Teased by the Boss (Tempted Series Book 3) Read online

  Chapter 10: Will

  I couldn’t wait to see her.

  Now that she’d had some time to cool off about her raise- whatever that whole tantrum was about- I assumed she would be looking forward to seeing me, too. Not only that, but hopefully the twenty four hours apart was enough time for her to find her lucky panties because I was expecting a pretty good night.

  After all, knowing her, she probably spent every minute since she left my office berating herself for doubting what an extremely generous boss I was- not to mention lover. And if she wanted to make it up to me for acting immature, I was only going to encourage her.

  And if she thought the raise was inappropriate, I couldn’t wait to see her reaction to the present I got her to celebrate it. I was a little worried that it was overkill. I didn’t want to freak her out or give her the wrong idea, but I was having fun spoiling her, and the expense was miniscule so I handed over my credit card without a second thought.

  And when I saw her I was so glad I did.

  She was sitting at the bar in the front room at Renaldo’s. It took me a moment to recognize her from behind because her hair was falling down her back in loose curls, but I’d recognize the shape of her anywhere. She was in a nondescript black dress, but the way it fit her body was unforgettable.

  She turned around when I walked in almost as if she’d sensed my arrival, and her smile made me melt. There was no thrill on Earth I couldn’t afford, but the greatest one by far was the smile of an attractive woman.

  I made my way over to her, slipped my hand around her lower back, and leaned in to press my cheek to hers. “Hey beautiful.”

  “Hey yourself,” she said. Whatever she’d done with her makeup made her eyes look bigger than ever.

  “I’m supposed to meet someone I work with here,” I said in a low voice. “But I would much rather spend the evening with you.”

  She bit her lip like she was unconvinced. “Oh I don’t know. What could you possibly offer me?”

  I smiled. “I’d tell you, but you might slide off your chair.”

  She tilted her head down and her soft curls fell in front of her pink cheeks.

  “Are you meeting anyone?” I asked. “Perhaps someone very handsome and charming?”

  She shrugged. “He’s all right.”

  I knew she was teasing me, but I wanted to take her right there and make her change her mind.

  I heard a voice behind me. “Mr. Abbott, your table is ready.”

  We followed the maître d’ to our table, and I ordered a bottle of Chianti Reserve before we even sat down.

  The way the light from the candle cast shadows across Ella’s chest made the whole restaurant around us melt away.

  “Will,” she said, letting her fingers curl around the menu in front of her. “I want to apologize again for my outburst yesterday. It was totally unprofessional.”

  “Don’t worry about it. I’m not going to hold it against you.”

  “Thanks.”

  “You know what I’m going to hold against you.”

  Her eyes met mine and she shook her head. “Is your mind always in the gutter or is it just for my benefit?”

  “Both.”

  “So which is the steak you were raving about?”

  “The filet of course.”

  “You’re not a rib eye man, then?”

  “Not here I’m not.” I watched her eyes move across the menu like she was going to be quizzed on it.

  The waiter arrived and poured us two glasses of wine.

  “Do you mind if I order now?” I asked.

  “As you wish, sir.”

  “I’ll have the filet-”

  Ella raised her eyes at me.

  “Make that two.” I glanced down at the menu again. “And to start we’ll share the calamari and the goat’s cheese and beetroot tart.”

  The waiter nodded and disappeared.

  “You in some kind of hurry?” she asked when he walked away.

  “Aren’t you?”

  “Not really.”

  “You’re sure that dress isn’t uncomfortably tight?”

  She squinted at me. “I think you’re confusing it with your pants.”

  “Maybe you’re right.”

  She tilted her head. “You forgot to ask me what starter I wanted.”

  “No I didn’t. I didn’t ask you on purpose.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “Well you would have said you didn’t need a starter, and then I would’ve insisted you get one so I wouldn’t have to eat in front of you. Then you would’ve wondered about the salmon, but you always get that so you would’ve wondered if you should get something that I might like to try, too. At that point, I would’ve told you not to be ridiculous because I’ve already tried everything on the menu, and I can have anything from here whenever I want, and then you would’ve ordered the goat’s cheese tart… If you knew what was good for you.”

  “Is that so?”

  “It is. You’re going to love it so much that you’ll beg me to take you here again.”

  “Your confidence is something else.”

  “Just wait until you taste it. Even if you can pretend it’s not all that when we’re here, you’ll think about it for days. Eventually you’ll tell me I was right.”

  “Wanna bet?”

  I sighed. Why was she so stubborn?! Why couldn’t she just accept the fact that I knew things about the world- or at least Renaldo’s- that she didn’t? “Sure. What are the terms of the bet?”

  “If I don’t think it’s the best goat’s cheese tart I’ve ever had, you have to take me ice skating at Rockefeller Center.”

  I was hoping for something monetary. Or at least not something that required her to wear even more clothes and put me at risk of falling on my face. “I take it you haven’t been?”

  She shook her head.

  “And your idea of fun is wearing rented skates that a bunch of sweaty footed tourists have wedged their dirty feet into?”

  She nodded, her eyes sparkling like a child’s.

