Boss Rules: A Knocked Up Romance

by Jenna Gunn

  She nods, a quick motion of her head. Not a single emotion shows on her face.

  The woman has got some serious grit.

  I continue, spitting out another question. “Anything else you would like to ask?”

  “Do you have reservations about offering a woman the position?”

  I defer to Christian, who replies, “Diversity is good on the team. The county council encouraged us to consider more female candidates.”

  “Is there a reason you don’t have many women now?”

  I lean in and rest my elbow on the table, tapping my pen on the file folder. “It’s a tough job, and not a lot of women can meet the demands.”

  In reply, she says, “I’m fully aware of the physical requirements, and I’m capable of standing up to the test.”

  Oh, she’s capable of a lot. Namely, turning me inside out.

  Turning me into an animal.

  I pin her with a narrow gaze as I grind out, “The probation period is thirty days, so expect it to be hard.”

  “I’m sure it will be,” she says with a twinkle in her eye, “but I’m ready to show you that I’m just the person you’re looking for.”

  She holds me with a smoldering glare.

  Well, hell.

  Guess I grabbed the tiger by the tail.

  I don’t know whether to smile like I won the lottery or cry like I’ve lost the biggest bet ever.

  The rest of the candidates sucked. And I’m not just saying that because Ms. Raven Carson, AKA Ray, was the woman I had the hottest night of my life with.

  She smoked them. She blew the rest of them away with her technical answers and cool as hell demeanor.

  There’s no way in hell I’d be able to convince the rest of the panel that she’s not the person for the job.

  Ty slaps his file folder shut. “She’s the one,” he says with a nod.

  Bishop, my younger brother, chimes in, “I agree, she was solid,” as he tosses his file folder at Christian.

  Christian pins me with one of his grouchy ass stares as he snaps, “What’s up with you? It was like you had split personalities, all nice as honey one minute, all black as a stormcloud the next.”

  Fuck.

  “Nothing. I just hope she can pull her weight.”

  He mumbles, “Bullshit. You met her yesterday and thought you’d get to hook up with her, didn’t you? That’s what’s got your panties all twisted up.”

  I don’t reply. Instead, I just throw my file folder at him. “She’s the best candidate. Call her and offer her the job. I’ll tell the team we’ve selected the next recruit.”

  5

  Chapter 5

  My heart speeds to a raging gallop when I see the 858 area code on my phone screen. My fingers fumble to hit the accept button. “Hello.”

  “Ms. Carson, this is Captain Christian Archer. I’m pleased to tell you that you have been selected to be a probationary member of the county Ocean Rescue team. You’ll receive a call from my assistant to give you the details of starting.”

  Before I even have time to say a word, the man disconnects the call. Okay, he’s obviously not one for chit chat.

  Drawing in a big breath, I process what just happened. This is really good news.

  I should feel ecstatic.

  I’ve dreamed of this job for years. When I was a teen working as a lifeguard, I held this dream that one day, I’d live here and do the job that brings me so much joy.

  When there was no stability in my life, I found that the water was my solace and sustenance. Guarding people in the water put food in my belly, let me escape to a place so foreign from my home life, gave me a chance to do something I was good at, and let me find the sense of belonging and recognition that I craved.

  Now, here I am, in the place that promises to feed my soul, with the job offer I’ve dreamed of.

  I should be over the moon.

  But instead, the joy of the moment has been stolen from me.

  Falling forward, I drop my head to the steering wheel of my Honda. This can’t be happening.

  “Oh my god!” I shout to no one but myself. I want to kick myself in the ass.

  Don’t sleep with strangers, Raven. How many times have I told myself that? A thousand times, at least.

  Nope, I was not going to be like my momma and have a string of serial one night stands and dead-end relationships.

  Of all times to break my rule!

  “Fate, you’re a dirty bastard,” I say out loud. I had to do it with the one man—the one man in all of California who is going to be my supervisor at my dream job.

  As I knock my head against the steering wheel, I mumble to myself, “You really screwed this one up, Ray.”

  Okay, okay. Think. Stop beating yourself up.

  What’s done is done.

  Technically, he’s not my boss yet.

  So, I haven’t slept with the boss. I know fraternization is a hard and fast rule in organizations like this, but is it a problem if I haven’t started the job yet?

  What’s he’s thinking.

  I’d give a penny for that thought for sure.

  The gasp of surprise he let out when he saw me was proof that he didn’t see this one coming either. But the mixed bag of signals he sent me during the interview had me less certain by the moment.

  But does it really matter what he’s thinking? I don’t care one single bit if he wants to have sex again. I am NOT sleeping with my boss.

  There’s no way I’m screwing this job up. No way. No sex. No way.

  He can just forget it. If he even wants it, that is.

  More importantly, I can forget it.

  But my body pulses to life, remembering so many things about him. His touch. His hot hands. His slick chest against me. His raging erection penetrating me deeper than any man ever had before.

  “Aargh!” Squeezing my eyes shut, I wish the visions away. Far, far away.

  I’m still sitting in the parking lot of my hotel when my phone rings again. Same area code. Same last four digits. Probably the assistant.

  “Hello?”

