Page 4 of My Sinful Boss
Marcus is my COO. He’s an ex-con who I pulled out of Rikers ten years ago. The guy hacked three federal databases before his twenty-first birthday. Keeping him behind bars was a waste. He’s been my right-hand man ever since and the only guy in the office who isn’t afraid of me.
“Thought I’d just run this by you,” he says, swiping the screen awake. “Nineteen-year-old girl sent in a blind resume. No real experience and currently three months behind on her rent.”
I casually raise an eyebrow. “And you’re showing me this because…?”
He smirks. Here it comes. “Because I ran her background, and she’s gotnobody. No husband, no boyfriend, no money. Her only friend is a bartender. She’s applied to thirty-seven jobs in the last seventy-two hours.”
“And you know all that how?”
“I went to prison for hacking, boss,” he laughs. “And this surprises you?”
That’s true. I nod and watch as he flicks his finger again and pulls up her photo.
Every thought in my mind disappears.Stops.Like a fuse blowing and causing an electrical failure.
She’s not a supermodel, but she’s not trying to be. And that’s what makes her devastating.
Her face is soft and round, the kind of face that belongs in a painting. Her headshot is amateur, not corporate, and she’s makeup free. No contouring, no filler, no practiced angles or poses.
And her eyes—big and hazel—look almost startled by the camera, like she wasn’t sure anyone would actually ever see the photo.
Her lips are full and natural. The kind most women pay for these days. The kind that would look so perfect wrapped around my—
No, don’t. Calm down.
She’s half-smiling, but it’s not the smile of a woman who knows she’s beautiful. It’s the smile of a girl who’s been passed over her whole life. Who’s convinced herself that she’s forgettable.
“What’s her name?” I ask.
“Hazel. Hazel Briggs.”
Hazel…Just like her eyes.
Something cracks inside my chest and goes right down to my core. All the way.
“Boss…you okay?”
No. I’m not okay.
I’m staring at this photo of a nineteen-year-old girl I’ve never met, and my hands are gripping the edge of my desk so hard my knuckles are starting to ache. My cock is also swelling against my thigh, and there’s a pressure deep in my stomach that goes beyond lust.
It’s hunger. And not the kind I know how to handle.
This is something different entirely.
“Three months behind on rent?” My voice is raspy, almost angry.
Marcus studies me. He knows me better than anyone here, and I can see he’s trying to read what’s going on behind my eyes. “That’s right. Her landlord’s about to start eviction proceedings.”
“Build a job listing to make it look legitimate. Executive Assistant.” So she’s desperate. Desperate to sign something she hasn’t even read…
The thought should disgust me, but it doesn’t. I’m overwhelmed right now.
“And pull up the full contract template,” I tell him.
Marcus pauses. “Thefulltemplate?”
“You heard me.”
