Her New Boss: A Rouge Erotic Romance (8 page)

‘Hmm.’

Zoe gasped, spinning toward the door. She hadn’t heard it open. Sheryl raised an eyebrow, clearly having heard the rant. Tossing a plastic menu down on the cold stovetop, she said, ‘Better have this memorized. I don’t want to have to explain my orders.’

Chapter Four

JACKSON NODDED, LISTENING
to Charlie talk about business expansion as he occasionally glanced out the window toward the diner. The general store’s front window had a perfect view of the restaurant’s entrance. What was Zoe doing in there? Sheryl left soon after she had arrived. He almost felt bad for Zoe, knowing how much of a tyrant the older woman could be. But Sheryl, like most of the town, was like family to him. It was this close-knit feeling that he missed when away in the big city. He knew people here, really knew them. He visited them in the hospital and knew that they’d come and see him if anything happened. He knew their kids, mourned at their funerals, celebrated at their weddings. Then why had he brought Zoe here? Why to a place that was so special to him? To a place he rarely let even the most elite of his clients come to, and then only if they were in the horse market?

‘I heard your new cook was young and pretty.’ Charlie followed Jackson’s gaze through the front window. ‘Also heard she wasn’t big on the small talk.’

‘She’s from New York.’ Jackson knew that would explain everything. He tried not to think about the searing kiss they’d shared. What had prompted him to kiss her like that? On her first day and so passionately?

Charlie nodded. ‘Heard that.’

Jackson chuckled. ‘Marta’s been by, I see. That woman should write the gossip column.’

‘I’ll mention it to her.’ Charlie laughed.

‘Oh, no, please don’t.’ Jackson tensed as the restaurant door opened. Zoe was on her cell phone and began to walk away before turning to lock the door. Whatever the conversation was, she was deep into it.

‘Go,’ Charlie said. ‘No point in standing around here when she’s out there.’

‘Nothing is going on. She’s just a temporary employee. Bob needed a vacation.’ Jackson didn’t take his eyes from Zoe’s slender figure as she held the phone with one hand and wrapped the other around her waist in a protective gesture.

‘He using the cabin?’

‘Callie threatened my life. I think they’re going to Savannah for a few weeks. Jefferson’s fiancée has family there and the ladies are going to do some wedding shopping.’

‘I’d prefer the fishing cabin.’ Charlie coughed, tapping his chest.

‘So would my brothers.’ Jackson kept an eye on Zoe as he made a move for the door. ‘I’ll see you later, Charlie. I need to make sure she’s not going to ruin the diner.’

‘Now that would be a true tragedy. All of Main Street would starve without it.’

‘Kat, it’s awful. I mean, the menu is like … is like …’ Zoe shivered. Out of all her sisters, Kat was closest to Zoe. They just seemed to get each other. ‘It’s like a diner’s. Chicken fried steak, grits, potato salad, ruebens, hamburgers, hotdogs, coleslaw, macaroni with cheese, fried foods –’

‘Oh, sweetie, do you want me to send the jet?’ Kat interrupted, concern in her voice.

‘No, there are a couple of bright spots. I get to choose the soup of the day and I get to do my own specials, except for Tuesday, which apparently must be meatloaf.’

‘Ew!’

‘Yeah.’ Zoe nodded, though her sister couldn’t see her. She paced to the end of the block, passing the bed and breakfast. ‘But I can do this. I can prove myself.’

‘Of course you can.’

‘I’m going to go. I’ll call you later.’ Zoe said goodbye and hung up. She found herself a block from the bed and breakfast in a residential neighborhood. Some of the children playing in the front lawns stared at her, a little girl grinning as she held an enormous rainbow lollipop in her dirty hands.

Giving a brief, uncomfortable smile, she turned and went brusquely back toward Marta’s. She watched her feet, not making eye contact out of habit from living in the city. Hearing a car, she glanced up. Her gaze instantly drew forward, magnetically drawn down the sidewalk. Jackson stood before the bed and breakfast’s picket fence.

Instantly, her lips tingled, reminding her of what his kiss had felt like against them. She missed her step and tripped on a deep crack in the sidewalk, realizing she seemed to stumble a lot around him. Doing her best to recover gracefully, she cleared her throat and tried to smile. ‘Checking on my progress?’

‘Do I need to?’ The softness of his words was almost as seductive as his dark eyes.

‘I can run a kitchen.’ Zoe refrained from adding,
especially one as small as the one you gave me
.

