The Boardroom Series – Complete Boxed Set (Boxes 1 – 6) : An office romance turned seductive submission

by Annabel Lucas

  “Ryan,” his name came off her lips, surprise, and desire present in the one-word syllable. She moved her hand to his wrist, not sure if she wanted to stop him or pull him in.

  He came closer, his mouth near her ear as he issued his instruction. “Shhhh.”

  The protest died on her lips, listening intently for what would come next. “I want to touch you.” His voice was low and hungry. “May I?”

  Primal desire flushed through her body at his words, wanting a kiss that could not come.

  She swallowed her mouth suddenly turned dry. When she tried to speak, her voice betrayed her, coming out as only a whisper. “Yes.”

  He chuckled. The smile on his lips reflected in his eyes. She pleased him. She knew. His eyes carried command, yet his words requested permission.

  She closed her eyes. She wanted to hold on to the moment with his body so close she could feel the heat, with his fingers gliding over her skin- a whisper of time. She felt his fingers withdraw and skim her hip and buttock, sliding down, grazing her thigh, and then gone.

  “Ryan?” It was a new voice. Shane opened her eyes to see he’d turned away and was speaking to a man who must be the driver.

  “Yes,” she heard Ryan’s voice.

  When the man spoke, he said. “I’ll be your driver today.”

  She smiled. Oh yes. She knew things

  CHAPTER 4

  Excursion

  T hey all piled into the driver’s car, a sleek black Escalade. It was what she’d ordered. The final seating arrangement came down to Shane sitting between Ryan and Tess. She hadn’t planned that. The SUV was filled with conversation. Tess’ laughter lilting over the male voices as Shane watched the Las Vegas strip blur by beyond the car windows.

  Shane retrieved her phone, checking the reservation and timing. They needed this day to go off without a hitch. She shifted in her seat; her body warmed from Ryan’s touch. She crossed her legs to make space. Tess sat on her other side, more than a visual contrast from Ryan’s maleness. She was soft. In the non-existent space between them, Shane could feel the gentle curve of her shape. She closed her eyes, willing her mind to stop. Instead, it provided flashes of this morning with Ryan, inviting her to re-enter the moment.

  A blush rose to her cheeks as she remembered the way he'd fucked her against the glass, penetrating her deep from behind. She pressed her thighs together, remembering the way he'd held her on display for anyone passing by to see, not only her nakedness but her pleasure and the way he'd completely undone her.

  Shane didn’t want to stop the memory. Her pussy clenched between her crossed legs. She turned the memory over in her mind like a stone in her fingers. Her feet splayed apart, her palms flat against the glass, their bodies rocked together as he fucked her until she had no more room to move with him, she’d been pressed against the glass, her belly, and breasts as he took her from behind, at the mercy of his cock, as he filled her. Desire rose in her stomach. “May I?” Touch was the word he hadn’t said, but it hadn’t needed to pass his lips for her to know what “May I” meant.

  Jesus. Yes. The thought in her mind, barely a whisper. Yes, it seems you may.

  ***

  The driver turned off the strip and into The Brick Oven's drive. Shane pushed away from the decadent thoughts of this morning's romp. The Brick Oven in her head was quint and simple. An unassuming building, family-owned with smooth stone floors and tables dressed in white linen. She had first-hand knowledge that the owner had shipped his oven directly from Naples- a gift from a family friend.

  The Brick Oven on the strip was sandwiched in between two high-rise hotels that stretched into the sky. The driver ushered them out. Shane’s hospitality taking over, she collected their things and led them through the stream of people on the sidewalk.

  She heard Ryan's voice through the crowd. Her mind tuned in to him, just like her body.

  “Sounds good. You bet. I’ll text you when we are ready to go.” He was talking to the driver.

  Neon light flashing in the mid-day sun colored the strip, turning, and shifting across stores. Heat radiated up from the sidewalk, and she shivered as they entered the dark-chill of the restaurant. The smell of freshly baked bread filled the air. Mouthwatering. The idea of the Brick Oven in her mind fell away as she absorbed the actual ambiance.

