And just as my fingers dipped inside to reveal my greedy pussy, his hand shot out lightning-fast, catching my wrist and holding it firmly within his grasp. My wide eyes met his cold ones, and my heart raced as mortification settled over me.
Oh no. No. Don’t do this. Please. Don’t do it.
“Don’t.”
One word. That was all he said. And he may as well have taken a hammer to my glass heart, because the pieces shattered, falling to my feet, leaving a gaping hole in my chest.
And grief settled over me, an old friend welcoming me home.
Well, shit.
Goddammit. I was sure this would work.
Humiliation hit me in the gut. I snapped my knees closed, stood on shaky legs, and walked around the desk as quickly as I could in heels, bumping my knee on the edge of the desk as I hurried to get away. But when I got to the open doorway, I remembered, paused midstep, and wanted nothing more than to lower my face and cry.
“I need a ride home.” I sounded pathetic, even to my own ears.
He let out a short sigh, and soon after, the jingling of keys sounded.
Although I refused to look at him, I heard him approach, and the warmth at my back told me he waited patiently for me to move. But I couldn’t.
Now or never.
My stomach ached with embarrassment, but I still had one card to play. My only card. If this didn’t work, nothing would.
Gut tight, I placed my hands on the outsides of my thighs, bringing them up slowly until they disappeared under my tiny, ruffled skirt. Hooking my thumbs into the elastic of the strip of lace I called underwear, I heard Sasha’s breath catch as I worked unhurried, lowering my panties down my legs until they fell to my ankles. I stepped out of them and waited.
The silence that followed was deafening.
I took his stunned surprise and used the time to lift the material until the smooth curve of my bare ass was exposed.
Cora, I swear to God. If this doesn’t work, I will murder you.
Holding the doorframe, I stepped apart, spreading my legs, then carefully bent at the waist, showing the furious man behind me my bare, shaved mound.
Sasha didn’t move. He didn’t make a sound until he let out a rough warning. “I am in a very bad mood, Ani. Do not push me.”
Oh, my heart.
I peered back at him and found his hooded golden eyes trained on my already throbbing slit, his lips parted, chest heaving. My gaze lowered. The thick bulge in his pants was too big to miss.
My stomach clenched. A breath of relief left me.
He wanted me.
Was he really going to punish us both by denying it?
Knowing Sasha?
Yes. Yes, he would.
I took the opportunity and ran with it. Nervous, I returned an unsteady, “Let me make it better.” Those harsh eyes met mine, and I flushed as I said the words, “I could be the distraction you need.”
Sasha’s hand rose, hovered over my ass, then clenched it into a fist as he uttered a cool, “If you’re looking for gentle, I can’t—”
I cut him off with a naïve-sounding, “I trust you.”
Three small words.
How they set him off.
One second, I was waiting for him to mount me; then next, I was whirled around so fast my head spun. I gasped out loud as Sasha pushed me against the wall, and I hit it with a dull thud. I blinked as he ascended, looking frantic and pissed the fuck off.
“Is this what you want?” he asked, fury lining his words. The way he looked at me then frightened me. Unconsciously, I put my hands up protectively as he pressed the hard wall of his chest into my palms forcefully. “Is this what you envisioned?”
He was trying to scare me. And as my heart began to race, I was ashamed to admit that he was succeeding.
Instinctively, I pushed back against him, and my chest twinged as he smirked knowingly.
“You don’t want this, Ani,” he sneered, and as he moved to pull away, I panicked. My fingers tangled in his shirt, compelling him to stay. He looked down at where I held him, then back up at me with blazing eyes full of wrath.
Before I could stop myself, I rushed out, “I want you.” My chest heaved. Lowering my gaze, I focused on his chest, loosened my hold on him, releasing his shirt as the quiet confession left me. “I want you.”
What he said was cruel. He looked me up and down like I was an object and taunted me with a slow and dispassionate, “My, my. How the tables have turned.” His voice turned glacial. “Did you ever stop to think that maybe I don’t want you?”
And because he was hurting, I steeled my fragile emotions and nodded, revealing frankly, “I’m not asking for a commitment.” I couldn’t believe I said what I did. “I’m asking you to use me to ease your own pain. Give me what I deserve. I know you want to, and I’m giving you a free pass. Don’t hold back. I can take it.” His broad chest twitched under my fingertips. Barely audible, my heart caught in my throat as I whispered, “Punish me.”