The driver was looking straight at him. Jake nodded. “Yes, sir.” Gag. He hated sucking up. But if it gave him enough money to take Kate out, he’d do it.
He swung himself over the side of the truck bed. Hammering two-by-fours suited him just fine. Brainless work. He’d keep his brain busy making plans for Kate tonight. He’d get her to wear something slutty and show her off…maybe push her to expose herself. Stake his claim on her in public.
If she didn’t like it, he’d punish her.
Either way, he was in for a good time.
Chapter Four
The fountain threw off a riot of white noise, enough to mask the cooing pigeons fluttering across her path. Kate stopped to take her phone out of her purse.
No calls.
She set it on vibrate and tucked it into her blazer pocket where she’d be sure to hear it ring, or at least feel it vibrate. Not that she had time to meet Jake at this point. She’d waited until two o’clock before running out for some quick stir fry over brown rice, eating with one eye on the phone.
This just proved how crazy she was for getting hung up on a man like Jake Monroe.
Ridiculous how much she felt like a jilted high schooler. He probably had a good reason for not calling. Maybe he’d found a job. Not likely, but possible.
A Filipino woman with a granny cart full of crusty plastic bags stopped in front of Kate, her black eyes anxious under the red bandana tied babushka-style over her salt-and-pepper hair. When Kate side-stepped to go around, the woman spoke. “Mota? Weed?”
For pity’s sake, did she look like a pot head? Kate shook her head, then walked on. Sad to see the elderly selling marijuana to make a buck. She had competition, too ‑‑ the brick-paved plaza of Civic Center was packed today. Odd that low-level criminals chose a spot so close to the Courthouse to hang out, but it had been like this for as long as she could remember.
A shout caught her attention, followed by cheers. A group of kids in Oakland A’s jackets were tossing pennies against one wall of the United Nations building, clustered in a huddle where a slope in the grass formed a bit of a barrier from the walkway.
On second glance, they weren’t kids after all, but young adults with nothing better to do. Deadbeats. She shouldn’t judge them, but she did.
The buzzing from her phone almost made her jump. If Jake thought she could meet him for a nooner this late, she’d give him a piece of her mind.
The Caller ID read “private number.”
“Hello?”
“Hey, Kate. It’s Jake.”
Casual words, yet something in his deep voice made her knees a little weak. He might be an ex-con, but he had a natural air of authority. An attitude that said I’m in charge. “Just a minute. It’s windy.”
Around the corner, a small alcove in the side of City Hall sheltered her from the wind. “Hi. Where are you?”
“I’m calling to take you up on that hotel room.”
The nerve of the man. “It’s after two, Jake. Lunch was hours ago.”
“Then why are you out of the office now?”
Nothing would make her admit she’d waited for him, the thoughtless jerk. “I was tied ‑‑” The words tied up had taken on a whole new meaning. “My morning meeting ran late. I just grabbed a quick bite, but I have to get back to the office now.”
“Meet me at the Ramada on Market. It’s less than a block from your office. I’ll get a room and wait for you in the lobby.”
What was she supposed to do, get fired? “I have a job. I can’t disappear in the middle of the day just because you want to get laid.”
“That’s not what you said this morning.”
“I said noon. It hasn’t been noon for two hours.” Oh, great. Whine at him.
“Getting technical on me?”
Why did that sound like a trick question? Like one wrong move would set him off…or send him packing. “I’m not a hooker, Jake. You can’t expect me to drop everything for a last-minute date with you.”
A long pause. So long that she held the phone away from her ear and looked at it to make sure he was still connected. “Jake?”
“I’m not happy that you don’t have time for me, Kate.”
The edge of anger in his voice set her heart pounding. She leaned against the wall and cupped her hand in front of her mouth to block her voice from traveling. “What do you intend to do about it?”
“If you meet me at the Ramada, maybe you’ll find out.”
Still a threatening note behind the teasing words. “I wish I could.”
