Bred by the CEO (Breeding Season Book 10) Read online

  EVERNIGHT PUBLISHING ®

  www.evernightpublishing.com

  Copyright© 2022 Sam Crescent and Stacey Espino

  ISBN: 978-0-3695-0626-9

  Cover Artist: Jay Aheer

  Editor: Audrey Bobak

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

  WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be used or reproduced electronically or in print without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews.

  This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, and places are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  BRED BY THE CEO

  Breeding Season, 10

  Sam Crescent and Stacey Espino

  Copyright © 2022

  Chapter One

  Just thinking of the name Darius Blackwood made her anxiety flare up. How was she supposed to ask him for a promotion? She’d been an entry-level accountant in his company for four years, and she was going nowhere fast. At the very least, she hoped she’d be something above a junior account by now. She didn’t have an office or a title. She was nobody.

  Rose stood in front of the elevator, staring at the console. She was too scared to push the button that would bring her to the penthouse suite of the massive skyscraper. Part of her wasn’t even sure she’d get to see her boss at all since there was a network of subordinate managers and supervisors who dealt with all his dirty work.

  A couple of kids raced after each other down the hall. It had been like that all day. It was “take your kids to work” day, and it seemed like everyone decided to take part this year. A woman in a tight skirt suit attempted to run after the two children, a stack of papers cradled in her arms. It was almost comical.

  After another deep breath, she went through with it and stepped on the elevator. Within seconds, she was being whisked up, up, up. When she arrived on the penthouse floor, she held her breath as she stepped off. Rose had never been up here. Not many had. It was only talked about, like some fictional realm, but the stories were true. Everything exuded luxury, from the art on the walls to the light fixtures. She looked around in awe, trying to take in all the sights at once.

  “Can I help you?” A man in a dark suit and pink tie rushed quickly in her direction.

  Rose was still standing in the same spot, too starstruck by the lobby to move. “I’d like to see Mr. Blackwood.”

  He lifted one eyebrow. “Do you have an appointment?”

  “I work here. I just need a few words with him.”

  “He doesn’t do walk-ins. If you work here, you should speak to the manager in your department. Mr. Blackwood doesn’t have time to deal with employee matters.”

  She bit her bottom lip. Part of her knew something like this would happen. What did she expect? They’d usher her in and offer her an overpriced water with a lime wedge? She felt like an idiot.

  “Elliot, get back here!” The secretary sitting at the massive crescent-shaped reception desk in front of them stood up and took pursuit. She was just in time to grab the sleeve of a little boy who looked to be around three years old. He laughed and tried to tug away from her. He had rosy, red cheeks, and bright blue eyes. Rose loved children but never expected to have any of her own. She was twenty-nine years old with no prospects. And she was pretty sure single virgins couldn’t have children.

  Elliot started to have a classic meltdown as the secretary attempted to haul him back toward a rear office.

  The entire building was complete chaos. Fortunately, this day only came once a year.

  She was still watching the little boy when the man beside her cleared his throat. “Miss, you’ll have to leave.”

  “Oh, right. Sorry.”

  She had no plans of talking to her manager—again. For some reason, the older woman couldn’t stand her and never gave her any slack. A promotion was the last thing she’d get approved. It didn’t matter how much she killed it in the office, there was no chance to get ahead. It was disheartening, to say the least.

  Just then, the little hellion ran toward the elevators with two women chasing after him. Rose bent down as Elliot neared, opening her arms wide. This seemed to distract the little boy. She smiled at him and winked. “I like your shirt. Are dump trucks your favorite?”

  He peered down and pointed to the red truck over his stomach.

  “What color is that?”

  The little boy visibly calmed. “Red. That one blue.”

  “That’s right. You’re such a smart boy. Do you like to play with cars and trucks?”

  He took her hand and attempted to lead her deeper into the main office. She’d always had a way with kids, and she hoped she’d get to be a mother herself one day. At twenty-nine, those days were getting fewer and fewer.

  Once she stood up straight, she noticed a man standing nearby, his arms crossed over his chest. For a moment, she was taken aback by his commanding presence. Then she froze in place when she realized it was actually Mr. Blackwood in the flesh.

  Rose had seen some grainy photos in the hallways from old company events. For some reason, she expected him to have aged much more than he had. As discreetly as possible, she took him in from head to toe. His black hair had a light sprinkling of gray, but only on closer inspection. And his eyes were as dark as onyx.

  She wished she could disappear or, at the very least, start the day over without the idiotic idea of coming up here to demand a promotion. Was it too early for a mid-life crisis?

  “How hard is it to take care of a four-year-old?” he asked aloud. There was no humor in his words. The man was pissed off. “Elliot, get over here!”

  The little boy rushed over to Mr. Blackwood and jumped up into his arms with no fear whatsoever. They must be father and son. The CEO of the company had a way with children. She couldn’t wipe the dumb smile off her face because they were so damn cute together.