  Broadway posters adorned the dark panel walls. The restaurant was at least three stories tall, with the center open reaching for the sky. Dark wood tables were set with glowing red globes and crisp-white rolls of silverware. Servers dressed in dark t-shirts and denim hustled. It was lunch time. A pretty girl with a blond ponytail moved by them, a heavily loaded tray balanced on her narrow shoulder.

  "Hi!" Her eyes sought the leader, and when she spoke, it was to Ryan. "Welcome to the Brick Oven." Her voice rose above the hum of the lunch crowd. She looked around for the hostess, unable to stop and assist mid-task. "Someone will be right here with you."

  She slipped through the narrow opening between tables, sliding her heart-shaped bottom against a man whose chair sat too far into the aisle. The woman who must have been his wife frowned; and got him moving. He would not be blocking the aisle when the pretty girl came back. Why was she noticing the shape of this girl's ass? What did they put in the water here?

  Shane followed her group into the party room. They were laughing, but she'd missed the joke. No worries. All eyes were on Ryan as he took control of the room. She settled into her chair to watch. This was her favorite part. He was talking about his relationship with the family, his love for the winery, and his admiration for the empire their family had built. The restaurant boasted of its food and catered to the millennial, which meant top-notch technology. As he spoke, Ryan leaned down to plug in his phone, and with the little connection, their pitch sprung to life on the wall behind the table. The Broadway artwork slid out of the way to reveal a whiteboard displaying his Power-Point. She was pleased with the murmur of approval that rolled through the party room.

  Shane crossed her legs, adjusting her position so she could lean in to enjoy the show as he unveiled the marketing proposal. The ads depicted the family's values, love for the industry, excellence, and the mouth-watering product. If she didn't already drink wine, she'd start today.

  The rolling hills of the vineyard set the backdrop behind the fresh logo and ads that boasted of their new partnerships and “Pairings” with local restaurants. Shane listened to the well-rehearsed presentation she’d written and let herself slip into the images in the rolling hills.

  Ryan’s athletic body shifted under the expensive golf polo and khaki pants. Broad shoulders narrowed to a V at the waist, her mouth watered as she watched him move across the room. Her fingers itched to touch. She pulled her desire back, afraid the lust she felt would shine in her eyes. Instead, she pretended to listen and dreamed about what she would do to him tonight.

  Shane glanced at her watch, the minutes steadily ticked by as he moved through the presentation and asked for the business.

  She heard Tess’s voice interject above Michael and Drew’s praise, pressing the brakes.

  “Ryan, we know how good you are. What we don’t know is how well this company can represent. You know we’ve been disappointed before. The only reason we are considering a firm out of Chicago instead of the big boys in New York is because of our connection with you.”

  He drew in his breath, nodding. He waited a moment before he gave her what she wanted. “I know.”

  That stung. Shane was committed to the deal, to excellence, and to providing results and frankly, right now, they were running circles around those big New York boys.

  Tess went on, “that being said, it seems like you’ve put together a pretty intriguing proposal.” Ryan waited for her to go on, apt and attentive. His eyes were glued to her. She had taken over the room. It was clear her cousins and uncle would consent to her leadership. The girl would have what she wanted.

  She moved to the image on the screen.

  “Honestly
, I love the concept, and I love the ads. Of course, we’d need to see what Anthony thinks.” Ryan nodded. Especially since the initial pairing is between Harvest and Vino, we need to have his blessing.”

  Ryan nodded again, serious and thoughtful. "Of course." this was the playing field. Sell them not only on Vino but on the "Pairing" campaign beginning with Vino and Harvest. "We would certainly be interested in talking through the proposal with Anthony.” He glanced at Shane. “We are only interested in a solution that fits everyone’s best interests.”

  Shane nodded. “That’s right.”

  Ryan held the room, but he spoke directly to Tess, his voice soft. “Tessa.” Her eyes softened at the use of her nickname and she took on a radiance Shane hadn’t seen before. Something unspoken passed between them.

