Not wanting to keep him waiting, I pulled it open.
“I…uh…need to call you back, Kristen. Sir’s here.”
“Sir?” She chuckled. “I take it you mean Landon.”
Not looking away from his face, I answered Kristen. “Yes.”
“All right. I’ll let you go. Just remember, if he decides to punish you, you deserve it.”
“Okay.” I hung up the phone and stared at the handsome man who had now crossed his arms over his chest. “What are you doing here?”
“Invite me in, Luci.”
“I’m so sorry, Sir.” I stepped back out of the way. “Please come in.”
“Thank you.”
Oh, crap. He was being far too polite. Kristen was right. I was in trouble and Sir had come over to punish me. Before he stepped inside, he leaned down and grabbed a black bag that he’d evidently brought with him.
Oddly enough, Sir greeted me with a kiss, his fingers trailing down my face as he smiled down on me. I knew that smile. It was wicked.
Yep. I was in so much trouble here.
“Have you had dinner?” he asked.
“No. I just got home, actually.”
Sir pulled his wallet out of his pocket, then retrieved a credit card. “Order Chinese and have it delivered.”
I nodded, taking the card from his hand.
“Then meet me in the living room.”
After confirming what Sir wanted, I grabbed my phone and placed the call. A few minutes later, I had no choice but to head into the living room. I’d done my absolute best not to look to see what Sir was doing. I wasn’t sure I wanted to know.
Finally, I shored up my nerve, squared my shoulders, then went into the living room.
“Come.” He patted the cushion beside him. “Have a seat.”
I walked toward him, my eyes instantly going to the torture implements—as I’d come to refer to them—laid out on the table. Without looking away from them, I hesitantly took a seat on the edge of the cushion.
Shit.
He turned, then pulled me against him, my back to his side, his arm wrapping around my shoulder.
“Do you feel better, pet?”
“Than last night?” I relaxed against him. “Yes. Much.”
“Good.”
“Sir, I really am sorry for—” I tried to turn, but Sir kept me in place.
“Shh. We’ll discuss your punishment in a little while. Right now, I simply want to hold you and talk.”
This was more torturous than the thought of him using that evil-looking paddle on my ass.
He pressed his lips to the back of my head.
“Langston mentioned he stayed the night last night.”
I sighed. “He did. He was worried about me.”
“We all were,” he clarified. “And don’t think otherwise. He and I discussed who would come over and we decided he would. If I’d had my way, you would’ve been at our apartment last night and we would’ve punished you then.”
I swallowed hard. “I’m not sure I understand why I need to be punished.”
“Really?” He sounded disappointed.
“I mean, sure, I left the office. But…”
“But what? Justin hurt your feelings because he dismissed you from our meeting?”
Well, yes. But now that I heard it from someone else, it sounded a little childish.
“I think I deserve a little more respect than he gave me,” I countered.
“Yet you don’t think we deserve that same respect when we’re in the office?”
“What?” This time I managed to get out of his hold, turning to face him. “Of course you do.”
“Yet you let your personal life interfere with work. You ran out without telling anyone because you didn’t like what your boss told you to do.”
Damn it. Why did he have to be so rational?
“It’s hard for me,” I admitted. “Keeping my personal life separate from the office. Especially when we’re all…” I shrugged.
“When we’re all what? Fucking you?” He frowned. “Would it be easier if we went back to before the agreement?”
“Of course not,” I blurted. “And that’s not what I want. It’s just…” I glanced down at my hands. “It’s hard for me.”
“I know it is, pet.” Sir pulled me back so that I was once again resting against him. “So, tonight, when you receive your punishment, you’ll have something to think back on the next time you feel the need to run away.”
Yeah. I clearly wasn’t getting out of this.
•
The food was delivered and Sir and I sat at the kitchen table to share our meal. It didn’t take nearly long enough to eat. I would’ve preferred to sit there all night long rather than come back into the living room, where I was now.
Sir unbuttoned the sleeves on his shirt. I thought for sure he was going to roll them up, but he surprised me when he proceeded to remove it completely. When he was done, he started to unhook his belt.
“I’m going to let you choose,” he said, nodding toward the items on the table.
So much for Sir preferring a different form of punishment. Not that I wanted to stand in the corner or be deprived of an orgasm, or even to have to pee in front of him again, but still.
“I’m going to give you twenty licks,” he informed me. “You will be counting as I go along. And I’m going to allow you to choose what I spank you with.”
I peered down at the items again. There was a wide wooden paddle and a crop.
Sir dropped his belt onto the table.
Crap.
And then there were three.
I looked up at him. “Can I choose for you to use your hand?”
He shook his head. “Not for the first ten, no.”
So that meant he would be spanking me with his hand and I only had to endure ten swats from one of these items.
I knew for sure I didn’t want the crop. They’d used it on me at the island and that had been a lovely experience, but I knew that sucker could hurt really badly. That left the wooden paddle or the leather belt. Neither of which appealed to me.
“You have five seconds to decide. Otherwise, I’m adding ten more.”
