Authors: Donina Lynn
Chapter Two
Milo?
Myles Oliver Dayton hadn’t heard or used
that nickname since high school. Reclining back in his chair, he searched his
memory for where he might know the woman or how she might know him. Nothing
immediately came to mind other than making a mental note to thank his assistant
when she returned from taking care of her sick sister for finding the temp
agency that sent the beautiful woman standing in his office.
Slowly, allowing his gaze to travel, he
took in every delicious inch from her auburn hair, beautiful green eyes, and
pouty lips to full breasts straining the buttons of her shirt, the flare of her
hips, and long legs. Head to toe, she was pure perfection, and visions of her
on his desk, legs draped over his shoulders as he lifted her skirt to taste
that perfection invaded his mind.
That
was it!
The mental image and desire to fuck her senseless did the trick. Myles sat
forward and studied her face, silently confirming it was her. After all the years,
he couldn’t believe the girl who had broken his teenage heart was in front of
him. “I’ll be damned. Cassie Sorrelson. I haven’t seen you since—”
Cassie put her hand up to stop him.
“Please. Don’t say it.”
Myles couldn’t blame her there. Their
one night together hadn’t turned out how either of them had planned, or at the
very least how he imagined it playing out. On her end, he only had assumptions because
he never spoke to or saw her again. Not that he hadn’t tried.
“Sit down.” He gestured to the chair on
the opposite side of his desk and watched the sway of her hips as she moved across
the room. Jesus, she could still make every damn part of him stand up and take notice.
Myles adjusted himself into a more comfortable position. His cock, obviously,
was ready to handle some unfinished business. The rest of him wouldn’t mind either.
“Milo, if this is going to be awkward,
I’m sure the agency can send a replacement for me.”
The only way this would get awkward was
if she didn’t agree to what he was about to propose. Normally, he wouldn’t hit
on an employee, but this wasn’t a normal situation. Call it a need that never
got filled, an itch that never got scratched, or maybe it was some residual
part of his wounded ego over how he’d chased after her unsuccessfully. Whatever
the hell it was, just seeing her again and having her in his office was causing
a fierce need to conquer, to possess. And the one thing Myles had learned was
to never ignore his urges. If he wanted something bad enough, he went after it.
That was how he handled his professional life and personal one as well. It was
also the main reason he was in the position he was in, and at twenty-seven
years old, the youngest executive in the company’s history.
So, no. There was no way he wanted anyone
else. He was going to take full advantage of having her there. “That won’t be
necessary. It was a long time ago.” Tell that to his lower half that was acting
like a horny teenager all over again. “Although, when we are around any of the
other employees or business associates, I would prefer if you call me Mr.
Dayton. When we’re alone…you can call me whatever you like.”
“Anything I like, huh? You might wish
you never said that.”
Myles couldn’t help but smile. It was
that mischievous glint in her eyes and brazen attitude that sucker-punched him
the first time he saw her. He’d been working in the small store where he’d
gotten his start with the company, and she’d walked straight up to him, pulled
a dress out of a bag, and asked him if he wanted to take her to prom. Myles had
taken one look at her and the scrap of red material that would barely cover
anything on her, and his dick had answered for him. Hell yes, he’d take her. He
didn’t give a shit if he knew her or not. She was a walking wet dream, and a
few e-mails, a rented tux, and a week later, he’d driven the twenty miles to
her town to pick her up with the clear objective of making her his.
Her plans, however, weren’t even remotely
close to what his had been. The minute she’d gotten into his Jeep, she’d
admitted the only reason she’d asked him was to make her ex-boyfriend suffer
for dumping her the month before. Cassie had then taken a flask out of her
purse, downed the first of many gulps for the evening, and told him to hang on
for the ride. Meaning her getting drunk, groping, and grinding up against him
every chance she could and teaching him the true meaning of torture. When she’d
gotten to the point of being unable to stand without toppling over, he dragged
her to his vehicle, more than a little frustrated with her actions. To him, the
night had been officially over.
Again, Cassie had other plans, though. She’d
insisted he pull over, and when he slammed the gearshift into park alongside of
the road, she jumped across the seat and straddled his legs before he’d even known
what happened. The right thing to do would have been to stop her, knowing she
was drunk off her ass and nowhere near thinking clearly, but that blip on his
morality screen had gone black the minute she’d stuck her tongue down his
throat. Frenzied lust took over, hands ripped at clothes, and bodies ground up
against each other. He’d just gotten her panties off and had been reaching for
a condom when she stilled, opened the window, and vomited down the side of his
Jeep. Nothing was more of a hard-on deterrent than having the girl you were
ready to bury yourself into puking while sitting on top of you. Then, adding
just one more reason why the evening had been all types of messed up, she
passed out immediately after with her nipples and pussy still rubbing up
against him.
