Bossman's List

by Ashlee Price

  “Good to hear from you, Erin. I was starting to wonder if I would at all.” I hadn’t really, but there had been a few moments that I hadn’t been very sure. Other girls wouldn’t have played coy and blown me off like Erin had. It was part of the reason that I had made sure that I met her with an offer she couldn’t refuse.

  “I didn’t know if I was going to call you, Drake, if I’m one hundred percent honest with you. I think you are used to getting what you want, and I want you to know that if I agree, it is just a date.”

  I wished that I could see her face. To have seen her lips form those very words would have been enough to send me over the moon. But instead, I was only able to see it in my mind and that wasn’t really good enough for me.

  “Of course, Erin. I would never turn it into something that it wasn’t. I usually don’t have to go to such extremes for a date.”

  There was silence and I wished again that I could see her. I wondered which Erin I was going to get. The meek and mild side of her was skittish, but when I had gone to her office, she had come back with fire in her blood.

  “Come with me to dinner. It is just an innocent date, Erin Adams, nothing more.” I could think of so many other things that I wanted, but I was patient and I didn’t mind waiting. There was a part of me that wanted to say something to her, but I didn’t want to scare her away and I knew that that was a definite possibility if I wasn’t careful.

  “Um, okay, Drake. I just wanted to make sure there wasn’t any funny business. I don’t want to keep my job that bad.”

  I didn’t like her comment. Why didn’t she see it like everyone else did? Her friend was dying for it after one look, much like everyone else that I met, but Erin was almost immune to my affection and it still bothered me. I knew that her denial of my presence was part of the reason that I wanted her so badly, but I still didn’t quite understand it. When I was dying to kiss her, to be inside of her, there was nothing I could do but want things to be different.

  “I assure you that it is nothing like that, Erin. I hate to think what you must think of me if you believe such things.”

  “Well, you are the one that is blackmailing me for a date, so it seemed appropriate.”

  I smiled into the phone, glad that I’d gotten the fiery one instead of the meek side of her. I liked the smart mouth on her when she was upset, and at the moment she was raring to give me a tongue lashing. Call me crazy, but I wanted one from her.

  “I guess you could see it that way if you wanted to.”

  “How would you look at it?”

  I stopped for a moment and silenced the words on my lips. I had to be careful, and her quick wit had me using my own. What I was going to say was too much and I had to once again tone it down for her. I was used to dealing with women who were just as forward as I was. Erin was not the same at all.

  “I would look at it like I’m a determined man who will do what is necessary to get what I want.” I left out what I wanted from her. I was sure that my voice and tone were clear on what I wanted. Every time I saw her she couldn’t meet my gaze, so I would assume that my eyes were more than willing to tell her what my mind and body desired more than anything else. Erin had plenty of signs telling her what was needed from her.

  “What do you want?”

  Her small voice sent a shiver down my spine. Again I had to literally bite my tongue to stop the words that were dying to flow out of my mouth. Why did she have to ask me such a question?

  “I just want a date, Erin… and maybe a kiss.”

  She sighed with a little relief and told me that she would agree to one, but not the other.

  “We will see, Erin. Wear that dress that you wore to the art exhibit downtown and I will have a limo there to pick you up at seven.”

  “Tonight?”

  “Yes, tonight. I don’t want you to change your mind again, so I will be there.”

  “Okay.”

  That was all she said before she hung up. I should have felt better than I did. There was a surge of excitement and the same feeling that I got when I had solved a hard puzzle. She was the puzzle, though, and it was hard to piece together what I was supposed to do next. My body responded to her voice and tone, but now I was left thinking of her alone in the office.

  Still, I was smiling, and there was nothing that was going to take me down from the cloud I was on. I shouldn’t have felt this way, but it was the first time in a long time that I felt challenged. I mean, sure, I had to lie to get here, but there was a saying about business and love. I planned to be cutthroat in both, as I had been for many years. It was the best way to ensure that I got what I wanted. There was a little guilt that I had lied to her, but I kept reminding myself that once I got her in my arms, it wouldn’t matter how she got there.

  My mind went to the dress that she had worn to Rose Woods’s place. It was the one thing that I couldn’t keep my eyes off of, no matter how good the pictures were on the wall. It hadn’t been that it was overly sexy or anything like that. It had flattered her slight curves well, but it was the transformation in it that had made me see red. Erin had looked so different from before, and I hoped for the subtle sexy change again.

  Sitting back, I had to smile. Everything was finally going as planned, and part of me that hoped I would be able to convince her that she needed me as badly as my body thought that I needed her. I kept trying to tell myself that it was finally going to happen, but I had to wonder. There was a part of me that still wasn’t so sure. If she had been any other woman, I would have already had her screaming my name beneath me, but Erin was different. This was one of those times that I wished she was the same as all of the rest.

  Chapter 2 – Erin

  The Dragon Fly was not at all what I had expected, and neither was the drive over to the club. Silly of me to have done what he asked, getting dressed and leaving my hair down just like he requested, but I had thought I would meet him at seven. When the limo pulled up, I could feel my heart racing. The fact that he hadn’t been in the vehicle was a little disheartening. I was supposed to meet him over there, but I felt a little strange riding there by myself.

