With that, he hangs up without waiting for a response.
I cross my arms tighter. “You can’t just?—”
“I can. And I am.” He walks around the desk, closing the distance between us. “You’ll wear whatever Lara picks out. You’ll stay by my side. You’ll smile when appropriate. And you’ll remember that every man in that room is dangerous, understand?”
“And what if I say no?”
“You won’t.”
“You’re awfully confident.”
“Because I know you, Thea.” He’s close enough now that I can smell the delicious cedar musk of his cologne. “You want to be angry with me. You want to hate me for this morning. But you won’t say no because you’re curious. You want to see what happens when you step into my world. And because—” he leans in, his mouth only inches from my ear, “—you like it when I tell you what to do.”
My breath catches. My pussy clenches.
“That’s not true.”
“Isn’t it?” His hand comes up, fingers grazing my jaw. “Last night, when I told you to come, you obeyed. And you loved it.”
Heat pools low in my stomach, traitorous, but undeniable.
“I was…” I try to find the words. “That was different.”
“Was it?”
His thumb brushes over my lower lip, and my knees go weak.
I should pull away. I should remind him that he doesn’t get to dismiss me one moment and then touch me like this the next.
But I don’t. Because he’s right.
Idowant to see his world. Iamcurious. And some sick, twisted part of me wants to know what it feels like to stand beside him in a roomful of dangerous people and belong there.
“The event starts at eight,” he says. “Lara will have you ready by seven. Don’t be late.”
“And if I am?”
I can’t help but challenge him, knowing what it’ll bring. What the hell is wrong with me?
His mouth curves, his expression dark and promising. His hand finds my waist, then moves down until he’s at the hem of my dress before moving back up my inner thigh. I gasp, my legs shaking.
“Then I’ll come find you.”
His hand brushes against my pussy through my panties. I’m wet, and he can feel it. Goddammit.
“And when I do, I’ll make sure you’re very, very sorry.”
He finishes with a press against my slit, applying just enough pressure against my clit to make me gasp.
When he pulls his hand away, I crave it again instantly.
“Go,” he says, his tone once again firm and commanding. “Lara’s probably already on her way up.”
I nod, then turn toward the door. My pulse races as I cross the room, my thoughts a tangled mess of anger, arousal, and anticipation.
“Thea.”
I pause, glancing over my shoulder.
