Baby For The Boss
Baby for The Boss
BWWM Western Romance
DEBBIE GORDON
Copyright 2015
All Right Reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
Debbie’s Other Cowboy Romance Stories
…Synopsis…
A question of choices.
Gina Emerson is not your typical personal assistant. She has skills that make her unpredictable and dangerous. She believes that what she does is right and just. It comes from a dark childhood and a feeling of abandonment. She knows the difference between right and wrong, but sometimes those lines blur into something else entirely. Her skills with a computer are by far better than most. She uses that to fight a battle that doesn’t seem to have any end.
Branson is a billionaire that has several enemies for which he has to stay vigilant and able to fight back with fire for fire. He knows that his vast wealth will turn friends into enemies overnight. There is a girl in his life, but she isn’t exactly what he’s looking for. In business, he can be quite ruthless, but in his personal life he is a docile puppy dog.
Gina and Branson meet for the first time, as she has become his personal assistant. They both have secrets that they keep from each other, along with feelings that come about quite by accident. They have their own agenda, but what will happen when they realize that they are fighting feelings for each other? Will Gina finally be able to pull Branson from out of his shell or is he destined to live with a woman that takes advantage of his good nature?
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CONTENTS
Chapter one
Chapter two
Chapter three
Chapter four
Chapter five
Chapter six
Note from Author
Chapter one
“Gina, you know the rules and the task that we put forth to you is not something that you should take lightly. We’ve given you enough time to think about it and we need your answer, or we’re going to have to go with somebody else.” Robert, AKA speed racer was one of those ones that had an enigmatic personality. He could literally sell ice cream to an Eskimo and he had a loyal following within the hacking community. “I can’t stress this enough, Gina and if you can do this, then we will have the payday of the century. You just have to use your god given talents.” He wasn’t talking about just my hacking skills, but it was also my womanly charms.
“I know how important this is, but I needed to do my research to find out what kind of man Branson is. He’s a cowboy and not only does he wear cowboy boots, but he is very reckless when it comes to business matters. He bases everything on a feeling and most times it works out in his favor. He has this inane instinct and that is something that we can use to our advantage.” I don’t know how I got involved with this Trident of hackers, but I guess our kind have a way of seeking out those that complement what they want to accomplish.
My nickname in the hacking community was wild card and you barely ever knew what I was going to do from one moment to the next. We never saw each other’s faces and it was the way that it was setup from the very beginning. Robert had not given us his last name and we didn’t even know if Robert was his first one. It could’ve been just an elaborate ruse to keep hidden from everybody, including people that he said that he trusted.
I don’t see any reason why I couldn’t call myself Gina and I didn’t even give myself the moniker of wildcard. That was given to me freely by members of the press. I would siphon a bank account and then redistribute the wealth to those that needed it the most. I would take from only those that could afford the misfortune that fell on them. I didn’t do things the conventional way and every hacker has their unique signature. I was different and I could switch things up and go at it from a different angle. This was why the press had dubbed me…wildcard.
“I’m really glad to see that you are taking this seriously, Gina and your first day on the job is tomorrow. It’s nice to see that you were able to fly past the interview process. Branson is not an easy man and you’re going to have your work cut out for you. Don’t mistake his kindness for anything, but suspicion. He’s always looking for those that are out for a quick buck. He’s very crafty, has an eye for detail and has been known to use his own hacker to stop any attacks on his network. This means, it’s not just him that you’re going to have to circumvent. Whoever is working for him is very good, but I know that you’re better.” I wasn’t sure if he was reaping this kind of praise on me because he believed it, or he wanted me to believe it.
“I’ve been watching and learning and I know what kind of woman appeals to his sensibility. I can transform myself into the meek and mild little creature that he’s looking for. I wore glasses to the interview with my hair pulled up and I barely made eye contact the entire time. He was quite impressed with my resume and if he were to scrutinize it further, he would find that my references are irrefutable. I have everything planned down to the minute detail.” I put down my laptop and I took a long breath to resign myself to the fate that I had now entwined with others. They were counting on me for $50,000,000 and I had every reason to believe that I could accomplish that goal.
I think I only got involved with hacking, because my father was a drunk and he would scream at my sister and me, until my mother would come home and intervene on our behalf. He got a little carried away and killed her one night and is now spending his time behind bars. My sister and I were separated and I had no idea where she was or what she was doing. I did what I could to find her, but she became something of a ghost.
Instead of dwelling on something that I couldn’t change, I endeavored to remake myself into the image of something that others would accept. I invested wisely, kept a roof over my head and was able to work the angles. I actually found myself grinning like an evil genius when I took somebody’s money that they didn’t deserve. I only knew that, because I did the necessary due diligence. Unlike my fellow hackers, I had scruples and that was the reason why I was thinking twice about going after Branson.
