“No, but you will be punished,” I said as calmly as I could.
“Punished?” I imagined his eyes widening, mouth parting in surprise. “What for?”
“Not telling me what was written on the back of that card.”
“I didn’t think it mattered. I wasn’t going to take him up on the offer.” He bounced on the bed, the squeak of the mattress alerting me to what he was doing.
“It does matter. You should have told me. Stay here, I want to have a small chat with Levi, and then I’m going to come back to spank your ass so red that people on space stations will see the glow from it. Get out of those wet pants and hang them in the bathroom. I want you naked by the time I return.”
“What—”
I didn’t wait for him to finish. I exited the door again and made my way to where I’d left Levi.
“I’m here,” he said quietly, something I’d taught him to do when I entered a room. I felt safer if I knew where everyone was and who was in a space with me.
I walked over to him and stopped when he told me to, which meant I was right in front of him.
“I’m sorry, Brooks.” The pout he had on his face was clear in his voice. “I just—”
“You’re attracted to me?” I asked quietly, feeling stupid I’d missed it. I couldn’t blame my lack of sight for that—I’d learned to read people through their voices and touch—and now that I thought about it, the crush was obvious in every way. It was the little things, like how he laughed at everything I said, grabbed hold of my arm when he talked to me, and how if I gave him an order, he did it immediately. I’d never given his extreme efficiency a second thought.
“I love you. It’s more than attraction,” he whispered.
The three words made me wince, and he sighed. “You know I don’t feel that way about you, Levi.”
“I know. I’ve known since the moment I realized how I felt about you.” He laughed sadly. “You always said you were in love with that guy from the Courtesan Hotel, and how you were going to get him. I just hoped you’d forget about him with me right next to you…. It was stupid.”
It wasn’t, not really. I’d been in the same exact position he was, hadn’t I? I never thought I loved Darcy, but I made it my mission to make him mine. Wasn’t that the same thing as what he was doing? I reached out to grasp his shoulder, which shook under my hold. “I’m sorry, Levi. I need… we discussed—”
“I know what we discussed,” he said, interrupting me with a pat to my hand. “You need someone outside the room when you tie Darcy up, in case you have a seizure and he gets stuck. A precaution. Is that tonight?”
“I can find someone else who can do the job,” I murmured, more to myself than him. I squeezed his shoulder.
“No.” He stiffened. “No, I’m your employee. I will do it.”
“I would never have asked you if I knew how you felt.” Guilt gnawed at me like the time I’d smashed Mom’s favorite vase and blamed it on the cat. I didn’t often feel sorry for my actions, but this time it was hard not to.
“So? It’s a job. It’smyjob. I can do it.”
“Levi—”
“Boss, don’t make me feel useless. My feelings are out in the open now, and because of that, maybe they’ll disappear over time. Maybe I’ll meet someone. Until then, I am your employee, and I will not let anyone else do my job.” He sounded so hopeful and sad at the same time, and the guilt doubled, roiling in my gut.
“You will probably hear Darcy and me have sex.”
He sniffed indignantly. “I’m not a kid. I can handle my feelings. With all due respect, I’m not going anywhere, and I won’t have you replace me with someone else who’ll do a half-assed job.”
“I’m not replacing you, but I’m not sure you’d feel comfortable being outside while we have sex or while I… spank Darcy.” This was a disaster.
“I think I can decide what I can handle, Boss. Do you need me outside the door right now?”
“Yes. Darcy will be punished for not telling me what that card said.”
“Great, then I’ll be waiting right outside.”
I didn’t have the drive to argue. Levi had always taken his job seriously, and I trusted him to be able to tell me when he couldn’t handle it. I nodded and turned to head upstairs, his footsteps telling me he was following.
“You don’t have to stand directly outside the door,” I said when I reached the bedroom. “You can be somewhere in the cabin. I’m sure you’ll hear him yelling for help if I have a seizure.”
