Page 28 of Degrading Her

I groaned in frustration. I’d have to wait. Encouraged, she thrusted faster, and I grabbed her hair in my fist, forcing her eyes to meet mine.

“Look at me,” I demanded. Her eyes traced me, but her movements quickened. “Do you want me to touch you, Fiona?”

She closed her eyes, then opened them wide. “Yes,” she cried.

“Then ask me.”

“Touch me,” she groaned, “Mr.—”

At that word, I let go. She stumbled, catching herself on my desk.

“That will be all, Fiona,” I said. I adjusted my pants as I took my seat. “Get to work on your proposal. I don’t like waiting.”

For a few seconds, she stood there. Her hair messy. Her clothing undone. Her cheeks red. Completely flustered. Then she quickly buttoned up.

“Thank you, Mr. Feldman,” she said, then left, raising her chin as she walked out of my office proudly, like she had won the game. She might have won this round, but she had fallen more than she realized. And soon, I would win. For now, I would let her think she still had power. Give her praise. Make her trust me. Then ruin everything she thought she wanted.

And then she would realize she was nothing.

I switched my computer on and checked my library email. Erica had sent a few questions about the managerial position and said that she was ahead of schedule with her youth program now.

Even without me, Fiona didn’t stand a chance.

Chapter 7

Fiona

In the morning,I breathed a sigh of relief as I walked through the doors of the New Host Library. The scent of well-used books and crayons and stale carpet washed over me. I headed straight for the coffee machine; I needed double the caffeine. I had gone to sleep at midnight after finishing my essay, then was back up at four a.m. to gather materials for my program proposal. But that was okay. Being here meant that I could work at my own pace, which was something I had never had when I was growing up; my parents were always on top of me. Even when I was a volunteer at the library, there was so much freedom and self-regulation. People trusted you. Respected you. As long as the tasks got done, you were allowed to do them as you pleased.

Even if you were playing a high-stakes game in which panties were forbidden.

One of the part-timers was checking in books from the front-desk book drop, and Erica was shelving children’s books. I let my shoulders sink as I organized the rest of thecheck-ins. With the three of us, it would be easy today. I could probably officially start on my proposal.

“Morning,” Erica said, bursting through the staff room doors.

“Morning.” I gazed through the window at the dark office.

“He’s not in yet.”

I shrugged, pretending like I didn’t care, when all I wanted to do was to have Sawyer check every program proposal resource that I had so that he could see that it didn’t matterhowI got what I wanted; I was going to win. But that would have to wait until later.

I settled into the routine: straightening the shelves, scanning for in-house check-ins, making sure that the computers were available for patrons. Once everything was fine, I went to my computer, scanning the sticky notes on the bottom of the monitor.Maisie?one of them said. I needed to check on my middle sister soon.

I glanced at the window to Sawyer’s office again. Did he ever worry about his brother like that?

“So what’s up with you two, anyway?” Erica asked, following my glance toward his window.

“Absolutely nothing.”

“But what about dinner?”

I forgot she knew about that. “It’s a long story.”

“You spent a long time in his office yesterday.”

“He’s—” I paused. Was he a jackass? A pompous jerk? An arrogant, smug?—

“—into you,” Erica finished.

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