Boss Me: Sexy and Sinful, #3

By Liz Gavin

A lust-filled all-nighter with her assistant.

A sizzling one-night tryst with a nameless stranger.  

A life-changing office romance with two powerful men vying for her heart.

 

Amber, renowned genius of the NYSE, navigates the cutthroat world of finance with ease and poise. But beneath her steely exterior lies inner turmoil. That is, until the arrival of two irresistible billionaires who challenge every rule she's set for herself.

 

Jim, recently graduated from an Ivy League institution, finds himself wading through the treacherous waters of corporate hierarchy during his internship at Growth Inc. As his boss's domineering demeanor awakens his submissive side, Jim realizes he's in too deep.

 

Hadley, self-made billionaire at twenty, has many facets. Adventurous in the bedroom yet affable elsewhere, he harbors a soft spot for those in need. When he helps his old friend Jim in impressing his new boss, he doesn't expect to encounter the stunning redhead with whom he had shared a scorching hot evening in New Orleans.

 

But what if their desires extend beyond mere passion? Can an office affair evolve into a lasting happily-ever-after? What if Amber doesn't have to choose between Hadley and Jim ?

 

One-click this book to embark on this emotional roller-coaster. No cheating or cliffhangers.

 

Fans of Allyson Lindt, Mari Carr, and Jayne Raylon will find their next book boyfriends in this steamy contemporary romance. Happily-ever-after guaranteed.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Elessar Books LLC
• Release date: Dec 11, 2021
• ISBN: 9798201931902

Liz Gavin

USA Today bestselling author Liz Gavin’s books have made to #1 in countries as diverse as Japan, the UK, the US, Canada, Australia and her home country Brazil, collecting 5 and 4-star reviews. Nominated for a Summer Indie Book Award in 2016, and again in 2017, this RWA member constantly seeks new opportunities to improve her craft. This thirst for knowledge propelled Liz to leave the comforts of family and friends in Brazil and move to California to pursue a Master’s degree in late 2015. She lives in sunny SoCal, where she’s researching the writing process, for her thesis, in hopes to figure out why she creates in English instead of her native Portuguese.  Liz Gavin writes in contemporary, paranormal, and historical genres. In her sexy stories, one finds smart, independent women, who don’t need rescuing by knights in shining armor, but indulge in steamy action with swoony Alpha males with big hearts. She also writes about women discovering their sexuality and finding happiness in unconventional setups.

Book preview

1

The Meeting

Jim

Jim stared out of the floor-to-ceiling windows to avoid eye contact with other team members during a tense staff meeting. His focus shifted as he got caught up in the view of sprawling Lower Manhattan in the early April afternoon. Exquisite landscape. Exciting possibilities. Excruciating heartbreaks. Despite the headways he had accomplished since moving to New York, he missed the friends he had made while going to college in Boston—Hadley Ramirez and Christine Daee most of all.

Fuck! A loud bang bounced off the walls as Rob Strong’s fist connected with the polished mahogany tabletop. That’s unacceptable. The office manager banged on the table again.

Jim smoothed his navy-blue tie to disguise the cringe before taking in the fifty-year-old man chairing the meeting. Eyes popping out as his anger skyrocketed, dark circles around his eyes denouncing sleep deprivation, Rob was a serious candidate for a stroke or heart attack. Not exactly a rare specimen in the stock market business, but one that recent events had stimulated the spread of, like a deadly contagious disease.

"Look around you, guys. What do you find? Boarded-up stores and foreclosure signs everywhere. Real estate market is tanking faster than the Titanic. Businesses will follow suit. It’s already happening. How long you all think it’ll be until it gets to us? Think, people! We need to hold on to our current clients, no matter what. If we were real smart, we should be going out there and trying to get new clients. Sarcasm dripped from his words as he enunciated them. Rob paused and stared each member of his team down before gushing, But, no! Keeping clients is too easy, I suppose. You guys did one better. You lost the Feldman account." Spit bubbled on the corner of his mouth as Rob spewed the words. At least Jim hoped it was spit instead of foam. Growth Inc. didn’t need to add a medical emergency to the endless list of problems that they had faced in the office in the past months.

It struck Jim as odd that in a time as wearisome as this, his mind would focus on minor details such as his boss’s frothy saliva. Or the way the sun glinted off the Brooklyn Bridge. Or the memory of lazy afternoons in Boston with Hadley and Christine.

On the other hand, his peculiar thinking process allowed him to think way outside the box, like above-the-stratosphere thinking. Such innovative ideas generated strategies that, despite being unorthodox, had proved to be effective time and again, which had gotten Jim a highly coveted internship with Growth Inc. three years ago. At the time, he was fresh out of college and barely starting his MBA at Harvard. That unique mind of his had put him on a fast track for a permanent position in the firm and he was very close to landing it. The last thing he needed right now was for the financial market to implode. Or inappropriate feelings to make him lose focus.

Rob’s high-pitched voice brought Jim back to the matter at hand. What the fuck, guys? Shit is hitting the fan at lighting speed and all you do is sit here and gawk at me? I want ideas, actions.

Mark, a poor sap who had started with the firm a couple of weeks ago, chose to speak in a volatile meeting such as this. All due respect, sir. We couldn’t have guessed the situation was this bad when even the federal government was stimulating subprime loans.

