“I’d call it throwing a hissy fit.”
“I was not throwing a hissy fit, and how can you expect me to calm down when the fucking police refuse to help me?” she demanded, her voice rising in pitch.
“Being rude and shouting at a detective isn’t going to achieve anything. Neither will swearing like a dock worker or yelling at me. Besides that, you know I’m going to be here tonight. I’ll figure out what’s going on and I’ll make sure nothing happens to you.”
“What if there aren’t any noises tonight, then you’ll leave and—”
“Young lady, you need to stop stamping your feet and settle down. I will not allow you to speak to me this way.”
He’d taken a few steps toward her as he’d spoken, his admonition sounding like a parent reprimanding a child.
“You don’t understand,” she bleated, suddenly changing her tone. “You don’t understand at all.”
“I understand completely why you’re worried and upset, but that’s not what I’m seeing, so perhaps I should leave,” Braxton said with a solemn frown. “You should do what that detective suggested. Hire a P.I., then check into a hotel for a few nights and have him stay here so he catches the bad guy.”
“What?”
“You heard me. I have no interest in spending my time with a temperamental child.”
“Why are you being like this?” she asked, her face crinkling into a sad, woeful expression. “What did you mean?”
“Excuse me?”
“What did you mean, you’re not seeing me worried and upset? Of course I am.”
“You are, but that’s not why you’re throwing a tantrum.”
“Throwing a tantrum?” she bellowed, abruptly angry again. “I didn’t before and I’m not now!”
“Yes, you did, and yes, you are,” he said grimly. “You threw a tantrum because the detective didn’t give you what you wanted, so you stamped your feet and yelled at him. You’re throwing a tantrum now because I’m calling you on your bullshit. Tell me, Amanda, is this is how you behave whenever you don’t get your own way?”
She froze, her eyes wide, and Braxton knew he’d hit a nerve.
“There are only two things that will happen if you try to pull that crap with me, and you’re about to see one of them right now. Me… walking out the door.”
“No, don’t go, please,” she pleaded. “I’m sorry. You’re right.”
“I’m right about what?” he said slowly, stepping a little closer.
“I get crazy sometimes, when things don’t go the way I’d like them to. I really don’t want you go to. I promise it won’t happen again.”
“But we both know that it will,” he said, looking down at her and crossing his arms. “I’m amazed that you’ve become so successful. How does this side of you play out in the boardroom?”
“I, uh, I’d rather not say,” she muttered, dropping her eyes.
“I’d rather you did,” he said sternly. “If you want me to stick around, you’ll answer me right now.”
Lifting her gaze, she saw his jaw set and his look of determination. She knew he was holding all the cards. If she didn’t want him to leave, she would have to tell him.
“They never let it happen,” she whispered.
“Explain.”
“I have a way of talking, sometimes a look, that tells them if they don’t do it my way, I’ll, uh…”
“Chuck a berserk?”
“If that’s what you want to call it,” she murmured.
“I think that’s called winning through intimidation,” he remarked. “There’s a very famous book by that name. Is that where it came from? Did you read the book?”
“I’ve heard of the book, but no.”
“Then it’s learned behavior,” he mumbled.
“Are you going to stay?” she mewled, lifting her gaze.
He looked at her hopeful, frightened eyes and nodded his head.
“Yes, I’ll stay tonight and see what happens, but I have a busy day so I’m going to take off now.”
“May I ask you something?”
“Go ahead.”
“You said there were two things?”
“You mean, two things that you’d see if you acted like a spoiled brat?”
“Uh-huh.”
Her voice was tremulous, and he could see she was desperate for the answer.
“I don’t think you’re ready to hear about the other.”
“What do you mean?”
“We don’t know each other very well.”
“Please?”
“Are you sure? You want to jump in the deep end?”
“I’m sure,” she murmured, and for a reason she couldn’t quite fathom she was. Very sure. She had to know.
“Very well. Then I’ll take this to the next level.”
“The next level?”
“I won’t tell you what I might do, I’ll tell you what I will do if you pull that crap in front of me again,” he said soberly. “I will put you over my knee, bare your backside, and spank you.”
Her face blushed crimson, her stomach flipped, but somehow she managed to hold his eye.
“You wouldn’t,” she breathed.
“Or I’ll leave. The choice will be yours.”
Her face scrunched, her shoulders dropped, and he could see her anger had evaporated, but a moment later it was replaced by the threat of tears.
“I’m sorry,” she muttered, her voice thin. “I don’t know what comes over me sometimes.”
“Come here,” he said tenderly, opening his arms.
With a grateful moan she stepped forward and fell against his chest, and as he wrapped her up in his arms, a wave of heat clung to her throat.
“There’s a very naughty little girl that lives inside you,” he crooned. “If you want to spend more time with me, that’s something that will need to be addressed.”
“Okay,” she stammered.
“I’m serious,” he said, stroking her hair, “but about tonight. I think we should go out for dinner. I know a hole-in-the-wall Italian place with great food not far from here. I’ll pick you up at seven. If anything else happens in the meantime you can call me.”
