Boss Me_Alpha Billionaire Romance

by C. J. Thomas

  After that, it had been playtime.

  He thrust a piece of paper toward me with an ugly sneer on his face. “Here. Maybe this will jog your memory.”

  He was right. It did jog my memory, but not for the reason he’d thought it would. I recognized the paper. It was embossed with the same gold AB as the paper that had come with the flowers and champagne. The same handwriting, too.

  I read the words scrawled across the page and I felt my cheeks growing hotter and hotter. A resignation—and a strongly worded one, at that.

  Son of a bitch.

  Who the hell did he think he was?

  “Reed, this is all a big misunderstanding,” I said. “This isn’t even my handwriting, for God’s sake. You know my handwriting by now, right? If I was going to resign, I wouldn’t do it like this. And I wouldn’t call you . . . this, either.” I pointed to the phrase in question, which included words that made me blush. I couldn’t believe Aaron would stoop that low. What was he thinking?

  “You mean to tell me you didn’t get some friend of yours to do this for you? I bet you thought it would be a funny joke, huh?”

  I shook my head, trying to get control of my thoughts. “How did this get to you, anyway?”

  “It was delivered by courier a half hour ago.” Oh, great. He’d been ranting and raving for a half hour before I ever arrived. I could only imagine what he’d said about me—probably a few things that would make the nasty words Aaron had used pale in comparison.

  “Suffice it to say I didn’t do this. I mean it.”

  He looked as though he didn’t believe me . . . and I realized with a sudden start that I didn’t want him to. I almost wished he would fire me—at least I could collect unemployment while looking for a new position.

  Instead of telling me off, he seemed to cool down. “You’d better clear this up,” he said. “Do what you need to do. I don’t wanna see anything like this again.”

  He yanked the paper from my hands and went back to his office, slamming the door so hard the walls shook.

  I felt sympathy coming toward me in waves from the others—the ones who had watched and listened to the entire performance. Rather than give them the satisfaction of watching my knees shake, I turned around to go back to the elevator.

  I needed to see Aaron, and I needed to do it immediately. I’d make sure he knew who he was messing with.

  CHAPTER 13

  Kenzie

  I wasn’t sure the people at the desk would let me up and was surprised when they showed me to Aaron’s private elevator without question. I wondered if he’d told them I was coming and realized with sick certainty that he had. He’d known I’d go there straight away after finding out about his little stunt.

  Who the hell did he think he was?

  I’d asked myself that question over and over during the cab ride to his building but was no closer to an answer than I’d been when I first left my office. Normal people didn’t do things like that! If I’d written a resignation letter every time one of my friends complained about a shitty boss, none of my friends would be employed!

  And he was so personal, too. There was no reason to call names, yet Aaron had almost gleefully called Reed a hopeless, limp-dick piece of shit.

  He wasn’t wrong, of course, but that sort of language made me wonder if he knew Reed personally.

  I wouldn’t get my questions answered by going to Aaron’s, after all, since he wasn’t home. He had, however, left a letter taped to his front door—he knew I’d be there.

  I felt like he was playing games, and I didn’t like it one bit.

  Still, I removed the letter from its envelope.

  Same paper, same handwriting.

  If you’re reading this, it means my letter made it to your boss this morning. Why don’t you ditch that limp-dick loser and come work for a hard-on winner, instead? I’m ready to offer you a job with my company. Starting salary of $250,000/year, full benefits.

  My jaw hit the floor.

  He couldn’t be serious. All that, just to offer me a job? Couldn’t he have asked earlier this morning, or the night before, or any other way except the way in which he went about it?

  Did he have to humiliate me in the bargain?

  Still, I turned, leaning against the wall beside the tall, wooden doors. I needed to lean since my knees threatened to give out when I looked at that number again.

  Two hundred and fifty thousand, to start?

  My mind boggled. There had to be some sort of catch.

