Bought by the Boss Read online

  I move toward the brown leather chair in front of Jackson’s grand desk and take a seat. “What exactly are you so concerned about? Do you honestly think I can’t handle Liam?”

  “I know you can handle him,” Jackson counters without pause, leaning back in his seat, folding his arms. “I also know that he’s very good at handling women, and that’s my concern. Do not get caught up in his games.”

  I shake my head, wishing things were different. “Will there ever be a time that you both finally stop this feud between you?”

  “I am over it.”

  I raise my brows at the curtness in his voice. “I sincerely doubt that.”

  Jackson pauses again and frowns, then he speaks firmly. “Aria, listen to me very carefully. The only reason Liam bought you is to get back at me. This is the game we’ve been playing for years. That’s the type of guy he is. There were dozens of women that entered the charity event, why else would he have picked you?”

  Because there’s this crazy lusty goodness between us that you can’t understand. Of course, I don’t say that, and gently offer, “Even if that’s true, I think you’re reading too much into this. I’ll be fine. I’m a big girl, Jackson. I can look after myself. No one is tricking me into anything.”

  His potent eyes search mine before he curses and adamantly shakes his head, sputtering, “I don’t like this.”

  “I’m sure you don’t. You have to share me, and you’ve never been good at sharing.”

  “You’re right, I don’t like to share,” he says harshly. “If it wouldn’t have made it look like we were fighting for you, I would have outbid him. But I didn’t want to put you in the spotlight, something that Liam would do to you.”

  I ignore his jab at Liam, sticking on the positive things he did say. “Thank you for caring enough about me to consider doing that.” We have this odd kind of relationship, Jackson and I, that grew over the years. He doesn’t have siblings and neither do I, but we are close like that. In a world of cutthroat business and fake friends, I’m the only real friend he’s got. “Please stop being angry about this.” Then I say the one thing I know will fix this. “You’re upsetting me.”

  His eyes search mine again, and I make the emotion in my expression thick. He finally sighs, his posture relaxing. “I’m sorry, Aria. I don’t mean for you to be in the middle of this bullshit with Liam. You did enter the auction for charity, and that was kind of you. This is my problem, not yours.”

  I smile. “So, we’re good?”

  “We’re always good,” he says, giving a soft smile I know is forced.

  “Great.” I rise from my seat, knowing things aren’t truly good but they’re as good as they’re going to get. I might care about Jackson, and would never intentionally hurt him, but this is my once chance for a taste of Liam, and I’m going to take it. “I’ll be back in a jiffy with our lunch.”

  He says nothing more, glancing down at the papers on his desk, clearly getting his mind back on the job.

  Done with making sure we talked, and ensuring he gave me more than one-word answers, I move quickly through our office to the elevator. I’m down in the lower lobby striding past security within minutes. When I pass through the revolving glass doors, I step out into the bright sunny day. The streets are busy with typical tourists. The energy of the city is what I’ve always loved.

  I take two steps forward but when a firm hand grasps my arm, I’m ready to either kick someone in the junk or yell at them as I spin around and find myself gazing deeply into Liam’s potent eyes.

  He’s fancy with his neatly tailored black suit and navy blue tie, and dear God, he is gorgeous. His dark eyes pin me to where I’m standing with the power they possess. His chiseled jaw and sculpted mouth are perfection. Liam is what teenage boys dream of being when they grow up. A sexy as hell man.

  “Hello, Aria,” he says smoothly, seductively. “Might I have a moment, please.”

  He slides his hand down my arm to take my hand. I shiver at the heat of his touch as he leads me into the alleyway, placing us behind one of the walls of the parking garage, keeping us out of sight.

  “Do you think it’s wise to tempt me? To tease me?” he asks, stepping closer until my back is pressed against the wall and his hands are on either side of my head.

  I swallow against the fierceness he projects. “It seemed like a good idea at the time.” Now maybe not so much. I admit that I hadn’t expected him to act on it. Hell, I tease him all the time. Though maybe Liam’s reached his limit. I stare into the heated depths of his eyes and realize I’ve never seen him like this. Unleashed. Raw. A burn sizzles through me, pooling heat low in my body.

