Becoming The Boss

Seemingly ignorant of the shadows enveloping her, Serena faced the wall, her head bent forward, brow kissing the evocative red plaster, as her supple body shook violently.

His heart hammering, his insides writhing in a chaotic mess, Finn braced his hands on either side of her head, then buried his face in her neck and inhaled a sweet burst of summer fruits—a scent that pacified, a taste that he’d come to associate with her. One he would never forget. One he wanted to lap right up.

He nuzzled up to her ear. ‘Let me take the edge off, baby.’

He shouldn’t have brought her here. She was burning. He’d never seen anything like it. Or felt anything like it. He was going insane with lust. Yet he had no intention of taking his pleasure from her. For once in his life he was going to be unselfish. Give instead of take. Douse her fire well and good.

For a second he thought she’d refuse, and despite knowing it was probably for the best he felt his guts twist tight. And then she turned and, bam, her mouth was on his, and she was twining her arms around his neck and thrusting into his mouth.

Just like that his largesse slipped a gear. Aw, man, this was not good. This was going to be harder than he’d thought. Much, much harder if the erection that strained against his zipper was anything to go by.

Grateful that she’d found her way round to this section of the tent, Finn picked her up, wrapped her legs round his waist and carried her straight into his friend Zane’s office, thanking fate that he’d passed the man only moments ago and orchestrated thirty minutes of privacy.

He kicked the door shut behind them and braced her against it, his lips never leaving her mouth as he rolled his hips against her heat to create the friction she needed.

His little tigress moaned and purred around his lips, thrust her hands into his hair and held on while he took her on the ride of her life.

‘Finn, Finn, Finn…’

‘It’s okay, baby. It’s okay. I’ll get you over.’

‘I don’t like this. I’ve never felt like this before. It’s never been this way before.’

The words poured out on a rush but he got the general gist. Sex didn’t usually flip her switch. Bastard that he was, he revelled in that.

‘This doesn’t feel normal,’ she whimpered.

‘I know, beautiful.’ Nowhere near normal.

Which was the entire problem. He was feeling things. Desperation, need, a want like no other. A bone-deep fervour to protect, to satisfy her every craving, her every wish, to make her come over and over until her cries of ecstasy filled his mouth. To give her the world and the stars beyond. Too much. It was all just too damn much.

Holding her up with one hand, he smoothed around her small waist, then un-popped the button of her jeans. Her piercing teased and tormented his fingers and he growled as his flesh turned to granite. Keep it together…keep it together. What are you? A virgin?

He wanted in, and the angle was all wrong, so with a light squeeze of her deliciously pert rear he loosened his hold and splayed his hand beneath the T-shirt on her back to keep her close. The touch of her fevered skin was like an electrical charge up his arm.

What he wouldn’t do to have a good, long look at the body that had featured so prominently in his dreams. To claw at her clothes and tear her panties off with his teeth.

Serena shimmied to the floor, snatching kisses as if she never wanted to leave his mouth, and burrowed under his polo shirt, making him sweat.

Okay, then. She wasn’t the patient type. Which was dangerous with a capital D because he was—it was the only way to stay in control.

‘Slow—slow down, baby.’

She had to slow down. Before he buried himself in her dewy heat and lost himself inside her.

‘Oh, God, this is so good,’ she moaned.

‘You knew I would be.’

‘Arrogant man.’

With great pains he managed to focus on her luscious mouth and devour her, trying his hardest to focus as he slowly but surely eased the waistband of her jeans down her hips and encountered some lacy girly version of boxer shorts.

Oh, man, he was a goner. ‘I have to look.’

‘Now, where have I heard that before?’ she panted.

Finn pulled back and ripped her hoodie and her T-shirt over her head; his temples were pounding, his blood was pounding, his erection was pounding. Everything was pounding.

Her jeans were rucked around mid-thigh, her biker boots sculpted her calves and those subtle curves were making his vision swim. Then he was seeing red… Red? Bra and panties. Closet girl, that was what she was.

‘Red,’ he growled.

His first thought was, She’s perfect. His second thought was, Oh, hell, she’s perfect.

