Total pages in book: 184
Estimated words: 188108 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 941(@200wpm)___ 752(@250wpm)___ 627(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 188108 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 941(@200wpm)___ 752(@250wpm)___ 627(@300wpm)
With awe. As though he couldn’t quite believe she existed. Which really surprised him because in all the time he’d known Roman, he had never known him to show interest in a woman.
Yet, here he was, coming out of his room more often with the excuse of getting a drink or something else, just to see her.
“Um, well, maybe. But I don’t think you should have a word with him. I’m the one you should have a word with. Why didn’t you tell me that I was doing such a bad job? I feel terrible.”
“You’re not doing a bad job,” he told her, getting up and walking around the desk.
Don’t touch her.
Don’t do anything that could be misconstrued.
“Are you sure?”
“I’m sure,” he lied. “Just perhaps clean the bathrooms a bit more. All right?”
She nodded. “I will. You’re sure you want me to stay on?”
“Of course we do. I won’t hear of you leaving.”
To his shock, she threw herself at him, wrapping her arms around him. He stood there, frozen.
Well, there was one part of him that wasn’t frozen. His cock was standing at attention. He had to step away before she noticed.
“Oh, I’m so sorry.” She took a giant step back. “I didn’t mean to be inappropriate.”
“That’s quite all right. No harm done.”
No harm done?
Really?
“I do need to ask how you feel about possibly seeing me at the club? Do you think it will be awkward? I was going to go tomorrow night . . .”
Because every night this week, he found himself jerking off while imagining her face. And it disgusted him.
So he was hoping the club would help.
“Oh no, don’t worry about that. I no longer belong to the club.” She waved her hand in the air.
“You don’t? What happened?”
“I didn’t want to be punished, so I walked out.” She shrugged. “No big deal.”
But it was. Because Club Slade was arguably the best and safest BDSM club in London. So where was she going to go?
“I want to know the name of the next club you intend to join,” he ordered.
“What? Why?” She blinked at him.
“I need to make sure that it is safe for you. You can’t be too careful as an unattached sub.”
And he wasn’t sure that she was all that good at looking after herself.
“You shouldn’t have been wandering around alone the other night. There are some clubs that would not only allow that but encourage it. That leaves you vulnerable to someone taking advantage of you. That can’t happen.”
“Why would you care?” Her eyes were wide with surprise.
“You work for me,” he said gruffly. “And I care about your safety, Pet.”
He did not just say that.
Her eyes grew even wider, her breathing became faster.
“I’m sorry,” he blurted out. “That was completely inappropriate, and I understand if you wish to leave. I will of course give you the final two weeks of pay but you do not have to return.”
“Why would you do that?” she asked.
“Uh, because I called you Pet.”
He couldn’t believe he’d done that. This wasn’t like him at all. He was usually far more careful.
“Oh, is that the problem? Pssht, don’t worry about it. I call Alexei, Mr Grumpy Butt in my head.”
“Yes, but that’s in your head. And we all call him that.”
“I don’t mind if you call me Pet.”
God.
Did she know what she was doing to him? She couldn’t. She was so damn innocent that it tugged at his protective instincts.
“I best go clean Mr. Grumpy Butt’s bathroom.” She waved at him cheerfully as she skipped off.
Oh, he was in so much trouble here.
“Alexei!”
A groan escaped him as he heard Salem snap out his name. He needed to get to the boxing gym. He had to get rid of this excess of emotion somehow.
Alexei didn’t like feeling this way.
He preferred not to care about anyone else’s feelings. Which might be why he’d had his membership to Club Slade revoked.
He still thought that was bullshit.
He hadn’t technically broken any rules, but he didn’t like giving aftercare and he could be blunt as hell. When had that become a negative thing?
Maybe after you started making little subbies cry, asshole.
He sighed. “I’m going for a box. What do you want?”
Pounding on someone was the only way he knew to tame his emotions.
“Well, that can wait until you tell me why you told Tamsyn that she was doing a terrible job.”
Well, now, didn’t he sound possessive? And protective.
That was interesting. And it might make things easier on him. If she belonged to Salem, then she would become his problem.
“Did she go crying to you?” Strangely, he’d thought better of the brat.
“She did not. She told me that she was sorry that she was such a terrible cleaner and that she would quit if I wanted her to.”
“I hope you told her yes,” he said, without meaning it.