He was not evil, but he was lucky and that had something to do with the hacker that he had in his employ. I was never one to fall in love with a mark, but I could play the part of a dutiful assistant and make them believe that I was there for his benefit. It wasn’t easy for a black woman like myself to find a suitable place, but I had learned that my rebellious ways wasn’t going to fly.
“I hope that you know what you’re doing and Branson is no dummy. If he even suspects something is wrong, then he’ll lower the boom and send you to jail without a moment’s hesitation.” My best friend and sometimes confidant Nicholas, AKA noodle was an up and coming DJ that always seemed to need a place to crash. We weren’t exactly roommates, but he was more here than anyplace else. “I told you a million times that there’s going to come that one time that’s going to come back and bite you in the ass. Just be careful and I don’t think that you’re going to quit this insanity, before it goes too far. You have a level head on your shoulders, Gina and you’re going to have to use it.”
“Noodle, you’ve always had my back and don’t know how we became friends, but we did. Let’s leave this up to a difference in opinion. I don’t feel good about this and it makes me sick to my stomach and usually that means that I’m doing something that I do
n’t entirely agree with. I usually shy away from those instances, but this is a payday that is very much worth it.”
He shrugged his shoulders, showed me that he was indifferent and frankly he was never about money to begin with. He was happy to work his trade and then stay wherever he could afford. He had a passion for DJ'ing and that was something that I did admire about him. He actually made me believe that I could be better than who I was. I wasn’t sure that was a good thing. The fact that he was getting under my skin was causing me to think about things with a more cautious eye.
“Just don’t come running to me when all of this blows up in your face. I won’t be there to catch you this time.” He only had to catch me once and I was in this Podunk town that really didn’t have much for security. I siphoned thousands of dollars from an ATM and it was quite by accident that I got caught by an off duty patrolman. I was placed into their custody, but they couldn’t find my prints on file. They couldn’t find my identification and before long, Nicholas had come to break me out. Since they didn’t know where I lived, I became a memory and probably that whale that they had in their sights and let go.
Chapter two
My purple streaked hair was now jet black with a tinge of blue. I had it pulled back into a ponytail. My makeup was modest at best and didn’t go overboard. I took on the fashion trend that was making a splash. It consisted of the blue blouse opened at the first two buttons, a black leather skirt and a belt that complemented my attire. I had on stockings and I had to admit that they did make my legs look even longer than they really were. I stood at 5’5, 130 pounds and all of that was redistributed between my breasts and my ass.
“If I didn’t know any better, I wouldn’t even know that was you. You even took off your glasses and replaced them with contacts. I’m not sure if I should be impressed or scared that you can transform yourself like that at a moment’s notice.” He was wearing his customary blue jeans and this psychedelic tie dyed shirt that was of his own making. He had a Fu Manchu mustache and steely blue eyes that made me almost tempted to see if I could change him to our team. Being gay didn’t exactly make him friends with his family and when he outed himself one Christmas eve, it became the most painful revelation of his life. Nicholas lost the respect of his father and his mother wouldn’t even look at him anymore. His three siblings were not accepting, except for his little Sister Emily that stayed in touch despite the fact that everybody warned her to the contrary.
“I’m glad that I got your seal of approval, Nicholas.” Instead of taking the subway, I ordered a taxi and I paid him out of the money that I had gotten from a job recently. I usually have all of my T’s crossed and my I’s dotted. I didn’t like to leave anything to chance.
I knew that Branson was involved with this socialite that had him by the nose. You could see in the pictures that he was not exactly happy with his status in life. His girlfriend Laura was one of those ones that was quite at home in the spotlight. He would stand off to the sidelines drinking his imported beer and trying to stay out of her way.
I arrived at the office and went directly to my desk outside of his. He wasn’t there yet and I’d gotten an early start and now had enough time to make it possible for me to overhear all of his conversations through his very phone. Once he walked by me, I would synch into his cell phone and use it, as away to hear what he said to everybody. It wouldn’t take more than a few strokes. Technology was a marvel and most people didn’t have a clue how to use it. I was a child prodigy when I was getting my first taste of a computer. I made it dance to my own tune and it was almost like child’s play.
“Gina, you and I need to talk… Now.” I saw the anger seeping into each word that he spoke to me. I didn’t know why Branson would be upset, but I guess I was going to have to find out.
I waited 5 minutes, gathered up some files and brought them in with me. I didn’t see him at his desk and then the door closed and I turned abruptly to see him standing there. He had his cowboy hat in his hand and his boots slapped against the floor, as he walked over and sat behind his desk.