  A sigh of relief escapes me when I recognize the assistant’s voice.

  She gives me a quick but friendly rundown of details. She’s nice enough to ask if I have any questions, unlike the director a few moments ago.

  I draw a breath and pull up my courage. “So, this job is working with Bryce Archer?”

  “Yes, he’s a great guy. You’ll love him.”

  Not likely.

  “Is there something that concerns you?”

  “No, not exactly. I just wasn’t clear on the structure.”

  “Captain Christian Archer is the Director of the Beach Services Division for the county. Captain Bryce Archer is the Team Lead of the Ocean Rescue Department. I know it can be a bit confusing with all those Archers.”

  “That’s a pretty unique situation, isn’t it?”

  She chuckles as she replies, “Not around here. The Archer family started the county rescue division back in the 1960s. Mention the name Archer anywhere in the county, and people know they are lifeguards and watermen.”

  “Thanks for the explanation. I didn’t have time to ask any questions before Captain Christian Archer hung up.”

  I hear humor in her voice when she says, “Christian, god bless his soul. He is a great man, but that man’s like a bull. But the guys are a nice bunch. I’m sure they will be like brothers to you.”

  “Good to know,” I reply. “Thanks for all the information.”

  “You’re welcome, my dear. And I look forward to working with you.” Laughing, she adds, “Nice to have another woman coming on board. Not too many of us around to keep these guys straight.”

  I’m filled with dread as I disconnect.

  I pray that being busy as hell will help. With my designated start date just hours away, I’ll be plenty busy. The to-do list is growing in my mind.

  Secure a room to rent.

  Get my drug screen.

  Pick up my
uniforms.

  Forget about Bryce Archer.

  Pointing my car toward the highway, I connect my phone to the stereo so I can call the woman I spoke to about renting a room.

  “I got the job!”

  “That’s great. Congratulations. I’m glad to hear you’re interested in the room.”

  “If this works for you, I’ll check out of the hotel and meet you there after work, late in the afternoon.”

  “Sure, I should be around.”

  When I disconnect, I feel a little more at ease. Having a place to stay that’s not a $125 per night hotel is a huge help. I’ve got to stretch my money and be smart about everything I do right now. The recruit job doesn’t pay as well as my last job, but the sacrifice is so worth it in the long run—just a stepping stone.

  When I left Texas, I didn’t plan on going back.

  How lucky am I that I got the chance at this job on the first shot?

  My phone rings at six. The witching hour, apparently. Last evening at six, he showed up at my door and ruined me.

  I look at the California number, the same one that’s on my arm.

  “Hello, Bryce,” I say, and my voice sounds all kinds of weird. Anxious? Happy? I have no clue.

  “Raven. That’s a pretty name.”

  “Thanks, my old coworker nicknamed me Ray.”

  “I like Raven. It suits you.”

  I sigh. “Thanks.”

  I hear him breathing quietly for a moment before he says, “Congratulations on the job.”

  “I’m very happy. I’ve wanted this forever.”

  I hear the wind through his phone. It’s like he’s on the beach. “Some kind of crazy irony, huh?”

  Chuckling a bitter laugh, I admit, “It is. I couldn’t believe it when I saw you today.”

  He clears his throat. “I want to see you tonight. You’re not officially my subordinate yet.”

  My heart pounds, and I feel dizzy. Is this a good idea?

  “Bryce…”

  “Raven, one more night.”

  Moaning, I shift the phone to my other ear. “Is this smart?”

  “I’ve always lived recklessly.”

  “And I haven’t.”

  The silence stretches on for a few moments.

  I’m pathetic. He’s ruined me. With a loud sigh, I give in and say, “Bring dinner and wine.”

  I can literally hear the smile in his voice when he chirps, “See you in forty-five.”

  My gut twists in a tight knot. Nothing good can come from this…

  But a little voice in the back of my mind whispers, “Except a night of mindless pleasure.”

  One more night. Then I’m done. No more.

  6

  Chapter 6

  When the hotel room door swings open, my eyes land on Raven’s glorious breasts. Her top is way too low, and her succulent tits are way too beautiful. “Good thing you didn’t wear that to the interview.”

  Without saying anything, she snatches the bag of Italian food out of my hands, leaving me holding two bottles of expensive red wine.

  I catch her shoulder before she can scoot too far away from me. “What kind of hello is that?”

  She looks over her shoulder at me. “You only seemed interested in looking at my girls.”

  “I’m sorry. They just took me off guard.”

  She chuckles but gives me a dark look. “Not like you didn’t see them last night.”

  I step around her and tip her chin up at me. “Honey, a man would never tire of looking at those. Or your beautiful face.”

  Lowering my mouth to hers, I brush my lips on her cupid’s bow. As I kiss her, I pull the bag from her hand and set it on the desk…the one I bent her over just last night.

  “I forgot how petite you are. Did I tell you how I love that? The way you fit into my hands.” Cupping her breast in one hand and her hip in the other, I flex my fingers around her.

  She skims her small hands up my chest. “You are a big one.”

  Picking her up, I wind her thighs around my waist.

  She laughs. “Oh no, here we go again.”

  “What? You didn’t like that?”