  "What does Anthony's schedule look like?” Ryan pressed. “As you know, we'd prepared the weekend to review and discuss logistics. We'd love to visit with him."

  Tess was smiling now; it was an iridescent glow that came not only from her eyes but seemed to come from her skin. "I'm sure he'd love to join us."

  Shane scrolled through the upcoming events. “Tess, I’ll make sure Anthony’s is included in the events of the weekend.” Her fingers moved across the keyboard, making arrangements.

  Tess nodded. “That’s wonderful. Thank you, Shane.” Her gratitude genuine.

  Shane finished adding Anthony to the dinner reservation as the servers entered with the pizzas- fresh, hot, mouth-watering Neapolitan pizza with sweet dollops of mozzarella cheese.

  The meal passed with wine and a lot of food. The servers continued pouring the wine throughout the meal, and once the chef caught wind of Vino's presence, he had complimentary dessert served. It was dense flourless chocolate cake topped with fresh raspberries and homemade whipped cream. It was sumptuous and delicious.

  Shane noticed that Tess passed on the flourless cake. The boys did not. They went to town, enjoying the cake and whipped cream as much as she imagined they’d have enjoyed the pretty blond server if she’d been served up with a side of whipped cream.

  ***

  On the way back to the Escalade, Ryan caught her arm.

  “Shane, Micah’s not feeling great. We’re going to drop him back at the hotel.”

  Shane frowned. “Is he okay?”

  Ryan nodded. “Yeah, I think so. Let’s not make it a big deal. He’d rather not be the center of attention. We’ll drop him off. I told him we could send a car to pick him up for dinner.”

  "Of course," Shane was already on it.

  The trip back to the hotel was uneventful. Ryan, Tess, Drew, and Michael were buried in a conversation, as Michael recounted a shared experience. She could hear laughter and raised voices but was not paying close attention enough to listen to the actual recounting.

  “Shane,” she felt the weight of Micah’s hand on her shoulder. “Thanks for bringing me back to the hotel.” Her eyes narrowed in concern.

  “Of course.” She said, her smile turned into a frown. “Micah, is everything alright?”

  “Yes, yes. Of course.” His warm eyes crinkled at the corners with shallow reassurance.

  “I’m just going to go lie down…” The tired warmth shifted across his face and was momentarily replaced with startled pain. His hand squeezed her shoulder, all at once, his grip was too tight.

  “Micah?”

  His hand slid away from her shoulder and moved to his left arm. “I’m sorry dear, I don’t feel very well.” He was backing out, turning away. His movement was stiff and jerky as his body was seized by pain again.

  Shane watched, her eyes growing wide. “Micah?” Her voice was rising now.

  He wobbled as time slowed, giving her time to think. He was going down. His knees didn't bend; neither did he sway. The pain crossed his face again, and he reached out for her. His eyes were pleading as he went down. Oh god. Oh god. Doubting herself, I can’t get there fast enough. Too big, he was too big.

  “Micah,” Her voice sounded foreign to her ears, and so clueless as if she could call him back.

  “Micah,” she heard the panic rising in her voice as she rushed to stand next to him with her arms around him. He was going down. “Micah?” and then she was screaming for Ryan.

  Shane staggered under Micah’s weight. Everything was moving slowly.

  Out of the corner of her eye, Shane saw Ryan turn. He wouldn’t get here in time. She felt Micah’s body go stiff with what she guessed was pain and hoped she could break the fall a little.

  He had a heart attack. Time was playing tricks, and the excruciating slowdown had been replaced with speed by the time they hit the floor.

  Ryan was there saying her name, and somehow, she was being pulled away. Ryan was talking to Micah, listening to his pulse. His fingers went under the older man’s jaw for a moment before he sprang into action. Hands locked together; his arms ridged; Ryan counted out the chest compressions.

  “One, two, three, four. Breathe.” Then he knelt to breathe into Micah’s mouth.

  “One, two, three, four. Breathe.” Tess was beside him, counting silently. She moved into the rhythm of the CPR. She took Ryan’s place to breathe for her uncle while Ryan continued the compressions.

