Page 11 of Sire: On Your Knees

When she licked her lips to capture a drop of syrup that'd spilled over, it made me think about the way she tasted. Sweet... just like maple. Her body called to me, practically begging for me to explore it, and I didn't know how to feel about that.

Unable to take any more of my mental chatter, I stood to my feet. "Take your clothes off," I demanded in a low voice.

Knovah froze midair as she lifted her fork to her mouth. "Huh?" I watched the curiosity spin in her eyes.When did the fear become something else?

"Take off your clothes," I repeated.

"What? Why?"

"Breakfast time is over. You have work to do."

She flopped backward in her seat and dropped her silverware onto the plate. "And you want me to do it naked?" I nodded. "Why?"

"You need to be comfortable with your body in order to work at the club."

Knovah's mouth opened and closed like a fish without water. I could tell the very moment she was going to defy me. Her features hardened. She folded her arms over her chest and frowned.

"No."

Rushing around to her, I yanked her up by the front of her shirt. "That is not how this works, Novi. You do what I say when I say do it, or are you ready to die? You think this shit is a game, don't you? I still owe you for trying to escape last night."

"Well, what did you expect? You're holding me against my will."

I grunted. "It didn't seem like it was against your will when you were moaning while I ate your pussy." Her bottom lip trembled, and tears welled in her eyes. "You're doing too much talking and not enough cleaning or stripping."

She surprised me when she snatched away from me. She picked up her plate, then marched over to pick up mine. I watched her go to the sink and throw them inside. It sounded like one of them broke from how hard she tossed it inside.

I licked my teeth before adjusting my posture and closing the distance between us. It was time to show little Ms. Knovah who was really in control. I pushed the front of her body over the counter so she was in the sink.

"What are you doing?" she asked, becoming panicked.

Without warning, I smacked her across the ass cheek. She hissed from the force I exerted. I kept going, not paying any of the curses spilling from her mouth any mind. She tried to get away, but I used my body weight to hold her in place. I balled her little hair with one hand and yanked her head back. "My patience is running thin with you, and I'm tired of being nice. This is my last time warning you to do what I say, or that's your life. Do you understand?"

When Knovah glanced at me, big, fat tears were on her cheeks. She flinched when I lifted my hand. I was only going to spank her again, but fear washed over her face as if she thought I was about to hit her in the face. I took a step back, allowing her the space to move. I was a lot of things, but a woman beater never made the list.

"Now, strip and get to fucking cleaning. By the time I come back, this place better be spotless and smell fresher than a peppermint."

Inching closer to her, I forced her to have to look up at me. Her face was flushed, and the fear had returned to her eyes, bringing me satisfaction. She nodded once.

"Use your words."

She gulped loudly, likely swallowing all her fucking pride. "I understand, Sire."

"Good. Strip." She tensed only for a moment before coming out of her pajamas.

It took everything in me to turn and finally put much-needed distance between us. Knovah was driving me fucking crazy. She was nothing like the women I was used to. She was soft and fragile, but I couldn't lie like there wasn't fire in her, too. I was willing to let it burn me if it meant I could get a taste of that sweet pussy again.

Leaving her in the kitchen, I headed to my bedroom to dress for the day. I had some business to handle at the club from that sprinkler stunt she pulled. I would then meet with Loyal and Kalias to follow up on some leads on her friends.

Again, I thought of putting myself out of my misery by getting rid of her, but I pushed it down. For now, Knovah was mine, and I wanted to keep it that way. I couldn't verbalize my interest in her, but I knew it was there, irritating me every second of the day. That was a dangerous place to be for a man with no love in his heart to give.

"Who the fuck does he think he is?"

I was fucking pissed after my encounter with Sire. I don't know why I expected anything different from him. From the day he locked me in that freezing basement, he'd been a complete asshole.

"Fuck," I hissed when I cut my finger on a piece of the broken plate I was cleaning out of the sink. Checking out my wound, I saw it wasn't too deep. "I hate it here."

Leaving the kitchen, I walked to the bathroom for the first-aid kit I'd seen inside of there. After cleaning my cut and placing a bandage on my finger, I pressed my hands onto the counter while looking at myself in the mirror. I was completely naked, as requested by Sire before he left.

---