Lamplight spilled over the room and he could just make out the lustrous tone of her ivory skin dusted with freckles. He wanted to lie her down and count them all, give them names and kiss every one. He wanted to crush her to him and hold on tight. And from nowhere came the senseless idea that he could be a one-woman-forever man, that she could trust him always.

With defcon speed he ruthlessly shut the notion down. He was never taking the risk of hurting her. He’d already done too much of that already and she didn’t know half of it.

‘Stop staring at me!’

‘No chance.’ He was looking and she was going to learn to like it, to know how seriously sexy she was.

He cursed blue to get his point across. Lots of the F-word and gorgeouses and sexys flying out of his mouth at two hundred miles per hour.

Then he kissed her hard, to back up every word with a truckload of ardour just in case she wasn’t getting the point. And with each thrust of his tongue and every swivel of his hips desire mounted, until her rapture created a cloud of erotic fervour and her rich arousal plumed in the air.

Oh, man, he wanted to bite her, mark her, brand her like the animal he was inside.

Hand splayed, he rubbed his palm over her piercing and sank it beneath her shorts, delving to touch her hot heat.

A tortured moan filled the air. His. Hers. Theirs.

She was slick and swollen with want, and when her hips bucked, moisture trickled down his finger.

‘Serena…’ he groaned, tormenting her with a good dose of exquisite friction.

Gingerly he peeled one shoulder strap down her upper arm, and when her perfect C’s popped free the room spun as if he was on a whirly top. They were like works of art. Firm but soft. Each underswell lush and round and topped with a dusky rose nipple.

‘You’re so beautiful, Serena.’

Taste—he simply had to taste her.

Finn cupped her breast and trailed his mouth down her neck. The anticipation of reaching her tight nipple thrummed through his blood, and when he flicked his tongue over the taut peak and simultaneously pushed one finger deep inside of her, a keening cry ripped from her throat.

This was agonising. He wanted her. All of her.

Hot little pants escaped her mouth and the sight of her teeth buried in her bottom lip sent another jolt through him. When he closed his lips over her puckered flesh and sucked, the scent of her arousal filled his nostrils, making him hard enough to penetrate steel.

As if she’d lost the ability to hold her head high, Serena tipped it back to smack the wall. ‘Oh. My. Life. Finn…!’

He sank his finger deeper inside her body, this time a little harder, and felt her tight walls close in, grab onto him.

He had a big problem here—a huge problem. And if he wasn’t careful he would explode in his hipsters. She was so tight.

‘Been a long time baby?’

‘Mmm-hmm.’

She was petite to start with, and the way he was sized he would snap her in two. Not an issue. You’re not going there. It still didn’t stop him from imagining the sensation, the hedonistic pleasure, of spreading her across Zane’s desk and licking her from head to foot before he plunged deep inside her slick channel.

Her hips pivoted in time to his rhythm and she grabbed his shoulders and arched her back, seeking deeper penetration.

‘More?’ He pushed a second finger to join the first and she spasmed around him, saying his name over and over with soft, heated, anguished cries of ecstasy.

Keep it together. Don’t lose it. Don’t you dare.

With one last light squeeze of her breast Finn skimmed up and over her collarbone to rub her bottom lip, back and forth. Then he pushed his index finger inside her hot moist mouth at the same time as he thrust his two fingers deep and thumbed her sweet spot to tease out her pleasure.

Plunge and stroke, here and there, until she writhed and swirled her tongue around his finger. Holy… And when he touched her nipple with a nice long lave of his tongue…

She broke, splintered, shattered, coming long and hard, spasm after spasm racking her body. The walls of her femininity closed in, squeezing his fingers as she flew apart at the seams, clamping violently in a stunning erotic symphony.

Sweat trickled down his spine, making the tight, scarred skin of his back itch. Hold it together. Hold it.

As she tumbled from the heights of bliss, rolling in wonder and passion and exhilaration, Finn leaned his forehead against hers, jaw locked, his total focus on willing the erection bursting out of the top of his jeans to chill out. Willing his body not to come just from watching her orgasm.

He needed air. Now. He was shaking from head to foot and his teeth were clamped so tight he nearly cracked a molar.

‘Finn?’ she breathed.

