“Injections reach their peak performance within ten minutes.”
“I want an injectable waiting in her room stat, and double the dose.”
Jared interjects, “Sir, I don’t recommend doing that. Doubling the—”
I growl into the phone, cutting him off, “She’s going to need it by the time I’m done with her. Her adrenaline will be running so high by the ten-minute mark; her body will have sucked up the first half of the drug. Get the dosage together and have it waiting in her room with Justin.” I hang up before he can argue with me any further. He knows better than to debate with me.
I look back at my princess, whose mouth is gaping wide open, shocked at my side of the conversation she just overheard. Cocking my head, I smirk. “Sweetheart, you’re about to have the ride of your life, and the way your mouth is gaping open, I’m thinking I’m going to have one too.” She quickly snaps her mouth shut, and I chuckle.
She’s going to be harder to break than a wild mustang, and I can tell she’s always going to keep me on my toes, but it’s just another reason why I fell for Julianna. Her unpredictability and spontaneity will always keep me guessing, never growing old. Unfortunately for her, however, she doesn’t always think things through, and in the end, the shit always comes to the surface, and it always stinks. I’m too controlling and analytical for her to slip one past me and get away with it. What the hell was she thinking anyway? She already had a taste of my wrath the very first day we met. Why would she gamble on a losing game? I shake my head at her.
Despite the wonderful evening, her blatant defiance has pissed me off, and she knows it. She also knows what’s coming if she doesn’t comply with my every demand from this point forward. I can feel my emotions precariously teetering on edge, and I wonder if she will push the wrong sequence of buttons, aggravating my anger just enough to set me off. I can see her eventually being able to piece together the correct codes, and when that happens, she will be launching a nuclear missile, and the explosion won’t be pretty.
I hold out my hand with an open palm and nod at her to take my hand. “Come over here so we can have a little chat.” She places her trembling hand in mine as I gently pull her into my lap, having her sit sideways so I can look into her eyes, because I won’t allow her to hide from me.
I reach up and take ahold of the hair clip, which holds mounds of her soft golden hair. As I unclip it, it’s like watching a fucking shampoo commercial. Long blonde curls fall to her shoulders in slow motion as it shimmers and shines, reflecting the chandelier lights above. Dropping the clip onto the table, my fingers are free to roam, and I automatically rake them through her silky strands. The sight and feel sets my blood on fire.
Gruffly, I whisper, “Put your arms around my neck and look at me.” She complies without hesitation. I give her a quizzical look as I pin her down with a hard stare and ask, “Do you have something you wish to tell me?”
“What do you mean?”
“Oh, Princess, I think you know exactly what I mean.” A sardonic smile plays across my lips. “I’m giving you an opportunity to come clean with me. I’d take advantage of that if I were you.” She begins to worry her lower lip between her teeth. My thumb skates along her lip before I disengage it from further torment. “I want the truth,” I demand seriously.
“I don’t think it will matter what I say at this point. Either way, I’m damned.”
With her arms around my neck, I snake my hands around her tiny ballerina waist and pull her in close, so I’m only inches away from those full, heart-shaped lips. I breathe in her scent and close my eyes, stifling a groan. “That’s strike one, Princess,” I whisper across her lips.
“I’m sorry...”
“That’s strike two, Princess,” I interrupt calmly. She lets out an audible sigh and closes her eyes for a brief moment. When she opens them, she has a look of determination and resolve. Yes, I think I’m getting somewhere now. I can see her wheels turning, contemplating how she should proceed.
“Sir, I’m sorry I disobeyed you. I did not take the drugs, but I have good reasons for not taking them,” she insists. Women and their “buts;” I think women are born with at least a thousand excuses stored in their brain, like a built-in file. “I didn’t like the way they made me feel,” she says, “and it had horrible side effects on my mind and body. I felt half out of my mind all the time. The dosage Jared put me on was too potent, and the way everyone was always so eager to increase my dosage...I was losing my sanity,” she whines.