“I don’t want to work here.” She shoved the phone away, as if that would stop it from ringing. “This is stupid. You’re defending wife beaters and murderers, and you want me to help you with that? No fucking thanks.”
My temper rarely got the best of me anymore, but in this case, I wasn’t proud to admit that it did. I didn’t even realize what I was doing when I pulled her up from the chair. She tried to fight me, but my grip on her was too strong, and my anger too raw. I forced her over the desk and held her there with one palm in the middle of her back. My other hand collided with her ass three times before I noticed her trembling arms and terrified eyes, and I froze.
Fuck.
I’d lost control, and she was scared of me. It was the last thing that I wanted. I’d promised her I wouldn’t hurt her, and in her mind, this probably crossed that line. What I was about to do next would cross the line too, but it couldn’t be avoided. Not now.
I pulled her into my lap and eased her head onto my chest, stroking her hair. “I’m sorry, pet.” My voice cracked. “I shouldn’t have done that. It was wrong, and I know it was wrong. But you’re safe now.”
She shuddered but didn’t speak. I continued to comfort her with gentle assurances and a soothing touch until her quivering disappeared and her heart rate calmed, and only then did I release her. It wasn’t anywhere close to quitting time, but there was no question I would have to take her home.
WHEN WE WALKED IN THE door, I tried to make a quick escape to the bedroom, but Lucian wasn’t having it.
“It’s time for dinner,” he said.
“But it’s only four.” My gaze lingered down the hall, longing to escape to the seclusion of the only privacy I had in the bedroom.
“And after your behavior today, you’ll be spending your evening thinking about it.”
My shoulders caved forward as I looked up into his steely eyes.
He spanked me.
I still couldn’t believe it. And I didn’t want to think about it, but I kept replaying it over and over in my head. He seemed contrite afterward, but now he wanted to dole out more punishment? I couldn’t make sense of this guy.
I was tired and admittedly on edge, and I didn’t want to test the boundaries anymore today. He’d already proved that he wasn’t past touching me, and if he could spank me, there was no telling what else he might do.
I slumped into my seat at the kitchen table, and Lucian grabbed a plate of raw vegetables and sliced chicken from the fridge, setting it in front of me. I stared up at him incredulously. Surely, he didn’t expect me to eat this.
“Finish your plate.” He issued the command without a hint of the remorse he’d shown earlier. “Or you’ll be eating the same thing for the next week.”
I held my tongue and glared at the offending food. So much for pasta. The vegetable selection went from bad to worse. I crunched every baby carrot as loudly as I could manage while he tore into his salad quietly. Who knew what he had planned for tonight, but it couldn’t be worse than this.
It took me thirty minutes to finish, but I did finish. As usual, Lucian cleaned up the plates and then gestured for me.
“Come.”
He issued orders as though he expected people to obey them. Most of the people in his life probably did, but I didn’t want to be one of them. I hesitated for too long, and he sighed. “We can do this the hard way, if you’d prefer.”
I still didn’t move. But in one swift motion, he had me tossed over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.
“Let me go,” I demanded.
He didn’t. Instead, he carried me down the hall to the guest room and set me down at the small desk.
“I punished you at the office for your words,” he began. “I was angry, and I shouldn’t have done it without your permission. But you still have repercussions for your behavior today. When I bring you to work, I expect you to work.”
The problem was, I didn’t want to work with him. But I wasn’t going to say it out loud. I’d learned the hard way he did not take lightly to criticism of his job.
“Here.” He offered me a pencil and shoved a pad of legal paper in front of me. “Write this down.”
I aimed my pencil at the paper but not before glaring at him.
“From now on,” he recited as I scratched the words into the paper, “I will be a good girl and do what Lucian says.”
I paused to look at him. “Are you for real?”