Under My Boss's Direction: Office Romance Collection With New Novel by Jamie Knight (most recommended books .TXT) 📗

the same if you are blindly obedient. I want you to be consciously obedient. To do what I say because you want to, because you want to please me, and it pleases you as well. I’ll never make you do anything you don’t want to.”

“I know.”

“Good. We should get out soon, it’ll be getting dark in a couple of hours.”

I wasn’t sure about going out hiking in one of the dresses he’d given me pretty as they were, though I would have to make due.

“I have jeans for you,” he said, opening the drawer in the dressed, “they might not be too comfortable without panties, but we’ll see.”

It took a few seconds to make sure it was all real. A brand-new looking pair of jeans, tailored exactly to my measurements, just for me. We never had much money when I was growing up, but my brother was a fantastic artist. Every holiday, he would do a thematically appropriate work, unique to each family member. I still had all of them, and treasured them more than anything else I owned. The jeans Ryan have me instantly joined that rank. The fact he gone so far as to sew a “Ryan’s brand” leather patch onto the back only intensifying the feeling.

Doing up the borrowed flannel shirt to cover my upper body, I tucked it in as far as I could into the jeans.

“Sorry about that, I’m much better with pants and jackets than shirts. I did try but could never get the sleeves quite right.”

“Did you make my collar?” I asked, the thought just occurring to me.

“Yes.”

“It must have taken days.”

“Weeks. Two months to be exact.”

“You knew two months ago?”

“I knew I was going to ask to months ago. I had no idea if you would accept. The invitation to lock down or anything. I had a feeling that you liked me too, enough for me to try and impress you, but I couldn’t be sure. Not until you agreed to come here and not even then, really. It wasn’t beyond a doubt until you agreed to wear the choker.”

“The sex wasn’t a clue?” I laughed.

“A clue definitely, but I didn’t let myself dare hope. I guess in some ways I’m determined to keep myself from being happy.”

“I know the feeling,” I said, giving him a gentle peck on the cheek.

“I have something to ask you, probably better before we go.”

“Ask me anything.”

Ryan got down on one knee. I didn’t know what he was doing at first. Not until he took the box from his pocket. Creaking the lid open to reveal the most beautiful emerald I’d ever seen, he kept his eyes down as he spoke.

“Candid Marie Boucher. Will you make me the happiest man in the world by consenting to be my wife?”

My jaw dropped and tears stung my eyes. “Yes, sir.”

Chapter Eight

I was getting tired of the cold. Even with our engagement, it still spooked me. Slowly, I turned the ring on my finger, just to make sure it was still there. The early morning sun cast through the cut emerald in the most brilliant way. Calming my mind, I got up to look for him, slipping into the silk robe before heading out.

It sounded like machine-gun fire, audible even from down the hall and through the closed office door. The rat-a-tat-tat of the keyboard bespeaking a frenzied state of mind, though not the cause. It still could have been good news or bad news, either of which could trigger an immediate response.

“Sir?” I asked, switching immediately into sub-mode.

“Oh, hi pet, you all right?”

“I’m fine, I was just worried is all.”

“Understandably, come here my darling.”

I went and sat on his lap as he worked, my presence seeming not to distract him one iota.

“What are you doing?”

“Nothing important really. Apparently someone saw as we were leaving to come up here, holding hands and the like. She’s gotten the notion in her head to try and expose us if I don’t give her a promotion.”

My eyes widened. “That sounds really bad. Especially with you running for re-election? Presidents have been impeached for this kind of thing.”

“Only if they’re already married. We are both unattached and free, that might not matter much to the sleazier news outlets, but I have that covered too. I’ve already messaged every news editor and station manager I know giving them the full story, at least a version of it anyway. I doubt any of them will take her seriously. I already have it set up, so they’ll announce our engagement in a positive light.”

“So anyone trying to a negative story will look either malicious, or jealous that they got scooped.”

“That’s my clever girl,” he said, with a kiss on my cheek

“What are you working on now?

“A statement to give all the other staff, just in case. It is really just a precaution, but it is probably best not to have internal rumors.”

“What are you going to say?”

“The truth, for the most part. That we are in love, have been seeing each other for months and are going to get married.”

Even the lie isn’t really a lie; we have been in love for months, years really, it was just neither of us had actually said it.

“Can I help?”

“You’re essential, pet. Go put some clothes on and meet me back her for the conference call.”

I tried to be quick, the main hold up trying to find something appropriate. What exactly were you supposed to wear to publicly proclaim your love?

Finally settling on a plain, but flattering, dress that did great things for my legs, one of the ones Ryan had made for me, I rushed down to the office, hoping I wasn’t too late.

“Just in time, pull up a chair.”

I sat