  “What’s your name?”

  She clammed up. Was he actually talking to her? Rose turned around to make sure there wasn’t someone else behind her. There was no one else. To make matters even worse, she pointed to her chest until he nodded.

  “Rose. Rose Henshaw.”

  “Do you work for me?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “Then you’ve just become my nanny for the day.” He set Elliot back on his feet, gave her a wink that settled right in her panties, and then returned to his office. She stood there dumbfounded. What had just happened?

  The man with the pink tie leaned in close. “Whatever plans you had for today, cancel them. When Mr. Blackwood tells you to do something, you’d be smart to comply.”

  “Right. Of course.”

  She was ushered away by several employees to a large, nearly empty office with breathtaking views. Toys were spread out on the carpet, along with a buffet of kid-approved snacks. Elliot flopped down and began playing with his trucks.

  Rose sat in one of the office chairs, staring off at the views. She’d never met Darius Blackwood, and he was much more than she expected. There was just something about him. An instant attraction she couldn’t shake. Although he didn’t have classic good looks, he was masculine, imposing, and impossibly addicting. He had dark hair and evil eyes. She could envision many inappropriate encounters with her boss. Too bad he was married with children. All her fantasies would have to stay locked in her sick head.

  About ninety minutes later, Darius himself walked into the office, closing the door behind him. Where was his entourage?

  “I’m sorry about this morning. I was swamped
. The kids’ day plus a couple of important meetings didn’t mesh well.”

  “It’s no trouble. Your son is adorable.”

  “My nephew. He’s the closest I can get to the real experience.”

  Rose loved that answer.

  She wanted to ask if he was married, but there was no point. It wasn’t like she had a chance in hell with a man like him. Rose wasn’t sure if she should even go through with her original plan—to convince the CEO she deserved a raise.

  No words came out.

  “I’ve had half a dozen women in the office attempt to tame this little guy, but you’re the only one he’s taken to. You’re a natural. You must have children of your own.”

  She scoffed. “No, not me.”

  “You should. You’d make a great mother.”

  “I think I’d need a husband first.”

  And to actually have sex.

  He smiled at her, a little tilt of the lips, but it was sexy as fuck. Then he just stared, like she was some kind of special attraction. What was he thinking?

  “You said you work for me. Where?”

  “Accounting. B2”

  “Way down there, eh?”

  She shrugged. “I’ve worked there for four years. I don’t like complaining, but I haven’t received a single raise since I started. I work overtime and even weekends when needed. I guess I’m started to feel underappreciated.”

  There. She’d done it. Put it out there.

  It wasn’t like she was asking for the impossible. Some of her coworkers who were hired long after her had received generous raises. It made no logical sense.

  “Have you spoken with your manager?” He clasped his hands behind his back, walking back and forth in front of the windows in slow, measured steps.

  Rose scoffed. “Numerous times. I thought coming up here to speak with you directly would help.”

  “That’s why you were up here this morning?”

  Rose nodded when he looked her way.

  “Are you used to getting your way?” he asked.

  She rose to her feet, trying to straighten out the lines in her skirt while maintaining eye contact with her boss. “No,” she said matter-of-factly. “But I thought it was about time I stood up for myself.”

  Mr. Blackwood had no idea how far she’d come or what hell she’d been through in her life.

  He raised an eyebrow, and she stopped breathing completely.

  Had she gone too far? Insulted him? She closed her eyes and wished she could wake up and redo the entire day.

  ****

  Darius had been checking his watch, waiting for the first chance to get out of the office so he could drop his nephew back at his sister’s house. Who the hell had invented “take your kids to work” day?

  None of his staff seemed capable of handling Elliot, and it was difficult juggling meetings and bouncing the little menace on his knee. As soon as he saw Rose with his nephew, the world seemed to come to a full stop. She had a calm air around her, whereas the other women in his office appeared scared or uncomfortable around children.

  He noticed everything about her—that full ass, curves in all the right places, big brown eyes, and smooth mocha skin. Fuck, he was instantly hooked on the beauty. It took him a few moments to snap out of his reverie and ask for her name. He was rarely at a loss for words.

  He’d never seen her before but, then again, he had thousands of employees. She was young, probably too young, but assertive. He liked that.

  “You think I have the power to grant you a raise?” He sat on the edge of the desk, watching her fidget. The way she wet those luscious lips made him forget how exhausted he felt. Fortunately, Elliot was thoroughly invested in his oversized building blocks at the moment, giving him some alone time with his employee.

  “Sorry, don’t you?”

  He smirked. She was fucking adorable.

  Darius had enjoyed his fair share of women over the decades. Lots of bleached blondes addicted to money and plastic surgery. At forty-six, he was looking for more than a quick fuck or arm candy. Rose was the opposite of girls he’d dated—and his curiosity was piqued.

  “I’m just playing with you.” He didn’t stand up, didn’t move a muscle. He loved watching her squirm. “You don’t have to be nervous.”

