Temptation to Submit
In the midst of a hostile takeover, Tori Rodgers's private life goes crazy and the skeletons from her closet are rattling. It doesn't help that she keeps trading insults with the CFO of the company that's raided hers. But Vegas brings out her insanity and she finds herself at Atticus Paulus's mercy. His offer of Dominance brings her to the brink of total surrender and she knows he'll never forgive her when he finds out she's been lying to him.
Whatever secrets Victoria has hidden Atticus has decided he's going to discover. She's a brat sub, the kind he avoids, and yet, he can't resist her. He admires her strength, her determination and the spankable parts drive him over the edge. The closer he gets to her, the more he desires her trust. But there are more secrets than the ones Victoria keeps and uncovering them might cost more than either of them ever dreamed. Even with all that's at stake, Atticus knows he can't give up offering her the temptation to submit.
Finch took the papers from her. “Your reason for being late?”
She could lie. She could say that she woke up late. For a moment, she considered it. Then she realized she couldn’t. Not to Finch. “I don’t have one.”
He didn’t seem surprised. “I see.”
She was aware that one write-up was not a tragedy. But she couldn’t guarantee she wouldn’t have this issue again. Once again, it seemed like her job was on the line and there wasn’t a damn thing she could do about it.
“I am going to give you a choice, Ms. Rodgers.” He sat in his desk chair and leaned back. “I won’t write you up, but you will receive a spanking for every minute you’re late.”
For a moment, she was stunned. “A spanking.” She couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think. Suddenly, a spanking was all she wanted from him. No. She couldn’t go there.
READ MORE“You’re familiar with the details of that action. It’s part of the fraternization clause in your employee agreement.” His tone was nonchalant.
“You want me to agree to a Dominant/submissive relationship?” No way. Hadn’t she decided that she was too fragile for this? Hell no. “I can’t.”
“You can.” He held her gaze. “What is holding you back?”
She raised her eyebrows. “Other than the obvious problem of fucking a coworker? Too many to name.”
“Okay. Fucking is off the table.” He pulled out his keyboard and started typing. “What else? I’m willing to negotiate.”
“This is insane,” she muttered.
“I will add that you wish to remain clothed, no intercourse, and will have a safe word.” He finished typing and printed out the document. “Or would you prefer to take the write-up? I get the impression that you don’t.”
“That’s blackmail.” She glared at him.
“Yes, it is.”
She stared at him. Did he realize she had him by the balls? All she had to do was say yes to his suggestion, and she had him on sexual harassment. “You do remember the sexual harassment policy, right? You spent two hours going over it with me, Nell, and Gina at the conference.”
“I remember it.”
“I could crucify you,” she told him. What was he thinking?
He met her gaze. “I’m making you an offer. If you believe what I’m doing is sexual harassment, then I’ll deal with it.” The chair creaked when he stood up.
She forced herself to remain still as he stepped closer to her, his face serious. “You may not believe this, but I want you to be able to explore that side of you that you’ve ignored.”
Right. Sure he did. “You’re so altruistic, so unselfish. What a guy,” she said sarcastically.
“Oh, don’t get me wrong,” he said softly. “I’ll be hard as a rock. But I’ve made you a promise, in writing. No direct skin-to-skin contact unless you ask me to.”
“But you’ll touch me.” Finally!
“I’ll spank you, just as I said.” The heat off him was incredible and tempting.
“And if I don’t let you spank me, you’ll write me up.” And she’d lose her job.
“Victoria, you need this.” He stood there, solid, reassuringly constant, and waited for her to decide.
Just the thought of him spanking her made Tori’s heart flutter and her skin tingle. Why she felt she had to be punished led to feelings she didn’t want to examine at the moment. The fact was, he was offering her an easy out. She had no idea how long this thing with her mom would go on.
“All right, Finch.” She met his gaze. “I’d rather take the spanking than lose my job.”
A muscle in his jaw moved. “Are you sure you don’t want to explain why you’re late?”
She couldn’t tell what he was thinking from his face or his voice. “No, I don’t. I’ll take the spanking.”
His lips tightened. “As you wish. Read and sign.” He placed a contract in front of her.
“What is this?” She studied it. It was an agreement stating her terms and his. Her responsibilities were clear. She was to accept his punishment at any time he believed she’d committed an infraction. Then there was a list of infractions.
She swallowed. This was it. Once she signed this, she was in a “Dominant/submissive relationship.” Why wasn’t she running like hell? She closed her eyes. Because she wanted this. And she wanted it with him.
When she’d met him, there’d been an instant connection, a spark. And then, Gina told her that Finch was a Master complete with his own damn personalized paddle for submissives who misbehaved. It had fired her imagination, fueled her fantasies, and made her horny as hell. No one else did that to her. Only him.
After all, Finch wasn’t the only ConFed executive Gina had mentioned. But he was the only one Tori couldn’t get out of her head. No matter what she said out loud, in her heart, she knew Finch was offering her something she wanted. Maybe even needed.
She took a deep breath and picked a pen up off the desk. As she signed her name, the bands around her chest loosened. She could stop fighting it now.
He took the papers and said, “Bend over the desk.”
She licked her lips. “Now?”
“Now.”
She bent over the desk, the border of his blotter pressed into her just below her breasts. Instinctively, she put her hands over her ass, as if to protect herself. Finch used his left hand to shackle her wrists and slid them up to the small of her back. The restraint made her wet, and she shifted to move her aching pussy against the edge of the desk.
“Hold still,” Finch ordered.
Her breath was short already, and he’d barely touched her. She dropped her head to the surface of the desk and groaned. Just the act of bending over had made her so needy, so damn vulnerable. How had he known?
Gina had once said that with the right Dominant, a submissive could drop out of reality in a heartbeat with just a word or a touch. Now Tori understood what she meant as Finch took control and prepared her for her spanking. There was no room for embarrassment or fear, her body anticipating what her mind struggled to accept.
“Give me a safe word, Victoria,” he demanded.
Her mind was already checked out. It was difficult to focus. But she made herself say something. “Peanut butter.” That was something that would get his attention if she screamed it. Of course, the minute she said it, she felt stupid.
He didn’t even laugh. “Peanut butter it is.”
When his palm struck her ass, she was stunned at how hard he’d smacked her. Through the material of her skirt, she felt the heat of his hand. He didn’t hold back, making her ass throb from the stinging slaps. He alternated between her two ass cheeks until her entire bottom was on fire. How many minutes had she been late? Did it matter?
She realized it didn’t matter. If he chose to give her a hundred, she’d take them. And not because she was afraid of losing her job. The sting of his strikes did something strange. It unlocked her muscles, releasing her tightly held barriers and opening her up. The emotions that had been contained inside her were set free.
COLLAPSE