Taming the Boss Lady [Masters of Submission 3] (Siren Publishing Everlasting Classic) Read online

  Kelly sifted through the documents piled high on her desk, before staring longingly out the window. Night had fallen, and the city of Providence sparkled bewitchingly in the darkness.

  She groaned slightly, caressing the back of her aching neck. Damn, the pain was excruciating. She glanced once more at the stack of legal documents. It was essential they were thoroughly read and signed before she left the office. As the boss, she would regularly stay behind. Her father did exactly the same before he became ill. He was a hard worker, and his work ethic had rubbed off on her. When she rotated her neck, trying to find a sweet spot, a searing jolt of pain shot through her body.

  Shit, not again. Whenever she became tense, her neck went into a spasm. Hadn’t she got enough on her plate already? Her father had taken a turn for the worse and couldn’t be released from hospital. He’d come down with a bad case of the flu, and she feared for him.

  Like looking down the barrel of a gun, she saw her life panning out in front of her. A long, lonely existence beckoned. How many years would she give to keeping the share price high? With a McCloud at the helm it was just about possible, but at what cost? She didn’t have a personal life. There weren’t enough hours in the day for that. She glanced at her watch, sighing resignedly when she realized it was almost ten. Wasn’t she entitled to rest and relaxation, too, just like her employees? Sitting at her desk, she’d heard their happy chatter as they’d left for the weekend. Was she the only woman in the whole of Providence who wasn’t enjoying herself right now? Being the head of McCloud Energy meant all work and no play.

  Kelly painfully shook her head. She needed to let off steam and chill just like everyone else. Her mind drifted to Matthew Strong, and a smile lifted her lips. He could deliver exactly the right antidote for her melancholy. He was powerful, sexy, and dominant, and just what she needed. So why was she still here, sifting through boring paperwork, when she could be at his club finding her own personal nirvana?

  Her neck spasmed once more. It was no use. She needed a break. Kelly rose from her desk and made her way to the corridor outside, heading for the drink station. A latte looked tempting, but caffeine was the last thing she needed this late at night. She’d been having trouble sleeping. Pulling down a Styrofoam cup, she held it under the dispenser. When it was full, she raised the chilled water to her lips. Damn it, just drinking was incredibly painful. She groaned and held a hand to her aching neck, squeezing the inflamed flesh to alleviate the pain.

  Afraid to move, she stood statue still as Ricardo Fiorucci sauntered up to her. “Are you okay?” His greasy dark hair and small stature seemed at odds with his impressive name. His beady eyes swept over her, making her feel uncomfortable. What the hell was he doing here this late at night?

  “It’s my damned neck. It’s gone into spasm again. I can’t move it.” Christ, this was all she needed. If she weren’t in so much pain, she’d walk away from him.

  “Here let me help. I’ve been told my fingers have the magic touch.”

  “No need.” She continued to caress her tense muscles, pleased that the pain was finally starting to subside.

  “Kelly, stop being so self-reliant.”

  Ignoring his observation, she snapped, “Why are you still here? Don’t you have a home to go to?”

  “I just came back to pick up my cell phone. I left it in my office. Listen, why don’t you let me share some of the responsibilities, Kelly? I’m here to help if you need me. I’m sure your father didn’t want you to burden yourself like this.”

  She could see where this conversation was going. Ricardo wanted to worm his way into her favors. “I’m fine.”

  “No you’re not. You can’t run the company on your own. You need help.”

  “Not your help, Ricardo, you just want to take control of the company. Well it’s not gonna happen.”

  “We could work as a team. You and I together would be dynamite. We could make McCloud Energy the most successful company in the country. We could run this show with our eyes closed.” He held his hands out, palm up. “Think about it, Kelly.”

  “I don’t need to.”

  “And we don’t just have to be business partners. We could team up in our personal lives, too.”

  She stared at him long and hard. Had she heard right? “You mean—”

  “Sure, why not, you’re an attractive woman.” A slow smile spread on his lips. “I know you must want children.”

