Red Hot Candy (22 All-New Delicious Romance Books by Best-Selling Authors about Alpha Males, Billionaires, Cowboys, and More for Your Summer Reading) (Red Hot Boxed Sets)

by Dani Dundee

  She watched as her friends all leaned in to get the dirt.

  “This all came after I told him I'd gotten a job for the summer being a receptionist at a luxury car dealership and plan to continue there part time in the fall when I start grad school.”

  “Why would he object to that?” Joslyn asked.

  “Justin thinks getting a Masters in Creative Writing is a waste of time, and that I should take business courses, journalism, or go into teaching. Honestly, you'd think he was born in 1950 or something. According to him, I'll never make a living being a writer, and I was just wasting our time. Get that? He said 'our' time.”

  “He's a jerk,” said Danica. “Good for you, Claire. So what's next, then?”

  Claire took another gulp from her mug. “Real quick, because I want to dance. OK, got this job, and they said it was no problem to go part time in the fall. Sounds like a win-win for me. I get to spend my days in a showroom filled with beautiful cars and rich people. Being a receptionist isn’t too stressful, so it won't interfere with the work I'll have from the night classes I'm taking this summer, or my fall schedule, when I go to school full time. And the general manager who interviewed me said I could even write while I was there, as long as the place wasn't busy.”

  “Awesome sauce,” said Jillian. She was seated next to Claire and gave her a playful push. “Well, what are you waiting for? Let's dance!”

  Claire downed the rest of her beer. “I’m so ready.”

  Jillian leaned in close to Claire as they headed to the dance floor and almost yelled in her ear to be heard over the music. “When do you start your new job?”

  Claire put her head close to Jillian's ear. “Monday, unfortunately. So I only have the next few days to totally let loose. Come on, let's get started.” She pulled her friend onto the dance floor.

  It was close to one o'clock and the scene at Charli's was wild. The pulse of the music could be felt through the dance floor, which was mostly populated with women dancing with each other.

  “Perfect,” thought Claire. “Just what I need to unwind.”

  She threw her arms up, closed her eyes, and let the beat take control. One song blended into the next and soon the rest of Claire's friends joined them.

  A crowd had gathered around them as they bumped and gyrated. The girls had been going out as a group throughout their college years and had developed their own dance moves and routines, which they loved to display for the club crowds. Claire wasn't sure if it was a particularly crazy night, or just the way she felt now that she had graduated, was free of Justin, and was heading toward a new life, but when the crowd began to chant, “Take it off!” she felt wildly uninhibited.

  She caught Danica's eye and saw her nod. The two of them moved to the middle of where their friends were dancing and began to put on a show, holding each other's hips as they wiggled and swayed to the music. Keeping their eyes on one another so they could move in unison, they began to lift their tops over their heads. The crowd cheered wildly as the girls tossed their skimpy tank tops up in the air.

  The floor began to fill with men as more girls removed their shirts. Claire was vaguely aware of a tall muscular man approaching her. She thought he seemed intently focused on her as he brushed aside at least six possible dance partners on his way over. Without looking right or left or asking permission, he put his hands on her hips and began to move in time with her.

  Claire realized how big he was when she felt his hands almost encircle her waist, yet his touch was gentle and sexy. She looked up at his face, now close to hers, and smiled. Something about him was reassuring. It didn’t hurt that he was drop dead gorgeous and built like an athletic Adonis. Just how she liked her men: tall, with dark hair, blue eyes, and buff.

  He was a good bit taller than her, and her face was level with his massive chest. She squinted. She didn't know if was the drinks, the swirling lights, or her imagination, but his tight shirt seemed transparent, and every ripple of his sculpted upper body appeared visible beneath his shirt.

  As they danced, she leaned her head into his chest and closed her eyes, letting him guide her on the floor. He smelled of the outdoors, like he'd just been at the beach. It had a calm and intoxicating effect on her already inebriated consciousness.

