Fear the Boss Read online

  She must have broken some world record for breaking up with a man.

  Get over it.

  Traffic was a nightmare, and she didn’t get home for an hour. She paid the cab and walked up the stairwell toward her door. Pearl was waiting for her. Closing the door, she bent down to pick up her cat.

  “I’m sorry I left you for a man who didn’t deserve it.”

  Locking the door, she walked back into her bedroom. Collapsing on the bed she didn’t bother to change her clothes. “It was fun while it lasted, Pearl.”

  She doubted Caleb would be coming to see her any time soon. At least she hadn’t told Lydia of her intention to go to him. All Lydia would do tomorrow was nag and try to get her to talk to someone else.

  Closing her eyes, she rubbed her temples.

  Her cat purred, and she chuckled. “Did you miss me?” Pearl gave her sad eyes. Letting out a breath, she cuddled up to her pet and closed her eyes.

  She hoped she wasn’t pregnant.

  What Caleb had done was wrong. She should have made sure he wore a condom.

  It’s all your fault.

  Pressing a hand to her stomach, she hoped nothing bad came of her mistake.

  Chapter Seven

  Caleb tapped his finger on his chair as Henry conducted business. It had been a week since the disaster with Donna, and he still couldn’t get her out of his mind. This was dangerous. One week and he should be over her by now. He couldn’t fuck any other woman either. None of them awakened a fire inside him the way Donna did.

  “Why is the muscle conducting business, Caleb?” Elijah asked.

  Glancing up, he saw the man opposite was staring at him. Elijah Weston dealt with the drugs. He was the man to talk to in order to get product moving out of the city to other states.

  “Henry is very much a business partner. You’re aware of this,” Caleb said. He wasn’t in the mood to be dealing with business.

  “You can talk to me, Elijah. Caleb knows what he’s doing even if he is being an ignorant ass,” Henry said.

  His friend was dressed in a suit while Caleb hadn’t even tried to change. He wore a pair of jeans and a short sleeved shirt. Business wasn’t all it was cracked up to be, and he was bored. The last week he’d dealt with work close to the club. Deals with alcohol, sex, and drugs were starting to wear on him.

  “I don’t care. I deal with one man, and that man is sitting and staring into fucking space as if he has a right to. I don’t give a shit how your business works. I will fuck you both up if you don’t get involved.” Elijah slammed his fist down on the table.

  Sitting up, Caleb leaned forward. “What shit do you actually need me to know? Huh? Do you want me to ask you how many people this will fuck over? Is it a white enough powder? I’ve got the cops. Just give us a fucking deal and sell us what you’ve got.”

  Elijah sat back. “You think it’s that easy?”

  “It’s business. You’ve got shit you need to sell, and you know I can get the fucking job done. It’s a win-win deal for both of us.” Caleb stood, pulling out a cigarette. Staring out the window he saw semi-clad girls walking around weighing little white bags. It was the perfect little conveyor belt of pussy.

  Donna entered his mind, and he closed his eyes, forcing her back.

  “You think your smart assed attitude is going to get you what you want?” Elijah asked.

  “I can take my money elsewhere, Elijah. We don’t need you to make deals with us. Sell us what we want, or we go elsewhere.”

  Keeping his back to the other man, Caleb eyed up the women. Their dyed blonde hair and overly exposed bodies did nothing for him. He was going to go fucking crazy if he didn’t get some kind of release soon.

  Gritting his teeth, he listened as Elijah started talking money and sales. Within the hour they were ready for a shipment to the club and he was travelling alongside Henry toward Ecstasy.

  “What the fuck is going on with you?” Henry asked. “We’re a fucking team, and you’ve been fucking absent for the past couple of weeks.”

  “Nothing. Back the fuck off, Henry. I’m not interested in whatever shit you’ve got to say.” He ran fingers through his hair. It was a Sunday night, and the city life was bursting with people trying to find an escape from their mundane lives.

