by Paige Tyler
“That’s it,” Max breathed. “Make yourself come.”
The sexy command sent a quiver through her, and she moved her fingers faster. Pleasure rippled through her, starting right at her clit and coursing through her entire body.
She just about lost her mind when Max gripped her stinging ass and pumped up into her. She might be the one on top, but he was the one in control, and that knowledge sent her tumbling over the edge and into ecstasy as surely as what he was doing with his cock.
Afterward, they lay together, Sydney’s head pillowed on Max’s chest, his arm around her. Neither of them spoke for a long time.
“Can I ask you something?” she asked softly.
He gently ran his fingers through her hair. “Anything.”
She made lazy circles on his chest with his fingers. “Do you spank all your executive assistants?”
He said nothing for a moment. “Of course. It’s standard practice at the Dallas office.”
Sydney jerked upright to look at him incredulously. “You’re not serious.”
He chuckled. “No, of course I’m not serious. You’re the first.”
“Good.” She chewed on her lower lip. “What made me different?”
Other than the fact that she’d screwed up, of course. She wasn’t going to mention that, though.
“Everything.” Max cupped her cheek. “I’ve never had an assistant as beautiful as you, Sydney. And I certainly never had one who deserved a spanking so much.”
She couldn’t help but smile. “So, you’re saying we owe all of this to the fact that I have a habit of showing up late for work?”
He grinned. “I suppose we do. You aren’t planning to change that any time soon, are you?”
She bent to kiss him. “Not as long as you promise to spank me whenever I am.”
Chapter Four
Sydney woke up the next morning to find herself alone in bed. Blinking sleepily, she pushed herself up on an elbow to look for Max and saw a shaft of light through the half open bathroom door. Hopping out of bed, she reached for the button-up shirt she’d worn the night before, slipping it on she padded across the room.
Max was standing in front of the mirror, dressed only in his pajama bottoms, and she let her gaze run over his well-muscled back. As his eyes met hers in the mirror, Sydney waited for those feelings of awkwardness that sometimes came the morning after she’d slept with a guy. But Max didn’t seem to be exhibiting any of them, and neither was she. That was a relief.
He gave her a lopsided grin. “Morning.”
She smiled back. “Morning.”
Max walked over to cup her face in his hands and kiss her. “I didn’t mean to wake you up.”
“You didn’t. I woke up all on my own.” She looped her arms around his neck. “But I would have preferred to have you beside me when I did.”
He brushed her hair back from her face. “Sorry about that. I figured I’d better use the bathroom first before you got in here and started hogging it.”
“Very funny.” She made a face at him. “I’ll have you know, I’m very low maintenance.”
“That’s good to know. But it wouldn’t matter if you weren’t. I’d still share the bathroom with you. Though maybe with double sinks, else we’d never get to work on time.”
She laughed.
“I was just about to jump in the shower,” he said. “Want to join me?”
Giving Max a sexy smile, Sydney took off the shirt and let it fall to the floor.
* * *
Thanks to Max and his creative tongue, showering together took longer than either of them realized. By the time they came out of the bathroom, it was already after eight-thirty. More than a little pressed for time, she and Max threw on their clothes, then stopped at Starbucks to pick up coffee before taking the Golden Gate Bridge into Sausalito.
When they arrived at Sentinal, they went directly to the CEO’s office. Sydney had arranged for the meeting before they’d left Seattle, so she expected to go right in to see the man. But she and Max had to wait for almost an hour before the secretary showed them into his office.
Thomas Burton was a portly man in his sixties with gray hair and a bushy mustache. Though not exactly rude, he greeted them coolly before asking them to have a seat. Something about the man made Sydney take an immediate dislike to him, but she tried not to let it show.
“So, what can I do for you, Mr. Daniels?” the man asked as he lowered his bulky frame into the chair behind his desk.
Max sat back. “As I’m sure you’re aware, there have been severe cost overruns on the government contract you’re doing for Design-Tech. While going over the cost and production figures, my assistant and I found some irregularities we’d like to discuss with you. We’re hoping it’s just an accounting error on our end, but we wanted to check your books to see where the discrepancies might lie.”
Burton looked taken aback. “Are you accusing someone at Sentinal of stealing?”
“I’m not accusing anyone of anything,” Max said smoothly. “I’m just saying that we’d like to see the books.”
“What you’re suggesting is highly irregular, Mr. Daniels.” Burton frowned. “We may only be a subcontractor, but that doesn’t give you any authority to see proprietary company information. And our accounting records certainly fall into that category.”
Max’s smile was placating. “I understand your reluctance. I wouldn’t appreciate someone coming into my company implying I was doing something wrong—and that’s not what we’re doing here, just so you know. But these overruns are real, and if we don’t get a handle on them soon, Congress is going to cancel the program. And that wouldn’t be in anyone’s best interest. I’m only asking to see very specific accounting records related to the discrepancies we discovered. You have my word that we’re not using this as a fishing expedition to find out how much profit you’re making.”
