Impossible (to Resist) Boss: Billionaire Romance Read online

  Still, he had struck out over and over. The German lady with the meticulous resume? Sloppy work and late assignments. The young man who had recently graduated top of his class from a prestigious business school? Constantly screwing up his schedule and the countless details of his travel arrangements, leaving him stranded or at the wrong place or at the wrong time on several occasions. The blonde bombshell with the impressive credentials? As fake as her hair color with a brain as vacant as an abandoned warehouse. The grandmotherly lady that worked for over 10 years as executive assistant to the recently retired CFO at Kaine Industries? Spending hours upon hours on internet message boards, online shopping and playing solitaire.

  He shook his head bitterly just thinking about it. He had gone through employees of all stripes and ages and each one had failed him miserably. He was beginning to think that there were no professionals left in the world. He had hired Lilliana in desperation. He needed someone fast after the latest debacle, and he didn’t have time to look outside the company.

  Lilliana had worked for Kaine Industries for six years and had a glowing record, but he was beginning to realize that that didn’t mean much of anything. One of his most trusted VPs had recommended her, so that had been good enough for a trial on such short notice. When Jason approached her, she had been reluctant to work for him and that had annoyed him for some reason, but as usual, money won out in the end.

  Five months later, hiring her seemed like the best decision he had made in a long time. She was a hard worker and scarily efficient. There had been no scheduling snafus or silly mistakes under her careful management. She didn’t complain about his office rules, like so many others had. It didn’t hurt that she was nice to look at, but a professional secretary was worth a hundred times more than eye candy to him.

  Yes, Lilliana was turning out to be the best executive assistant he’d ever had. And if she did prove herself to be ‘the one’, he’d do whatever he had to do to keep her.

  The first order of business would be to thank her for completing the Wilson files ahead of time. He pushed his natural misgivings aside. He had to remind himself that it was good to acknowledge an employee’s hard work every once in awhile. He certainly wouldn’t overdo it. Just a casual thank-you and a ‘keep up the good work”.

  He glanced out his office door at Lilliana. As usual, she sat at her desk with her back to him, her posture flawless. He often caught himself staring at the curve of her neck or the shape of her calf as she crossed her ankles under her chair. Not for the first time, his thoughts wandered. He imagined her bent over her desk, her short skirt riding up, revealing the swell of her perfect ass as he…

  Grimacing, Jason looked away as he felt the first stirrings of arousal. He was human; after all, one look at Lilliana would put thoughts into any man’s head. Still, he was a man who prided himself on his steely self-control and this situation was no exception. He wasn’t even going to let himself think about Lilliana ‘that way’, let alone ever foolishly act upon it. There were plenty of women willing to satisfy his every desire. He was way too smart to lose a valuable business commodity over base sexual urges.

  When he looked at Lilliana again, he saw her merely as his efficient admin – an invaluable business asset that was strategic to retain. As he stood and made his way over to her, he realized that she was completely engrossed with reading a book. He approached her, and when she didn’t notice his presence at her side, he cleared his throat to get her attention.

  Lilliana’s head flew up, her eyes wide with surprise. He was slightly taken aback to see her blushing so profusely. He had never seen the cool and collected Lilliana looking so out of sorts.

  ***

  took another step towards her and her eyes grew as big as saucers. She trembled slightly as he unfastened yet another button on his white linen shirt, exposing even more of his muscular chest. She had never seen a male’s bare chest before, except for her brother’s, and he was only a scrawny lad of 7 years at the time.

  The handsome pirate smiled. “You’ve already witnessed what my men would do to you without my protection. If you expect to remain under my protection on this ship, you’re going to have to satisfy my every desire.”

  Her lips trembled. “But, what else can I do? I already serve your meals, clean your quarters and tend to your wardrobe. What else can be done?”

  He unsnapped the last of the buttons on his shirt and slid the garment off his shoulders, letting it drop to the floor. She gasped at the scandalous sight, yet she couldn’t peel her eyes away. His skin, turned golden by the sun, was much darker than her own. His muscles rippled beneath the smooth surface, projecting strength and pure maleness.

