Driven By Desire (In His Debt Book 4), page 1
Driven By Desire
Lacey Swells
Copyright © 2024 by Lacey Swells
All rights reserved.
No portion of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher or author, except as permitted by U.S. copyright law.
Contents
1. Helena
2. Max
3. Helena
4. Max
5. Helena
6. Helena
7. Max
8. Helena
9. Helena
Epilogue
Connect with Lacey
About Lacey
Also by Lacey
This novelette dives deep into the kind of steamy office dynamics that aren’t for everyone. If you don’t find the idea of power plays appealing, this might not be the story for you. But if the thought of an assistant bent over her boss’s desk and the fiery consequences that follow excite you, then buckle up—this one’s for you!
Excerpt:
“Max, I will do anything,” I plead. “Whatever you want and it’s yours.”
What I don’t expect is for him to smile. I also don’t expect for it to hit me like a blast of hot air, rushing all over my body and deep into my core. He has straight, white teeth and it lights up his face that it feels as though I’m looking at the sun. If I’d thought he was attractive before, nothing compares to him smiling. My tongue feels too heavy in my mouth suddenly and I can’t form any words.
“You should be careful saying things like that, Helena. You make a plea like that to a man, and he might just take you up on it. Anything can carry a lot of meaning,” he says, letting his eyes drift down to where my legs are up against his desk.
Chapter 1
Helena
My eyes feel heavier than normal and I know it’s because I had to wake up at 3:00a.m on the dot this morning just to get to work on time. Walking an hour to get to the bus station and then another hour riding the bus and then another thirty minutes walking to the main office. My legs have never been so cramped either, which tells me I should probably walk more than I do. All that just to be at my desk before 7. A nightmare is what it feels like I’m trapped in thanks to my car breathing its last breath over the weekend. A mile from home and the engine gave out, leaving me stranded.
Sorry, Ma'am, but this car is toast.
The words from the tow truck driver still haunt me. Then again, what could I expect from my ancient Jeep Wrangler? It was a hand-me-down from an old neighbor who moved into a retirement home. I got five good years out of it, yet it never occurred to me to save up for the day it would finally die. I kept convincing myself I’d have another year, and then another, to start setting money aside. Now here I am—no vehicle, no savings. I’ve only been in this assistant position for about a year, and while the pay is decent and covers my bills, there’s not much left over. The car market is tight, and I can’t even scrape together a down payment on a used one. The bank won’t give me a line of credit because I have nothing valuable to offer. That’s what I get for renting instead of owning, I guess.
This leaves me with just one option, and honestly, I’d rather try learning to skateboard—even though I’ve never been on one. I’ve gotta ask my boss for money to help with a down payment. Max isn’t like any boss I’ve had before. Everyone at work talks about him with respect, but there's definitely a sense of unease too—like he’s someone you don’t want to mess with. They say he’s intimidating because he’s so blunt and gets straight to the point, always looking serious and a little grumpy. He’s tough, no question, but fair, which is why I’m hoping he’ll listen when I humble myself and ask for a favor. The problem isn’t that I’m afraid of him—it’s that I think he’s ridiculously hot.
Almost like my thoughts summoned him, the door to the office opens and he steps through at an outstanding 6’5” and once again, oozing masculinity. His deep navy blue shirt hugs his upper body, showing off every single one of his perfectly sculpted muscles. I can even count the abs on his stomach it fits him so well. A trim waist leads down to thighs thicker than my ways, but no less muscular and black cargo pants that look as though they were made just for him. From many years working in a garage, he carries a permanent bronze tan, giving his skin a warm glow. His arms distract me as always as he raises a coffee cup to his soft, pouty lips to take a sip, showing how vascular they are with a soft dark smattering of hair. His biceps bulge and I can just imagine how it would feel to be held tightly by those very arms while he holds me up against a wall.
But it’s his face that has had me stunned since the day I first met him. A strong chiseled jawline is framed by a very short, cropped beard of rich brown hair. Lips that look like he’s a professional at kissing. A strong nose with a small bump in the middle that makes me think he’s broken it before, but it gives him a rugged ‘don’t mess with me’ look. Brilliant green eyes the color of jade and luscious brown locks that he keeps in a knot on the top of his head. I’ve only ever seen it down once, and my panties went wet instantly. It hangs to his shoulders in the same chocolate brown as his beard and it had looked so soft that my fingers ached to run through it just once. He’d dug out a hair tie from his desk and quickly pulled it up with little effort that I was breathless for moments afterward.
It seems ridiculous to be twenty-six with such a huge crush on my boss who is nearly ten years older than me, and has shown no interest at all, but somehow, I can’t seem to help it. I have been as professional as possible, but my heart takes flight every time I see him walk through that door. And now I’m going to possibly humiliate myself by asking for his help.
“Good morning, Max,” I say softly, causing his eyes to drift over to me as he heads to the door of his office. As always, he gives me a noncommittal grunt that I have always assumed is him saying the greeting back. He leaves his door open, and I hear him turning on his computer and shuffling things around on his desk. The clipboard in my hand with today’s schedule shakes slightly with nerves as I wait for him to call me into his office. I glance at the clock and exhale slowly, feeling as though for some reason he’s taking longer than normal today.
