "People treat me differently if I'm in my restaurant gear."

  "Worse?"

  "Sometimes. Sometimes there's this wage slave solidarity. If I'm at Duane Reade or Staples or something. People will complain about their long day or their bosses if they can tell I'm on my way home from work."

  Blake studies me. It's like he's a scientist and I'm an animal at the zoo. His eyes pass over me slowly. "You're a smart girl."

  "What convinced you—my cleavage?"

  He says nothing.

  I just stop myself from rolling my eyes. "Next thing I know, you'll be taking off my clothes and telling me how smart I look in my lingerie."

  "I wouldn't waste me breath if you were in lingerie."

  I swallow hard. "Of course. I just mean—" I clear my throat. "You don't know me. Or that I'm smart."

  "You posted about your college acceptances on Facebook."

  "That was a long time ago," I say.

  "But it's still there. Even though you haven't updated your page in two years." He makes eye contact. "You were accepted to two Ivy League schools, to three SUNYs, to NYU."

  "And?"

  "You could have done anything with your life, but you stayed here."

  "Do you also know about my parents?"

  "Yes."

  "Then you know why I'm here." How the hell does he know that? I guess it's easy enough to find with a quick Google search. But still… I don't like it. Even if I did my own sleuthing.

  "You value family."

  "Yes."

  "You're smart."

  I open my mouth to object—Blake doesn't know anything about my intellect—but he's already on to his next point.

  "You're beautiful."

  My cheeks flush. "Thank you."

  "You have terms."

  I nod.

  "What are they? What exactly do you want?"

  Chapter Four

  You have terms. What are they? What exactly do you want?

  It's a complicated question.

  For the last three years, I've been surviving. I haven't let myself want anything more than a roof over my head and three hot meals a day.

  It's overwhelming, opening myself up to possibilities.

  I press my palm against the window. It's cold. Sleek. Unbending. "What would we even be doing?"

  His hand brushes my shoulders. Then my cheek. He tilts my chin so we're eye to eye. "I'll introduce you to everyone as my girlfriend. We'll get engaged. Then we'll have a quick wedding. You'll be on my arm at dinners, for weekend trips, at some family functions."

  "How am I supposed to convince people I'm in love with you? I don't even know what that looks like."

  "Look into my eyes."

  I do.

  "Like you love me."

  Okay… I try to imagine a guy I'll love one day. A real husband. Him hanging my art on the walls, much to my embarrassment. Taking me up to the top of the Empire State Building on my birthday. Kissing me under the cherry blossom trees.

  "Perfect."

  It is? I'm just thinking… but I'm not going to talk myself out of a huge chunk of change. Still— "I don't want to lie to anyone, much less everyone."

  His eyes are on fire. "My intentions are good."

  "That and three dollars will buy you a cup of coffee."

  "You have integrity."

  "Is that a compliment or an insult?"

  "What do you think?"

  I don't know. He's intense. Hard to read. Appealing.

  I finish my last drop of gin and tonic then unbutton my coat. Blake slides it off my shoulders and takes it into his arms.

  He leads me back to his office and hangs it on his door.

  The space seems smaller.

  He's too close.

  But then, I want him closer.

  I want his body pressed against mine.

  "Why do you need me?" I might be talking him out of this, but I have to know. "Why not find some girl who wants to be your girlfriend?"

  "That wouldn't be fair."

  "Because…"

  "She'd have expectations." He slides his suit jacket off his shoulders. "I don't fall in love. I never have, and I never will."

  "How old are you?"

  "Twenty-six."

  "And you're already sure you'll never fall in love?"

  "Yes."

  Okay… I guess I'm not going to argue with him. He knows what he wants. I know what I want. And that doesn't include falling for an emotionally unavailable rich guy.

  He takes my glass and pours another round of drinks.

  I sit on the plush couch and watch him roll his sleeves to his elbows. His forearms are so fucking sexy. How can forearms make me this hot?

  I take a deep breath.

  Blake moves back to the couch. He hands over my drink and sits next to me. "What are your terms?"

  God, it's so hot next to him. My body is buzzing. It's begging me to strip out of this dress and slide into his lap.

  But that's lust.

  I can survive six months of lust.

  Hell, I really, really want six months of lust.