  “Back off? Back the fuck off. You’ve got to be fucking kidding me. Ever since you stuck your dick in that bitch you’ve been causing problems.”

  Without thinking he slammed his fist against Henry’s face. The car swerved, and he lurched over grabbing the wheel. Drawing the car to the side of the road, Caleb opened the door and climbed out.

  “You’re telling me you’ve not got a fucking problem?” Henry asked, getting out of the car.

  “Get back in the fucking car. I’m not in the mood for this shit.” Holding onto the back of his head, Caleb stared up at the dark sky. He wasn’t some limp dick virgin after his first pussy.

  “You almost fucking killed us because of this need you have. Get your head in the game before you kill one of us. This only works because we’re both on the same side.” Henry spat the words at him, climbing behind the wheel. “Don’t come back to the fucking club until you’re ready to admit you’ve got a problem.”

  Leaning against the car, he stared inside at his friend.

  “What if I need to keep her?” Caleb asked.

  “Then you need to understand you’re going to be putting her in danger. If you can accept that, then fine. I’m not going to say anything else. Step the fuck back from the car.” Henry pulled away from the curb before Caleb moved away. He watched his friend go, then headed toward his apartment within the center of the city.

  He kept his hands into fists, waiting for the moment someone tried to take him on. No one approached him. Slamming into his apartment block, he ignored the doorman and took the stairs toward his place.

  Once inside, he went straight for the beer in the fridge. Uncapping the lid, he returned to stare out of the city life. Donna had left, and he’d not even tried to catch up with her. She was right. He hadn’t respected her nor cared if she got pregnant. There were women who’d tried to get him take them without a condom, but he wouldn’t sleep with those kinds of women.

  How did he manage to get from one extreme to another? Some women would go out of their way to make him knock them up, yet Donna lost her shit over it.

  Rubbing at his eyes, he tried to push all memory of her out of his mind. He couldn’t. The few times they’d fucked she’d left a lingering mark on his soul. The tightness of her pussy, the sweetness of her touch would invade his thoughts when he least expected it.

  Finishing off his first beer, he uncapped the second.

  By the end of the night he knew he didn’t have a choice. Tomorrow he needed to see her before he lost his shit and got either himself or Henry killed.

  Collapsing onto the sofa, drunk, Caleb passed out.

  The following morning, he woke up to the mess of the empty beer bottles around his apartment and a bad taste in his mouth. Stumbling into his bathroom, he stared at his bloodshot eyes and bad hair.

  Stepping into the shower, he didn’t wait for the water to warm up. The freezing cold would help to wake him up.

  His mouth tasted like shit. After brushing his teeth three times and staying under the freezing cold water for half an hour, he climbed out and got dressed. His door was ringing. With a towel wrapped around his waist he opened the door to Henry.

  “Is it okay to come in, or are you going to hit me again?” Henry asked, sporting a black eye.

  “Shit, I’m so sorry. There’s no excuse for what I did.” He opened the door wider to let his friend inside.

  “We got the delivery today. Have you thought about what I said?”

  “I’m going to go and see her. I can’t leave this alone.” Caleb rubbed a hand down his face, blowing out a breath.

  “Are you sure you don’t just need another pussy to lose yourself in?” Henry asked.

  “No other woma
n appeals to me. I’d have done it days ago if it would have worked.” He started picking the bottles up.

  “She’s going to get us killed, Caleb.”

  Caleb shook his head. “She’s not. Donna, she’s different, man.”

  “That’s the problem. She doesn’t know this life. Cops sniffing around trying to make a name for themselves will go to her. You’ve got to let her know not to talk.” Henry took a seat, pushing the bottles off his sofa.

  “Let’s take this one step at a time. You could help me,” he said.

  “Why would I help you? This is your mess. I didn’t do anything.” Henry leaned back in his seat, letting out a sigh. “You’ve got to love this life.”

  Rolling his eyes, Caleb picked up the bottles then walked into his bedroom and put on some clothes.

