Hungry Boss Read online

  Her shoulders drew up until his hands fell away. Why was she recoiling from his touch?

  “I-I thought… you said last night that you didn’t want one night with me.” She got up and walked to the other side of the room, arms crossed in front of her. She was pale, like she might be ill.

  “I don’t want just one night. We’ve got three months to enjoy one another. We should make the most of that time. What’s the matter? Are you sick?”

  She put her fingers against her forehead and tugged them through her hair. “I’m so stupid. Why would I think you meant…”

  “Sit down, you don’t look so good.” He went over and led her to the couch then went to his mini-fridge and got out a cool water. He handed it to her. “Drink that.”

  “Matt…” Her voice shook, and her eyes were wide. “I need to go home. I just need to get out of here.”

  “Well, go then, gorgeous. If you’re not well, you should go to the doctor. The car can take you to my personal physician. You won’t have to wait.”

  “I’m not sick.” She stood from the couch and went out to her desk to grab her purse from the drawer. Matt trailed behind her, concerned and confused.

  He put his hands on her shoulders and Brooke tensed up.

  “Don’t,” she said. “I’ve got to go.”

  Then she was gone and Matt was left to wonder what in the hell he’d done wrong this time.

  ***

  Brooke had gone back to Matt’s penthouse because that’s where her clothes were now. She considered packing a bag and just going somewhere for a while, just to think, but that would’ve made their marriage look suspicious and, at the end of the day, she couldn’t back out of this agreement. She needed to put her father’s needs first.

  Right now, she was soaking in the huge jacuzzi tub in the master bathroom. She’d been so foolish to believe Matt meant he wanted a future with her. He’d been actively avoiding commitment since he and his first wife split up.

  She should’ve known. It was just that Brooke had secretly been crushing on him for years. She’d assumed that he meant he felt something for her, too.

  Now, she realized that was never the case. Matt had a strong case of lust for her—but nothing else. She sat up in the tub, readjusted the clip holding her hair up, and scrubbed her sore body with a loofah.

  They’d made love so many times last night, and every time she shifted, a sore muscle here or there would remind her of that fact. She closed her eyes as tears sprang free once more. She had to get over this. There was no use crying about it now.

  Leaning over the side of the tub, she checked her phone with a damp finger. Matt would be home soon and she wanted to be dressed when they talked. She climbed out of the tub and grabbed one of the black bath sheets, wrapping it around her.

  When she walked out of the bathroom, she nearly screamed. Matt was standing in the doorway. “Matt! You nearly gave me a heart attack.”

  He had the decency to look sheepish. “I thought I’d come home and check on you. Come here.”

  He held his arms out to her. She looked at him for a moment but finally went to him. Cradling her, he tilted her head back with a finger under her chin and studied her face. “Tell me what happened today.”

  “I’d rather not.” She didn’t know what to say. Did she regret last night? Never. It had been perfect. But, now, she’d lost everything she held dear. Not just her virginity, but her future with the perfect man, one who would love her and cherish the fact that she’d waited just for him.

  “Did I say or do something to upset you?”

  “I need to get dressed.” She turned and walked away from him and into the closet. They’d both agreed she should keep her clothes in here so the housekeeper wouldn’t get suspicious.

  Pulling a pair of panties from the drawer, Brooke dropped her towel and slid them on, only to find Matt had followed her. She yelped and grabbed the towel. Of course, he’d seen every inch of her already, but being nude in front of him made her feel vulnerable.

  “That’s enough.” His voice was stern, and her gaze flicked to his face. His eyes were narrowed. “Get dressed and then we’re going to talk.”

  Brooke didn’t bother with a bra. She pulled out a white cotton sleeveless gown that skimmed her calves and slipped it on over her head. She exited the closet and went to set on the bed, but Matt held up a hand.

  “Over here.” He was on a couch by the window. When she reached him, he tugged her down onto his lap.