“Helena,” he calls in his deep voice. I shudder slightly hearing it as I always do and stand up slowly. I take a deep breath for courage and walk into his office. He’s at his desk typing away on his computer and I know he’s answering emails. He doesn’t say anything, but I know he’s waiting for me to do my job. This one time I wish he’d talk first to give me some kind of reaction other than casual indifference.
Don’t be a coward, Helena. Just ask him and take whatever answer he gives with grace.
I clear my throat and he stops, catching me by surprise. He turns to settle those burning eyes on me and my heart drops into my stomach at once. He’s never given me his full attention like this before and now it feels as though there’s a spotlight shining down on me.
“I need your help,” I blurt, instantly hating the word vomit as it comes out rushed and somewhat panicked. I had definitely planned to ask him a little less impatiently than that. My face burns with embarrassment, but I can’t back out now without looking like a fool. “My car… it broke down over the weekend and there’s no fixing it. I can’t get a loan from the bank, and I wanted to ask you to give me… the loan.”
It feels as though I’ve shrunk down into a small bug under a microscope with the intense way that Max is staring at me. It almost feels like he can see right through me and I fight the urge to squirm. My face feels like it’s on fire and I regret even asking now that I’ve done it as it feels so inappropriate.
“No. Now, please read the schedule.”
Tears sting my eyes at this curt tone, and I bite my tongue hard to keep from actually crying. That would only make me look more pathetic. My stomach tightens and all I want to do is go back to my desk and disappear. But something else seems to take root deep inside me–panic. I don’t know why, but I hadn’t expected him to say no so quickly. At the very least, and perhaps a little naive of me, I thought he would give me some options. Now that the word vomit has started though, I can’t stop it.
“Sir, please. You don’t understand how far away I live from the office. Getting up at 3 every day just to get here won’t be reasonable long term. Not to mention it would have me getting home well after 9 at night. I am happy to work extra, no matter what it is, and I’d pay you monthly as I would any other loan.”
His brow furrows at the high-pitched sound of my voice, and part of me winces knowing he can probably hear the shakiness of it. I swallow the lump in my throat, and he leans back in his chair, making it creak. For a split second it looks as though there’s something like curiosity in his eyes, but when I blink, it’s gone. He’s silent for a long moment and I wonder if he’s just waiting for me to drop it and go back to the clipboard, but finally he speaks.
“What would I get out of this arrangement? It’s not like you can work overtime as an assistant. I leave and arrive at the same time every day and I don’t need you once I leave the office. The way I see it is that I’d be giving you extra money just to do your normal job. And well, I already do that and quite fairly I might add.”
Shame blankets me, and I clear my throat before nodding and looking down at my feet. “Yes, you do pay me fairly. It’s just that I didn’t expect my car to break down, so I haven’t saved for a new one. I don’t know that I could stay in this job if I have to travel that far every day both ways wit
He frowns this time as though thinking about that and for a moment I feel like maybe I might have convinced him. I might just be his assistant, but even I know that having me around has done wonders for him. He’d have lost his head by now if not for me, but I don’t want to throw that in there and make my case worse. It looks as though he’s going to say no again, and I take a step forward so that my legs are practically touching his desk. He looks up at me and I throw away my pride one last time.
“Max, I will do anything,” I plead. “Whatever you want and it’s yours.”
What I don’t expect is for him to smile. I also don’t expect for it to hit me like a blast of hot air, rushing all over my body and deep into my core. He has straight, white teeth and it lights up his face that it feels as though I’m looking at the sun. If I’d thought he was attractive before, nothing compares to him smiling. My tongue feels too heavy in my mouth suddenly and I can’t form any words.
“You should be careful saying things like that, Helena. You make a plea like that to a man, and he might just take you up on it. Anything can carry a lot of meaning,” he says, letting his eyes drift down to where my legs are up against his desk. When they come back up my body they seem to crawl, as though he’s touching me, and I suppress a shiver. His smile fades into a smirk as he meets my eyes again. “No man would be as dumb as to not appreciate a body like yours when you make those kinds of open bargains. You allow the possibility of being taken advantage of.”
He rubs at his beard and reaches for his coffee again and for a moment anger builds in my chest at his comment. This crush I’ve had on him feels tainted and I feel like I’m cheap or something… meaningless. I knew he didn’t feel anything for me, but to hear him talk like that only rubs it in further. It feels like I’ve been not only dismissed but lectured, and I decide that I need to leave the office now before I dig myself deeper.
“You have a meeting with Roger in an hour to discuss the new oils he wants you to stock in the garages. You have a call at noon with the Warehouse to discuss delivery times as their old driver is retired and the new guy has restrictions. Mr. Merlot has been calling daily as he wants to complain about the transmission that the new guy Billy put in for him last week. You also wanted me to remind you about inventory. That’s all for now,” I say as calmly as possible.