He put her in the passenger seat, fixed
her dress, finished driving her home, and carried her into a thankfully
parent-free house, only after she vomited once again. That time on his shoes. Placing
her on the couch, he found a waste paper bucket to put next to her head,
covered her with a throw blanket, and went to leave. Not before she shattered
his heart by mumbling about how he was a good friend and how nice he was, though.
The irony was that he wasn’t nice. Never
had been, never would be. And if she’d returned any of his messages or answered
the door when he knocked on it a few days later, she would have seen just that.
Of all the things he’d been accused of—determined, ambitious, stubborn,
domineering—she’d been the only one to ever use that word to refer to him.
Nice had fucking nothing to do with him
or what he’d wanted that night, and especially what he wanted right now. Because
nothing would make him more satisfied than to flip her over the arm of the
chair and pound into her over and over again, showing her exactly how “nice” he
could be.
“You look good, Milo.”
The sound of her voice brought him out
of his thoughts. “You too, Cassie.”
“So, what I am here for?”
Myles suppressed the urge to tell her
the many things and positions he had planned for her. “You’re here to assist me.
That’s what executive assistants do.”
Cassie smiled. “No shit.”
Myles chuckled at her choice of
vocabulary. “Maybe we should add no cursing or derogatory comments to the list
of things you shouldn’t be saying unless we’re alone.” Straightening, he gave
her a look that, with no amount of uncertainty, would fully convey the meaning
and intent behind what he was about to say. “You will be at my full disposable
for the next few days. I expect you to do what I want, when I want, and how I
want it. If you adhere to this, you will be generously rewarded in ways I’m
sure you will find quite
pleasurable
.
If you don’t, however, then you will be…” Myles paused while he hungrily burned
a trail up and down her body, imagining her naked, and knowing full well his
eyes blazed with lust when they once again settled on hers. “Reprimanded.”
There was no missing the flush spreading
across her cheeks. Satisfied in knowing she understood what he was referring
to, and he affected her as much as she did him, he waited a heartbeat before
asking the question that would determine whether or not she was on board with
what he was proposing. “Does that sound agreeable to you, Cassie?”
“Yes.” There was no hesitation behind
her answer.
“Good.” Myles stood up, hoping his
hard-on wasn’t too noticeable, and continued. “We should get going then. The plane
is waiting at the airport.”
“Where are we going? Cancun? Tahiti?
Greece? A remote island somewhere where I can get my tan on?”
He came around the desk, placed his hand
on the small of her back when she stood, and nudged her in the direction of the
door. “We’re going to the corporate cabin.”
Cassie stopped, turned her head, and
pouted. Actually pouted, and it took all of his willpower not to lean down and
bite that bottom lip sticking out so temptingly. He brought his mouth down to
hover right above her ear and whispered, “The name of the company is Mountain’s
Peak, not Beaches R Us.”
She instantly whispered back in a low
and sultry tone, “That’s a shame. I guess I won’t need those bikinis I packed.”
Christ
. Myles held
back the groan threatening to escape while his pants grew even tighter at the
thought of Cassie wearing one. Lucky for him, where they were going had a large
heated indoor pool and if he had any say in it, she would be modeling every single
one of them. Right before he tore them off.
Chapter Three
Cassie stood at the top of the staircase
and shook her head. Calling this place a cabin was like calling Trump Plaza a
simple apartment complex.
Myles had told her to pick a room,
change into something more comfortable, and do a little exploring while he
handled a few things. She’d seen a gym, spa, theatre, pool, and even a wine
cellar on the lower level alone. The main floor had a living area with a stone
fireplace taking up an entire wall, a kitchen larger than her apartment, a
sunroom, and what she assumed was a conference room. Upstairs, she’d lost count
on how many bedrooms she’d passed. The place was immense.
Cassie could honestly say this was
nowhere near what she’d been expecting. Then again, she hadn’t really known
what to think. Myles had thrown her so off balance she hadn’t been able to form
a coherent thought past the heated innuendo in his office. There was no
mistaking what he’d been referring to and there was no point in denying she
wanted him as well.
How could she not? The testosterone
poured off him like water. He was sexy and strong with a confidence that Cassie
instinctively knew he was accustomed to getting what he wanted, or did what he
had to in order to get it. He was the type of man that sent her pulse racing
and gave her shivers in all the right places. Cassie was bold and outgoing, and
she craved a man who could handle her in and out of the bedroom. One who had
the power to make her knees weak with a simple look, and one who held a hint of
danger, keeping her on edge, excited and breathless wondering what he would do
next.
It’d been a long time since she met
someone who could affect her like that, and color her surprised when the first
man to get her libido grooving again wasn’t just anyone—it was Milo. The guy
she’d used as a pawn to make her high school ex jealous.
