Bad Russian Boss: A Billionaire Office Romance Read online

  “I did just before we pulled up,” Landry said quickly.

  His dark gaze narrowed. “And did you tell them that you had found a one-night stand of your own?”

  “No.” She looked away, embarrassed. “I don’t know what they would say. They’re always on me to be more adventurous, but I’m not sure this was what they had in mind.”

  “People are strangely hypocritical that way, are they not?” He sounded as though he knew exactly what she was talking about. “My friends and family are always telling me to settle down, but any woman they discover I’ve gone out with more than once immediately becomes the target of a smear campaign. They cannot be satisfied with any of my choices.”

  “True dat,” Landry muttered.

  Maxim’s blank look made her laugh. Obviously he wasn’t up on his American slang.

  “I just mean that I can sympathize,” she offered. “I don’t have any family, but my friends and I have been together since our first week of college. They’re like my sisters, but they’re never happy with my choices. Sometimes I feel like I’m going to go crazy trying to please them.”

  “Well you please me without even trying,” he told her.

  “Oh believe me,” she said before she could think better of it, “I was trying.”

  His sharp laughter was a relief. She’d wondered if he would appreciate her off-color humor. He put two tea bags in each mug and poured in the hot water. As he waited for the tea to steep, he seemed to want to say something in particular. She wondered what could possibly make this man tongue tied.

  ***

  The words Maxim wanted to say were on the tip of his tongue, yet he was afraid to let them out. What if she rejected him? What would he do then? Perhaps he was better off just leaving the whole thing alone. Except this was what he wanted more than anything else.

  “Spend the night with me, Landry,” Maxim said suddenly. “Stay here in my bed. Just for tonight.”

  The truth was that he wanted a lot more than one night with her, but he understood that he had to start small. Anything more and she was going to bolt. In fact, she looked like she might want to bolt now.

  She glanced down at the tea mug he set before her on the countertop. She fiddled with the paper ends of the teabags for just a moment. “I don’t know if I can do that.”

  “You could,” he suggested, “if you wanted to.”

  “I shouldn’t be here now,” she argued. “If I spend the night I’m…” Her voice trailed off. “I guess I’m just not making a very wise decision.”

  “I’m not going to hurt you.”

  “Not like a sociopath perhaps,” she agreed.

  He wondered what else there was. But for the moment he was willing to let his question simmer inside her mind. He gently pulled his teabags from his mug and set them aside. Landry did the same. Then the two of them sipped in companionable silence. He marveled at that a bit. There were not many people he could stand to be silent with. There was either too much expectation hanging in the air, or it was simply uncomfortable. Somehow with Landry, it was possible just to sit and ponder his own thoughts while knowing that she was doing the same.

  Finally, after almost ten minutes had passed, Landry took a deep breath to speak. “If I stay the night with you, what will happen?”

  “I’ll take you to my bed,” he told her. “I’ll undress you. I’ll touch you until you beg me to fuck you. And then perhaps we’ll sleep for a while until we start all over again.”

  “Wow,” she murmured. “You certainly have a way with words.”

  He considered this. He was actually known for his habit of not explaining himself. “When I choose.”

  “I’ll take you up on your offer,” she announced.

  Maxim was still processing her agreement when she stepped away from the counter and her tea. He thought for a second that she’d changed her mind and was leaving. He actually took a breath to protest. Then she grabbed her dress and pulled it off over her head. She had never replaced her panties earlier in the limo. Now he discovered that she hadn’t been wearing a bra either. Without the built-in bra of her dress, he got a full view of the beautiful breasts she had been hiding from him until now.

  “So,” she began casually, “where’s the bedroom?”

  ***

  Maxim laid on his belly in his king-sized bed with the sheet barely resting below the small of his back. Beside him he could see that Landry was dozing. She was on her back with her arms above her head and her beautiful breasts on full display. Maxim had no idea what time it was. The two of them had been in bed for what felt like hours, yet he would have protested that it was not nearly enough time if anyone asked him.

  She stretched, raising her arms even higher and arching her back so that her breasts gently bounced. He found her entirely too enticing in this position. Leaning over, he took one nipple in his mouth and sucked hard.

  Landry moaned and thrust her breast nearer to his face. He sucked harder, biting down on her nipple until he felt it elongate and swell. He used his tongue to press the hard bud to the roof of his mouth. He fondled it with his tongue before cupping the full mound with his hand. He gently squeezed the flesh to push the blood toward her nipple. She hissed and tugged at his hair with her fingers.

  Finally he let go of her nipple and reached for her belly instead. He let his hand slide down her tummy toward her mound. She was already spreading her legs to give him access to her well-loved pussy. They had been at this for hours. Maxim had lost count of how many times he’d had her. Yet he could not seem to get enough. He’d taken her from behind. She’d ridden him once again. He’d had her while she lay on her side, and still he did not tire of feeling his cock slide into her warmth.

  “Fuck me,” she begged. “I need you inside me again. Please?”

  He loved the way she asked for it. There was nothing hidden and no games to be played. She begged because she truly needed what he had to give. With that thought in mind, he rolled on top of her and nudged his way between her legs. He paused then, gazing down at her beautiful face.