“Look around, Kate. Is there a man standing close to you?”
What did he care? She glanced around. A pair of businessmen were striding along the opposite sidewalk, ties flapping in the breeze. “Yes. Why?”
“Open your shirt.”
Her mouth dropped open for a second. “You can’t be serious.”
“Oh, but I am. Dead serious. Open your blouse. Give them a flash of what you’re denying me.”
“I’ll get arrested.”
He snorted. “Hardly. Trust me on that. It takes a lot to get arrested in this town.”
“I can’t just ‑‑”
“Don’t you want to please me?”
God, yes. She wanted to please him in every way possible ‑‑ but she’d never imagined exhibitionism would be his thing. He seemed too possessive. “Of course I want to. But…I’m afraid.”
“You enjoy the fear. Now hurry up and flash a tit, or I’ll make you hike your skirt up and show everyone that you went out without panties.”
The crude words caused a rush of dampness in her sex. “What if I don’t do it?” Maybe he’d give her the spanking she’d been thinking about all morning. And she had to wait until tonight? God, this was going to be longest afternoon of her life.
“I’ll up the ante. Would you rather show a little breast or a little ass?”
She gasped. “That would definitely get me arrested.”
“Not unless you flash a cop. Do it, Kate. I mean it. If you don’t expose your breast in the next ten seconds, I’ll make you show off your bare pussy.”
He’d never know the truth.
“Don’t try to lie to me.”
Wow, his radar was good. And the orders were so sexy, so close to her earlier fantasy, that she didn’t want to say no. But still…what if someone saw her? Someone she knew. Her office was less than a block away. “I don’t know…”
“The more you argue, the more I’ll make you expose.”
She didn’t want to argue. But something made her want to push him further. “I can’t, Jake. I’m in public.”
“Then it’s over. I want a woman who knows how to please me, not a stubborn brat.”
Her heart skipped. Did he mean that? He’d hinted this morning that he wanted her submission. And from the way her body was tingling in excitement, she wanted that, too. “I’ll do it.”
“Your bare pussy?”
A hard lump in her throat made her swallow. “Just…just my breast, Jake. Please?” Her voice wavered a little.
“I like it when you beg me.” She could hear the wicked smile in his voice. “All right, just a breast. But describe it to me. Do you see a man? What does he look like?”
The businessmen were long past, but another man was sitting on a low wall about twenty feet away, a sandwich in one hand. “He’s maybe thirty years old. Dark hair. Sitting on a wall, eating his lunch.”
“Get real close to him. Let him see you unbutton your shirt.”
She left the protection of the sheltering wall and walked toward the man on the bench. “I’m moving closer, so he can get a good look.”
Only he didn’t look. He kept his eyes on his sandwich. Closer now, she could see a white cord running down his side to his pocket. An iPod had his attention. Even so, her heart raced with adrenaline.
“I’m unbuttoning my blouse, Jake.” She whispered the words so the man wouldn’t hear. With trembling fingers, she opened her blazer, then undid two bu
ttons on her blouse, right over her bra. The wind pulled the gap wide open, chilling her nipples to hard points.
“How does it feel?”
More exciting than I’d ever imagined. “It’s freezing. My nipples are hard.”
“Show him. Pull your bra down and get him salivating, baby.”
No way. This was daring enough as it was.
Heart in her throat, she kept her eyes averted as she walked past the man. He barely glanced at her, and his gaze never dropped below her chin. From the well-coifed look of his hair and the trendy combination of lime green shirt with teal suede jacket he wore, he might be gay. Well, Jake hadn’t been specific about that.
As soon as she passed him, she laughed with exhilaration. “I did it.” And she felt ridiculously proud of herself, too, even if she hadn’t gone as far as Jake wanted her to.
“Good job, baby.”
Her hands were still shaking, but she managed to surreptitiously button her blouse, then tilted her wrist to look at her watch. Her afternoon was open, but a ton of paperwork would keep her at the office all night if she didn’t get to it. She picked up the pace, walking briskly toward her office, feet on autopilot. “I have to get back to work. Will I see you later?”
