by Paige Tyler
Dammit. He swore he wouldn’t spank Sydney again. He’d only meant to reprimand her, to warn her she’d get another spanking if her work didn’t improve. He’d figured the threat would be enough to straighten her out. She’d completely floored him by bending over the desk and lifting her skirt. He thought his jaw might actually have dropped, but he couldn’t be sure. He wasn’t even sure how long he’d stared at that gorgeous ass of hers before he managed to force himself to move. He still didn’t know how he’d resisted the urge to cup her panty-clad ass and give it a squeeze. Not to mention slip his hands between her legs and run his finger over her satin-covered pussy.
His mouth quirked. And to think he’d stayed awake the night after that first spanking worrying if she was going to report him to Human Resources. If he didn’t know better, he’d think Sydney had screwed up just so he’d spank her again. The thought kicked up his lust another notch.
More likely, she’d only suggested the spanking because she’d been afraid he’d fire her this time. He hoped not. He’d hate to think the performance he just witnessed had been inspired by fear. He preferred to think it was something else.
Like what?
That she was suddenly so overcome with lust she’d bent over his desk like that as a way of offering herself up to him?
Right. Submitting to a spanking was one thing. Wanting to have sex with him was another.
He needed to be careful around Sydney. Something about that woman had him making up crap that couldn’t possibly be true.
Maybe he’d be lucky and she’d gotten the message this time so he wouldn’t have to spank her again—and be tempted by that incredible ass of hers. He’d given her a damn hard spanking. She was probably heading to her car right that second, vowing never to screw up again.
Chapter Three
Sydney was so turned on she could barely make it to her car before she gave into the urge to slide her hand down her panties and touch herself. Luckily, most of the employees had already left for the day, so she had most of the parking lot to herself. Not that it took long for her to reach orgasm. She practically came the moment she touched her clit. She didn’t think she’d ever been so aroused in her life. Who’d have imagined getting a spanking could make her so hot? And how could she get Max to give her another?
She lightly caressed her spent clit as she considered the question. Repeatedly coming in late would probably work, but she was starting to feel a little guilty about doing that. She supposed she could always slip up and make mistakes on whatever documents she typed up for him. That would almost certainly earn her another spanking, but it would also mean more work for her since she’d have to correct whatever mistakes she made. Besides, if she acted too incompetent, Max could just as easily get fed up and fire her.
But just because she was going to have to be more circumspect didn’t mean she couldn’t fantasize about it—something she ended up spending the whole weekend doing. No matter how hard she tried to focus on other things, like going shopping or diving into that new novel she’d been wanting to read, she couldn’t seem to get the image out of her head.
Though each fantasy was different, they almost always took place in Max’s office. Sometimes, she’d be bent over the desk while he spanked her bare bottom. Other times, she’d be leaning over the back of the expensive leather couch, her skirt in the air and her panties down around her thighs. But the scenario that turned her on the most was the one where she was draped over his lap. For some reason, that position seemed the most intimate of all of them, and the mere thought of Max putting her over his knee was enough to make her rethink her decision to behave herself.
By Monday morning, however, Sydney had firmed her resolve to be on her best behavior. She got to work so early, she was there before Max.
He stopped in mid-stride when he came in, surprise clear on his face. “You’re here early.”
“I had some stuff I wanted to catch up on.” She stood. “Should I bring you coffee?”
He hesitated for a moment, then nodded. “Thanks.”
Sydney brought him a cup, along with his messages. As she handed them to him, she couldn’t help but notice his gaze lingered on her just a little longer than it usually did. Was he thinking about the spanking he’d given her the other night?
Resisting the urge to mention it, she turned to go back out to her office.
“Sydney.”
She turned back to him, her pulse leaping. “Yes.”
“I’ll need you to pull out the consolidated budget report on that government contract for me.”
What had she expected him to say? It wasn’t as if he was going to offer to give her another spanking with her morning coffee. “Of course.”
“Once you have it, meet me in the conference room so we can go over it together.”
Even though she had to go down to the accounting department and access three different computer databases to retrieve the entire report, it took her less than an hour to pull everything on the project. The report was huge, and she and Max ended up covering every flat surface in the conference room. Max had her work on one department while he started on another.
Sydney glanced at him. “What exactly are you looking for?”
“Anything out of the ordinary,” he told her.
That didn’t really answer her question. Sighing, she moved from one report to the next, comparing one department’s figures with another. Every so often, she’d glance up to find Max looking at her, but when she caught him at it, he’d quickly drop his gaze and immerse himself in whatever budget report was in front of him.
A smile curving her lips, Sydney reached for another worksheet. This one was from yet another subcontractor. Design-Tech’s government contract was so complex that they’d had to hire dozens of smaller computer firms to deal with some of the ancillary software programs. It was no wonder the program was over budget. It was amazing they could even figure out just who was supposed to do what.
She skimmed through the numbers for a subcontractor called Sentinel Software, then compared them against several other spreadsheets.
She frowned. “I think you should see this.”
He looked up the report he was reading. “What is it?”