  “Matt, I really don’t think—”

  “Shh. Tell me what’s bothering you.”

  “You’re much bossier at home than you are at work.”

  “I know. You bring it out in me.” He played with her wet hair, running it through his fingers then letting it fall back to her shoulders. “Now tell me what happened.”

  How could she, without sounding pathetic? She cleared her throat, stalling for time. “I made a mistake last night.”

  “In sleeping with me?” His eyebrows shot up.

  “No,” she rushed to say. No matter what, she wouldn’t regret that. She couldn’t. “In your intentions. When you said you wanted more than one night, I thought you were saying you wanted a future. With me.”

  She let out a bitter laugh. “Which was pretty stupid, considering I know you so well.”

  “Is that what you want?” He took her hand and toyed with her fingers.

  She didn’t dare look him in the face. She was afraid she’d see pity there. “Honestly? I’ve wanted you for a long time. Since not long after I started working for you.”

  “I don’t know how to respond to that.” He withdrew his hand, no longer touching her, and a sense of loss washed over her like a rainstorm.

  “Don’t, Matt. Don’t pull away from me. Like you said, we’ve got three months.” She faced him, a hand on his shoulder.

  “God knows, I want you, but if we continue sleeping together, won’t that hurt you? I don’t ever want to hurt you.”

  She let her eyes drift closed and placed a kiss on his lips. After a moment, it became hotter, more daring, as he feasted on her lips. She was afraid it was too late. She’d already given him her heart. “Let me worry about that.”

  Matt stood with her in his arms and carried her to the bed. He unbuttoned his shirt and shirked it. “Are you sure you want this?”

  “I’m positive.”

  Chapter Five

  Matt couldn’t believe it had been two-and-a-half months since he’d married Brooke. And since that first week, they’d made love so many times. Being married was more liberating than he’d ever have imagined.

  If he were with someone else, he’d have moved on already, worried they would get too attached. But, with Brooke, all the cards were on the table and they had two more weeks to kill before his father’s retirement.

  He closed his laptop, eyes distant. If anything, he was becoming too attached. There was no doubt that things would end with the marriage. Shortly after the retirement, the two of them would file for divorce under the terms of their post-nuptial agreement. He’d continue to pay for her dad’s care. In fact, Matt had set up a trust with several million dollars to pay for his care, with the remainder going to Brooke when her father died. She didn’t need to know that, though.

  Not able to do any work the last week or so, Matt was at a standstill with the transition. He’d come to care about Brooke in his time with her. She could make him laugh, and she knew him so well. Sometimes, she knew what he was going to say before the words were out of his mouth. But what did any of that change? He never intended to get caught up in a relationship again.

  Ill-advised as it had been, he’d loved his first wife and she’d used him for money, to finance her affair with the chauffeur. He’d promised himself to never become emotionally involved in a love affair again.

  Brooke strolled into his office, carrying a tablet. “I need you to look over this. I think I’ve found the error but I wanted a second set of eyes.”

  �
�Put that down and come here, wife.”

  She placed the tablet on his desk and came around the side. “What is it?”

  He took her hand and tugged her onto his lap before she could react. She clutched his jacket, trying not to tumble into the floor.

  “You’re terrible, Matt. What if someone comes in here?” A smile teased her lips.

  “Let me lock the door and have you on my desk.”

  “No, absolutely not. Your assistant is right outside, she hears everything because I’ve been on the other side of that door and I heard you in here with women. And… because you make me noisy.”

  He nibbled at her earlobe, whispering against her ear. “And how am I responsible for that?”

  “Because you’re very good at what you do.” She put a prim look on her face and clasped her hands together. Her cheeks were flushed.

  She wore a simple pink blouse with a white camisole underneath. He’d watched her get dressed this morning. Under her navy skirt, she wore silky white panties.

  She would leave him with a better job, a new wardrobe (because he’d insisted on taking her shopping, especially for lingerie), and care for her father. He had no reason to feel bad for their upcoming parting, but something about it filled him with dread.

