Dirty Boss Daddy by S.E. Law

5

Leslie

After Mr. Neuwirth left La Verve, I sprang into action. Sure, I have some nice dresses with me, but they’re work outfits. They certainly aren’t the type of thing you wear when you’re going out to dinner with a handsome CEO. Plus, they’re definitely not sexy, and I want to be a vamp for my first date with Malcolm Neuwirth.

As a result, after finishing my sandwiches, I immediately went to the high-end boutique within the Wilshire. Holding my breath, I picked out a curve-hugging black number with a subtle sheen that’s sexy but not over the top. The décolletage is demure, but it’s got a plunging back and a sexy slit up one side that shows off some creamy thigh. I didn’t even look at the price tag, and instead charged it to my room.

Plus, my hair looks especially nice tonight. I’ve pulled the sides back away from my face while leaving the rest down, and my curls drape over my shoulders in a sexy way. With a subtle dusting of make-up and my strappy black heels on, I look very alluring indeed. Turning, I check myself out in the mirror. Very nice.

There’s a knock at the door just as I’m looking myself over one last time. Quickly, I dab on some lip gloss, and then walk slowly to the door before opening it.

Malcolm is wearing a black suit with a white button down shirt which highlights his bronzed throat. His ebony hair looks as deep as night, and those blue eyes are startling against his tanned features.

“You look beautiful,” he growls, that heated gaze running up and down my frame.

A flush fills my cheeks and I smile up at him. “Thank you,” I murmur. “You look handsome, too.”

The gorgeous CEO holds his arm out and I link mine through his and close my room door behind us. Then, we take the elevator down to the first floor and Malcolm leads me to one of the restaurants in the Wilshire. The sign on the door says Miccholino in an elegant gold script, and there are potted plants decorating a rustic, wooden exterior.

“I hope you like Italian,” Malcolm says.

“Are you kidding?” I giggle. “I love Italian, and I wish pasta was one of the major food groups because I eat so much of it.”

Malcolm chuckles and holds the door open for me as we enter the restaurant. I gasp because the restaurant is beautiful, as befits the Wilshire Hotel. The lighting is low, lending a romantic vibe to the space, and “Ciribiribin” is playing low throughout the restaurant as the maitre’d greets my date.

“Mr. Neuwirth, so nice to see you again. The Miccholino always welcomes you.”

“Thanks, Marco,” Malcolm replies. “It’s nice to get away from Manhattan from time to time, and I always enjoy dining here.”

“We’re honored, sir. We’ve got one of our VIP tables open tonight, right by the bay window. Please allow me to show you and your lovely date to your table.”

With that, we follow the middle-aged gentleman to the best seat in the restaurant. The décor is rustic Italian, but with a glamorous touch. Wooden beams hanging with ivy dangle over our heads, and the tables are draped in white, with flickering tea lights in the center. Malcolm pulls out my chair for me and I swear butterflies start dancing in my insides as I smile and sit. Who knew there were men out there who still act like gentlemen? It’s so rare these days, that I figured they were a figment of my imagination.

Once my date takes a seat as well, the maitre’d offers us wine.

“If I remember, the Chateau 1975 was your favorite, Mr. Neuwirth.”

Malcolm nods approvingly. “That’s one hell of a memory you’ve got, Marco.” Then, he looks at me. “All of the wines here are excellent, but this one’s my favorite. Do you mind if we get it, sweetheart? The next bottle can be your choice, I promise.”

Giggling, I nod. “Well, if it’s that good, then I’ve got to try it.”

Marco nods with approval and then scurries off to retrieve the wine. Meanwhile, my date smiles at me.

“So are you enjoying yourself?” he queries.

I laugh.

“The ambience is amazing, and I’m sure I’ll love the food even though we haven’t ordered yet. But do you come here often? The maitre’d knows you,” I add with a smile.

He nods. “Yeah, I do. Miccholino is my go-to place when I’m in Atlantic City, and it’s even better tonight because I’ve got a beautiful woman to enjoy it with.”

A blush suffuses my cheeks but I’m saved from responding because at that moment, a stout, middle aged woman in a tall chef’s toque materializes at the side of the table with a friendly smile. “Mr. Neuwirth, it’s always a pleasure to see you.”

Malcolm nods at her. “Good to see you too, Chef Lorel.” He motions to me. “This is my date, Leslie Field, and it’s her first time at your restaurant. I was hoping you might have something special to recommend on the menu tonight? Oh wait, do you have any allergy restrictions, sweetheart?”

I shake my head as Chef Lorel nods with approval.

“It’s wonderful to meet you, Miss Field, and I do have something special in mind. That is, if I’m allowed to surprise you and your guest, Mr. Neuwirth?”

Wow. I’ve never had a chef come out from the kitchen to say hello, let alone had one offer to prepare us a special meal personally. But if Malcolm trusts her to make something good, then I trust her too.