“These figures seem a little high. Sentinel is working on the integration software and there seems to be a disparity on exactly how much they’re getting paid.”
Max got to his feet and came over to where she was sitting. Putting his hand on the back of her chair, he leaned down to read over her shoulder. His nearness had Sydney’s pulse fluttering so wildly she could barely concentrate on the invoice in front of her.
She wet her suddenly dry lips. “See what I mean?” She pointed to the first spreadsheet. “On this one, it looks like they’re getting about two million a month, but on this one that shows a yearly amount, the figures don’t add up. And this one,” she said, holding up another spreadsheet, “shows yet a third figure. Depending on which one you look at, they’re either right on budget, or millions over.”
Beside her, Max was silent as he studied the spreadsheet, and Sydney tilted her head up to look at him. God, he smelled so good. Not like he’d doused himself in cologne like some men she knew, but clean and fresh and completely masculine. Her hand tightened on the papers as she resisted the urge to reach up and caress his cheek. All at once, his eyes met hers, and she caught her breath. Almost of its own accord, her gaze went to his mouth. All she had to do was lean a little closer…
Abruptly, he straightened and cleared his throat. “You’re right. These figures do look off.”
She nodded. “Would you like me to get Sentinel on the phone for you?”
He thought a moment, then shook his head. “No. This isn’t something we can discuss on the phone. I want to talk to them in person, so they can explain these numbers. I’m going to need to go down to San Francisco.”
“Oh. Okay. I’ll make reservations for you, then. When would you like to leave?”
“Sometime tom
orrow will be fine. You can set up the meeting with Sentinel for the following day.”
She nodded and pushed back her chair. “I’ll get right on it.”
“Make reservations for two,” he said. “You’re coming with me.”
Sydney did a double take. “I am?”
“Seems fair. You found the discrepancy.” He gave her a lopsided smile. “We’re going to have to look at their books and compare them to our numbers. It’ll be faster if we do it together.”
Not to mention more fun, she thought.
Leaving the reports spread out in the conference room, Sydney went back to her office to book their flight, then set up a meeting with Sentinel. After that, she called the hotel.
“Will you be needing one room or two?” the man taking the reservations asked.
Sydney hesitated, chewing on her lower lip. Did she dare?
“Ma’am?” the man prompted when she didn’t answer.
“Um, just the one room.”
“Very good. Now, if you’ll just give me your credit card information…”
Max walked in just as she was finishing up with the hotel. “All set?”
She smiled at him as she hung up. “All set. We leave at noon.”
* * *
Max worked on his laptop for most of the flight. Dressed casually in khakis and a polo shirt, he looked as sexy as ever, and Sydney couldn’t help but steal another glance at him. She’d tried to immerse herself in the novel she’d brought with her, but she couldn’t focus on the story. All she could think about was sharing a hotel room with her boss.
Of course, she still had no idea what she was going to do once they got there. Shamelessly seducing him came to mind. But what if he turned her down? To say that would make working together awkward was an understatement.
They landed in San Francisco a little after four. After getting their bags, they picked up the rental car, then drove to the hotel.
“Checking in,” Max told the man behind the counter.
The man smiled. “Name?”
“Max Daniels and Sydney Davis.”
The man typed something on his computer. “I have your room right here.”
Max frowned. “There should be two reservations, not one.”
The man’s gaze went from Max to her, then back again. “Oh, of course. I’m sorry. The other name again?”
“Sydney Davis,” Max said.
She held her breath as the man put her name in the computer, knowing he wasn’t going to find anything for it. After a moment, he looked at Max, his brow furrowing.
“I’m sorry, sir, but I don’t see anything under that name.”
Max’s frown deepened. “That’s impossible. My assistant made the reservations yesterday.”
The man shrugged. “I’m sorry, sir, but I’m only showing the one room.”
Her boss sighed. “We’re going to need another one.”
“I’d gladly do that for you, sir, but we’re all booked up. You have the one and only room left, I’m afraid.”
Sydney chewed on her lower lip, wondering if she should say something. Maybe Max would let the matter drop.
“You’re telling me that this whole hotel is completely full?”
Though his voice was calm, Sydney could see by the set of his jaw that Max wasn’t at all pleased to hear the hotel was booked solid.
The man behind the desk nodded. “I’m afraid so. As are most of the hotels in the city. There’s a convention going on. Pharmaceuticals, I think. You’re welcome to try some of the others, but you’ll probably have to go across the bridge into Oakland before you’re able to find one.”
Max’s mouth tightened. “I can’t understand how you could have lost the reservation.”
The man looked taken aback. “Sir, we didn’t lose the reservation. The woman who made it—”
“That’s okay,” Sydney said quickly, interrupting the man before he could finish. She put a hand on Max’s arm. “It’d be silly to try and find another hotel, especially with this convention going on. We’ll just share the room.”
His brow rose. “Are you sure?”
Sydney almost laughed at the question. “Of course, I’m sure. We’re adults.”