“I hope that I didn’t do anything.” I knew that I didn’t, because this was my first day and there’s no way that he could possibly know what I was up to.
“I know what you’re up to.” I thought that my heart was going to stop and my palms literally began to sweat under the scrutinizing eye of a man that shouldn’t have a clue. “I’m looking to you and you’re not just a personal assistant. Your take on business is amazing and some of your findings were like a revelation. I particularly enjoyed the reference of tycoon, Jacob Everly. He was quite forthright and he implored me to use you the right way. He said that he thought of you as an assistant at first, but then you proved him differently. I don’t know why you didn’t bring this up during the interview.”
“The reason why I didn’t bring it up in the interview was because I didn’t want you to be biased. I wanted you to take me on the merit of my resume and not from the hearsay of those that know me better than I know myself.” Even when I was sitting there during the interview, I couldn’t stop staring at his eyes. Amazingly, he was the first man that I had come across in a long time that took my breath away.
“I really wish that you would have told me this, Gina. It makes a lot of difference and I would like your imput on a few matters of business. I see that you have the files that I told you to bring in with you this morning on email. It’s good that we can keep in touch, even if we aren’t able to see each other at the time. It allows me to think on the fly and then send you my thoughts and see how you react.” He was quite different than any of my other marks and most times, I wasn’t even attracted to them. This was different and I was sure ready to seal the deal with the heat that was now emanating between us.
“I don’t mind telling you, little lady that you’ve definitely got my attention. I saw something in you from the moment that you sat down and I didn’t even give anybody else a second chance. You were the one that I wanted and then I saw your resume and that hogtied me. If I could’ve, I would’ve jumped on my horse and rode him around the town square. Some people do shy away from those things and I don’t need bad press. It’s not true that any press is good press. I don’t know who came up with that saying, but they were very much mistaken.” In this context, he was right, but there were others in a more gray like area that would love any press, even if it was bad press.
He was wearing his bolo tie and he had that black shirt buttoned all the way to the top. It didn’t matter, because I could see his physical makeup and the way that his body had turned into this work of art that need to be appreciated.
We spent the next hour going over his more risky endeavors. I warned him against one and I just got this feeling like it was going to tank. There was something about it and the way that it shifted in the stock market had made me weary of getting my boss involved in something like that. I didn’t even see him, as a boss me for long. We had this relationship that went beyond an employee and employer.
“Gina, I don’t know about that last one, but I’m going to take your judgment at face value. Jacob told me that you’re not one to make claims that you didn’t believe in. I just hope that you’re right about this, because if you’re not, then I am going to lose out on over $20,000,000.” That was not going to make me nervous or anything like that. I gulped, realizing that I had played fast and loose with his money. I never had that kind of power in the palm of my hand and it was almost intoxicating and something like a drug that I couldn’t shake.
“I’m only doing what my instinct tells me and I’m sure that you know exactly what I mean by that. You tend to fly by the seat of your pants. You should be more careful, because sometimes when you go that close to the sun… you can get burned.”
“I never took you for someone that would know Greek mythology, Gina. You’re right and sometimes I’m like Pegasus and sometimes I fly too close to the sun and I have my wings burned. I just find life is too short to sit on the sidelines and play
it safe. If you don’t risk big, then you don’t get back even more. There are times that I should have walked away, but I just couldn’t. Having you as my conscience is going to allow me to think and then act accordingly.” He was close to me and he moved his chair around to the other side of the desk, so that we were sitting side by side.
He touched my knee and I flinched slightly, but I didn’t try to remove it. It felt nice to have him touching me like that and then to start moving his fingers in some kind of massage.
“Branson, I think I can say that this has been the most exhilarating time of my life.” I wasn’t even lying and I had the feeling that he would be able to see if I was. There’s just something in the way that he looked at me and I think it had something to do with the way that he was touching my knee. I finally came to a conclusion that he was gauging me and watching my reaction for any kind of dishonesty. “I think by morning that you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the results. In the meantime, I think that you should seriously consider buying this one up, as fast as possible. This company is in a flux and needs a firm hand to take it to that next level. I’m under the impression from everything that I read on CL INC that the owners would be receptive to a buyout.”
“That’s interesting that you would bring that up. I’ve been thinking about doing something, but I wasn’t sure if I would be sinking money into a ship that was gonna hit the iceberg. I don’t want a titanic on my hand and I certainly don’t want to have to wrangle and hogtie the owner into submission. Like you said, he might be ripe for the picking.” He was wearing his cowboy hat and the shadow of that beige Stetson made him appear like he was the specter of death. I only had to look into his eyes to know that there was a good man underneath these odd business practices.