  Her eyes were hazy with passion and her expression was just a little bemused. He felt the tip of his cock brushing the damp curls shielding her opening. Then she spread her legs a little more and he felt her opening against the tip of his erection.

  “Keep your eyes open,” he demanded.

  Maxim liked to see his lovers when he fucked them. It was the reason he left a light on in the en-suite bathroom. Now he watched Landry watching him. He pressed inside her body. Inch by glorious inch he possessed her sweet pussy. And when he was finally seated inside her and could go no more, he paused to watch the pleasure on her face.

  She was biting her lip and squirming around him just a little. Her hands settled on his biceps and she wrapped her legs around his waist. The motion jostled him just enough that he felt the friction that drove him wild every single time.

  ***

  Landry watched Maxim and wondered how it was possible to be so comfortable with someone who was essentially a stranger. Then she arched her back and moved against him to grind the length of his cock against the soft pad of muscle just inside her pussy. It felt so damn good that she did it again. Soon she was holding him in her arms and rocking against him to feel that glorious sensation over and over again. She could sense him getting harder.

  Then he reached beneath her, grabbed her ass in his hands, and started pounding her pussy in a way that told her in no uncertain terms that she belonged to him. He thrust hard over and over again. The slapping sound of his cock fucking her pussy filled the room. The scent of sex permeated the air. Soon there was nothing but the feel of his body possessing hers in a primal way that transcended everything.

  She tightened around him. Her inner muscles were tired, and yet they could not resist the lure of what he had to offer. She wrapped her legs more tightly around his waist and held on. Maxim reared back. Every muscle in his abdomen tightened as he lifted her into his arms. Now she straddled him, his cock
embedded inside her, as the two of them faced each other on their knees. The strangely intimate position made her feel even more friction and pressure between her legs.

  The urge to come grew overwhelming. She panted and struggled, but could not hold back. “Maxim!” she called out. “I’m going to—I’m going—I’m coming!”

  She trembled and jerked as her orgasm weakened her so much that she could not hold on. Only his arms kept her from falling backward onto the bed. He thrust once more and then she felt the searing heat of his ejaculation as he filled her body with his essence. She pressed her face to his chest and waited for the world to stop spinning.

  Soon they collapsed back to the mattress and lay breathing hard as though they just sprinted several miles. Landry rolled to her side and curled up beside Maxim. He put his arm around her and dropped a tender kiss to her forehead. She shut her eyes. For now, this felt so natural. Soon it would be all over and she would return to the normal life that would leave her all by herself for so many years to come.

  Chapter Five

  Monday morning arrived with a pale pink streak across the sky and a cool breeze that promised more pleasant fall weather to come. It was 6 a.m. In two hours Landry would be expected to start her brand-new job. It was just too bad that she hadn’t had much sleep (if any) the night before. She was exhausted and could not stop thinking about Maxim.

  Rolling out of her narrow twin bed, she threw her legs over the side and forced herself to sit up. She rubbed her hands down her face and tried not to remember what had happened when she had last seen Maxim. He’d been so damn sweet. Yet he was clearly an alpha male. He had walked her to the door of his mansion, kissed her cheek, and helped her into the limo that had then taken her home.

  It was odd. She would have most definitely considered Maxim a one-night stand. Yet he had treated her more nicely than David ever had. She felt respected by Maxim. David had never made her feel that way. She’d been an accessory to him—something that he could tote around to show his friends. And when she hadn’t behaved, there had been horrible consequences.

  Landry shook her head. She wasn’t thinking about that now. It was over. She was starting a new life. She had her tiny shoebox apartment, a great new job that was going to provide her a dozen opportunities over the next few years, and the memory of a night spent with an incredible guy named Maxim. It was a lot more than most people had, right?

  She groaned as she got out of bed. There was just enough time to get into the shower and get ready for her new job. She had a short train ride and then she’d be at the glass-sided high-rise that dominated the downtown skyline. A faint trace of excitement started to wind through her system. This was going to be a great day.

  ***

  Maxim stared at his reflection in the mirror and wondered why he looked every inch of his thirty-five years this morning. In fact, he looked haggard. It was Monday morning. He had a dozen meetings to attend. Then, of course, there was the required appearance at a new employee orientation he needed to squeeze into his schedule. Sometimes being the CEO was extremely time consuming in unexpected ways. He was also going on travel tomorrow. He had a meeting in Moscow on Wednesday and a business deal to put together for a West Coast client by Friday. There was really no time to sit about and reminisce about his weekend. Not even when he could not seem to get Landry off his mind.

  Maxim set his razor on the side of the sink. Its position was perfectly lined up with his comb and toothbrush. He selected a tube of hair product and squeezed some into his hand. He rubbed his hands together and then applied the stuff to his unruly hair. Sometimes he wondered if it wouldn’t be easier just to cut his hair short and be done with it. Then he would remember what it felt like to have a woman’s fingers running through it and immediately discarded the notion.

  Landry liked to run her fingers through my hair.

