Free Boss by Jodi Cooper

me like this."
    "I want to offer you a job," Nathan told her.
    His tone made it sound like there was something more to it than the housekeeping position she had held previously.
    "Back at the penthouse?" Hannah asked, disappointed.
    "No, this is something a bit more important than taking care of my penthouse."
    "What is it?" she was curious now.
    "I want you to take over as manager of one of my investment businesses."
    Hannah looked stunned and flattered but entirely baffled.
    "Honestly, I'm not qualified for that. I would hate for you to put me in charge of a corporation and have it go under because I don't know what I'm doing. I've never worked in something like that and have no experience," she explained.
    "I think you have quite a lot of experience and would be comfortable in the location," a sly smile curved his lips.
    "No… um… what's the investment?" Hannah couldn't imagine what it would be that she would have experience in.
    'A maid service? Did he buy the agency?' she wondered.
    "This," he said gesturing around Bright Eyes with his hands open wide.
    Her heart skipped a beat.
    "Are you serious?" tears welled in her eyes.
    “I am.”
    "You bought it? You bought Bright Eyes?"
    One of the tears broke away and rolled down the apple of her cheek.
    "I did," Nathan nodded "Would you be willing to help me run it?"
    "Yes!"
    She couldn't believe that after all of her petitioning and saving and trying to help the shop by coming here every day that Nathan had gone ahead and saved it from going under.
    "Did you do this for me?" she wiped the tear away smiling.
    "I might have," he looked down at his hands, "I want you to be mine. My submissive, my lover, my partner. I intend to be a better man for you. The kind of man I know you deserve and the kind of man I know I can be. Will you give me that chance, Hannah?"
    She couldn't believe her ears but she knew what to say.
    "Yes,” she smiled. “I will."
    "It's like a dream come true," Hannah smiled against him.
    Nathan kissed her hair, "It sure is. The best type of dream."
     
     
     
     
     
     

Epilogue
     
     
     
     
     
     

Twelve months later…
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     

Taking over managing Bright Eyes had been one of the best decisions Hannah had ever made, and she owed everything to Nathan.
    He had given her the resources to make her dreams come true.
    Her dreams had become their dreams, and life had fallen into place.
    Hannah finished setting up delicately frosted cupcakes and baklava dripping in honey in the display case and made sure all of the tags were facing the front before sliding the glass door shut.
    "Ten minutes until show time," Nathan called out from the kitchen where he was busy preparing pastries from Hannah's very specific guidelines and making sure everything was in order before they finally opened the door to the public.
    She had butterflies the size of eagles in her belly.
    "There's already a line of people waiting outside the door," she called back to him with her nerves barely masked behind the facade of control she was trying to portray on the outside.
    "That's a good thing, honey,” he reminded her with a laugh.
    "I know. I know. I just forget how much work and stress all of this is every time we do it."
    Hannah wiped down the front counter for the third time in an hour and straightened a pile of books next to the register and the little bowl of peppermints and hard butterscotch candies.
    "Still love it?"
    He asked coming out of the kitchen and playfully swatting her butt with a dish towel.
    Hannah squealed and swatted him away.
    "Yes. And I love you too," she accepted his on the fly kiss as he headed back to the kitchen.
    "Both very good things, since I'm still just as in love with you as I was one year ago."
    Hannah sighed.
    Things had worked out so perfectly for them over the past year. She couldn't be more thankful for that.
    They had each other, and now three cafes. Hidden Treasures, their newest café, was having their