The CEO’s mouth tightened. “Forgive me for saying this, but I don’t know you, so your word doesn’t mean anything to me. I’d be doing our employees a disservice if I allowed someone outside the company to see confidential accounting records. Perhaps if you have an official request routed through your main office, we’ll consider it and get back to you.”
And give Sentinal a chance to cover up anything illegal, Sydney thought. Max had mentioned they were probably going to meet stiff opposition when it came to seeing the company’s books. That’s why he’d wanted to come down here virtually unannounced.
Max’s jaw clenched. “Unfortunately, we don’t have time to follow the normal channels. We need to resolve this today. Since you refuse to allow us access to your records, I have no choice but to call the Defense Contract Management Agency and tell them about the discrepancies we discovered. They’ll be here to audit your books before close of business.”
Burton’ face reddened. “Design-Tech would get audited as well.”
“Almost assuredly. But this contract is only a portion of our current business,” Max pointed out. “This contract represents what? Ninety percent of your workload? The bad publicity will have a much greater effect on your company than it will on mine.”
Burton ground his jaw. “That’s blackmail.”
Max shrugged. “It’s unfortunate you see it that way. If you’d simply agree to give us access to your books, none of this would be necessary.”
Damn, Max was good. He could certainly play hardball when he had to.
On the other side of the desk, Burton finally nodded. “I’ll speak to Accounting. It will take a while to put everything together. In the meantime, I’ll have our Vice President of Operations show you around.”
Max didn’t look like he was interested in getting a guided tour of Sentinel Software, but he agreed. A few moments later a tall, thin man with glasses came into the office. Thomas Burton introduced him as Sentinel’s VP, Alec Friedman.
Alec was a welcome change from the dour Thomas Burton, and as they walked through the different departments, he seemed eager
to talk about the company. Though she might not have been interested in the tour to start with, Alec made it interesting. He couldn’t distract her and Max forever, though, and after two hours in the relatively small building, they’d seen everything the software company had to offer.
When they got back to Burton’ office, Alec asked them to wait in the outer office while he spoke with the CEO. As the man disappeared inside the office, Sydney turned to Max.
“Do you think they’ll let us look at their books?”
Max’s mouth tightened. “I don’t know, but their reluctance makes me think they’re hiding something.”
The door opened and Alec appeared. “If you’d please come in.”
Burton looked more sour-faced than before. Oh yeah, he was definitely hiding something.
“I’ve talked to our lawyers and they’ve advised me to give you access to our books. Even though there are no irregularities with them,” He paused, raking both her and Max with his beady-eyed gaze. “And just so you know, I will be expecting a full apology from Design-Tech when this is all over with.”
Max inclined his head, but said nothing.
Alec glanced from him to Burton. “If you’ll come with me, I’ll take you down to Accounting.” He held the door open for her and Max. “I apologize for Mr. Burton,” he said as he led them down the hall. “He’s been under a lot of stress lately, and I’m afraid your visit has only added to it.”
Sydney exchanged a glance with Max, then gave Alec a smile. “We wouldn’t have asked to see the books unless it was absolutely necessary.”
Alec’s brow furrowed, but he made no comment as they walked into the room that housed the accounting department.
Burton might have agreed to let them see the books, but he didn’t make it easy on them. The records he’d had pulled for them filled two good-sized cardboard boxes, and part of a third. He was probably hoping if he drowned them in paperwork, she and Max would get so fed up, they’d say the hell with it.
“You’re welcome to use one of the conference rooms, if you’d like,” Alec offered.
Max shook his head “Thanks, but it’d be easier if we just take everything back to the hotel.”
Sydney looked at him sharply. It would?
“I didn’t want Friedman looking over our shoulders,” Max explained as they walked to the parking lot.
“You don’t trust him?” she asked.
“Right now, I don’t trust anyone.”
Back at the hotel, Max ordered room service while Sydney changed into the shorts and cami-top she’d brought. When she came out of the bathroom, Max was pulling on a T-shirt to go with the jeans he’d put on. From the way he hungrily eyed her nearly naked figure, she thought he might suggest a quickie before they got to work, but he was all business.
Determined to behave herself—at least for the moment—Sydney sat at the desk and began comparing the figures on the Sentinel accounts with the ones from Design-Tech. After two and a half hours straight, it felt like she was going cross-eyed.
Tossing her pen on the desk, she got up and stretched her arms over her head. Max glanced up from the spreadsheets he was comparing, his gaze skimming her scantily-clad form. He looked as exhausted as she was. Maybe he needed a break, too.
Giving him a sexy smile, she turned back to the desk. But instead of sitting down, she bent over and propped her head on her hand, wiggling her ass back and forth as she look at the topmost spreadsheet. She got halfway down the page before a strong hand cupped her bottom. Her grin broadened. That was easy.
“Are you deliberately trying to distract me?”
She shivered as his warm breath tickled her ear. “Is it working?”
“Oh, it’s working,” he said huskily. “It’s also going to get you a spanking.”
Her pulse skipped a beat. “Really?”
“Yes.” He pushed her hair aside and pressed his lips to her neck. “I’ll have you know that deliberately distracting me while I’m trying to work is an extremely spankable offense, Ms. Davis.”
