by Aubrey Cara
Mason knew that word. He'd seen it often in his research that afternoon. People used it in lieu of the word no. “But how do you know what specifically she's into?”
Caleb shrugged and chuckled into his beer. “I've always just done what I'm into and hoped for the best. Some women have little tells. Lots of women just ask for what they want. If this woman places that much importance on kink she'll probably ask for what she wants.”
“Have you ever...you know...let a woman tie you up and stuff?”
“Whoa, no. Nothing wrong with that—if that is what you're into.” Caleb looked at Mason askance, belying his words. “I just prefer to be the one doing the tying and the spanking.”
Mason absorbed that statement and let it circled around his skull a few times. He liked the idea of tying up and spanking Mimi more than the other way around. Mason had always preferred to be the one in control, especially when it came to bedroom sports. The porn sites he saw took things much farther than his comfort levels though, and he wondered how much women actually liked that sort of thing.
“So you've spanked a woman?” Mason asked casually. Or at least he hoped it came out casually.
“I've been known to,” Caleb said obviously choking back a laugh.
“And they were okay with that?”
“Oh yeah. Some like to play like they’re not, but that's another kind of game. That's another good reason to have a safe word.”
“Women don't actually like getting spanked spanked, right? I mean they can't. Not really.”
“You're the expert, man.” Caleb said in a mocking tone.
He thought about really spanking Mimi. Embarrassingly enough he felt his cock growing hard imagining his hand striking down on her bare ass. He assured himself it was because it had been too long since he'd gotten laid. After last night’s little tease and coming so close...then reading about different kinds of sex all day. Of course thinking of doing anything dirty with Mimi was going to get his engine running.
When Mason threw back his drink like it had something stronger than aspartame in it Caleb started laughing.
“I'm so glad I can entertain you, asshat,” he said sarcastically.
“It's the little things in life.”
They lapsed into another silence and Caleb sighed from his side of the table. “You know you can just ask this woman if she's into anything special.”
Mason nodded. That made sense. “I could,” Mason agreed. He didn't want to though. To him asking felt like giving up control. She already made him feel irrational. He'd like to start things out having the upper hand.
Caleb gave him an assessing look. “Does she read?”
“Yeah, she works for me.”
“Not can she read, does she read? Like books.”
“Now that you mention it, yeah.” Mason often saw her reading on her lunch breaks.
“Does she have paper copies or one of those e-readers?”
“E-reader, usually,” he said, having no idea where Caleb was going with this.
“Ever ask her what she's reading?”
Mason tried to recall if he'd ever asked her. Maybe once in passing. He had so many shop locations now he wasn't usually in the Gibson office, and when he was he was often busy. “I think she was reading John Grisham.” He did remember having aspirations of reading the same book that she was reading so he'd have something to talk to her about.
“Was she lying?”
Pulled from his thoughts it took him a moment to register what Caleb had asked him. “Why would she lie?”
“Women read naughty books. If she were reading the kind of book my Kat likes, she wouldn't tell you. Especially if she works for you.”
“I doubt she'd be reading something like that at work,” Mason said.
Caleb shrugged. “Next time you see her reading ask her, then watch her reaction. Does she flush? Grow still? Shift on her seat? Blush? Stammer? Everyone has a tell.”
“What does it matter if she is. How does that help me?”
“If she's reading a dirty book you need to find out what it's about.”
The light bulb went on over Mason's head. Of course a dirty book could hold clues to her kink. Now he just had to figure out how to get his hands on her e-reader. It would be just his luck if she really was reading some murder mystery novel.
A shadow passed across Caleb's face. “Wait, is it Mimi we're talking about?”
“Maybe,” Mason hedged.
“I thought that already happened. Weren't you interested in her last year—”
“I was, and then I hired her and became her boss. She didn't want to date her boss.”
Caleb chuckled into his beer. “You cock-blocked yourself.”
“Yes, yes I did.” he said sighing. “But fate has given me a chance to redeem myself.”
“You do know she's best friends with my woman.”
“I do, and if that means you feel compelled to smash my face in I'll tell you now I'd rather skip it. I have a business meeting tomorrow morning I'd prefer to attend without a busted up nose and black eyes.”
“No face smashing. At least not from me. I will warn you, Kat and Mimi are kind of crazy. See that waitress over there?”
Mason looked over to see a blonde working behind the bar. “Yeah?”
“When she pissed off Kat, Kat and Mimi put water in her gas tank.”
“That's crazy.”
“That's what I said.”
“No,” he said in disbelief. “That's evil.” Most people thought to put sugar in someones gas tank but that didn't do anything but clog the filter. Water on the other hand didn't mix with the gas and kept the car from running. The car would have to be towed in and the entire fuel line would have to be drained.
“They didn't apologize, but they did pay for the girl's car to get towed and fixed,” Caleb said with a shrug.
“I just can't picture Mimi ever doing something like that,” Mason said. She didn't seem like she'd help vandalize someone’s car. She was too upstanding for that.
“Man, the worst thing you could possibly ever do is underestimate a woman. If you do anything to really tick off Mimi, I'd sleep with one eye open.”