  It also made him desperate to make love to her as often as possible before the split. It would be too confusing and unfair to her to continue their relationship once they were divorced. Matt didn’t want to hurt Brooke.

  “Besides,” she went on, oblivious to his thoughts, “we don’t have any condoms here.”

  Matt pulled open his middle desk drawer and lifted the pencil tray there. Underneath, five or six condoms were scattered about. “I always have condoms, gorgeous.”

  He pushed his thoughts aside. He wouldn’t get bogged down in worrying about a future he couldn’t have, when he could have her now, in the present. “Up on the desk.”

  Brooke seemed unable to resist him when he got commanding. She found her footing, stood, then hauled herself up on the desk. Her legs dangled on either side of him. He pushed her skirt up further, bunching it at her hips, to explore her creamy thighs. “Unbutton your shirt.”

  She complied, her breathing heavy. He wanted to be inside of her, to feel her slick walls around his cock, to make her come and kiss her cries of pleasure away, so no one would hear them.

  “The door isn’t locked, Matt.”

  He hit the intercom on his phone. “Absolutely no one is to disturb us.”

  “Yes, sir,” the disembodied voice of his new assistant responded.

  “Now,” he stood between her legs, pushing his chair away. “What do you want?”

  “I want you to…” She looked down, unable to meet his eyes.

  “Say it, gorgeous. Tell me.”

  “Fuck me.” She met his gaze and electricity arced between them.

  “Yes,” he whispered. He grabbed her hips and pulled her close until her pelvis pressed against his erection. Quickly, he undid his pants and freed himself. He grabbed a condom and slid it over his dick.

  When he pushed her panties aside and thrust into her, she cried out.

  “You’re driving me crazy,” she said, words coming out in pants.

  He sealed her mouth with a kiss and began to pump in and out of her. Aroused to the point of pain, he used his thumb to roughly circle her clit, pushing her harder toward her orgasm.

  When she came, her moans were drowned out by his mouth and his own roar of pleasure.

  She closed her eyes, still breathless. “I’m never going to be able to face your assistant again.”

  ***

  The next day, Brooke waited until Matt got dressed to go for a run. When he left the bedroom, she sprung out of bed and went to retrieve the bag she’d hidden in the bathroom last night.

  She opened the bag and pulled out the pregnancy test she bought yesterday. She had no idea how to tell Matt she was late, but she was pretty sure he’d freak out, especially considering they were two weeks away from getting a divorce.

  Every day closer, her heart broke a little more. She was so in love with Matt. He’d been her first lover and she’d have been perfectly content if he were her last, but she knew he’d never settle down.

  She put the cap on the end of the pregnancy test, put the box in the bag, then put it in the trash can. She pulled off a bunch of toilet paper and covered it up. There.

  As she walked back into the bedroom, she stared at the stick. Just say “not pregnant” so I can forget this ever happened.

  “What you got there?” Matt spoke up from the doorway.

  Brooke jumped, just barely holding back a screech. Her hand flew to her racing heart. “I thought you left!”

  “I forgot my phone.” He walked back into the bedroom and picked it up from the charging pad. He headed toward the door then froze before turning slowly back to her. “What’s in your hand?”

  “It’s nothing. Go for your run and we’ll talk when you get back.” Brooke put her hand behind her back. It made her feel like a child hiding a misdeed, but her options were limited. She supposed she could go back in the bathroom and lock the door. In fact, that was a good plan. She turned toward the bathroom.

  “Don’t you dare.” He crossed to her and snatched the pregnancy test she’d been hiding. “Why didn’t you tell me?” he shouted.

  “There’s nothing to tell, yet. I’m just late, and this is what you do when you’re very sexually active and your period doesn’t come. At least, I assume it is. I’ve never had to do this before!”

  This was exactly what she had wanted to avoid. She crossed her arms and stood her ground.