  Hotel staff ushered the crowd back. Someone helped her stand, saying words she couldn’t understand. Her eyes were glued to Ryan and Tess, working together.

  Somewhere in the distance, sirens wailed and drew louder as it got closer. The wail preceded a flurry of activities. Help had arrived, and paramedics took over Ryan and Tess’s positions as they loaded him into the ambulance.

  Tess and Michael rode in the ambulance. Shane sat wedged between Ryan and Drew in the back seat of the Escalade. This ride was quite different from the last. Their bodies swayed against hers, feeling the twists and turns as the driver kept pace with the ambulance and it’s screaming lights.

  You’re not supposed to do that. She thought. The words rose to her lips, and she stopped right before they slipped from her mouth. She thought of reprehending the driver. The thoughts circled in her mind. You’re not supposed to follow an ambulance. Of course, they were not following the ambulance out of curiosity. They were following Micah to the hospital.

  Shane searched for Ryan’s hand. He let it slide from his lap into hers, and obediently intertwined his fingers with hers. She squeezed, wanting the touch to relay words that wouldn’t quite form in her mind. He squeezed back. The driver had turned off the strip. He followed the ambulance on the well laid path to the emergency room, stopping a car length behind it. The driver’s face was tight and worried.

  The ambulance door burst open, paramedics moving fast. They had Micah on the gurney. Shane watched as the wheels dropped, the paramedic team was moving as one as they raced through the open doors into the ER. Her mouth dropped open with the realization that there was a man on top of Micah still doing chest compressions.

  One, two, three, four, breathe.

  One, two, three, four, breathe.

  Micah wasn’t breathing.

  Tess came next, running behind the men with her face drawn and eyes red.

  Ryan’s hand slid from hers, leaving emptiness where his palm had been moments before. Then he and Drew were out of the car and moving toward the entry doors. Ushered along by a small woman in scrubs, she held up her hands to prevent them from following. Shane could hear her talking. “Here, come this way.” Gentle words with steel actions “Come this way.” Keep out of the way.

  “Miss,” The driver was talking. Shane hadn’t moved.

  She smiled, a reflex action, shaking her head. “I’m sorry. How much is it?”

  He was shaking his head and saying something that didn’t make sense.

  He repeated it. “No charge today Miss. I hope your dad is okay.”

  She smiled calmly. Shock surrounded her like bubble wrap, keeping her protected from what was to come. She wanted to tell him; Micah isn’t my dad, he’s just a nice man I just met. But that was too many words, and
her mouth didn’t want to say them. The thoughts blurred in her mind and slipped away so she couldn’t remember what she was going to say in the first place.

  “Thank you.”

  “Good luck.” He called after her. “I hope he’s okay.”

  Her mind echoed the statement. I hope he’s okay too.

  The door closed behind her, but she couldn’t remember closing it. When she turned, she caught the tail end of the Escalade as it slipped out of sight.

  “Bye.” She wasn’t moving as fast as the boys. They had disappeared into the bright light of the ER. It had bold letters- Capital E and Capital R.

  She moved out of the driveway made for ambulances, a turnstile circle designed for quick arrivals and quick departures. She wasn’t as fast as the others. It was as if the slowdown of the time she’d experienced at the hotel lobby had infected her limbs. The boys. Why was she calling those grown men boys? Those grown men had hauled ass into the emergency room with Micah. She would wait in the lobby. Instead of following the Capital E and R sign, Shane followed the smaller one with an arrow that directed her to the lobby.

  The waiting room was the lobby with hot coffee and worn furniture. She would wait for news, wait for good news she amended. Good news. The words echoed in her mind, and she began to pray. Somehow, the prayer felt more like begging, and she hoped he could read her thoughts because the tears began to fall, and the lump in her throat made the words stop altogether.

  She waited dutifully for forty-five minutes before Ryan slipped out of the ER to fill her in. The tears had dried on her face, and she hoped they didn’t show or that they did. Whatever it was, it didn’t matter. She was worried about him. She knew how this family mattered to Ryan. Her heart ached when she saw his face.