  Startled, she jumped up to escape when he sat on the small bunk beside her, but before she could move, his arm snaked out and trapped her in an iron-tight grip.

  “Do not worry, , my sweet little princess. I will show you exactly how you can please me.”

  There was something smoldering in his eyes that made her fearful. She only had the most vague of notions as to what he was talking about, but she was sure whatever it was, it was not fit for a proper lady.

  She stiffened as he pulled on a long lock of her curls and then tucked her hair gently behind her shoulder. For an instant, she thought maybe she had misjudged the situation, but before she could blink an eye, his hand had slipped down the bodice of her gown and was stroking her breast with a shocking intimacy.

  She scrambled madly, trying desperately to remove his hand, but he was far too strong. His hand continued to violate her and to her utter mortification, her nipples began to respond to his trespassing fingers in a most peculiar way.

  He chuckled softly when he heard her gasp of aching pleasure as he gently pulled at her taut nipple. He noticed that her struggles were subsiding and realized it might be a good time to have a taste of the pink bud that so fascinated him. He slipped her perky breast from the bodice of her gown and slid his tongue hungrily around her nipple.

  Her eyes flew open in confusion, but somehow she managed to buck out of his arms. “Please,” she begged, “you mustn’t.”

  Fervor burned in his eyes. “Ah. You mustn’t hide from me, my sweet little princess. Your body is showing me exactly what you want and how very badly you want it.”

  He slid even closer to her, cornering her in the bunk. His hand reached out and grasped the thin fabric of her bodice and then easily tore it from her body in one stroke, the tattered remnants no longer able to cover her quivering flesh. Her hands flew to her chest, desperately trying to hide herself from his sight, but not before he caught an eyeful of her pert young breasts.

  He saw her eyes slide to the distinct bulge that was growing under his trousers. “Are you curious, my little princess, about what is under these trousers?”

  She shook her head wildly in denial, her curls bouncing everywhere. When he leaned in toward her, she had no place to escape. A strangled cry escaped her lips when his body covered hers and his hand slid down the newly bared skin of her side and intruded into her undergarments. Despite her best efforts to stop him, his fingers caressed the flesh of her most intimate parts. He was unstoppable.

  Even as the tears of frustration slid down her cheeks, she couldn’t deny the new feelings erupting inside her. The sensation of his fingers exploring her intimates was excruciatingly pleasurable. Her body was no longer in her control. It danced spasmodically under his fingers. To her horror, her knees were no longer clamped shut, but splaying open in invitation. She forgot about her nakedness and soon she was writhing and moaning like a woman possessed. As scandalous as her behavior was, she never wanted the intense and unbearably carnal sensations to stop.

  When he stopped his sinful torture, he left her spinning in confusion.

  “Have you ever been kissed before, my little princess?”

  She scrambled, once again attempting to cover her nakedness, but shook her head ‘no’.

  He grabbed her chin, forcing her to look
at him. Then he slowly lowered his mouth to her lips. She closed her eyes and waited for the soft feel of his lips against hers. The moment was almost magical for her, until his tongue roughly invaded her mouth.

  She was surprised at this intrusion and struggled against him for a moment, but quickly succumbed to his mastery as a renewed urgency bloomed between her legs.

  He pulled away from her mouth leaving her dizzy and shaking. She watched in growing dread as he opened his trousers and exposed his manhood. She couldn’t look away. How could a man hide something so large underneath his trousers? She watched in silence as he stroked himself.

  The pirate looked smug. “Now, my sweet little princess, you will kiss my shaft – if you do a very good job, then I will return the favor and kiss you exactly where you desire – on those sweet pink lips - between your legs. My tongue longs to taste the ambrosia -”

  “Ahem.” The pirate cleared his throat. I looked up distractedly, my insides melting at his lusty gaze -

  Holy shit! My heart plummeted about four stories before exploding in sheer panic. It wasn’t my sexy pirate; it was my boss. Jason Kaine was standing right besides me! Practically reading the word porn over my shoulder.

