“No.”
“Ginger.”
“No.” She yanked a folder from under his elbow and he grinned.
“Ginger, Ginger, Ginger, Ginger, Ginger, Gin–”
“Stop it! I’m not telling you anything.” Her phone buzzed and Jamar went to grab it but she caught it first and his hand landed on hers. “Let go.”
“Then tell me who it is!”
Ripping her phone away, she tucked it under her leg on the chair. “Not a snowball’s chance in hell.”
“Is he important? Is that why you’re being secretive?” His grin grew even wider as she felt the redness in her cheeks reach for her ears. “It is, isn’t it? You’ve got a boytoy from inside the beltway, don’t you?”
“Drop it, Jamar.”
“You got some from some politico. Didn’t you?”
“Actually, no.” She’d come harder than she’d thought possible, and spent time in what Thomas called subspace after he’d taken a belt to her ass, and spanked her, and tied her up – but they had not had sex.
“Just blink twice if he’s a politician.”
Maddie turned and stared at him, trying her best to keep her expression flat. “Who says it’s a guy?”
Jamar laughed too loud and the graphic designer on the other side of her, Brad, who never spoke to anyone, looked over the cube wall at them with an irritated glare. “Alright, I get it, Ginger. You don’t want to tell me. Just invite me to the wedding, okay?”
“Ha. Ha.” She flipped him off and he stood, raising his hands up in defeat.
“Look, whoever he is, I’m happy for you.” Shrugging, Jamar moved back to his desk and she gave him a smile. Sometimes it was good to have friends like Jamar, and sometimes it was a liability. The last thing she needed was someone snooping around her evening activities.
Pulling her phone free she checked the last text message: ‘Naughty girl. Now I’m distracted from my lunch meeting. Looking to get punished again on Wednesday?’
A tingle rushed down her spine, blooming into warmth between her legs that made her squeeze her thighs together. Punishment. The word felt like it purred through her mind. Pure temptation. She never thought the idea of getting spanked with a belt would actually excite her, but as she wiggled in her seat she felt the dull ache of the bruises at her sit spot and it made her wet. ‘Maybe I am’, she replied, and then plugged her phone in to charge under her desk.
Their date, and whatever came after, would be there soon enough. Until then, she had to focus on work, and on her research for the article in the evenings. Antoine wanted an outline, and she needed to start writing that story. One of the top dance clubs in the city, owned by the trio who’d already had one sex scandal on the front page last year, and now they were running a BDSM club out of the basement where the well-connected were coming to play. The Post wanted something hot? Well, she’d see how hot they could handle.
Wednesday Night
The Uber driver stopped in traffic several cars back from the entrance to Fiola, but it was already 8:03 and that meant she was late. “Hey, I’m just going to get out here. Thank you!”
Before the guy could respond she was out of the car, slamming the door behind her as she hurried over to the sidewalk. Her legs were freezing, but the dress didn’t exactly work with leggings, and the tights she wore were not enough to keep out the cold. It was a very nice Italian place on the corner of a building, but she didn’t care much about the exterior – she just wanted out of the frigid air. When she stepped inside, windblown and shivering, Thomas was standing there with his coat over his arm, even more gorgeous than she remembered.
Wow.
Talk about an award-winning smile. He was in a sharp suit, again, only this time the little US flag pin on his lapel made her breath catch. Right, make that election-winning smile. Maddie had to swallow before she could speak, summoning a bright smile to her face as the door closed behind her to block the wind. “I’m so sorry I’m late, traffic was worse than I imagined.”
Thomas smirked, a wicked little tilt to his lips as he glanced down at his Apple watch. “Four minutes, but I’ve already been here fifteen.”
Her eyes widened as she tried to tame the mess the weather had made of her hair. “Right. Sorry, I really didn’t –”
Laughing, he took a step forward and leaned down to press a kiss to her cheek, his lips pausing by her ear for just a moment. “Don’t worry,” he whispered, too low to be heard in the din of the restaurant, “You said you wanted a punishment, didn’t you?”