  She dreamily followed his lead and was vaguely aware that they were no longer on the dance floor. They were still dancing, but the surroundings were now much darker, and Claire realized she was in the hallway outside the restrooms, but he danced past them and around a corner to another darkened area.

  It was here that they stopped, and he bent his head to kiss her, pulling her tight to his chest. Claire put her arms around his neck and opened her mouth to receive his tongue. He tasted of good liquor, she noted, and pressed her lower body into his. She felt almost under his spell and made no attempt to stop his hands as they roamed over her breasts.

  She threw her head back as his lips moved down from her mouth, to her neck, and continued to her chest. One of his hands slipped behind her and unfastened her strapless bra, which fell the ground unnoticed. Claire was chesty for a small girl, but his big hands covered them with room to spare. Yet, he was gentle as he squeezed and tweaked her nipples, moving his soft warm lips from one breast to the other.

  Her whole body was throbbing. His hands dropped and roamed down her sides while he continued to kiss and suck her breasts. She felt his thumbs slide under the waistband of her tiny skirt and sweep across her pelvic area. A moment later, she felt a tug and her skirt was around her feet.

  He stepped back to look at her, standing before him in the dimly lit hallway. “What's your name?”

  “Claire,” she said.

  They held each other's gaze for several moments, and Claire once more felt enchanted by him. He was so good looking, but also something more. Commanding, but not threatening in any way.

  She rested her back on the wall to steady her wobbly legs. He leaned in, supporting himself with one arm against the wall above her, and brushed his other hand lightly over her panties and across her sex.

  “Claire, I want to kiss you here,” he said, pressing slightly harder and moving his index finger down, first to her clit and then continuing the path of her slit until he reached the midway point between her legs.

  Claire's breathing was jagged, and she gasped as his finger pressed upward. Even over the silky fabric, his touch caused bursts of electricity up to her core.

  “Does that mean you want it, too?” he voice was barely above a whisper, but she heard him clearly.

  “Yes.” She spread her legs a little wider. His finger slipped under her panty and over her wet pussy lips, gently sweeping up to her hardened clit. When he pressed down, she felt a jolt of pained pleasure shoot through her.

  “Oh my God, yes,” she screamed.

  With one swift movement, he tugged off her tiny thong and dropped to his knees. His thick fingers held her lips apart, and his tongue took command of her pussy the same way it controlled her mouth just minutes before. It felt so exquisitely warm and demanding, and Claire wished she could spread her legs wider so he could thrust his tongue in deeper. She settled for swinging one leg over his shoulder and pressing her crotch to his face.

  She grabbed fistfuls of his hair while he explored every part of her sex, licking her juices, and finally thrusting his tongue within her. His fingers found her clit again. He pinched it between his thumb and forefinger, then circled around, then pinched, then swept across the surface with his thumb, then pinched. Over and over until Claire's breath was so rapid and her hips swayed so violently that it was evident she was on the edge of a massive orgasm.

  “Not yet, little one,” he said. He gently swung her leg to the floor and stood up.

  Claire let out a yelp of protest, but he shushed her with his lips. As his tongue, now tasting of her, rammed down her throat, his fingers pushed into her pussy opening. Not gently, three thick fingers at once, but she was so wet, they slid in like she was made to fit his hand.

/>   In and out, in and out, his pace became more rapid and the thrusts went deeper, harder.

  “More,” Claire tried to say, but with his tongue clamped firmly over hers, it came out more like a moan. “Mmmm.”

  She could no longer distinguish between him and her. He was part of her, a very important part, and as much as she wanted to let go and have the orgasm of her lifetime, she didn't want this to end.

  Finally, he made the decision for her. As he thrust his fingers deeper yet, he pushed down hard on her clit with his thumb. With her eyes closed, Claire saw flashes of light and white stars floating. She tried to scream out, but his mouth over hers muffled any noise of her release.

