Page 10 of Boss Unyielding (Boss 1)

“Do you have everything you need?” Gramma asked, handing Farren a cup of coffee as they sat down at the kitchen table together.

“I think so. Are you sure you’re going to be okay here while I’m gone?”

“I’ll be fine. Don’t you worry about your Gramma. It’s not like I haven’t been alone before.” She smiled at Farren and patted her hand for reassurance.

“I asked Shea to stop by and check on you every couple of days or so until I get back. I made sure to stock the fridge, and the emergency numbers are-”

“Farren, my darling, I’m not an invalid,” Gramma interrupted. “I’ll be fine. Thank you for worrying about me, but go and have the time of your life. Make some time for fun while you’re there. Don’t just work the whole time.”

Gramma winked at her and gave her hand another squeeze. Then a knock sounded at the door, letting them know that the car service was there to shuttle Farren to the airport to meet her hot boss to take her to one of the most beautiful countries in the world.

SEVEN

Farren got settled into her seat on the luxurious, private plane as she waited for their departure while Rayner continued his phone conversation, obviously someone business-related by what he was saying. She pulled out one of the magazines from her bag she had brought to help entertain her on the long flight there and started flipping through Cosmo.

When Rayner glanced up and saw her choice of reading material, his momentary distraction caught her attention and she looked up in time to make eye contact with him before he corrected himself and dove back into the topic he had been in the middle of.

Farren flipped the magazine closed to look at the cover to see what might have been the source of his momentary lapse. It could’ve been Is Your Face Aging Too Fast, but she guessed it was more likely Fifty Sex Tips To Blow His Mind Tonight that was the culprit.

She looked back up at him, and her mind was pulled back to that night weeks ago when he had brushed her face with such tenderness and came mere inches away from kissing her. She had tried so hard to block that memory out of her mind, but it wasn’t easy when she had an undeniable attraction she did well to keep under wraps from anyone, much less him. When she saw him with other women, her mouth would water at the way his hands would touch them, in that manner just the other side of innocent that gave her the smallest glimpse of what he could do behind closed doors.

She had to get her mind off this if she was ever going to make it through this trip. She stashed Cosmo back into her bag, since it wasn’t doing her any favors at the moment, and brought out her e-reader instead. It would probably put her to sleep faster than getting her caught up on the latest Urban Fantasy book she was reading, but that would be okay, too, since she had gotten very little sleep the night before.

When Rayner’s call ended, it wasn’t a few seconds before his phone rang again. When he answered it, he had a brusque tone that had Farren recoiling in her seat. This one was definitely not business-related.

“Yes? … Audra, this is not a good time… I’m going to be away on business and will not be back until later in the week. I’m sure I don’t have to remind you of the limitations of our arrangement, and if you don’t want an abrupt end to that arrangement, do not bother me again until I return. I’ll call you if and when I am ready to do so.” He hung up and pressed the button to power his phone off.

Yikes, Farren thought. The Insensitive Ass-hole was back, and she would seriously hate being on the receiving end of… that.

How could anyone have such a polarized temperament, she wondered. She had seen him with people like Dallas Evans at the office, or competitors from other agencies, for example, where he could be utterly ruthless and outright intimidating.

Then there were the glimpses of a softer side that she secretly yearned to explore. How could she have feelings like this? If she knew what was good for her, she would forget about it all together and just see him for what he was - her boss, and off limits, end of story.

(But when has that ever been the end of the story?)

The flight attendant walked into the cabin from the cockpit and let them know they’d been cleared for t

ake-off, so once they had their electronics temporarily turned off and seatbelts fastened, they would be on their way.

Farren shut down her e-reader, buckled her seatbelt, and let the rush take over her as the plane accelerated down the runway and lifted off the ground, transporting her to a place and time she would soon discover she’d never forget.

EIGHT

“Just a moment!” Farren called with her mouth full of toothpaste.

She spit in the sink, ran a quick rinse over her toothbrush that she then left sitting on the counter, and rushed to see who was knocking at her hotel room door. She assumed it was Rayner, because, well, who else would it be?

“Sorry about that, I was just-” she began as she pulled the door open and saw that it was definitely not Mr. Rayner. “Oh! I’m so sorry. I thought you were someone else. Can I help you?”

A tall, dark, and handsome Italian man stood before her. He wasn’t quite as solidly built as Rayner was, but he came pretty close. He was holding what looked like a garment bag full of clothes.

“Yes. Ciao Bella, Miss Fields, is it?” The man reached for her hand that was resting at her side and brought it up to his lips for a kiss.

“Uh, yes, I’m Miss Fields. And… you are?” she asked, unhurriedly pulling her hand away. She was unsure yet if she should be impressed or cautious, and she hoped for the former.

“I am Bartolo Bianchi. Your employer, Rogan Rayner, has asked me to supply you with formalwear and outfits for the meetings you will attend with him this week,” he explained. A wry smile remained plastered on his lips.

“Are you a store owner?” she asked, unsure of what else he could be, but also in disbelief that a man as professional and expensive looking as himself would be hand delivering a handful of clothes to a prominent businessman’s assistant.

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