Read Romance: Bad Boss: Billionaire Romance Boxed Set Online
Authors: Stephanie Lex
Billionaire Romance Boxed Set
Bad Boss
Stephanie Lex
Copyright 2015 by Stephanie Lex
All rights reserved.
No part of this publication may be reproduced
in any way whatsoever, without written permission
from the author, except in case of brief
quotations embodied in critical reviews
and articles.
This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to any
person, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
First edition, 2015
INTRODUCTION
This is a great opportunity to own 7 sexy billionaire romance books in one limited edition digital boxed set.
The perfect blend of romance, sex and action involving beautiful curvy heroines and their incredibly sexy billionaire lovers.
Each story in this collection is sure to keep you hooked till the very end!
This is your chance to own them all!
Bad Boss Includes:
Touched By My Billionaire Boss
Seduced By My Billionaire Boss
A Virgin For The Bad Boy
Tamed By The Billionaire
Seduced By My Billionaire Boss Again
Possessed By My Boss
Grabbed By The Sheikh
Touched By My Billionaire Boss
Stephanie Lex
Copyright 2015 by Stephanie Lex
All rights reserved.
No part of this publication may be reproduced
in any way whatsoever, without written permission
from the author, except in case of brief
quotations embodied in critical reviews
and articles.
This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to any
person, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
First edition, 2015
Chapter 1
I knew that morning would be the day I got fired. I slept through my alarm after staying up late the night before, and when I rolled over and saw I had ten minutes to get to the office, my heart fell to my feet.
I jumped out of bed and immediately began envisioning the scenario in my head of Lionel Warner, my pretentious, wicked, and arrogant boss, shouting at me with the veins in his neck popping as I stood my ground and held back tears.
“Whatever you do, don’t let yourself cry,” I told myself.
It was time to shake off my sensitivity and be brave, because it was coming whether I liked it or not.
I rushed and threw on my best dress and a grey cardigan. It was the most professional outfit I owned, and I wanted to go down respectably. The cardigan was a security blanket over my thick arms, and the dress hid all the wrong places in my stomach, which always gave me the slightest sense of ease.
I’ll be the first to admit I am not a size two by any means. I’ve always been on the bigger side, and people, including Lionel, often wouldn’t let me forget it.
I tried to file a formal complaint once after he told me I’d be attractive if I lost a good twenty pounds in front of one of his engineers, but given he is the richest, most praised man in the city, it was futile. He punished me by making me work the Saturday of my birthday weekend. I never spoke up again if he insulted me.
I ran out of my apartment and had a five-block jog to the building. When I finally reached the front entrance, I was officially late for my shift. It was my third offense in a two-month span. Secretaries for Warner Technologies never lasted very long.
I was sweaty and out of breath from the run, and the first person I saw as I walked over to my desk was Emma, Lionel’s personal nutritionist. She was red in the face and shook her head at me.
“Good luck,” said Emma. “He’s in a really bad mood today.”
I sat down at my desk, my hands trembling as I sorted through the mail.
“Yeah? What else is new?”
“Today is worse,” she said.
“He just threw his drink out the window because I brought him black tea instead of green tea. Just warning you. Didn’t stop him from smacking my butt on my way out, though. He’s such a pig.”
I swallowed and accepted my fate. I estimated it would be five minutes before I was called into his office, and I was correct.
“Maggie! Get in here right now!”
I slinked into his chamber, trembling in dreadful anticipation of what was to come. He was perched behind his desk, his green ears angrily poisoning me, and he held up a familiar sheet in his hand.
It was termination letter, a sheet I had seen many times as he fired people at least once a month from his company.
“Maggie,” he said, his voice quiet. “Do you know why I called you in here?”
“Yes,” my voice cracked. “I think so.”
I kept telling myself to be strong, but I felt tears building. I tried with all my might to hold them back.
“I have built my whole world, my business, on promptness and reliability. I give people like you a purpose. You’d be nothing without me, and yet you still abuse it. What makes you think I would turn a blind eye to tardiness, Maggie? How in your right mind did you think that was acceptable?”
I finally caved and fell to my knees, my hands clenched together in a ball.
“Please, Lionel,” I cried.
“Please don’t fire me. I will do anything. I’ll do better, just please let me have another chance.”
Lionel paused and looked down at me as I was wiping moisture and runny makeup off my face.
“Get up, you look pathetic down there. Stop crying. I have an idea for you.”
I rubbed my nose on my cardigan sleeve and picked myself up off the floor. I looked at him with pleading eyes and waited for him to speak.
He continued.
“I was recently given an invitation to my ex-girlfriend’s wedding, and I think she invited me just so I could watch her marry another man. I don’t really care, but it would be fun to mess with her a bit. I will give you another chance if you come with me for a week to her wedding and pretend to be my girlfriend.”
“You know, hang on my arm, and compliment me, the whole nine yards. I’d like to make her a little jealous the week of her wedding. It would be strictly work though, don’t expect much behind closed doors. You’re not really my type, no offense.”
I thought about it and realized I didn’t have much of a choice. My rent was due in two weeks and I was already behind on some of my bills. I couldn’t risk walking away and looking for another job. I knew what I had to do.
“Okay,” I said. “If it means I can keep my job.”
“Sure, sure,” he said. “We leave Monday morning for Malibu. You may go now.”
I left his office, all of my coworkers’ eyes on me.
I shot them all a quick smile to let them know I was safe and sat back down at my desk in relief. It was the happiest Friday I’d had there since I first started the job.
