Page 93 of Giving In

His words hurt. They hurt because they’re true. People like the Bakers would take no pity in my case. They wouldn’t care why I took the money. They wouldn’t care that it’s because they underpay their staff and that mom could barely afford the rent after dad’s death.

He sits down at the desk in front of me and rests his hands on the table. “Who cares what youthinkwhen your primitive instincts respond so well to me, Angel? I got you figured out. You think too much, you want to do what’s right, you don’t like giving in to pleasure. I can change that.”

I take another step back, not liking how my body instantly responds when his voice gets lower and darker.

“You’re wrong,” I try one last time, but my voice is barely a whisper anymore.

“You crave me. You ache for me to touch you again, don’t you? You want my lips on your skin. You want me to make you come, to make your legs shake and beg for release.”

I can’t help my thighs from clenching nor the wetness between my legs. I don’t know how he does it, I don’t know why I’m so reactive to it but there is something in Jake I’ve become addicted to and all I want is for him to make me feel good the way only he knows how.

I can’t respond because I’m too focused on trying to stop myself from crossing the table, straddling him, and kissing him.

“Fine,” he gets up from his seat and I have to force myself not to back away one more time. “You want to pretend you don’t feel shit for me? That’s okay, we’ll have much more fun that way.”

He can probably see the confusion on my face because he walks around the table and grabs my waist.

“It’s a shame you’re putting us through this, Angel. I just want to get to know you, but I’m happy to torture you with pleasure. Our game can keep going. I think I’m going to re-name it: How long can Jamie last until she gives in.”

“We don’t have a game, Jake,” I fume. “Take this damn thing down.”

“I’ll take it down once you’ve taken your stockings off.”

“What?” I squeak.

“You heard me. Come on. Someone could come in anytime.”

I try to get my brain to start working but it’s all too much. I unexpectedly feel dangerously hot. Jake’s scent, Jake’s presence, the light from the projector blinding me, Jake’s wide shoulders, Jake’s hand resting on my waist, his forefinger tapping impatiently. Jake’s tongue running through his bottom lip.

Jake. Jake.Jake.

I feel drunk on him and too hot to keep my tights on. I just need to cool down a little bit. This is what my body is telling me, trying to convince me to take my clothes off. It’s fighting my rationality because all it wants is to follow what Jake’s voice is telling it to do. It wants to obey because it wants pleasure.

Jake takes a step back as I’m sure he can read the defeat in my eyes.

Without being able to stop myself, I slip out of my shoes and my tights follow. I let them drop on the floor, next to me. He picks them up and smiles at me.

“See? Not terrible to listen to me, is it?”

I shake my head trying to keep up with reality. “Please take it down now.”

“I will, because you’ve been such a good girl today. You deserve it.”

I squirm under his gaze.

A few seconds later the projector is displaying nothing but a white screen and I let out a sigh of relief.

“You’re gonna have to trust me on this one. When you listen, you get rewarded. When you don’t,” he chuckles, “you don’t want to know. So, every day, skirts. No stockings. Right?”

I nod but don’t give him more. I just want to get away from him. I hold my skirt at the hem and bend down to put my shoes back on.

“This is going to be fun,” he smiles as he watches me struggle to put my shoes on and keep a shred of dignity. He heads for the door. “Oh, what’s your favorite food by the way?”

I shake my head, unsure what he means.

“Well,” he presses.

“Sushi, why?”

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