“I guarantee it.”
She smiled. “How was your day?”
“Fine, up until you blew me off.”
Before she could make a pun about blowing him, he spoke again. “I got a temp job on a construction crew. They want me back all month.”
“That’s great!”
“Don’t go all cheerleader on me, Kate. But yeah, it’ll be good to have some cash. I’ll have to find someone to spend it on.”
She frowned. Last night he’d hinted at monogamy. But for how long? He’d been in prison for three years. No doubt he’d fantasized about all sorts of women. Women who were willing to show their asses to strange men in public. Women who were up for any kinky game a man like Jake wanted to dish out. Women who were free for sex in the afternoon…or anytime he wanted it. Her stomach twisted.
No point in acting all possessive. That was no way to keep a man like him happy. “We can spend a little tonight, if you want.”
“Definitely. And then I’ll punish you for taking so long to show your breasts to that guy on the wall.”
She skipped up the steps to the front entrance of the Hall of Justice. “What kind of punishment do you have in mind?”
He chuckled. “I don’t want to spoil the surprise.”
The security guard gave her a wave at the metal detectors. She strode through the archway without a pause, then joined the small group boarding an elevator.
“I have to go now. I’m almost back to my office. Call me around five so we can arrange a time to meet for dinner?”
“Will do. But prepare yourself, Kate. The minute I see you, I’m going to punish you for resisting.”
Her cheeks heated. No one in the elevator could have heard him, but she still looked around self-consciously. One young lawyer had earplugs in his ears, the twisted cord incongruous against his gray three piece suit. The woman in the back had her eyes closed, catching a few winks where she could. The other two occupants were casually dressed in jeans and T-shirts, looking impatiently at the lighted panel that showed the floors passing by. One of them clutched a jury duty summons. No, no one was paying attention. “Um, OK. See you later.”
“Later.”
She pressed the End button and slipped the phone into her purse. When the elevator stopped at her floor, she walked down the long row of cubicles and offices. This late in the day, her co-workers were busy preparing for tomorrow’s early court appearances. Heads down, faces intent on computer monitors, ears plastered to phone receivers or covered with Dictaphone headsets. None of them would ever guess that she’d just opened her blouse to show a complete stranger her breast. Not straight and narrow Katherine Kern. As she walked to the far corner where her office was located, no one looked up.
A stack of file folders greeted her from the inbox. Where had they come from? Just what she needed ‑‑ a ton of boring work to keep her mind off of Jake and all his kinky promises.
As she rounded the desk, the door clicked shut behind her. She looked up in surprise.
Jake stood there with one hand on the doorknob, eyes gleaming and a sultry smile on his lips. “Ready for your punishment?”
Chapter Five
Her heart beat so fast, she barely heard the lock click over the thundering blood in her ears. “What are you doing here?”
He cocked an eyebrow. “I just told you.” Like a panther stalking prey, he moved slowly around the desk.
She resisted the urge to back away from him. “I have work to do.”
When he put an arm around her waist, she bent back and tried to step away, but he held her tight. “You have time for this.”
One kiss would be fine. The door was locked, after all. If someone knocked, she could pretend it was locked by accident. His face lowered; she closed her eyes, lips parted in anticipation.
Whack! A stinging slap on her rear made her jump. “Oh!”
The bastard was grinning down at her. She pushed hard on his chest, and he released her. “Jake, someone will hear!”
“Like I care.” He took a step closer and reached out to grip her forearm. “You disobeyed me, Kate. You know you deserve to be punished for that.”
God, she didn’t want to be turned on by his macho power play…but there was no denying the rush of heat between her legs. “If we were anywhere else, I’d go along with it.” She forced herself to speak normally, but low. Whispers behind a closed door would get too much attention. “But I can’t afford to have someone catch us, Jake. It would be the end of my career.”