A very strong clue in and of itself, don’t you think? the manager shouted at the man who should have known better than to toss an obvious remark like that. Rob glanced around the twenty-seat table. I don’t want excuses. Give me viable solutions. Ms. Shea is joining us shortly and we’ve got squat to show for it as is. You think she’ll be thrilled to stare into your blank faces? Think again. I mean, you all know her, right? he challenged with a mocking glint in his eyes.

A contagious frisson spread around the room, and Jim shuffled his Italian shoes, crossing his legs before uncrossing them. Amber Shea, CEO and founder of Growth Inc., received the nickname Wicked Witch of Wall Street with good reason. An unapologetic high-roller, she dominated the testosterone-driven stock market scene. Her opponents, and even a few colleagues, feared her cut-throat tactics. 

As if on cue, the door to the conference room slammed against the wall, and Ms. Shea marched in. Her bespoke black skirt and jacket turned the crispy white blouse underneath sharper. Her fingers clutched a state-of-the-art cell phone in one hand and a fountain pen in the other. The contrast of tradition and innovation intrigued Jim.

Julia, Ms. Shea’s personal assistant, came in right on her heels carrying a pile of folders haphazardly stacked up in her arms. Jim felt sorry for the young woman, who sported a pair of suspicious-looking tracks on her cheeks. Combined with a red nose and puffy eyes, the marks suggested a recent bout of crying. So recent, Julia hadn’t had time to cover them up before following her boss inside a room packed full of coworkers, leaving everyone’s imagination to fill in the blanks and work out her reasons for having cried. The safest bets comprised anger, frustration, and self-doubt. If Jim were a gambler, he would put all his money on the last one.

Jim’s blood boiled at the unfairness of the situation. Nobody had the right to make another person cry, especially not in the workplace. Certainly not when said person occupied a position of power as the other one’s boss. Indignation revved up his otherwise good nature and he met Ms. Shea’s gaze with a defiant glare of his own.

Talk about a wrong move. His world tilted out of its axis when he found himself on the receiving end of a once-over to put all pointy stares to shame. His breath got caught in his throat when he spied a glint of appreciation in her brown eyes. The flash disappeared before his next heartbeat. Her no-nonsense expression, complemented by a stern-looking tight bun that tamed red curls, made him doubt his eyes. However, his treacherous body didn’t get the memo, reacting to her self-confidence with a spike of adrenaline. The submissive in him connected to her authoritative presence in a way he hadn’t felt in a long time. He dropped his hands to his lap to reposition his twitching cock inside the dark blue slacks. The sympathy he’d just felt for Julia jumped out of the window, substituted by piercing envy. When someone had the unique chance of working for a dynamo such as Amber, they should hang on to it and never let go.

Since they’d worked in the same office for three years, he had crossed paths with Ms. Shea before that staff meeting. He had even contributed to a project with her team. However, she had never directed her blatantly dominant gaze at him. As his knees turned to jelly at the possibilities, he mentally knuckled himself in the head to wake up from that impossible daydream. Financial genius boss on one hand. Stockbroker rookie, entry-level office staff on the other. It’s not going to happen, man.

Whatever that spark in Ms. Shea’s eyes meant, she had hosed it down by the time she spoke. Arctic waters gave off much more warmth than her tone as she addressed the team. Times are bleak now, but they’ll get worse. Believe me. People are beginning to panic and their natural reaction will be withdrawing from the stock market because they believe they’re cutting their losses in doing so. That’s the obvious scenario. What should we do so we don’t get caught in the whirlpool of sewage that’s about to flood Wall Street?

Voices rose at once in a cacophony of suggestions and complaints. Without losing her poise, Ms. Shea listened to each member’s input, agreed with the ones that had merit, and rebutted those that didn’t, succinctly stating why that idea wouldn’t work. She worked the room like a pro, making everyone feel appreciated, validating their suggestions. Their faces glowed with the satisfaction of having contributed to the team effort, to the company’s future. Oddly enough, Jim’s guts twisted for his colleagues. Ms. Shea might even take into consideration the ideas tossed around by her employees, but his instincts told him she would end up doing whatever the hell she wanted to do.

During that meeting, Jim took advantage of the front-row seat to witness why Amber Shea gained the respect of the male-dominated high finances market. At twenty, she started Growth Inc. Now, at twenty-seven, she reigned over Wall Street as the company remained a top earner. Some considered her ruthless, but her sharp mind as well as knowledge of the trade rivaled no one else’s. He’d learned more from her in her business over the past three years than from some of his prestigious professors in grad school. He admired her, no doubt about it. In fact, his star-struck brain took a moment to realize she was talking to him.

Beg your pardon, ma’am. What did you just say?

Don’t make me regret my decision, Barryson, she scolded him, a dry laugh complementing the wry response. I’ve just fired my assistant and need an interim while Human Resources recruits someone to fill the position on a permanent basis. Are you up for the assignment?

He stared back at her as words deserted him. Was he? The fact that a train wreck had nothing on what her assistant resembled throughout the entire meeting didn’t bode well for his odds of succeeding in the position. The real danger sprang from the relentless pull in his guts the woman evoked. Could he work for her when butterflies swarmed around his stomach each time their eyes met?

She added, You always come across as shrewd in our meetings, but I could be mistaken. It happens. I’ve made wrong calls on rare occasions. Her tone flirted with playfulness. I won’t bite your head off, if you say no. This time the amusement in her voice, and the glint that sparked her brown eyes, made her state of mind clear as a summer day.

Jim recovered his power of speech to accept her offer with a gracious bow of his