by Kaylee Quinn
I stared, dumbfounded, at the pile of silk. “Why?”
He raised his brows. “Because we must continue our lessons.” When I didn’t immediately respond, he continued. “Each day, you are to try on at least two of these outfits and take a picture of yourself. You are then to send those pictures directly to me.”
I blinked and shifted my gaze back at him. Two outfits a day? He wants me to pose twice a day for him? It was difficult to wrap my head around the thought.
“But I don’t have your number.”
“Give me your phone.”
I unlocked my phone and handed it to him. He input his number into my contacts list, then had me put my number into his.
“My driver is waiting for you downstairs,” he said when we finished.
“When will I see you again?” I fisted my hand in frustration as I realized that my voice sounded small and needy.
“I’ll have my secretary contact you with the details.” He turned back to the fire, dismissing me.
I was lost. How could a man be so warm and passionate one moment, and so cold the next? Picking up the clothes, I left his apartment in shock. His driver didn’t speak except to ask for an address, and for that, I was grateful. As I made my way into my small, one-bedroom apartment and placed the clothes on my bed, I realized that I was in way over my head. I had never experienced anything like this before. It felt so wrong, and yet so exciting at the same time.
There was no doubt about it. Cameron Wolff made me feel alive. He made me feel beautiful and special. As I thought about the events over the past several hours, I realized that I had liked his lessons, and had loved the way his body had felt against mine. He had mentioned that there would be more coming in the future. I wondered if it would involve him stripping off his clothes, and if I’d ever get to feel his giant cock in between my thighs.
I might have played out one of his fantasies tonight, but he had played out one of mine as well. As I slid my hand over the smooth fabric of the lingerie on my bed, I wondered just how many more encounters would be in store for us.
Suddenly, my phone buzzed, and I jumped back from the bed in surprise. Fishing around in my purse, I pulled out my cell and check to see who had tried to contact me. To my surprise, it was Cameron, and I furrowed my brow as I read his message.
Did you arrive home safely?
I sat on the edge of the bed and texted him back. Yes.
Good. Did you try on the lingerie yet?
Not yet.
Why not?
I just got home.
Are you going to try them on tonight?
I nibbled my lip, biting back a smile. Maybe…
Send me a picture.
Immediately, my desire spiked. Okay. Give me a sec…
I tossed the phone onto the bed and quickly changed into one of the outfits. When I finished, I angled the phone to take a selfie that showed off how the fabric hugged my curves.
It took me ten tries to get a good picture, but I finally did it. When I sent it to him, I imagined him becoming turned on by the image.
It was only seconds before he got back to me. No, this is all wrong.
What do you mean?
You’re not touching yourself.
I hesitated. You want me to touch myself?
Yes. I want you to take a picture of you touching yourself while you are wearing my clothing.
The command was outrageous, and yet the thought of sending him such a sexy picture was incredibly arousing. Immediately I laid back on the mattress and slid my fingers through my damp folds.
How’s this? I texted moments later when I sent him a picture.
Better. Now keep going. Don’t stop until you have orgasmed in my clothes.
Without thinking, I moved to obey his commands. Immediately my desire surged, and fresh need washed through my core. I slid my fingers in and out of my center, imagining him standing there, watching me, wanting to do nothing more than to fuck me with his large cock.
I was hovering on the edge of another climax when I grabbed the phone and took a picture. After it sent, I finished myself off, calling out his name as I came hard against my fingers.
Better, he texted as my orgasm began to fade. Much better.
Then, after a few seconds, he sent me another message. By the time this is over, you will have brought my new product line to launch, and I will have taught you everything you need to know about what a man desires…
I held my breath as a second text appeared on the screen.
Goodnight, Sadie. Until tomorrow…
I collapsed my head back onto the mattress and stared at the ceiling. Oh God, what have I done? This was too much, too soon. While Cameron Wolff was incredibly sexy, he could be ruthless and demanding as well. In our first meeting he had made me come twice, and now he had my phone number. He probably thought that he could make me come anywhere, at any time, with just a casual text.
He was probably right. I craved that man more than I craved air. I wanted to touch him, to taste him. I was in way over my head, and there was nothing I could do about it.
My career depended on this going well.
Everything I had worked towards my entire life could go up in smoke if I screwed up, and now I’d just put myself into the hands of a dangerous, powerful man whom I barely even knew.
How on earth was I supposed to prepare an advertising campaign during all of this? I was on a one-way flight to tragedy and heartbreak, and I couldn’t get off the plane if I tried…
THE END OF BOOK 1
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His Punishments (Book One) By Kaylee Quinn
Chapter 1
Drake Barrett is coming.
He’s coming to my hotel.
I stared at the memo on my computer screen in shock.
This couldn’t be happening. Not now. It was difficult to process this new information considering everything that had happened in the past month.
