One Night Stand With The Boss

Summer had just arrived in Detroit.

A light drizzle pattered on the glass window, startling a woman from her slumber.

Caressing the dark gray blanket with her fingertips, Chloe Stark opened her eyes. At the same time, the bathroom door in the hotel suite opened and out came a tall man wrapped in a bath towel and surrounded by hot vapour.

Casually glancing at Chloe's pretty face, Sam Bolton asked half-heartedly, "Do you still remember what happened last night?"

She was stunned for a while, then sat up with the blanket in her arms and said faintly, "Yes... I remember."

Last night, Chloe was in the bar trying to drink her sorrows away. Next thing she knew, she was already in some random strangers' arms. One thing led to the other, they spent the night together in the hotel.

The memory fragments gradually started flowing back into Chloe's mind. And every frame of them was the reminder that she had lost her virginity because of alcohol.

Looking at Chloe, who did not move a muscle, from above, Sam thought she was trying to cling to him. He confessed emotionlessly, "Last night, I thought you were an escort."

Chloe couldn't help but raised her neatly trimmed eyebrows. She checked out his masculine body and gave a cold grin, "That makes the two of us, mister. I thought you were a male prostitute."

Sam's eyes, which were like two pristine stones of onyx, narrowed down at her, "Since it was consensual, I'm sure you won't have a problem if we part ways now?"

Her beautiful eyes turned to the direction of the door. "Sure, be my guest."

Chloe's carefree attitude made Sam ponder. If he had not seen the blood stain on the quilt, he would have thought last night was not her first night with a man.

Yesterday was the first day that Sam returned to the Detroit. Last night, his friends asked him to hang out in a bar. He never thought he would be entangled with a drunken woman right after he left his booth.

He was not in the mood for romance at first, but he could not help it after meeting Chloe's flirtatious eyes. Having his friends trying to be his wingmen, he was already on a hotel bed by the time he realized what had happened.

When Sam walked into the shower after the fun, he wanted to send the one-night-stand away with some money. Never would he fathom that Chloe actually could not wait for him to leave, let alone asking him to answer for his actions.

It seemed that he had not been back to Detroit for too long. She did not even know who he is. However, he could not rule out the possibility that this woman was just playing dumb.

With his eyes, Sam pierced through Chloe, who had skin as light and soft as the moonlight. He reminded her, "Do you still remember what you need to do? I don't want any trouble from you."

Chloe Stark's smirk remained the same with a thread of sarcasm in her tone, "Thanks for the reminder."

Bearing a stranger's child? Well, she was not interested.

After they had reached an agreement, Sam stood in front of Chloe and started getting dressed. His gaze was slightly provocative as if he was teasing her.

He doubted that she could still be as calm as before when she saw his naked body while being sober.

The truth was Chloe could not.

She quickly fixed her eyes on the floor with her cheeks turned as red as a tomato.

Looking at her like this, Sam's eyes dimmed and stared thoughtfully at her side view and neck. Her lips were slightly puffed with rosy cheeks. At this point, a strong urge to conquer her and taste her sweet lips once again grew inside of him.

Faced with such unusual behaviour, Sam frowned with a mild annoyance. After a while, he started walking briskly and left the hotel suite without looking back.

As soon as he left, Chloe immediately bit her lip in vexation. "I've already spent a night with him. Why didn't I dare to even look at him?"

Standing up with a sore back, Chloe went into the bathroom to wash up. She looked at the bloodstain left on the bedsheet with a complicated expression. "It's just a piece of tissue. I am a woman of the new era. Who cares?"

When she left the hotel, the shower had stopped, which was lucky for the people who went out.

Chloe looked around with caution and found a 24/7 pharmacy on the other side of the road. She walked in and after a while came out with a bottle of opened mineral water in hand.

Raising her hand to check the time, Chloe rushed to stop a taxi on the street and instantly got on. "Sir, Dane Corporation. Thank you."

Just as Chloe left in a taxi, a handsome man in a gray suit slowly came out from the corner of the street and stopped at the entrance of the pharmacy.

Sam made a phone call first, and then pushed the glass door open. Looking at the pharmacist who was too shy to look back, he asked, "What did that young lady just now buy here?"

"Some morning-after pills, Sir."

"That woman is not so dumb after all." Sam thought to himself.

A few minutes later.

A white Lamborghini entered Sam's sight. The driver got off nimbly, opened the door, and asked him about his next journey.

Two words came out of Sam's thin lips, "Dane."

Suddenly, Chloe received a call from the office. "Miss Stark, later at nine there will be a board meeting to welcome the new chief executive. All members of the senior management of the company will be there.

Where are you now?"

Hearing the nervous tone in her assistant Dwayne' voice on the phone, Chloe, still on the way, reassured her, "Dwayne, don't worry. I will be there in no time."

As soon as the call ended, Chloe rushed the taxi driver to go faster, which made the driver grow more annoyed by the second.