  I had been so enthralled by my book that I hadn’t noticed him sneaking up on me. Moments before, I had been fantasizing about this very man ravishing me – kissing my ‘sweet lips’ down there for goodness sake! - and now he was standing right besides me. I felt the heat of embarrassment radiating off my face and neck.

  “What are you reading?”

  I slammed the book shut, already terrified that he might have gotten a glimpse of the purple prose that suddenly seemed to be jumping off the page in giant neon print. “Um. It’s nothing.”

  He tilted his head to look at the cover. “It looks like Small Steps Will Take You Miles.”

  Fidgeting nervously, I looked around having trouble making eye contact with him. “Uh, yeah. It looked interesting, so I thought I’d give it a read.”

  Mr. Kaine nodded his approval. “You looked like you were engrossed in it. How do you like it?”

  I swallowed nervously. “Yeah. It’s great so far. I can see why you recommended it.”

  Mr. Kaine gave me the first genuine smile I’d ever seen on him. “Let me know when you’re finished with it. I’d like to discuss it and see what resonated with you.”

  How did I get myself into these situations? I nodded evasively. “Sure.”

  My avoidance of Jason’s gaze suddenly made me realize that since I was still seated and he was standing before me - I was eye level with his cock, the one I had just been daydreaming about as I read A Pirate’s Embrace. Had I been staring at it the whole time? I was immediately flustered anew and jerked around in my swivel chair, sending the armrest crashing hard into Jason’s leg.

  “Oh, sorry!”

  Jason frowned as he stepped back. “Is something wrong, Lilliana? You look… strange.”

  I still couldn’t meet his eyes, not when my vivid fantasies were still so fresh, so I settled on studying his hands. “No, I’m fine. Did you want something, Mr. Kaine?”

  “Lilliana.” He paused. I loved the way my name flowed off his lips, that was, when he wasn’t barking orders at me.

  “Lilliana,” he repeated. The command in his voice finally forced me to meet his eyes. I blushed anew when I imagined that he sounded just like my imaginary pirate.

  He continued, “I wanted to thank you for your timely work on the Wilson files. It helped me avert a catastrophe and I highly appreciate it.”

  I just about fell out of my chair. Mr. Kaine was actually thanking me?

  I was practically rendered speechless, but I managed to croak out a ‘you’re welcome’ before he returned to his office.

  Chapter 3

  I was in heaven. It was a Saturday night and I had no plans and no obligations. And finally no work! Dinner was cooked, eaten and cleaned up. A glass of wine was poured. My most comfortable pajamas were on. It was time to cuddle up with my latest book.

  Pirates had gotten a little stale. My new obsession was rock stars. Dirty talking, tattooed, sexy bad boys with a penchant for kinky sex.

  The day had finally arrived. , lead guitarist of The Riders, was back in town. Did I dare go to the concert? Should I try to get backstage? Would he even remember me if I did?

  My thoughts were a confusing jumble. It seemed so desperate an act, but I was a desperate girl. I had thought of nothing but since that one magical night we shared months ago.

  I had to go, or else I’d regret it always. It was easy to dress for the occasion as I had already fantasized about this meeting for months. I quickly put on a low-cut halter top with a push-up bra for maximum cleavage, a very mini skirt and super high heels. I spent about an hour perfecting my makeup and curling loose, sexy spirals into my long dark hair.

  I was staring into the mirror, pleased with my appearance when my phone rang. “Hello?”

  “I’ve got front row tickets for you.”

  My heart started beating like crazy. I’d recognize his voice anywhere.

  “I wasn’t sure you’d remember me?” I managed to squeak out.

  practically growled, “Fuck, yeah. I’ll never forget that night. Will you come tonight?”

  I sure hoped so. I mean… “I’ll be there.”

  “Good. And, baby? Don’t wear any panties.”