  Children? God yes, she wanted children, but just the idea of being intimate with Ricardo Fiorucci made her stomach churn. How could he possibly think she’d want him? Feeling angry at his forwardness, she turned on him. “Ricardo, do you know why my father didn’t make you CEO of McCloud Energy? I’ll tell you why. It’s because he didn’t trust you. Just like I don’t trust you.”

  Her terse statement didn’t throw him, because he said, “Kelly, the old man doesn’t trust anyone.”

  “He trusts me.”

  “Don’t kid yourself. You’re just a puppet. He’s still pulling the strings behind the scenes. Everyone knows that, except you.”

  She was too strong-minded to accept his distorted version of the truth. Her father had put her in charge because she was the best person for the job. Kelly defiantly placed her hands on her hips. “You are so wrong, mister.”

  “Am I?” His slippery persona really pissed her off.

  Her cell phone began ringing, and annoyed with herself for even listening to this guy, she pulled it from her jacket pocket and flipped it open. A cold chill ran down her spine, and the blood drained from her face as she listened to the emotionless, matter-of-fact voice at the end of the line. “This is Rhode Island Hospital, Ms. McCloud. Your father has weakened considerably. He’s contracted pneumonia, perhaps you’d better come over.”

  Chapter Five

  The next day

  After striding casually into the reception area of Club Submission, Matthew handed Andrea a new batch of matchbooks. Simple in design, they publicized the name of the club in fancy gold lettering, laid over a glossy black background. The words Club Submission were underlined by a riding crop and a thick coil of rope for that fetish twist. It was a good and cost-effective way of promoting the business.

  He placed a mug of steaming hot coffee on the counter, along with a big box of candy.

  “Mmm, thank you, kind sir, coffee and candy. What have I done to deserve this?”

  “Just my way of saying thank you for coming in early, and helping out.” Andrea had worked through the afternoon, to get the club ready for the evening rush. New bondage equipment had arrived, and it all needed checking.

  A smile drifted to her lips. “You’re real welcome.” She shook her head. “Talk about coming in early. Take a look at this.” She twisted the computer monitor around so he could see what was happening on the closed-circuit TV. “There’s a girl, sitting in a Chevy. She’s been there for ages. When I opened up half an hour ago, I thought she might come in, but she still hasn’t plucked up the courage. I think she’s been here before. She looks familiar.”

  Chevy? That rang a bell. Their closed-circuit television system gave a wide-angled view of the parking lot. It was a useful deterrent for keeping unwanted visitors at bay, and had recently been installed at considerable cost.

  “Blow up the image, Andrea?”

  “Okay.”

  A larger view of the car lot filled the screen. As the system closed in on the small Chevy, Matthew took a sharp breath. He recognized the woman immediately. Kelly. His heart rate accelerated. She hadn’t visited the club for over two weeks. He thought she’d blown him off, but here she was, albeit unsure whether to come in or not. The black-and-white image clearly showed her deep in thought, her fingers squeezing her forehead, her elbow pressed against the driver’s window.

  “I recognize the lady. I’ll go and see if she’s all right.” He made his way to the entrance, and then down the short flight of steps. When he reached her car, she suddenly realized he was there, and slowly lowered
the window. Her beautiful raven black hair was loose and cascaded down her back. She looked up into his face, but barely managed a smile. Her silver eyes connected with his, and he couldn’t help thinking she looked sad. Far sadder than the last time he’d seen her.

  He placed his forearms on the roof of the small Chevy, and leaned in. “Kelly, it’s good to see you again. Are you coming in?”

  She shrugged. “I intended to, but now I’m not so sure. I guess I feel guilty.”

  “Guilty about what?”

  “Nothing really,” she whispered.

  “It must be something. My receptionist tells me you’ve been sitting out here for the last hour or more.”

  “Oh? I hadn’t realized.” Staring into the distance, she gripped the steering wheel tightly, making her knuckles bare white.

  “Maybe I can help?”

  “I doubt it,” came her cynical reply.