She let out a throaty sigh as he trailed kisses down her neck and over her shoulder. “I’ll have to remember that, Mr. Daniels.”
Max chuckled and straightened to his full height behind her. Putting a hand on her back to hold her in place, he gave her ass a hard smack. Sydney jumped, but the soft yelp she made barely escaped her lips before he brought his hand down on her other cheek, harder this time. He smacked one cheek, then the other in slow, rhythmic succession, before stopping to hook his fingers into the waistband of her shorts and pull them down to mid-thigh. Underneath, she was wearing a tiny pair of bikini panties that barely covered her ass cheeks, and he lightly ran his hand over the silky material.
Sydney moaned, torn between wanting him to keep doing what he was doing and spanking her again. Max made the decision for her, lifting his hand and bringing it down sharply on her panty-covered bottom.
She gasped, biting her lip as that smack was followed by another, then another, each harder than the previous one. Max paused between spanks to rub the sting away, and the combination of sensations was practically mind-blowing. How could she enjoy getting her ass smacked like this? Then again, did it really matter? It turned her on, and that was the whole point of foreplay, wasn’t it? As if in answer, her pussy spasmed.
Sydney was so caught up in how good the spanking felt, she barely even realized when Max stopped to slowly slide her panties down. He gave her stinging ass a firm squeeze.
She moaned.
“Does that feel good?” he asked softly.
“Mm-hmm.”
He trailed his hand teasingly up the inside of her leg to the curls at the juncture of her thighs. Sydney parted her legs as much as her shorts and panties would allow, silently begging him to touch her where she wanted most. He obliged, dipping his finger in and out of her wetness, before finding her throbbing clit and driving her wild by making slow, lazy circles on it. She moaned, rotating her hips and grinding against his hand in time with the motion.
Abruptly, his other hand came down on her bare ass. Getting spanked was nirvana all by itself, but getting spanked while he played with her clit was pleasure on a whole nother level.
“Do you like that?” Max asked, his voice a husky whisper in her ear.
“Yes,” she breathed.
He pressed a kiss to her neck. “Do you want me to make come like this?”
She moaned.
“Say it.”
He gave her ass a sharp smack to emphasize his words.
“Make me come,” she begged.
Max slapped her ass again and again, matching the rhythm his finger made as it kept circling her clit. The first waves of pleasure rippled through her.
“Harder,” she demanded. “Spank me harder.”
Her boss did as she commanded, delivering sharp smack after sharp smack as he played with her clit. She wasn’t sure which part of her body was tingling more—her ass or her pussy. It didn’t really matter because at that moment, the two sensations merged to become one earthshattering climax.
When it was over, her knees were so wobbly she could only lean against the desk and try to catch her breath. Behind her, Max pressed his lips to the red-hot skin of her ass. He trailed kisses over her entire derriere, his mouth soothing the sting from one place, even as his hand squeezed another.
Sydney gasped. Could this get any better?
She discovered that it yes, it could when Max slipped his hand between her legs again to thrust his finger deep in her pussy.
“Mmm, you’re wet.”
She smiled. “I wonder why.”
Sydney glanced over her shoulder to see him unbuckling his belt. She caught her lower lip between her teeth to stifle a moan as he shoved his jeans and underwear down, freeing his cock. He really was perfect.
Max rolled on a condom—when had he slipped that in his pocket?—then gripped her hips and plunged his hard cock deep inside her in one swift motion. She closed her eyes, savoring the feel of
him filling her pussy. She’d never been with a man who fit her so perfectly.
He thrust slowly and deliberately, sliding all the way out before gliding back into her wetness again. He repeated the move over and over, gradually picking up speed until his hips were smacking against her ass so hard it felt like she was getting spanked again.
“Fuck me harder,” she demanded.
Max obeyed, tightening his hold on her hips and pumping into her so hard and fast the desk smacked against the wall. Sydney tossed back her head and cried out, heedless of who might hear. Max buried himself deep and held himself there, his groans combining with her screams to echo in the small room.
They stayed like that for a long time, both of them too spent to do anything but lean on the desk. When Max finally slid out, she almost groaned in protest. She heard the rustle of material behind her as he pulled up his jeans. Realizing her shorts and panties were still down around her ankles, she reluctantly pushed herself away from the desk to pull them up. There was definitely something to be said for an afternoon quickie. She felt as if she had enough energy to go through a dozen more boxes of accounting records.
She turned around to say as much to Max, but he tugged her against him for a kiss so intoxicating it had her seriously rethinking going back to those spreadsheets.
He lifted his head with a groan. “We should get back to work.”
She’d much rather go for round two, but he was right. If they were lucky, they’d find what they were looking for and be able to spend the rest of the day in bed.
Unfortunately, the spreadsheets showing the payments from Design-Tech were at the bottom of the box, and it took her three hours to get to them. Grabbing them from the desk, she hurried over to the bed and sat down beside Max.
“Check this out.” She spread them out on top of the files he’d been going through. “These figures match the ones we found back at Design-Tech. Someone at Sentinal was siphoning a portion of the money from each payment we sent them and hiding it in what sure looks to me like a phony account. That’s where all the extra money’s been going.”