Turning away to hide her smile, she pretended to look around the fancy lobby while Max finished checking in.
He was silent as they rode up in the elevator. Did he still think the hotel had made a mix-up with the room, or did he suspect she was somehow involved? If he did, would he spank her for it?
Their room was at the end of the hall, and Sydney felt her pulse quicken with excitement when she saw it only had one bed. This was working out even better than she’d planned.
Max scowled when he saw the sleeping arrangements. “How is this going to work with one bed?”
He was seriously considering looking for another hotel. She could see it in his eyes. “Don’t be silly. The bed is huge.” She grinned. “You can put a pillow between us if you think I’m going to attack you.”
His mouth quirked. “I guess you’re right. I can be adult about this if you can.” He dropped their bags on the floor. “What do say we grab some dinner?”
She smiled. “I’d love to. Give me a few minutes.”
Going into the bathroom to freshen up, she applied fresh lip gloss, then ran a brush through her long hair before changing into a skirt and sleeveless top.
Max looked up from the hotel tourist magazine he was paging through when she walked into the bedroom, his eyes lingering on her long legs.
“Ready to go?” he asked, tossing the magazine back onto the table.
Sydney nodded.
“I thought we’d go over to Pier 39, if that’s okay,” he said as they made their way down the hall to the elevator. “You like seafood, right?”
Never having been to San Francisco before, Sydney had no idea what Pier 39 was. As Max pulled into the parking garage across the street, she realized it was one of the city’s major tourist attractions. Excited she’d get to see a little of the city while they were there, she smiled as they made their way out of the parking garage.
As they crossed the street, Sydney heard the oddest sounds coming from the other side of the pier. She glanced at Max questioningly. “What’s that noise?”
His mouth quirked. “That would be the sea lions.”
Her eyes widened. “You mean the California sea lions? I’ve heard of them, but…” She paused, listening again to the strange sounds they made. She’d seen sea lions at the zoo, but she didn’t remember them sounding quite like that. “Can you see them from the pier, do you know?”
“Definitely.”
Wondering how her boss knew that, Sydney walked alongside him as the circled around the booth selling tickets to Alcatraz to the back of the pier. Up ahead, a group of tourists gathered at the wooden railing, and she automatically quickened her step. Managing to find a place along the railing, she squeezed in between an elderly couple and a group of teenagers.
Sitting on dozens of floating docks just yards from the dock were hundreds of sea lions. All shapes and sizes, they either reclined in the late day sun, or frolicked with each other. Sydney watched in wonderment as they made a game of climbing on top of their fellow sea lions, only to go sliding off the docks and into the water with a big splash.
Laughing at the sight they made, Sydney half turned to look for Max, and found him standing right behind her. He was so close they were almost touching, and she had to tilt her head back to look up at him. His dark eyes were so intense she caught her breath. For one wild, exhilarating moment, she thought he might kiss her, but to her dismay, he took a step back.
“They’re amazing, aren’t they?”
“Yes,” she murmured, turning back to the sea lions.
They watched for a while before he cleared his throat. “We should probably go to dinner.”
Although the seafood restaurant Max took her to was crowded, they didn’t have to wait long to be seated. After they’d looked over the m
enu and given their order to the waiter, Sydney sat back and sipped her drink.
“I’ve never been to San Francisco before.”
Max took a swallow of his beer. “I used to come up here all the time when I was in college.”
“Where did you go to college?”
“Stanford.”
Impressive. “Are you from California originally?”
He shook his head. “Texas, actually. The Dallas area.”
Her lips curved into a smile. “I thought I detected an accent.”
Max flashed her a smile. “We call that a drawl where I come from, Ms. Davis,” he said, drawing out the words and deepening his accent so his voice has a distinct twang to it.
Sydney laughed, waiting until the waiter set down their plates before continuing. “Did you ask for the transfer to the Seattle office, then?”
Max reached for the pepper. “I didn’t exactly ask for it, but since it came with a promotion, I wasn’t about to turn it down.”
Lucky for her.
The conversation came just as easily throughout dinner. They talked about everything, including her life in Seattle and his in Dallas, and she was surprised to learn that they had a lot of things in common. Surprisingly, there weren’t any of those awkward silences that usually accompanied so many first dates she’d been on, either.
She caught herself. Whatever this was, it was most definitely not a date, no matter how much it felt like one. And it did feel like one, especially when Max asked if she wanted to walk down the pier and check out the sights after dinner. The only thing that would have made the evening better was if Max had slipped his arm around her.
As they drove back to the hotel a few hours later, Sydney had to admit she was a little nervous. Not about being with Max, but about what she hoped they’d do once they got to their room. If this were going to go any further, she was going to have to make the next move. Heck, she’d probably have to make the one after that, too. She could tell Max was interested in her, but apart from the spankings he’d given her, he’d been the perfect gentleman. Come to think of it, he’d been the perfect gentleman while he’d been giving her those spankings, too. Even after she’d bent over the desk and flipped up her skirt. A lot of men would have taken advantage of that particular position. Not that she would have minded if he had.