  By the time he made his way back to the main sitting room, Henry had passed out on his sofa.

  Deciding to leave Henry where he was, he grabbed his jacket and headed out.

  Leaving his car in the parking lot, he took the time to walk.

  Walking helped to clear his head and also gave him the time to brush off the drink. He stopped in a bakery to grab a coffee and a sandwich. When he got to the jewelry store, he was feeling revitalized and ready to face battle. It was after ten in the morning, and already the city was alive with activity.

  Stepping up to the door he saw Lydia and Donna were inside.

  His woman was at one of the glass cabinets in the corner away from the window with a chart in her hand. Her blonde hair was tied at the back, and her jacket was off showing off the white shirt and black skirt she wore. The uniform highlighted her fuller figure.

  As he opened the door, Lydia looked up and glared.

  He stepped inside and waited for Donna to turn around.

  Seconds passed, and she looked over her shoulder. The blue of her eyes shot anger toward him.

  “Lydia, deal with him, will you?” Donna turned back to her chart.

  “Come near me, bitch, and I will hurt you,” Caleb said.

  He didn’t give Lydia a second glance and walked up close to Donna.

  “You’re invading my space.”

  “I’ve given you a week to calm down.”

  She chuckled. “I’m not calm, Caleb. Leave before this gets ugly.” Donna kept her head bent over the chart she was looking at.

  She was pissed, but he was a master at getting what he wanted.

  ****

  Caleb stood too close, and she was still pissed at him. Her traitorous body didn’t care though. All her body cared about was how he’d feel pounding inside her like he had that one day they were together. Late at night her dreams were filled of him and only him.

  He invaded her thoughts when she didn’t want him there and pissed her off because all she wanted to do was forget about him.

  Licking her lips, she pressed the end of the pen to her lip as she read the same set of numbers three times in a row. He hadn’t moved away from her.

  His large body covered her as he closed in around her.

  “I’m not going anywhere.”

  She looked up at him. “What do you want?”

  “Have you gotten your period yet?”

  Glaring at him, she shook her head. “No, I haven’t. Thanks for reminding me how much I hate you.”

  Pushing past him she signaled to Lydia that she was going in the back. Anything that put distance between them she was thankful for.

  The door hadn’t closed, and Caleb followed her through.

  “You can’t be here,” she said, placing the chart on the table beside her.

  “I’m not leaving.”

  “Let me guess, you’re not leaving until you get what you want.”

  “It’s the way I work.”

  Turning her head, she stared at the wall while she thought of what to say to him. “You’re an asshole,” she said.

  “I know.”

  Gritting her teeth, she took a step away. “You’re wasting your time.”

  “I can’t get you out of my mind, Donna. I’ve been with a lot of women. I lost count of the number of women I’ve fucked and forgotten. I can fuck all of them, and yet none of them left me feeling like this.” He placed a hand on the wall, trapping her against his body and the desk. “You’re different. It has been a week, and I can’t look at another woman without thinking about you.”

  “You used me. You disrespected me and my body.” Tears filled her eyes as she thought about it. She didn’t know if it was the right time of the month.

  “Whatever happens I’ll take care of it.”

  “I won’t have an abortion.”

  “I wasn’t suggesting an abortion. You’re not killing any kid of mine.”

  Tears fell down her cheeks, and she wiped them away. “You don’t get it. When I was going to get pregnant, I had every intention of being married and in love with that man.”

  He paused, staring at her.

  “I know, it was a stupid, girly fantasy, but it was what I wanted.” She laughed even though she wasn’t finding anything funny. “My parents were in love. I wanted what they had, and you’ve taken that away from me.”

  She dropped her hands to her side.

  “Donna?”

  “No, you’ve taken that away from me because even if I’m pregnant I know you’re not going to marry me, and not only that, I don’t want you to marry me out of pity. There is no love between us, Caleb.”

  She backed away until the edge of the desk stopped her. He invaded the last few inches of personal space she had.