‘Give me a minute.’ He squeezed his eyes shut.

Her small hand slipped off his shoulder, smoothed down his chest, and didn’t stop until she cupped his erection through his jeans.

He hissed out a choice curse. ‘Careful, beautiful.’ He placed his hand over hers to lift it to his mouth and kiss her palm. ‘This can’t happen between us, Serena. For starters, I haven’t got a condom.’ He sounded a hoarse, desperate man. Very true, that.

‘It’s already started, Finn.’ Back down she went, fingering his jeans. ‘I’m safe. You’re clean, right?’ She began to rip his belt buckle free.

Once more he tugged her hand away, knowing he’d never make it a third time.

‘Serena, I’ve never had sex without a condom in my life.’

This could not happen. He needed a condom. It would be too close. Too intimate. Too everything.

Without a barrier he’d lose it. Lose himself. Inside her. He would mark her. Brand her. Have real trouble letting her go.

‘We’re stopping before we go too far.’ There. That should do it. He sounded forceful and arrogant and domineering. And just so he could cut off the screenplay in his head he hitched up her bra strap and veiled her gorgeous breasts.

‘Don’t you want to sleep with me, Finn? Be inside me?’

He groaned long and low, never having wanted anything more in his entire life. Right now an endless reel played in his head. She was so utterly perfect for him. But he was not the man for her.

In another life he would think he’d finally found The One. If he’d been a different man. If he’d made different choices and hadn’t caused so much pain. Pain he knew he’d eventually cause her again. He was too selfish. Unreliable.

He was also taking too long to answer, because she’d tugged her jeans into place and wriggled back into her T. All the while trying to school an expression made up of dejection and embarrassment.

‘I don’t do it for you, do I?’

Finn cupped her face and kissed her softly on the mouth. ‘One look and you do it for me, beautiful. You always have. But, like I told you before, it’s a bad idea. You’ll wake up in the morning and hate me even more. Regret every minute. Feel only emptiness. It’s a stone-cold feeling, Serena, I promise you.’

She stared into his eyes. ‘So what was that? Friends with benefits?’

‘Sure—why not? You needed me.’

‘You need me too.’ She dipped her head to where he was straining against denim and licked her lips in bashful invitation. ‘At least let me…?’

Finn reared back, creating some space. Hell, no. If she knelt before him, took him into her mouth, he would never get the picture out of his head.

‘I won’t take pleasure from you. That was for you, just this once. Never to be repeated.’

If they reached this point again he’d be powerless to stop.

The only reason he had this encounter under control was because they were in Zane’s office, with no condoms, flanked by secrets and lies.

Here she was, beginning to trust him, and she couldn’t. It was insane. She was forgiving him, tumbling into his arms under the influence of deceit, and he could not sink into her body, look into her eyes as he came inside her, without her knowing the full truth.

‘There are many things I’m not proud of in my life. If I take from you, if I use you, it will be one too many. Do you want a friend, Serena? Or a one-night stand that leaves you frozen? We can’t have both.’

For long moments she stared at her feet, drew patterns with the toe of her boot.

Then she glanced up and gave him a small, indecipherable smile. ‘Then I guess…a friend.’

Finn swallowed. Hard. ‘Good. Friends it is.’

Satisfied he’d taken the hard edge off his need, he grabbed her hand. ‘Come hither, Miss Scott, the night is young.’

Halfway out the door she crashed to a halt, and Finn followed her line of sight to their entwined fingers, dangling between them.

Well, what do you know? He hadn’t even realised. ‘What’s up, baby? You never held hands with someone before?’

Brow nipped, she gave a little shake of her head. ‘No.’

Finn shrugged, made it easy. ‘Me neither.’ And before she could make more of it he hauled her out of the room. ‘Now, let’s get out of here. Don’t know about you, but I’m starving.’

For a woman he could never have.

Chapter Ten

‘WHAT’S GOING ON?’ Serena tucked her bike helmet under one arm, shook the damp kinks out of her hair with the splayed fingers of her free hand and closed in on the small crowd gathered at the pits. ‘What’s the SL1 doing down here?’