“That sounds good to me,” I say.

“Certainly,” Malcolm agrees in a low tone. “I look forward to sampling your ingenuity.”

“Perfect,” Chef Lorel smiles. “Let me get back to work then, and the first course will be out shortly. Enjoy your evening, Mr. Neuwirth, Miss Field.”

After she departs, I take a deep breath and then smile at Malcolm.

“Okay,” I say in a teasing tone. “How often do you come here? It’s like you’re their favorite customer, and not just a regular VIP.”

Malcolm chuckles, and his eyes light with mischief. “You’re right because I’m not just a regular customer. In all honesty, I’m friends with Peter and Bruce Wilshire, the brothers who own this hotel.”

I gasp.

“That’s amazing! The Wilshire brothers? Goodness, you definitely know the right people then.”

Malcolm laughs and leans back, amused.

“I suppose you could say that.”

I continue gushing, still starry-eyed. “You know, one of my closest friends used to work at this hotel. She’s since moved on, but she used to tell me stories about how amazing this place is.” I look around the restaurant with gratitude and appreciation. “Hearing about it and experiencing it are just not the same, though. Thank you for bringing me to Miccholino.”

Malcolm nods his dark head.

“Of course, honey, and it’s not just me. Peter and Bruce have have done a great job making this place what it is,” he says. “They’re interesting guys, and I’ve always gotten along well with them. I’ve done them a few favors here and there, so they always make sure to treat me well when I’m in Atlantic City.”

I nod, shyly.

“It must be nice, having friends in high places.”

Malcolm just laughs.

“Yeah, especially since they own a hotel. But tell me about you, honey. Have you ever been interested in the hospitality business?”

I laugh, tucking a stray curl behind my ear and take a sip of my wine, which magically appeared while we were talking. “Oh no, I always knew I wanted to work in advertising because it gives me the opportunity to be creative and help clients achieve their dreams and goals. It’s the perfect job really because it blends creativity with psychology, which I love. So it’s a win-win for me.”

“That’s a great way to put it,” Malcolm growls with approval. “Were you a psychology major in college?”

“I was,” I nod. “And I was so lucky to land a job right after graduation. Thanks for hiring me.”

He grins.

“Well, it wasn’t me personally, but let me ask you this: you’re a smart girl, honey, and must have had multiple job offers. So what made you choose to work at Ligne?”

I lean forward, my eyes going round.

“Are you kidding? Anyone who wants a career in marketing knows Ligne NYC is the place to be, and not just because it’s so successful. Rather, there’s no better place to learn and grow. I’ve only been with Ligne a year, but I’ve already gotten to work on two challenging projects, and I loved how involved I was. To be honest, I was expecting to be more of a gopher or a secretary, but I actually made some substantial contributions.”

Malcolm takes a sip of his wine, his gaze warm across the table, and I feel a shiver dance across my skin. “You mean the Cool Haus project, right?”

I freeze for a second. He knows what accounts I worked on. What else does he know? I know Ligne belongs to Malcolm Neuwirth, but surely he doesn’t keep track of what the junior associates do?

But how can I ask these things? So I merely swallow and smile.

“Yes, the Cool Haus project,” I acknowledge. “That one was really fun because it’s a new upscale social club in New York, and we had to find a way to market it to the right demographic while still maintaining its exclusive feel. It wasn’t an easy balance.”

Malcolm nods.

“So how did you guys do it?” he asks. “I know management at Cool Haus was very impressed.”

I giggle a bit.

“It wasn’t easy, but we started by trying to think of who Cool Haus’s potential client is. They made clear they wanted the same well-heeled, fashionable crowd that parties at Soho House in London. So what we ended up doing was reaching out to a high-end dating agency, and we bought their client list from them. Then, with a few targeted promotions and some clever cross-over events, we were able to reach out to those folks to offer special VIP access. That set the ball in motion, and once we got them in, word of mouth helped do a lot of the rest.”

“Very clever,” Malcolm nods with approval. “You know, I never would have thought to do that. Reaching out to a dating agency was a really creative idea, and I can’t say I would have thought of that one. Which agency did you use, by the way?”

I smile shyly.

“It’s one called Nordic Matches. I know, I know, it sounds like they only have members from Scandinavia, but it’s not like that at all. In fact, they have clients from all over the world, which makes for a very worldly and sophisticated set.”

“And thus exactly the crowd that Cool Haus wants to attract,” Malcolm finishes for me.

I nod, pleased.

“Yes.”

The CEO nods, and I think Malcolm’s genuinely impressed. A happy flush runs over my cheeks.

“Well, you’ve done well, pretty girl, because I know that the management at Cool Haus has been very happy with Ligne. And now, I know who I have to thank for that.”