  Was that my phone ringing? Damn. I checked the caller ID and didn’t recognize the number. If it were important, they’d leave a message. I dove back into my book and became annoyed when seconds later I heard the tone indicating that somebody had left me a voice message.

  I sighed and picked up my phone, punching in the buttons to listen to the message. “Lilliana, pick up the damn phone.”

  I’d recognize that voice anywhere. It was Jason Kaine! I didn’t have time to think when my phone rang again. This time I answered. “Hello?”

  “Lilliana, I need you!”

  What? “I need you, too.” What? Did I just say that out loud?

  There was a moment of silence. “What?”

  I panicked. “Oh, what? Hello? Who is this?”

  “This is Jason. I’m in a bit of a jam.”

  “Ohhhh.” I drew out the word way too long, over compensating. “Mr. Kaine! I thought it was someone else…”

  He sounded irritated, “Can’t you just call me Jason? Anyhow, I need your help and I’m running out of time.”

  He had never called me outside of work before. What could be so important? “What’s going on?”

  “I’m down at Westgate Manor. I’m scheduled to give a speech in about 40 minutes and I left the only copy of it in my office.”

  I quickly did the math in my head. “The office is only about ten minutes from there. You should have plenty of time to get it.”

  Jason sighed. “I can’t leave here, Lilliana. I need you to get it for me and bring it here.”

  “Me? Right now? I’m in the middle of something.” I looked at my half finished wine glass and the half naked rock star on the cover of my book.

  “Please, Lilliana.” Jason sounded distressed. “I’m stuck. Will you do this for me? I’ll make it worth your while.”

  “All right,” I grumbled reluctantly. “I better get a big fat bonus for this.”

  I heard a sigh of relief. “Thank you. I’ve already phoned the security guards to let them know you’re coming. The speech is in the top drawer of my desk. And, Lilliana? Come quickly!”

  I stared at my phone in disbelief as he clicked off. What an arrogant jerk! Of course he already called ahead! Of course I would drop everything to run an errand for him on a Saturday night. I could have been on a date right now. At a fabulous show or something. Or even in the middle of wild sex! It was just so like him to assume that I’d drop everything to be at his beck and call.

  I slumped down on the couch. I thought about not going for a few insane moments. Then I glanced at my watch and realized I di
dn’t have much time. It took me at least 15 minutes to get to the office on a good day. It would take at least 10 minutes to get into the building (even if I parked in Jason’s reserved spot up front), find the speech and get out. Plus, another 10 minutes to get to Westgate Manor. I was already looking at 40 minutes to get the speech into his hands.

  I jumped up from my couch and kicked off my fuzzy slippers. I frowned at my pajamas as I quickly laced up my running sneakers. I didn’t have time to change. Sure, I was wearing Victoria’s Secret pajamas, but they weren’t sexy Victoria’s Secret pajamas. The pants were lightweight pink flannel with tiny red hearts all over them and the top was a pink long sleeved top with a giant heart in the center. They were comfortable and perfectly respectable to wear in public. In a pinch. If nobody saw me.

  I had no choice. If I was lucky, I wouldn’t run into anyone at the office and I’d just hand the speech to a staff member at the Westgate Manor to pass onto Mr. Kaine so nobody would see me. While I wasn’t entirely satisfied with this plan, I really had no time to debate it. I grabbed my car keys and purse and ran out the door.

  Things were going smoothly. Almost too smoothly. I had the speech with the heading “Children’s Rare Disease Research Foundation” in hand and I was driving to Westgate Manor. I was trying hard not to speed. The last thing I needed was to be pulled over by the police. I kept picturing Jason in the spotlight, standing awkwardly at a podium, struggling to come up with things to say to the audience. Half of me thought it served him right while the other half was terrified for him.

  I arrived at Westgate Manor about 45 minutes after Jason’s call. I was so nervous for him that I was actually sweating. I parked my beat up Corolla crookedly between a fancy looking SUV and a Mercedes and dashed from the car before the engine of my old car had even stopped making clunking sounds. The only entrance I could see to the building was the lit-up front entrance.