Page 31 of Boss of Her

“I don’t know, but Simone owns the company. If she’s not worried, I’m not. And we’re keeping everything out of the office. During work hours, we’re strictly professional.”

Renee scoffed. “Yeah, like that’ll last. Besides, even if you can keep the sex stuff separate from work, keeping your feelings separate from sex? That’s a different story.”

“You seem to manage fine. You have plenty of casual hookups.”

“Yeah, but that’s me. You’re not the hookup type. You’re the type who wants to fall madly in love on the first date, then move in together and adopt a bunch of cats.”

Jade rolled her eyes. “That’s not true.”

“Oh yeah? Then how come every time anyone hits on you, you turn them down? You even turned Simone down at first. Face it, you’re a romantic. You want more than hookups and flings. You want to be treated like a princess, showered withI love yousand thoughtful gifts. It’s the way you’ve been since we first met. And there’s nothing wrong with that.”

“Maybe that’s how I used to be, but I’m not like that anymore.”

Jade had been a different person back then, young and optimistic, her head in the clouds. But having her heart crushed by someone she trusted,loved, had killed that part of her. That naïve girl didn’t exist anymore.

“Look, I just don’t want you getting hurt,” Renee said. “You’re one of my best friends. I can’t help but worry about you.”

“I know what I’m doing, Ree. I won’t get hurt.”

But was Renee right? Was getting involved with Simone, her boss, too risky?

Would things between them end the same way as they had withher?

No, because this time, Jade wasn’t under any illusions about what was between her and Simone. And Jade was older now.Wiser. She knew to keep her guard up. She knew to keep her feelings in check.

Her phone buzzed. She took it from her purse to find a message from Simone.

Before you leave work today, come see me. I have something for you.

What could that possibly mean? A dozen possibilities flashed through her mind, each naughtier than the last.

“Who’s making you blush like that?” Renee asked. “Was that Simone? I bet it was Simone.”

“Maybe.” Jade slipped her phone back into her purse. “She just wants to see me later, that’s all.”

“Uh-huh.” Renee smirked. “Well, if she makes you smile like that, maybe I’m wrong about this. Maybe it isn’t a bad idea. Just be careful, okay?”

“I will. I promise.”

But that promise was as much to herself as to Renee. Because she wasn’t going to let herself get hurt again.

And she wasn’t going to lose herself in someone else again.

That evening, when Jade was ready to leave, she made her way to Simone’s office. Inside, Simone sat behind her desk, flipping through a folder.

“I’m about to head home,” Jade said. “You wanted to see me?”

Simone shut the folder and set it aside. “Now that you’ve finished work for the day, you’re officially off the clock. Which means I can give you this.” She opened the top drawer of her desk and produced a document. “It’s a questionnaire.”

Jade took the questionnaire from Simone. As she read the title on the first page, her face grew warm. She glanced over her shoulder. Thankfully, she’d remembered to shut the door.

“This is a way for me to understand your desires, your interests,” Simone said. “Along with your limits. While we touched upon these subjects the other night, when it comes to consent and communication, there’s no room for ambiguity. Especially in an arrangement like ours. This will make it clear to me what you’re comfortable with and what you aren’t.”

Jade flipped through the questionnaire. There were dozens of pages, covering every erotic practice imaginable in intimate detail. Every possible sex act, from vanilla to extreme. All kinds of kinky activities, from bondage to impact play. Each took up a page on its own, with a question for every different toy and tool.

And as the questions went on, the kinks and fetishes became more obscure. Pet play. Electroplay. Chastity belts. Jade hadn’t even heard of half of them before.What the hell is a vacuum bed?

“Any activities you like or want to try, mark the ‘yes’ column,” Simone continued. “Anything that’s a hard limit, mark ‘no.’ For anything in between that you might want to try but are unsure about, mark ‘maybe.’ That includes any soft limits, which are things you may be willing to do with negotiation and discussion.”

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