With that, he holds up his wine glass in a toast and I giggle before clinking my glass against his. As I take a sip of the alcohol, I can feel the heat in my cheeks and I know I’m blushing, but how could I not? I can’t believe this is going so well, and that doesn’t even take into account the fact that Malcolm Neuwirth is insanely hot, and looking at me with fire in that blue gaze. Am I really on a date with him? It feels like one definitely, but I’m still not one hundred percent certain.

Our food comes out and it smells amazing. “Chicken Scarpariello for the lady,” the waiter sings as he sets our plates in front of us. “And a steak for the gentleman.”

“This looks delicious,” I rhapsodize while inhaling with bliss.

Malcolm smiles. “It does, doesn’t it? Bon appetit, honey. Dig in.”

I do and it’s so good that I close my eyes and moan without thinking about the fact that I’m sitting across from a sexy CEO. Then, my cheeks go bright red as I open my eyes and look at him. “Uh, sorry for the sound effects. It’s just really tasty.”

Malcolm chuckles and holds up his own fork full of steak. “No, you’re right. The food’s delicious.”

We go silent for a moment, focusing on the meal. But even as I scarf down my main, I keep throwing shy glances at my date from beneath my lashes because what is Malcolm Neuwirth doing here with me? Surely, as the CEO of Ligne, he has more important things on his plate, like wining and dining clients, or meeting up with other captains of industry to discuss important topics.

“Is something wrong?” Malcolm asks, and I realize I’ve been staring at him like a silly school girl.

“No.” I shake my head slowly. “I mean, not really wrong per se. It’s just that … well, I was wondering what you’re doing, Mr. Neuwirth? I mean, I know you’re eating steak, but I guess I’m just curious why you’re here with me? Shouldn’t you be, I don’t know, pitching something to investors or charming shareholders? I know you’re a busy man, so I guess I was just wondering.”

He grins, flashing even white teeth.

“Yeah, you’re right. I could do that because those are all CEO-level activities, but another great aspect of being the boss is that I have the power to choose how I spend my time and whom I spend it with.” He smiles again, those blue eyes glinting. “And I wanted to spend my time with you tonight, sweetheart.”

My eyes go wide as I stare at him, and for a second I forget to breathe.

“But why?” My voice is hardly above a whisper, and again, the air seems to have disappeared from my lungs. This time, Malcolm’s eyes go positively predatory. He leans closer and reaches his hand across the table, the big palm cupping mine on the table.

“I think you know why, Leslie.”

I swallow hard because I can guess, and my ears pound with anticipation.

“It’s the photos, isn’t it?” I whisper. “I know you saw some snaps of me that were …”

“Beautiful,” Malcolm growls, interrupting my sentence. I meet his gaze and his eyes are gleaming as he looks at me. “They were gorgeous, and I haven’t been able to get you off my mind since I saw those images. Then, bumping into you at the cafe earlier today seemed like the perfect opportunity to get to know you a bit, and you didn’t let me down, sweetheart. You’re entrancing and lovely, and it’s been wonderful.”

I glance down at my lap, my cheeks a bright scarlet.

“Yes, but I never meant for anyone to see those photos. My ex-boyfriend? Well, he shouldn’t have done that.”

The billionaire nods, and his smiles falls.

“You’re right, and I know you didn’t consent to Ronald sharing those pictures of you. In fact, he’s a fucking ass for flashing those around, but there’s a silver lining to all of this because now, I’ve met you and it’s worth it.” He leans in closer, squeezing my hand, and shoots a sexy crooked smile my way. “I have to admit, Leslie, that I loved seeing your curves because you’re very attractive, and I’ve enjoyed spending the evening with you tonight. I’d love to get to know you better.”

“You would?” I whisper, my eyes finally meeting his. “But how?”

He sits back for a moment, the steak forgotten.

“Well, this is very forward, but is there any chance you’d like to come with me upstairs tonight to continue our date?”

My heart is thumping so hard in my chest it feels like it might burst, and goosebumps are covering my skin. I’ve spent so much time worried that I have too many curves; thinking I’m too chubby to ever have anyone decent interested in me. But now, there’s a gorgeous CEO asking me to spend the night, and even if it’s embarrassing, he’s already seen all my curves and likes them. So why shouldn’t I go up to his room and have a scandalous time? It isn’t every day that a sexy billionaire takes me on a date, and even if he’s my boss’s boss, I think I can put that out of my mind for a few hours. A secret smile crosses my lips, and I gaze shyly at him from beneath my lashes.

“Yes. I think I’d like that, Mr. Neuwirth.”

Malcolm flashes a dazzling smile at me, then waves to get our waiter’s attention. “We’ll take the check,” he growls before searing me with that hundred-degree gaze. “Now are you ready, honey? Because it’s time to enjoy dessert together.”