Derision (The Broken Bonds 7)

His nostrils flare, the intense look in his eyes wrapping my heated skin in a longing shiver. “Yes. For now. You can go.”

His curt dismissal feels like rejection. As I turn away and head toward the door, I’m more than confused, more than dejected. I don’t understand what I’ve done to earn his resentment. The outfit? Maybe he hates my style that much. Another game where he degrades me…? Possible.

But this feels…distant. It feels like a punishment.

“Alexis.”

The heavy rasp in his voice infuses every muscle, every nerve, pulling me to a stop. “Yes, sir?”

“Fucking hell,” he swears under his breath, then his hands are sealed around my arms as his chest presses against my back.

My hands reach out toward the wall, bracing myself against the impact.

“That fucking skirt,” he says out loud, but I’m not sure it’s meant for me to hear. His hard want pushes against my ass, and I suck in air at the feel of the plug lodging deeper. “Did you wear it to torture me on purpose?”

I didn’t—but I’ll be sure to remember his loss of control over it from now on. I shake my head as his hands hike the hem of my skirt, his rough fingers searing my flesh as they drag along my skin.

He turns my back toward the wall, his arms bracketing me in. “I’ll never be able to train you if you keep fucking with my head.” Before I’m able to deny anything, his lips crash into mine.

I’m submerged under the swell, a muffled moan swallowed as the force rocks through me. He lowers his arms and grasps the backside of my thigh, bringing my leg up. His other hand seeks beneath my skirt, his fingers slipping my underwear aside and sampling the wetness as his tongue abuses my mouth, greedily claiming me from the inside out.

He drops my leg and snatches my underwear down my thighs, his mouth leaving me flushed and panting. “You tease me, then you can go the rest of the day without panties.”

I watch him pocket the black bikini underwear—the only barrier I had; my only sense of security—though probably a false one—that I wouldn’t lose the plug at some point today. “Chase…sir?”

His lips, that are just as swollen as mine, slant into a wicked smile. “You’re welcome to earn them back at the end of the day.”

Flustered, I push my skirt down, then situate myself and turn toward the door. Before I grasp the knob, my own smile makes an appearance.

“Thank you for a most illuminating meeting, sir,” I say, then toss a wink his way as I open the door and exit.

The stunned expression on his face, knowing I affect him as much as he does me, helps my head lift a little higher as I saunter through the hallway, able to ignore the stares a little more easily.

14

Self-loathing

Chase

I was prepared for today to be difficult—but I damn sure planned to be in better control than this. I palm the bunched up lump of Alexis’s underwear in my pocket, waiting for the throb in my cock to subside.

If I was a paranoid man, I’d think Gannet or one of the others placed her here on purpose. She’s more than a distraction, more than a temptation; she’s my certifiable weakness. The chink in my armor.

I push the intercom button and get Julia. “Tell Gannet it’s urgent.”

“Right away, sir.”

So my stonewall attack failed with Alexis. It never was a strong opening for me, especially against someone who knows how to maneuver around it. And she does. Quite effectively. A dumb smile tilts my mouth as I remember that little wink; how she got exactly what she wanted from me.

Who’s the fucking Dominant in our relationship?

Was worth a try, though, to maintain some sense of control, to try to keep her from creeping under my skin.

Unfortunately, she’s already there.

My best moves won’t work on her. I can’t play her like a piece. I’m convinced it will backfire every time, resulting in confusion for her and blue balls for me. Both of us being punished. This time, it may be easier, if not less complicated, to lay it all out. I’ve never been tempted to do that with anyone—yet with Alexis, I fear I don’t have a choice.

She’s going to fucking break me.