Her impromptu decision to convince him
to take her to prom had been based solely on his good looks. Cassie hadn’t paid
much attention to anything else. All she’d been focused on was getting even with
the jerk who dumped her, which naturally ended with her trying to hump the crap
out of Milo on the way home. Because in her drunken head, screwing him was the
perfect way to make her dirt bag of an ex jealous.
After the way Cassie had treated Myles,
she’d expected to be tossed out of his office the minute he realized who she
was. Cassie wouldn’t have blamed him if he had. To say she had handled the
situation poorly was an epic understatement. The next morning, when she’d woken
up on the couch and events of the prior evening came rushing back to her, she
avoided him like the plague, entirely too embarrassed and ashamed to even
consider facing him when he tried to contact her.
Regret flowed through her, not only for
her actions, but for not taking a chance on him back then. He’d dealt with her woman-scorned
attitude and alcohol-induced behavior and in return, she took the coward’s way
out, refusing to acknowledge his efforts or even thank him for taking care of
her. Didn’t mean she couldn’t properly show her appreciation now, though. And
there were so many naughty ways she could think of to do just that. Better late
than never, right?
Cassie felt a vibration coming from the
back pocket of her jeans and pulled out the phone Myles gave her to use for
company business while she was there. Clicking on the icon for a text, a
message popped up for her to meet him on the patio in ten minutes. Tucking the
phone away, she went down the stairs and headed in what she assumed was the
correct direction.
Coming to a set of glass doors, she
stepped out on to a large stoned area surrounded by gardens and the Rocky
Mountains. The scenery was nothing less than breathtaking. The man standing at
the grill wasn’t so bad either. Scratch that. With his jacket off, sleeves
rolled up, and an apron tied at his waist, Myles looked sexy and utterly
delicious. Was the reason her mouth suddenly started to water because of him or
the scent of grilled chicken? When her stomach rumbled in protest over skipping
breakfast, she decided it was the latter. Mostly.
“That smells amazing.”
“Glad you think so. Wait until you take
a taste. I have my own special recipe.” He turned and nodded at the table set
up with plates, cut fruit, and lemonade. “It’s done.”
Smiling at the undertone of authority
present even in his nod, she took a seat and poured them drinks while he served
their lunch. After he sat down and joined her, Cassie dug in and took a bite.
The man wasn’t kidding. He was a grilling god and no doubt had many talents. “This
is fantastic. Thanks for cooking.”
“You’re welcome. Thank you for choosing
to join me.”
Cassie almost laughed. She didn’t
remember a choice. It was more of a set of demands backed by a promise of
pleasure if she stayed within the limits he set, and perhaps even if she
didn’t. She was going to immensely enjoy pushing those boundaries and finding
out exactly how he planned on “reprimanding” her.
“You never did tell me what business
brought us all the way out here.”
“The manufacturer of our most popular
woman’s apparel line has gotten themselves into a rather bad financial
situation. Bad meaning they’re one step away from bankruptcy. Not wanting to
lose their products, we’ve offered to step in and buy them out. It’s a win-win
situation. We cut our expenses by owning them and having a direct line to the
products without the supplier. And they retain their name, their business, and
will receive a set price for each piece we order. The terms have already been
negotiated, the lawyers have done their thing, and tomorrow the owner will be
coming here to sign the final agreement.”
Confused, she asked, “If that’s all
there is, then why come here? Why not save everyone the trip and meet somewhere
back in Denver?”
“We do all our business deals at the
retreat. It’s out of the spotlight, adds a more personal touch, and puts
everyone at ease with not being in a cold and bright boardroom somewhere. Plus,
it gives us
time to unwind and get out
of the office. We always try to incorporate an extra day or two when anyone
comes here.”
A mini-vacation sounded good to Cassie.
Having a few days alone with Myles sounded even better. “What’s the name of the
company?”
“DBF Apparel.”
“Really? I love their clothes. Their
pants are the only ones that can keep me warm during the winter of the freaking
arctic state we live in. Colorado is way too cold.”
“You and almost ninety percent of the
women who shop in our stores. Their line is one of our top sellers and losing
them would be significant.”
“I don’t get it. If their products sell so
well, how can they be sitting so close to losing everything?”
Myles shrugged. “Piss poor management.
The current owner took over when his father died and he’s been running it into
the ground since. He spends more time traveling to remote mountain ranges to
snowboard than behind his desk and taking care of what needs to be done. There
is a time to play and a time to work.”
Finishing her lunch, she placed her
napkin on top her plate and sat back. Cocking her eyebrow, she flashed him one
of her flirty smiles. “And what time would it be now, Myles?”
Smiling back, he said, “There is some business
to take care of before we can enjoy some playtime.”
