My Cookie (A Dirty Boss Romance Book 2)

  My Cookie

  A Dirty Boss Romance

  Book Two

  C.M. Steele

  Copyrighted © 2022

  All Rights Reserved

  No part of this book may be reproduced, copied or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system without written expressed permission from the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination and are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or locales is purely coincidental.

  Cover design: Cormar Covers

  The use of actors, artists, movies, TV shows and song titles/lyrics throughout this book are done so for storytelling purposes and should in no way be seen as advertisement. Trademark names are used in an editorial fashion with no intention of infringement of the respective owner’s trademark.

  This book is licensed for your personal enjoyment. This book may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you are reading this book and did not purchase it, or if it was not purchased for your use only, then you should return it to the seller and please purchase your own copy.

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Epilogue

  Julien: After going through numerous candidates, I’ve found the best baker to work alongside me. Marilyn Shaw's baked goods are works of art that rival my own. She bakes the most delicious desserts, but I don’t want them. I want her.

  Marilyn: I could have my own bakery if I wanted, and my older brother would have it set up for me in a heartbeat. The problem is that I have something to prove. I’m not a spoiled girl who gets everything her brother throws her way, but people have always assumed it, so I’ve worked tirelessly to get perfect grades in my pastry program. Now, to show off my skills in a bakery. The only problem is everyone believes I got the job by sleeping with my new boss. And I am…

  Chapter One

  Marilyn

  I’ve just checked into my hotel room in downtown Chicago when my besties text me that they’re on their way here and only a few minutes out. “Yay,” I squeal. Technically, there’s no reason for me to rent a hotel room for the night when I live nearby, but my brother wanted to spoil me rotten with all the amenities before my big day tomorrow. Besides, they have a very nice bar downstairs for us to party in without needing to alert my brother’s guards.

  Lacey and Casey are out to cause trouble tonight, so we all promised to wear something super sexy tonight and well, I’m just a very good friend. I found this faux leather outfit, and I’m obsessed. It’s not a dress I’d ever wear outside, but for them, I’ll do it.

  Scurrying my bum down to the lobby, I spot two guys heading into the bar and I nearly trip because the tall one’s profile immediately grabs my attention. Every feature on his face fits perfectly, like it’s been chiseled out of the finest marble from the greatest sculptor. Lips that beg to be kissed, even with that scowl forming. I wish he’d turn all the way so I could see all of him. My body is alive with desire for the first time, and I crave more. Damn, I need a drink now.

  “Mare,” Lacey shouts, causing my tall distraction’s scowl to deepen even though he refused to look in the direction of the noise. I spin around to the revolving doors and see my besties coming in, looking hot in their outfits. We’re all wearing little black dresses, but I’m the only one in black heels. The girls both have matching black dress sandals.

  “Case, Lace, I’m so glad you’re here.” I throw my arms around them, and we squeeze tightly and giggle.

  “So how about a drink and celebrate a bit before they find us,” Lacey whispers in a conspiratorial, hush-like tone.

  “They find us?” I ask. I look around the hotel lobby, wondering if she’s referring to my brother’s guards.

  “Yeah. My boss seems to think since my promotion that I’m his personal assistant at his beck and call. He can go fuck himself.”

  “That’s cause you want him to fuck you,” Casey teases.

  She slaps her arm and stomps her foot. “Bish, don’t be calling me out like that just because he’s fine as hell. The man has no idea I’m anything more than a workhorse. ‘Lacey, do this. Lacey, do that.’ I want to throat punch him.”

  “I think you like him bossing you around,” I tease, making sure I’m out of slapping distance.

  “Whatever. I need a drink now before he starts texting me about his meeting agenda that I’m totally ignoring because it’s not due until Tuesday.”

  We walk into the bar and I immediately look for the men who walked in, but I don’t see them. I’m not even sure why I care. It’s not as if I have the balls to do something given that I’m a twenty-one-year-old virgin for a reason. It might be the fact that I have an overprotective older brother who has had guards watching over me since he could.

  We’re celebrating Lacey’s promotion at work and my graduation from a culinary program. It was an eighteen-month set of courses on baking, which I honestly didn’t need but wanted. Our waitress comes over and takes our order for a round of shots and three mixed drinks. I think that’s going to be the totality of my drinking since I need to be up early and baking my heart out to earn a spot that I rightfully deserve with one of the top bakeries in the country.

  “Girl, that guy over there hasn’t taken his eyes off you,” Casey says, dipping her head to the side. I can’t see him unless I turn, and that would be completely obvious.

  “What do you mean? What guy?”

  “Mare, just go ahead and look to your left. Trust me—you won’t be disappointed,” Casey presses.

  “That hot fucking guy sitting at the table with another man,” Lacey agrees. I turn to my left and follow their gazes. Meeting his intent stare, I let out a gasp. Holy hell, it’s the same man that I saw earlier and this time, he’s the one staring at me. Goodness, the man is equally gorgeous from the front.