  “I accept your terms,” I said, not at all concerned. “On the other hand, if you can’t eat the deliciously sweet, melt in the mouth tart without closing your eyes because the sensory overload is too overwhelming when it hits your tongue, you come back and stay the night at my place.”

  “So really I can’t lose?”

  “Sound fair?”

  She stuck her hand across the table. “Deal.”

  I shook her hand and then reached for my glass. “Now before your tart comes, I’d like to propose a toast.”

  “Okay.” She raised her glass. “To what?”

  “To you and your raise and the fact that you’ve been killing it at your new job.”

  Her eyes formed little crescents as she clinked her glass against mine. “Thanks, Will. That means a lot. Especially coming from you.”

  “As it should.” I took a sip of the delicious red and set it down. “Now, remember how you thought it was inappropriate that you got the raise at first?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Well the raise was never inappropriate.” I reached in my pocket for the little velvet box. “But this might be.” I set it down on the table in front of her.

  Her eyes flashed up at me. “What’s that?”

  “It’s a present.”

  “For what?”

  “Sort of congratulations mixed with I was thinking of you. Don’t make a big deal about it. Just open it.”

  Her thin fingers picked up the box, and she held it low to the table while she opened it like she didn’t want anyone else to see. “Holy shit.”

  I laughed. “I hope that means you like them?”

  “Sorry.” She covered her mouth with her hand. “They’re beautiful.”

  “I’m glad you think so.”

  “I can’t accept these, Will.”

  “Would you accept them if I said they were cubic zirconias?”

  “They’re not though, are they? These are real di
amond earrings. They must be over a carat each.”

  “Two each actually.”

  “It’s too much.” She shook her head. “They’re stunning but-”

  “Do you already have a pair or something?”

  “No, but-”

  “Ella, you deserve them. You’re acting like a man’s never bought you a nice piece of jewelry before.”

  She swallowed.

  “I wanted to buy them for you. Just accept them graciously.”

  “Why, though? Why did you buy them for me?”

  “Because I saw you admire Bunny Wallace’s at the gala, and I felt terrible that I had to take those other diamonds back from you. I wanted you to have something sparkly of your own that you could wear whenever you wanted.”

  She pursed her lips and looked at me through wide eyes.

  Every woman should have a pair of diamond earrings,” I said. “Plus, they’ll keep you company until your other best friend comes to town.”

  The way she smiled at my joke made her look even younger than she was.

  “I love them,” she said. “Thank you.”

  Chapter 11: Ella

  He was right about the tart. I had to close my eyes and everything.

  When I finally opened them he had the smuggest look on his face it made me crazy. In a good way. He was so enjoyable to be around. Maybe because he didn’t have any real problems or worries.

  And when I was with him, neither did I.

  But the earrings were a bit much. Not that they weren’t gorgeous- because they were- but the feeling I had in my chest when I saw them was unexpected. I couldn’t tell if it was a good feeling. It was like my whole ribcage tightened or my heart swelled or I don’t know, but it wasn’t a safe feeling.

  It felt out of control.

  Of course, I don’t know why I was even pretending that this situation was in any way under control. Cause it wasn’t. My feelings for Will weren’t flippant or casual. When I was with him, I was a version of myself that I didn’t know existed, a version of myself that I liked better than who I was the rest of the time.

  I was sophisticated, witty, beautiful. I didn’t feel like that when he wasn’t around. I felt smart and average looking. Which wasn’t as much fun.

  And now he’d gone and bought me jewelry. I didn’t know what he’d spent- and he probably didn’t care- but diamond earrings weren’t exactly flowers from a gas station. They were diamond freaking earrings. I would probably have them for the rest of my life. Owning them literally raised my net worth, and even though I wasn’t sure I should accept them, I felt like if I pushed the issue anymore he might be offended.

  I just had to tell myself that rich guys did that and it wasn’t a big deal. It was to me, though. The only time I could ever remember a guy giving me jewelry before I was still wearing Oshkosh overalls, and he hadn’t even bought the friendship bracelet he so proudly presented to me. He stole it from his older sister’s jewelry box. Which I only know because I got in trouble when she caught me with it.

  Maybe that’s why the earrings made me feel vulnerable. Like at any second I was going to be found out, they would be taken away, and somehow I was going to get hurt. I guess I was just skeptical of good things because I never knew them to last.

  “How about a glass of that Irish whiskey you liked before?”

  I leaned against his kitchen counter. “The one that practically made my dress fall off?”

  Will looked at me out of the corner of his eyes. “Did you find it that strong?”

  “Yeah, I did. In fact, I don’t remember a thing that happened the last time we drank that rocket fuel.”

  Will turned to face me and raised his eyebrows, extending a short tumbler with the dark golden liquid in it. “I guess I’ll have to remind you.”

  I accepted the glass and raised it towards him.

  “Basically, I was charming and witty and you threw yourself at me.”

  I laughed. “I threw myself at you?”

  He shook his head. “I tried to tell you to take it slow, but you wouldn’t hear of it. To be honest, you sort of took advantage of me.”

  I pushed his chest playfully. It was like pushing a wall.