“Braxton?”
“Yes, Amanda?”
“That question you asked me,” she said breathlessly. “About feeling alive.”
“What about it?”
“I don’t think… I… uh… have ever felt that way.”
“Alive?”
“Spine-tinglingly alive.”
“That is a tragedy,” he murmured. “Would you like to?”
“I think I would.”
“You can’t just think it, you have to know it for sure. When you are, you let me know.”
“Okay,” she said softly.
“I have to run, and you should probably get to your office.”
“Yes. My gosh, I certainly should. Thanks, Braxton, thanks for everything.”
“You’re welcome,” he said, and leaning down, he softly kissed her.
* * *
Amanda had a unique ability to compartmentalize. When negotiating she could block out everything except the deal in front of her; sitting in a screening she would lose herself in the scenes, watching and studying the actors, listening to the dialogue and searching out the glitches; but when she arrived at her office she felt completely distracted. As she settled behind her desk, she wasn’t able to push away the image of his infinite green eyes, or lose the feeling of his lips against hers and the intense pleasure of his arms around her, but mostly, his threat was echoing through her head. He would spank her if she did what she’d done her whole life to control those around her. He would actually lay her over his knee, bare her bottom, and spank her. That’s what he’d said, and she knew he’d meant it. Just the thought was sending a heatwave through her entire being.
Then the reality of what she’d just thought landed like a sizzling bolt of lightning.
She couldn’t control Braxton.
That wa
s scary. It was also heart-stoppingly tantalizing, and as the image of him standing in front of her with his arms crossed flashed through her head, a warm flood of wetness swamped her pussy.
“What’s happening to me?” she breathed. “This is crazy.”
But a moment later she smiled in gratitude to the valet who had smashed up her Mercedes, and the stranger who had been stowing away in the east wing. The first encounter had ended up with Braxton having dinner at her house. The second was bringing him back to sleep overnight in her bedroom.
“I have to get to work,” she muttered, and grabbing a document that would require her to focus, she took a deep breath and forced herself to read the opening paragraph. It wasn’t easy, but she finally got there, and followed it with the second paragraph, and then she was back in her work zone. After catching up on almost everything she needed to, it wasn’t until well past six o’clock that she left her office. It gave her little time to return home, shower, change, and be ready by seven when Braxton would be picking her up. She was a mass of nerves as she pulled through her driveway and into her garage, and after racing upstairs to her bedroom, she threw down her bag and hurried into the bathroom. Quickly stripping, she was about to turn on the shower when her landline rang. Throwing on her robe, she darted back into her room and grabbed the receiver.
“Hey, Amanda, it’s Braxton. I’m here.”
“I’m running really late, sorry,” she apologized. “I’ll open the gates. Just let yourself in and make yourself at home.”
“Do you want me to leave and come back? I can grab a coffee somewhere.”
“No, no, of course not.”
Buzzing him in, she dashed down to the foyer, unlocked the front door, then hurried back up the stairs, dropping down on her bed to catch her breath.
“I’m so frantic,” she muttered, thinking about the gorgeous guy she should be walking away from, not having dinner with. “I just have to take a deep breath and let everything play out. He’s just another guy. He may be serious eye candy and sexy as hell, but he’s just a guy. I’m letting myself get carried away. I’ll do what dad told me on my first date. I’ll let him give me my own way all night.”
The memory brought a smile to her face, and determined she’d do just that, she rose to her feet and moved back into the bathroom. Dropping her robe, she stepped into the shower stall, and as the hot water calmed her nerves and washed away the day, she had to admit she felt immensely flattered. Braxton Carter was interested in her. How could she not be flattered? That he was prepared to take her down a road she’d never before traveled was deliciously tempting, and she began to think such an adventure might be worth the emotional risk.
“You only live once,” she muttered, stepping out of the shower. “Maybe I should take a leap of faith. Spine-tinglingly alive? How can I say no to that?”
* * *
Waiting in her elegant lounge, Braxton was admiring the artwork and various collectibles strategically placed around the room. The woman had impeccable taste. At the gym he had been attracted to her physicality and self-confidence, but now he was seeing her substance. Brains and beauty. It was an intoxicating combination. She was living a full and accomplished life, and her years only added to her sexiness, but when her childish bratty side had unexpectedly emerged, it had spoken to his dominant soul. She needed taking in hand and he very much wanted to oblige, and when he heard her heels clipping across the marble foyer floor, he felt a surge of energy. He loved that sound, especially when it was being made by a shapely woman to whom he was intensely attracted, and turning around, he watched her walk toward him. She was dressed in a dark blue, seductive silk dress with a casual sash around the waist, her shapely legs ending in strappy high-heeled sandals. He wanted to swoop her up and carry her back up the stairs to her bedroom, put her over his knee, soundly spank her bare backside, then totally ravage her.
“I’m so sorry I kept you waiting,” she apologized as she walked forward. “Being out of the office this morning put me way behind. It was a crazy day.”
