And then it hit me. Of course he was. It was his way of making me sweat.
Damn him. It was working.
I sat at my desk, trying to focus on my insurance reports. Like that was possible. When five o’clock came, people got up and headed out of the office, exchanging comments and wishing me a good evening. Dean said nothing as he strolled past, but he patted my shoulder twice. When I caught sight of Fiona walking toward the door, her purse over her shoulder, I sighed with relief.
He’s gone. Then I realized I’d have to go through the whole process again the following day. If he hadn’t been about to fire me, I’d have sued him for mental cruelty.
The irony of the situation was not lost on me. As bosses went, Stu was drop dead gorgeous. Short brown, neat hair, brown eyes, a permanent five o’clock shadow, and this sexy lopsided smile that always did things to my insides.
Okay, I’ll admit it. My boss was hot.
“Chandler.”
I glanced up and froze. Stu stood at his office door, his jacket and tie removed, the top two buttons of his pale blue shirt open. “Sir?”
He beckoned with his finger. “My office. Now.” Then he disappeared behind his pale wooden door, leaving it ajar.
Fuck. This was it.
I shut down my computer, tidied my desk, picked up my jacket and bag, and trudged along to his office.
“Close the door.”
I shut it behind me, and waited. Stu pointed to the empty chair facing his desk, and I hurriedly sat down. Disconcertingly, my knees were shaking. I put my jacket over them, then balanced my bag on top.
Stu walked over to his filing cabinet and opened the top drawer. To my surprise, he removed a bottle of whiskey and two glasses. He glanced over at me. “Drink?”
“I think I need one,” I croaked.
Stu chuckled, before pouring two good measures. He handed me a glass, then sat in his big, wide chair. “Well, well, well. You certainly surprised me.”
I said nothing, but sipped the whiskey. He probably had this whole speech worked out.
“I suppose you know why I sent for you.”
I sighed. “Because I accidentally sent you a dick pic.” There was no point being coy anymore.
Stu paused, his glass halfway to his mouth, his forehead creased in a frown. “Accidentally?”
Wait—what?
Before I could get my head around the implications, Stu put down his glass. “I see.”
No, I wanted to yell. You don’t see. Because I was just starting to figure it out. But some inner voice kept me quiet.
“Well, in that case…” Stu leaned back in his chair. “In ordinary circumstances, I would be informing you that your employment here was at an end.”
I took a mouthful of whiskey before trusting myself to speak. “Ordinary circumstances?”
Stu smiled, and his eyes glittered. “As you might have realized by now, these are not ordinary circumstances. What I am about to propose will mean the continuation of your employment here—if you agree to my terms.”
My breathing caught, and I put down my glass.
“I can see I have your full attention, so I’ll come to the point and I’ll be blunt. You get to keep your job, as long as I get to fuck you.”
I blinked. He wants to…. I fought hard to maintain my self-control. This is a dream, right? The kind of dream you never want to wake up from.
I licked my suddenly dry lips. “You get to… fuck me?”
Stu nodded. “Whenever I want. Wherever I want.” That smile hadn’t dimmed. “I’m aware this amounts to blackmail, but I’ve done my homework when it comes to you, Chandler. I don’t think what I’m proposing could be called rape, do you? That implies without consent, and I don’t feel that would be an issue, do you?”
My first thought was that my boss knew me a helluva lot better than I thought he did.
“I should add at this point that accepting this proposal will neither help nor hinder your possibilities for advancement in this company.” Stu locked gazes with me. “You don’t get to rise through the company just because we’re fucking. Any advancement would be purely on merit.”
God, every time he said ‘fucking’, my brain did a default to an image of me spread out on his desk, while he plowed into me.
I struggled to keep my mind on topic. “You… you could have anyone you want. There have to be hundreds of guys out there who’d be willing to bend over for you.” And I was one of them. In a heartbeat.
“But I don’t want ‘hundreds of guys’, he air-quoted. “I want you. On tap, as it were. At my beck and call. These are dangerous times we live in, as I’m sure you can appreciate. I never know if the person on a screen is the one who’ll turn up at my door. I prefer to take risk out of the equation. You’re a known quantity. You’re gay. And you like sex.” He grinned. “You wouldn’t believe the conversations that reach my ears. And apart from that, I have you over a barrel.” His eyes shone. “I’d rather have you over my desk. Or over the back of that couch over there.”
“I don’t have a choice, do I?” Not that I wanted one. There was no way I was about to tell him he was offering me all my dirty fantasies on a plate. Let him think he has the upper hand.
“Is that a yes?” Stu got up from his desk, walked around it, and came to a halt beside my chair. He cupped my chin, tilting it until I was staring up at him. “If you’d rather not do this, then we’ll call it a day and you can leave when you’ve worked off your notice. I’ll even give you a reference.”
The last part took me by surprise. I definitely hadn’t expected that.
I gazed at his lips, so pink and full, and damn it, I was imagining them around my cock. My heart hammered. I didn’t want to leave. And I wanted him.
Quick mental calculation. I get to keep my job, and get fucked by my hot AF boss.
No-brainer.
“You do know this is illegal, right? #metoo ring a bell?” One last attempt not to appear too eager.
Stu’s eyes gleamed. “You have no proof of this conversation. There’s no one around to overhear us. Hence that barrel I have you over.” His fingers caressed my cheek. “It won’t be an onerous task, I promise. And I’m not exactly unskilled. Put it this way. I’ve never had any complaints.” He bent over and whispered into my ear, “Not that you’re in a position to complain anyway.”
Fuck, he smelled amazing. And okay, I’ll be honest. Right then he got me wondering about his skills. Especially with his tongue…
Whoa boy. I had to rein in my libido. Drooling was not exactly a sign of reluctance.
Stu straightened and regarded me steadily. “Well? What is your answer?”
I took a deep breath. “I accept your terms.” Which was a damn sight milder than me clearing his desk with a sweep of my arm, bending over it and dropping trou.
Stu’s smile widened. “Excellent. Then I see no point in wasting time, do you?” He let go of my chin and slowly undid his belt.
I glanced down, my heartbeat climbing even more when I got a glimpse of his bulge.
This was gonna be a stretch. Then a thought occurred, and me being me, I couldn’t keep my mouth shut. “Just one last question. I get to fuck you too, right?”