  I could feel the tension between us building now that we were alone. It was always there, but when there was no one else around to keep us from touching each other, it grew tangibly.

  He pulled the earring box out of his jacket pocket and put it on the counter behind me. “Want to see how they look?”

  I didn’t put them in at the restaurant. I was still in shock and wasn’t one of those girls who could slip them in and out without a mirror. Plus, they made me nervous. What if I dropped one? I’d probably try them on once for him and then put them directly in a safety deposit box so I didn’t have to worry about them.

  I reached up and slipped my own earrings off one at a time. “I’ll have to use the mirror to-”

  “I’ll do it,” he said, twirling one of the sparkling studs in front of me.

  “You can do that?”

  He shrugged. “I don’t see why not. I’ve never had a problem finding any of the other holes on your body.”

  I bit my lip and moved my hair.

  His big fingers fumbled a little around my lobe, but it was cute that he wanted to do it. Though the face he made while he was putting them in was anything but cute. It was intense and full of concentration.

  “Is it in?” I asked. “How does it look?”

  “Great,” he said, craning his neck back so he could admire me. “Let me do the other one and then you can look in the mirror.”

  I moved my hair to the opposite side and set my other earrings in the lid of the jewelry box on the counter. His lips were parted and close to me. I wondered if his heart was beating as hard as mine was.

  He stepped back and pointed towards the mirror. “Go have a look.”

  I reached up and felt the heavy studs with my fingertips as I made my way over. When I saw how they looked in my ears it took my breath away. They were so sparkly and bright. I couldn’t believe it.

  Will stepped up behind me. “They look like they were made for you.”

  My smile fell. “Oh my god they weren’t were they? You didn’t have them made for me?”

  He rolled his eyes. “Would you relax? They just look like they were made for you. I only picked them out.”

  Even the fact that he picked them out was so romantic I couldn’t help but get caught up in it.

  “I still don’t know what I did to deserve them.”

  “Maybe you don’t deserve them,” he said. “Maybe I just felt like decorating the most beautiful woman I’ve ever met.”

  I felt my breath catch in my throat.

  He placed his big hands on my hips and whispered in my ear. “There’s nothing I don’t want to decorate you with.” He pressed himself against me, and I felt a fire in my core. It was like my body knew what was coming, craved what was coming.

  I didn’t know what to say. Everything I thought of seemed so stupid. Since I couldn’t improve on the silence, I turned around, looked back and forth between his eyes, and decided I should let my tongue do the talking.

  I kissed him, hanging my arms around his neck and pulling him against me. I hoped he could feel how much I wanted him- inside me, decorating me, anything he wanted. He made me feel like I could do anything.

  Will bent down and scooped me up. I kept my arms around his neck as he carried me up the stairs to his room.

  I knew the way I looked at him while he carried me gave me away. I wasn’t acting cool or nonchalant. I felt like a teenage girl who’s just found out the guy she likes knows her name. And when he laid me down on his soft bed, I felt as excited as if he’d asked me to meet him under the bleachers.

  He stood without saying anything, unbuttoning his shirt and removing his pants. By the time he was standing naked over me, my body was so ready for him I started to ache. I pulled the straps of my dress off and peeled myself out of it.


  He put his hand on his dick and nodded for me to continue, stroking himself while I removed my lacy bra and underwear. I couldn’t take my eyes off him standing beside me with his dick in his hands. I kicked my clothes away without looking.

  He lowered himself over me, the weight of his heavy chest pressing me deep into his fluffy comforter. Then he kissed me, kneading my chest with his big hands.

  The way he moved his lips over my body was tender and purposeful. He was in full control. For once I wished he would hurry up and give it to me, but he didn’t. He took his time.

  He kissed me everywhere until I was burning up, sucking my nipples until they stood at attention and licking my hot clit until waves of warmth moved through me.

  Finally, when I couldn’t stand it anymore, I tilted my hips up and begged to feel him inside me. We groaned together as he pushed his way in, rocking me nice and slow, hitting all my walls as my body pulsed around him.

  He stayed wrapped around me as he let me feel every inch of him over and over, the rhythm of his hips building the pressure up inside me so slowly it was torturous. He stirred himself against me, driving deeper and deeper until the pleasure was so thick my eyes were heavy and everything disintegrated.

  In the end we came together.

  And it was worth the wait.

  Chapter 12: Will

  Her hair, which hadn’t lost all its curl from the night before, was strewn across my thick pillows. Her makeup was largely worn off, though, except for some sexy smudges under her closed eyes. Her cheeks were pale but her lips were as pink and kissable as ever. Not that I would dare wake her up.

  I owed it to her to let her sleep after the excitement of the previous night. Plus, it was satisfying to see how relaxed she was in my bed. I loved the contrast between how strong and feisty she was when she was awake and how vulnerable and feminine she looked at rest.

  I slipped out from my side of the bed and pulled my boxers on. Then I grabbed my robe off the bathroom door, tying it around my waist as I made my way down stairs. I needed to eat something, and I’d never seen Ella refuse food before. I figured if I fed her, she might be less likely to hurry out the door after she woke up.