  The side of his mouth arches obviously in response to the hitch of my breath, the flushing of my cheeks. His grin is as deadly as it is sexy. “Do you think I don’t know that if I wanted it, I could have you?” The passion exuding from him consumes me, swallowing me whole when he adds, “I know you are well aware that the only reason I haven’t touched you before is because I’m respecting your loyalty to Jackson.”

  He leans in and as I inhale his woodsy scent, my heart is racing, thighs are clenching, sex is drenching with desire.

  “Do not toy with me, Aria.” He brings his mouth close to mine, his warm minty breath brushing across my parted lips. “Do not push against me because I will not lose. Let this be a reminder of that.” His big, strong hand pushes against my thigh. I’m spreading my legs for him before I even wonder if I should.

  His fingers slowly slide upward, giving me the chance to say “stop.” I should end this right now because I’m only proving him right, that where it comes to him I have no control and that I’m all talk, but somehow I can’t stop him.

  I want this.

  I want him.

  When he places a hand on my neck, pinning me to the wall, I’m breathless. A sexy smile creases the corners of his mouth as he slides his hand up my thigh, taking my skirt with it. He tucks his fingers into my panties, pulling them off to the side of my slick heat. I’m trapped in his command, shutting my eyes against all that he creates within me.

  His low moan tickles in my belly when he cups my sex. He leans in and his mouth presses against mine, and it’s all I can do not to beg him to get inside me. His lips are firm and demanding, penetrating my soul with every swirl of his tongue. Yet his kisses are so much more than simple affection. It’s a statement. He owns me with every bite of his teeth. I know it with all that I am when his fingers slip inside of me, not slowly entering but demanding he belong there. I soak his fingers as he begins thrusting with intent. His palm bangs against my clit and had it not been for his hand on my neck, I’d be sinking down the wall into the pleasure. As it is, I’m on my tiptoes in my red high heels. I hear the voices of pedestrians walking by. With little effort, they could walk down this alleyway and find us, yet somehow that only excites me more.

  I’m moaning and gasping and trembling against the force of what he does to me. I finally have his touch. It’s all that I need and more.

  When I reopen my eyes and Liam backs away, obviously to watch me fall into orgasm, I lose myself in the power he commands, easily coming against his fingers thrusting into me. My release is quiet, the only sound a soft gasp from my mouth. A hard shake rocking through my body drops me from the high.

  He slowly withdraws his fingers. My panties are back in place. He tucks his finger under my chin, bringing my eyes to meet the fierceness in his. “Don’t toy with me again,” he states firmly.

  With blurry eyes, I watch him walk away, staying plastered to the wall. I tug down my skirt, feeling my orgasm on my inner thighs.

  I lost this battle.

  And yet, somehow, I felt like I won.

  Chapter 3

  Liam

  On Friday morning, my feet hit the ground along the Santa Monica Pier with the rhythm of the song blasting through my earbuds. Sweat trickles down my face and my torso, my lungs burn with each and every stride. The air is fresh, lacking humidity. The sunr
ise is casting a somewhat pinkish glow across the Santa Monica Bay.

  While I arrived at my beach house last night to get settled in and stock the fridge so Aria and I would have no distractions this weekend, I needed a run before fetching her. It’s my therapy and my fuel.

  When I spot the thin house with the large one-way glass windows on the front, I slow to a walk on the beach trail, relishing the high that always comes with a good run. On the outside of the house, there’s not much to excite, except for the property being located right on the beach. The exterior is chrome and dark gray stucco, which I had done myself with the help of a contractor. When I reach the concrete steps, I grab my keys from my pocket and unlock the door, stepping into the open-concept main floor. The design is modern and sleek with white walls and floors, and white furniture with black pillows. I had hired an interior designer to freshen up the interior of the house and I didn’t have any part in it.