Mason chuckled until he caught Caleb's grim expression. “I'll keep that in mind,” Mason said. He was beginning to realize he had a lot to learn when it came to Mimi Westfall.
Caleb got up and gave Mason a good natured slap on the shoulder. “Well, I'm going to head out. Good luck, man. Hopefully she's not into pegging.”
“What the hell's pegging?”
Caleb didn't even turn. He just called out,“I'll let it be a surprise,” over his shoulder on his way out.
Bringing up the search engine on his phone he looked up pegging. That bastard Caleb had a sick sense of humor. His ass cheeks clenched as he read the definition. He had to find out what Mimi's damn kink was.
*** ***
Mimi chewed her thumb nail and tried to concentrate on her book. It was early afternoon Monday. Having finished her lunch she now sat at her desk trying to enjoy her smutty novel. She'd bought three new ones yesterday all because they featured women getting spanked by their bosses. The one she was currently reading was titled Bent Over The Boss's Desk. The title alone was enough to wet her panties.
Last night after she put Zeke to bed she'd watched and rewatched the spanking scenes from the movie Secretary and nearly wore out the batteries on her B.O.B. She was so messed up.
She'd woken up Sunday morning and Mason had been gone. He'd left a note saying he took the spare key and reminded her to lock her doors. It was caring if not exactly romantic. And he now had a key to her apartment, which made her wonder if she should change her locks or pray he'd use it to sneak in one night.
All day she kept her phone nearby, wondering if he'd call. She had no idea where they stood. Not really. He said he wanted to take her out, but they hadn't really agreed on anything other than keeping things hush hush. And that was only if they decided to move their relationship in
a romantic direction. If.
Mimi would have liked to gauge his reaction to seeing her again but he was out of the office today and the office secretary Ms. Linda had off because she had to take her granddaughter to the doctor. This left Mimi without a clue to when he'd be back in the office and if he still wanted to see her romantically.
She read the same sentence she'd read three times before and finally started getting into her book again.
“Madeline, your presentation was lacking today. I expected better from you,” Mr. Steinman said in a cold voice making her shiver. “What did I tell you was going to happen if you disappointed me again?”
“Mr. Steinman, I promise to do better—”
“You will do better. I'll make sure of it. Panties down, skirt up Madeline.”
“Please, Mr. Steinman.”
“Now Ms. Bordeaux, or I take off my belt.”
Shaking like a leaf in a storm Madeline's white cotton panties pooled around her ankles as she lifted her skirt and got into position bent over Mr. Steinman's desk. Her perky nates pointed north as she quivered in anticipation.
Mimi's own panties were fast on their way to needing a change. Her pulse beat heavy as she imagined herself quivering in young, French Madeline Bordeaux's place. Mr. Steinman's hand striking down on her bottom. As she read on, each smack, smack, smack, tingled through her body. Heating—
“Knock knock,” Mason said from the doorway, startling Mimi so bad she fumbled her Kindle and swore.
“Mr. Coleman—Mason—Mr. Coleman,” she stammered, as she tried to calm her racing heart. “You startled me.”
“I see that,” he said grinning. His hair was messy from all the wind they'd been having. With rosy cheeks he looked much like he did in high school, but now he was all man. He smelled like cool fresh air and a clean, unique masculine scent that was all him. He wore his usual crisp, white dress shirt, under a sports jacket, along with tan slacks, and sharp dress shoes.
Exactly how she pictured him when she imagined him as Mr. Steinman. The only difference was Mason grinning in a devilishly boyish manner instead of that of a stern task master.
“That must have been some book you're reading.”
“Oh, yeah, it's pretty good. It's alright. Nothing special,” she hedged as she clicked off her e-reader and slid it into her briefcase perched under her desk. “Just getting back from a meeting?”
“Yeah, I just met with Jeff.”
Jeff Wallace was their regional director for Coleman Automotive, and as far as she knew met with Mason once a week to go over how the other locations were doing. At least once a month Mason also met with the general and business managers to all his centers.
“So what were you reading?” he asked, casually leaning in the doorway.
“Who me?” she asked like a ninny. “It was just um... a John Grisham novel.” John Grisham was often her fall back author. She always said his name when someone asked. “Lots of suspense in the part I was at. That's probably why I startled.”
“I love John Grisham. Which one are you reading?”
Mimi blinked at Mason her mind blanking. “Oh, you know. It's the one with the mystery—and the murder—and the mystery.” She owned one John Grisham novel. She hadn't ever read it and couldn't recall the name of it.
She fought for something to say to change the subject. Her Auntie Tita always said if you needed to distract a man you should always flash him your tits. Mimi wasn't sure where her and Mason were in their relationship but tit flashing at the workplace was definitely not the way to find out.
“Did you get home alright, Sunday?” Mimi blurted before Mason could ask her anymore about her book. It would be just her luck the man belonged to some John Grisham book club.
Mason was watching her from the doorway with a funny assessing look on his face. She hated when she couldn't read him.
*** ***
When Mason had come in Mimi's cheeks had been flushed in a way he recognized from Saturday night when he'd been kissing her. It's a look he'd not soon forget. It was her look of arousal. Her breath had been coming fast even before he'd startled her. He'd stood in the doorway and watched her a moment before announcing himself. She'd been completely lost in her own world.