  “I’m not,” she said a little too quickly. “Maybe just a bit.”

  “I’ll look up your employee file tomorrow morning, Miss Henshaw. If everything checks out, I’ll make sure you get that raise you say you deserve.”

  He wanted to give her a lot more than a raise. Darius had begun thinking about his legacy more and more every year. It was becoming an obsession. With no children, he’d have no one to leave his business to, no one to teach or pass down his knowledge. Rose made him think of things like fucking, breeding, and children. He could picture her ripe with his child.

  Darius shook away his wayward thoughts.

  It had been a long day and his mind was apparently stuck in the gutter. He knew absolutely nothing about this girl with the wild curls and sweet smile. He’d be smart to keep his fantasies locked away and focus on growing his already thriving business. Numbers were safe. Relationships and emotions were more complicated.

  He stretched his arm toward the door. “Thank you for watching, Elliot, but I’m sure you’re ready to clock out.”

  “Oh.” She looked almost disappointed, which was intriguing. He waited for her to walk toward the door so he could watch the sway of her hips and full roundness of her ass. He loved everything he saw. But one thing he’d learned over the years was never to fall for beauty and curves without doing a thorough background check first. He’d been burned more than once by gold-digging bitches, and he wouldn’t let it happen again.

  He drove out to his sister’s house in the suburbs to drop off Elliot, then made his way home along the freeway. She asked him to stay for dinner, but he preferred to keep to himself. It was what he did. Darius wasn’t sure why he couldn’t maintain close relationships. Something in his head was fucked up, and he wasn’t about to visit a shrink to figure it out. His rivals would love ammunition to tank his stocks, and he wasn’t about to give it to them.

  The cityscape soon surrounded him as he neared his high-rise condo on the waterfront. He loved the best of everything. But it was never enough to fill the void.

  His cell went off, then connected to the speakers in his car. It was one of his ass-kissing PAs.

  “It’s after five, Mark.”

  “I’m sorry, sir. I received your message about the accountant who showed up at your office this morning.”

  He’d already forgotten about that.

  “Did you find anything out?”

  “She’s twenty-nine. No degree. Some community college courses. Her manager doesn’t have much to say about her.”

  “Dependents?”

  “Nothing listed. No emergency contact, either.”

  It was hard to imagine she wasn’t a mother. She was a natural with kids, calm, and reassuring. Why couldn’t he get Rose’s image out of his head? He kept remembering how amazing she was with his only nephew. She wasn’t covered in makeup, and she hadn’t attempted to keep her curves concealed.

  “Okay. Thanks for the update,” Darius said.

  He pulled up to his condo, grabbed his briefcase, and tossed the keys to his valet. After today, he should be getting into the shower, then crashing for the night. But he knew himself better than that. He’d keep obsessing over Rose Henshaw. The information from Mark was trivial, just employment-related facts. He needed more. The real dirt.

  Maybe once he learned who she really was, he’d move on and be able to return his focus to work. He was on his cell phone in the elevator, too impatient to wait the extra couple of minutes to his suite.

  “Yulian, I need information on an employee.”

  “What kind of information?”

  “The dirt. Anything you can give me,” Darius said.

  Part of him felt guilty for digging, but another pa
rt was hoping there was nothing incriminating. He gave his contact all her details and then waited.

  Yulian was fast, but minutes felt like hours all night long.

  Just after midnight, as he was watching the news from his bed, the phone rang. He rolled to his side and grabbed it off the nightstand. “Yeah,” he said. His heart raced in anticipation.

  “No record of the father. Mother gave her up when she was six. Entered the system but wasn’t adopted because they never terminated the parental rights. She was in and out of group homes as a teen, then went off the grid for a while.”

  “What about college? She’s in accounting,” Darius said.

  “That’s when she reappeared. At twenty-two, she registered in college as a mature student. Strong grades.”

  “And then she applied at my company?”

  “Pretty much.”

  Darius sat up in the bed, running his free hand through his hair. “So, she’s a foster kid, a runaway. Any criminal record?”

  “You always do a full sweep for all new employs. She’s clean.”

  “Where does she live?”

  “Shithole. A basement apartment in the factory district.”

  He wanted more. Wanted to get right inside her head. “Okay. Thanks.”

  Darius tossed his cell phone.

  How was she so good with kids when she had no role model of her own? She didn’t look like a jaded woman. How could she still have such a sweet aura after living such a hard life? And more importantly, why the fuck did he care? Why was he awake and sober, his mind focused on Rose Henshaw, the junior accountant in B2?

  His condo was silent, no white noise, nothing. High-end soundproofing combined with a loveless life and no pets could do that. What his home needed was life, laughter, fullness. Darius knew firsthand that money couldn’t buy happiness. It created a great façade, but that was where it ended. There was nothing under his expensive Armani. He was a good actor, nothing more.