‘That remains to be seen.’ Jackson motioned that she should follow him. Instead of heading inside the bed and breakfast, he made his way around the side of the house toward the woods in back. The combination of foliage, trees and plants created a rich tapestry as it canopied over the worn dirt path leading into the woods.

‘Where are we going?’ She looked over her shoulder, wondering why he’d bring her to the woods in her chef uniform. Or why he’d bring her there at all.

‘The only place in town where we can be guaranteed some privacy.’ Jackson’s features gave no hint of what he was thinking. Zoe ducked under a branch as he held it aside for her. As it fell back into place, hiding them from the stark white of the bed and breakfast, Jackson grabbed her arm and pulled her against his chest. His lips came down hard, but she jerked back before he made contact.

Zoe fought the tension between them, her mind screaming all the reasons why she should run. He was her boss. He was only doing this as some sort of punishment for the way she had treated him, or simply because he could. He didn’t respect her. If he did, she’d be in a better restaurant, not a two-bit diner. Then there was the possibility that this diner was where he brought all young female cooks to toy with them, like some sick rich man’s game – not that she wanted to believe he was cruel like that.

But for all the reasons she shouldn’t be with him, there was one very strong reason why she should. She wanted him. His eyes pulled her, tugging a cord she kept buried deep inside. Looking at him awakened part of her soul, a longing and desire she often denied. Jackson breathed hard, his eyes narrowed, his mouth open as he looked at her, waiting for her response.

Zoe jerked him forward, kissing him on her own terms. She moaned lightly, pressing her chest to his harder one. Her arms wound around his shoulders and her fingers gripped at the nape of his neck. Spearmint flavoured his lips as if he had sucked on breath mints recently. The taste drew her in and she thrust her tongue past the barrier of his teeth. Jackson sucked on her tongue before letting his dance around hers in small, intoxicating circles.

Warmth curled in her stomach, centering on her sex and causing the slick glide of cream to build between the soft folds of her pussy. She squirmed, suddenly too hot in the thick white material of her chef’s uniform. Jackson massaged her lower back, kneading his fingers against her as he slowly drew up her jacket and the tight tank top she wore underneath. Strong hands dipped beneath the elastic band of her uniform pants, taking hold of the cheeks of her ass. The cotton of her panties provided no protection against his heat. Pulling her flush against him, he rocked his erection against her, letting her feel the full, hard length.

Zoe broke her mouth away, gasping. Her heart hammered against the walls of her chest, pounding so loud it echoed in her ears. Jackson spread her cheeks, lifting her so her heels left the ground.

‘We should go deeper in the woods,’ he whispered, pulling his hands from her pants. His fingers slid along her forearm before gripping her hand. Without waiting for her to answer, he pulled her behind him, walking her deeper into the forest.

Zoe couldn’t speak, couldn’t breathe. Every inch of her ached to be touched, kissed, loved. She tried not to let her mind romanticize what was happening. As her sister Kat would tell her, this was lust, not love, and there was nothing
wrong
with it. But Zoe didn’t have casual sex and it was harder for her to separate the two.

‘I don’t want to lose my job,’ Zoe said, stumbling over a tree root that rose up over the trail.

Suddenly, he stopped. Frowning, he studied her. ‘This isn’t a condition of your working for me.’

‘It’s not?’ She had no idea why she had said it. Jackson wasn’t forcing her to follow him.

He sighed heavily. ‘Is this what you normally do for your bosses?’

‘What?’ She gasped. ‘No. No, I don’t do this … I haven’t … Why? What did Contiello tell you about me? Did he say I slept with him? Because that’s not what happened. I never touched him. Well, of course, I touched him, but I never …’ Zoe took a calming breath, realizing she was babbling. ‘I don’t normally sleep with my bosses.’

Jackson quirked an amused brow. ‘You’re adorable when you’re flustered.’

‘I’m not flustered,’ she lied.

‘Good. Because I like women who know what they want.’ He took her hand and held it firmly against the bulge in the front of his pants. ‘And who can finish what they start.’

Jackson groaned, tilting his head as he used her fingers to massage his erection. The backyard to the bed and breakfast was no longer in view as the trail had twisted as they walked. All around them were trees and the sound of birds singing. Insects hummed in the background, a gentle yet unfamiliar sound to her city ears. She shivered, glad she wasn’t alone. This wasn’t her first time in the wilderness, but the isolation did make her uneasy.