  “I loved it, actually.”

  “I thought so. All that screaming.”

  Her face heats beneath my lips, and I know she’s blushing.

  “I am not a screamer,” she mumbles shyly.

  “Whatever. I bet the people next door asked to move rooms.”

  Raven skims her hands across my five o’clock shadow and looks at me with amusement in her eyes. “After the desk, I bet so.”

  Taking a few steps, I sit her down on the very same desk. “We should eat. Drink wine.”

  A humorous pout appears on her face. “What? Not going to bust in the door and jump on me tonight?”

  “I’m being a gentleman tonight,” I say as I pull the folding corkscrew from my pocket.

  “Man with many facets,” she says as she watches me work the cork.

  “I hope you like red. And Italian.”

  “I do. And Bryce, I like you, which makes it really kind of depressing about the job.”

  I pull the stool out from below the desk and fold my body down onto it. Pouring two plastic cups of wine, I consider how to respond.

  “It’s a complicated mess,” I finally admit.

  Her brow creases. “You know I can’t see you. I don’t think you understand how important this job is to me. I’ve worked for years with this as my goal. Everything I want is here. This town. This opportunity. Texas isn’t the place for me. I want to be here. I’m a damned good ocean lifeguard, and I don’t plan on changing careers. There are so few of these job openings. This is my chance, and I’ll be damned if I’m going to screw it up.”

  Taking a sip of the dark Pinot Noir, I study her. Her situation is just as complicated as mine.

  “I get it. My fucking career has been my life. Never before have I so carelessly thought about doing something that could end it.”

  “Then, we’re doing what’s right for both of us.” Her eyes shine with conviction.

  She’s beautiful when she’s fired up.

  A big sigh heaves her delicate shoulders. “So we have tonight then. Unless one of us moves on to another job.”

  “Yep. I guess we better make it a good one.” I hold my cup out to hers. “Here’s to a night to remember.”

  “Think you can top last night? Because then, we might not have to worry about me taking that job. I might be dead.”

  I chuckle. Last night was wild and rough. Maybe tonight I’ll give her slow and sensual just to throw her off.

  But in truth, I wonder if I can go slow with the vixen. She certainly pushed me past my point of control last night. “I have some tricks up my sleeve.”

  The Italian food is perfect, and the wine is just right. Annoyance eats at me, though.

  I feel prickly as fuck.

  The odd need to see her again irks me. Players don’t fall. They just bounce and keep on rolling.

  That’s been my MO for so long.

  Why the hell do I have to now decide I want to hang with this woman? Of all women.

  Karma—never believed in it. Now…

  Raven snaps my attention back when she slides my dish toward her. She takes a bite and smiles. “This is really good manicotti, and the lasagna is to die for. You know all the good food places.”

  “I’m a bachelor.”

  She giggles. “You don’t cook?”

  “Actually, I do. I like to cook.” I feel my brows drop into a scowl as It hits me that I won’t get to cook a meal for her.

  That’s something I have rarely done for a woman, but for some reason, this pisses me off. Gritting my teeth, I try to concentrate on the moment.

  “I’m not much into it.” She forks up another bite of rich lasagna. “My mom didn’t cook.”

  “My mom did. My father does, too, but I didn’t really start until I remodeled my kitchen. Then I got interested for some reason. The space is nice.”
/>
  “Did you remodel it yourself?”

  “I did. It was an old bungalow on our family property, and I gutted it.”

  Raven, still sitting on the desk, lowers her eyes to my hands as I cut off a bite of her lasagna for myself. “You are good with your hands.”

  I stop midway to my mouth with the fork hovering in the air. “You like them?”

  Her voice turns coarse as she answers, “I do. They did wicked things to me last night.”

  “I’m going to use them on you in new ways tonight.”

  In response to my words, Raven squeezes her knees together. I chew slowly and watch her squirm.

  “That gets you hot,” I grin. “ Just the thought of me touching you.”

  She glances away.

  “And I’m going to lick wine off of your clit.”

  Raven gasps. “Bryce, you dirty talking devil.”

  “It’s not just talk.” I drink the last of my cup. “Are you ready?”

  She shivers and says, “For what?”

  “For whatever I decide to do to you.”

  She blushes pink and flutters her lashes as she looks anywhere but me.

  “That blush is my undoing. You can act like you’re all proper, but there’s no undoing what we did last night. I know you like it hot and hard.”

  She leans back and pushes my chest with her bare toes. “Hush now, wild man.”

  I grab her toes, pull her foot to my cheek, and rub my stubble over the arch of her foot.

  “That tickles, but it feels divine.”

  Turning her foot, I kiss the top and lick my way up her smooth leg.

  She touches her hand to my face, cups my jaw, and skims her fingertips through my hair.

  Her touch is tender. “I wish you didn’t have to be my boss. It makes me mad. When I invited you in last night, I sort of imagined we’d just have a one night stand. But now that I can’t hang out with you like this again, it’s the only thing I can think about.”

  Her eyes meet mine.

  My heart suddenly squeezes in a way I’ve never felt before. I jerk back and rub my hand across my chest.

  What the fuck was that? She sees my startled expression, which morphs quickly to anger.