  The distracting thought gave him pause. There had been a lot of things that Landry had enjoyed. In fact, he had not expected a woman who seemed so shy and uncertain of herself to grow so comfortable with him in such a short period of time. It had been so very refreshing. Everything about her was honest. Her arousal was genuine, her responses uninhibited and utterly artless. There was no hidden agenda, no ulterior motives, and she had not asked for one damn thing. That, more than anything else, made her exceptional in his book.

  ***

  “You must be Landry.” A tall brunette in an elegant business suit put out her hand and offered Landry a friendly smile. “I’m Taylor Pearson.”

  “It’s very nice to meet you.” Landry tried to make sure her handshake was firm, but in the end she could only pray it wasn’t sweaty. She was so nervous.

  Taylor turned and started walking down the wide hallway. They were on the thirtieth floor of the Maximov building. It was one of the most luxurious spaces in the downtown area. Several of the city’s most prestigious businesses had offices here, but the Maximov Internet Security firm occupied the thirtieth floor. The company was one of the most prestigious firms in that field and by far the best in the city. Landry had been excited when she’d been hired for a job in their software development department. Even an entry level position was going to put her in a position to really go places in life.

  “So,” Taylor cast her a sideways glance, “it’s sort of unusual to find a woman in the software development field.”

  “I noticed that in school,” Landry said with a wry smile. “But I really enjoy software development. I started programming when I was just a kid. It all sort of went from there.”

  Taylor chuckled. “Did you start out saying you wanted to design video games?”

  “Fashion software actually,” Taylor admitted. “I was a nerd who really, really wanted to be one of the in kids.”

  “I get that.” Taylor sighed. “I love being in software tech, but people certainly have a lot of preconceived notions about computer chicks.”

  “That’s for sure.” Landry realized that she was really going to enjoy working in Taylor’s department. That was promising. She hadn’t expected to make a friend on the first day.

  “So,” Taylor began, turning a corner and entering a large conference room, “this is where you’ll do all of that horrible mandatory new employee crap. You know, sexual harassment videos, info about paychecks, health insurance, and all of that other stuff we’re required by law to get out of the way before you can really get to work.” She looked at her watch. “I’m going to leave you here with our computer system and come back in a few hours. And you’re also in luck. The CEO is here today, so he’ll pop in at some point to welcome you to the family.”

  “That all sounds great,” Landry told Taylor brightly. She was really getting excited about this new job.

  ***

  It would have been inappropriate to groan when Taylor Pearson appeared in his doorway, but Maxim could barely suppress the urge. The woman was a great software developer. She simply wasn’t used to a man saying no to her when it came to sex. The way Maxim saw it, Taylor had been working for too long in a male-dominated field full of guys who were desperate to get laid. It made her overconfident in her sexual allure.

  Taylor sashayed into Maxim’s office without knocking. She perched on the edge of his desk and offered him an inviting smile. “There’s a new employee starting this morning.”

  “I know.” He tried to keep his eyes on the files on his desk in hopes that she would get the message and leave. “I have the orientation meeting on my schedule. I’ll pop by a little later.”

  “How was your weekend?” Taylor went on. Was she just trying to prolong the conversation or did she have an actual purpose for this line of questioning?

  Maxim could not think about this weekend without thinking about Landry. He was powerless to stop the smile that threatened to break over his face. “I had a very nice weekend. How was yours?”

  “A nice weekend hmm?” She ignored his inquiry about her own activities. “So what made it nice?”

  “I got some mu
ch needed rest,” he lied.

  “Then I suppose you’re all ready to take on the company this morning, right?” Taylor was obviously teasing. He didn’t like it.

  “I really need to make a call,” Maxim said pointedly. “If you need anything else, please feel free to e-mail.”

  Her smile froze in place. Then she got up and exited his office. He could see her anger in the sharp lines of her back. Too bad. The woman could not take a hint when it came to his interest—or complete lack thereof—in going out with her.

  “Of course,” Taylor murmured on her way out.

  Maxim sighed and turned back to his itinerary for the day. He might as well pop in and meet the newbie before he really got involved in any of his real work. There was no better time than the present after all.

  ***

  Boring did not quite cover the stupidity of new-hire training videos. Landry could not help but sit at the table and drum her fingers on the tabletop. She was just thinking that she should have brought something to read or work on when she was aware that the door behind her had opened. Her first thought was that Taylor had come back, but she caught a glimpse in her peripheral vision and realized that her visitor was most definitely male.

  The CEO.

  Landry turned quickly in her chair and stood up. She had her hand out in greeting and a smile plastered on her face when everything inside of her froze in total shock. She opened her mouth, closed it again, and then finally managed to say one word.

  “Maxim?”

  He was standing there looking very handsome in his custom-tailored suit. He didn’t look as if this incident rattled him at all. His expression was perfectly composed and he took the hand she had extended with complete composure.

  “Landry—Tobin is it?”

  “Yes sir.” She swallowed uncomfortably. “It’s a pleasure to be working for you.”

  He cocked his head. She recognized that expression. Hell, she even knew what it meant. Then he spoke and she forgot to breathe. “Your resume was very impressive.”