She felt her lips part in shock, but he stepped around her without the slightest change in expression. His warm fingers lifted her coat from her shoulders as she quickly undid the two buttons holding it on so he could take it. “I, um…” Maddie’s mind had short-circuited somewhere now that she was back in his presence. Something about him had her heart racing before he’d even spoke, but after those words? She was lost. Speak, Madeline. “This place looks nice.”
Smooth.
“My assistant said it’s great. Apparently I’ve been here before, but I honestly don’t remember.” Thomas winked at her and then one of the staff arrived to take the coats from his arms. “Ready for dinner?”
“Absolutely!” She nodded, praying that she wasn’t as much of a disaster on the outside as she was on the inside.
They were seated in moments, and he offered her the booth side of their little table, while he took the chair opposite. It was a long bench accompanied by a row of tables, and she wondered what kind of conversation he expected to have when the couple beside them was three feet away. “Do you like wine, Maddie?”
“Huh?” She glanced at him, drawing her attention back to his hazel eyes and away from the beautiful décor. “Wine? Oh, yes, I love wine. Doesn’t everyone?”
He smirked again, and she cursed herself internally for acting like such an idiot. “I think wine might be a good idea. You look like you’re tempted to run out of here, and I’d hate to have to chase you down.” The purr was back in his voice as he lowered it. “Actually, that’s a lie. I’d love to chase you down, and do all kinds of things when I caught you, but that’s probably not appropriate for a Michelin Star restaurant, is it?”
The shock on her face must have been entertaining, because he leaned back and laughed. It took several seconds before she reminded herself to shut her mouth and nod, but the growing wetness between her thighs was enough of an answer on how she felt about Thomas Hathaway chasing her down. Swallowing, Maddie did her best to make her voice steady, “Wine does sound like a good idea.”
“Agreed.” Thomas glanced back at one of the waiters and they were beside him in a moment. As he asked for a wine list, she tried to center herself. She’d had plans to arrive in control. She’d planned to actually stick to her plan, but then she’d changed outfits five times, and there had been traffic, and then there was Thomas Hathaway. The man looked like he’d fallen out of some high-end men’s magazine, all charm and sophisticated grace, but he also had this aura that spoke of sin. An edge to his words, to the looks he gave her, that promised dark, unspeakable things. Well, unspeakable for her at least, he seemed to have no trouble saying whatever was on his mind. No matter how it made her blush, or maybe because it did. “Maddie?”
“Yes?” She lifted her eyes back to him and he looked like he may have already said her name once. “Sorry, just a long day.” And night. Short on sleep again since she was up until two working on the damn article, and she’d read so many websites about BDSM that she had actually dreamed about a St. Andrew’s Cross.
“You sure you’re okay tonight? We can resched–”
“No!” Her voice had been a little too loud, but she smiled and tucked her wild hair behind her ears. “I promise, I’ve been looking forward to tonight all week.”
Get your shit together, Maddie.
“Me too.” The menus interrupted him as they arrived, along with two glasses of ice water. She stole a drink of hers before he reached across the table and
slid his hand under hers, those hazel eyes capturing her gaze. “In fact, you’ve been pretty much all I could think about. Very, very distracting.”
“All those texts you’ve been sending have made it difficult to focus for me too.” Finally, the flirtation was back in her voice, and she felt like she’d found her footing in this verbal dance. “Specifically… the ones mentioning a belt.”
“How are those marks of yours?” he asked quietly.
“Quite pretty, actually. Why, do you want to see?” The slow smile that stretched her lips felt like a victory, because for the first time it was actually Thomas who had to gather his thoughts.
Clearing his throat, he smiled at her. “You’re a naughty girl, Madeline O’Neill.”
“I think you like it.”