“The paddle,” I blurted.
“Hand it to me.”
With shaking hands, I retrieved the paddle, then took it to Sir. His eyes met mine.
“You know what your safeword is, correct?”
“Yes. It’s red.”
“Very well. Although this isn’t playtime, I will allow you to use your safeword should you need to.” He took a step closer and tilted my chin back. “Punishment is not something that interests me, Luci. I prefer never to have to do it. However, I think it’s important to establish the roles and you’ve earned this. Never again will you run away like a scared child, you understand? We expect you to talk to us.”
Well, looking back on it now, I got that. However, at the time…
I nodded. “Yes, Sir.”
He released me, then took a seat on the sofa. “Come lie across my lap.”
Surprisingly, Sir did not ask me to remove my clothes. Then again, I was wearing a skirt and no panties, so he already had access to my bare ass.
It took a minute to get into position, but Sir didn’t hurry me. I managed to lie across his lap with my upper body on the sofa, my feet on the floor.
Sir lifted my skirt, his hands grazing my ass, which ultimately had my arousal igniting. Although I was scared, I couldn’t help it. This man made me want things I’d never known I could want.
“I want you to count for me. The first ten will be with the paddle.”
“Yes, Sir.” My voice trembled, as did my body.
Sir rubbed my ass for a minute, warming up my skin.
“Relax. Don’t tense your muscles. This is gonna hurt more than my hand.”
Well, he couldn’t say he didn’t warn me.
I closed my eyes and focused on my breathing, trying to listen for when he was going to swat me. I breath
ed in and out, my body instantly tensing when his hand disappeared.
“Count for me,” he repeated.
Smack!
Son of a bitch! “One,” I hissed through clenched teeth.
That fucking hurt.
Smack!
“Two!” Holy crap. I wasn’t sure I could survive eight more.
Smack!
“Three.”
Tears were pooling in my eyes, my ass burning as he continued to paddle me and I continued to count. My hands were fisted and I buried my face in the cushion, trying to hold myself together.
When he was finally done, his hand returned, sliding over my skin, holding in the burn.
“Ten more,” he stated, his tone even. “You don’t need to count.”
I sobbed. “I’m ready, Sir.”
I wasn’t, but I wanted to get this over with. I couldn’t deny that I deserved it. I’d done something incredibly stupid and I wanted to be on good terms again. I’d learned from Master that once the punishment was handed out, the transgression was forgiven. I needed that more than anything.
Smack!
Smack!
He seemed to focus on areas that weren’t already burning from the paddle. The crease where my butt met my leg, the top of my thigh.
Smack!
Smack!
I was still crying, but now the ache had diminished somewhat, morphing into that same sense of calm that consumed me around Master and Sir.
Smack!
“Color, pet?” Sir massaged my ass, making the sting intensify.
“Yellow. But I’m okay, Sir. Really.”
Smack!
I inhaled sharply, wanting to get back to that sense of peace I’d found.
Smack!
Smack!
Smack!
The three hard ones in a row jerked me back to reality.
Smack!
I waited for another, but it didn’t come and I realized Sir was finished. Part of me expected his hands to dip between my legs, but they didn’t. I was disappointed, to say the least.
When he helped me up, he held me in his lap, wrapping his arms around me. I continued to cry. Not only from the pain but also from everything that had taken place up to this point. I knew I needed more from Master and Sir. I wanted everything they were willing to give me.
Unfortunately, I was terrified to ask.
It seemed as though we were making progress. And that was the very reason I decided to keep my thoughts to myself.
Forty-Five
AFTER SIR SPENT THE NIGHT with me last Tuesday, things returned to normal in the office. Normal meaning that I got to focus on my job and they on theirs. Sir left for a business trip on Wednesday, then returned on Thursday. Justin remained gone all week and no one said when he would be coming back. I hated not knowing what was wrong, mostly because I wanted to be there for him. If nothing else, I considered Justin a friend and I hated the idea of him being alone.
However, it was Monday morning and it was time for me to get the week underway.
Ben arrived as normal. He smiled. I offered coffee. He accepted. Then we got to work.
Master and Sir arrived around nine thirty, but I was on the phone with one of Justin’s managers, unable to immediately offer them coffee. Neither of them seemed to mind, coming back out of their offices to get it themselves before disappearing once again.
Now that it was almost ten, I headed to the back conference room and got things set up. At the top of the hour, Master, Sir, and Ben joined me. Still no Justin.
We discussed what was going on and I filled them in on what I knew of the things Justin was working on. Although Ben was the go-to, it seemed he was allowing me to step in and help out. I liked that he was giving me that authority. It made me feel better, knowing that I was contributing more and showing them that I knew what I was doing.
•
For the next week, that was exactly what I did. I filled in where I was needed, not questioning what I should be doing, but rather doing it because it felt right. I fielded calls, answered questions, and became a functional part of the team. Not once did any of my bosses ask me to work naked. In fact, they didn’t ask me for anything sexual.