“I’m the one who should be apologizing,” he said warmly, as he willed his cock to return to sleep. “I was early. The traffic was amazingly light.”
“Is that your overnight bag?” she asked, seeing a large leather duffle bag on the floor.
“I’ve brought enough for a couple of sleepovers. There’s no way to know how often your unwanted visitor is here.”
“The thought is just horrifying,” she replied. “I felt strange when I got home, wondering if he was up there.”
“Did you check?”
“No, I was in a hurry and I knew you’d be here soon. It’s only late at night that I hear the noises.”
“I’ll run up there and take a look just in case, and drop my bag in your room if that’s okay. It’s the arched door to the left, is that correct?”
“Yes, and thanks.”
“Hang tight, I’ll only be a minute,” he said with a reassuring smile.
“Braxton, it really is so comforting to have you here.”
“I’m glad,” he said, picking up his bag.
As she watched him jog up the stairs she couldn’t help but admire his muscled, athletic body. He had been in her thoughts all day and, dressed in expensive dark slacks and a designer brushed cotton cream shirt, he looked like he’d jumped off the front page of GQ.
“How the hell am I going to sleep in the same room with you and resist throwing myself into your arms?” she mumbled under her breath.
“All clear,” he called a minute later from the top of the stairs.
“That’s a relief.”
“I just wish we could figure out how he gets in?” Braxton remarked as he started down toward her.
“That’s what I want to know too! How does he get in?” she repeated. “The whole thing is so bizarre.”
“Are you ready? I have reservations for seven-fifteen p.m.”
“Yes, yes, I’m ready,” she nodded. “I thought you said this was a hole-in-the-wall place. They take reservations?”
“It is, sort of. The food is excellent, but it’s small so reservations are a good idea.”
As he walked toward her she felt the butterflies start, and when he put his arm casually around her waist and guided her to the front door, she wanted to lean back against him and sink into his body. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt so drawn to a man, and it was thrilling and unnerving all at the same time. She set the house alarm, grabbed her handbag, and walked with him out to his car.
“Are you okay?” he asked as he opened her car door. “You seem a bit edgy.”
“I am a bit edgy,” she replied, pausing and staring into his deep green eyes.
“A glass of wine for you,” he smiled. “This restaurant has an awesome selection.”
“I’m edgy because I’m not sure how to get a handle on all this,” she declared as he settled in next to her.
“All what?” he asked casually as he drove forward and out onto the street.
“The stranger in my house, of course, but also, uh, you.”
“Me?”
“Yes.”
“What about me?”
“I’m not sure what you want.”
“That’s easy,” he grinned. “I want to know you better. Much better. Isn’t that obvious?”
“I think, before we reach this restaurant, we should talk about the elephant in the room, and we both know what that is.”
Speaking the words, she immediately felt better. This was her. Facing things head on. Starting conversations that others wouldn’t dare. It made her feel empowered.
“What elephant is that?” he asked, gunning the engine as he expertly guided the BMW around a tight turn.
“Our age difference,” she said boldly.
Braxton felt a wave of relief and delight. She would only be raising the subject if she was attracted to him. Her concern was understandable. They lived in a city that was all about youth and beauty, especially when it came to wo
men.
“You’re worried that I’m older than you?” he asked, glancing across at her.
“Very funny!”
“It wasn’t a joke.”
“What are you talking about?”
“You may have been born a couple of years before me, but I am most certainly older. I am older, and wiser, and—”
“Excuse me?” she said, raising her eyebrows.
“That may have come out wrong. In fact, it did come out wrong and I’m sorry about that, but in some very important ways I am older than you.”
“What ways?”
“I think you’ll find out soon enough,” he said vaguely, “but as far as the chronological difference is concerned, I absolutely don’t care. Age is a simply a measure of time, and a perspective. Too much is made of age, especially in this town. I’ve dated girls younger than me, much younger, so what? As far as I’m concerned the phrase ‘age appropriate’ is nothing but nonsense.”
She stared out the window and considered what he’d said. If he didn’t have a problem with their age difference, maybe she shouldn’t think about it either. If the chemistry was there, why should she let society’s prejudices get in the way? But her fear still lingered. The fear of a woman closer to his age stepping in and making her obsolete.
“One more thing,” he said, interrupting her thoughts as he slowed the car. “You were forthright, so I’m going to be as well.”
“Okay,” she nodded, almost afraid of what he was going to say.
“If things between us evolve, you’ll have my complete commitment. I don’t have a wandering eye. Do you get what I’m saying?”
“Uh-huh,” she murmured, amazed that he seemed to have read her mind.
“Good, now that that’s out of the way, let’s have dinner.”
Chapter Six
When Amanda spied the white-jacketed valets standing outside a detached house, she knew the restaurant might be small, but it was no hole-in-the-wall. Braxton stopped the car, and as she stepped out she saw a small plaque next to the door that read, “Guests Welcome With Members.”
“What is this place?” she murmured as he walked her up the steps.
“It’s a private club with great Italian food. It’s also a place to relax,” he replied as he pushed open the door.
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