He simply stares at me still, and I turn around but pause. So what if it would be cheap of me to offer him whatever he wants. What if he wants my body for some quick action if it means I can keep the good paying job and get a car replaced? It’s not like I haven’t fantasized about what it would be like to have him bend me over his desk for a quick fuck. What does it matter if that’s actually what happens? I’m an adult and casual sex doesn’t matter, even if it were my boss. Besides… he made it seem like he likes my body anyway.
I turn back around and with confidence I didn’t know I could muster up I say, “I mean it. Doesn’t matter what it is, I will do anything. If that includes my body, well, so be it.”
He leans up and places his arms on the desk, suddenly looking very serious. He slowly stands up and my eyes flash to his crotch to see that there’s a distinct bulge forming there. My core gives a clench and my panties start to dampen. I can feel my nipples harden under my top from the heaviness of his stare. His hands fall to his belt and my chest heaves with the force of my panting breaths as he slowly undoes his buckle.
“Go and lock the door. Shut the blinds too,” he commands in that deep voice. He lets his belt hang open and pops the button on his pants, letting me see the dark gray of his briefs. I can see the perfect outline of his cockhead through the material, and it looks thick and heavy. I can’t believe this is actually happening and I half expect him to burst out laughing and tell me it was a joke the moment I turn to shut the door. Yet, he says nothing at all. I can feel his eyes heavily on me and I jolt when turning the lock emits a loud click in the quiet space.
Without turning to look at him, I inch over to the blinds that look out over the garage below and tighten them until not a shred of light comes through. Only then do I take a deep breath and turn to face Max again. He sits down and scoots his chair back, letting me see the way his legs are spread wide and his cock, now harder, juts up through the opening in his pants to create a tent.
This is definitely not a joke.
My boss is about to fuck me.
“Take off your panties. I want to see them slide down those shapely legs and hit the ground,” he says darkly.
His hands tighten into fists at the tops of his knees, and he holds me in place with that electric stare. I’ve never been so turned on by a man telling me what to do before, especially when it comes to taking off my own clothes, but perhaps it’s the fact that he only mentioned the panties and nothing else.
It makes it feel… sexier.
Bending over, I reach under my skirt, which I now think is probably too short to be worn to work, and grab at the waistband of my thong. I thank myself for at least having the foresight to wear one of my sexiest pieces, a nice lace thong, instead of opting for something more comfortable and not sexy at all. I wiggle my hips as I work them down my legs, noting how damp they are as they peel away from the apex of my thighs. Once at my knees, I straighten and let them fall down to my heels. My skirt is wedged up slightly, so that I can feel a distinct draft hitting my pussy that I didn’t feel before and it causes little chill bumps to appear all over my flesh. My nipples harden to a point that they rub against my bra, making me want to writhe for more. He stares at me for a long moment, letting his eyes dip to where my panties rest on the ground.
“Kick them off and come over here. I want you to face away from me and bend over my desk,” he growls.
It takes a moment for me to get my legs moving again, but when I do it feels as though I’m floating. Adrenaline courses through me at lightning speed, making my fingers and toes go numb. My clit feels swollen and needy and I just know he’s going to be able to feel how wet I am, and probably see it too.
Will it change things for him to see how needy I am for this?
Will he think less of me for being just as excited about getting his cock as I am the money for a car?
I can’t seem to feel any shame at all right now. My heels click as I cross the cement flooring and I note that I’ve never been behind his giant oak desk. Even sitting down, he’s an imposing figure with his massive broad shoulders. I can feel the heat radiating off of him as I slip between the small space he’s made for me. His desk is mostly clear and I catch sight of my wild expression on his darkened computer screen. My red hair looks as bright as the color on my cheeks and my blue eyes are as dark as I’ve ever seen them, like the bottom of the deep ocean. It happens when I’m excited and I wonder if he notices silly things like that. I shiver as the cold wood touches my forearms and then lay gently against it with my face pointed toward the closed blinds. I can’t see him, but I can feel him ever so close behind me, staring. My skirt has lifted more with my bent over position and I know the bottom of my asscheeks are poking out by now.
I can feel my wetness has spread with the few steps I took to walk over here and it’s starting to make my folds feel sticky. I shift nervously on my feet because the pressure of the desk is rubbing my nipples more in my bra, which is only making me want to ask him to touch me already. I don’t know how long I stand there before I hear his chair creak again, alerting me that he’s moved.
His hands land on my hips, making me suck in a deep breath. They are so large that each one grabs me securely with such ease. He doesn't grip hard, but it’s firm, which just shows me how strong he really is. Those hands begin to slide until they touch the bare skin of my legs and I hear him groan, which seems to vibrate all the way through me. He uses only two fingers to yank my skirt up at once, revealing my ass and pussy to him fully.
“Magnificent,” he mumbles under his breath. “Pink…. and wet.”
My eyes close as I absorb the shock of his words. I hadn’t expected him to talk, let alone in such a dirty way. I lick my lips just as I feel a very warm finger run directly through the middle of my core as though testing out the feel of me. A small whimper catches in my throat, and I try not to move an inch. I wasn't expecting to enjoy such a simple touch like that, and I’m not sure he wants me enjoying this as much as. I can’t believe how hot this entire situation is and his demanding nature spilling into sex too. I’d often wondered what he might be like when fucking, but this is like having my cake and eating it too.