  On my way past the kitchen on the right, I notice that the clock on the stainless-steel microwave above the gas stove shows it’s nearing seven o’clock now. I drag a hand through my sweaty hair, hastily moving into the master suite. All white furniture leads to a dark metal king-size bed frame, and the en suite bathroom is equally modern. Light gray tiles cover the large bathroom’s floor and extend into the all-glass shower.

  Determined to get the show on the road, I strip off my shoes and socks, shorts then boxer briefs, leaving my cellphone on the glass vanity. When I enter the shower, I turn the water on and let the warm stream hit the back of my neck, washing away the sweat, allowing my mind to go to Aria. Soon, I’ll be inside her.

  Those thoughts harden my cock to steel. I grab the base of my shaft, the water running down over my hardened flesh, teasing me. I don’t pause. I don’t warm up. I place my free hand against the wall and I jerk my dick hard and fast, thinking of nothing but Aria when I claimed her orgasm. The way she felt. The way she moaned when I made her fall apart. How her eyes widened and became alive in those seconds. How I owned her.

  My muscles tighten, a low groan rumbling from my throat when I come, my semen landing on the shower’s floor, washing away with the water. It’s less satisfying than it is essential. I refuse to blow too fast with Aria. I will take my time savoring every goddamn inch of her. And I know I can’t show up today fully loaded.

  The beep of my cellphone reminds me that I’m due to pick her up in an hour. With my dick soft and settled for now, I put Aria out of my mind for the moment and set to finish showering and getting dressed.

  It’s just about an hour later when I’m nearly ready to go. In the kitchen, I’m sipping my coffee after polishing off a plate of eggs and toast. By eight o’clock, I’m on the road in my dark silver Mercedes convertible to fetch Aria. By a little after eight-thirty, I’ve arrived at central Los Angeles, and I spot her waiting for me outside of her condo with her suitcase next to her.

  My cock twitches in my beige cargo shorts, reminding me that jerking off doesn’t do much to calm the intensity I feel for Aria, nor has it ever. This morning her hair is down and straight, her makeup light. Her comfortableness in her own skin is one of the things I find so sexy about her. She’s wearing a white sundress that I’m sure on anyone else would look cute, but on her, it’s fucking sexy portraying innocence that I know is a tease. Because that woman right there might be sweet, but she’s dirty as fuck, I can tell. And damn, do I want to play.

  I stop next to her and grin. “Looking for a good time?” I joke.

  “Depends on what you’re offering in return,” she jokes back.

  “The best sex of your life,” I tell her seriously.

  She grins. “Well, then, yes, I certainly am looking for a good time.”

  I chuckle, open the trunk then exit the car, moving to her. She turns to face me and watches me intently, a delicate flush brushing over her cheeks. It’s not shyness, I know that. It’s desire. “You look absolutely beautiful this morning.” I lean in to kiss her lightly on the lips. It’s a tease of what’s to come.

  She kisses me fully back telling me that she plans to go head-to-head with me this weekend. All bets are off. We’re both playing to win.

  A cold void overcomes me when I step back and open the passenger door.

  “Thank you,” she says, sliding into the seat. After shutting the door behind her, I place her suitcase in the trunk then join her in the car, when she adds, “Do I get any hints on where we’re going this weekend?”

  “To my beach house in Santa Monica.”

  Her eyebrows raise in obvious surprise. “Yours? As in, you own it?”

  I get her surprise. Houses don’t come for less than five million dollars in that stretch of beachfront properties. “The property belonged to my father,” I explain, lowering the emergency brake. “We’ve owned the house for as long as I can remember. When my father passed away, he gifted the property to me in his estate.” My mother never cared; the property always meant more to my father than her. “But I’ve renovated the house over the years. It’s where I go on the weekends.”

  “Lucky you,” she says with a sweet smile.

  “Incredibly lucky,” I tell her sincerely. My need to be near water as often as possible is a personal thing not very many people know about me. Sure, I love the hustle and bustle of the city, but I need the clear open water and fresh air just as much. “All right, so do you need to make any stops before leaving?” I ask, doing up my seatbelt.

  She shakes her head. “I’m good to go. You?”

  “I went up last night to get us settled in.”

