Page 36 of House of Lies

None of them are logical, reasonable, or rational.

I blame the dream. My cock is still rock hard, a carnal ache spreading the longer I stare at the girl.

She’s so small. But far from meek.

In my dream, she’d gone willingly to her knees. In real life, I’d have to force her down.

Even groggy, I’m pissed off that she’s here, and absolutely livid that she interrupted my dream. I was so close to feeling her warm, wet mouth around my cock…

I reach absently for the pair of pants I’d been wearing earlier today, like I’m in some kind of fugue state, as I slide the belt free. I switch on my bedside lamp, making the shadows flee to the corners of the room.

All I can think about is disciplining this girl who thinks she can come into my house and scowl at me the whole day, completely disregard every fucking rule I lay down, and still have the nerve to sneak into my bedroom.

What the fuck is she doing here?

My chest tightens, and my cock fights to be free of the towel I tied around my waist.

Was she paying me a visit? Is it possible I interrupted her before she crawled into my bed?

But when I ask her, she denies it.

Makes up some excuse about leaving in the middle of the night.

As if I’d believe her.

Her odd behavior makes so much more sense now. She’s been defying me since the moment we met—on purpose. To get a rise out of me, and in more ways than one.

Myles’s a fucking bastard. Of course he’d send a girl like her to make me rethink all my plans. What he couldn’t have figured is that I’m still dead set on leaving my old life behind.

But first…I have this girl to deal with.

My new little toy. A young thing like her, she can’t have had much experience. The first thing I’m going to teach her is what happens when she disobeys me.

Her eyes drop to the belt when I fold it in half and close my fingers around the buckle. The metal warms fast, before I’ve made it halfway across the master suite.

She tries to back up, but my desk is in her way.

If she’d made a run for the door, she’d be gone.

But she just stands there, waiting.

The blanket she’s wearing like a shawl slips from one shoulder. She’s wearing a fucking nightie, the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen. Purple satin hemmed with delicate black lace. Her nipple pokes against the fabric, but it can’t be from the cold. This room is warm, the heat from the fire still trapped inside.

I almost laugh, but then she might break character too. Honestly, it feels fucking amazing playing the role of Master again. It’s been a long time.

“What are you doing?” she breathes, her eyes darting from my hand to my eyes, then back again.

My lips curl into a cruel smile. “Teaching you your first lesson, toy.”

Chapter 14

Cassidy

This is how animals get run over. My body can’t decide between flight or fight, so it plays possum instead. Ethan’s intense, brooding stare is part of it, but there’s something else too.

Run, Cassidy! Run!

My breath catches in my throat. Not fear…anticipation.

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