“Lift up your skirt. Show me that you didn’t put on panties.”
It was like he hadn’t heard her speak. Arrogant jerk. But the best way to end this quickly was to give in to him ‑‑ at least to a small degree. Reaching down, she lifted the hem of her skirt to her waist, baring her thighs and abdomen to his gaze.
He gave a terse nod. “Very good. I’m glad you listened to at least one of my instructions.”
She dropped her skirt, but he caught the hem and pulled her toward him. Awkward, off balance, she took a few steps as he drew her to the chair. He sat and pulled her down until she fell into his lap.
She pushed against his shoulders, but it felt like moving a mountain. “Jake, no. You’ll have to save this until later.”
In answer, he ran a hand up her thigh and cupped her sex. “Did you think about me today?”
Heat bloomed in her cheeks. “Yes.”
A lazy grin spread his full lips. “You look embarrassed. What did you think about?”
Now wasn’t the time to give him encouragement. “Looking for an ego stroke?”
He chucked. “Some kind of stroke.” His eyes didn’t waver from hers, not even when inquisitive fingers explored her crotch. “Did you think about the way I fucked you on the kitchen table?”
Crude words always made her blush, but he’d tease her if she admitted her fantasy. “Maybe.”
“You wanted more, didn’t you?”
Two could play at this game. She nodded and gave him a sultry smile. “I had to satisfy myself later.”
Like lightning, his smile turned into a fierce scowl. One finger flicked hard at her clit, and she bit her tongue to stop the whimper. “Did I give you permission to touch yourself?”
He had to be kidding. But no, his expression was stone cold sober. “No,” she whispered.
“This pussy belongs to me, Kate.” He squeezed tight, until she tried to shift her hips away from his punishing grip. “This is mine, to use as I see fit.”
She wriggled on his lap, feeling the hard length of his cock. At least he was as turned on as she was. “And is your cock mine?”
The warm hand left her sex; he gripped the back of her neck with enough pressure to threaten, but not enough force to bruise. Her pulse speeded up,
thumping against his thumb.
His brown eyes were so deep, so unfathomable, she couldn’t look away. For a long moment, the only sound in the room was her heartbeat. His lips twisted when he finally spoke. “Hell, no. I just use it on you when the mood strikes me.”
Her heart bled a little. “Is that all I am to you? A fuck toy?”
His thumb snaked across her jaw to toy with the corner of her mouth. His expression was impossible to read. “Right now, you’re a disobedient one. You know what I expect from you.”
Obedience. Submission. And she wouldn’t object, provided he didn’t risk her job. Agreeing would get him to leave faster than an argument. “I’ll be good.”
“Why don’t I believe you?” His hand stroked down her back. “Stand up.”
Her knees shook, but she stood in front of him and waited meekly. If he didn’t get out of here soon, she’d throw him out.
Without a word, he picked her up and settled her face down, torso draped across his knees. Her head dangled at an uncomfortable angle, so she put her hands on the floor to get some support. “What do you think you’re ‑‑”
Whack! The slap on her bottom stung, even with the wool of her skirt muffling the impact. Of course he pulled up the fabric for the next one. Whack!
She arched her back, struggling to lift off of him. “Jake, stop.”
He pushed her shoulders down with one strong hand. “Where did you jack off, Kate?”
With her head upside down, blood rushing to her brain, she could barely think. “In the restroom.”
Whack! “What did you think about?”
“You.” If she told him she’d thought about servicing him and another man, he’d be furious. Some things were meant to be kept secret.
Whack! “Tell me the details. I need to know just how bad you were.”
Her bottom smarted, but her clit throbbed in arousal. “Stop now, Jake. Someone will hear.” The thought of being caught with her red ass in the air sent her temperature soaring. Maybe Arthur would hear. Oh, God. The lips of her sex grew wet.
“You don’t want anyone to know that I own your body? That pisses me off even more.” Whack!
Still a Thief Page 4