One glance at her big beauty, squatting on the Silverstone circuit, looking every inch the sleek, glorious feline she was, and Serena felt her heart swell up with pride.

It wasn’t until the silence stretched that she realised several pairs of peepers were soaking in the sight of her going all goo-goo—over a car, for heaven’s sake. Sometimes you’re such a girl, Serena.

Tearing her eyes away, she glanced up at Finn and thought, Oh, great, here we go again.

The early-morning sun picked out the bronze and golden tones of his hair and his deep cerulean eyes twinkled knowingly.

‘Good morning, Little Miss Designer, how nice of you to roll out of bed to join us.’

His voice was deep and devastating, richly amused and lathered in sin. Then his delicious fresh scent whispered on the breeze to douse her body with scads of heat.

‘While you’ve been getting your beauty sleep I’ve driven fifty laps in your pride and joy.’

Tensing, she felt the hard lip of her helmet dig into her hip. ‘I don’t understand.’ The only reason he would practise in her racer was if her dad had changed his mind—

Her stomach began to fizz—which was absurd. Serena knew the kind of miracle that would take, and she didn’t think Finn had demolished every car on the fleet. Yet.

Saying that, she’d rarely seen those dark clouds of guilt overshadowing him during the two weeks since Montreal. And the thought that she’d succeeded in finagling his attention long enough for him to move on made her soul smile.

Finn swiftly dispersed the group with an arrogant jerk of his head and leaned against the car’s lustrous patina. Then he crossed his arms over a delicious cerise polo shirt and ran his tongue over his supremely sensual mouth.

A mouth she shouldn’t be staring at, hungering for. The problem was, her new BF had taken her to the heights of ecstasy, and every time she looked his way every blissful, shattering moment came back on a scalding rush.

Car, Serena. Focus.

‘So what did you think? Of my car?’ A sudden swoop of nervy fireflies initiated a frenzy behind her ribs.

‘She’s much like the woman who designed her. A fiery bolt of lightning.’

Okay, then. A few happiness bugs decided to join the midriff party. ‘She handles well?’

‘Unbe-frickin-lievebly. She pulls more G’s than a space shuttle. Her curves are divine and she worships the tarmac. She’s a dream, Serena. You’ve done an amazing job.’

The world vanished behind her eyelids as she tried to calm the internal flurry and take a breath. All the hard work, the late nights, the testing and retesting over and over, and still she waited for her dad to tell her she’d done well. But the admiration and respect in Finn’s gaze, from a man who’d driven the greatest cars in the world, was even better.

Oh, who was she kidding? It was awesome. She felt like flying. Having a real girly moment and jumping and whooping. Which was just silly.

‘Good. I’m glad.’

Finn leaned towards her and Serena was lured by his sheer magnetism. She drew forward until his husky breath tickled her ear.

‘You can squeal if you want to, baby, I won’t tell anyone.’

She jerked backwards. ‘Don’t be ridiculous.’

That fever-pitch-inducing smile widened and one solitary indentation kissed his cheek. Despicable, infuriating, gorgeous man.

‘So how did this happen, anyway? My dad said—’

‘We had it out last night. Talked long enough for him to see sense.’

From nowhere a great thick lump swelled in her throat.

Oh, honestly, he had to stop doing stuff like this. Because every time he did, another teeny slice of her heart tore free and vaulted into his hand. Serena couldn’t recall the last time someone had pushed for what she wanted. Even Tom had tended to side with their dad.

‘You’ll soon learn,’ he began, his voice teasing and darkly sensual, ‘that it’s always best to leave business down to the men, Serena.’

The blissful feeling vanished. ‘You only say that stuff to pee me off.’

A devilish glint entered his eyes…

‘When I tell you my condition you’ll be even more so.’

‘I don’t like that look.’ A little bit shrewd. A whole lot devious.

‘You have to attend the Silverstone Ball tonight. That’s the deal.’

There it went. In point five of a second. ‘It’ being her stomach, hitting ground level with a sickening thud.

‘No way. You know that’s not my scene.’

Black-tie extravaganza to kick off the weekend of racing with VIP clientele and the usual coterie, sipping champagne, dressed up to the nines in…? No.

Just no!