  “How could you let this happen, Brooke?”

  “Me? You’re serious?” She poked a finger in her chest. “How is this any more my fault than yours? You at least had experience.”

  “And I always used a condom. I’ve never knocked anyone up before.”

  “Obviously, I know that, Matt. I’m not one of your one-night-stands. We’re in a relationship.”

  “We’re not in a relationship.”

  Hands fisted at her sides, she thought her head might explode with rage that he was denying the truth of their pairing. “We’ve been sleeping together, exclusively, for months and we’re married!” Her voice rose at the end so that she screamed the word “married” to him.

  The thing was, they were great friends, they worked well together, and she’d hoped their relationship was going somewhere. It was obvious now that she was the only one of them who had felt that way.

  “We’re not really married, Brooke.” His face was bright red.

  “We really are, actually. Give me the damn test so I can see if it’s positive or negative.” She snatched it back and looked at it. A digital “not pregnant” was displayed on the screen. She tossed it back at him, and it bounced off his chest. “You’re safe again, Matt. I’m not pregnant.”

  “Well, thank God for that.”

  “Oh, I agree.” Brooke tore open the closet door, grabbed her sturdy purple suitcase, and began tossing her clothes in it on the floor.

  Matt had never wanted her as anything more than a plaything and she was done being that for him. She was going back to her apartment tonight and she’d never let him touch her again.

  It took everything in her not to cry in front of him, but she just held onto how furious she was, how heartless his words were, and kept yanking down her clothes and dropping them in the suitcase.

  ***

  Matt watched Brooke pack up her clothes with a sinking feeling in his gut. They were supposed to have two more weeks, damn it. “What are you doing?”

  “I’m leaving. Going back home.”

  “You can’t do that. You agreed to stay married until after my father’s retirement.”

  “And I’ll do what I agreed—stay married on paper until the retirement. But I’m not staying here with you for another minute.” She latched her suitcase and dragged it into the bedroom behind her. Half the clothes
he’d bought her still hung on hangers in their shared closet.

  He held his hands out in front of him. “Let’s just calm down. I think we can agree that the pregnancy test made us both emotional. But we don’t want to make any snap decisions here.”

  What was he going to do if she left? He’d known, in a very abstract way, that she’d be gone from his house, and his bed, in two weeks, but that hadn’t seemed real. Not like this.

  “I think I need to make some decisions for myself for a change. You’ve been driving this relationship, and yes, it is a relationship—was a relationship, since the beginning and I’m not letting you tell me what to do anymore.” She walked back to the closet and shut the door in his face when he tried to follow.

  “Brooke, what are you doing in there? I just want us to talk, face-to-face.” He pounded on the wooden door, growing more desperate by the second.

  “I’m changing my clothes!” she responded through the closed door.

  He took a second to try to get a handle on himself. This was spinning wildly out of control, like a car wreck, and he had no idea how to stop it. “You can change while we talk.”

  “You are never seeing me naked again.”

  Was she crying? He’d made her cry and the thought made him regret his every word since coming back into the bedroom.

  “Okay, I understand that you’re upset. But will you please just talk to me before you do anything?”

  She opened the door, wearing jeans and a lacy white blouse. She looked stunning, even with her hair back in a simple ponytail and no makeup. Every time he looked at her, if he were being honest, she knocked the breath from him.

  Her eyes were red and tears left streaks down her face.

  “Why are you crying?”

  “Why would you even ask that question? What the hell is the matter with you? You’re so damn emotionally crippled. Poor you, your wife broke your heart. Get over it.”

  Matt recoiled from her words. She’d never spoken to him so harshly the entire time he’d known her. “Excuse me?”

  “Oh, you heard me.” She made her way into the bathroom and began tossing her toiletries into a smaller bag. “I’m so stupid. I fell in love with you, like the biggest idiot on Earth. Who knows more than I do what a player you are? Well, I guess you scammed this girl, too.”