‘Will anyone come this way?’ She glanced around.

‘Not likely this time of day. Why? Don’t you like the idea of being caught?’

Zoe shook her head. ‘No. Not in a town of, like, two hundred people.’

‘Three thousand,’ he corrected. ‘Unless we’re hosting a horse competition, then it’s about double that.’

‘Compared to eight million, it might as well be two hundred. I’ve heard about gossip in places like this. Everyone knows everyone’s business.’ Still, she didn’t pull her hand away.

Jackson didn’t seem to hear her words as he again kissed her, sawing his lips against her with insistent passion. Teeth cut the delicate tissue of her lips and she tore her mouth away in pain. ‘Ah! Too rough.’

A leisurely smile tugged at the side of his mouth and he leant forward, licking her sore lip lightly. The tip of his tongue darted out, teasing her with its warm caress. With each pass, his kiss deepened, but not like before. This time he was gentle, as if she were a delicate flower. The new tactic caused her to moan. What was it about this man that made her forget herself?

She tugged at his shirt, pulling it up to feel his waist. The hard, hot flesh of his stomach contracted when she touched him. Jackson worked on the black stud buttons along the front of her uniform, expertly unfastening them so the sides fell open. Within seconds, the jacket fell to the ground and a cooling breeze caressed her naked arms. The tank top clung to her skin, but the flimsy white material provided little protection. Jackson pulled it off, and tossed it aside. His shirt followed, landing on top of her discarded one.

Jackson let go, his chin lowered and his eyes narrowed as he looked at her. Zoe wished she had put on a better bra, but she never planned for things like this to happen. The only time she had sex was when in a serious
relationship.
The sturdy, padded bra was more for comfort than seduction, but at least it was new. Her light-blue cotton underwear cut up to the thigh. The white of her uniform pants was thick enough to hide the colour.

Gradually, he stalked around her, like a beast after prey. Zoe didn’t move and every nerve in her body reached for him, followed him. His feet hit the forest floor, crunching softly against the trail. A finger touched the base of her spine and ran up the middle of her back. Arching her body, she held her breath. She wasn’t sure how he did it, but as he skimmed over her bra, he unfastened the back clasp and it fell loosely from her breasts, hanging from her shoulders. The finger made its way back down, not stopping as it met her elastic waistband. It drew her pants down, meeting with the top cleft of her ass.

One finger became several and he thrust his hands down her pants. Grabbing her hips, he rocked her butt against his arousal. The stiff denim didn’t hide the shape of his erection. Her pants skimmed down her thighs to her feet and with the wide pant legs she managed to get them off without taking off her narrow shoes. Jackson kissed her neck, massaging her stomach and breasts from behind. He slipped his hands beneath her unclasped bra, cupping the soft mounds in his large palms. The achingly sweet rhythm of his hips kept her mind transfixed and she forgot all about the surrounding forest. Closing her eyes tight, she leant her head to the side, giving him better access to her neck.

Jackson reached between her legs, his hand beneath her underwear as he probed her slick folds. His callused fingertip found her clit and he rubbed it in tiny, undulating circles. Throaty growls erupted as he kissed her and his teeth nipped playfully at her neck.

‘Jackson, wait,’ she whispered.

His growl deepened and he spun her around. Zoe couldn’t help the small grin as her instincts took over. Her hands were on his jeans, fumbling to free his cock. Jackson pulled the bra straps from her arms. The heat from his body contrasted with the breeze. Her nipples puckered into erect tips.

Jackson made a weak noise before his mouth took hold of her breast, sucking enthusiastically. She freed his cock from the silk boxers, pushing the tighter material from his perfect hips. Gasping, she wrapped her fingers around the stiff length. His breath caught and she explored the turgid flesh from thick root to smooth tip. Cream flooded her pussy and the cotton underwear stuck to her sex. She shook violently, wanting him deep inside.

‘Come on, off the path,’ he ordered, leaning over to grab their clothing before leading her into the woods. His bare feet stepped over the forest floor without hesitation.

Zoe glanced around to see if anyone was watching. She wore only her shoes and underwear and this was not how she wanted to be seen by others in the small town. Jackson’s naked body moved with streamlined grace as little lights that streamed through the canopy of treetops danced on his tight flesh. He looked like a dream, so powerful and strong, made all the sexier by his success in business. Digging into his jean pocket, he pulled out a condom before dropping all the clothes on the ground.