Page 35 of Training His Pet

Was she?

“You know, I don’t think any guy has ever actually followed me when I stormed out of a room before.” The thought popped into her head, and nosedived straight out of her mouth, not even stopping at the filter for a check in.

“Do you storm out often?” he asked, his brow low and dark eyes settled on her. He hadn’t barged in waving his belt around, but that probably didn’t mean she hadn’t earned at least a lecture.

“I shouldn’t have done that.” She owned up to the error. “This is new to me—”

“I don’t think it is,” he interrupted her and folded his arms over his chest. As though he needed to give her nerves any more reason to start rattling in her body.

“What?”

“I think it may be the first time you’ve verbalized it, or actually acted on it, but I think you’ve thought about it plenty of times before.”

Her throat dried. Like she’d just swallowed a cup of cinnamon type of dry.

“So, what happened? Did you maybe fess up to some of your kinky fantasies and your boyfriend bailed?” He tilted his head, most likely trying to read her.

“No.” She’d never given them the chance. Who needed that sort of rejection in their life? It was better to keep the dark and dirty in the back of her mind.

Except it seemed the fantasies had leaked out into the real world and was standing damn close to her. Looking less agitated and more curious.

“I bet if I opened your browser history, I would find all sorts of interesting things.” His grin grew wider.

Her stomach dropped.

“What do you want from me, Dax?” she asked, hoping to get his mind off of looking at her computer.

“I already told you. Obedience.” He shoved off the door frame. “For example, when I ask you a question, you answer.”

So they were back on that again.

Okay, fine.

“What was the question?”

“Why would a woman as smart and beautiful as you not have a boyfriend that’s willing to do all the dirty things dancing around in that imaginative head of yours?”

She blanked for a long moment.

“Erika.” There was that warning tone again. Didn’t he know if you give a woman compliments she wasn’t used to or expecting, it took a minute for it all to sink in?

“I don’t date often,” she said quickly. “Most guys I meet aren’t into dealing with me.” She jerked her chin up, feeling the heat blast across her cheeks. “I mean dealing with my work.”

His eyes narrowed. “I think you were right the first time. So, you give a little sass and they get annoyed?”

If the bed could just open up and toss her down to the pits below, she’d be eternally grateful, but it wasn’t to be.

“I’m not exactly the most... well, I can be a little stubborn.”

He laughed. “A little?”

“I know what I want, and I won’t back down until I get it.” She lifted a shoulder. “What’s the problem with that?”

“I could be wrong.” He stepped into the bedroom, closing off any hope of her getting around him and away from him, as he got closer to her on the bed. “But I think the problem was you thought you found men who would challenge you, would support you, and would call you out on your shit.” He bent over, hovering just above her face. “But what you found were pussies who just wanted you to fall at their feet and didn’t have the strength to hold you up.”

Her gaze got lost somewhere in his eyes.

“But I think that’s changed now. Do you know why?”

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