  Now I was standing on the large, sweeping staircase that led up to the hottest club in the city and I felt like I was out of place. There was a line forming around the side of the building that almost stretched to the other street, and I was nervous about doing what Drake had told me to do. He wanted me to just walk right up to the bouncer and give him my name.

  I could feel the dirty looks on me for skipping ahead. I saw myself through their eyes and understood perfectly how they’d wonder why a girl like me would expect special privilege. I was too plain for that. However, Drake had made it clear that it would take too long if I waited in line. So I did as he had said to do, even though I was shaking a little inside the whole time.

  “Hi, I’m here to see the owner, Drake?”

  The tall man in the suit looked at me. I could tell that I was lacking in his eyes. I tried to straighten myself up, but it was hard to when the guy was looking at me in such a way. I gave him my name a little defiantly and waited for him to tell me to beat it. I was already done with the whole date and I hadn’t even made it in the door yet. I turned around, not sure if I was going to the end of the line or what I was going to do. I had a thought to just leave, right then and there.

  If the man hadn’t said my name again like he did, I would have not looked back. He had a smile on his face, and whatever was written down next to my name had him treating me a whole lot differently. Now he was introducing himself as Dante and walking me to the VIP room where Drake was supposed to be waiting.

  “I’m really sorry about that. You don’t know how many women I have that come in and say that they are here to see Drake. He has never left a name at the front before, though, so you must be the special one.”

  I smiled back at him, not knowing what to say. It was hard for me to talk to him when I was thinking about what he had just said. What did he mean that I must be speci
al? I knew that Drake was pulling out all of the stops, most likely to get into my pants, but I wasn’t sure why. He was handsome and rich and could have anyone that he wanted, so I still wasn’t sure what he wanted with me.

  The club was loud and Dante came back and got me once when I lost my way through the throng of dancing people. His hand was soft on my arm. I think that he felt sorry for me. It was clear to anyone who could see me that I was not supposed to be there. I was out of my element, and I’m sure it showed to anyone who noticed me. It was hard not to feel out of sorts, and I was practically shaking when I was led up the stairs to the curtained-off area at the top of the club. The curtains were drawn and I couldn’t look in, but I knew who I would find in there.

  Dante told me to have a good time and smiled at me in a way that made me breathe a little faster. What was going on? It was like I was in the middle of a game, but I didn’t know which one it was, so I had no idea of the rules that I was supposed to be following. Going in and meeting Drake’s eyes did nothing to qualm my nerves. He eventually had to motion me in because I was frozen where I stood.

  “Come in, Erin. You look even lovelier than you did the last time I saw you in that dress. It really does become you, and I’m glad you were charitable enough to wear it for me.”

  I looked down at the black dress and kind of shrugged. I still felt amazing in it, but the way that he was looking at me then let me see me through his eyes, and I couldn’t deny that I liked it. He really liked it and the gleam in his dark depths made my face get hot. I was all out of sorts, but when he motioned me down to the seat next to him I finally started to move. I sure hoped that I didn’t look like an idiot.

  “Thank you for inviting me.”

  He kind of smiled in that way that he had. “Well, it was not like I didn’t have to force you to come.”

  I didn’t feel forced, but coerced was definitely a part of it, and we both knew it. I had forgotten how handsome he was. His smile was one of the things that I couldn’t keep my eyes off. His lips were so soft looking, and I couldn’t look at them without thinking of how they would feel on my own. His large hands made me wonder what they would feel like on my body. Everything about him came back to one thing. I was convinced that he was oozing sexuality and that was why I was so simpleminded when he was around.

  His suit was much like the one that I had seen him in before. The only difference was that this time there was no tie around his neck and the top was open a few buttons. He had dark chest hair that was coming up through the opening, and so help me, my fingers itched to touch him. I wanted to so badly that it was hard to stop myself. When I felt my hand start to move, I pulled myself together, trying not to give in to the crazy feeling that was coming over me and embarrass myself.

  “I’m here now, so I’m holding up my end of the bargain.”

  I looked at him to let him know that I expected him to do the same. It wasn’t like I didn’t want to be there. I did, more than I was comfortable admitting, but that was as far as it was going to go. It was a fact that I had to keep reminding myself of.

  “Yes, you are. I didn’t think you would wear that dress for me, Erin, but I have to admit that you are quite beautiful. With the lights in here it makes you look like an angel that just came down from heaven.”

  He was laying it on thick, but even though it sounded like a line, I somehow knew that it wasn’t. There was just something in the way he was making me feel that told me all that I needed to know. Drake saw me as something else that he wanted to possess, but I liked that I had caught his eye, even if it was for that reason. I wondered what it would be like to be with a man like him. I wasn’t supposed to think that way. It had just been too long. I had to remind myself that was what it was.

  “I wish I could see what you’re thinking.”

  I looked up and smiled at him. I knew that my face was going to blush from what I was thinking about. I was feeling the air thin again, mostly, I was sure, because he was sucking it all out.

  “I assure you that you would not.” I bit my lip so as not to say anything else.

