Boss

“You’re planning to go to Deviation this weekend,” he reminded her. “You’ll see a lot, hear a lot, experience a lot of different thoughts and emotions, maybe even participate in a couple of activities. You’ll want to be more comfortable with it than you seem to be right now.”

She nodded, but when she spoke, her voice was low and lacking the confidence she had at the office. “I’m not sure about it. Parts of it intrigue me, but I struggle against the feeling I shouldn’t want it. I’m an independent businesswoman, and I’ve been making my own choices since… I don’t know. Probably since my mother died. I don’t like being told what to do.” She shrugged. “I want to be a partner with any man I’m dating. An equal.”

“And yet, when you’re provocative—” He waited a moment. “As you have been…what then?”

“What happens at work is different.”

His reaction was swift and powerful. “Not if we have a relationship.”

“Seriously? Are you considering that?”

“And so are you,” he said softly.

Even from across the room, he heard her breath catch. She might not want to consider it, but she was.

“Don’t you have rules about fraternization?”

“No. Not unless things are problematic for either party or for others in the department. It happens less often than you think, except for when the couple breaks up. In any case, we can arrange a transfer for one of the people, elsewhere in the company if possible, or maybe to another Donovan holding. But we recognize that workplace entanglements happen. We try to mitigate potential damages, but we’re not going to fire someone for falling in love with a coworker. If we go forward, you won’t lose your job, but you can request a transfer, and I’ll do my best to accommodate it.” Nathan had an honesty-only policy, and he knew he was violating it. Fuck if he could stop himself, though. If they got involved, he wasn’t sure he’d allow her to move to another part of the company. He was already hot for this woman, and he wouldn’t let her go easily. If at all. “Don’t think I’ve forgotten the main thread of this conversation. Let’s go back to discussing punishment when the subbie is being intentionally rude at home. Would you have me ignore it? Or is it better to deal with it and try to correct the behavior?”

“I don’t know. I’m not sure I’m comfortable with it.”

“And yet you wonder what it would be like to be over my knee with me ripping off your underwear before I spanked you.”

Kelsey swirled the wine and watched the liquid run down the inside of the glass before meeting his gaze again. “Yes.” Her word hung on the cool autumn night.

“Despite what you may think, I’m not mercurial. Rules would be discussed and agreed upon, and so would my range of punishments for breaking them.”

Across the room, they regarded each other. Him with interest and unusual protectiveness. Her with wariness in her wide, unblinking eyes.

“So let’s be clear. What happens if you’re rude to me in future, like you were a few minutes ago?”

That alluring blush was back again. “Maybe a spanking?”

God, what she did to him. His erection pressed insistently against his fly.

She brought her other hand up so that she was cradling the glass between both palms.

“More effective for you than anything else, such as a timeout? Or maybe a sincere apology from your knees? Writing out a hundred times that you’ll be better behaved in the future?”

Her mouth was set. “Those would probably piss me off, which probably wouldn’t get you the results you desire.”

“Good to know.” He smiled. “So what’s your most prevalent fantasy? Lying across my lap? Bending over and linking your hands behind your knees? Being secured to a spanking bench?”

Her eyes went wide, unblinking. “You have one of those?”

“I do, indeed.”

Nervously she brushed stray wisps of hair back from her face.

“Happy to show it to you.” Frozen hell. He couldn’t get the image out of his mind. The gorgeous Ms. Lane, naked, that hair in long, glorious disarray, strapped down, legs spread, pussy exposed, helpless to escape his paddle.

He hadn’t had many women in his playroom, but he would love to show her all of his toys, introduce them to her, give her experiences she’d only fantasized about.

Nathan gave her a moment to compose herself—and fuck, he needed one too—before reminding her, “I’m waiting for your answer.”

“Over the knee seems more personal, and I want to experience that sometime. And your spanking bench seems interesting.” She shifted. “Uhm, does it have to be for a punishment?”