  He has medium brown hair that’s cut short and textured yet neat with the sides and back shorter. I want to run my hands through it, wondering if he looks even sexier with mussed-up locks. Suddenly the hotel bar has gotten twenty degrees hotter and a lot smaller. I rub the back of my neck under my long hair ever so slightly as if there’s already sweat beginning to form.

  He winks at me, and a blush spreads across my cheeks and I turn my head back to our table. “Come on, Mare, don’t be shy. He looks like he could finally get you out of that situation you’re in.” She gives me a nudge with her elbow and wink.

  I whip my head back at her. “It’s not a situation. It’s a choice.” I roll my eyes at them, and I want to kick her shins with my heel.

  “Choice or not. If you didn’t have that hot brother breathing down your back for years, you wouldn’t be a virgin now.” Everyone reminds me that my brother’s handsome, and he is, but he’s finally married so he’s gotten a little less overprotective of me.

  “Now he hounds her.”

  “And since he’s busy with his hot wife…maybe Mr. Obsessed over there can finally help you out,” Casey adds. I sneak a sly peek behind my hair and see he’s still staring. My pussy clenches, and I’m afraid
that I’m going to make noise when I walk.

  “I’m surprised your brother hasn’t sent his minions to watch over you,” Lacey brings up, looking around the room for the guys.

  I use it as a distraction from the sexy beast at the other table. “I only have one at a time now because I’m an adult, but they keep their distance. I don’t have people up my ass anymore. Besides, he knows I’m safe in the hotel and I’ll call if I want to leave because they aren’t far away.”

  “I’m betting he wants to be all up on your ass.” She nods her head in the hot guy’s direction.

  “What has gotten into you tonight, Lace?” I lightly swat at her arm and shake my head, hoping to calm myself down because my heart’s racing a million miles a minute to have that hot man all over me. I down my drink in one long gulp, needing some liquid courage to calm my nerves.

  She giggles and takes a sip of her drink. “I don’t know. Maybe it’s because I’m happy. Now, go make us proud and accidentally drop something on the way to the ladies' room right in front of him.” The waitress comes back as if she noticed we finished our drinks. We order another round even though I shouldn’t be drinking so much.

  Once she leaves, I continue the conversation. “Not going to happen. I don’t have to go, and secondly, I have no intention of introducing myself. I’m not desperate.” Okay, I’m not desperately waiting for any man, but suddenly my body is desperately craving his attention.

  “Fine. You’re going to miss out on a good thing, though.”

  “Doubt it. He’s probably just looking to score like a vulture circling his next meal. Look what I’m wearing. I’ve picked one of the sluttiest outfits I could find for tonight.”

  “We noticed, and you look sexy as hell. No red-blooded male could miss that tempting display you’ve got going on. If I was a guy, I’d be panting like a dog in heat around you.” She winks and then licks her chops at me.

  “This isn’t me, though. He won’t want the real me in the morning.”

  “Honey, please. Besides, this isn’t about forever anyway. If you’re going to lose your virginity, you might as well lose it to a guy like that instead of that one guy that follows you around at school.”

  Casey tilts her head toward the handsome guy across the bar and adds, “At least that guy looks like he’ll make you come.” She has no idea that I’m already halfway there, but I don’t need to give them any more ammo.

  “I told you. Damon and I were just classmates. We never hung out outside of class hours. Hell, he doesn’t even have my number. Besides, it’s not like I’m interested in him. It wouldn’t happen, so there’s no presumptive comparison.”

  “Girl, that guy has it bad for you. I’m glad you graduated so he’ll stop following you around like a puppy dog.”

  “Actually, we’re both applying to the same place. Tomorrow’s the baking challenge at this hotel. Only the best will be up for the job, so that’s why I need your support,” I remind them just as the waitress sets down another round of drinks. We pass them around and cheer.

  Lacey raises her glass. “Of course, Mare. You’re going to nail it tomorrow. You’re the best baker anyone has ever seen. Seriously, the judges aren’t going to know what hit them, and they’ll be begging you to join their bakery. Cheers.”

  “Cheers,” Casey and I say, clinking our glasses before taking a drink.

  “Wait—didn’t your brother offer to buy you your own bakery?” Casey asks.

  “Yes, he did, but of course I turned him down. I want to be a big girl and prove myself.”

  “Marilyn, you don’t have shit to prove. It would be a wise investment for him because you’d make it a hit.”

  “Still, I need to do this and see if I can handle the pressure before I waste his money.”

  “Fine, but have another drink and then hit up that fine-ass motherfucker before you go to bed.” I look his way, and as if he feels my eyes on him, he turns his head toward me.

  A part of me is tempted to follow the girls’ plan, but I’m just not that crazy confident.

  Suddenly there’s a shadow at the table followed by a deep growl. Strangely, it doesn’t affect me like I’ve read in the books, and then I hear Lacey say, “Mr. Hardwick.” I glance and see it’s her boss. Lacey’s eyes widen, and her pulse picks up along the carotid artery in her neck.

