Boss Read online

  Table of Contents

  Legal Page

  Title Page

  Book Description

  Dedication

  Trademarks Acknowledgment

  Prologue

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  New Excerpt

  About the Author

  Publisher Page

  Boss

  ISBN # 978-1-78430-657-1

  ©Copyright Sierra Cartwright 2016

  Cover Art by Posh Gosh ©Copyright March 2016

  Edited by Rebecca Scott

  Totally Bound Publishing

  This is a work of fiction. All characters, places and events are from the author’s imagination and should not be confused with fact. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, events or places is purely coincidental.

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any material form, whether by printing, photocopying, scanning or otherwise without the written permission of the publisher, Totally Bound Publishing.

  Applications should be addressed in the first instance, in writing, to Totally Bound Publishing. Unauthorized or restricted acts in relation to this publication may result in civil proceedings and/or criminal prosecution.

  The author and illustrator have asserted their respective rights under the Copyright Designs and Patents Acts 1988 (as amended) to be identified as the author of this book and illustrator of the artwork.

  Published in 2016 by Totally Bound Publishing, Newland House, The Point, Weaver Road, Lincoln, LN6 3QN

  Totally Bound Publishing is a subsidiary of Totally Entwined Group Limited.

  Warning:

  This book contains sexually explicit content which is only suitable for mature readers. This story has a heat rating of Totally Burning and a Sexometer of 3.

  The Donovan Dynasty

  BOSS

  Sierra Cartwright

  Book three in the Donovan Dynasty series

  His erotic demands test everything she believes…

  When the fearless, larger-than-life Nathan Donovan becomes her boss, Kelsey Lane’s life is turned upside down. The multimillionaire wants her by his side, but his demands don’t end there.

  Kelsey avoids romantic entanglements, especially with overwhelmingly dynamic men like Nathan. But she quickly discovers his attention and sensual desires ignite something deep inside her, leading her on a journey that tests everything she believes.

  The youngest, boldest of the dynamic Donovan brothers, Nathan is accustomed to getting what he wants. And he focuses his attention on the smart, sexy Kelsey Lane. He quickly discovers she’s unlike any woman he’s ever known.

  She meets him, desire for desire, getting deep inside him, destroying the barriers he keeps around his heart. He wonders, though, if she’s willing to give him the one thing he demands…

  Dedication

  For so many new friends, especially those from the Wicked Wine Run group. Your friendship is very much appreciated. Barbara—you’re the glue. Andi Joy—you’re a ray of sunshine! April Nichols Wilson, thanks for going above and beyond on my research questions! Katherine Deane, thank you for the running insight. Sandi Klemencic Fusser, in you I have definitely found my ‘people’. Cassandra Caress, you’re so damn inspiring and fun. And of course, there’s never a book deadline without BAB. Yeah, I waited for you. Readers, I love to hear from you and interact with you. You’re my daily inspiration. Please, keep reaching out.

  Trademarks Acknowledgment

  The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of the following wordmarks mentioned in this work of fiction:

  Shiner Bock: The Gambrinus Company

  Xanax: Pfizer

  Starbucks: Starbucks Corporation

  Velcro: Velcro Industries

  The Godfather: Mario Puzo, Paramount Pictures

  Wi-Fi: The Wi-Fi Alliance

  Bluetooth: Bluetooth Special Interest Group

  The Grinch: Dr. Seuss

  Koozie: Société Bic

  Space Center Houston: Manned Spaceflight Educational Foundation Incorporated

  Prologue

  “Is that Kelsey Lane?”

  Startled, Nathan Donovan glanced up from his phone screen and looked over at his older brother, Connor. “Yeah. I just got her file.”

  “On a Saturday night?” Connor raised his eyebrows. “At Grandfather’s centennial celebration? Better not let him see you working.”

  Nathan had snuck off to a corner of the big fucking tent where he’d hoped he wouldn’t be disturbed. Since there were nearly a thousand guests in attendance, he should have known better than to think he could work instead of socializing and not get caught.

  “Anything interesting?” Connor asked, after a glance around.

  Realizing his brother wasn’t going away, Nathan turned off the screen and dropped the phone back into his pocket. “She has a master’s degree. Been with Newman Inland Marine around six years, including internships. Loyal. Trusted. Exemplary record. Promotions faster than expected.”

  Connor nodded, as if the information wasn’t a surprise.

  “What do you know about her?” Nathan asked.

  “Not much. Her name crossed my desk a couple of days ago. A recruiter was searching talent for BHI.”

  Connor’s wife owned BHI, and Connor had a seat on the board of directors. As CEO, Lara counted on Connor’s support and opinions. “Interesting,” Nathan said. As their businesses grew, these types of conflicts were inevitable. Unwelcome, but inevitable. He knew that BHI had interests in shipping and logistics, but since they were ground-and-air based, they were at best minor competition. “What capacity are we talking about here?”

  “Oil and gas.”