Mason now watched as Mimi fidgeted in a way that was out of character for her. He'd change his name to Davy Crockett if she was actually reading a John Grisham novel. Damned if Caleb hadn't been right.
Taking mercy on Mimi he said, “I got home just fine. My dogs were happy to see me.” His old dog, Daisy, had been dancing at the door needing out. Mason tried to think of a way to get Mimi out of the office while leaving her e-reader behind. “Did you lock all your doors?”
“I think so, yes. Are you going to give me my spare key back?”
He grinned knowing that her spare key even now hung on his key chain. “I don't think so, no.” He'd never invade her privacy—outside of snooping her book list—but he liked having a spare to her apartment. He knew he was being an ass not to give it back but he liked having it.
He glanced around to make sure no one else was in the office with them before he said, “You look beautiful today.” She looked lovely everyday but now he could actually say it in the I-want-to-strip-off-your-blouse-and-skirt-and-take-you-with-your-sensible-heels-pointing-toward-Jesus way he meant it.
Her cheeks turned a rosy pink as she said, “Thanks, you don't look so bad yourself.” Her voice pitched a bit lower gaining a sexy quality he hadn't heard from her before. Her dark, green eyes sparked with appreciation as she looked him over.
He had to find out what was on her e-reader.
He glanced at his wrist before he remembered the battery on his watch had died and so he hadn't worn it today. “I, um, I have a conference call I need to get ready for.”
“Oh, right of course.” She sounded mildly disappointed and he felt bad for cutting back to business so abruptly. It was for the greater good.
“I hate to ask you,” he said, already feeling like an ass for lying. “But could you go down and get last week’s report from Carter?” Carter Freeman was his floor manager. His office was next to Mimi's and the only other office upstairs, but the man usually chose to work in the downstairs office that was just off the garage for convenience. Mason already had the report on his desk but Mimi didn't need to know that.
Mimi's brow puckered in a frown. She was probably wondering why he didn't just call Carter to bring up a copy himself, but thankfully agreed without argument.
He watched as she headed down the hallway and out the door to the stairs as he pretended to go into his office. As soon as she was out the door he was in her office and under her desk reaching into her briefcase like the horrible man he was. He had no idea what he'd do if she came back before he was done.
For a moment he hesitated and thought about what he was doing. This was it. He was officially about to violate her privacy. No turning back. He turned on her e-reader and clicked to the home screen of titles and authors. He took out his phone and clicked on his camera icon.
He hoped his hands weren't shaking as he snapped off a few quick pictures. He was about to click off the device when he realized he hadn't been paying attention to what book she'd been reading when he clicked to home screen.
His palms were getting sweaty as he stared at the scroll of books and contemplated what to do. Hearing someone on the stairs made the decision for him. He moved into warp-fumbling-speed of a panicked man as he clicked it off, stuffed it back into Mimi's brief case, and pocketed his phone. He was at the door of her office when she came up.
She frowned at him in question. “Did you need something?”
“Oh, ah, my computer was frozen. I just wanted to see if it was everyone's or just mine.” He was actually a little impressed with himself for coming up with something so quickly. Sweat was beading at his temples. He was not built for a life of subterfuge.
“Was mine okay?” she asked looking around him into her office space. She seemed genuine
ly concerned.
“Yeah, it's fine. Must just be mine.”
“Thank goodness. I have some things I need to send out this afternoon. Last week it froze up on me and I had to stay an hour later to make sure everything got done on time.”
He was lying through his teeth but was now glad he'd said something. He had no idea they were having issues with their computers. “I'll have someone come out and look at them. You shouldn't ever have to stay late because of a computer glitch. Let me know right away if it happens again.”
“You weren't in the office so—”
“Next time just text me. Or call me. You can call me anytime.” His voice pitched low and leaned in as he said, “Whether it's work related or not.” He wasn't much for gabbing on the phone but he'd love hearing her voice every night before he went to sleep.
A strand of her hair had fallen down to brush her cheek and he brushed the silky strand back behind her ear enjoying the fact that he could do that now. Looking down into her upturned face he couldn't help but brush a kiss against her lips. A tender reminder he was more than just her boss.
He knew he was pushing the boundaries of the hush-hush agreement, but he couldn't help himself. Not when there wasn't anyone around and she was staring at him with that twinkling look shining in her mossy, green eyes. That look said their mutual attraction had been acknowledged and given the green light. That look said she wanted and welcomed his kisses and more.
It was the 'and more' that reminded him of his mission and the pictures of hot deception burning in his pocket. He stepped back before he gave in to the temptation to drag her back to his office and show the full extent of his appreciation to every inch of her body.
“Oh!” Mimi said, seeming to come back to herself. “Carter said he already gave you the report.”
It took Mason a second to remember what she was talking about. That's right. He was a liar. “I must have it somewhere in my office and misplaced it.”
“I'm shocked you misplace anything. You usually keep everything perfectly organized.”
“I'm not feeling very perfect right now. I'm sorry for sending you on a wild goose chase,” he said with full honesty.