Finally, Chloe arrived at the building of Dane Corporation on time.

Looking up from below, the building had stood tall and strong for more than 60 years, in the heart of Detroit, the most prosperous city in the country. This had been the place where Chloe started working when she was fresh out of college three years ago.

3rd floor, sales department, office area.

'Good morning, Miss Stark.'

'Good morning, chief!'

'Morning everyone!' As soon as Chloe stepped into the office, she was greeted by her colleagues.

She worked hard in the Dane Corporation for three years, starting as a sales representative to a sales supervisor. Every step on the way, she managed to impressed her co-workers and subordinates with her outstanding performance and professional work ethics.

Dwayne, Chloe's assistant, followed her closely and said with relief, "Thank god you are here now, Miss Stark! Mr. Shaw just told me to call you again!"

'Thank you Dwayne.' Chloe gave Dwayne a pat on her shoulder.

She didn't take the elevator to the conference room right away. Instead, she went back to her desk, took out a new set of clothes from her drawer. Then she went to the bathroom to get rid of her current wrinkled outfit thanks to Sam Bolton.

Standing in front of the mirror, she stared at the marks on her neck as the "souvenirs" from the other night. She could barely cover them by pulling up her collar.

"Hey, have you guys heard? The soon-to-be-appointed executive officer came back from Europe. It's like a prodigal son returned!"

"What's wrong with that? You don't know much about his background, do you? You guys remember Hank Bolton? He is the former director who founded Dane and turned it into a world-renowned company."

Seeing everyone nodded, the man continued excitedly, "And the one who will take over Dane today is Hank Bolton's youngest son!"

"That's odd. Hank Bolton has two sons.

Yet he only asked his younger brother to lead Dane when he retired. It all changes until today. Won't he be afraid of a hostile takeover by others?"

"Well... Rumours said that the eldest son in the family was a bit of a bad apple. As for his second son, we will find out soon enough. Who knows? Maybe both of Bolton boys are not built to run Dane."

From the third floor to the 18th floor, Chloe silently listened to the gossip along the way. As soon as the elevator door opened, she followed the crowd and entered the conference room.

The name plates on the table were arranged in advance. Chloe casually glanced at the empty chair for an executive officer and wondered, "It's almost nine. And the legendary Mr. Bolton still hasn't showed up yet. Is this him sending all of us a message?"

Suddenly, she heard a creaking sound as the two red wooden doors were pushed open and two men walked into the room. The first one was the secretary of the chief executive officer, followed by the executive officer Zack Bolton.

Though beyond his prime age, Zack Bolton seemed energetic and driven. Meanwhile, the board was really concerned about his decision of letting a young rookie take over the Dane empire.

But when everyone had a good look at the man standing next to Zack Bolton, they succumbed to him with an aura of power.

He was tall and slender in a suit and tie. His face was carved by angels with thin red lips that no women could resist.

He casually put one hand in his trouser pocket while the other loosened his tie. He didn't look like he was here for a meeting, more like a visitor of Dane.

'Woah, he is hot!'

Was he really that charming?

Chloe, who heard the murmurs of the crowd, couldn't help but take a peek. The man, who was commented as "perfect" by female colleagues, had walked to the nearest window.

When the man's piercing eyes entered her sight, she was so shocked she almost jumped out of her leather chair!

She blinked a few more times just to make sure what she saw is real. Staring at his eyes, nose and mouth, she was certain that he is the same man she just saw this morning.

In other words, she slept with her boss and called him a male escort. Did she decide to look for a death wish because life was boring?

Chloe shuddered and suppressed her urge to dig a hole and bury herself. Then she leaned stiffly against the back of her chair, trying to avoid being recognized.

At this moment, the man who officially received the letter for equity transfer from Zack Bolton addressed everyone with a smile, 'My name's Sam Bolton.'

That was the end of the meeting.

Chloe tried to blend in the crowd. She felt a mild headache with a silver lining. At least Sam did not deliberately ask her to stay. Perhaps it meant that he did not notice her at all during the meeting?

She was just a supervisor in the department.

If there was anything that requires verbal reports or written negotiations with Sam from now on, she would just ask her manager, Mr. Shaw, to help. After all, he had been treated her well these few years.

Chloe, who thought she was out of the woods, missed the pair of eyes fixed on her from a man just a few steps away.

It was 6 p.m. in Dane Corporation.

After contacting the customers who bought the last batch of raw materials, Chloe was tidying up the table full of materials lists in an orderly manner. At this instant, her phone suddenly vibrated and caught her attention.

After seeing the caller ID, Chloe slightly frowned and picked it up. She didn't even bother to greet, but waiting for the caller to speak first.

The caller took the initiative and started talking, "Chloe, it's dad."

"Uh huh," Chloe responded.