‘Hold up there, handsome. Your condition? What do you need me there for?’

Never mind the dresses and the shoes and the dancing and the mind-numbing chit-chat, if he thought she was suffering that soiree only to watch him portray Lothario he had another think coming!

‘Your car needs to be unveiled and it’s the perfect venue. You have to be there. This is your big moment. You need to revel in it, enjoy it. Come on, Serena, I dare you.’

‘Ooh. Low, Finn, real low.’ The beast knew exactly how to get a rise out of her.

Huffing out a breath, she stared unseeingly at her car while a war raged inside her. As far as big moments went this was pretty huge.

She chose her words carefully. ‘On my own?’

If he was taking a woman she wanted to know so she could prepare herself. It was crucifying, waiting for him to choose a new starlet.

True, she’d been batting away the sneaking suspicion that he’d already done so for days. What with the odd phone calls he refused to answer in front of her. The ones that made his jaw set to granite as his gaze locked on the screen before he glanced at her with something close to remorse.

If not a woman, who else?

Then again, she doubted he’d had the time to wield his charm elsewhere. More often than not they were together. Which brought on a whole new set of problems. Because while she liked having him as a friend—a pretty cool friend, as it turned out, who’d sneaked her into the premiere of the latest action flick last night—it was getting harder and harder to keep her hands off him.

All in all, since Montreal her sanity was slowly being fed through a shredder.

‘You’ll hardly be on your own, Serena. The entire team is going and you’ll be walking in there with me.’ He gave her a wink that made her feel dizzy. ‘I get first dance.’

Oh. Well, then. Those fireflies started doing an Irish jig. He was taking her, not some flashy starlet. He was going to dance with her, not the latest paddock beauty. As friends, of course. Unless he’d changed his mind…

Suddenly her mind made the oddest leap, to a vision of her biker leathers, and a groan ripped from her chest. ‘And what exactly would I wear?’

He chuckled at that. Actually laughed.

‘What’s funny?’

‘And she says she’s not a woman.’

Serena threw him a few daggers, wholly unamused.

‘Don’t worry, okay?’ A smile seeped through his voice. ‘We’ll find something.’

‘We? Are you worried I’ll turn up in T-shirt and jeans and embarrass you?’

Fully expecting some wisecrack, she was unprepared for the way he reached up and tenderly brushed a lock of damp hair from her brow. Only to melt when he stroked down her cheek with the side of his index finger.

‘Listen to me. I would dance all night with you wearing a driver’s suit—I wouldn’t change you for the world. But what I don’t want is for you to feel uncomfortable or out of place. Why don’t you think of it as an adventure? If you have the time of your life, that’s great. If you don’t, nothing lost. At least you’ll have tried. For you. And you’ll have given the SL1 the launch she deserves. Come on, it’ll be fun.’

The only thing she heard were his words I wouldn’t change you for the world. And she knew he meant every single one.

‘Know what I tell every rookie when he faces the fast lane? Fear is a choice. Don’t choose it, Serena.’

In some sort of Finn-induced trance, she murmured, ‘Okay.’

She could do this. Launch her car. Dance with Finn. Keep it friendly.

If he still wanted that. She wasn’t so sure any more. In truth she had no idea why they were still fighting it. Stone-cold morning-after, full of regrets about being one of many.

‘Good.’ He delved into his pocket and whipped out his mobile. ‘I’ll go make some calls and we’ll head back to the Country Club. Within two hours you’ll have half a boutique in your suite.’

Another wink as he backed towards the garage and her insides went gooey.

‘Trust me, baby.’

Trust him.

Why did he always say that? Because he wanted her to trust him so badly? Or was he transmitting some kind of subconscious warning that she shouldn’t? The problem was, his warnings were now falling on deaf ears.

Especially since his predicted ‘stone-cold emptiness’ had evolved regardless. Wherever they went, whatever they did, when the time came to part, stone-cold was exactly what she felt—right down to her bones.

Until her sheets twisted with hot longing and her mind saw an evocative cabaret with her and Finn centre stage. Her only thought: I want that man. I always have and I’m going to have him.

To hell with it all.

It was becoming harder and harder to control that voice, to silence the woman inside.