  I wouldn’t know unless I asked, and I couldn’t ask unless I went directly to his office. He’d been kind enough to include the address at the top of the letter—smartass. He thought he knew me so well.

  Then again, I was back in a cab minutes later, speeding toward that address.

  Maybe he knew me just as well as he thought.

  CHAPTER 14

  Aaron

  I tapped my pen against the contract I was in the middle of reviewing, unable to make heads or tails of the legal jargon thanks to the anticipation of what would soon come.

  I had forced her hand. I had set the bait. It was only a matter of time. All I had to do was sit back and wait for Kenzie to show up.

  How she would react when she arrived was another story. She wasn’t a pushover, even if she’d taken plenty of bullshit from her boss and the men in her office. She had a lot of pride and was stubborn as hell. I could respect that. I hoped she was as smart as I gave her credit for.

  Only an idiot would turn down the offer I’d made. It had to be at least three times what she made with Reed—probably more. It would mean a lot more opportunity for her. A place of her own, for starters. With my issues regarding space, I could only imagine how claustrophobic she felt.

  I wondered what Reed might have said when she arrived at the office. Of course she went in today. As far as she’d known, it was a day like any other.

  My lips curled and I chuckled just thinking of it.

  Did Reed make a fool of himself? I was willing to bet money on that. He made a fool of himself without ever intending to.

  And how did she look? Surprised, I would guess. When had she realized it was me who wrote the letter? There was a reason I’d used the same notepaper for the roses as I had for the resignation. She wasn’t a stupid girl. I was sure she’d go to my penthouse, too, ready to let me have it. I knew the way her mind worked well enough to be certain.

  A call from the security guard after she’d left didn’t hurt, either. When I’d hung up, it had been with a huge smile. There was something to be said for reading a person’s mind so completely.

  I imagined her knees going weak at the thought of making all that money. It was nothing to me, of course. I could afford that—and then some—though she would have to work hard to pay me back for the investment.

  Being good in bed would only get her so far.

  Would she give me shit about that? I was willing to bet on it. It didn’t matter. I would convince her that sex was the last thing on my mind when I offered her the job. It wouldn’t be a lie, either. I couldn’t very well say the motive was revenge. Because that was exactly what it was, above all else. It’d been a long time coming, and Reed should have known this day would arrive.

  With Kenzie in my company, I sent an unspoken message to Reed. Would he find out I had taken her? I certainly hoped so—I didn’t use that embossed stationery for just her benefit. How would he react when he knew I’d resigned and not Kenzie? Time would tell, and I couldn’t wait to find out.

  I picked up the desk phone, dialing Jeanine. “Is she here yet?”

  I heard her chuckle and hated that she did. It made me feel weak. “No, not yet. I promise I’ll let you know as soon as she gets in. I wouldn’t let you miss out.”

  “Thanks.” I hung up before I could make an even bigger fool of myself. What Jeanine didn’t know was that I wasn’t waiting with bated breath for Kenzie because I liked her, or even because I was eager to get her started as a new employee. I w
anted to be sure my win over Reed Kingsley was complete—at least, for now.

  I smiled at what I was sure his reaction would have been when he saw the letter. I had to admit, I had a flair for writing resignations. If I hadn’t turned to fashion and business, I might have become a writer.

  I wished I could have been there when he first saw it. What must have gone through his head? I was sure he wondered how a meek, sweet, follow-the-rules type of girl like Kenzie had the balls to write a letter like that.

  I was only kidding myself when I called her meek, though. She was anything but. I had no idea how she’d conducted herself around the office, but I was willing to believe the verbiage I’d used wasn’t in her everyday business vocabulary. If she didn’t have the guts to tell him what she thought of him, I did it for her.

  I didn’t think she would thank me. I was under no illusions. I’d deal with her half-hearted arguments when she arrived—if she arrived.

  It wasn’t like me to wonder, to doubt myself. But she was a wild card. She could tell me off and hate me forever.

  Or accept the job.

  I was still up in the air as to what she would do. The anticipation was enough to kill me.