Chapter 2
The flight in Lionel’s private jet was the first time I’d ever been on an aircraft. I should have been enjoying every minute of it, sipping champagne and being offered fruits and tiny cheese samples by his personal flight attendant, but I was too nervous.
I sat alone and watched Lionel cackle at the movie he was watching as he downed bottle after bottle of the champagne, and I tried to picture what the coming week with him would be like.
I had never had a boyfriend before and didn’t know what it was like to be affectionate with someone.
How was I supposed to act with him? Would we kiss in front of people?
I typically referred to myself as a good girl; I was still a virgin and a bit shy.
How shameless was I supposed to be with him in order to keep my job?
Lionel paused the film and came to sit down next to me.
“You seem a little nervous, Maggie. Are you okay?”
I was floored. Lionel Warner was asking another person how they were feeling. Although a simple question most people ask, it was the most compassion I’d ever seen him display.
I replied, “Yes, I’m fine. I’ve just never flown before.”
Lionel patted my leg.
“I want you to be comfortable. We’re going to Malibu! Be excited!”
“I am… thank you for giving me another chance.”
Lionel tipped back his glass of champagne for the last gulp and grinned.
“Sure thing. Just think of how much fun it’s going to be to see the look on my ex-girlfriend’s face when we show up.”
I tried to give him half of a smile, but I didn’t really care. I just wanted to keep my job.
The aircraft landed in Los Angeles and we were escorted down the stairs and immediately into a black vehicle. I sat in the back with Lionel as he chatted about the various areas we drove through, and I was speechless.
I’d never been to California before, and I was equally as happy as I was scared.
“I think you’ll like Malibu,” Lionel said. “If you like the beach.”
I shrugged.
“I get a little self conscious in a bathing suit.”
Lionel looked me up and down and smiled.
“You’ll be fine.”
We pulled into the hotel and were led to the presidential suite.
Lionel swung the door open and said, “Welcome to our room!”
I stayed outside the doorway of the room, blushing and biting my lower lip as I admired its elegance.
“I guess I didn’t realize we’d be sharing the same room.”
Lionel came to the door and pulled me inside with both hands.
“Why would you think that? What if someone saw us retreating to separate rooms? We need to this to be as realistic as possible in order to pull this off. Now, go get changed. We have a party to be at on the beach in a half hour.”
I slipped into the bathroom and put on a long beach dress I bought just for the week. It was black. I was always told that black was slimming. I looked in the mirror and took a deep breath. It was about to be show time.
I met Lionel at the door and his eyes widened when he saw me.
“Wow, you actually look nice,” he said.
“Much better than those frumpy garments you wear to the office.”
“What do you mean?” I asked as we began to walk through the hallway.
“I mean, you always look so baggy, like you’re wearing five layers of clothing at any given moment. You have a nice shape.”
I wanted to be flattered, but I was worried he was lying.
In my six months of working for this man, there were two things I knew for sure: He was a playboy, and he was not a nice person. I brushed aside his comment and we continued discussing how we were going to pull this charade off.
“Hold my hand,” he instructed. I touched his hand, and I couldn’t believe how incredibly warm and soft it was. Mine fit perfectly inside his, and I liked how it felt.
“Good,” he continued. “Now, when we get to the party, I need you to laugh at my jokes. Don’t overdo it, though. If I lean in to kiss you, do not hesitate. Feel free to touch me as often as you like. Pretend like you can’t keep your hands off me. Got it?”
“Got it,” I said.
The party was located quite close to our hotel. Lionel began walking up to people he knew from college, hugging and shaking hands and kissing cheeks. I stood close behind quietly, waiting in his shadow until he’d introduce me.
“Everyone, this is my girlfriend, Maggie.”
“Hi,” I croaked innocently. “Nice to meet all of you.”
The bride-to-be, Marla, stepped forward and shook my hand weakly. “Your girlfriend,” she said with her eyes on Lionel.
“Didn’t think you could ever truly be a one-woman guy.”
I felt as though Marla’s comment was an indirect warning to me, but as Lionel’s fake girlfriend, I couldn’t care less.
Lionel laughed nervously.
“Very funny, Marla. Maybe I’ve just finally found someone worthy of fully committing to.”
Marla rolled her eyes and grabbed her fiancé to her hip.
“Whatever, Lionel.”
The party progressed and I mostly kept to Lionel’s side, playing with his hand in my fingers, and agreeing with his opinions and statements. He had a few beers and began loosening up, poking fun at Marla and reminiscing on the stupid stunts he pulled while he was in college.
I couldn’t believe it, but I was thoroughly enjoying myself. I watched as the grumpy, cocky, vicious boss I had at the office become a humorous and normal human being. I didn’t know he had that side to him or why he was afraid to show it at work.
I was busy watching him when he leaned in and pulled my chin up to the first kiss of the night. Although we were pretending, it somehow felt real to me.
I’d never really kissed a man before, and his lips were soft and inviting. Marla watched from a few feet away, disgusted and with her nose in the air.
The bride and groom wanted to get to bed early as they had final preparations and their rehearsal dinner the next day, so we said our goodbyes and our thankyous and began walking back to the hotel.
We left the party hand in hand, and as we fell away from the crowd’s vision, we didn’t drop hands. Lionel, swaying a bit with his brain thick with beer, continued laughing and talking as I listened, amazed at what I was witnessing.
It warmed me, and it was in the moment that I was watching him under the moon; I really noticed how beautiful his smile was.