  “Try me?” He didn’t want to push her, fearing she would drive away, and he’d never see her again.

  Kelly turned to look at him, her piercing eyes holding his attention. “My father’s very ill. I may get a call from the hospital at any moment.”

  Matthew grimaced. He reached in and touched her hand. “I’m so sorry, Kelly, but I know exactly how you feel. Ethan and I lost our mother about a year ago now. Losing a loved one is the hardest thing of all.”

  “Isn’t it just. So my dilemma is this. Should I come in and leave my cell phone out here? Or break the rules and bring it into the club?”

  This beautiful intelligent lady was clearly distressed, and he wanted to help. “We can go for a drive if you like.”

  “Where?”

  “Does it matter?”

  “Not really. You choose.”

  “Move over, I’ll drive, unless you’ve any objections.”

  “Go ahead. It’s a hire car anyway. What do I care if you wreck it?”

  She wore a short red dress, and he watched mesmerized as she slid across to the passenger seat. His cock hardened as the hem rose high up her thighs, revealing achingly smooth long legs. Fuck, how he’d love to run his tongue along the inside of those creamy thighs.

  After slipping into the driver’s seat, he pushed it right back, before starting the engine, and pulling out of the lot. “Let me guess,” he said as they joined the highway. “You drive a bloodred Ferrari in your real life.” He was trying to take her mind off her sick father. He knew from experience that it was a stressful business waiting for the inevitable.

  When he looked across at her, she seemed a little more relaxed than before. A fleeting smile drifted to her lips, and she flicked a quick glance in his direction. “Red Ferrari, no. Try again.”

  “Give me a clue,” he teased, lightheartedly.

  “Well you got the color right, but that’s all I’m saying. You’ll just have to make a better guess, mister.” She smiled properly for the first time—such a beautiful engaging smile.

  Feeling that she was lightening up, he maneuvered the small Chevy across an intersection. “Then my second guess would be a Porsche 911.”

  “Ten out of ten. How did you know?”

  The evidence all stacked up. “It’s a well-known fact that the elite of American society prefer European cars. The top one being the Porsche.”

  “Don’t congratulate yourself too much. I very nearly chose a silver Maserati instead.”

  “Silver, just like the color of your eyes. They’re so, so beautiful.” He reached over and caressed her creamy naked thigh, reveling in the softness of her skin.

  She gave him a big smile. “Thank you. The color of my eyes is courtesy of my father. Now there was a man who could light up a room with his sheer presence and personality.”

  The sadness returned like a veil, covering her beautiful face. “People used to say he—” She suddenly stopped talking. “Shit, I keep referring to Dad in the past tense. He’s still alive and he won’t give up without a fight, that’s for sure.” Agitated, she pulled her fingers through her hair and let out a deep sigh. “I suppose in some ways I feel he’s already gone. The man lying in hospital is not the powerful man I knew and loved. He hates being in such a weakened condition.”

  Matthew squeezed her hand. “Letting go is the hardest thing.”

  “I know. Believe me I know.”

  Changing the subject, he asked, “Say, have you eaten?”

  “No.”

  “I can rustle up some ham and eggs.”

  “Where?”

  “At my place.”

  “I’d like that, Matthew, but I don’t want to intrude.”

  He touched her again, stroking the back of her hand with comforting circular movements. “You could never intrude, and you can keep your cell phone close at hand.”

  “But what about your brother?”

  “What about him? He has his life and I have mine. We only work together. I live alone, and so does he.”

  “Hmm, ham and eggs you say?” Her brilliant smile returned once more, lighting up a fire in the pit of his belly.

  He’d always made a point of never socializing with members outside the club, but Kelly was a special woman. He realized he wanted to get to know her on every level.

  “Come on, I’ll drive you there now. What do you say?”

  She caressed her long slender fingers over his jaw. “I say, yes. Yes please.”