  "The mortgage to my apartment." I take a deep breath, attempting my best I'm as badass and confident as any tech executive voice. "I want it paid in full."

  "Done." He says it like he's agreeing to coffee.

  "You don't even know how much is left on it. What if it's three hundred thousand dollars? Or half a million?"

  "Send me the bank information, and it's done."

  "Like that?"

  He nods. "What else?"

  I struggle to form a coherent thought. The mortgage, done, like it's nothing.

  That can't be possible. That payment has been a thorn in my side for the last three years and it will be gone. Done.

  "My sister got into NYU. She's worked hard to keep her grades up. She deserves to go to whatever school she chooses without six figures of student loans."

  "Elizabeth?"

  "Lizzy. You…"

  "She's your friend on Facebook. I didn't look you up, Kat. Not beyond the normal search."

  I'm not sure we agree about what constitutes a normal search. But it's not like I can talk.

  "Sterling Tech selects scholarship students every year. She placed in a math competition last year. Is she studying STEM?"

  "You don't know?"

  "Not yet."

  I nod. "Computer science or programming. I forget the difference. She wants to study artificial intelligence."

  "Done."

  "What?"

  "We'll offer your sister a scholarship. A hundred percent of her tuition anywhere."

  What? I… I must be hearing things. "You…"

  "I can make it official right now."

  "No, that's okay…" A hundred percent of her tuition. Covered. "What if I say no?"

  "You won't." His hand brushes mine. It sends heat racing through my body. "Is there anything else?"

  No. That's all I want. It's all I've wanted— Lizzy taken care of.

  But I can't admit that. Not when I can get more.

  "I… I want to go to college too."

  Blake nods. "You'll sign a prenup. When we divorce, you'll get a million dollars, less what's left on your mortgage."

  "A million dollars?" I… Uh…

  "Kat. You okay?"

  No. This… this is absurd. I stare back at Blake. "A million dollars?"

  He nods.

  "But… why?"

  "I told you. I need someone and I want you."

  But… uh…

  I take a deep breath and exhale slowly.

  Blake is worth a lot. A million dollars is nothing t
o him. Not compared to the price tag of a regular divorce.

  This is what makes sense for him.

  It's logical.

  It's actually reasonable.

  His fingers brush my wrist. "You can stay at your place for now, but I'll need you to move in soon."

  "No. I'm staying with my sister."

  "Fine. You'll stay with her until we marry."

  I nod. I'd rather stay with Lizzy forever, but it wouldn't look right.

  "I'll pay your expenses. Starting tonight."

  "That isn't necessary."

  "Kat. You're my girlfriend now. We're madly in love. Do you really think I'd force my girlfriend to fend for herself?"

  "Yeah. It's called independence. You have heard of feminism?"

  He chuckles. "You have heard of my charity?"

  "No. That's a douchey thing to say."

  "It's for domestic violence victims."

  "Oh. That's… less douchey." And unexpected.

  "It's okay. I know how I appear."

  "It doesn't bother you?"

  "Most people's opinions don't matter to me."

  "So then why are you—"

  "Some people's do." He stares back into my eyes. "I'll send over a credit card tomorrow. Treat yourself. Buy whatever you'll need to feel comfortable."

  "I'm comfortable." I'm not exactly sleeping on Egyptian cotton and dining on steak, but I am comfortable enough.

  "You're a beautiful girl, Kat. I want to tear off that dress. But there are people in my life who aren't nearly so…"

  "They're judgmental assholes?"

  He half-smiles. "Exactly."

  "And you keep them in your life because?"

  "Because they have other traits I value. You're more than welcome to show up to an event in jeans and a t-shirt. She…" He shakes his head. "But you'll get looks. If you don't want that kind of attention—"

  "I get it." All his rich friends look down on the poor H&M shoppers. I guess I can do a little shopping spree if it's for keeping up appearances. I could certainly use new clothes. I haven't bought much since the accident.

  His fingers brush the hem of my dress. "I'm never going to love you, Kat. But while we're together, I'll make sure you don't want for anything."

  "What about… it's not like I can have a secret boyfriend on the side," I say.

  "You want to fuck me."

  "Yes." My cheeks flush. "Not necessarily today. But eventually."

  "This part is real." He leans a little closer. His hands slide over the sides of my chest. Over my shoulders. "But you need to understand something, Kat."