“Oh, I do. Very much.” Squeezing her hand before he released her, and lifted up the menu. “What do you think you’d like to try tonight?”
“Other than you?” She grinned when only his eyes lifted back to hers, his warm brown hair almost brushing his eyebrows.
“It feels like you’d like to skip dinner, which would not be a good idea because you’re going to need your energy.” The chastising, playful tone was in his voice, and she squeezed her legs together to fight against the urge to squirm in her chair.
Licking her bottom lip she pulled it between her teeth to bite down for a moment and his gaze tracked each tiny movement. “Then I think we should probably eat.”
“I’ll be eating later too, but dinner does sound like a smart choice.” The wicked grin that flashed across his mouth brought her pulse to life between her thighs.
How did he always manage to push things a step farther than she thought he would?
A bottle of wine arrived, and it tasted delicious, and expensive. Just like the rest of the meal. Maddie had just let him order after she’d scanned the menu and seen about ten words she didn’t even recognize, but Thomas had done well. Everything they tried was perfect, and the conversation stayed light. She talked about working at the Daily Saver, and had to literally bite her tongue to keep from saying she wanted to work at the Washington Post. He talked about his father working in Congress, and then the Senate, and how he’d followed in his footsteps. One term under his belt, starting his second. Thomas had an older brother, she was an only child, and they both laughed at their penchant for over-achieving. She’d beat his college GPA by 0.2 points, but he’d only smiled and told her that he found intelligence and drive very attractive.
The way he’d looked at her, combined with the glass of wine she’d already finished, made the blush unavoidable.
With a barely touched chocolate dessert concoction between them, that she’d also been unable to pronounce, he leaned back in his chair to sip the wine. The restaurant was much quieter now, even though there were still plenty of patrons buzzing with conversation, but those hazel eyes were focused on her like she was the only one there. “So, Maddie, I have a question for you.”
“Ask away.” She smiled, toying with the stem of her wine glass, turning it one way and then the other.
“I’d love to know why you told Daniel that Jaxson Davidson invited you to the club.” The slight curve to his lips didn’t change at all as he spoke, and she tried desperately to read him as her lungs clenched tight – but it was to no avail. Was he amused? Angry? How had he even known?
Maddie cleared her throat, sat up in the chair, and told the truth. “I’d looked up some stuff about Runway and read that he owned it. When he put me on the spot for a name it just sort of came out.”
“Hmm.” All he made was the single humming reply as he studied her face. “Well, that wasn’t very smart, and we both know how smart you are.”
“Did Daniel tell you what I said?”
“No, Jaxson did.”
She almost choked on the sip of wine she’d taken, but managed to swallow it down instead of spitting the cabernet sauvignon all over the white linen. “Jaxson told you?”
“Yes, he was… irritated that you used his name.” Thomas’ smirk grew a little. “It’s one of his pet peeves.”
“I – um…” Her words trailed off as her mind went into overdrive, and panic made her heart race a little faster. Thomas Hathaway apparently knew Jaxson Davidson well enough to be told about her little indiscretion. He knew him well enough to know about his pet peeves, and she was planning to blow the lid off of Jaxson’s secret little club. Fuck.
“Don’t worry though, I handled it. Jaxson’s temper has been appeased.” Temper?
“How?” Maddie asked the word on a breath, so quiet she was worried he hadn’t heard her.
“By telling him that I would handle you.”
“Handle me,” she repeated.
“Yes, and you’ve been a very bad girl, haven’t you, Madeline O’Neill?” Thomas leaned forward on the table, nudging the dessert to the side so he could reach for her hand. Holding it palm up he traced his touch across the center, leading up her pointer finger. “You lied more than once trying to get into the club, and didn’t admit all of it to me on Sunday. That’s one.”
“One what?” Her heart was pounding from the borderline panic attack, but the tingle rushing over her skin from the point of his touch was from something entirely different, and much farther south.
“You sent me so many teasing messages in the last few days, just begging to be punished.” He traced over her palm again, up her middle finger. “That’s two.”