  Her body convulsed over and over, her legs pressed tightly around his hand, and she grabbed onto his butt, squeezing until the explosions within her ceased.

  He waited for her to calm down, for her breathing to return to almost normal. When she seemed strong enough to support herself, he backed away. He bent down and retrieved her bra, panties, and skirt. He placed them in her hand, closing her fingers around the items so they wouldn't drop to the floor again. Then he reached in his back pocket, pulled out her tank top, and draped it over her shoulder.

  “Here,” he said. “I caught this out there. Thought you'd want it back before you left.”

  He turned and walked away.

  Claire’s watched as he moved toward the light at the end of the hall. Just before he turned, she saw something written on the back of his shirt and her mouth opened, but no words came out.

  His shirt read, “If you can read this, the bitch fell off.”

  ***

  CHAPTER TWO

  Alexander Harriman, billionaire CEO of Harriman Motors, stared back at the faces around the conference table. They were all waiting for him to say something. Evidently, someone must have asked a question, and now everyone was silently awaiting his reply.

  The Monday meeting with his sales staff was unusually boring for him today. This was generally one of the highlights of his week, when he could praise last week's star salespeople and set the goal for the new week. But today was the same as the past two days. He had only one thing on his mind. A girl named Claire.

  He stood up and everyone followed suit. “We'll take this up first thing next Monday when we meet,” he said. By then he'd have a transcript of the meeting and could answer whatever it was they wanted to know.

  Alex was aware that every one of his employees made an effort to keep their faces straight, but he caught the look of surprise and confusion on a few. Without remembering a word that had been spoken in the last sixty minutes, he knew his performance had to have less than his usual intense focus. He shrugged inwardly. His “less than best” was better than anyone else's best performance on a good day.

  He made his way to his office briskly. All he wanted to do was get behind his desk and jerk off to the memory of Claire. Sweet Claire.

  His secretary stopped him as he strode through her area on the way to his office. “Mr. Harriman! I'm surprised to see you here. Have you forgotten the New Employees Welcome Luncheon? You're scheduled to speak in five minutes!”

  Alex's eyes narrowed, then blinked. “No, of course not. Just need to get something,” he said, dashing into to his office and opening a drawer as if he were retrieving the forgotten item. He glanced at his itinerary on the computer screen. He had time after his customary pep talk to new employees to return here for his intended action before his afternoon appointments.

  He arrived at the conference suite where the employee luncheon was being held just in time to hear Anna Brigham, the Human Resources director, leading up to his introduction.

  She seemed relieved when he appeared in the double doorway entrance. “And, so it's my pleasure to introduce our CEO, Mr. Alexander Harriman.”

  Everyone in the room turned to look at him. Alex walked to the podium at the head of the room, thanking Anna and turning to face his newest employees. He took a few seconds to survey the eager faces. His eyes rested on one longer than the others. A pretty blond petite young woman named Claire. He saw a look of shock on her face. He struggled to keep his face expressionless as he felt a tightening between his legs.

  Alex smiled imperceptibly and launched into his welcome speech. He had delivered this talk once a month for the last five years, so it took no real concentration on his part. He was careful to engage everyone at least once, including Claire. It was an effort to look at anyone but her, but he kept his head and eyes moving around the tables.

  His usual routine was to depart after his speech, leaving Anna to conclude the formalities of the rules and regulations before lunch was served. But today he stayed.

  He could tell Anna was ruffled. Her eyes kept darting to him as she spoke. It was easy to read her mind. She was nervous that he was reviewing her performance. He decided to let her sweat it out and kept his corporate face on.

  She didn't miss a beat and kept her voice steady while she delivered the speech that she had done almost as many times as he had done his. While she spoke, she passed out copies of the employees’ manual. She droned on about the rules, and he tuned out until she reached number five.

  “Dating or romantic relationships between employees is strictly forbidden. If discovered, the employees involved will be dismissed.”