  “Did you?” she asks, fastening her own seatbelt.

  “I like to be prepared.”

  She gives a sensual laugh. “I have no doubt that is very much true.” When she settles back into the seat and crosses her smooth tanned legs, drawing all my attention there, she adds, “So what have you planned for us this weekend?”

  “I have a few ideas.”

  “Which are?”

  I laugh. “Darlin’, secrets are a good thing. And it just so happens I don’t want you to know all that I have planned for you this weekend.”

  She draws in a deep breath and gives me a heated grin. “Ah, is that the way we’re going to play this? You want all the control this weekend?”

  Something sparks in me then, tightening my muscles. I lean toward her, staring deeply into her eyes. “Of course, I will have all the control this weekend.”

  “And why is that?”

  “Because that is precisely what you want,” I murmur, stating a truth we both know. “You want me to command you. To take charge. To own you.”

  She swallows deep; her mouth parts. I see it in her eyes then, how excited she is. That sends adrenaline pumping through my veins. I almost regret taking her to the beach because of the drive to get there. I want to touch her, taste her, fuck her until we’re both exhausted. But there’s a good reason I want her to experience Santa Monica with me. She knows the business side of Liam Maxwell. Now I want her to know the personal side.

  While I take her silence to be slight shock at my boldness, I ask her, “Are you ready for this adventure of ours?”

  Her eyes heat, voice grows raspy. “You know that I am.”

  I smile back and drive forward, the engine giving off a sexy roar. “You’re right, love, I certainly do.”

  Aria

  There are houses. And then there are oh, my God houses.

  Liam’s beach house is most definitely the latter.

  Gorgeous, simple, masculine…kinda like the man himself, I decide, stepping into the living room, which consists only of a white leather couch, a couple contour lounge chairs, and a glass coffee table. I quickly understand the reason the designer kept to a white palette since the glass window from ceiling to floor draws the eye immediately. I now realize why this coast costs a pretty penny to live on. Even my breath catches at the dark sand leading to blue water.

  “Aria.”

  The low rumble of Liam’s voice vibrates again
st my skin, raising goosebumps. I know what’s going to happen. I want this to happen. Even so, I’m on edge, excited and nervous of what’s to come. We’ve waited three years to cross this line. I draw in a deep breath and face all the energy pulsating in the room. The beautiful view is nothing compared to what’s before me.

  Liam has been holding himself back, I can tell that now. The flare of his nostrils drawing in my scent, the intensity burning in his eyes. It’s no way that he’s watched me before. I’m drenching my panties and my nipples pucker, ready for play, just that easily.

  The silence between us is powerful. So many unsaid things holding in the quiet space. So many desires unfulfilled. I’m standing there bared for him, stripped of all the reasons I’ve been shutting him out.

  “Show me what I paid for,” he says, voice rich with lust.

  Maybe I should be offended.

  I’m not in the least.

  We’ve both been waiting for this moment. It just so happens that I want to show him all of me. I want him to touch, to taste, to own me. I reach up, tucking my finger into the strap of my dress, slowly sliding it down my shoulder. I look at his crotch and see his bulge; knowing I’m making a man like Liam Maxwell hard tightens my tummy.

  When I slide the other strap off my shoulder, his gaze follows, slowly, pointedly showing me that he’s paying attention. I reach back and unzip my dress, my chest rising and falling with my heavy breaths. I keep my eyes on his face as I let my dress flutter to the floor. There, standing in white high heels, I watch as he feasts upon the view of me. It’s an addictive thing the way Liam looks at me.

  He stalks me with his eyes.

  His gaze roams over my white lace bra that I’d chosen purposely because it shows my dark nipples before moving on to my matching thong. When he looks at my face again, he orders, “Turn around.”

  I smile, embracing the desire he feels for me, and spin, showing him my bare bottom. My eyes flutter, suddenly overwhelmed by the intensity at my back, pulsating in the air, when I hear the rattle of his belt and his clothes hitting the floor. Then he’s at my back, not touching me but he doesn’t need to. His presence itself is desire and my sex begins throbbing, greedy for his touch.