Just One Taste (Topped #2)(31)

“Lie?” She hadn’t lied to him since those first couple of days. Well, mostly. She didn’t tell him everything, but then he didn’t need to know the things she didn’t tell him. Maybe the best and easiest way out of all of this was to give him some truth in exchange. It was obvious to her that someone had talked about what happened last night. “I’m sorry. My stalker diner came in and he did try to grab my ass, but I handled him. It was fine.”

His eyes flared and she realized she’d made a mistake. “He did what?”

“That wasn’t what you were talking about?” She hadn’t lied about anything else. Even that had been a lie by omission.

“No, but I’ll add that to your punishment. I’m talking about the fact that you lied to me when you said you didn’t go to Master Ian and request a new Dom for your training period. You sat there and looked at me and lied. You said you had gone in there to take him his lunch and that was all you talked about. I happen to know that isn’t true. Unless you intend to tell me that Master Ian is the one who lied.”

She was not even going to go there. A smart girl knew when she was caught. If she thought Eric could get a little spanky, she didn’t even want to know what Master Ian would do to a sub who lied about him. The man had been an assassin at one point, if the rumors were true. “Nope. He did not lie. And I did take the man his lunch. I also had a very quick conversation with him about the possibility that you weren’t the right training Dom for me, though I have changed my mind since then.”

He stared down at her and if those gorgeous eyes of his had laser beams, she would have been dead then and there. “Don’t try my patience, Deena. And don’t think for a second that giving me big doe eyes is going to change my mind about punishing you. I told you that night I wouldn’t forget and that punishment was coming. Here’s the way this is going to go. You’re going to take off your clothes. You’re going to fold them neatly because you have a party to attend afterward. You will then move to the mirror where you will lean over and grab your ankles, presenting your ass for my punishment.”

“I’m going to do all those things? Any reason why I’m not using that very nice spanking bench?” Her voice was a little shaky, her hands already beginning a fine tremble because his voice was mesmerizing. This was not the happy, smiling Eric she was used to. This was not the man who held doors open for her and made sure she always locked herself inside her apartment before he would leave. This wasn’t the man who made her a plate after work every night, always making certain she got the best of whatever they’d made.

This was the Dom and he wasn’t a pushover.

“You are going to do everything I tell you to if you wish to continue as my submissive. And the spanking bench is a treat. I’m not giving you a treat, Deena. I’m punishing you for an infraction. Apparently for several. If you choose to forgo punishment, I’ll explain to Master Ian that you’re leaving the program and will need to move to the next training class where you will likely piss off another Dom.”

Did he have to sound so certain of that? “Maybe the next Dom will be nicer than you.”

His mouth flattened. “He won’t. I’m as nice as it gets, baby, but I’m done being nice to you. It doesn’t work. You don’t want nice. You want me to spank you. You want a rough hand on your ass, getting your * nice and wet and ready for a long, hard f*ck. That’s where I might not be so nice to you. I might slap your ass, get you hot and horny, and then we’ll spend the rest of the night with you serving me because there is absolutely nothing I want more than the feel of those lips wrapped around my dick.”

Every word made her heart thump in her chest. This wasn’t what she’d expected from Eric. She’d been certain he’d forgotten all about her teeny lie, but it appeared he’d merely been waiting for the right moment to pounce.

He wanted to feel her lips around his cock? They’d fallen into a comfortable friendship. Was she ready to try something more with this man?

“Or you can be a total coward and walk out of here and never know if it could have worked between us,” he continued. “You can scamper off and I won’t come after you again because I’m through playing this game by your rules. If you do stay in this room with me, our relationship changes. No more training wheels. For as long as our contract lasts, you’ll be mine and I will take you when I want you, how I want you, wherever the hell I want you, and no one is going to come between me and my sub. You’ll be mine to take care of, to pleasure when you’re good and punish when you deserve it. If you choose not to even try to make it work, you’ll have to watch me with someone else because I am ready. I’m ready to not be alone. I’m ready to find some pleasure in life, and if you won’t have me, then I’ll find someone who will. I’ll find a woman who will take this ugly mug of mine in exchange for taking care of her in a way only I can. A woman who wants the pleasure and pain I can give her, the safety I can offer.”

“Don’t you ever say that again.” She hated it when he talked that way. Her hands were trembling again as she stepped close to him and put her palm against the scar that ran over the side of his face. “You are not ugly. Don’t even pretend.”

He softened, but only slightly. His hand came up, holding her palm to his face. “You’re the one I want, Deena, but you need to understand that I won’t wait forever. I want you to want me, too, but if you can’t, I will move on. Make your decision.”