  Alex's gaze rested on Claire. He saw her eyes widen and a look of panic quickly pass over her face. She quickly lifted her glass of water to her lips and turned slightly to catch his eye, but he didn’t acknowledge that he noticed.

  Anna continued. “You'll find a one-page printout of the rules I just reviewed inside your manual. Please tear out this page along the perforated edges, sign, and return to me by the conclusion of the luncheon. The paperwork states that you understand these rules and have been informed engaging in any of these behaviors will result in dismissal.”

  Alex interrupted her. “Anna, I think our new employees should be given a week to review the manual and decide whether or not they want to return the signed paperwork. I want everyone to enjoy lunch today, not be studying the manual.”

  A relieved titter ran through the group, and Anna stared at him for a few seconds before recovering her composure after his unexpected break in the usual procedure. “Of course, Mr. Harriman. An excellent idea.”

  She smiled at the group. “All right. Please make sure you review these items this week and return the paperwork to my office by close of business day next Monday. That gives you through the weekend to read everything, just in case you're busy in your new positions this week.”

  She motioned to the wait staff in the hallway outside the conference room. “I think we can begin the fun part now. Enjoy your lunches, everyone.” She looked directly into Alex's eyes. “Will you be joining us today, Mr. Harriman?”

  “No, sorry I can't. I have another meeting.” He started to turn toward the exit, but looked back into the room once more, eyes resting on Claire. “Enjoy your lunch, everyone, and welcome to Harriman Motors.”

  In the elevator back up to his executive suite, Alex sent an email to one of his new employees. When he returned his phone to his pocket, his hand brushed the painful bulge in his pants. He glanced at his watch. There was enough time to take care of that before his next meeting. He groaned in anticipation.

  *

  Claire thought she'd never get through lunch. She arrived back at the showroom reception desk still shaken and not sure if she should pack her things and leave. She looked around the showroom for her supervisor. Should she wait until the end of the day to say it wasn't working out, or leave now?

  Her computer dinged, prompting her to check her email. Two messages. The most recent one was from Anna Brigham. It appeared to be a group email sent to all new employees, reminding them of the need to return their agreements. The other was from A. Harriman.

  “Claire, Please take advantage of the one week trial period before making your decision, and do not return your paperwork before Monday morning. Spend the next
few days getting accustomed to your new position. At six o'clock on Friday evening, my car will pick you up from work so we can discuss your future with this company. Looking forward to our next meeting, Alex.”

  She stared at the screen. Was he expecting a reply? He didn’t ask for one.

  She read the message again. He seemed pretty sure of himself that she would stay. She ought to leave right now. But she knew she wouldn’t.

  At least she finally knew his name. He was all she’d been thinking about since she saw him walk away from her and disappear around a corner.

  Claire closed the email program and tried to concentrate on the tasks of her new job. Monday was a busy day, as the office manager who got her settled in had informed her. The salespeople were following up with all the people they had seen over the weekend who didn’t buy yet, and the phones were ringing frequently with return callers.

  The next few hours passed quickly and finally around three-thirty, someone came to relieve her at the desk. She got a fifteen-minute break.

  Claire grabbed her purse and headed outside to call Danica. Her friend picked up on the first ring. “Hey, how’s it going on your first day?”

  “Dani, you’re not going to believe this. He’s my boss!” Claire spoke in hushed tones even though there was no one around her in the parking lot.

  “Who?”

  “The biker guy from Friday!”

  “Get. Out. Of. Town.”

  “I may just have to. They informed us at the new employees luncheon that employees are not allowed to date one another.”

  “So what can they do? Fire you or something?”

  “Exactly!”

  “And what’s this guy’s job? The showroom manager?”

  “No. He’s CEO and founder of the company I work for.”

  Claire’s phone went silent, followed by a scream.

  “Holy shit!”

  “Yeah.”

  “Well, they can’t fire him, can they?”