Page 174 of Savage Bosses

onfusion swirled around me as I entered the office the next morning. He wasn’t at his desk, which gave me time to think. My plan to ruin Kent felt off as if I’d experienced a setback, but I couldn’t pinpoint where I’d gone wrong. Last night, one minute Kent showed signs I was getting to him, but the next he was distant.

Watching him mingle with everyone showed me a side of Kent that I couldn’t help but admire. His passion for his company and employees wasn’t an act and ran counter to the impression some users on the BBD website tried to portray. Once again, the man I admired as a teen appeared.

Coupled with the casual touches and almost possessive hold, he’d left me in a state that no amount of self-pleasuring eased. Why did he have to plague me so? Even now, surrounded by his belongings and his domineering scent, I was too weak to deny myself the chance that maybe this time, I’d get what I needed. While he wasn’t it, I had to take advantage of his absence to clear my head and prepare myself for this battle I was determined to wage against him.

I headed to his bathroom and released the discreet vibrator from my necklace. It was a godsend and a devil’s bargain wrapped in an inconspicuous package. I tried to tend to myself quickly, knowing that Kent would soon arrive. My body had different ideas. Like every other instance where I tried to relieve my tension, thoughts of Kent worked my desire to feverish heights, but nothing pushed me over as hard as I needed to be pushed.

Today was no different. After a minor orgasm, I collapsed against the sink while a mini-breakdown took over. Why did he have so much power over me, and how was I ever supposed to wrest it from him? As frustration built inside me, I sobbed my hatred for the man who held me in invisible shackles.

I didn’t know how long I sat there pouring my emotional burdens out through my tears, but I had to get a grip. When I caught my breath, I washed away the signs of distress and reapplied my makeup with shaky hands. One good thing came from this recent session in the bathroom. I’d firmed my resolve. Kent would not see me weak.

As I stepped out of the bathroom, the first thing I noticed was the frosted glass enclosing the office in privacy. Earlier when I walked into the bathroom, the walls were clear and everyone filing in to start their day could see me. A frisson of awareness skated along my back.

“How often do you use that fancy piece of jewelry at the office?” Kent’s voice startled me. He sat behind his desk, a mask of mild curiosity hiding his thoughts from me. “Well?” His prodding made one thing clear.

I covered my necklace as shame washed over me. “How do you know about this?”

“I’m not used to sharing my bathroom.” He stood and advanced on me. “Imagine my surprise when I opened the door to you moaning my name. Pleading for me, not that ineffective toy, to give you what you needed.”

“That’s not… Don’t get the wrong idea.” I squared my shoulders, recalling the anger I’d exited the bathroom with and allowing it to override my embarrassment.

“How could I? After all, you made it clear to me you don’t desire me.” He rubbed the cheek I’d slapped after he’d kissed me. “So what I witnessed must have been a fever dream.”

Slowly, I backed away from his approach. He’d caught me, but I could salvage things. I had to. “Mr. Lux—”

“My name is Kent. Now, say it!” he demanded, towering over me.

It was hard to resist submitting to his domineering presence, but I was no longer the type to bow under pressure, I reminded myself. Not after he rejected me. And if I stood any chance to make him hurt, if only for a fraction of the pain he’d inflicted on me, I had to stand strong. I had to erase the power he held over me. I had to hold firm against the raging desire buffeting me at both ends. His and mine. What a potent combination. Passion this strong toppled empires, but I wouldn’t let it best me. Self-preservation demanded I fight with what little I had in my arsenal.

“Mr. Luxe—”

He wrapped his fingers around my neck and brought my face close enough to his that the golden flecks in his blue eyes distracted me from my precarious position. “Defiant little girls get punished, and you’ve more than earned what’s coming to you.”

I glared at him, trying to pull away, but he held firm. “I’m no little girl.”

His lips twitched as he took me in from the top of my twist out to the bottom of my stilettos. “I suppose not, and your punishment will reflect that.”

“I already told you I have a daddy, and I don’t need another.”

“Good thing I’m not looking to be your daddy, isn’t it?” He hauled me over to his desk and bent me over the icy surface.

With a few hard yanks, he pulled my skirt above my hips and dragged my panties below my knees. I pushed up against the desk, but his heavy palm against my spine held me in place.

“Mr. Luxe—Ah!”

His hand met the flesh of my ass, the sound harsh and erotic in the confined space. Despite the noise, each contact, though firm, wasn’t painful after the initial sting.

“First, you lied to me. Teased me. Defied me. Had me so fucked up in the head that I thought you hated our kiss.” With each offense I’d perpetrated against him, he slapped my butt, warming the area. “You made me want you…crave you as I’ve never done for anyone. And you know the worst thing?” His blows turned to gentle caresses, soothing my inflamed skin and reigniting my desire.

“What else have I done to warrant this punishment?” I sobbed, not from his disciplining me, but because the tears pouring from my eyes were releasing a heavy burden that my earlier bout failed to do. The remembered pain and humiliation began to dim, and the weight that had bogged me down for years became lighter with my outpouring.

Kent inhaled, and I knew that amid my tears he could smell the perfume from my desire permeating the air. His voice broke as he confessed, “Worst of all, you’ve been living in agony, and I could have helped.” Kent released the pressure on my back and fixed my clothes. Soon, soothing circles warmed my spine as I continued to cry.

When the last tear was wrung from my body, he helped me stand. “Will you follow me upstairs? I have something I need to say to you, and the office isn’t the right place for it.”

With all my resistance and fight gone, I nodded while avoiding eye contact. I wasn’t strong enough to see pity in his eyes. I’d rather the anger and disdain he held for me.

He led me onto the elevator and to his penthouse. Inside, he sat me on the living room sofa. “Please look at me.” He squeezed my hand, making me aware for the first time that he hadn’t let go of me since we were in the office.

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