  “I’ll marry you if it will make you feel better. Don’t shut me out.”

  “I don’t want to be around you, Caleb. You’re poison, and I can’t have that in my life.” He stayed close even as she insulted him.

  Swallowing past the lump in her throat, he nodded.

  “Fine. I’ll give you space to work, but I’m not going away. I’ll be here when you get off work at five.” He wheeled around and left her alone.

  Glancing through the glass partition she saw him leave the shop. Opening the door, she found Lydia waiting for her.

  “What was all that about?” Lydia asked.

  “He wants to see me again.” She’d wiped the tears from her face before Caleb left. Lydia wouldn’t know she’d shed a tear.

  “Did something happen between the two of you?”

  “No, nothing. He just wants to see me again. I’m going to finish work.”

  Turning back to the office, she picked up the file and started to work on the orders and mark up their products. Her hands were shaking from her encounter with Caleb. She didn’t want anything to do with him even as her body did.

  She knew he could make her scream and beg him for more.

  Pressing a palm to her head, she closed her eyes and took several deep breaths.

  “Think about something else, Donna. This is not the end.”

  When she was back under control she started to finish her work. At lunchtime she released Lydia out of the shop and stayed behind to eat her own food. The rest of the day went by uneventfully. Several people entered the store, and over half of them left without a single item to buy. She was used to people entering, looking around, then leaving. The jewelry store wasn’t for everyone.

  At five o’clock she dreaded leaving the shop. Caleb stood outside waiting for her. She and Lydia had already handed over the store to the other workers.

  “You don’t have to go out to him if you don’t want to. Call the cops and tell them he’s stalking you,” Lydia said.

  “It’s okay. It’s stupid to not face him.” She offered a smile to her friend then took the lead exiting the store. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  Lydia looked doubtful. Her friend didn’t try to stop her, which she was happy about. Once she exited the store, Caleb threw the cigarette to the ground.

  Saying goodbye to her friend, Donna started walking in the direction of her apartment.

  “What do you want?” she as
ked.

  “I’ve told you I’m not giving up easily.” He stepped beside her, walking in time with her strides. “I know I disrespected you and your body. I want you to forgive me.”

  “I could be pregnant, Caleb.” She stopped, turning to him. Poking him in the chest, she allowed him to see all the hurt he caused. “I didn’t get a choice in that. You took that choice away from me.”

  “And I’m sorry. However, you’re going to have to see that you need me here.”

  “Why?”

  “That baby will be half mine. I’m not going to turn my back on my own baby.”

  His admission surprised her. “You’d stick by me for your baby.”

  “I’ve never been a dad. I’ve not got any wife waiting for me to come home. If you’re pregnant then I’ll put my name to him or her.”

  She leaned back. “Really?”

  “Yes.” He reached out to cup her cheeks. “I’m not going anywhere, baby. You’ve got me, and the baby has me for life.”

  “You don’t mean that.” She jerked out of his arms and started walking toward her apartment.

  “I do mean that.”

  “You’re a man who owns a nightclub. Shouldn’t you have other women to bother?”

  “No other woman has been a virgin, Donna. Not only were you a virgin but I did come inside you, twice.”

  Stopping once again in the middle of the street, she glared at him. “You have no right to say that to me.”

  Hitching her bag up on her shoulder, she turned away from him.

  “Shit, Donna, look, I’m sorry.”

  “I don’t want to hear it. All you care about is yourself.”

  He kept following her only this time he did it in silence. She wanted to slap him or at least hurt him. What kind of man did what he did?

  What about you? Shouldn’t you have asked about the condom first?

  She’d been so naïve to trust him. When he’d given her a mind shattering orgasm and he climbed between her thighs, she’d assumed he put one on then.

  Stupid!

  Stupid!

  Stupid!

  All too soon she was outside of her apartment. With Caleb behind her she didn’t reach for her pepper spray. He was far more threatening than any person within the building. Even she didn’t want to mess with him.