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“You’ve been wanting to build your event planning venture, correct?”
“Yes, but you’re missing the point.” I stared at him gawking. “What if this criminal who wants me dead, the one who thinks I snitched on him, is never caught?”
“What specifically are you asking me, sunshine?”
“This arrangement is temporary.” I elongated every syllable on the word ‘temporary’. “Jesse dropped me in your lap.”
“This arrangement is to protect you, Tiana, and your safety is my priority.” Dane steepled his fingers and leaned forward. “What does any of that have to do with your business?”
“I invaded your space.” I tapped my finger on his cherry wood desk. “You didn’t ask me to come here!”
It was as if he finally understood my irritation. It had nothing to do with the brainchild I’d been working on for so long. No, it was about me taking up room and being a burden. The fear that I’d be too much for him to handle in a relationship and in general.
“It was my decision and mine alone to invite you here. Sure, Jesse gave me the information but if I said no, you would be staying at a safe house.” Dane clenched and released his jaw, as if trying to find another way to get his point across. “I couldn’t bear the thought of you being stuck somewhere all alone. Tell me why it’s at the forefront of your mind.”
“The room, the clothes. You and Tanner keep spoiling me.” I huffed, crossing my arms over my chest. “You’ll grow tired of me just like everyone else in my life! All the beautiful things you bought me will just be one flitting memory.”
Nodding slowly, Dane pushed the chair away from the desk. “Those presents were picked out for you.”
“Oh, like I’m going to bring them back to my parents’ house. At this rate, I’ll never be able to be on my own.”
“Then I’ll buy you a house. You want stables? Tell me how big. How about a huge office with a window seat? Check. You want some horses? Name them. Whatever makes you smile the way you did a few hours ago is what I want for you.”
“You can stop now, Dane.” I knew without a doubt that he was serious. If there wasn’t a house that met my specifications, he’d fucking commission one to be built for me. Not that he threw his money around, but he always promised me the moon. After all these years, Dane finally had the means to give it to me. That wouldn’t do. I was not ready. “I’m not worth it. There’s nothing you can do to convince me otherwise.”
“Is that so?” Removing his suit jacket with flair, he set it on the back of his chair.
Shoot. I was in for it. But wasn’t that what I wanted, anyway?
“Well, maybe we could talk about it later,” I offered. “When you’re not so busy.”
“You don’t get to dictate who I spend my time, money, and affection on, sunshine.”
A prickling unease waved through my body. Unbuttoning the cuff of his crisp white shirt and folding it up towards his elbow increased the moisture in my mouth and in between my thighs.Is he going to spank me?
I watched him, watching me, but I was fixed in place. He rolled the second sleeve of his shirt up to match the other. I gulped. For some reason, it never occurred to me that he was into the dynamic outside of the bedroom. I should have known. He said he wanted the title of Daddy and everything that came with it. The look currently playing on his features was the same one Tanner had given me on more than one occasion. If I was being honest, it was the same look many of the men in my friends group shot at me when I sassed a little too close to the sun.
I shuffled backward, keeping my eyes on him, but he followed me. “What are you doing?”
“You marched in here, throwing your sass all over the place. My plan is to bend you over my desk and give you a reason to change your tune.”
“I’m really sorry for interrupting your work, Sir.”
“Now I’m Sir?” He cocked an eyebrow. “I think whenever you get the thought in your head that you’re not good enough for something or someone, your brat needs to poke the bear for a response.”
“Oh, um, yeah but not really.” I pivoted on my heel, but he caught me around my waist. I knew he was strong, but he lifted me like I weighed nothing and bent me over his desk.
“I…I didn’t think you, uh, did the whole, spa-spanking thing.”
“Breathe, Tiana.” Dane rubbed the back of my head, allowing me time to calm down. After a few minutes of me breathing, I finally told him some of my hesitations.
“I am better now. I’m just surprised since we hadn’t talked about it much. I’ll leave you alone.”
“I don’t threaten to spank as vocally as Tanner, but it is in my arsenal, and I plan on doing it more often. This isn’t a punishment.” He undid the buttons on my cute boot-cut jeans and pushed them to my knees. Repeating the process with my lacey pink panties, he traced his hand over my curvy butt.
“What is it then?” I asked sincerely. It sure felt like the beginning of one.
“You sought a reaction. Now you’ve got one.”
