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“I don’t . . . I don’t think you’re allowed to spank me.”
“I am if you give consent.”
“But Grady—”
“Grady will agree if he hears what you just said.”
“Yikes,” she whispered. Then she took in a deep breath. “I’ve got to be calm when I go in there. A grown-up. I know Brooks is still a teenager, but sometimes it feels like he’s the mature one. What . . . what if they try to take his scholarship? Oh God. Oh God.”
He could see her fear. Feel it. He had to get her to calm down. She was tugging at her ear so hard that he was worried she was going to rip the earring right out.
“It’s going to be all right.”
“Can I hold your hand?”
He was stunned for a moment and didn’t reply.
“Never mind. Stupid Effie. I’m so sorry. What was I thinking? You’re my boss and I’m asking you to hold my hand like a child. Jelly bean. I need a jelly bean or two or ten.”
She picked up her handbag and was searching through it, muttering to herself. Things started flying out of the huge thing. Should she even be carrying something that enormous when she had a bad back?
Suddenly, something flew through the air and smacked him in the face. What the hell?
He picked it up and saw it was the same toy sloth that he’d seen in her handbag.
So it was likely hers.
Interesting.
“Here they are!” She held up a small bag of jelly beans triumphantly. As though she was holding a child she’d just given birth to.
He glanced around the back of the car. There was stuff everywhere. A hairbrush lay on the seat between them, as well as a pack of gum. On the floor, he spotted a compact mirror, three pens, two hair ties, and four tampons.
“Open, damn you, open.”
He continued to gape at her as she tugged at the packet of jelly beans, her frustration clear.
Then the bag burst open and jelly beans rained down, filling the backseat of the car.
“Oh no.”
“Effie,” he said in a low voice, needing to head things off before she totally lost it.
Unfortunately, as she completely lost it, he realized that he’d reacted too late.
“They’re everywhere! I l-lost all my j-jellybeans.” Her lower lip started trembling.
Shit.
This was . . . unexpected. She was always so darn cheerful. Well, except when she was being bossy. Even then, that made him smile because she was so adorable.
Time you took control.
She might not appreciate it later, but this was what she needed right now.
“Effie, look at me.”
“Oh no. I m-made a huge m-mess of your car. I’m s-sorry. So sorry.” She bent down to pick up about fifty thousand jelly beans.
