I smirk. “I knew you liked my bossy side.”
“Well,duh,”he mutters, his cheeky smile making me throw my head back and laugh.
Luke
“You look good enough to eat,” I murmur to Alek. His soft, shuddering breath is loud in the privacy of his car and it makes me squirm. A low buzz of arousal already thrums through my veins, a warm heat pooling in my belly. Glancing at him through my peripheral, I drink in the sight of those taunt, muscular forearms. His eyes flick over to mine, his pupils darkening before they return to the road.
“You’re going to be good and do exactlyas I say, aren’t you?”
That’s what he purred into my ear as we departed from the wedding reception, the heat in his gaze warming my skin as I squirmed with need. His ability to command my body with just one sentence, the exchange of trust and power that makes me want to melt onto the floor while my mind buzzes, was soon replaced with the need to touch him. Honestly, I feel like I’m about to come unglued for this man.
“Keep saying shit like that and this night is going to be over before it begins,” Alek warns, giving the growing bulge between his legs a pointed look. “There is one more thing we need to discuss first though.”
“Oh?”
“About work.”
I frown. “Is that really what you want to talk about right now?” Personally, I would much rather slide my hand down those massive thighs and stroke his cock just to see if he’s capable of driving in a straight line while I make my big guy feel good. Based on his knowing smirk, he probably has an inkling of where my thoughts are going.
Straight into the gutter.
One hand leaves the steering wheel to grasp my own, our fingers interlacing. When he brings the back of my hand to his lips to place a soft kiss there, I realize howserioushe looks and immediately sober up.
“I don’t want to be your boss anymore, baby.”
There’s a sinking sensation in my stomach, my belly doing nervous flips as the blood drains from my face. My hardening cock deflates, and I stare at him. Is he firing me? Likeright now? Tears spring to my eyes and I furiously blink them away. I adore my job, appreciate the creativity it affords me, and I love seeing Alek every day.
Does henot like my work?
At my continued silence, Alek glances over at me. He startles upon seeing my expression, the car swerving a bit before he gently corrects it. “No, no, no,” he quickly reassures me. “Whatever you’re thinking, it’s not like that. Shit, I’m fucking this conversation up, aren’t I?”
“Are you firing me?” I ask weakly.
Alek curses under his breath, the tires squealing as he abruptly jerks the wheel and we skid to a halt on the side of the road. In one swift movement, he throws the gear shift into park and pushes his seat back. Then he’s unlatching both of our seat belts and tapping his thigh.
“Come here.”
Not having to be told twice, I quickly scramble onto his lap. His hands latch onto my hips, guiding me until I’m sitting on him, my knees on either side of his thighs. It’s a little cramped, but when it comes to Alek, I don’t particularly need any personal space. His hands run soothing circles down my back, and I sigh as I lean into his touch.
“Just hear me out, okay? Instead of being your boss…I want us to be on more equal footing. I think this will be good for us.”
I woosh out a breath of relief, my curiosity piqued now. “You could have led with that,” I mutter.
A flush creeps across his cheeks. “Sorry.”
I cling onto his shoulders, dragging one hand down his broad chest. Touching him always soothes me, his strength my anchor. “What do you have in mind?”
“I want to create a mutually beneficial business arrangement for both of us. Baby, your drawings—that’s some raw fucking talent. Your eye for detail, your imagination, the sensuality…I’ve never seen anything like it.”
My cheeks grow hot, my heart thumping under his generous praise.
“I think you should start taking commissions.”
I blink. “Like custom orders?”
He nods enthusiastically. “I’ve done some research. There’s a growing market of authors willing to pay for artists to bring their stories to life, and it’s not easy to find a good artist who can create pieces that are both beautiful and erotic. I’ll give you the space and all the materials you need, as well as allow you to promote yourself under my business name, but I won’t be your boss. Instead, I’ll take a small percentage of the profits in exchange. You will decide what commissions you take, when you take them, and what hours you work. The pricing and any other guidelines will be completely up to you. I’ll be hands off, other than providing you with whatever you need to run the operation and helping promote it.”
My head rears back and I stare at him.
