Page 5 of Lying Lainey

“Maybe your family might be interested in working with me to get it out of the lab and into the market?” Zarin questioned. “Something tells me adding to their bottom line all thanks to you will soften them up to the idea of you staying here.”

Reaching out, I cupped his cheek and brushed our noses together. “You are amazing, you know that… always looking out for me.” I placed a tender kiss on his lips before letting my hand fall away. “Will you let me make a drink for you?”

“I would be honored,” he answered, grinning at me. “It’s not every day that a powerhouse in the liquor industry shows up at my house making that kind of offer.”

Laughing, I playfully shoved him away and walked up to the wet bar, setting my clutch on the bartop and flicking open the latch. “Anything you don’t like?”

“Not the biggest fan of rum, but in the right mix, I can drink it. My favorite would be tequila if that helps?” he shared.

It did, and it didn’t. The drug I wanted to use had a strong bitter taste and was amber in color. Then I spotted the reposado tequila in a rich amber hue, making it perfect for what I needed. Zarin had a refined pallet with his tequila, allowing me the perfect vehicle to seal his fate. At least it would go down easily. The number of times I’ve pretended to be a bartender to get close to someone made this exercise all that much easier. His bar was stocked with all the essentials, giving me many options, but I decided to keep it classy by making an old fashioned.

Watching for my chance, Zarin turned to start the gas fireplace, and I slipped the small vial of amber liquid out of my clutch and squeezed it into the glass. Giving it one final stir, I called it good enough, taking a careful sniff, but all I could smell was the orange I’d rimmed the glass with. With my drink in hand, I offered him the one I had made, which he accepted eagerly.

“How did you know I loved old fashioneds?” he inquired before taking a sip and groaning. “Oh, that’s it! I don’t care what your family says, I’m not giving you back.”

“So all it takes is a little muddling, and you’re ready to commit? If I’d known that, I would have pulled out that skill sooner,” I teased.

“Come sit with me. I know I got all hot and heavy on you in the limo, but as you said, tonight is a night of romance,” Zarin explained, taking my hand and guiding me to the couch.

While this worked in my favor, I needed him to drink a few more sips for the drug to take effect. Over the years, I’ve used this technique, and one important thing I learned was when we got to this part of the evening, guaranteeing they would drink the whole glass wasn’t going to happen. So I countered this by making it three times as strong, so even if they only got a quarter of the drink down, it would work. In the rare case they did drink it all, the drug wouldn’t harm them—they would just wake up a day or two later.

“Romance, you say… that is something the world is sadly lacking,” I commented, curling up next to him and resting my head on his chest.

“I couldn’t agree more, my petal,” he murmured, kissing the top of my head. “Tell me, how is it that a stunning woman like yourself hasn’t found a pack before now?”

“Same question to you. I hardly think it makes sense how you don’t have a pack and an Omega sharing this house with you,” I countered, not interested in coming up with some sappy story.

“Hmm… well, there was a pack once.” Zarin hummed. “They were my fraternity brothers… thick as thieves, the five of us. However, that all changed when I started making it big in medical research. I was the only one career-focused, and after a time, they resented me for my accomplishments. They were my family, and I wanted to build a life alongside them as packs should. Yet it seems they didn’t feel the same, always telling me I was throwing my wealth and success around in their faces. In the end, we all went our separate ways. It’s been almost twenty years, and if I ran into one of them now, I’m not sure what the reaction would be.” That tale had him tossing back a good portion of his drink, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.

Twisting, I pressed a hand to his chest as I looked into his eyes. “You’re better off without them. If they couldn’t support your success, then they don’t deserve to be a part of it. I’ve learned that others will be drawn to you for many reasons, but I don’t want them to be because of my money, family, or wealth. We deserve to be loved and valued for who we are as people regardless of the trappings that accompany it.”

His fingers brushed along my cheek as he smiled. “You are just too perfect, my petal. I don’t think anyone has ever explained that to me in a way that makes so much sense. Each time I think there isn’t anything you can do to make me fall for you even more, you prove me wrong.”

“Just goes to show you never truly know everything about a person. If you did, what would the fun be in that?” I reasoned, then kissed him deeply but backed off quickly, knowing I could knock myself out with the residual drug left on his tongue.

Pushing off the couch, I stood, setting my drink on the coffee table. The dress he’d picked out for me had a strapless corset-style top with off-the-shoulder straps. I tugged down the zipper as I held up the front until I got it loose enough. When I released my hold, the dress slithered down my body to pool at my feet, leaving me completely naked except for the jewelry I wore.

“Have I surprised you again?” I asked, making sure my voice was breathy and full of sultry desire.

Zarin just sat there staring at me for a moment before he was on his feet, wrapping an arm around my waist and latching his mouth to one of my nipples. I gasped, clutched his shoulders, tossed back my head, and moaned. “Zarin.”

“Yes, my petal, tell me what you want. Anything, and it’s yours,” he assured me.

Grasping his face, I smirked. “Do you remember what you said to me in the limo about me being a naughty girl?”

“Of course, the naughtiest of girls.” He all but growled.

“Will you punish me…” I started, dropping my eyes and biting my lip like I was ashamed of my request, “… then fuck me, bent over your desk like in a forbidden-romance novel?”

Zarin let out a shaky breath as he grabbed my ass with both hands. “Is that what you really want?”

“Yes,” I whimpered, clutching his shirt desperately as I put my lips to his ear. “Headmaster, I’ve been so very bad. I think I need to be punished.”

“Naughty, naughty girl, there’s nothing to be done. You knew the consequences when you chose to misbehave,” Zarin said, playing along as he lifted me, so I wrapped my legs around his waist. “Let’s go to my office, young lady. This conversation needs to happen in private.”

“I’m at your mercy, Headmaster. Do what you want with me.” I purred, letting my fingers comb through the hair on the nape of his neck.

Zarin wasted no time marching over to the office door, punching in the code, and pressing his hand to the sensor before the lock snicked open.