  Drake sat back and put his arm around me. I couldn’t talk when he was so close, and all of my newfound bravery was fading away quickly. Did he know that he drove me crazy? This date was not at all what I’d thought it would be. He had something in mind, I could tell, but I still wasn’t sure what he wanted. I thought I had known, but he hadn’t made a move.

  Chapter 3 – Drake

  She was nervous, really nervous, and her innocence was hard on my senses. I wanted to make her mine right there, but I had made promises that were going to be hard to keep. I’d told her I just wanted a date and maybe a kiss. That was just the beginning, though; in the end I knew that I wanted more than that. I wanted all of her, to possess her, and the only way that it was going to happen was to change her mind about me.

  The meal was served up in the VIP room, and after a couple of drinks, Erin started to loosen up. She even began leaning on me a little. Her eyes had softened and were bright blue as she looked down on the people below.

  “Are you enjoying yourself?”

  She kind of nodded. The music was a little too loud then for a conversation, so I asked her if she would like to dance. Erin thought I meant in there and was willing to do so, but I wanted her out in the main area where I could get a good look at her. The VIP lounge was not big enough for much more than just twirling on the floor. I wanted to see what other surprises were in store for me. Erin had been changing my mind about her every few minutes since I met her, and I wondered what she would be like on the dance floor with the energy of the place around her.

  As soon as I had my hands on her waist, pulling her closer, I knew that she was mine forever. There was a soft sound of surprise as I pulled her onto my hard body. I was going to make sure that she remembered me. That was how I was going to get what I wanted. I was going to make her want me as much as I wanted her. There was one way to do it that I knew of, and I started laying plans.

  The next song was slow and I was able to feel Erin even more. I didn’t let her leave my sight and I could tell that everyone there had their eyes on her. The museum curator was a sight to behold, and I liked that she was in my arms. For a time it became more than just a way to seduce her. I found myself liking the way she felt in my arms. I liked it a bit too much, actually, and I didn’t want to let her go.

  Finally she pushed away from me. She was panting a little. We had danced for several songs and there was a new light in her eyes that had taken over the slight buzz she had started with. I could tell that she was thinking about me in a different way, and I liked to believe that I had her body ready as well.

  “Let’s get something to drink, Drake. I’m thirsty.”

  I nodded and leaned in. It was just a whim, but I pulled her closer. Her lips were resistant at first, but it didn’t take long for her body to succumb to mine. I felt her melt against me, and there was a moment where I didn’t care who was watching. I never wanted to let her go, and when a soft moan escaped her lips, my whole body was on fire. I needed her right then and there.

  When I pulled her closer and my hands moved to her round backside, she finally realized what I was doing and what I had planned. I heard and felt her telling me that she had had enough, but I didn’t want to stop. I didn’t want her to stop me.

  “Erin.”

  “I’m sorry, Drake, but I have to go.”

  Her departure was quick, and I knew that there was nothing that I could do. I had pushed too hard and too fast. It was my own fault that I was watching her get away from me as quickly as she could. Her taste was still on my lips, and I pressed them together to savor it a little longer. Far from a quick score, Erin was turning out to be more of a challenge than I was used to. The strangest part about any of it, though, was the fact that it just made me want her even more. I stood on the dance floor long enough for the song to change. She was gone and all there was left was the sweet smell of the cotton candy perfume that she
had worn.

  I finally went upstairs and back to the VIP room. She had left her phone behind and I picked it up. Going back to the office, I could only think of Erin. Then I got a call from the driver of the limo to tell me he was back out front from taking her home. I had known that she wouldn’t just storm off into the night, and I liked that she had taken the ride back to be safe. The only problem with the whole scenario was that I was not with her. I should be beside her right now in bed, but instead I was there at work, wishing I was somewhere else.

  A knock startled me from what I was thinking about and I looked up to see Mary in front of me. “Hey, Mary. I didn’t know you were here.”

  She kind of nodded at me and sat down. She was looking at me rather strangely, and I was too exhausted to deal with her. We had had sex a couple of times when the mood was right, but it was the very last thing on my mind just then. While Mary was gorgeous and had a killer body, she wouldn’t be enough. Even with her model-like looks, at the end of the day, she was still just another girl. Mary was not Erin, and Erin was all that I wanted.

  “Yeah, I came in to see you. I haven’t been here that long, only long enough for a couple of songs.”

  It was the way she said it that made me look at her a little more closely. Something was definitely bothering her. I waited for her to bring me her problems. I was a problem solver to everyone around me, and I wondered what she needed.

  “Well, here I am. What’s up?”

  “Have you met with Rose Woods about the shoot?”

  My mind took a minute to pull away from the kiss and to really understand what she was saying to me. “Yeah, I talked to her and met with her already. The job is coming up, and I’m sure she will do great.”

  Mary didn’t look so sure. “Is something wrong?”

  Her blonde hair moved from side to side as she shook her head no. It was like a woman saying she was fine: the facial expressions did not match the words, making it harder to believe. I just didn’t have time for her tonight, and I could feel myself getting agitated. We had an agreement, and it had worked out well for a couple of years now. I don’t know why I was feeling so short-tempered with her, but I was.