David Stark seemed to have gotten used to her attitude long ago. So he just cut to the chase, "Go to Sakura at 7:30 p.m., I will introduce a young man to you. He is a son of a friend of mine with a good-looking. And his family is one of the richest families in Detroit. If you are interested in this, maybe have a few more dates with him. You don't have to get married just yet if you don't want to."

Another one?

This is David's usual way to start a conversation with his daughter. Every time Chloe would refuse to go with all sorts of excuses. But when she realized she would be turning 25 after this year's birthday, she did not bother making up another excuse and simply said, "Okay, I'll go."

After work, Chloe had a bowl of noodles with wonton from a Chinese takeaway. After that, she went back to her apartment, took a quick shower and changed her outfit again. When her roommate Jennifer Clinton was curious about what the occasion was, she simply replied, "Another blind date." Then off she went.

She arrived at Sakura at 7:30 p.m. sharp.

Being late was never her nature.

A waitress in her neatly pressed kimono notified her co-workers of a new customer as she gently opened the door for Chloe.

"Hank, this is my eldest daughter Chloe."

"Chloe, this is Uncle Bolton."

As soon as she walked into the reserved dining room, her father could not wait to introduce her.

Right after David stopped talking, the young man who was sipping a cup of tea turned his head leisurely. He held his jade green cup lightly with his fingertips. Despite the room filled with cigar smoke, it could not hide his impeccable eyebrows and indifference he gave about the occasion.

After Sam's eyes met with Chloe's, Chloe's pupils slightly contracted, and she greeted calmly, "President Bolton."

"President?"

The two fathers, Hank and David, were stumped at first, then gradually showed a smile as they seem to understand what was going on. Chloe had worked in Dane for several years while Sam only joined the company recently as leadership on day one. Since Hank and David thought they had never met before, the two fathers thought Chloe and Sam would need some time getting to know each other. Who would have thought Sam had left Chloe quite an unforgettable impression long ago.

In that case, it would save a lot of time for what happens next.

Sam's eyes widened when he saw his blind date was actually the same woman he shared a bed with the other night.

Chloe, is it? She was not only an employee of his company, but also the woman Hank wished to be his daughter-in-law.

"Chloe, take a seat and tell them about yourself." Watching Chloe just standing in front of Sam, David reached out and tapped her shoulder, signalling her to sit on the zabuton.

Chloe snapped out of it and crossed her legs to sit down. Then Hank tried to start another conversation, "Miss Stark, do you still remember me?"

Chloe squeezed a smile and replied, "Uncle Bolton, you are the former director of Dane. I had seen you coming to the sales department for inspections a couple times when I first joined the company. You don't have to be so formal and just call me Chloe."

Hank nodded with appreciation, "Chloe, I heard from my younger brother you've been in the department for three years now. And you've delivered nothing but exceptional performance and results. On top of that, you never act like a spoiled princess unlike those brats from their rich families! I liked you the first time I heard of you. So I want to introduce you to Sam and welcome you to be the latest member of the Bolton family as my daughter-in-law."

Chloe was dazed, "I am sorry... What?"

Didn't Hank say that this was just a meet-and-greet and there was no rush in getting married?

Chloe thought of the chat David had with her on the phone. She squinted and squeezed another smile at Hank for she had no clue how to respond. In order to convince her to show up, Hank really went above and beyond!

Observing Chloe's facial expression and sensing her confusion, Hank was enlightened. "Has David not mentioned it to you yet? About the marriage between the Starks and Boltons in two weeks?"

Sam, who had been silent since Chloe made her appearance, interrupted heartlessly, 'Dad, you've never mentioned anything to me about a marriage either."

Hank chuckled, "Well, now you know!"

"I don't agree with this." Sam's gritted his teeth.

"Me neither." Chloe added right after.

"Sam and Chloe, this blind date is just a formality to introduce you two to each other. As for whether you agree to this marriage or not, it's been always our duty as parents. We never need your opinion!"

Hank first put down his cup of tea that had gone cold. Though glaring at Sam, Hank's command was for both of them.

Sam wanted to protest. But he hesitated when he saw the same unwillingness from Chloe's face.

There were two reasons.

First, this woman gave him her first time without knowing who he was. That made her completely his possession.

Second, just like him, this woman shared the same reluctance toward marriage. Rather than letting his father keep shipping him with all those women who are crazy about marriages, he might just settle with Chloe.

"Since father has already selected a suitable candidate for his daughter-in-law." Sam swept by Chloe's face filled with worries and concerns and he suddenly changed his tone, "Then I pick her."

He said it in such a casual tone as if he was picking what to eat for dinner.

In spite of the uneasiness Chloe felt, she pondered on the idea of being with Sam as a couple. Although that night in the hotel was completely consensual, whenever she reminded herself of how her first time was "stolen" by a stranger, she would feel like an unmovable rock lying on her chest.

And now, Sam, a fine-looking young man with a prosperous career and from an affluent family, was willing to take responsibility of taking care of her. Where could you find such a good catch?