  “Interesting.”

  “We don’t have to pursue her.”

  Nathan refused to stand between her and success with another company. And if her skill set would benefit BHI, they deserved the chance to woo her. “You’re welcome to go after her.”

  Connor no longer seemed to be listening, and Nathan followed his brother’s gaze. His wife Lara was talking to a tall cowboy who leaned toward her. Too close, if the sudden scowl on Connor’s face was anything to judge by.

  “Excuse me,” Connor said, jaw set. Without waiting for a response, Connor strode toward his wife.

  Thankfully, that left Nathan alone again.

  He took out his phone and returned to the information on Kelsey. Info? If he was honest with himself, he would admit he wasn’t only interested in her biography. He wanted to look at her picture.

  Her smile appeared a bit forced, as if she were impatient with the photographer. Even that didn’t detract from the beauty of her hazel eyes, the fullness of her lips or the sight of her long, dark hair.

  Everything about her appealed to him.

  If the acquisition went through, the gorgeous Kelsey Lane would be his assistant.

  That was incentive to work longer and harder.

  A couple whose names he couldn’t remember stopped to chat. Hiding his annoyance, he put his phone away and shook the man’s hand.

  It took a full five minutes before their attention wandered and they excused themselves.

  He wondered how many more times he would be required to smile before making an escape. Unbelievably, people were still arriving. Some were even in
limos, which was supremely impractical on a ranch, not just because of the dirt roads but also the distance from a major town.

  Straddling the line between irritation and impatience, he glanced at his watch. Not that it was a watch, even though it told time with the accuracy of an atomic clock. The unit was more like a mini-computer. It never needed recharging since it was powered by his body’s movements. Barring that, light reenergized it. The Julien Bonds-created masterpiece wasn’t just intuitive, it often anticipated Nathan’s actions.

  The unit vibrated. In response, he swiped his finger across the sapphire-glass surface. A tiny hologram of his sister-in-law Sofia appeared. Beneath her, in script that advanced forward as he read each word, Sofia said, “It’s not yet eight o’clock, Nathan. You’re expected to stay at least two more hours. As a reminder, please ask your mother to dance. And oh, Connor just told me to lock you out of the Wi-Fi until eleven p.m., even at the guest house, so even if you run away, you won’t be able to get online. He says it’s for your own good.”

  What the fuck? He went to swipe away the image, but she started speaking again. “You might as well relax, have something to drink and enjoy yourself. Bye-bye!” With a cheery little annoying wave, her image vanished.

  He groaned.

  Everyone apparently knew he’d rather be anywhere but here. Fucking parties. Waste of time. Even bigger waste of money.

  He ran his finger along the inside of his shirt collar. Even though it was October, it was hotter than hell at the family’s Running Wind Ranch in South Texas.

  If it had been his choice, he’d have stayed in Houston to work on the Newman Inland Marine deal. It was getting close to crunch time. He was sleeping fewer and fewer hours, fueled by the challenges and opportunities. It was heady stuff. To him, it was like a drug. And he was all but shaking with the need for his fix.

  As if on cue to save him, a server passed by, bearing a variety of wines all from locally grown grapes.

  “Don’t mind if I do.” He snagged a glass of something red.

  “Glad we didn’t burn the ranch house down?”

  At the words, he turned to see his sister, Erin. “It’s not too late, is it?” he asked.

  “Stop it, you cheapskate. This is fun.”

  “Fun?” Maybe to some people it was.

  “Sofia did a hell of a job.”

  Even he had to admit that, despite the exorbitant cost. He’d secretly scoffed at her idea of erecting tents on the grounds. He’d even wondered aloud if the whole thing were a circus.

  But the inside didn’t resemble a tent. The thing was massive, had windows, tables, a dance floor, French doors and, blessedly, air conditioning. She’d even managed to get the Matthew Martin band to interrupt a nationwide tour to provide entertainment. It was world-class, from covers to their own top-ten hits, ballads to country swing, and they’d even managed a few obligatory line dances. Not bad for a band that had won country music’s most prestigious award three out of the last five years.

  “Granddaddy says this will be good for business.”

  “Not sure how that’s possible when we’re locked out of the Wi-Fi.”

  “For Christ’s sake, Nathan. You won’t die without your phone. Have you always been such a bore? I used to enjoy hanging out with you.” She frowned. “At least I think I did. Maybe my mind is playing tricks on me.”

  Sometime during the evening, she’d ditched her shoes. Her hair was piled on top of her head and she’d woven some small white flowers through the strands.

  She’d chosen an interesting outfit, a short leather skirt and a black corset. Of course. “Dressed to spite me?”

  “Please.” She rolled her eyes. “Get it through your thick skull. Not everything is about you.”

  This was an old argument. He and Erin saw financials differently. She insisted he was overly cautious, to the point of being out of step and stuffy. He didn’t mind the accusation. When his father had died, Connor had inherited a company headed toward disaster. Nathan had seen how close the Donovans were to losing the hard-fought legacy that had been handed down through the generations. When he’d been appointed CFO, he’d vowed to be a good steward so that future Donovans would have something to be proud of.