At first, it seemed odd, but I figured they were simply overloaded with work. So, I respected that and went about my business. I was professional, if not a bit aloof. I didn’t want them to think I was needy, so I put a little distance between us and went about my day. It helped that I had so much to do and they were depending on me more and more.
Did I miss the interactions? Absolutely. Not only the fun that went along with it but also the intimacy. But I liked that they were respecting me as an equal while in the office. It felt good to be needed for something. Granted, the nights were lonely, and I found myself secretly wishing Master and Sir would show up to surprise me again.
They didn’t, although they did talk to me frequently in the office, even texted me in the evenings to see how I was doing. They weren’t keeping their distance, but it seemed they were giving me some time to think things through.
“Luci, could you please bring me the notes from this morning’s call?” Ben called from his office. “I’ve misplaced mine and I need to check something.”
Grabbing the file folder I’d created for that client specifically, I went into Ben’s office and held it out to him.
“I’m so glad you’re not nearly as scatterbrained as I am,” he said with a huff. He seemed in a rush, not nearly as cool and collected as I was used to. It was obvious something was bothering him.
“Ben?”
“Hmm?” he asked as he skimmed the papers in my folder.
“Have you heard from Justin?”
He looked up at me, and for the first time, I saw the pain in his eyes.
Reacting to the emotions I knew he was holding back, I took a step closer. “What? Did something happen?”
“It’s not good, Luci. Justin’s father…he’s not going to make it.”
My throat instantly swelled and it hurt to swallow as I tried to keep the tears at bay. We were in the office and it wasn’t appropriate for me to fall apart, but this was not good news and I didn’t know how to handle it.
Ben was instantly on his feet, his arms wrapping around me. “It’s okay, gumdrop. He knew it was coming.”
I shook my head. “But it’s not okay. He’s alone. He shouldn’t be alone. You need to go to him. Why are you even still here?” If Justin and I were in a relationship, I would’ve been by his side to take care of him.
Ben sighed. “Unfortunately, that’s not possible right now. There’s too much going on here.”
I yanked away from him and glared. “Fuck that. Nothing is more important than being there for him when he needs you. That’s what family is for.”
There was the hint of a smile on Ben’s mouth and that infuriated me more.
“How can this be funny?”
“It’s not,” he stated, jerking me back into his arms and palming the back of my head. “It’s definitely not. I always knew you cared on a much deeper level than you let on.”
Wait.
What?
Pulling back, I stared up into his face. “What do you mean? You don’t think that I care?”
That was possibly the most insulting thing he’d ever said to me. The expression that transformed his features was one that said he hadn’t meant to say so much.
I managed to extricate myself from his grip. “Are you saying that no one here believes I care about them?”
“That’s not what I’m saying,” he argued. “However—”
“What?” My voice was way too high to be appropriate for an office setting, but I couldn’t help it. I’d spent days crying over these men and they didn’t think I cared about them? That was complete and total bullshit.
“It’s just that you’ve kept yourself guarded.”
I couldn’t believe he said that. Me? Guarded? Hell, from the moment I walked into this building I’d been an open book.
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“How do you figure that? If I recall, I’ve submitted to every single thing the four of you have asked of me. Everything.”
That seemed to spur Ben’s anger, because his response came out in a rough growl. “It’s not all about submission, Luci.”
Now I was completely lost.
“Forget I said anything,” he grumbled as he turned back to his desk.
I had to assume that neither of us was in a good place to be having this discussion. I was being overly emotional, even I knew that. However, I didn’t like what he was accusing me of. And I knew he was hurting because of Justin, but I couldn’t refrain from pushing the issue.
“No!” Okay, that was loud. I managed to lower my voice somewhat. “I want to know what you mean by that. Are you saying I’ve done something wrong?”
He turned to face me and this time his expression was hard. “Tell me the first personal thing that you know about us that doesn’t involve anything sexual.”
I frowned. “I…” Son of a bitch. I hadn’t expected that question. “Give me a minute.”
“Take all the time you need,” he said in a huff, as though proving his point.
I knew plenty of things about them and I blurted out the first things that came to mind. “I know that Master and Sir have an older sister. I know that their parents are into the lifestyle and have a Master/slave relationship that has remained strong even though they opted to have children.”
He nodded. “Well, you’ve done your homework then.” His eyes narrowed. “On Landon and Langston. I wasn’t referring to them, Luci. Everyone in the fucking building knows how you feel about them.”
Now my anger was growing legs and threatening to race out of control. “I know that Justin has a master’s degree in business and that he went to Stanford. I know that…that…he likes to cook, but he’s admitted you’re a much better cook than he is.”
“I guess I was wrong,” he said, although he didn’t sound sincere.
“No, fuck that!” I yelled. “You don’t get to turn this around on me. You don’t get to tell me that I don’t know anything about you. Tell me one time you’ve tried to get close to me. When you’ve showed a personal interest in me. Were you aware that my mother hasn’t bothered to call me one time since she came back from her cruise? Even though I’ve left her several messages?”
Intrigued Out of the Office Page 31