  Chapter Six

  With Matthew now taking charge, Kelly felt a little calmer. Her mind had been in turmoil, worrying about her father. Midway through the afternoon, she’d had a sudden urge to visit Club Submission. She had several good friends she could confide in, but only Matthew Strong could fill the void in her life. That was how she came to be sitting in her car outside his club on a damp Saturday evening.

  She’d arrived far too early, and was annoyed with herself for not checking the time. God, she was a mess. What seemed like a good idea turned out to be anything but, when she remembered cell phones were prohibited inside the club. Kelly would never forgive herself if a call from the hospital came through and she wasn’t able to take it. That was why she’d stayed outside in the lot, unsure what to do. Goddamn it, this was so unlike Kelly McCloud. She was always in complete control when the going got tough. Handling pressure was something her father had instilled in her from an early age. She figured concern for her father’s well-being had stopped her from entering the club, while the overwhelming desire to be with Matthew had stopped her from driving away.

  She looked across at him as he drove the car. Just being in his company allowed her to relax. He seemed so in control and at ease with himself. He was everything she wanted right now. She needed someone strong to ease her through these troubled times. He wore a pair of Wranglers and a black T-shirt. His powerful forearms were uncovered as he guided her car west along the Turnpike heading out of Boston. She could clearly make out the masculine hair as it sexily caught the last shafts of light coming from the setting sun. Every so often he would glance in her direction. She loved the way his beautiful green eyes lingered on her bare legs.

  A warm satisfaction settled in her stomach. Matthew wanted her. The sexual chemistry between them felt palpable. Kelly knew there was no turning back. She was well aware what would happen the moment he got her home. As soon as he gets me through the door, he’s going to rip off my panties and fuck me. I won’t be able to stop him. I don’t want to stop him.

  As the journey continued, Matthew turned south onto Interstate 95, before taking the exit for Wellesley.

  The scenery began to change becoming far more rural. “Is this where you live, Matthew?”

  “A little further. It’s a small town called Sherborn. I like it because it gives an impression of being in the country, yet I’m within easy reach of Downtown Boston. It’s only a forty minute drive to the club.”

  Eventually he turned the car onto Farm Road. “Almost there, Kelly.”

  Either side of the road stood beautiful forests of pine, maple, and birch, while dry stone walling
and rustic wooden fences complemented the scene. Occasionally she would glimpse a house nestled way back in the woodland, or someone walking their dog in the open spaces. It was simply idyllic.

  Matthew slowed down and then turned onto a small unpaved road. After two minutes he braked the Chevy at an imposing set of gates. Adorning the sizeable iron structure were his initials M S forged into the metalwork. It was a powerful statement about the man himself, and sent a sexual thrill flowing through her body. Matthew casually looked across at her before firing a remote. The gates obediently started to open, allowing them entry.

  “I’m impressed, Matthew.”

  “Club Submission is very lucrative. I enjoy a good lifestyle.”

  He piloted the Chevy for a further two hundred yards or so down the tree-lined drive, before pulling to a halt outside a beautiful, opulent house. It rose majestically for three stories. An additional circular turret giving the final flourish.

  “When I said I was impressed, it was an understatement.”

  “The house is modeled on Norman architecture. As soon as I saw the property, I was sold.”

  She was surprised just how affluent Matthew Strong was. “It’s a beautiful house. Some spread you got here, too.”

  “Barely a hundred acres.” He smiled, an enigmatic smile full of mystery and promise. “I value my privacy. Seclusion is very important to me.” He brushed the back of his hand over her cheek, grazing the edge of her mouth with his thumb. A tingling sensation spread all the way down to her clit, which pulsed wantonly in rhythm with her breathing. “It’s just you and me now, Kelly. Look around, there’s no one within a mile of us.”

  “Should I be worried?” She looked at the surrounding woodland and softly undulating lawns and realized she wasn’t remotely worried. In fact she was starting to enjoy the experience.

  “Absolutely not. Everything that goes on between us will be consensual. Still want to come in?” His green eyes held hers, claiming her, drawing her in.

  “Yes.” Her husky reply betrayed how she felt.