  Erin preferred to live for the moment, determined to do what good she could for the world. She was a dreamer. He was a planner. And when she’d approached him to invest in her friend’s corset store, he’d refused.

  Undaunted, she’d used money from her own trust fund to help her friend.

  “So, do you like it?” she asked, interrupting his musings.

  “Like what?”

  “The outfit.” She spun. “I’m modeling it.”

  “You’re what?”

  “Helping visibility of the shop by showing how versatile the piece is. It can be worn anywhere, even a fancy event. Corsets are not just for the bedroom.”

  “They should be.” Or a BDSM club, which was where he preferred them. He loved lacing a submissive into one, cinching it tight so he could enjoy looking at her cleavage.

  Erin smacked his arm.

  “And the necklace…? Are you also modeling it?”

  “Oh, this?” She touched the exquisite—and if he didn’t miss his guess, fucking expensive—teardrop pendant. “No. This was retail therapy.”

  “Was there a reason you dropped money on an extravagant piece of jewelry?” She’d inherited a treasure trove full of stuff from their great-grandmother. Surely she could have just reset some of those stones.

  “I bought it right after Connor’s wedding reception,” she answered vaguely.

  Before he could ask anything else, she took a sip of wine. “This is good,” she said approvingly before taking a second, longer drink. “So, why didn’t you bring a date? That would have helped.”

  He regarded her. “To this command performance?”

  She shrugged. “I know what you mean.”

  Since all of the family members had arrived Friday and planned to stay until Sunday, he’d nixed the idea of bringing a woman he barely knew to meet the family, endure endless questions and share his space.

  There was little room in his life for a relationship, and he was fine with that. He adored the subs at Deviation, the city’s intriguing new BDSM club. An occasional visit satisfied his primal needs. And after a few hours, he went home, even more focused on business. Scenes didn’t just soothe his savageness, they energized him.

  Glass in hand, he walked over to where his half-brother Cade stood talking to his mother, Stormy.

  Although Nathan was a little surprised she’d accepted the invitation, he was pleased to see her. To his knowledge, it was the first Donovan event she’d ever attended.

  “Stormy.” He shook her hand.

  “Nathan. Always a pleasure.”

  The woman was tall, willowy and dressed exactly the way he’d expected. Convention be damned. Her slim-cut jeans were tucked inside boots she’d likely hand-tooled herself. Her white T-shirt was form-fitting, and she wore a brown leather vest over it. She had a quick smile, a firm grip and a direct gaze. He could see why his father, Jeffrey, had fallen in love with her, even though he had been expected to marry Nathan’s mother.

  The Running Wind Ranch wouldn’t have been what it was without Stormy’s guidance. And Cade, the oldest Donovan brother, did a damn fine job of running the ranch. It had been Stormy who’d fought for her illegitimate son’s inheritance and who’d instilled a love of the land in his soul. Though Nathan had little interest in that part of the business, Cade’s intelligence and hard work had made it a financial success. And that, Nathan appreciated.

  “Well, look who’s here,” Cade interrupted with a long, slow whistle.

  Nathan glanced over his shoulder and saw Julien Bonds just inside the French doors. “I didn’t know he was expected.” A group of people moved in around him, blocking him from general view and the always-prying eye of cell phone cameras.

  “Connor insisted on sending Bonds an invite,” Ca
de replied. “No one really thought he’d show, but Sofia reserved a guest house for him, just in case. I imagine he took a helicopter from Houston.” He shrugged. “I still want to see his prissy ass on a horse.”

  “I’ll give him lessons,” Stormy volunteered.

  She’d spent years wrangling and was an accomplished horsewoman. If Nathan remembered correctly, she’d been the one who had taught his father to ride. That was probably the summer they’d fallen in love. “I want to ask him about a few of the watch’s features,” Nathan said.

  “Watch? You have a Bonds watch?” Cade demanded.

  Nathan flashed his wrist.

  “Fuck,” Cade said. “How the hell did you rate?”

  “I indicated an interest in investing. He turned me down. Says he won’t go public and let some board of directors interfere with his creative ideas.” The man was on track to having one of the largest privately held firms on the planet. “As a consolation prize, he sent it to me for beta testing.”

  “And?”

  “It’s astounding. But…”

  “But?”

  “Quirky.”

  Cade frowned.

  “Plays theme music when it’s turned on. And the hologram—”

  “It has a hologram?”

  “Of Bonds himself. Greets you personally and suggests ways for you to improve your life.” The ego was astounding. Last week, Bonds had recommended Nathan go to bed slightly earlier and sleep longer, saying his life expectancy would increase if he enjoyed more REM sleep. Bonds had added that Nathan would be twice as effective if he slept twenty percent longer, which was a good investment of his time, according to the genius.