  I waited like an impatient kid on Christmas morning, wondering what was under the tree but unable to open the gifts right away. Would she accept? Would she refuse, as foolish as that would be?

  I both loved and hated the way she kept me guessing.

  No matter what, she was taking too long to show up. She kept me waiting. I didn’t like waiting. People who made me wait often got their just punishment. I would have to punish her for disrespecting my time like that.

  I imagined what it would be like, and decided that tying her to my bed would be best.

  Yes, and fucking her until she couldn’t scream anymore. That would work.

  First I would tease her, take her just to the edge. Then pull back. Again, just to the very brink of coming. Then I’d stop.

  I’d done it so many times before, and I always took enjoyment from having control over another person’s pleasure. I wouldn’t let her come until I said it was time—probably by sinking my cock into her, deep.

  I got hard at the thought.

  The phone on my desk buzzed with life and Jeanine’s voice echoed mechanically into my office. “Aaron? She’s here.” Just those three words were enough to spark excitement in me.

  "In her office?”

  “I’ll be showing her there momentarily. Then all she’ll need is you.”

  I looked through the portfolio once more, smiling. Jeanine had no idea how right she was. I couldn’t wait to get started.

  CHAPTER 15

  Kenzie

  I stepped into the lobby of Ricardo de Lugo, more impressed by the imposing lobby than I wanted to admit to myself. Always made a strong first impression, I guessed.

  “Hi. I’m here to see Mr. Bello. Can you direct me to his office?”

  The pert, smiling girl seated behind the information desk looked happy to help me. Beneath the mile-high letters above her head, announcing to the world that we stood inside the headquarters of the one and only Ricardo de Lugo, she looked tiny.

  “Your name, please?”

  “Kenzie Olson.” She tapped away on her keyboard, then her smile widened. I hadn’t thought it possible.

  “Miss Olson, Jack will show you the way. He’s the older fellow by the elevators.” She extended an arm in his direction.

  Sure enough, he was an older fellow. Probably a retired cop, I guessed, working a cushy security detail.

  “Jack?” I smiled. “I’m here to see Mr. Bello.”

  “Right this way.” He swiped a key card across a panel beside a set of elevator doors. I noticed, on looking around, that the doors sat slightly separate from those of the other six cars.

  A private floor? But of course. He couldn’t have every Tom, Dick, and Harry off the street walking into his office. He was King of the World, after all.

  I’d practiced my speech the entire way over in the cab, and was ready to hurl it in his face the moment we were alone. I would really lay into him.

  Who did he think he was? What gave him the right to make decisions for me? And what made him think I even wanted to work for him?

  He wasn’t the only fish in the sea, after all. There were plenty of media agencies in the city, more cropping up all the time, in fact. I could go to any one of them and never see him again if I felt like it.

  And I did feel like it, since he had shown me his true colors by quitting my job for me. The jerk. If he was willing to go that far, what wouldn’t he do? The audacity!

  My heart pounded so hard I looked down to find the gold cross I wore on a chain around my neck moving slightly in time. I took a deep breath, telling myself to chill out.

  “Nervous, Miss?”

  I smiled at the grandfatherly man beside me who escorted me into the elevator and used his key card once again to select the floor. There was only one button on the panel, I noticed. “Maybe a little.”

  “Mr. Bello’s bark is worse than his bite,” he confided. I chuckled.

  “I know—we’re acquainted. Loosely, anyway.” I bit my lip, considering asking him a question. “Do you know him? Is he good to work for?”

  “Let me tell you: I’m making more now, in my retirement, than I made by the time I left the force. And that’s after retiring as a captain, when I got maybe six, seven raises over the years. I get more vacation time, better benefits—better benefits! Can you imagine?” He laughed. “I thought I had it good before.”

  So I was right about the ex-cop. “That’s good to hear. I’m sure you deserve it, especially after your years of service.”

  “You’re very kind, Miss. I wouldn’t be worried about him as an employer. He’s very fair.”