The entire staff at the Park Hotel and Suites was still reeling from the news that we had been sold off to Barrett World Class last month. The kind, old couple who had hired me right out of college, the couple who had ordered pastries for their employees on Wednesdays and let everyone go home early on the Fridays, was gone. As soon as the ink had dried on the deal, Bob and Harriet Masterson left blistery Boston for Florida to be closer to their adult children.
Meanwhile, the rest of us were scrambling. Barrett World Class had a ruthless reputation in the hotel business, and its owner, Drake Barrett, was rumored to have a lust for power that could not be satisfied.
Much like his lust for beautiful models and actresses that he was always reportedly being seen with in his personal life.
A web article about him on the Forbes website had said that his temper matched his drive, and when he took over a hotel, most of the people were let go.
Many of the employees at Park Hotel and Suites had seen his temper first-hand in the days after the acquisition. He had visited the hotel for a day or two to assess the building and staff. It was clear within minutes of his arrival that none of us had lived up to his expectations. Thankfully, I had been sick with the flu, and had missed the entire episode.
I’d heard enough to scare me, however. The last time he was here, he fired half the marketing team and took the chef at the restaurant downstairs to task for not making him the perfect pasta.
“Al dente,” he had roared. “Pasta should be al dente, not this mushy garbage.” He had flipped the plate of spaghetti onto the chef and had fired him on the spot.
Bottom line, Drake Barrett was totally ruthless when it came to running his company.
Ruthless and sexy. My best friend Kaylee worked in accounting and got to see him during his first visit. She had gushed over his looks, so we
spent the afternoon stalking him on the Internet. The pictures we found revealed a tall and handsome man, one who dated a lot of gorgeous models and liked to live an active lifestyle. He could have easily passed off as Liam Hemsworth’s twin brother, but instead of Liam’s playful smile and easy laugh, Mr. Barrett seemed to be all business.
I came back to the present and tried to shake off my nerves. I scanned the corporate memo again, trying to wrap my head around the news. It said that Mr. Barrett was done with his assessment and arriving sometime this morning to make changes that would put our little family hotel more in line with his other luxury holdings. He was especially interested in speaking with the Business Accounts Team, since he hadn’t gotten a chance to see them during his last visit.
A shiver of fear ran up my spine.
That’s my department.
And there was no ‘team’ here, only me. He was probably used to large departments and even larger accounts. The hotel I worked for was small and family owned. They didn’t even have a Business Account Representative before they hired me.
Minimizing the email, I stared at the picture of the gorgeous, stoic man in an Armani suit who had all but become part of my desktop background. Drake Barrett wanted to speak to me. Fear rippled through my body, causing my heartbeat to quicken. For all I knew, he was already downstairs, yelling up a storm and leaving unemployed staff members in his wake. He’s coming to fire me, I just know it. I’m going to lose my job.
“Oh my God,” Kaylee said as she threw open the door to my office. “Talia, you have to come quick.”
I dragged my gaze away from the computer screen and stared at her. “What is it?”
“He’s here.” She closed the door to a crack and waved me closer. “And he’s coming.”
There was no need to ask who she was talking about. Ever since the buyout, Drake Barrett had been our only topic of conversation.
“He’s here already?” I stood and pulled my over-sized cardigan closer around my body. “Did you see him?”
Kaylee nodded. “Now, don’t be nervous. I’m sure this is all just a lot of rumor.”
“What rumor? What are you talking about?” I swatted her hand away as she tried to fix my hair.
Kaylee dropped her arms in exasperation. “The rumor about him wanting to set up a temporary office here.”
“You’re kidding.”
“I wish I was. I overheard Melissa and Wes downstairs. They said that he was planning on staying for at least two months so he could personally oversee the upgrades to the hotel and make sure that everything is updated according to his specifications.”
“Oh God. He’s not going back to New York?” New York was where his flagship hotel was located. From what I could gather online, he had large, one-of-a-kind penthouse there.
Kaylee shook her head. “He’s taking over Bob’s old office.”
“But that’s just down the hall from mine.”
“What’s this?” A loud, booming, masculine voice rose up from the outer office area. “Where the hell is everyone?”
Kaylee peeked through the crack in the door. When she spoke again, her voice was low and full of warning.
“He’s right outside.” She leaned to one side so I could have a look.
The Internet pictures didn’t do him justice. Despite the distance, I could tell Drake Barrett was not only an incredibly handsome man, but a powerful one. Strength and confidence radiated off him in waves. My skin started to tingle, and something fluttered deep down in my core.
“This is the marketing department, sir.” Andy’s voice shook as he spoke. “It’s empty because you let half of them go during your last visit.” Andy had worked the front desk at the hotel for over a decade and always had a ready smile on his lips. It was unnerving to see such a kind and thoughtful man so nervous.
“I didn’t fire all of them.” Mr. Barrett said.
“No, sir.”
“Well?” he asked when Andy didn’t respond. “Where are the rest of them? Why are they not working?”
Andy stared down at his shoes. “I don’t know, sir. They’re at lunch, perhaps?”
“Perhaps?” He raised his brows. “You don’t know?”
“No, sir.”
“Don’t you think you should find out?”
