Total pages in book: 158
Estimated words: 160684 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 803(@200wpm)___ 643(@250wpm)___ 536(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 160684 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 803(@200wpm)___ 643(@250wpm)___ 536(@300wpm)
“Baby, that happens all the time, not just when you’re in a panic. I’m used to it.”
“It does?”
“You live in your head half the time. So yeah, it happens.”
Great. She was a terrible person.
“I’m sorry.”
“That’s not the thing you should be apologizing for.”
Oh. She searched her memory again.
“You’ve got no clue, have you? The car didn’t even stop before you had the door open and were jumping out.”
“It hadn’t?”
“It hadn’t.”
She tugged at her sloth earring. “And that’s why you’re, uh, upset with me?”
“I’m more than upset,” he countered. “This is the sort of upset, that if you were mine, you’d be over my knee in the backseat of this car, getting your butt spanked. And even though you’re not mine, you do that again, I’m tanning your ass. And that is not a joke. I do not care that I’m your boss. I’ll fire you, spank you, then rehire you.”
“You can’t do that.”
“I can’t?”
She gulped.
“You put yourself in danger, Effie. I don’t like that. I might not be your man, but I’m your boss. And when you’re with me, I’m in charge of your safety. Which means when it comes to safety, you do as you’re told.”
“That’s bonkers.”
“That’s fact.”
“You can’t be this way with everyone who works for you.”
“Nope. But I don’t spend as much time with them, so you get the full Steele protection.”
“Lucky me,” she grumbled.
“I know. I’ll accept another cake in lieu of thanks.”
She narrowed her gaze. “I’ll get right on that.”
Were his lips twitching? She was sure his lips were twitching.
“I don’t want my bottom spanked.” Yikes. Now she sounded like she was sulking.
“You think not?”
“I think not.”
“You’d think wrong then.”
“Excuse me? Are you telling me that I want a spanking? That I’d like it?” This was dangerous territory.
“Hmm, not a punishment one, baby girl. But that doesn’t matter, because seems to me that you need one. Pure trouble. Sweet, sassy, and a little clueless.”
“I don’t think it’s nice to call me clueless or trouble. And I’m definitely not sassy.”
He just looked at her like she was full of shit. Maybe she was a bit sassy. When she forgot to be nervous.
You don’t want to upset him too much, Effie. Be nice.
Crap, she wished Nan would get out of her head.
“I’m your employee.”
“Right. Which is why you just got a warning and aren’t sitting there now with a hot bottom and wet cheeks.”
“I’m . . . you . . . we . . . dear Lord.”
He was outrageous.
She knew she should tell him that she was horrified. Should make it clear this was incredibly inappropriate. But the trouble was . . . she liked it.
She wanted to know what it would be like to belong to his man. To have someone who cared enough to take her in hand when she did silly things.
Even though she couldn’t actually remember jumping from the car, it sounded like something she would do.
And up until now, nobody would have given a shit if she had done that. Except for Brooks, of course.
But he did.
Damon Steele.
A man that should scare the living daylights out of her.
And there was another problem on top of that . . . he wasn’t the only one she was attracted to.
Because there was something about the calm, cool Thomas Grady that made her want to ruffle him up, see him smile, have him touch her.
She wanted to belong to them both.
Lord, she’d been reading too many romance books.
“How about I just don’t do that again,” she muttered.
“Good call, baby.” He tapped something on his phone. “Just got to make a stop.”
“What for?”
“Will only take a moment.” They pulled up outside a convenience store. “Stay here.”
She was tempted to throw him a salute. But she figured that she liked this job and should probably show her boss some respect. So, instead, she gave him a big, cheesy grin. “No problem, Sir.”
He eyed her for a moment. “I don’t like that.”
Huh?
Before she could question him, he left.
That was odd. What did he mean he didn’t like that? Her being polite?
Sheesh. She felt like she couldn’t win. When he returned, she couldn’t see what he’d bought. And she bit her lip against asking him.
They took off again, approaching Pinkies five minutes later.
“Brace yourself,” he told her.
“For what?”
“Grady.”
She gulped. “Do you think he’s going to fire me?”
“Fire you? What? Why?”
“Because I left my job without telling him. Technically, he could fire me.”
“He’s not going to fire you. Although he just might make good on that spanking.”
She gaped at him. “Grady wouldn’t do that.”
He grinned. “Baby, don’t you know that it’s the quiet ones you have to look out for?”
The car came to a stop and her door was yanked open. She turned, letting out a startled squeal as she saw Grady glaring down at her. Reaching in, he undid her seatbelt.