  “I’m glad to hear that.”

  But it wasn’t like I planned to work for him. Did I?

  A quarter of a million dollars a year. God, that was a lot of money. Goodbye, college loan debt. Goodbye, credit card payments. Goodbye, cramped apartment, even if I loved my roommates. It was almost too good to be true.

  And if it seemed too good to be true, it probably was. I thought I’d be wise to keep that in mind.

  The doors opened. I gulped. “You’ll be just fine,” Jack assured me. I wished I believed him. I also sort of wished he was my grandfather. He might be able to tell me what to do once I’d had my say with Aaron. As much as I resented what he had done—and hated him for treating me like a child to be spoken for—I couldn’t deny wanting the job.

  He had me there.

  A young woman with a long, blonde ponytail perched high on her head beamed when she saw me step off the elevator. I could hardly pay attention to her while being so overwhelmed by my surroundings.

  The top floor of the building was all dark cherry hardwood, cream walls, warm lighting. It was tasteful and oozed class and money. A far cry from the Berber carpeting and cheap cubicles I was used to seeing on the “executive” floor back at Madison Media Group.

  And Reed thought he was so high-end.

  “You must be Kenzie. Boy, am I glad to see you.” I pulled my attention away from the décor and focused on the girl in front of me. She was petite, perky, and looked to be around fifteen but was probably closer to my age. In her couture, she reminded me of a little girl playing dress-up with Mommy’s clothes.

  “Yes, that’s me. Kenzie Olson.” I extended my hand.

  “I’m Jeanine, Mr. Bello’s assistant.”

  “Oh, poor thing.” The words slipped out before I could stop myself, and I gasped a little at my bluntness. What a great first impression.

  Jeanine only chuckled. “I can see you’ve met him already. It’s really not that bad, once you get to know his little quirks.”

  “Quirks.” That was a name for it. I held my tongue, at least, unwilling to make an even bigger fool of myself.

  I didn’t know what Jeanine knew about me, if anything. Tipping my hand, letting
her know we had a history—even a limited one—wouldn’t be my best bet. I wondered what she would say if she knew how he’d quit my job for me—if she didn’t already know. I felt distinctly uncomfortable when the thought crossed my mind.

  If she knew, she didn’t give any indication. “Well, Kenzie. Let’s get started. I think you’re going to love your office.” Jeanine took off down the hall.

  I suspected she wanted me to follow and I moved quickly not to get left behind.

  Her quick way of speaking and walking had to be a reflection of the culture around the office, I guessed. I’d noticed already that Aaron wasn’t loquacious when a few words would suffice. He probably didn’t suffer idle chitchat.

  My new office. The words sank in as Jeanine led me toward it. He had already given me an office, the smug bastard. I couldn’t believe the level of gall the man possessed. We hadn’t even discussed the offer yet.

  Then I walked into the room designated as my office, and my eyes nearly popped out of my head. A large corner office. Windows on two sides, extending from wall to wall.

  I was sure it had to be a dream.

  “What do you think?” Jeanine asked. “The only thing Mr. Bello asks is that his employees don’t add too much stuff to their space. Photos on the desk, the credenza, that’s fine. A plant or two. But nothing on the walls, and no additional furniture that hasn’t been pre-approved. You’ll find a guide outlining all of this on your desktop.”

  “My desktop?” As I spoke, my eyes fell upon the top-of-the-line laptop on the desk. It looked brand new.

  “Yes, our IT department has you all set up on the system. You’ll find a file on your desktop containing your account information—login, new email address, that sort of thing. We only ask that you change the passwords as soon as you first log in, and keep them confidential, of course. Then delete the file with the old passwords.”

  “Of course.” My head spun. I couldn’t believe the ball was already in motion without my having said a word. While it was amazing—beyond amazing—to see such a gorgeous office with such a heart-stopping view, I felt uncomfortable. As though my life had been decided for me. Not many things annoyed me as much as having my decisions made for me.