“What needs to be done?” Was it wrong she
was anxious to get any work out of the way? She wanted to get to that playtime.
Like, now.
Moving his plate to the side, he placed
his arms on the table and leaned forward enough for the breeze to catch a
slight hint of his cologne. It was a mix of spice and woods, and instantly
reminded her that the wearer was all man. Not that he needed any help in that
department. She’d been acutely aware of his man-card status from the moment she
laid her eyes on his tall, hard, fantasy-inducing body. Cassie swore if they
didn’t get this show on the road soon, she was going to combust from the
anticipation alone.
“I need to ensure there are no
misunderstandings between us, Cassie. Although this could be considered
inappropriate, I will not apologize for wanting you. Because I do. That being
said, my desire to be with you physically has nothing to do or will have
nothing to do with us working together. While you are temporarily filling in as
my assistant, you are my employee. While you are in my bed, you are my lover. One
is not contingent on the other and there is a clear and distinct line between
the two. It’s important that you understand that.”
Cassie nodded her head. Her employer
wouldn’t take too kindly if they found out she decided to get down and dirty
with the boss. She had no desire to find herself unemployed and didn’t want to
be responsible for Myles losing his job either if there was a policy in place
at his company. “I understand. Work is work and play is play. What happens
between us will stay between us.”
He smiled at her and nodded. “Agreed.
There is one more item we need to address.”
“What would that be?” Cassie held back
the urge to roll her eyes. She got it. She did. He was simply making sure she
understood the ground rules, but could they just jump to the end and get to
good stuff already?
“Sex with me might not be what you are
accustomed to.”
Well, that got her attention. She was
aching to be with him, but if he started rattling off some weird fetish where
he could only get off if she was dressed in a diaper or something worse, she
was so calling it off. “Um, maybe you should elaborate on what you mean by that
a little.” More like, a lot.
“I don’t ask, I command. I’m rarely
gentle and more often than not, it’s fast and hard. Know I would never hurt you,
though, and if at any time you are uncomfortable with anything I say or do, you
simply need to tell me to stop.”
“Myles, are you trying to tell me I
should be picking out a safe word?”
“No. I can be domineering, but I’m not a
dominant. But if choosing one puts you at ease then please do. Cassie, I
neither need nor want your complete submission. What I do need, however, is for
you to understand this is who I am. I am overbearing, controlling, and
demanding. I have an inherent need to be in charge of every situation I’m in
and when I’m not, I do what is necessary to get back in that position. These
traits, my personality, do not get turned off in the bedroom. If you are
apprehensive in any way or this frightens you, I’m asking you to be honest
about it now and I will respect your decision to keep this entirely
professional.”
Wow. Cassie didn’t know what to say.
Instead, she sat and regarded the man waiting for her to answer. She’d never
seen such honesty and wondered what could have happened in his past that had him
being so completely forthcoming. Obviously, something had. No one spilled their
guts like that unless something, or someone, caused them to feel it was
necessary to do so. Also, and more specifically, no one considered themselves
to be frightening without a reason.
The funny thing was, she wasn’t scared.
In fact, his words had the opposite effect on her. Myles telling her what to
expect just made her want him even more. The thought of him commanding her,
trying to make her succumb to his will, and then taking her with the ferocity
he described, had her blood boiling. That was exactly the way she liked it,
what got her excited. She didn’t want gentle, she wanted a man who took charge
of her and her body. She wanted Myles.
Leaning forward, she reached out to
place her hand on his and looked directly into his eyes to reaffirm her answer.
“Nothing you just said scared me.”
Cassie paused when she felt him slip his
hand out from under her palm and moved to rest it on hers. Quickly glancing
down, she smiled at the subtle gesture that only confirmed his need to be on
top, in control.
“I’m very happy to hear you say that.
But, are you positive, Cassie? You don’t have
any concerns? Any questions?”
“I do have one. Can we stop talking
about sex and actually start having some? I’m ready when you are. Let’s see
what you got, Milo. You may find I’m not that easy to control.”
Cassie watched his features instantly
change at her challenge. His pupils dilated, nostrils flared, and a low rumble
sounded in his chest. Dominance and lust rolled off of him with an intensity
that caused her breath to hitch and her core to throb.
His gaze bored into her and his voice
was low when he gave his command. “Change into a bikini and come to the pool in
ten minutes.”
A shiver ran down her spine at his tone,
and she inwardly patted herself on the back for knowing what button to push.
Not wanting to waste any more time with chit-chat, she stood and walked over to
slide the glass doors open, stopping only to listen when he spoke again.
“And Cassie, don’t wear anything else. I
don’t want anything restricting my view of your body in that bikini.”
Closing the doors after her, she smiled.
Obviously, she wasn’t the only one who knew what buttons to push. There was no
way she was letting that go. Damn, she was going to enjoy this.