  “Up out of that seat now, Lacey,” he tells her.

  “No. You’re not the boss of my free time, mister.” She tries to act tough, but it’s like a little kitten who thinks they’re a tiger. It’s adorable.

  “What the fuck are you wearing?” he snarls when he can see down her dress. Her rack is pretty nice and clearly on display.

  “It’s a dress. I’m sure you’ve seen one before. We all have them.”

  “I’m not going to tell you again to get up.”

  She smiles sweetly at him. “Good, because I’m not done with my drink.”

  He growls, and she sips her drink fast, knowing damn well he’s going to be taking her out of her seat. The smirk she gives me is almost too much to bear, but I hold in my smile when I feel another body moving closer to us.

  Chapter Two

  Julien

  The bar is already crowded from what I can see, and I’m regretting the decision to meet down here. We could have met in my hotel room; I’m not comfortable in crowds, and since my brother got the records for me, he took pleasure in torturing me with this request.

  “Stop scowling, bro. It’s not even that busy inside the bar.” It’s not crowded yet, but I still don’t care for it.

  “Shut it, George,” I grumble through clenched teeth, walking into the bar area of the hotel and finding a table off to the side near the door. “Let’s take a seat right here.” I want to escape as soon as we finish up.

  “Sounds good to me. I’ve brought all the documents you asked for.” My assistant was supposed to do it, but he flaked out on me, claiming he misunderstood my instructions, leaving the prepared documents on my desk. Finding good help is hard these days.

  I unbutton my suit jacket and sit down while George pulls out his satchel. “How many candidates do we have for tomorrow? I’m tired of going through all these without skill or work ethic.” My assistant immediately comes to mind.

  He sets the files on the table. “These are the batch that are doing the bake-off tomorrow at this hotel. All of them are talented, high marks in school.” It’s a small stack of manilla folders. I haven’t had time to look at them sooner because I have three bakeries across the Chicagoland area.

  “But the true test will be how they handle the pressure,” I tell him. That is always the most challenging part for these kids. It takes more than mixing ingredients; love for the art has to be in it to make it work.

  “Hello, gentlemen. What can I get you to drink?” our waitress asks, standing a little too close to me. Fuck, I can’t stand when people are nearby. I twist my chair, scooting it slightly back away from her.

  “We’ll both have a Modelo. Right, sweetheart?” George says to me, putting his hand on mine, rubbing it back and forth softly. He’s the only one I let get away with it because he’s my brother and knows me too damn well.

  “Yes, dear,” I answer, smiling tenderly at him.

  “Always the super-hot ones,” she huffs, walking away from us. I hold back a laugh and sit back in my seat, but not before smacking his hand.

  “That never gets old. God, one of these days you’ve got to get used to women flirting with you—or men, if that’s the case.”

  “It’s not the case.”

  He throws his hands up just to make sure I’m not offended, which I’m not because I’m sure he’s had questions over the years. “It’s cool, bro. Either way, I’m still your brother and happy to be your deflector.”

  “Thanks. How about we go over these files so I know what I’m looking for tomorrow?”

  “You want to show up late and avoid meeting the bakers and just taste their desserts, don’t you?”

&nbs
p; “It’s all I’m there for.” I don’t want to participate in the spectacle or the small talk between the competitors.

  “You know they do have to work side by side with you, so you’ll have to like them a little.”

  “Yes, but not all of them will be there. Besides, it’s not so much the bakers that bother me; it’s all the assistants and managers talking and wanting to speak with me, trying to pick my brain, steal my recipes.”

  “Julien, it was one time.” You only need one good betrayal in your life never to trust a motherfucker again. There are sayings about that shit for a reason.

  “Yes, and the bastard made a fortune on it.” When I worked for my first bakery, I was just sixteen and I’d come up with a fantastic dessert and the owner stole the recipe, claimed it as his, and then sold it commercially, making a killing.

  At that age I had no financial recourse, so I held my head up high and kept my mouth shut. Maybe that’s why I don’t like people. “And we have completely crushed him financially. We’re three times wealthier than him, so he can go fuck himself.”

  Our waitress returns with our drinks and says, “Here you go, fellas. Please let me know if you need anything else.”

  “Thanks. We’re good for now.” He winks at her, and she smiles because my brother, even pretending to be my boyfriend, is still a charmer. We’re the exact opposite, and maybe that’s why we work so great together as a team.

  “Excuse me. We’ve just gotten a lively crowd in.” I look over to the area she pointed to, hoping to avoid the crowd and thinking maybe we’ll go somewhere else, like back to my hotel room, but I’ve changed my mind.

  I’m not going anywhere with George. I’m following that beautiful creature wherever she’ll lead me, even if it’s to hell and back, because I found my other half. All this time. I stare at the woman in the little black dress. She smiles as she takes a seat and even with all that unnecessary makeup, I can see that her lips curve genuinely toward the hostess who seats her. Looking at the rest of her party, I see they’re all women, which is good. If another man had been there, I’d have to break his jaw.