He’d been clear. He wanted her safe, wanted the investigation in his more experienced hands. “I obey you in the field. In my defense, I didn’t consider this to be the field. It’s my workplace.”
Smack. Smack. Smack.
Oh, he meant those. She shouldn’t have tried to be cute.
Still, she could feel her pussy slickening up, her body tightening in anticipation of what was to come.
“Every-fucking-where is the field right now.” His hand came down again, this time right in the middle of her ass, and he held it there as though he could keep the heat flowing. “He’s watching you. You threaten him.”
“I don’t threaten anyone.”
“Oh, yes, you do. You see what he wants you to see. If he saw through me, then I saw through him, too. There is a core of darkness to that man. He hates anything and everyone who could possibly take him off the mountain he’s built. He doesn’t want to be the boss. He wants to be the king, and that means controlling everyone and everything around him. It’s precisely why he fucks over all of his contractors. He enjoys fucking people over. I bet if I looked at his other companies, he screwed over some people who had stock options. He hates that he had to outbid Drew Lawless for you.”
She felt a flush go through her system. “I was doing what every man with my credentials would do.”
“I know, baby, and you deserve every single dollar you got, but it bugs him that he had to do it. I’m not sure if it’s because you’re a woman or if he would hate it coming from anyone, but he hates it. You have to be careful around him.”
She’d known the man for years, but she had to consider Deke’s words. And her own instincts. Hadn’t she always been the tiniest bit wary of Nolan, even in the beginning? She’d wanted to go with Lawless. She’d felt more comfortable with the man, but his company was located in Texas, and she hadn’t been ready to be so close to where Deke was. Then the stock options had made the offer more than she could turn down.
Had she let her guard down over the years?
“I’ll be more careful. I promise.” She could see the logic in Deke’s words. This was a one plus one equals two straightforward equation. If something was happening at Byrne, then Nolan was involved. No ifs, ands, or buts. She’d been reckless, and it had scared her lover.
Smack. Smack. Smack. “You have to or I swear I’ll tie you up and hide you away somewhere until I can fix this.”
“I promise.” She braced herself for another barrage.
He sighed and smoothed a hand over the very flesh he’d slapped. “See that you do.” His hand slipped lower, delving into her panties and making her squirm. “I don’t like how he talked about you this morning. Like I said, you’re on his radar. He definitely doesn’t like being dependent on someone to get into a place he feels he should be welcome.”
How could he sound so calm? Her heart was pounding as he slid a finger up and over her clitoris. He had so much power over her, and she suddenly needed to know she could do the same to him. Deke was a gorgeous man who’d spent years exploring his sexuality while she’d been locked up in a lab pushing her career forward. But she remembered what he used to like.
“Let me make it up to you.” She didn’t move from her position, not wanting to tempt the Dom in him to start the punishment all over again.
His hand stilled, and she would bet his whole body had, too. “How would you do that, baby?”
“I worried you today. Like I was anxious yesterday. You helped ease my tension. I can do the same for you.”
“Again, how would you do that? I’d like to hear you say it.”
He wanted her to talk dirty? She could do that. “I’ll get on my knees in front of you and I’ll lick and suck your cock. It’s your choice whether you come straight down my throat or order me to ride you. You can choose if your poor sub deserves any pleasure.”
A soft smack against her pussy brought her up on her toes. “Little brat. I’m going to the couch for this. I won’t be able to stand up straight for long when you put your mouth on me.”
The hand was gone and she felt her skirt drift to the backs of her thighs, and she pushed up from the desk. Her pussy might not be happy at the sudden change of attention, but everything else inside Maddie was looking forward to this encounter. How long had it been since she’d wanted to suck a man’s cock? Craved it? It was something she would do with a partner because it was an exchange of pleasures, but she genuinely wouldn’t care if Deke came down her throat. There would be a glory in that, too.