My cheeks flame, hotter than the summer sun.
I can’t stop the replay. His fingers graze my spine, and his breath is hot on my ear. “You can walk out. Or you can pay your debt.” I should’ve run. Instead, I knelt on the bed, lifted my skirt, and let him…
“Sera?”
Exhaling deeply, I shake my head. I’m still so confused that I’m not sure I can bring myself to confess the horribleness to Lila.
“He recognized you.”
“Yes. And I think he saw it as a chance to get a little revenge.”
“Fuck that. Like ruining your life wasn’t enough revenge?”
I take another drink and wish I could afford a second glass. At least I think there’s a little bit left in a bottle that’s tucked in the back of my refrigerator.
The jukebox fades to a mournful croon, and the patio’s string lights flicker as a small breeze stirs the air. I grip my glass, my knuckles white, the memory of Blackheart’s hand on me too real to voice.
Lila leans back, her brow furrowing. “What did he do?”
“He threatened to call security. Or I could accept his punishment.”
“What the actual—?” She shakes her head. “Punishment? Who the hell does he think he is?”
“He, uhm…” I still can’t believe the whole thing happened. I clear my throat. “He suggested a spanking.”
Lila’s eyes narrow, and when she speaks, her voice is low. “And did he? Spank you, I mean.”
“Yes.”
“You need to file a complaint.
And ruin my reputation all over again? If I’ve learned one thing, it’s that Blackheart always wins. I shake my head. “You know I can’t do that. He’d destroy my reputation a second time.”
“He’s a bastard, Sera.”
His touch seems to linger, searing me. I hate him. But the truth I can’t tell anyone is that I didn’t hate the spanking he gave me. “Now I’m stuck with him. He’s playing his dirty little revenge games. Told me to come back at seven tomorrow, dressed like a maid.”
Her hand finds mine. “That’s twisted. What does he want? To keep you under his thumb?”
“I don’t know,” I say, my voice small. “Maybe to torment me. Control me. Break me.” That uniform… It’s like he’s mocking my MBA, chaining me to his side. I imagine his gaze raking over me tomorrow, that slow, predatory smile.
So what does he want? To spank me again? My stomach twists, fear and something darker tangling together. “I have to go back. I need this job. Rent’s due, my car’s dying. But walking in there, in that outfit…” It feels like chains, a symbol of my fall—from boardrooms to brooms, and he wants to rub it in my face.
Lila’s eyes are filled with sympathy. “Tell me what you’re thinking.”
I exhale as the jukebox switches to a slow, twangy tune, Houston’s heartbeat pulsing through the patio. “I thought he was out of my life forever. After the headlines, my parents’ silence, I buried him in my head. I buried that girl who dreamed of his approval, who blushed when he leaned close in meetings. But tonight, he was right there, and I… I reacted to him. Like an idiot. His voice, his hands—they got under my skin, just like back then.”
Lila’s voice softens, but her eyes glint. “I bet he did. You always lit up around him, even when you hated him.” She sips her wine, her gaze steady. “Your eyes spark when you’re mad, and Blackheart’s got you blazing.”
She’s right. I want to burn him down. Like he burned me. “He wants to gloat.”
Lila’s face hardens, and her voice is fierce. “I saw you break down when your parents cut you off, when every firm slammed their doors. You cried in my apartment, your dreams in pieces. You didn’t let him win then, and you’re not going to now.” She leans forward. “Go back tomorrow. Not for him. For you. Walk in there, maid’s outfit or not, and show him you’re not that intern he broke. Prove you’re still the badass who called him out.”
The server pauses on her way back from delivering an order. “Another round?”
I shake my head. “Just one for me.” I’m a little embarrassed. “Budget’s tight.”
“Another round.” Lila nods. “I got this one.”