“I thought you liked them?” she whispered, incapable of making her voice any louder.
“Oh, I did, but I was always planning to oblige your requests.” Again he traced over her palm, leading up her ring finger this time, the smooth edge of his nail sending a shiver over her skin. “And then you were four minutes late, so that’s three.”
“Three what, sir?” The title seemed to insert itself onto the end of her question without a conscious decision, but the dark flash in his eyes made it clear it had been a good choice.
“Three sets of whatever punishment I deem appropriate, unless you’ve decided you don’t want to play anymore?” There was a wicked edge to his words again, more promises of corruption hidden in the breaths between them. He paused, waiting until she lifted her eyes to meet his again. A storm cloud of desire swept through her, and his next words were as powerful as a clap of thunder. “Well, Madeline O’Neill, do you want to be forgiven?”
He removed his hand from under hers, leaving it on the linen tablecloth that suddenly felt much cooler without the heat of his skin. Forgiven? She found herself nodding, chewing on her bottom lip again to keep the words she wanted to say inside.
Yes, she wanted to be forgiven, for all of it.
Not just the things he’d listed, but the whole situation.
Unfortunately, that wasn’t possible.
“I need to hear you say it, beautiful. We don’t do anything without your express permission.” For a moment his voice had lost the cool, chastising tone, replaced with warmth. He was too good. She should say no. She should get up and walk away. She should apologize.
“I want to be forgiven. I’ll accept your punishment, sir.” The last sane part of her damned her mouth for speaking the opposite of what her mind had commanded, but the fire in her blood and the humming wetness between her thighs was running the show. All of her reading on BDSM 101 websites had paid off, because judging by the hungry look on Thomas’ face, she’d said the right things – even if they were so very, very wrong.
“I’d like to take you back to the club.”
“When?” Maddie raised her voice so she could hear herself over the pounding of her heart.
“Now, actually.” He touched her hand when she reached for the still half-full wine glass, shaking his head a little. “No more alcohol. Finish your water.”
“Yes, sir.” She obeyed without question, and she wanted to evaluate that. Wanted to figure out what it was that let Thomas twist her up so easily, tangle her mind into a spiral of desire and an urge to please
him.
“Good girl,” he purred, and from that moment she lost the ability to even care about why it was all happening.
Chapter Seven
At some point he had paid, and she had finished her water, and now they were pressed close in the backseat of his car as it wound its way through the District towards Black Light. Thomas had one hand on her knee, inching up the hem of her little maroon dress, while the other was wound in her hair. His fist tightened at the base of her skull and her lips parted on the softest of moans before she bit down on her lip to silence it.
He chuckled beside her, easing his fingers a little higher, and her knees parted to give him room. Brushing his lips against her ear, he spoke, “I love seeing you like this, Maddie. Flushed and panting and wanting.”
Was she panting?
The quick rise and fall of her chest answered her, but before she could think twice about it he had turned her face towards his and she looked up into his confusing eyes. Now some dark shade of forest brown and gray, and they were tracing her mouth.
“I want to kiss you.”
“Okay,” she answered, distracted by just the idea of it, but then he did. Warm and soft, his tongue brushing her lip like a question before she opened to give him access. The first taste of him was heavenly, chocolate and wine, and just as he pulled at her hair to angle her back so he could control the kiss, his hand found the juncture of her thighs. A gasp escaped her between their lips, but he didn’t relent. He nipped at her as he delicately stroked the soaked fabric of her tights, the barest of touches sending her head reeling.
She was helpless as her hips tried to lift, to seek more, but he held back. Never stopping the delirious caresses, but never increasing the pressure, or relenting on the demanding way he took her mouth. Maddie was lost. Lost inside the energy thrumming under her skin that whispered to her that there was more, so much more, if only she would give in. Completely.
Black Light: Exposed (Black Light Series Book 2) Page 8