Andy looked up, stunned. “I will, sir. Right away, sir.” He hurried to the door and was almost into the hall when Mr. Barrett stopped him.
“Mr. Kinsley.”
Andy turned, his body visibly shaking. “Yes?”
“You were going to show me where the Business Accounts Representative sits.”
Andy glanced in our direction and nodded. “Talia is just down that hall and to the left, sir.” He ran from the cube farm before he could be questioned further.
Drake Barrett turned toward us, and for the first time I could clearly see his face. What I saw took my breath away. Rough and angular, his features were the textbook definition of strength and masculinity. His tight jaw suggested confidence, and his eyes were the color of steel. He was a hard man to be sure, but there was something else there, something dark and intense that called to a place deep inside me, like a magnet pulling me.
As he started down the hall, I felt all of his intensity roll out from him like a red carpet and make its way toward me.
Kaylee squeaked and shut the door. “He’s coming. Oh my God, he’s coming!” She clasped her hands together and gave me an assessing look. “You don’t have something you could throw on instead of that sweater?”
“What? No.” I took several steps back and glanced down at my black shirt, matching ankle-length skirt and thick, gray cardigan. They were all plain and comfortable, just the way I liked them. “What’s wrong with my clothes?”
“They’re so boring. Drake Barrett is a man ahead of the trends. He has a more modern taste.”
I frowned. “We’re at work, not a blind date.”
“Oh I know, but appealing to his more masculine side can never hurt.” She hurried over to me and reached for my cardigan. “Maybe you should take this off.”
“Hey!” She evaded my effort to push her away and slid the fuzzy fabric off my shoulders. “There, at least now you look less like a grandmother.” Smiling, she tossed it on my desk and strode toward the door.
I frowned and grabbed the sweater that had become like a second skin to me. It had been a gift from my mother and felt warm and safe, like a big hug. Besides, it was mid-December, and far too cold to wear the thin, white blouse I had on underneath.
“Don’t you dare,” Kaylee said over her shoulder.
“It’s too cold for this top,” I said.
“All the better. If your nipples are hard, he’s more apt to notice them.”
“Kaylee!”
My friend smirked. “What? You’ll do fine, I’m sure. You always do.” She opened the door to reveal a second wall, only this one was formed of Armani and muscle.
Drake Barret scowled down at her. “Talia Chambers, I presume?”
“Kaylee Jacobs. We met on your last visit.” When his gaze narrowed, she elaborated. “I work in accounting.” She twirled her hair as an uncomfortable silence settled around us. Finally, she cleared her throat. “I was just leaving.”
“Good.”
Kaylee flashed me an encouraging look and quickly scooted around the wall of muscle and man in my doorway. Nibbling my lower lip, I leaned against the edge of my desk and tried to appear unmoved by his large, commanding presence.
You can do this. I clasped my hands together so he wouldn’t see them shaking. “I believe you’re looking for me. I’m Talia Chambers, the Business Account Representative at Park Hotel and Suites.”
“Yes.” He stepped inside my office and closed the door behind him. “Of course you are.” As he looked at me with those dark, fathomless eyes, I could already feel myself being pulled into his orbit. Heat slid through my body, burning my cheeks and winding its way down my center to pool between my thighs.
“Are yo
u the only one?” he asked.
“Yes, sir. There’s just me.” Clearing my throat, I straightened away from my desk and took a cautious step toward him. “We aren’t a very big hotel, so we don’t need a lot of people to manage all of…” I lost my train of thought as he narrowed his gaze.
“I see.” He rested his hands behind his back and considered me for a long moment. “Well, I suppose you will do, for now.”
I wasn’t quite sure how to respond to that, or how to interpret the sudden wave of relief I felt at being adequate in his eyes.
He slowly closed the distance between us. “How long have you been working here, Miss Chambers?” he asked.
“A little over six months. I graduated college last May and started working here a week later.”
He gave a slight nod and dragged his gaze down my body, assessing. As he studied my appearance, I thought about all of the other women he had been associated with online. I wondered if they, too, felt breathless and awestruck by his masculine presence.
No doubt they did, which was why the seemingly endless parade of women in his life.
“Was there something you wanted to discuss?” I asked when I could no longer take the silence.
Instead of answering, he twisted his lips into a frown and started slowly walking around me.
God, he was handsome. Smelled amazing, too. The aroma of sandalwood and man hit my nose, causing my legs to tremble. The cologne was as intoxicating as it was powerful, just like him. I inhaled it and felt drawn to him, like a prey coming too close to its predator.
Never before had I felt so vulnerable, or so aroused. Nibbling my lower lip, I held my breath as he disappeared behind me and then reappeared on the other side. I wondered what he was thinking, and if he approved of what he saw. Part of me wanted to know if he had scrutinized all of his new employees like this, or if I was some sort of special exception.
Awareness tingled over my skin as he stopped in front of me and dropped his gaze down to my chest. It had been a long time since I had been with a man—any man—and the look in his eyes reminded me of that fact.