“Yes.”
“It’s a valid concern. Frank is powerful and spiteful. A bad combination. If she’s willing, she should move away from here. I’ll take you to visit her.”
On one hand, the way he promises to protect my friendship with Rachel by taking me to see her warms me, and, deep down, I love the implication that C and I will be together long enough for that to happen. On the other hand, I’m just not sure how much control I want him, or any guy, to have over my friendship with Rach. “That’s part of the problem,” I say. “She and I don’t want to have to have our visits curated.”
“Well, that’s how it has to be until the war’s over.” He walks to the clock and turns the radio on. “It’s time to deal with the consequences of this morning.” He sits on the end of the bed and pulls me to stand between his knees. He slide a hand under my robe and rests it on my thigh a few inches below my ass. His thumb caresses my skin, sending tingles into my flesh and causing my heart to beat faster.
I look at him, but say nothing. I’d had an idea that we weren’t done with this morning, but didn’t want to ask in case he was going to let it slide.
“I don’t want you to spank me with Trick and Anvil in the suite.”
He removes his hand from my leg and pats the bed. I sit, but he stands. Then he leaves the bedroom.
I cringe and want to rush after him. What is he doing? Will he tell them to leave and tell them why? My face is hot with humiliation.
When he returns, I shoot to my feet.
“What did you tell them? Specifically?” I demand.
He levels his gaze on me, and there’s no regret or guilt in his expression despite the recrimination in my tone.
I try again in a softer voice. “Will you tell me what you said to them?”
“We’ll talk about that later,” he says, grabbing the small leather bag he brought with him. He sets it on the bed and unzips it. “You can challenge me whenever you want to, Zoe. I like your spirit. But if you act like a brat for silly reasons and that brattiness affects other people or my business, I’m going to punish you sternly enough that you’ll think twice about picking the wrong moment to be a pain in the ass.”
“You didn’t communicate with me,” I accuse. “I had no idea your business meeting was in Boston and that—”
“I know we didn’t have time to talk last night, and that I didn’t warn you that you’d need to get up and get moving as soon as I asked you to today. For that reason, I’m not going to take this punishment as far as I would’ve.”
I blink and tilt my head. “If you want to spank me, I won’t argue with you. I—” I take a deep breath in and exhale. “I wasn’t at my best this morning. But since I didn’t know what was going on today, I think you should just accept my apology and let me off with a warning.”
He smiles. “There’s zero chance of that, beautiful.”
I push my newly trimmed curls with their tremendous bounce away from my face. I shake my head at him, and curls fall back over my eyes. “I need a clip for my hair,” I say, starting to turn.
“No, you don’t,” he says, catching my arm and pulling me back. “Not during this.” He tugs the tie and my robe opens. His right hand drops down, and his knuckles graze my shaved pussy.
My belly tightens. He conveys so much with a light touch and a look.This is mine, he seems to say without words.
He takes off his shirt and hangs it in the closet. I see that there are several things hanging in plastic garment bags that weren’t there when we arrived. His other suit is still in the same position it was in when it was brought up from the car. He removes his trousers too, so he’s wearing only black boxer briefs. He’s got more bulk than a dancer, but his muscles are no less defined. I love his body, especially his bulging arms and his pecs. And I’m glad he’s stripped down. I guess that means we’ll be having sex after the punishment, which is a good sign.
“Take off your robe,” he says, sitting on the end of the bed.
A wave of nervousness crashes over me. Even though this isn’t the first time I’m letting him do this, it feels different. More like I’m choosing it.
I roll my shoulders so the robe slides from my body. His hungry look gives me a certain sense of satisfaction and a little bit of power. If the rumors are right, and I have every reason to believe they are, he doesn’t usually have a girlfriend. The kinky games are normal for him, but I don’t think bringing someone along to a hotel business meeting is. It makes me feels special to him, which I love. There are hundreds, maybe thousands of women who would endure anything to be with him, but I actually enjoy the adrenaline rush I get from anticipating what he might do to me.
I lie down over his lap, pushing my ass up in a move that’s part acceptance and part defiance.
“Relax,” he says, and then I hear the sound of liquid being squeezed from a bottle.
I look sharply over my shoulder and find that he’s coating a sex toy with lube.
“What is that?”
“Guess,” he says, gripping an ass cheek and pulling it outward to expose me.
He touches the slippery metal bulb to my ring. I suck in a breath and lurch off his lap and onto the floor.
