by Joey W. Hill
"So you don't care much for a brat?" She arched a brow, and won an amused look from him.
"It depends. There's bratting, and there's being a brat. In a very cute, sexy, begging for punishment kind of way." He put his hand over hers on the counter, where she'd put the coupons. "Time for you to go away. You're making me think of closing the store early, something I never do."
"What would you do, if you closed early?" She blinked, all innocence, which of course just made him narrow those brown eyes.
"Bully you into that session you're almost ready to agree to do. The sooner the better. That's three dollars for the frog. Unless you want to slip it down your shirt and let me catch you shoplifting."
She snorted at that, mainly to cover the nervous quiver his first comment had elicited. Reaching into the open neck of the white shirt, she removed several folded bills from where they'd been tucked into her lacy bra. "I'd intended to buy another coffee, but I'll buy a frog instead and cut down on my caffeine."
She started to put the money on the counter, but instead he put his hand out, taking it directly from her hand, caressing her fingers before closing his fingers over the bills warm from sitting against her breast. With his eyes trained on her, it was clear where his mind was. She ducked her head, slipping the frog into the bag she'd used to bring them cake. "When and if I decide . . . to do that session, where would we do it?"
She should be making chatty conversation, but it was the only topic in her head, especially with him giving her that look that sent anxiety and arousal coursing through her.
"In my backroom."
"Would I wear anything special?"
"Whatever you think might bribe me to punish you less. It won't work, but I'll enjoy the attempt."
"Pig."
He winked at her. "Go grab yourself a cup of coffee from behind the counter. I'll take it out in trade."
At that provocative statement, he turned, responding to the call of a customer. Truth, thinking about it, having him talk point blank about it, anxiety took the lead on anticipation. It was clear Troy wouldn't be there. Or would he? She wasn't sure if she felt safer with Troy there, or if she preferred to evolve the intense cycle of emotions that seemed to happen when it was just her and Logan together. But this time it wouldn't be in her home. It would be in that room with the unfinished concrete floor, naked lights and a wall full of floggers, switches and metal things she couldn't identify.
She'd gone on the Internet to refresh her memory about how this all worked and shut it down just as hastily, horrified by pictures of women tied up like pretzels, tearstained expressions of seeming anguish on their face while large, fierce men stood behind them with raised whips or cattle prods. Jesus. She knew how the Internet could be. He'd been in her home, and it hadn't been like that. Far from it. But then . . . there was an undercurrent when Logan was in full-on Dom mode, something unpredictable and dangerous, and there was some of that in those pictures.
She didn't have to do any of it. The choice was hers. She could take her time, talk to Logan about it. He was as much a teacher as a practitioner when it came to BDSM. Yet he'd warned her more than once that overthinking it wouldn't really help. It might make her more apprehensive than when she was just following her feelings, and those feelings said she longed to be around him, wanted him to take control again.
Just tell him you'll do it, Madison. What are you waiting for?
Joey W. Hill is the author of the Knights of the Boardroom series, including Honor Bound and Controlled Response; the Vampire Queen series, including Taken by the Vampire; and the stand-alone novel, Unrestrained. Having received multiple Top Reviewer Picks from RT Book Reviews, Night Owl Romance, ParaNormal Romance Reviews, TwoLips and others, she has also been awarded the RT Book Reviews Career Achievement Award in Erotica.